My Utmost for His Highest

December 31st Devotional from My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers: You shall not go out with haste.for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.—Isaiah 52:12 . Security from Yesterday. "God requires an account of what is past" (Ecc. 3:15). At the end of the year we turn with eagerness to all that God has for the future, and yet anxiety is apt to arise when we remember our yesterdays. Our present enjoyment of God's grace tends to be lessened by the memory of yesterday's sins and blunders. But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual growth for our future. God reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow security in the present. . Security for Tomorrow. "the Lord will go before you" This is a gracious revelation- that God will send His forces out where we have failed to do so. He will keep watch so that we will not be tripped up again by the same failures, as would undoubtedly happen if He were not our "rear guard." And God's hand reaches back to the past, settling all the claims against our conscience. . Security for Today. "You shall not go out with haste" As we go forth into the coming year, let it not be in the haste of impetuous, forgetful delight, nor with the quickness of impulsive thoughtlessness. But let us go out with the patient power of knowing that the God of Israel will go before us. Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us. It is true that we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future. Let the past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ. Leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him. . Reflection Question How can you see God’s hand in your past experiences, and how have they shaped your spiritual growth? . Prayer Lord, help me to see my past through Your eyes. Transform my regrets into lessons and my mistakes into opportunities for growth. Thank You for being the God of my yesterdays. Amen. . Reflection Question What anxieties about the future are you holding onto, and how can you trust God to guard you against repeating past mistakes? . Prayer Heavenly Father, thank You for the promise of Your protection. Help me to release my anxieties about the future and trust that You will guard me against repeating past mistakes. Amen. . Reflection Question How can you live more thoughtfully and purposefully in the present, trusting in God's plan and presence? . Prayer Lord, help me to live thoughtfully and purposefully today. Remind me of Your grace and presence in my life, and guide me to make wise decisions. Amen. . Reflection Question What past regrets are you holding onto, and how can you allow God to transform your anxiety into thoughtfulness for the future? . Prayer Father, I give You my past regrets and anxieties. Transform them into thoughtfulness and guide me as I step into the future with You. Amen. . Reflection Question How can you embrace the future with patience and confidence, trusting that God is guiding your steps? . Prayer Lord, as I step into the future, help me to do so with patience and confidence. Guide my steps and guard my path, knowing that You are with me. Amen.