I think it is absolutely appropriate that (at least here) it is incredibly foggy right now, on this first day of 2022. Visibility is, by flight standards, about 200 feet and ¾ mile. I would wager that in some areas, it is much lower than that. The fog today blocks our view of what is beyond what we can see right in front of us. On this first day of the year, don’t we want to know what lies ahead for us in 2022? We yearn to see what is in store this coming year! Will we win the lottery? Get a job promotion? Will we die of covid or in a car crash?
For most of my life I would become very nostalgic at the end of one year and the beginning of the next. I have always been sad to see the old year pass and feared what might happen in the new year. Over the years, I have witnessed life end in an instant and lives change in a breath, so if I extrapolate this out over the next 365 days, absolutely anything can happen! And it can be life changing. This time next year might indeed look totally different than it does right now for me. The fear of what could be can indeed be crippling for so many.
This New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day has been different for me, so far. I am not fearful of what might happen today or tomorrow or the next day. How? Why? Jesus, that’s how.
Many of you who will read this may know God and might even call yourselves a “Christian”. But what does that mean? You go to church? Serve on the church council? Maybe go to Easter service? You might feel you are a good person and haven’t killed anyone, so you will make it into heaven, right? It’s deeper than that. Much deeper. We aren’t called to be a “Christian”, we are called to follow Jesus. There is a difference.
What does it look like? Does it mean you have to be perfect? Nope. That’s why God came to earth in our skin, was murdered, and rose to Glory in Heaven, and still lives today. He came to save sinners like me and like you. Being a follower of Jesus in 2022 means having faith that no matter what comes at any point in the coming year, God already knows about it. God lives outside of the idea of time that we have. He was, He is, He is to come. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus controls all time and eternity. God does indeed have a plan for me, for you, and for all people. If I am to drop dead from covid in 2022, then a paper mask won’t save me. If you are supposed to be hit by a truck on the way to work, then your seatbelt won’t help you. No matter what is to happen to us, good or bad in 2022, God already knows and is already there. He will never leave you or give you up. All you have to do is invite Him in.
Rest assured; we will all see Jesus. We might be able to slide by on this planet by being a good person. But have you denied Jesus? Have you followed Him? The choice is yours and your eternity depends on it.
I do know that our world is on fire. Evil is on the rise continually, just as the Bible said it would be. The covid narrative keeps getting pushed, there is the threat for war across our globe, the supply chain continues to struggle, prices are soaring, our healthcare workers and first responders are tired, and so much more. But God is in the middle of it all. He didn’t create cancer, but He uses it. He didn’t create the Sars CoV 2 virus, but He is using it. God is using this crisis and all the fear surrounding it to refine His church, to sharpen the followers and separate the weak in faith from the strong.
Now is not a time to be weak or faithless. As followers of Jesus, we need to get armed and be ready to do battle in 2022. God’s Word says In Ephesians “Put on the whole armor of God, that you might be able to stand against the wiles of the devil…. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”
So, in 2022, have no fear. We aren’t made to be fearful but to have power, love, and sound mind. Be strong in 2022. Put away the senseless, needless, and evil things of this world and pursue what is right and righteous. No matter how foggy the future looks and what we might unexpectedly encounter in this new year, God is in the middle of it and is working to the benefit of those who truly believe on Him. Rest easy. This is the year God has made.
Happy New Year.
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