King’s, Hill, 

First, let me say thank you for letting me be your pastor this past year. Next to shepherding my wife and kids, this is my greatest joy. I have loved being apart of watching you grow in your relationship with God, cling to him in times of need, pursue wholehearted worship,  and step boldly into his mission. I am eager to watch God go before us in 2024. No doubt we will walk through celebrations as well as disappointments, but as we were reminded this week, “God is the Good Shepherd who is actively caring for his church.”

As I pray for us in 2024, these verses come to mind:

For a day in your courts is better
than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of wickedness. 

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does he withhold
from those who walk uprightly.

O Lord of hosts,
blessed is the one who trusts in you! 

(Psalm 84:10-12)

Perhaps the line I’m most drawn to is “For the Lord God is a sun and shield.” What does the sun do? It nourishes. A plant quickly withers without proper sunlight. Vitamin D from the sun provides muscle function support and brain cell activity. There is a reason we say, “Let us go bask in the sun.” It not only brings pleasure to the skin but health to the body. It also reveals. Imagine a city without light. How difficult would it be to put on makeup in the mornings, unlock your doors, or drive to work? The sun rises and its beams put before us the means for moving about. It also scorches. Too much of the sun without shade or water can destroy life. 

Pondering the functions of the sun, we can easily see how God works for us:

• As we spend time in his courts and praise him, he makes our joy full.

• As we spend time in his courts and praise him, he makes known to us paths of life. 

• As we spend time in his courts and praise him, he puts our enemies to shame.

He restores our souls, leads us in paths of righteousness, and destroys our enemies while preparing a table for us that we might enjoy his presence. 

In these ways and more, he is our sun and shield–and may we add, our shepherd. 

I pray that in 2024, we would daily come into God’s courts with an offering of praise; that we would bask in his presence and find overflowing joy in Him; that his Word would be a close companion, a lamp to our feet and light to our path; that we would consult his Word on big and small matters; that we would trust him with tomorrow; that he would deal with our opposition in ways that bring about our good, his glory, and their futility.  I pray he would be your sun and shield personally and for us corporately.

*If you have a few minutes, may I direct you to a song that I have found comfort in? I hope it ministers to you as it has me: Yahweh (Psalm 84) by Shane and Shane

Resting in God’s care for us in 2024, 
Pastor Jonathan