Good Words for a New Year

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him;
God is a refuge for us.
Psalm 62:8

In reading Psalm 62 I found these words of Scripture to be some great encouragement for the new year. Why is that? Because we don’t know what the new year holds. It offers the promise of great blessing and joys but also the reality of hard times that we don’t expect.
Not to be unnecessarily morose, but we can’t anticipate what news we may receive in the coming year. We can’t anticipate what life changes may come our way but change, we know, will come. It is the one constant in life. How does Psalm 62:8 help?
First, it calls for continual trust in the Lord. Notice we are exhorted even commanded to trust. It isn’t always a natural reflex. We may find ourselves in deep despair or anxiety. The Psalmist says to us, “trust the Lord at all times- during the joys and the sorrows, during the happy surprises and the shocking ones as well.” Instead of worry, we should trust God.
Second, this passage urges us to pour out our hearts and our burdens to the Lord. We are encouraged to hold nothing back. We are told to unload all that troubles us and all that weighs us down with worry and fear. God can handle the load and wants us to go to Him.
Third, we are reminded that God is a refuge for us. He is a shelter for us when storms come. He is, to borrow from another Psalm, our “hiding place.” We are reminded that in Jesus we can hide as He has covered our sins with His own sacrifice. His righteous record is like a robe we wear and stand justified before the Father by faith. God offers true security in Himself.
When sleep is hard to come by as doubt and fear take hold remember these words. Trust Him, pour out your heart to Him, then make Him your refuge. Some good encouragement for the new year that lies before us.