It’s a new year. The other night as I was contemplating this new year I heard the words “narrow gate of a new year”.
And I like that idea. The Narrow Gate in Scripture referred to Jesus as being the Only Way to salvation. But this morning the Lord refers to this new year as a narrow gate as well. It’s time to drop anything that held you back in 2021.
Oh beloved, what held you back last year? What kept you from moving on in your life? What stopped you from fulfilling God’s purpose for your life? What caused you pain, emotional distress, heaven burdens?
The Lord says this morning that this is a perfect time to unload and come into the new year with freedom. Things that caused fear aren’t from the Lord. Being hesitant to live fully is not God’s plan. Hanging onto old wounds can’t get you to the free life that Christ has called you to. If each of us will stop and ask the Lord to lift those old burdens off of us, we get to move into the new year preparing for new things. You may not know what will happen this year, but you can rest assured that God has good plans for you. Plans to give you a future and hope. Plans to give you rest in His Presence. Plans to trust Him enough to walk in victory. Plans to be so secure in Christ that whatever you leave behind isn’t worth keeping.
All we can truly take with us to heaven is ourselves and His Word. So this new year is the perfect time to live fully engulfed in the Lord’s written Word and His Word of faith to all of us. You can lay aside misunderstandings, disappointments, unforgiveness and more. Even the mistakes of last year don’t have to follow you into the new year because of Christ, who took that burden on Himself. This is a new year closer to Christ’s return, so don’t weigh yourself down any more. And don’t allow the enemy to keep you held down by not forgiving yourself! You are chosen in Christ!
God loves you and He’s for you. If He didn’t give you what you are carrying you can lay it down. If it won’t be allowed in heaven then Christ has made a way for you to walk free of it. What a way to live, knowing that you walk in the freedom, wisdom, power and love of the Lord. And you can fulfill His purpose for your life without the heavy load of life!
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Proverbs 4:26 Consider well and watch carefully the path of your feet, and all your ways will be steadfast and sure.
Psalm 55:22 Turn your burdens over to the LORD, and He will take care of you. He will never let the righteous person stumble.
2 Corinthians 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
