As we turn the page on 2017 and enter into the first day of 2018, we would be well to imprint Jesus’ final words onto our hearts and minds. As he left this earth and charged us to fulfill his mission, he knew there would be really difficult challenges in store. And so he leaves us with perhaps the most comforting words ever spoken.
“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
~ Jesus
We each arrive at the threshold of the new year with different perspectives. For some it is a time of excitement and anticipation. For others there is dread, anxiety and worry. Still others, lulled into a seemingly redundant cycle of doldrums, have lost hope that the coming year could be any different then the previous.
Whatever your attitude towards this nascent year we are entering, we have one thing in common. None of us know or can predict what this year will hold.
Just as the disciples didn’t know what would happen when Jesus left, we can not predict the future either. However, we can all hold onto these facts:
- Jesus has promised to always be with us
- Jesus has promised he will never leave us
- Jesus has promised he will never forsake us
Regards of what this new year brings, Jesus will be right there with you. If your heart is filled with worry, I hope that these truths will bring you courage and peace. If you are filled with hope and expectation, I pray these truths will bring you a greater sense of anticipation. If you have been lulled into apathy about the turning of the calendar’s pages, I pray these truths will stir an excitement for what might be waiting in the months ahead.
Happy 2018!
One Grip Higher 