What was important in the past will be important in the new year?
• Amo 5:8,9 -> “He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name; who makes destruction flash forth against the strong, so that destruction comes upon the fortress.”.
• Eze 17:24 -> “And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it.”.
• Dan 2:21 -> “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;”
In all these excerpts, we can read that the Creator is a God of changes:
• He turns deep darkness into the morning;
• He darkens the day into night;
• He brings low the high tree;
• He makes high the low tree.
• He dries up the green tree,
• He makes the dry tree flourish.
• He changes times and seasons;
• He removes kings;
• He sets up kings;
Paul, for instance, forgot what lay behind and walked forward to what lay ahead:
• Php 3:13,14 -> “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”.
One of the reasons, for this is that people tries to cling to their past in virtue of good that this did for them. Take a look at this example:
• 2Ki 18:4 -> “He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).”.
This bronze serpent, which was used by the Creator to protect the Israelites (Num 21:4-9), passed to be idolized by people in the time of Hezekiah. In the time of Jeremiah something similar took place:
• Jer 18:15 -> “But my people have forgotten me; they make offerings to false gods; they made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk into side roads, not the highway”.
The only thing that never change is the character of the Creator (Num 23:19; Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8). Hence He also had said:
• Jer 6:16 -> “Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”.
So, may all of us, in this year that will commence, to leave everything behind (both the good and bad things). After all, if we cling to the good things of the past, there won’t be place in our life for the best the Jesus already prepared for us in this new year (see 1Cor 2:9; Phil 3:20). And keep in the heart bad feelings and thoughts only will mine our life and contaminate people around us (Heb 12:15), what will make us reap more bad moments (Gal 6:7,8).
Let’s not be like a tree (fixed in the “paradise” that we build for ourselves – See 1Pe 2:11). Let’s dare to move freely in the direction that the Holy Spirit move us (John 3:8), preaching the gospel for all creature (Mark 16:15) boldly, certainly that, in Christ, we will always be rewarded and will lack no good thing (Ps 34:10):
• Heb 13:5,6 -> “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?””.
Finally, happy new year in Christ Jesus. May all Jesus’ plans for you being concretized, making of you and all people around you more looked with Jesus and close to heaven.
• Amo 5:8,9 -> “He who made the Pleiades and Orion, and turns deep darkness into the morning and darkens the day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name; who makes destruction flash forth against the strong, so that destruction comes upon the fortress.”.
• Eze 17:24 -> “And all the trees of the field shall know that I am the LORD; I bring low the high tree, and make high the low tree, dry up the green tree, and make the dry tree flourish. I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it.”.
• Dan 2:21 -> “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;”
In all these excerpts, we can read that the Creator is a God of changes:
• He turns deep darkness into the morning;
• He darkens the day into night;
• He brings low the high tree;
• He makes high the low tree.
• He dries up the green tree,
• He makes the dry tree flourish.
• He changes times and seasons;
• He removes kings;
• He sets up kings;
Paul, for instance, forgot what lay behind and walked forward to what lay ahead:
• Php 3:13,14 -> “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”.
One of the reasons, for this is that people tries to cling to their past in virtue of good that this did for them. Take a look at this example:
• 2Ki 18:4 -> “He removed the high places and broke the pillars and cut down the Asherah. And he broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it (it was called Nehushtan).”.
This bronze serpent, which was used by the Creator to protect the Israelites (Num 21:4-9), passed to be idolized by people in the time of Hezekiah. In the time of Jeremiah something similar took place:
• Jer 18:15 -> “But my people have forgotten me; they make offerings to false gods; they made them stumble in their ways, in the ancient roads, and to walk into side roads, not the highway”.
The only thing that never change is the character of the Creator (Num 23:19; Mal 3:6; Heb 13:8). Hence He also had said:
• Jer 6:16 -> “Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”.
So, may all of us, in this year that will commence, to leave everything behind (both the good and bad things). After all, if we cling to the good things of the past, there won’t be place in our life for the best the Jesus already prepared for us in this new year (see 1Cor 2:9; Phil 3:20). And keep in the heart bad feelings and thoughts only will mine our life and contaminate people around us (Heb 12:15), what will make us reap more bad moments (Gal 6:7,8).
Let’s not be like a tree (fixed in the “paradise” that we build for ourselves – See 1Pe 2:11). Let’s dare to move freely in the direction that the Holy Spirit move us (John 3:8), preaching the gospel for all creature (Mark 16:15) boldly, certainly that, in Christ, we will always be rewarded and will lack no good thing (Ps 34:10):
• Heb 13:5,6 -> “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?””.
Finally, happy new year in Christ Jesus. May all Jesus’ plans for you being concretized, making of you and all people around you more looked with Jesus and close to heaven.