The people's voice of reason

"New Beginnings"

Before us stretches a new year, a new beginning. The old is past, put away forever. God invites us always to forget about all the distrust and fears, all the anxieties of the past, all the resentments we have been holding against others, all the grudges, all the criticisms--to put them away and begin again.

The question that hovers over us as we close this book is….on what basis am I going to live in this new year? Will it be on the old basis of it-all- depends-on-me, do-it-yourself goodness before God, trying my best to be pleasing to God and meaning it with all my heart but never realizing the depths of evil with which I have to deal?

Or will I accept the gift of God that is waiting for me every day, fresh from His hand, a gift of forgiveness, of righteousness already mine, of a relationship in which He is my dear Father and I am his cherished, beloved one, and in which I therefore have provided for me all I need, all day long, so that I may say no to evil and say yes to truth and right?

Will it be on that basis? If it is, this will be a year in which my life will be characterized by peace, love, and beauty. And so will yours. Or, if we insist on living it on the same old basis, we will find ourselves arousing the anger and the wrath of God. Though He is patient and merciful, our only escape will be to repent of our evil and rest upon the righteousness of our perfect substitute and return to God for the blessing that He is waiting to give. That is the choice before us, every one of us. How are we going to live in this New Year?

Let us thank our Lord Jesus Christ for this New Year that lies before us. We choose You, Lord. We choose to depend on You, trust You, and accept from Your hand all that You would give us.

Happy New Year & Many Blessings!

 

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