New Years Eve 2020
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Adjectives that would sum up 2020.
This year has been:
Challenging
Painful
Scary
Discouraging
Alarming
Unlike any other year
Select readings from the book of Lamentations:
Although Lamentations is written from entirely a different reality, we find that there are some parallels with the Prophet Jeremiah’s writing with what we have experienced this year. In no way are we experiencing the same thing he experienced, but there are elements that we can grab from this that will help us to deal with the current reality that we are facing and also what we could possibly face this coming year.
Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.
Sometimes we can be oblivious of other peoples suffering. Let us take the time this coming year to acknowledge and pray for those who are suffering, help out when we can those who are suffering and the less fortunate.
For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed.
All of the things that have happened to us this year (because it has been a very hard year for some of us) cause us to weep or to even cry silent tears. For some people, especially those who do not know Christ, this is a reality that they are currently in. Sometimes even as believers we may find that there is no one to encourage us....no one understands....but you need to remind yourself that God understands and while everyone may seem to be distant from you....know that God is standing by you.
As parents, we have dealt with some level of anxiety because of this pandemic and the school situation we are in. But don’t be anxious, when you feel anxious....don’t keep it to yourself, let the Lord know how you feel.
Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city.
Jeremiah looked out and saw the plight of his people, he was distraught at their suffering. It can be easy for us to feel the same way when we look at the news and see so many people suffering, businesses closing down, people starving for food, people facing eviction notices, bills piling up, hospitals been overran with sick people, people dying everywhere, funeral homes filling up, people suffering from mental illnesses.
Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.
We have dealt with people who said they were men and women of God have said false and foolish things. They told us by June the pandemic was going to in, they told us that in November that so and so would be the next president, they told us that because we were believers we wouldn’t be affected by this pandemic. With their false prophecies they gave many false hope, they did not point out and call out people to repent, they were more concerned about making a buck or two, they were more concerned about their image.
Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease. Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.
But then Jeremiah tells us what we need to do.
We need to cry aloud before the LORD, we need to let our tears flow like a river day and night.
We need to seek the LORD day and night and lift up our hands to him in prayer pleading not only for ourselves but our children, our nation, our world!
I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.
I will never forget 2020, this has been a rough year. But you know what I will remember the most about it? That God brought me through this year! That God has been good inspite of all the bad stuff that happened this year!
When I think about how good God has been to me this year, I can concur with Jeremiah when he writes in chapter 3:21-40:
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:
It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
God’s love for us will never run out! His mercies, will never come to an end.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
His love and mercies are fresh.....it never gets old, it never runs out, every morning we wake up there is a fresh mercy......every morning we wake up his love for us is renewed. This is why we should trust in Him, this is why we should go to Him.....it is good to know that the LORD never gets tired of us.
Because of these things Jeremiah declares that God is faithful! He is reliable! We can take God at his word....we can put our full reliance in Him. I can call on Him....and He’ll answer.......I can ask Him and He’ll do it, I can seek Him and I’ll find Him. God is Faithful!
The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”
The Lord is my inheritance!
I will hope in God, I will trust in God, when it looks bad I will trust in God, when I’m sick....I will trust in God......when I’m hurting…I will trust in God, when I am disappointed....I will trust in God, when I feel lost....I will trust in God, when I feel abandoned.....I will trust in God, when I feel confused.....I will trust in God, when I’m broke....I will trust in God......when I lose a loved one.....I will trust in God!
The Lord is my portion.....He’s going to give me what I need to make it! This year coming up......believe that God is going to give you what you need to make it!
The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
2021 the year of waiting. If you wait on God he’s going to make it good, if you seek the LORD your gonna find Him.
The word “wait” “qavah” is more than waiting in regards to time frame. Waiting according to the jewish definition means to hope. Hope means expectation....meaning it is not a question whether God is going to come through....but I’m expecting God to come through.
In the New Testament the word wait is translated “hupomone” which means endurance.
I believe that 2021 is going to be about waiting on the LORD. Waiting with endurance. We gotta hang on in there until God moves......whether it be the coronavirus, whether it be another illness, family problems, financial problems, spiritual problems.....we gotta wait on the LORD....we gotta hang in there and endure until God comes through!
Even when it seems like you been in it forever.....listen to what Jeremiah says in chapter 3:
For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
While we are waiting we need to do this:
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.
Instead of being mad, instead of being fearful, instead of us being anxious....we should test and examine our ways and turn back to the LORD. We should lift our hearts and our hands....we should surrender to God.....going into this New Year......we should re-dedicate ourselves to God. We should repent and surrender to God.
In your waiting there will be a season of tears....but let the tears flow! Cry out to God in the midst of your tears. Jeremiah said of himself:
Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.
We should cry out until the LORD restores us.
Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.
When the LORD does restore us, many will be looking to return back to normal. But I want to challenge the church.....don’t look to return back to the same way you been doing things.....look ahead to go forward. Let’s look ahead to do things better! Let’s look to God to renew us.
We don’t know what to expect in 2021 but the scriptures encourages us by saying:
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
If we are going to be careful, we should be careful/anxious to do good works:
This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
We need to have a resolve to love God the more, to live for Him the more, and to praise God the more:
To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
We now enter into 2021:
Prayerful
Hopefully
Waiting
Renewed
Purposeful
Optimistic
Cheerful
Thankful