Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Looking ahead to a new year

Tomorrow will begin a new year.  Many of the blogs I follow have posted quite a bit this week their predictions of what 2015 will look like.  While some of them have been interesting to read, the reality is that none of us knows for sure what a new year will bring.  I shared in my message this past Sunday that some people are excited that 2014 is coming to an end because it's been the worst year they've had for a long time.  But, we have no way of knowing if 2015 will be any better.

There are things we can do on our end to make it a good year.  I certainly advocate being proactive by having goals to work towards and to take the opportunities that may present themselves to improve your life and the lives of others around you.  Much of what will happen to us this year will be the result of choices we will make, but there may also be things that occur over which we have no control.

We cannot control the weather, and there are certain to be some weather-related challenges for people in the coming year.  We can do many things to be healthier, but some people will face major health issues this year.  We can work hard and put money aside for retirement, but that doesn't mean that money can't disappear in another economic downturn.

In James 4: 13-15 we read, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'"

It's very risky to predict the future because there are too many variables, too many things we can't control.  The one thing we can be certain of in 2015 is that God will be with us in everything we face.  He will be with us during the exciting mountain top experiences of the year, and He will be with us during the deepest valleys we may have to go through.  He will never leave us nor forsake us no matter what may come into our lives.

We live in very trying times, and I do not understand how a person can live in such times without faith in God.  I do not even know why someone would want to.  I have gone through some very difficult times in my life, and I do not believe I could have come through them without God's help.

If you do not know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and you would like to know more about what means, please contact me.  I would love to discuss it with you.

To all my readers, thank you for your prayers and your comments about the various articles I have posted in 2014.  I wish each of you a very Happy and Blessed New Year.

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