New Year

Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away…. Matthew 24:35
We have come to the end of another year on this earth.  For some of you it has been a difficult year, and you will breathe a sigh of relief that it’s over.  Some of you have had an easy year, and its passing will not be remarkable.  The passing of time is relative…. for some people it seems to pass all too slowly, but for others it seems to race by, stealing the chances to accomplish all the desires and dreams.  Some of you will want to stop time in its tracks, because things are going so well for you and you never want it to end.  Some of you want time to hurry by, because you are unhappy and have no hope in God.  The passing of time for some means the end of good times and for others the continuing of bad times.  But time and circumstances really have no relationship.  Time will pass whether anything happens or not, because that is what God has decreed.  When He created the universe, He set a clock in motion.  That clock is ticking and nothing can stop it.  People are born, and they die.  Humankind builds things and things are destroyed.  More things are built in their place.  And they also shall become as dust in the field.  The words of humankind are as the chaff in the wind; they will blow away and nothing we do will be able to locate them.  It is not the word of man we must look to for inspiration and guidance, but the Word of God.  All the things we call permanent are really temporary, because they will pass away in their time.  The only thing that will last is the Word of God.  The only really permanent thing is the Word of God.  The only thing we can really depend on to always be there is the Word of God.  In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.  The Word of God was there is the beginning, He is with us now, and will be there in the end.  The central issue of our lives must be that we hold fast to the Word of truth, because everything else will pass away.  Even heaven and earth will pass away, but His Word will stand forever.
This year passes away, and another begins.  There have been encouragements and successes.  There have also been obstacles and setbacks.  But in God we have seen that such things only slow us down for a little while – they cannot stop us completely.  Some have stayed faithful to God and His agenda.  Others have fallen by the wayside.  Some have given up completely, given up hope, given up salvation, given up on God.  We must be faithful, and remember that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  God is not a God of defeat and despair.  He is a God of victory and high hopes.  There is a promise to be had.  There is an end to suffering.  There is a beginning to peace.
As we end this year we should reflect on what has passed.  Have we been as obedient to God?  Is there something we could have done better?  Is there something we left undone that we can still do (in God’s will)?  Has God given us a vision for the New Year?  Do we see the path before us?  Let us go into the New Year with our sights focused on the Lord God and on doing His will.  Let us enter this new time with a new determination to be even more faithful to God.  Let us enter the New Year with a determination to be even closer to heaven in 2007.
God Bless You,
Your Servant for Christ,
Mani R Nadava