A Word from Mike.....
The years continue to move by quickly; each filled with ups and downs for everyone. This is the God-determined course of life which we experience individually and in our churches. Every year that God allows us to live and serve provides more opportunities to accomplish what He has placed us here to do. Some of us have dreams that will never be realized, and some of us are seeing the Lord work in us in ways that we never expected. The longer I live, the more I grapple with the tension between my will and desires to serve God and His Kingdom versus His determined plan for my life. I readily admit that I do not fully understand how these two things come together. It seems that sometimes they do, and sometimes they don’t. So, my intention is to be as faithful as I know how to be and diligent in what is before me and what is in my heart to do, and trust Him for the ultimate outcome. A couple of verses from Proverbs come to mind—
Prov. 16:9 says: “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” We may dream and scheme, but we have to live and embrace the reality that it the Lord that determines the actual course and outcome that we will experience.
Prov. 3:5-6 similarly says: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Sometimes the ways of the Lord leave us scratching our heads in wonderment; yet why should that surprise us? God made it clear in Isa. 55, that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts, because His ways and thoughts are above ours—they ARE by definition! HE IS GOD! He does that which is unique to His will and ways, and does so according to His exclusive might.
So, in the coming year, let us be faithful in what we know to do…He can and will, readily, take care of the rest!
May God Bless and Lead Us All in 2026!!
MM
