HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you, patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favour granted us in answer to the prayers of many” – 1 Corinthians 1: 3-11
In some western countries, for the sake of being politically correct, they don’t like to say “Merry Christmas”, they instead combine Christmas and New Year, and the say “Happy Holidays”. Without offending anybody, I like to say clearly: “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year”! As Christmas is behind us, we have now this new year with us. Indeed, 2024 is a new year for us because we have never seen it before, and after enjoying it for 366 days, we will never see it again. The question is: “what do we do with this new year 2024?”
Many people make new year resolutions, but only a few can accomplish what is on their list of resolutions. The reason is simple, we make resolutions for the coming year, when we do not know what will happen to us even in the next hour. I am sure Paul had made very good plans, that year, but look at how things turned into suffering, and troubles! The good news is that our God who holds the future, who know what will transpire throughout that year, invites us to be with Him. The Psalmist summed it up in his chapter 23: 4 this way: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me”. In some translations, they used:” the valley of the shadow of death”. In that letter to Corinthians, Paul shares about his trouble, sufferings, even deadly peril, as he served with Timothy.
This past year, in one way or another, each one of us has had his own share of trouble, suffering…. Our own “valley of shadow of death”. God has been with us. My resolution for this year 2024, is to remain in God’s presence, the only One who does not only know the future, but who also holds that very future in His hand. For you, this is my prayer:
“May God make your year a happy one!
Not by shielding you from all sorrows and pain,
But by strengthening you to bear it as it comes;
Not by making your path easy,
But by making you sturdy to travel any path;
Not by taking hardships from you,
But by taking fear from your heart;
Not by granting you unbroken sunshine,
But by keeping your face bright, even in the shadows;
Not by making your life always pleasant,
But by showing you when people and their causes need you most,
And by making you anxious to be there to help.
God’s love, peace, hope and joy to you for the year ahead.”
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