With the eyes of the world firmly glued to the dazzling nights and bustling energy of New Year’s Eve celebrations, thousands of Christians all over the world were grittily united in bidding a collective farewell to 2015, with expectations of joy and hope for the year ahead.  These believers ponder about events of the whole year, the dawn of the new era, the ups and downs, heartbreaks, losses of loved and dear ones and crave to leave it out all there before ‘crossing over’ to the new year.

What spurs most of these people on is the inspiration they take from the heartfelt outpouring of prayers, the tears that flow freely and the passionate New Year resolutions that ring out as the clock negotiates towards the midnight hour.  As people shout and pray to God to give them new spiritual perspectives for the New Year, it all becomes certain that nothing, but the best are what people hope for.

It is not uncommon for people to be apprehensive about a new year and what it brings, but thank God, as believers, we have the right to be optimistic.  God sends His Holy Spirit not only to help us through the journey, but also to give us the hope that whatever He has promised will come to pass.  In the Book of John, Jesus said, “And I pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever” (John 14:16). This is our triumph card.  As we open up to Him, our understanding of His nature and ways give us a new sense of discernment, which guards our minds against the vagaries of life.

Every year has its own trail of history and while our expectations may not be met, believers should enter the New Year with renewed confidence while letting go of the past and focusing on what is ahead.  In the Book of Genesis, Jacob’s fraudulent behavior against his own brother, Esau, turned him into a deceiver and a runner until he decided to let go of the past.  What we read later is Jacob’s wrestling with an Angel of the Lord for blessings, and his eventual reconciliation with his brother.

We have a God who is in control, a God who holds our destiny in His hands.  He has power over death and forces of darkness and by Him, all things were created.  He is a merciful, omnipotent God whose love for us is new every morning; a God who shares our pain.  Our part of the bargain is just to maintain a close relationship with Him by getting to know who He is, what He does, how He thinks and what He desires from us.

We cannot believe in God and still harbor doubts; it makes us lukewarm, neither cold not hot and God vehemently opposes this stance.  “I will spit him out of my mouth”, He says (Revelation 3:16).  Yes, there will certainly be some bumps along the way, but as the hymnist rightly puts it, “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow; because He lives, All fear is gone, because I know he holds the future, and life is worth living, just because He lives!

The Christian Journal once again takes this opportunity to wish our patrons and numerous readers a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year.