The start of the New Year is always interesting for me. Like most, I spend some time reflecting on the past year and wondering what was good and what was not good. I examine what spiritual disciplines I should change and what routines of life I need to adjust. And for the most part, this usually leads me to something new that my hope is will one day help me grow to be more like Jesus or help me to increase my satisfaction in life.
This year has been a tad different for me. Rather than the usual reflection and examination, I have found myself looking not for new ways to grow or new ways to be encouraged, but I see the need to keep doing some of the “old” things. For instance, as I read Psalm 1 recently, I was struck by the stability, growth, and joy that the Psalmist describes in the person whose “delight is in the law of the Lord.” The Psalmst writes that this person is “like a tree planted by streams of water that yields fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:3). The person whose delight is in the Lord, in his Word, and in communion with the Lord is a person who is truly satisfied and productive.
So much of our world is based on a “new is better” mentality. We have commercials filled with “new and improved” detergents, deodorants, or whatever gadget is the latest and greatest. But spiritually speaking, there is something to be sad about consistently remembering the old and believing that true satisfaction comes in going back to those places, over and over.
The idea that true satisfaction is found in the new and improved should never leave us questioning the greatness of God found in His word, His promises and His glorious gospel. The way to true satisfaction is found in delighting in and commuing with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. And this is found in the things that are “old”, like prayer, reading our Bibles, and trusting God to fulfill all He promised.
