he sea is calm, but I am trembling. Everything around me grows still, but deep inside my soul is stirring. I close my eyes to hide from the sun, all the while remembering that I cannot hide from the true Son. As the cool ocean breeze flows across my face, I am reminded of how big God is; I am reminded of how small I am.

While standing next to the Pacific Ocean, I cannot help but remember that not far off the coast in the middle of Monterey Bay is a cliff face that drops down more than 6,000 feet. There are things I could never imagine that live down there, and many that we may never see. But God created these as well.

God created the world out of the abundance of his love. Genesis 1 says that God looked upon what he made and it was good. All things that come from God are good.

Paul wrote in Romans 1:20 that “For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

All of God’s creation join in singing “Holy, holy is the Lord,” whether we can see it or not. The rocks will cry, the earth will yearn for God to be praised. Through God’s magnificent plan we can see his care and intent on our lives.

We do not know the purpose of some of God’s creation. Why are there fish and plants at the bottom of the ocean that no one will ever see? Still, God has a purpose in his eternal plan for all of his creation.

Sometimes our lives can be just like the fish in the depths of the ocean; we may not always know what God has in store for our lives. But through faith in Jesus Christ, we press on.

In Jeremiah 29:11 the Lord declares, “For I know the plans I have for you … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

We are the sons and daughters of the great King and, therefore, we should be open to his guiding will. He promises that if we seek, we will find; if we knock, God will open the door and show us the way.

As the new year begins, God will, as Ephesians 2:10 says, prepare in advance good works for us to do. Jesus Christ has set the path of righteousness; all we have to do is follow in his footsteps.

Many Christians question whether or not they are following God’s plan for their life. Is their career on the right track? Are they in the right romantic relationship? Should they stay or leave the town in which they live? God has a promise for these concerns as well.

In Acts 17:26 we are comforted by the fact that God determined the times set for us and the exact places where we should live.

The key to living a glorifying life unto God is to follow his path that he already set out for us. Our responsibilities are to be faithful in serving those around us, to do our work to the best of our abilities as if we were working unto the Lord and to be a light to those in our lives who are far from God.

In this annual time of new beginnings we, as believers, have much to be thankful for. Lamentations 3:23 says that the compassion of the Lord is new every morning. With God’s grace and love renewing each morning, the opportunities to serve him grow as well.

As we are sensitive to God’s will in our lives, we must also be weary of following the wrong path. 1 John 4:1 warns Christians to “… do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God ….”

The plans God has for us are plans to prosper us and to give us opportunities to show God’s love to those in our lives.

Just as the fish in the depths of the ocean have a purpose in God’s sovereign plan, so do we. We have all been created for the glory of the Father. As we ring in the New Year with loved ones, we should remember that God is for us and not against us.

Our hope and our future are found in the love of Jesus Christ. We are in the places and times God has placed us. Here, we are called to serve in love those around us.

Rejoice, because out of his great love God takes care of His people. 2008 will bring great things in the lives of those who serve the King if we remain open to his calling in our lives.