Have a Joyous New Year

A church member asked me to write something with scripture for them to share on New Years eve!  I loved that so a group of us did this as the beginning of our new year's eve celebration and it was wonderful. Oftentimes, we think about the previous year’s trials and hope the coming year will be easier.  We need to put our hope in God because we are going to have trials!

The best thing we can do is start our new year with praise for all of the amazing victories God has sent us this past year!  If you can’t think of something, the ultimate victory is Jesus Christ!  Peter 1: 3, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead…”  God deserves all the glory.  James 1: 17, “ Every good and perfect gift is from above…”

Let’s go ahead and give God control of this new year!  Jeremiah 29: 11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”  He knows everything and what is best for us.  Let’s trust Him with our life!  

We are not guaranteed tomorrow.  Every breath is a gift from God.  We should strive to live to glorify Him.  We learn through faith that those trials help us grow.  Hebrews 12: 10-11, “They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”  Romans 8: 28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.  Let’s thank Him for the hard times!

A new year holds lots of questions.  Will we be here next year?  Will our loved ones?  Will our health hold?  Will I still have my job?  Will I be promoted?  WIll I get into the right school?  Will I still be single?  Will I still be married?  Will I have children?  

We don’t know what the future holds but we know Who holds the future.  

Deuteronomy 3:1, “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you…”  Jesus said in Matthew 28: 20, “I am with you always.”  Because of this I can say, “have a ‘joyous’ new year, PVMC!”