A New Year, A New Beginning

He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”
Micah 6:8

As we begin a fresh New Year, let us start first with a look at the Old Testament. There we find, through the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Micah asking a question of each of us, “What doth the Lord require of thee…?” Oh, how our heart is calmed and how our anxious nature finds peace to realize that God does not require us to strive toward some unattainable goal, but to follow a calm, steady, humble, obedient, faithful walk with Him. How do we do this?

Let us observe a few examples from the Scriptures, that we would all do well to follow. As we glance through the Old Testament we first see Abraham. His faithful obedient walk with God made him “the father of many nations,” (Genesis 17:5). We women should also cast our eye upon Sarah, Abraham’s wife. The Bible says she called her husband “lord”. That requires humility.

Next, our search stops at Moses, for he was called the “meekest” man on the face of the earth (Numbers 12:3).

Also, remember Hannah; she proved her faithfulness in keeping her promise to God when she gave her child, Samuel, back to the Lord (1 Samuel 1:24).

Ezra is such an inspiration for the Bible says of him “Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.”

Then as we read on in the book of Daniel, it’s obvious Daniel did not seek greatness, but through his unrelenting obedience God used him greatly.

He continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God.”
Daniel 6:10

In the New Testament Luke tells us about Zachariah and Elizabeth. They lived a life of service to the Lord: Zachariah as a priest and Elizabeth, his wife, a woman sometimes scorned for being childless. But that was all according to God’s plan to bring about the birth of John the Baptist.

If you are not familiar with these people, then I hope these brief descriptions have wet your appetite to travel through the Bible as this New Year begins and diligently commit yourself to reading God’s Word starting with these great examples. For these people are wonderful models for us to pattern our lives after and to strive to “do justly, and to love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God.”

Of course, our greatest example is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, to Whom we should all strive to be obedient first and foremost. And Isaiah 22:17-18 sums up the results of such obedience when he says, “And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness is quietness and assurance forever.”

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Gail Slawson

I am a 68 year old wife, mother and grandmother. After 48 years of marriage, my husband and I have been richly blessed with 4 wonderful children and their wonderful mates and 21 precious grandchildren, five of which are already with the Lord and 2 great-grandchildren. I have attended church all my life, but never saw myself a lost sinner in need of a Savior until I was 28 years old. It was then that the Holy Spirit convicted me of my sin and I was brought to repentance and the Lord graciously saved me and I have praised Him ever since. Psalm 40:2-3a "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a Rock, and established my going. And He hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God:" My daily prayer: " But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Galatians 6:14 www.bibleencouragement.org

Latest posts by Gail Slawson (see all)

God’s Protective Hand - August 1, 2016
Training Children - April 14, 2016
Hannah, Full of Grace - March 16, 2016