A new year

Happy New Year! Looking back, it’s hard to believe a whole year has passed since we last said that. It seems like 2011 just started yesterday. Thinking back to everything that’s happened this last year, it almost feels like several years have elapsed instead of just one.

Towards the end of 2011, my family knew that 2012 was going to be a challenging year full of changes and decisions and would need a lot of family cooperation to make things work. By the last week of 2011, we received news that made challenging sound like an understatement. Things fall apart. Life is full of unpredictabilities and hurts. Yet through it all, God is always the same. He is always faithful. Hebrews 13:5b-8 says, "For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." A few verses later, the writer asked the recipients to pray for him. Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably (Hebrews 13:18). I was thinking about these verses as lots of things have been going on, and I wanted to share these words with you since they are a great comfort and challenge for all of us as we face a new year. None of us are going to have a "perfect" year; we’re all going to experience times when we want fall into anxiety and fear. But the correct reaction is to see that we’re not alone because we have God with us. Last year, this year, next year–He never changes. He will always be with us. As we begin a new year, we look to Him for the strength to live honorably with a good conscience and without fear.