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Isn’t there something we can give to God that won’t belittle Him to the status of beneficiary? Yes. Our anxieties…. God will gladly receive anything from us that shows our dependence and His all-sufficiency.
–John Piper

We recently finished Christmas. Sometimes during that season it is hard to remember that God is not Santa, though we often reduce him to some type of cosmic Claus. He is not just a beneficiary that gives us things when we want or need them. He is much more than that. He wants a real relationship with you. And He wants you to depend on Him and find all of your needs fulfilled in your relationship with Him more than you finding fulfillment only in what He can physically “give” to you in wealth or in health.

The importance of being humble:
If there is good in you, see more good in others, so that you may remain humble. It does no harm to esteem yourself less than anyone else, but it is very harmful to think yourself better than even one. The humble live in continuous peace, while in the hearts of the proud are envy and frequent anger.
–Thomas à Kempis

It is so hard for us to place ourselves below others, to esteem them as more important than ourselves. And yet, that is exactly what Jesus did for us. Though immeasurably more worthy than us, He placed Himself lower than us so that He could serve us. Self-sacrifice. Humility. Love.

As a follower of His, it is now time for me to do the same for others.

God’s answers are wiser than our prayers.
–Unknown

I am so thankful that God doesn’t always answer our prayers the way we ask them. His answers are wiser than our desires, our wishes, our goals, AND even our prayers!

A quote regarding God’s will for your life:
The Spirit leads within the limits which the Word sets, not beyond them. “He guides me in paths of righteousness” (Psalm 23:3) — but not anywhere else.
–J. I. Packer

Have you ever wondered what God’s will was for you? Well it certainly will only be found within the limits of the Scriptures. If you feel God is leading you somewhere, but that “where” is outside of the bounds of Scripture, you can be assured it is not God who is doing the leading!

But that means that the only way you can actually know if something is in His will is by knowing His Word. Are you making it a point to grow in your knowledge of the Bible?

Each day we ought to renew our resolutions and arouse ourselves to fervor as though it were the first day of our religious life. We ought to say: “Help me, O Lord God, in my good resolution and in Your holy service. Grant me now, this very day, to begin perfectly, for thus far I have done nothing.
–Thomas à Kempis

I thought this would be a good quote to begin this year with.
And as today begins a New Year, I believe this is a great day for us to begin praying this prayer!