It’s the New Year—2015. Time does fly, especially for us
older folks. With the New Year comes the
expression, “Out with the old and in with the new.” Why? We just celebrated
Christmas, and we wouldn’t throw that away. Christmas reminds us of the love of
God that extended to us even while we were yet sinners. The joy of knowing that
should carry us into the New Year and beyond. Christ never leaves us, which
means we can face the coming year as a new adventure, for if Christ is for us,
who can be against us? Romans 8:31. The Hebrews had an expression of “walking
backwards into the future.” They didn’t know what lay ahead, but they could
look back and see how the Lord brought them through the difficulties of the
past. One of the reasons they piled stones at strategic places was to remind
them what God had previously done for them. The stones also served as an
encouragement to walk boldly into the unknown, knowing that God who had brought
them through the past will help them face the future.
The promise of Christ is to be with us always (Matt. 28:19).
So, whatever 2015 holds, we can face it because we have Jesus. We can look back
over our lives and see the hand of God protecting and guiding us through our
own ups and downs. Hindsight, in this regard, is a wonderful thing, for like
the stone monuments in the Old Testament, we are able to view our own spiritual
benchmarks and receive encouragement from them. We can face whatever 2015 holds
because we walk backwards into it, holding the hand of Christ who leads us.
“Out with the old” should include all the bad stuff that
keeps our focus away from Christ. Jonathan Edwards once resolved the following,
“Resolution One: I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I
still will.” Living for God is the response of gratitude for Christ dying for
us. We are rescued reprobates who but for the love of Christ would continue to
live in the deadness of our sins. But we have been salvaged and whisked from
darkness to walk in and with the Light who illuminates the path behind us. We
don’t have to see more, for Christ knows where he is taking us; and that is what
makes life worthwhile.
“In with the new” is to join in the adventure that 2015 will
bring. The New Year represents the end of the Christmas season where the birth
of Christ was celebrated and gifts were exchanged. It is a time to remember
that the best present we received never changes. It is the gift of Christ who granted
us power to live as one favored with new life. The New Year is a renewal of that
life. We therefore have the power to trek the adventure of another year,
knowing nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. Enjoy the adventure of
2015!
