Often times when I’m writing up this post, God will lead me in more than one direction. Sometimes I see the connection right away, other times, as is the case with this post, I find myself searching for the connection. So here goes:
A new year often signals a new beginning, a time of renewal, commitment, promises and contemplation for the future. God has laid on me the need and the importance of personal spiritual growth for myself and for each and every Christian. Whether you call yourself Baptist, Pentacostal, Non-denominational or if you are Messianic Jew, it does not matter, what matters is we are following in the footsteps of Christ and remain true to His word. This year, 2025, we need to ask ourselves how strong we are in God’s word and if we think we are strong then it is time to stop, back up and realize we are at our weakest when we THINK we are at our strongest. Because that is when we start to read God’s word less, when we begin to think that certain things don’t apply to us, that His word is outdated, and we can pick and choose what we want to follow, and we start to lean on our own understanding. This is when we begin to pray with less conviction and prayer becomes a ritual instead of a conversation. And this is when we begin to have fewer conversations with others about God’s word. This is when we need to pray for wisdom and understanding, to pray for a humble heart that will allow us to see just how little we know. This is a time to go deeper into His word and look at the things we may struggle with. This year could be a year of great change for us all, whether that change is for the better is up to us. If we resolve to grow stronger in His word, to deepen our relationship with Him and to help others grow in His truth then chances are the changes will be good. Whether you are someone who was raised in the church or are just beginning your journey there is always a great deal you can learn. If we are stagnant, if we believe there is little left for us to learn, then the consequences could be devastating. In 2 Timothy 3:1 it tells us that in the last days there will be difficult times, what if this is the beginning of your difficult year? Will you have the strength and courage to go on? Do you rely enough on God? Do you put Him first in your life? Right now, I imagine many of you jumping up and down yelling “I do! I put God first!” And that very well may be true, but consider this: do you have the strength and courage to endure what Jesus described in Matthew 24? You may read verses 6 and 7 about wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes and say, “Oh yes! I could handle that.” But read on. And as you read think about this: could you endure the hatred and persecution that Jesus endured? If you were place upon that cross and told that all you had to do to save your life was to deny Christ – would you be strong enough to endure? Would you be strong enough to watch someone you love go through that? Or would you cave in and deny Him in order to save your life or the life of a loved one? It has happened in other countries and continues to happen; we just aren’t likely to hear about it. Just because we have not personally seen it or experienced it does not mean you will never experience it. My intention is not to frighten anyone, but instead it is to follow God’s direction and to encourage. To encourage you to commit to spiritual growth, to encourage you to develop not only a deeper relationship with God but to develop a deeper dependence on Him. To encourage you to depend on Him for wisdom and knowledge, for strength and courage and for the ability to maintain your integrity even if the world around you falls apart. Jesus never sugar coated His message, and it may be time for us to understand that we should not sugar coat it either. There are many who believe Christians will not see much of what was spoken about in Matthew 24, and they may be right – but what if they are not? Personally, I think we will see much of Jesus prophetic words take place, and while there are things in life we can change – we cannot change prophecy. If He says it will happen, then we can count on it happening. In Matthew 24:22-23 and in verse 31 Jesus mentions the “elect”, and while there is some debate on exactly who the elect consist of, there is agreement on the fact that these are God’s people. Some of you may be thinking this post is a little on the discouraging side, but it is not, because when Christ is involved, there is hope. Look at the example of Paul, all he suffered through, yet he found strength through his knowledge and his love for Christ. Whether your future is filled with sunshine and roses, or with turmoil, the key to having peace is in Christ. Let us make 2025 the year we begin a new journey. A journey that will allow us to maintain our integrity towards Christ, to find peace no matter what we are faced with. A journey that will help us to grow in our relationship with God. A journey that will strengthen us and those around us. Resolve to look at every part of our life through the eyes of Christ, to improve, to grow, to help others grow and to use Him to turn our weakness into strength. Let this year be a new beginning.