Friday, 31 December 2021
Title: See, I am Going To Do A New Thing!
By: Pastor Isaac Yim
Text: Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

It is time to say goodbye. We often say goodbye with mixed emotions. Today, there are two goodbyes. One is goodbye to 2021. It is gone for good and will never return. The other goodbye is the final publication of the Daily Devotion of Pantai Baptist Church. On one hand I am joyful and relieved that the Daily Devotion team need not be pressured to meet datelines. At the same time, I am saddened that we will miss you on a daily basis. Since 18 March 2020 till 31 December 2021, we have been pilgrims walking together, feeding on the Word of God. Like the GPS, His Word has led us through the lonely road of the Covid19 pandemic. On 20 December, I had sent out a Letter of Appreciation to all the readers and the Daily Devotion Team Members. Allow me to quote some of the responses received. Some comments I received were very encouraging.

“It was translated into Bahasa Malaysia for the benefit of many BM speaking worshippers” (Brother Leong, Sabah). What a surprise! Praise The Lord! We are not aware of this at all.
“It is the first thing I read when I wake up in the morning. I have shared your devotions with my home group and others” (Mimi & Dr. Tan Yaw Kwang, Kuching).
“It has been a great encouragement as well as gained new insights often from the devotion” (Asinlo, Mission Partner, Himalayas).
“I have also sent it daily to my cousin who is not a Christian yet and she has told me some of her prayers were answered after reading these devotions” (Patricia Loh).
“I have consistently shared our DD with so many of my friends and family (non-Christian) and they are so very blessed by it.…reaching out in times of need and worrisome period for all.… many non- Christians responded, ‘Is this how a Christian family works?’” (Fred Ong and Family).
“I have been looking forward to receiving this daily from you in the group chat, without fail for so long, it becomes part of Kenny and I every evening program, this brings Kenny and I closer since we got married, we learned to read God’s word and pray aloud together, it helps us to walk closer with God. We are blessed tremendously” (Kenny and Moong Lan).

Thank God for the Daily Devotion Ministry, and the hard-working team who, without fail, put it out daily. I am grateful that you have been helped. I hope this is just an appetizer that leads you into reading the Word of God – the Bible – daily.

Our text today says, God is going to do a new thing for His people. Things will change in the future. Things will not be the same because God is going to include His people in His future plans. To experience the new hope, the people must be prepared to let go of the past so that they can receive what God has in mind for them. Like the people of Israel, we have a choice. We can keep looking back on our past or we can focus upon what God is going to do in the present and in the future.

God is inviting us to recommit and to realign our hearts with His. “See” is an invitation. See what new things God is doing and going to do. Let’s ask God to reveal the new things to us for the new year. Let us focus on His mighty power rather than on our limitations. Lord, give us new vision, new dreams, new opportunities, new strategies, new anointing of the Holy Spirit, new boldness, new attitude towards God, towards ourselves and others. Thank you, Lord, You are going to do something new in each of our lives in the New Year!

The Lord said, “Forget what happened long ago! Don’t think about the past. I am creating something new. There it is! Do you see it? I have put roads in deserts, streams in thirsty lands.”

Lord, what new things are You seeking to do in my life in 2022?
Lord, help me to look at things differently and perceive the newness You want to bring.
Lord, give me the faith to trust You to create a new heart that loves and obeys You daily.

Prayer

Dear Father in heaven, I Thank You for seeing me through a very challenging year 2021. Thank You Lord, You never leave me where I am. Thank You for doing something new for me in the New Year. Lord, help me to leave the many old baggage of the past behind. Help me to expect new things You are going to do in and through me in the New Year. Holy Spirit open my eyes to see things differently through Your eyes. Grant me a willing and obedient heart to join You in what You are doing. Thank You, Lord. You are my Rock, my Redeemer and the joy of my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjowZMWpzfgKCrTuxGU9B3

Should you want to join FOPI Devotion, please click the link above. This new devotion will be on every Wednesday of the week. The first posting will be on 5 January 2022. All are welcome.

FOPI stands for FRIENDS OF PASTORS INTERNATIONAL founded by Ps Isaac Yim 20 years ago. This ministry have work in North East India, China and South East Asia.

