Two Words

 Two Words For 2025

Today marks the end and the beginning of another year. For many the thought of a New Year's resolution is fresh on their mind, but for me, not so much. I've just never been into that kind of thing, don't ask me why, I'm just not. I admire people who do make a New Year's resolutions and stick with it. But hey, who wants to tamper with perfection...lol.

Of course, being in any type of church leadership, especially a pastor, if you allow it, you can feel the pressure to want to hear from God about the coming year and give a word with regard to that persuasion. Usually, you'll hear something that rhymes with the calendar year, for example "God blesses more in 2024." Once again, I've never felt the necessity of doing that, but maybe it helps people, so I don't disagree

I've heard of many Pastors who take time at the end of the year to seek God for a word of encouragement for their people, and that's perfectly fine. But for me I guess I'm of the persuasion that the good news of the gospel is something we should be hearing on a daily/weekly basis. How truly blessed we are to be living in a time when we can do that - feast daily on the message of grace and truth.

Trust me, I'm not trying to deflate anyone's excitement about the coming year, as a matter of fact I'm excited about it myself - wanting to put old things behind me and press into the new year. It does give us a fresh start full of hope and optimism for better things. 

One sure way of getting off to a good start is by in increasing in the knowledge of God's grace and truth. It helps to better establishes us in the foundation of God's love, and there's incredible stability in knowing how much God loves us as only revealed in grace.

I'm not sure any of us can really predict what's coming in the next year. If you're like me, last year had some surprises, some unexpected twist and turns in the road. Some of those surprises weren't good. But I might say, in all honesty that my family and I fared well through everything we experienced; and quite possibly you and your family endured some difficult things too.

So, what's my word for the coming year?  Actually, it's two words, "Grace and Truth" found in one person Jesus Christ. My prayer is that we all become increasingly aware of how fully established, rooted, and grounded we are in God's love; it's not our doing, but His - as only revealed in Jesus who is the ultimate truth and grace warrior of peace. The ultimate goal of this dynamic duo is to bring us into the reality of our union with God. Now there's something good to know a thing or two about in the coming year.

Our journey into this new horizon can be faced with the utmost confidence as we discover with eye's afresh the wonder of Him who knows all things and firmly holds us in His grip of His love.

I'll leave you with this popular quote from Julian of Norwich a Christian mystic who wrote in her 'Revelations of Divine Love' - "All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well."

 Let's trust God for an amazing new year! 

Happy New Year!

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