Everything about God is permanent and steady. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and
forever. (Hebrews 13:8)

God never changes, His Word never changes, His promises never change, His
faithfulness never changes. He is faithful and true. God is faithful to those
who are faithful to Him. God is faithful to those who put their trust and faith
in Him even in the midst of life’s difficulties.

Every year is a journey and the beginner is not the owner but the finisher. Many started this
year 2022 but did not finish the race. When you look through the circumstances
of the year 2022, you will see the goodness of God in your life. He walked you
through all the circumstances of this year 2022. He walked you throughout all
your fears and you are still here in His presence. Jesus Christ is faithful and
true as it says in the Book of Revelation 19:11. Jesus Christ is
called the Alpha and the Omega (Revelation 1:8); this means He is
the same in the beginning and the same at the end of each year. Jesus is the
same year in and year out. With Him at your side, you will remain steady,
walking steadily even if you are in an unsteady world.

Jesus said in the book of John 14:6, “I am the way the truth and the life.”

·        He is the Way, the only way to walk safely throughout all the circumstances of the
journey in the year, 2023.

·        He is the Truth that will guide you through all the negative circumstances of life to
the right way. With His grace you will walk in the truth.

·        He is the Life who promises to give life to your spirit, soul and body, no matter
what comes, no matter what happens.

Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd of our soul! By His authority and power, He will shepherd you
throughout the journey of 2023 till the end of it.

God chose the wilderness to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt. The wilderness is an
unfamiliar terrain.
But the people walked through the wilderness steadily even whereas everything around them was unsteady.

The wilderness was unsteady, by unsteady I mean with no life supporting
materials to sustain life but the people lacked nothing! God provided for water
through the rock! God rained down from Heaven manna, giving them food of
angels. God’s name is Jehovah Jireh the Provider. Their clothes and shoes did
not wear during all the 40 years of their journey through the wilderness!
Nothing out of God’s control happened to them!

What was the cause
of all this? They were led by the pillar of cloud by day to shelter them from
the heat of the desert as if they were walking under an AC. The pillar of fire
became light in the night to give them light in the midst of darkness; they
never walked in darkness, they never groped in darkness. God’s direction
determined the road map to follow throughout the wilderness. And where God
guides, He provides and protects. God’s direction will determine your road map
through the year 2023. All we need to do is to commit our ways to the Lord
during this year 2023. Your only role is to be obedient and follow His ways!

All we need to do
is to commit our ways to the Lord through prayer during this year 2023 and the
Lord is faithful and true to carry us through. God will determine any stopping
intervals during the year 2023 and God will determine their duration.  

He will give you the grace of time and space to move and act in as allotted by His divine Providence. 

Just as it was during the crossing of the wilderness, when the clouds of God rose up high in the sky,
the people stood up ready to move and they unpitched their tents. When the
cloud departed, they followed it. And when the clouds stopped, they stopped,
when the cloud rested, they rested and pitched their tents! The Holy Spirit
leading them revealed His presence by the cloud. What are the benefits of the
leading of the Holy Spirit? Providence! Even though they walked during 40 years
through the wilderness, neither their clothes nor their shoes wore out. God’s
sufficiency and provision sustained their life in every area! God will do the
same to all those who trust and believe in Him.

Today the Holy Spirit is our cloud, illuminating our hearts and eyes of faith with the light
of knowledge of God’s ways! This is how He will shelter those who, in the name
of Jesus Christ, seek shelter under His Providence, guidance, mercy and divine
protection throughout the year 2023!

Do not be afraid of the perspective of doom forecast by statistics in the year 2023. A true
believer does not focus on problems but on the solution from God. God sometimes
works through the circumstances. Therefore, look to Jesus, the Shepherd of our
soul, for He is the Master of all the circumstances of life.  Jesus has already forewarned all believers that
in this world there will be trouble. Though we are living in a troubled world,
there is a greater reason not to be troubled. The circumstances of believers
are different from others. Jesus is faithful, ever faithful to those who are
faithful to Him – that’s the key! God never promised to keep us away from the
circumstances of life but He promised to see us through whatever life brings. As
the Bible says, do not fear anything but rather let us have a reverent fear of
the Lord and His wisdom will carry us through! God’s wisdom and Providence will
preserve us from life’s destruction and keep us above human destruction as well.

Only those who live outside the truth where the true light comes from have reason to be troubled
and afraid of life’s uncertainties because they are walking in darkness. But in
Christ Jesus, the way is secured!

Christ’s sovereignty, power and provision will keep you throughout all the circumstances
of life. You will experience His peace – a peace not as the world gives! Inner
peace! Nothing on the outside can rob you of that inner peace of heart! You
will experience His joy not as a world gives! Inner joy! Nothing on the outside
can rob you of that inner joy of heart! You will have no reason to worry and
lose faith even though everything around you is unsteady!

 LET US PRAY:

Make a covenant with God! In this new year 2023! What are the terms of this covenant?

·         Make a heart decision to commit your life and family and your ways to the Lord.

·         Make a heart decision to read His word and meditate in it and be prayerful. That is what it means to be faithful to God! If you do that, God will be faithful to you no matter what comes, He will see you through

·         As you venture into faith life in this year 2023, put your trust and heart’s desire upon the Lord Jesus Christ and He will give you your heart’s delight!

The Bibles says in Psalms 91:7, “A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.” The Lord will shelter you, lead you and guide you each hour, day, month of the year 2023 till December 2023 as you open each day and each month in prayer!

I commit each and every one of you under God’s protection, under the shelter of the Lord of Lords, the King of kings, our Lord Jesus Christ.

·         I commit you and everything that has to do with you – your family, your business, your life under the shadow of His mercy and grace throughout the year 2023!

·         I say to you who follow God’s instruction in righteousness, that the blessings, protection and grace of God will overshadow every negative circumstance of this world because you are walking with the Lord!

·         I pray you will be sheltered under the Blood of the Lamb and presence of the Holy Spirit throughout the year 2023!

·         In this new year, surely God’s goodness and mercy shall follow you all the days of 2023 and you shall dwell under the shadow of the cloud of the Holy Spirit!

WHAT BELONGS TO GOD

This instruction of Jesus reminds us that whatever we do in this earth, whatever we encounter and whatever comes our way, nothing should take our heart from God. Different responsibilities, challenges and pressures may fight for our attention but nothing should take the place of God in our heart, because our heart belongs to Him.

ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO LEAD YOU

When we pay attention to the Word of God, seeing it not as an ordinary word but the Word of God, then our mind will be renewed and our heart will begin to desire the things from above. We must be spiritually inclined to discover spiritual things.

THE GARDEN OF DECISION

In the garden of Eden, a place of pleasure, a place of abundance, a place of intimacy with God, Adam disobeyed.
In the garden of Gethsemane, a place of pain, a place of sorrow, a place of suffering where before Him was the weight of the sins of the world and rejection from God, Jesus obeyed.