New Years Eve

Do You Make New Years Resolutions?

This past year, a lot has happened. Changes are always being made and time keeps slipping through our fingers. I myself have had many moments this year where I wish I could of grabbed time by the throat, and just froze time. But alas, to no avail, I can’t physically do that. None of us can. Nor should we be able to. And on the contrary, their have been moments we wish we could of sped up and gotten through faster or not have dealt with at all. To avoid a challenge or difficulty that brought pain our way. Those are never moments we want to reside in. But just like we can’t slow down time for the things we enjoy, we can’t speed up time for the uncomfortable moments.

Ecclesiastes 3:14-15

And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to it or taken from it. God’s purpose is that people should fear him. What is happening now has happened before, and what will happen in the future has happened before, because God makes the same things happen over and over again.

Something profound to take note of here in Ecclesiastes 3:14 is nothing about God will or ever can change! He is good. And nothing I say, or do, or think about Him will ever change who He is. And all God wants from us is to “fear” Him. With the type of reverential fear a child has toward their father, when they both have love for each other, but the child fears the discipline from their bad behavior. God loves us so much, more that our words could ever express. And we must learn to always find comfort in that!

Verse 15 gives us a security from our yesterdays, from the days behind us. God hasn’t and will never change, but in our finite understanding of things, all things change “in time”. We can’t even comprehend something that never changes, but we try to rationalize it. . . We may have anxiety over our past, our failures or short comings or over opportunities we missed; and yet we look forward toward the future with great anticipation and eagerness. But never dread the recountenance of our past failures. God uses our past failures to help our spiritual growth, to learn to rely on Him, to incline ourselves to His word and truth, and so that in our experience of failure, we could be a blessing to others who are going through the same type of difficulties. God reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow security in our present.

Isaiah 52:12

“But you will not go out in haste, Nor will you go as fugitives; For the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”

. . .The Lord will go before you. . . There is no greater assurance in my Security for tomorrow than knowing that my Lord and God is already their before me! But not only is He their in the tomorrow before I ever arrive; He is also at the same time my “rear guard” protecting me from the mistakes of my past, that I may not be continued to be tripped up in the way I was before.

So today, we find ourselves here at the end of one chapter and about to begin another. The pages of last year are all written down, and the pages of 2026 are still an empty canvas yet to be written, but completely known by our God who is already their with us. The story of our lives in the past can never be changed or rewritten, but we move forward into the future, into the unknown, and into the new! I like most of you, don’t make many or any new years resolutions. Because it requires a commitment and consecrated CHANGE of who I decide to be. But their is this one thing I do commit myself to every year; and that is one of becoming more a better reflection of Christ Himself. And that requires of me to learn what God is teaching me through my failures and to put that sin behind me, to leave it int the old year, and to be ready to tackle the next sin God has revealed to me; that I must next learn to surrender over to Him. We must consecrate our thoughts to be SO determined that God’s sanctification can be at work in me and you.

“...You shall not go out with haste...” As we go out into this coming year, let it not be in haste of forgetful delight or with impulsive thoughtfulness. But let us go out out with a patient power of knowing that God will go out before us. We should never enter the future ‘running for our lives’ just trying to stay alive. We have a protector who has already won the battle for us. And this is where we need to be careful. Yes, the battle is won, but the was is not yet over. We will still go through hardships and turmoil; but as James 1:2–4 says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” … So stay so committed to our surrender to our God and Lord, and in that, we will be complete, and need nothing else! Just God alone.. In any circumstance or trial. Him alone!

It is true that in our past we have lost opprotunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future. We must be willing to let the past be the past! To move forward into the “NEW” and find our rest, our comfort hope and joy in Christ!

Leave the broken irreversible past, in His hands and step out into the invincible future with Him!

Closing

And with that, I’ll leave you with some passages to find rest in God’s promises and assurance for each “NEW” day...

Lamentations 3:22–23 “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.”

Psalm 118:24 “This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Deuteronomy 31:6 ““Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.””

2 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.”

Hymnals for closing???

This is the day

Come though fount of every blessing

Great is thy faithfulness