Daily Devotional

The Cause of a Successful Year

As we stand at the threshold of a New Year, our minds are naturally filled with plans, resolutions, and a desire to work more effectively for the Lord. However, the Spirit of Prophecy provides a vital correction to our typical "planning" phase. It reminds us that the success of our year is not found in the complexity of our goals, but in the simplicity of our morning surrender. "Consecrate yourself to God in the morning; make this your very first work." This is the spiritual cause; a year of purposeful, God-led service is merely the effect.

Consistency in the New Year

There is a beautiful Biblical consistency between the Creator's work in John 1:10 and the call in Revelation 14 to "worship Him that made heaven and earth." If He is the Creator of time itself, He must be the Architect of our daily schedule. We cannot expect to share the "everlasting gospel" with power if we have not first allowed that Gospel to master our own hearts in the first hours of January 1st. When we lay our New Year's plans at His feet, we are not losing our year; we are ensuring that his truth is confirmed through every action we take.

The Story of the Unwritten Calendar

A well-known missionary once began every New Year by placing a completely blank calendar on his altar. He would pray, "Lord, I have no plans of my own for these 365 days. Write Your will across these pages, and I will follow." One year, he felt a strong impression to delay a major project he had spent months preparing. Initially frustrated, he obeyed. Months later, he discovered that the delay had saved him from a political uprising that would have ended his mission entirely. By making consecration his "first work" and surrendering his plans, he allowed God's providence to fulfill promises he couldn't even see yet.

Starting the Journey Right

The work of the Lord for this coming year begins in the heart and moves to the hands. The Spirit of Prophecy teaches that we should not worry about the "great" things we hope to achieve by December, but rather focus on the "little things" of today's devotion. As we enter this New Year, let us remember that our consistency in the quiet morning hour is the evidence that we truly believe the message of the Creator.