Welcome to the first day of the year. This is a very significant day in the year. It is also a very significant day in your life as far as the year is concerned. This day should be given to God as a sacrifice or offering of time. It is like the first fruit of your time in the year. God is First and the first is the Lord’s. This is plain wisdom. If you give the first to God, He blesses the rest. As it works with material substance, that is how it works with time. Proverbs 3:9-10 is also applicable to time. The first day of the week does not have to be a Sunday. Although Sunday is called the first day of the week, the year does not always begin on a Sunday. The first day of the week is different each year. It is determined by the day the year began. If the year begins on a Wednesday, the first day of the week for that year would be Wednesday. The first day of the first week of the year is a core first season day. It is first day of the first week; the first day of the first month; and the first day of the year.
The Bible patterns for understanding the first day of the year are 1) the first day of creation narrative; 2) the first book of the Bible; and 3) the first chapters of the books of the Bible.
The first day is a first-day-of-creation day. On the first day of creation, light became manifest and visible reality. On that day, God manifested Himself as He called light into existence. God is light and there is no darkness in Him. This day is to be dedicated to the manifestation of light for direction. The first day of the week is for seeking God in worship, prayer, and the word. It is also releasing God into the world through righteousness and good works. It is a day to give God’s word to men. It is a day to initiate action against things that need change in the new year. It is a day to battle darkness; which causes confusion and stumbling.
The first day of the year is a first-chapter-of-the-Bible day. In the first chapter of Genesis, God created heaven, earth, and sea; and all that is in them. As in Genesis 1, every other first chapter of the Bible is God’s action time. As God dominated the first chapter of Genesis, that is how He ought to fill the first day of the year for you. The first day of the year is when He comes to create the year for you. Make the first day of the year a God-day. Do not spend it sending and receiving ‘Happy New Year’ messages. Spend it giving honor to the Giver of time and all things.
The first day of the year is a book-of-Genesis day. Genesis is the first book of the Bible; and a book of ‘firsts’ in the Bible. It tells about the beginning of Heaven, earth, and sea, and their hosts. It reveals the beginning of life, sin, death, marriage, births, languages, and nations. The first day of the year is the root and foundation of the year. The things that happen in the year are traceable to what happened on the first day of the year. Every year is shaped, spiritually, by what we do, or do not do, on the first day of the year. The best way to spend the first day of the year is to make it a day of giving attention to God. God spoke in the book of Genesis. He spoke to create. He also spoke to direct man but the first man and woman did not listen to Him. Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, listened to God; and were blessed. The disasters that came upon men in the book of Genesis happened because men did not listen to God. Make this first day of the year a day of listening to God and a day of doing His will. Make it day of dedicating yourself to God for the rest of the year. Death came into the earth because man did not listen to God in the book of Genesis. Make today a day of life and not a day of deaths.
“A few years ago, a sociology professor named David Phillips examined 57 million death certificates issued between 1979 and 2004 and made an interesting finding: Not only do more people die in the winter months, but New Year’s Day is actually the deadliest day of all”. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/more-deaths-happen-on-new-years-day-than-any-other-in-the-year-but-as-a-result-of-illnesses-not-a6791586.html
Day 1 is the first day of the first month of the year. The first day of any month is significant and the first day of the first month is very significant. That was when the flood of Noah’s day dried up and Noah removed the covering of the ark (Genesis 8:13). That was when God told Moses to set up the tabernacle of the tent of meeting (Exodus 40: 2, 17). That was when the Levites began to sanctify themselves in the days of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29: 17). Ezra began his journey from Babylon to Jerusalem on the first day of the first month (Ezra 7: 9). That was when they finished questioning those Jews who had taken pagan wives (Ezra 10:17). The word of the Lord came to Ezekiel in the first day of the first month (Ezekiel 26:1; 29:17). That was when God told Ezekiel the temple would be cleansed (Ezekiel 45:18). The first day of the first month is spiritual clean-up day. It is a day to start new life. It is a season to begin a journey into God’s will. It is a day of special service to God. God is first and the First belongs to Him. How will you honor the Lord today?
Day 1 is a Genesis – Second Samuel day in the week of the year. Going through any week is like taking a journey through the Bible. Every week has an Old Testament side and a New Testament side. The first four days of the week belong to the Old Testament side and express the 39 books of the Old Testament. The remaining three days of the week constitute the New Testament side and express the 27 books of the New Testament. The first day of the week is the beginning of the Old Testament side of the week; and expresses the first 10 books of the Old Testament and the Bible. In the first 10 books of the Bible, God revealed Himself as Creator and Caretaker. He chose those who aligned with His purpose for blessings; and reserved judgment for those who disregard Him. The first 10 books began with the creation and fall of the man in the image and likeness of God; and ended with the emergence of the man after God’s heart sitting on the throne of God’s choice nation. David was absolutely loyal to God. He gave himself for whatever God wanted. This is a day of aligning with God and becoming a man (woman) after His heart.
DECREE AND DECLARE: God made us in His image and likeness to rule, have dominion, and impose His will on seasons; as He did with the seven days of creation. He decreed what He wanted for each day. We are to decree what is revealed concerning each day. Today, decree the collapse and end of expressions and manifestations of darkness in your life and world. Decree that expressions of light will triumph in this first day of the week. Today, make a quality decision to receive the word of the Lord and act on it without fear or doubts. Make a quality decision to walk in unconditional love. This is a day of sacrificial (tough) love. Today, take time to hear from God. Do not act without His direction. Follow what He says or shows. Today, seek the Lord against disasters in the week as you come into alignment. Call upon Him for mercy.!
So, as you stand at the gate of time, decree that this day would end on a positive note for you and people you know; and that the enemy would not deceive or take advantage of any. Decree that the first day of the year would be a day of life and not a day of death. Do not be carried away by the spirit of the celebration of the new year. Give Honor to God. Happy first day of the year! Happy New Year!
Learn more about this day in history: http://timelines.ws/days/12_31.HTML
