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Saints, I pray that you each had a very Merry Christmas and a safe and joy-filled New Year’s celebration. I wish you each many blessings in Christ and much prosperity in 2025!
It seems like a familiar routine this time of year to reflect on the challenges and remember the many blessings that 2024 brought. Many of you may have done the same exercise? You may have also spent time thinking about changes that you would like to see in your life in the new year? Things that you would like to be resolute about changing - maybe even making resolutions?
Typically, resolutions surround diet and eating better, more exercise and getting into better shape, improving quality of sleep, budgetary goals, organizing and removing clutter, and spending more time with family and friends, to name only a few. Sometimes, faith-life makes the list, as does attending church more consistently, starting or attending a Bible study, and being in God’s Word daily.
In today’s scripture reading from Jeremiah, we can read and remember a familiar encouragement from Jeremiah, who reminds God’s people in Babylonia, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” A strong and certain reminder He gives us today. As we journey through life we can find encouragement in the future and hope He gives us.
We are not alone and serve a God who loves us at all times. He desires us to connect with Him, spend time with Him, call on Him, and pray to Him. “Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. It’s easy to say, more difficult to do; remember, we are in captivity. Our minds and hearts are prone to wander and focus on things of this world.
It is comforting to know that our Lord does not hold grudges and is waiting for our minds and hearts to be captive to only Him. When that happens, He is there for us. “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Like those held captive in Babylon so many years ago that the prophet Jeremiah was trying to warn, we also rely on our own ideas, listen and believe false stories, and want to take credit for the goodness in our lives. We quickly forget that all have sinned and fallen short of His glory (Romans 3:23), and without a loving and patient God, full of grace, who sent His Son to die for us, we would be in captivity forever.
Saints, as we ponder the many blessings in our lives and establish a few resolutions for the year ahead, let’s be resolute in Christ. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. “ Amen!
In Christ’s love and mine,
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