Spiritual Reflections for the New Year
Mary Winslow (1774–1854) was the mother of the Puritan, Octavius Winslow. After being widowed at a young age, Mary learned to rely on the Lord and trust Him during seasons of sorrow. Later in life, she wrote many letters of spiritual encouragement and counsel that are saturated in warm love to Christ and longing for heaven. After her death, Octavius Winslow put these letters into a book called Heaven Opened.
MAY ALL THE VARIED DISPENSATIONS OF HIS PROVIDENCE DRAW YOU NEARER AND NEARER TO HIMSELF.
May this coming year be one of rich spiritual blessing to your soul. May His presence—whose name is Love—be with you in your lying down and in your rising up, in your going out and your coming in; and may all the varied dispensations of His providence draw you nearer and nearer to Himself, causing you to see and feel that God is with you, and is your God and Father revealed in Christ Jesus.
How sweet it is to look upward, and forward too. How very soon we shall realize what we are now called to believe; and in proportion to our belief will be our joy and comfort. God be praised for what we do know—but oh, let us encourage each other, while on the road to glory, to follow on to know more and more of the power of His resurrection, who is watching over us with an ever-watchful eye. Oh, to know that He loves us, that His love never changes, that He is causing all things to work together for our best interests, and in due time will come and receive us unto Himself, and that when we see Him we shall be like Him!
GOD BE PRAISED FOR THE HOPE, THE GOOD HOPE, HE HAS GIVEN US THAT WE SHALL ENJOY A GLORIOUS ETERNITY. THIS IS NOT FAR OFF.
What a thought that is for a poor sinner—to be like the Son of God—the Son of the Highest—the Great Jehovah! How little do we live up to our sonship—how far below the mark. May the Lord the Spirit put forth His life-giving, quickening power within us, that we may more steadily, perseveringly, and joyously travel up the narrow road that leads to eternal life; and so recommend this way to others, that those we love may be induced to follow us as far as we follow Christ Jesus, our great Forerunner, who has entered within the veil for us, and waits to receive us unto Himself. Seeing that we know these things, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness?
…God be praised for the hope, the good hope, He has given us that we shall enjoy a glorious eternity. This is not far off. May it ever be present with us; may we not lose sight of it for a moment; then will the trifles and sorrows of time have less power to trouble us. It is because we so little believe in God, and what He has promised us, that the things of a passing moment so perplex and distress us. Oh to be more like what Christ was when here below! It is a wilderness, and a wilderness will God make us to know it. He says, “Arise and depart; this is not your rest, it is polluted.” God will not put us off with the worldling’s trash. He has higher enjoyments for us.
THEN LET US, BELOVED IN THE LORD, PUT ON OUR BEAUTIFUL GARMENTS, AND BE DETERMINED THIS YEAR TO WALK BEFORE THE LORD IN ALL WELL-PLEASING, SETTING OUR AFFECTIONS ON THINGS ABOVE, AND NOT BELOW.
Then let us, beloved in the Lord, put on our beautiful garments, and be determined this year to walk before the Lord in all well-pleasing, setting our affections on things above, and not below, and this we will do, the Lord strengthening us. How truly He has said “Without Me you can do nothing.” But, oh, the readiness of Christ to help us to do His will. We have only to come to Him in all our nothingness and helplessness, and He stands ready to help us in every time of need. We never fail except we try to do in our own strength the thing we ought to do.
…The Lord help us! For we need help at every step we take heavenward; and help we shall get if we go for it. God bless, heal, and comfort you. We shall meet above—vile, worthless as we are—for Jesus is there; and if He is there, we shall be also. May we never lose sight of this; and may it lead us to walk humbly and closely with God, in all things aiming to shew forth His praise by a godly life—conversation becoming those who are redeemed with precious blood, and whose inheritance is above, for here we have no continuing city.