Comments by Joan Boney:
Often people try to "celebrate" certain days and make those days special, a day to be remembered.
As I have walked in various scriptures, doing those scriptures, I have seen it is unwise to try to do these things the world does.
And yet I saw this year there was a hidden carry over concerning Christmas.
I know Christmas is not in the Bible and it is not a religious holiday prescribed by God. It is a day set up by man and as men set up their own good ideas, much harm and even evil comes.
This year, I deceived myself. I thought of how there might not be much traffic on Christmas Day and perhaps we could make a short trip, in our new car, driving into the nearby Rocky Mountains.
It seemed to me this would be pleasant.
But our new car had a problem with the electronic mirrors and the dealer set a time for us to bring the car in to leave the car to be fixed. They gave us a loaner car to use.
We have a custom sound system in our new car. Also we put high grade tires on the new car to make it ride more comfortably.
I have several bones in my body which have been broken in various falls and it can be difficult for me to ride in cars unless they ride smoothly, as our new "modified" car now does.
When they took the car, it seemed they would have plenty of time to have the car fixed by Christmas Day.
That didn't happen and the part they ordered to fix the car wouldn't be in until approximately December 29.
I asked Pam if we could pick up the car on December 24 and return it on the 28th.
But when she inquired, the dealer said they had already removed the front door and therefore it would be better if we did not do this. (I had even had the thought this might be the case, Holy Spirit showing me what would happen.)
It wasn't until after Christmas Day that I realized I had slipped back into the worldly way of doing something "special" for Christmas.
A Christian friend once said to me that he had come to realize how much trouble it can be to have fun.
I recall how on previous years, I had tried to do something "special" on New Year's Day. (My plans always fell short!)
Why are we doing these things, making it hard on ourselves?
We have yoked ourselves to the thinking of man and not the way of God when this happens.
There are no "special" days to celebrate that I know of in the New Testament Bible.
God's yoke is "easy" and HIS burden is light! (Matthew 11:30)
This year of 2020, many people will really celebrate the New Year, thinking Coronavirus to be over finally and life to be much better for themselves in the new year.
(But God has not told me this. In fact, the thing God keeps showing me is the coming of that great tribulation told us in the Bible. Rev. 8, 9, 16)
I'm not saying the great tribulation is coming in 2021. (Some of the early plagues may have already happened in the past years.)
But I do know the day of the Lord will come sometime in the days ahead.
It is not a matter of entertaining myself and making the New Year special. But rather it is a matter of being sure I am living in peace, without spot, and blameless as I wait for the return of Jesus as the apostle Peter told us to do. (II Peter 3:14)
We follow God daily, connecting with God each day through prayer when we are troubled about anything. (Phil. 4:6-7)
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
And regardless of what happens ahead, knowing the following:
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to HIS purpose.
God watches over us, HIS people, and cares for us, and gives us all good things, and makes everything work together for good in our lives according to HIS plan to conform us into the image of HIS Son.
So we learn to trust God, saying, "THY will be done," and really knowing that we can trust God to make a way for us in the days ahead.
Our plans might fail to live up to our expectation, but God's plans for us will not fail.
Trust God for today and for tomorrow!
PS: I'm glad we didn't get the new car back before Christmas Day. I just stayed at home and wrote exhortations for the church and recorded Podcasts, and later in the afternoon we took the dogs to the dog park as we often do, weather permitting.
Every day turns out to be "special" when we are following God's plan for our lives and when we are keeping our own flesh crucified with Christ, the Word, by following the Spirit of God!
We who belong to God have all good things for this life and for that life which is to come!
*****