New Beginnings

What did 2022 bring for you? What kind of adjectives could you use to describe it? As we stand on the brink of a brand-new year there is a sea of unknowns. We don’t know what the Lord has in mind. What kind of expectations do you have? What do you hope to accomplish this year? I think it's important at this time of year to give serious reflection on how things are going in our lives. Much like an annual wellness physical, we need to ask questions like, "How am I stewarding the life and resources God has given me? Am I growing spiritually? Are there changes (course corrections) that must be made? What is your plan to accomplish your goals? With Scripture as our guide, we look back and learn from our mistakes. We realize that through all the generations of time, God has always been there and it reminds us that God is God, and we are not. What would have been different this past year if you would have been God? Be careful! If I would have had my way none of you would have had any suffering. But you know what that means? We wouldn’t have learned anything, because we learn through the hard times.

As we live in the here and now the Apostle Paul instructs us to "let go of the past and press on" (Phil. 3:10). God is a God of new beginnings and His mercies never fail! Every day is a gift. Use it wisely to store up treasure in Heaven. As we move into the New Year, James addresses our tendency toward presumptuous living. We often charge out ahead of God making plans and leaving Him out. James brings us down to size with four words, "you do not know." No matter what season of life you're in right now as a child of God you can have the confident expectation that the Best is Yet to Come. As exciting, interesting, and challenging as this life is, it’s not all there is! Happy New Year as You Press On! Pastor Brian Richard