What are your hopes as you enter this New Year? What challenges do you fear, or face or rejoice in? Know, that as you enter this New Year with many tests, that there is One who walks beside you and who holds your life and carries you, even during hardships, loneliness or pain.
Ephesians 5:15-21 highlights some points which I emphasize in bold to assist us on how to live in the New year. ”Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
God promises us that ”He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:1-6)
We need NOT fear the future as we strive to live righteously. 2 Corinthians 9:10 states – ”Now the One supplying seed to the one sowing and bread for food will supply and will multiply your seed for sowing and will increase the fruits of your righteousness,”
Phil. 2:12-13 says – ”Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to work, for his good pleasure.”
Jesus is the gate of 2026, the gate into Eternity and Heaven. He Himself said in John 10:2- 11 – ”The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When He has brought out all his own, He goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice…”Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. They [you and I] will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. ”I am the Good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…”
Jesus never expects us to go where He has not already been. When HE calls us, He also equips us and helps us, and walks with us, but the secret to success is to hold onto Him and not let go! We can follow Minnie Louise Haskins’ famous poem which says – ”And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year; ”Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.” And He replied, ”Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
Abba Father God is faithful and true. We can trust Him as we hold His hands into the new year. Steven Curtis Chapman wrote the following song which echoes Christ’s faithfulness – ”As I look back on the road I’ve travelled, I’ve seen so many times God’s carried me through; And if there’s one thing I have learned in my life – My Redeemer is faithful and true. My Redeemer is faithful and true, Everything He has said He will do; And every morning His mercies are new; My Redeemer is faithful and true.”
Thank You so much dearest Lord, that YOU are faithful and true and that I may hold onto you as I enter the new year with keen anticipation and peace.
Myrtle Turunen