Happy New Year!
It seems like an age has passed since I’ve written anything for this blog… but here’s hoping that my procrastination and fear of the dreaded cursor won’t block the flow of inspiration this year!
Ah! It’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that everything will automatically be “different” in the new year.
BUT… it is true that God’s mercies are new every morning and His faithfulness never comes to an end. So, no matter what 2018 throws at us this year, we can be assured that:
- Our times are in God’s hands.
- No matter what the obstacles are (fear of failure, personal loss, rejection), we are called to live for God. And the very fact that He has called us to do this means it is possible!
- God holds the answer to all the FAQs we have! From A-Z. He is the Alpha and the Omega.
Today, I finished reading the book of Job (I know, you’re probably thinking, “How uplifting!”), and was reminded that we can take comfort in knowing there is a “why” for what we’re going through (and will go through), whether or not we actually know the reason.
Corrie ten Boom, who survived a Nazi concentration camp, once said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” After being miraculously released from such a horrible place and once WWII was over, she went on to assist and bring God’s healing to those in her community… which included some who had been Nazi sympathisers!
Difficult times are ahead of us and trying to escape them in order to save our own skin is futile. Neither can we use our imagination or watch lots of cute puppy videos to trick ourselves into thinking it’s okay. (Don’t get me wrong; I’m liable to stare blankly at a wall, just imagining something random that will most certainly never happen or make it to paper).
As I have written previously in a more image-based post (see Change), the future may appear good or bad and we may have every material thing we could ever wish for or we may not, but the most important thing is our relationship with our Creator. We must know Him as trustworthy. We must know Him as our greatest treasure.
I suppose this post may seem to some like a wet blanket compared to all the ads we see on TV and the Internet which aim at cashing in on our excitement about a fresh new year. However, could it be possible there is an inner, deeper excitement that God wants to fan into flame? Way more important and powerful than we can imagine? What sort of excitement are we talking about?
It is the inner joy which Paul expressed when he wrote: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)
Well, this post grew until it had a life of its own! I do hope and pray that it does not fall short of the mark.
I will endeavour to be more consistent in putting up posts!
See you soon!
Liv'n'Hope 