In looking over different quotes about the New Year for our bulletin this week, a verse from Psalm 65 was mentioned.  It caught my eye and reminded me of a study I’d done a few years ago, so I looked it up and went over it again.  Psalm 65 is a song of praise and thanksgiving from King David, lifting up the Lord as the Redeemer, Creator, and Provider.  But it’s that phrase in verse 11 that grabbed my attention and blessed my soul.  It simply says, “Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness.”  That word “crownest” has the idea of encircling or surrounding.  The application doesn’t need much explaining, does it?  Any blessing that comes our way is simply because of the surrounding goodness of God.  And no matter what difficulty comes along in the upcoming year, it’s surrounded by the goodness of God.  No matter what failure may be experienced, it’s surrounded by the goodness of God.  No matter what relationship may be tested, it’s surrounded by the goodness of God.  No matter what doubt might enter the mind, it’s surrounded by the goodness of God.  No matter what, who, how, where, or why – it’s surrounded by the goodness of God!  I like the way Charles Spurgeon looked at it in his thoughts on this verse.  He wrote, “We may understand the expression to mean that God’s love encircles the year as with a crown; each month has its gems, each day its pearl.  Unceasing kindness girdles all time with a belt of love.”  No, we have no idea what 2017 holds.  But we do know what has it surrounded, don’t we?