New Year’s Day is a busy time around the world. People are excited to celebrate the fact that we have now entered a new year. It does not matter if you brought the New Year in at sunset Saturday evening or at midnight, the fact is, you took out a moment to celebrate.
For many of us, last year was not an easy one. From jobs lost, to high rent, utility, and food bills, it just was not easy. But…the old year has gone and the words, “I wish you a Happy New Year,” are repeated far and near by parents and children, brothers and sisters, acquaintances and friends.
However, there are also pale faces, brows furrowed from pain and care, and forms bowed with age. So many are wearing the garb of mourning. Those suffering, the careworn, and the aged can no longer be merry. In many households, there is a vacant chair. A beloved child, spouse, or parent, whose presence gladdened the last Christmas and New Year’s festivity, is gone from the circle. To those bereaved families, celebrating a merry Christmas feels like a mockery. But although there are cares and sorrows in life, although mistakes and errors cannot be avoided, the words, “A Happy New Year,” uttered as an expression of love and respect, can fall pleasantly upon the ear, encouraging hope. We can all say, ‘thanks be to God, He has kept us; He will enable us to have a positive mindset.’
“Fathers and mothers, while you wish your children a Happy New year, will you not strive in the fear of God to make it a happy year? Will you not lead your dear ones to the true source of peace and joy? Will you not consecrate your own hearts to God, that you may exert a sanctifying influence upon your children? Will you not seek to shield them from sin, and by living faith connect them with God?”
Yes, the old year, with its burden of record, has passed away…the new year, with all its possibilities, has come. The big question is, how will you navigate the road ahead this year? What preparation have you made for your sure success in this life and the life to come?
What advancement have you made in the knowledge of God through His Word during the past year? Are you prepared to show yourself as a witness for righteousness, more decidedly than ever before during this new year?
Are you willing to stand for holiness while evil men are gathered in different nations are making plans for further wars and rumours of wars? The assurance in the WORD OF GOD to all is:
“Be not troubled!” John 14:1. “You will continually hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end [of the age]. (7) For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. (8) But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs [of the intolerable anguish and the time of unprecedented trouble].
(9) “Then they will hand you over to [endure] tribulation, and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. (10) At that time many will be offended and repelled [by their association with Me] and will fall away [from the One whom they should trust] and will betray one another [handing over believers to their persecutors] and will hate one another. (11) Many false prophets will appear and mislead many. (12) Because lawlessness is increased, the love of most people will grow cold. (13) But the one who endures and bears up [under suffering] to the end will be saved. (14) This good news of the kingdom [the gospel] will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end [of the age] will come. “So, when you see the abomination of desolation [the appalling sacrilege that astonishes and makes desolate], spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place, (let the reader understand).”
Matthew 24:6-15.
The sure word of prophecy is that when the nations of the world are wavering between infidelity and idolatry, probationary time for all will end. On that day, will we be prepared to stand as faithful ambassadors for God?
The call today, at the beginning of this new year, is, let us give ourselves and all we have fully to the LORD!
Let us listen to His voice and be renewed, entrust our capabilities to Him, and consecrate ourselves to His service!
Let us make plans for this year and beyond by first seeking God’s Will!
Let us stop praising men for our success, and praise God! Because we owe all we have and are to Him. In Him, we live and move and have our being.
Let us say with Paul, “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.”
Begin this year with right purposes and pure motives. Bear in mind that day by day our words and acts are recorded in the books of heaven. One day we must meet them when the judgment is set and the books shall be opened.
This year may be our last year of life. Shall we not enter upon it with thoughtful consideration?
Shall not sincerity, respect, and benevolence, mark our deportment toward all?
If we are going to see a change in our island home and the world, let it begin with us in kindness shown forth by acts of sympathy, cheerfulness, and unselfish devotion to one another!
AS WE MOVE THROUGH EACH DAY OF THE YEAR THIS YEAR, MAY WE BRING POSITIVITY WITH US EVERYWHERE WE GO!
May this new year be a time that shall never be forgotten, a time when God shall abide with us, saying, “Peace be unto you.”
Thank you, Bermuda for the gift of ministering to you as Chaplain Kevin J.T Santucci.
Any content which is considered unsuitable, unlawful, or offensive, includes personal details, advertises or promotes products, services or websites, or repeats previous comments will be removed.
User comments posted on this website are solely the views and opinions of the comment writer and are not a representation of or reflection of the opinions of TNN or its staff.
TNN reserves the right to remove, edit or censor any comments.
TNN accepts no liability and will not be held accountable for the comments made by users.