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班底浸信教会
每日灵粮
星期五, 2021年12月31日
标题：看哪，我要作一件新的事！
作者：严以撒牧师
翻译：陈健萍姐妹
经文：以赛亚书43:18-19（新译本）

“你们不要怀念先前的事，也不要思念古时的事。看哪！我要作一件新的事；现在它要发生了，难道你们还不知道吗？我要在旷野开一条道路，在荒地开挖江河。”

是说再见的时刻了，我们总带着复杂的心情说再见。今天，有两项告别：一是告别2021年，它一去不复返了；另一是向班底浸信会最后一篇的《每日灵粮》告别。一方面，我很高兴也松了一口气，因为《每日灵粮》团队不需承受赶上截限时间的压力了；同时，我感到难过的是，我们每天都会想念您。从2020年3月18日到2021年12月31日，我们一直是同行的天路客，以上帝的话语为粮。就如全球定位系统（GPS）一般，祂的话语引领我们走过了新冠肺炎大流行的孤独之路。12月20日，我给所有的读者和《每日灵粮》团队成员发了一封感谢信。请允许我引述一些收到的回应，我收到的一些评语非常令人鼓舞。

“为了许多讲马来语的信徒的益处，它被翻译成马来语” (梁弟兄,沙巴)。真是个惊喜！赞美主！我们对此全不知情。
“我早上醒来做的第一件事，就是阅读这《每日灵粮》。我与我的家庭小组和其他人分享了您们的灵修篇章”（Mimi & Tan Yaw Kwang医生，古晋）。
“这是个极大的鼓励，同时也经常从灵修中获得新的见解” (Asinlo，使命伙伴，喜马拉雅山)。
“我也每天把它发送给我的表妹，她还不是基督徒。她告诉我，她的一些祷告在读完这些灵修后得到了回应” (Patricia Loh)。
“我一直与我许多的朋友和家人(非基督徒)分享我们的灵粮，他们也蒙受了很大的祝福……在有需要的时候以及在令人担忧的时期伸出援助之手……许多非基督徒回应：‘基督徒家庭是这样运作的吗？’”（Fred Ong and Family）
“我每天都期待着在群聊收到您捎来的灵粮，这么久以来，它已是我和 Kenny 每晚节目的一部分。自我们结婚以来，这让我和 Kenny 更亲近了，我们学会了一起读上帝的话语，一起开声祈祷，这有助于我们更紧随上帝。我们得到了极大的祝福”（Kenny and Moong Lan）。

我为《每日灵粮》事工感谢上帝，也感谢辛勤的团队，他们每天从不间断地如期发布。您得到了帮助，我很感恩。我希望这只是一道开胃小品，引导您每天阅读上帝的话语 – 圣经。

我们今天的经文说，上帝要为祂的子民作一件新的事。将来情况会有所改变。事情将会不一样了，因为上帝要把祂的子民纳入在祂未来的计划中。要体验这新的希望，人们必须准备好放下过去，这样他们才能得到上帝为他们所计划的。像以色列人一样，我们也有选择。我们可以不断回顾我们的过去，或是注目于上帝现在和将来要作的事。

上帝在邀请我们重新委身，重新将我们的心与祂的对齐。“看哪” 是一个邀请，看看上帝正在作和将要作什么新事。让我们祈求上帝在新的一年里向我们启示新的事物；让我们专注在祂的大能，而不是我们的局限。主啊，求祢赐给我们新的异象、新的梦想、新的机会、新的策略、新的圣灵恩膏、新的胆量并对上帝、对自己和他人的新态度。感谢祢，主，在新的一年里，祢将在我们每个人的生命中作新的事！

主说：“忘了很久以前发生的事吧！不要再想过去了。我在创造一些新的东西。就在那儿！你看到了吗？我在沙漠开辟道路，在干渴的土地开挖溪流。”

主啊，在2022年，祢想在我的生命中作什么新事？
主啊，求祢帮助我以不同的眼光看待事物，感知祢要带来的新意。
主啊，求祢赐给我信心，让我深信祢会造一颗每天都爱祢、顺从祢的新心。

祷告
亲爱的天父，感谢祢带领我度过了充满挑战的2021年。感谢主，祢从不撇下我在原处而不顾。感谢祢在新的一年里为我作新的事。主啊，求帮助我把过去的许多包袱抛诸脑后。在新的一年里，帮助我期待祢在我生命里并通过我要作的新事。圣灵开启我的眼睛，让我透过祢的眼睛对事物有不同的看法。求祢赐我一颗乐意且顺服的心，在祢正在作的事上与祢同工。谢谢祢，主啊。祢是我的磐石，我的救赎主，我生命中的喜乐。奉耶稣的名，阿们。

您若想加入FOPI的灵修，请点击下面的链接。这项新的灵修将在每周的星期三传送；第一篇将于2022年1月5日发布。欢迎大家。

https://chat.whatsapp.com/EjowZMWpzfgKCrTuxGU9B3

FOPI是 “国际牧者之友” (FRIENDS OF PASTORS INTERNATIONAL) 的缩写，20年前由严以撒牧师所创立。这项服事在印度东北部、中国和东南亚都有事工。