Every time we start a new year, we say that there are 365 new opportunities to do good things, to carry out kindness and to show mercy to others. But sometimes, when the year ends, instead of being excited about the future, we’re fearful. We examine the past days and can be engulfed by failures and fatigue. We may feel overwhelmed by disappointment. Instead of seizing new opportunities, we become immobilized by fear.
A new year can leave us feeling alone, isolated and far from what we long for.
Perhaps you’re feeling that way. Are your steps heavy? Are you afraid that the future will be the same as the past? Does it seem like God is distant and uninvolved in your life?
No matter how you might feel, I want to remind you that Jesus always offers new hope. He is God’s promise. And you can learn more about that promise in the Bible.
In His Word, God has left us a “Do not fear!” for each new day, for each new circumstance. In even your worst moment, He is thinking of you, encouraging you. On good days, bad days, and regular days, God is with you.
In Isaiah 41:10, He says:
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
The biblical text leads us to declare: I WILL NOT FEAR! We can make that part of us, just like our blood, skin, and body. God wants to lift us out of the mud that bogs us down and set us free like never before.
There is a “do not fear” for every day – 365 opportunities to receive God’s Word in every step you take. For every disappointment, there is a “do not worry, because I am your God.” What a wonderful promise! God the Father Himself will strengthen you and help you. Not only that, He will support you with His right hand! He has His hand on you.
Maybe it’s not a fear of the new year that brought you here today. Maybe you found this article by chance. Maybe you came through a link that you had no idea you would lead you here.
However you may have arrived, I invite you to reflect once again on the Word of God. If you are restless, lonely, worried, disappointed… even if you’re happy and excited about 2018, I encourage you to seek God in Scripture.
All of us have a spiritual thirst and we won’t find anything to quench it in the desert we call the world. But God can quench it. He wants to meet you today. He loves you and will never leave you. When you seek Him with all your heart, you will find Him.
“Do not be afraid!” That is His reminder to you today and every day.
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