Matthew 4:14-17 "A New Hope."on this week's Word of Grace Devotional with Pastor Joe Marquez.

The Word of Grace Devotion for the Week of January 4, 2016
A New Hope
Matthew 4:14-17, “This fulfilled what God said through the prophet Isaiah: 15“In the land of Zebulun and of Naphtali, beside the sea, beyond the Jordan River, in Galilee where so many Gentiles live, 16the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, a light has shined.” 17From then on Jesus began to preach, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.”
Beloved, with a New Year comes a new hope, a new hope for change. The above passage is quoted fromIsaiah 9 in the Book of Matthew and speaks of the coming of Jesus bringing hope to a land that “sat in darkness.” This New Year also gives us hope for those of us who may have areas of our lives that have sat in darkness.
For our family and friends who have not received the Lord, Jesus is a “great light” that has shined in the hearts of people searching for an answer. The necessary response is to, “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” This response will lead to a new relationship with the Lord and they will never be the same! May our prayer this year be that many will come to know Jesus!
For us, the believer, there may be areas of our lives that have, “sat in darkness.” Our devotional time with the Lord, our prayer life, our ministry to His people, and even our relationship with others may have taken a back seat to our personal selfish agendas. May this New Year bring a renewed sense of purpose and hope as we allow the Lord to work in us through His Word and then to work through us through His Power.
Beloved, I pray that this year may be the best year of your life! Be intention and focus on cultivating your relationship with the Lord through a daily reading of His Word, a time of prayer and fellowship with the saints!
I pray that you will have a blessed week! I love you and I will be praying for you!

In Christ, 
Pastor Joe