By Joseph Ametepe
Oh Faithful Father and Finisher, we began the year 2021 with a lot of uncertainties and unknowns. Would the Covid-19 pandemic continue to ravage our world? Could many more millions of people die as a result of Covid-19? Could the vaccines being developed be effective against contracting the virus and canceling its spread around the globe?
You...Have Been With Us
Also, what of natural disasters; would they continue to decimate the poorest of nations? Would wars continue to destroy lives and displace people? Honestly, we started 2021 with all these and many other uncertainties and unknowns. But here we are today, in the very last month of it, December 2021 – in which we celebrate the Birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. You, our Faithful Father and Finisher, have been with us and tenderly cared for us till this day. Lord, You sustained us! Supported us! Strengthened us! Yes, Loving Father, You protected and preserved us through all the storms of life that came our way during this year till this very day. Precious Lord, You started 2021 with us, and now, You are finishing with us. To You alone be the glory!
You Will Not Fail to Accomplish What Concerns Us
Indeed, Loving and Living God, You will not fail to accomplish what concerns us. In fact, such was our confidence and conviction at the beginning of November 2021. Righteous Father, we trust that You will most assuredly fulfill Your purpose for bringing us this far. You will perform for us all that You’ve appointed for us in December 2021 and beyond. Therefore, to You, O Lord our God, be the praise and honor for all Your goodness and grace toward us in this year that’s passing away!
We Join David the Shepherd Boy
As such, we join David, the shepherd boy who became a warrior, sweet psalmist and king of Israel in extolling Your goodness and grace and care for our lives. “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth…When I consider Your heavens the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; what is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?” (Psalm 8:1a, 3-4; NASB).
You Carried Us
Because of Your thoughtful and tender care for us, You carried us, just a man carries his son, in all the way which we have walked until we came to this place (see Deuteronomy 1:31). O Lord, our Lord, we bless You for being so faithful in caring for us and in carrying us through all the trials, troubles, tests, and tribulations we’ve encountered in our lives in 2021. Righteous Father, we bring our sacrifice of praise to You on this first day of December 2021. We bow in humble and honest adoration and worship of You. You alone deserve our worship and adoration!
You Are the King of Kings
Indeed, You are “the King of kings and the Lord of lords” (1 Timothy 6:15). You are “a great God, and a great king above all gods” (Psalm 95:3), “the King of glory” (Psalm 24:8) and the “King of the nations” (Jeremiah 10:7). “Abba Father,” (Mark 14:36), “from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Psalm 90:2b). “You are majestic in holiness” (Exodus 15:11). Great and mighty are You Lord (see Psalm 89:8). “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord our God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come” (Revelation 4:8b; NASB).
Yours, O LORD, Is the Greatness And the Power
Not only that, “Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O LORD, and You exalt Yourself as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all, and in Your hand is power and might; and it lies in Your hand to make great and to strengthen everyone. Now therefore, our God, we thank You, and praise Your glorious name” (1 Chronicles 29:11-13; NASB).
There Is No One Like the LORD, our God
Truly, “there is no one like the LORD, our God” (Exodus 8:10). Indeed, You alone are God, the true God. You are the self-existing, the self-sufficient, and the sustainer, the sovereign and supreme deity of the universe. Yes, You are in a distinguished class all by Yourself. We bless Your holy name, for it is the name which is above every name (see Philippians 2:9). We magnify You and honor You for who You are and for all You’ve accomplished in and through and for our lives since the beginning of 2021 to this very day.
We Gladly and Gratefully Dedicate December 2021 to You
In the light of who You are and what You’ve accomplished for our lives since the beginning of this year, we gladly and gratefully dedicate December 2021 to You, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Please, Faithful Father, in Your compassion and concern for us, perform what concerns You Yourself, our families, our friends and fellow-believers, and us; Israel – Your chosen and cherished nation; Your Church – that is, Your consecrated and called-out ones, and Your world – made up of all the nations and the lands You created under the heavens – for the praise of Your marvelous and majestic name!
Finisher, Finish What You've Begun in Our Lives
As such, please, Heavenly Father and Finisher, finish what You’ve begun in our lives, at the start of this year, for Your word says: “He who began a good work in you, will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). Form Christ in us (see Galatians 4:19). Fulfill the desires of our hearts as we delight in You (see Psalm 37:4)). Fill us with Your Spirit (Acts 2:4; Ephesians 5:19), to worship and walk with You; to work with You and to win souls for Christ, in such a time as this! Holy Father, forgive us our sins even as we forgive everyone who is indebted to us (Luke 11:4). Mighty Warrior, fight for us (see Exodus 14:14) and fight against those who fight against us (see Psalm 35:1b).
Fix Our Eyes on Christ
By Your Spirit, fix our eyes on Christ, whose birth we celebrate in December 2021 with glad and grateful hearts. Of course, we do not know the exact day of our Savior’s Birth. But we do know for certain that God became man in the person of the Lord Jesus and was born of the Virgin Mary. Of His birth, the Bible simply and succinctly says: “for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11; NASB).
Lord, You Are Good, And Do Good
Since, oh Lord, “You are good, and do good” (Psalm 119:68), we are confident that You will do what is good for us in December 2021 and beyond! King of glory, we are convinced that, since You do all things well; You will accomplish what concerns us for the rest of this year. In other words, Lord of our lives, You will not fail us nor forsake nor forget us. Lord of glory, we are certain that, You will freely and faithfully advance us into Your greater purposes for our lives for the praise of Your glory and grace.
We Confess Your Name
“O LORD our God, other masters besides You have ruled us; but through You alone we confess Your name” (Isaiah 26:13). We commit our cause in December 2021 to You, for You are our True Master and God. We cast ourselves completely upon Your mercies, for You are merciful (see Psalm 145:8), and “[your] mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23; ESV).
Father, Restore us to Yourself
Because of Your great faithfulness, please our Father, “restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old - unless you have utterly rejected us, and you remain exceedingly angry with us” (Lamentations 5:21-22; ESV). Even if You are exceedingly angry with us, we are greatly comforted by Your words: “for his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime” (Psalm 30:5; ESV). What a great relief! We present all these praises and petitions to You, O Lord, our God, in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ – knowing that “[you] are able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20; ESV). Amen and Amen!