New year resolutions

New Year Resolutions

5 January 2009

A few days ago I was thinking back on the year 2009 and realized what a great year it has been for me, challenging indeed but still great and probably one of my best years ever.  Let me give a bit of an incite into 2009.

I lost my job the end of 2008 and with that me and my family took a huge financial knock.  I could not find a new job and we struggled to keep head above water.  Within that period I accepted Christ in my life and and although financially things got worst, my faith started to grow more and more and so did my understanding of God’s plan.  God gave me word that I would loose everything, that I have to let go and then follow Him.  I decided to trust God in this and decided to let go of most of my personal belongings.  I lost my BMW, our house were taken from us because we could not afford the payment on the bond and we started selling many of our personal goods.  Through all this I trusted God and held onto his promise he gave me in Isaiah 41 verse 10:  Have no fear, for I am with you; do not be looking about in trouble, for I am your God; I will give you strength, yes, I will be your helper; yes, my true right hand will be your support.

God stood by us all the way.  He provided food, clothes, a place to stay and everything else that we needed.  We were blessed not just by His love and grace but also a family who stood by us every inch of the way.  In this period I decided to work for the Lord and started with Jesus to my Rescue and its projects.  Being involved with Jesus to my Rescue strengthened me spiritually and I grew day by day.  Later in the year I decided to get myself baptised and shortly after that at a meeting I attended of a well known prophet, I received the Holy Spirit.  On this day, 13 September, a new Jaco van As were born and the old were left behind.  It was also after this day that my life and that of my family, changed and so many things started to happen for us financially.  By November I started my own business and for the first time in more than a year earned a salary again.  All of a sudden, with me earning a salary and my wife doing her best ever, we have more money than we have had for a long time.  The Lord blessed us with so much in such a short period of time.  The difference this time around is that we realize that it is HIS money and not ours and therefore will spend it the way the Spirit will lead us to do.

In 2009 we faced many challenges and lost so many earthly things but at the same time we received so much more, we received Jesus and with receiving and accepting Him into our lives and allowing Him to lead us, our lives changed for ever and it changed so much that 2009 was the best year of my life!  Thank you Jesus for entering my life!  Thank you Jesus for bringing me back to the basics, for showing me the way, the ONLY way!

Now that I am walking with Jesus I realize that I do not anymore need to make new year resolutions as I am part of God’s bigger plan.  I also now realize that I CAN achieve anything with Jesus on my side if He feels that what I want to do is indeed good for me and if I really do need it in my life.  I decided to change my new year resolutions to something that will last for my entire life on earth, therefore rather a guidance by which I would like to live:

–  Trust God in EVERYTHING
–  To always ask “What Jesus would do” in a situation where I am unsure of what is right or wrong
–  To listen to God’s voice!
–  To make full use of the gifts of the Spirit which I received
–  Strive to live in the image of Jesus in everything I do or say

May these 5 sentences above also form part of your new year resolutions and of your life here on earth.  May you have a blessed 2010 and remember that Jesus already have a plan for you for the year!  Trust Him with this plan as He knows what is best for you!

For I am conscious of my thoughts about you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you hope at the end.  And you will go on crying to me and making prayer to me, and I will give ear to you.  And you will be searching for me and I will be there, when you have gone after me with all your heart.  Jer 29:11-13

Jaco van As