How We Can Face the New Year With Confidence

​We thank God for his blessings of the past year and his promises in the New Year.  How good the Lord has been to us!  He has provided for our needs.  He has protected us from danger.  He has blessed us in a multitude of ways.  He has given us his precious presence and been with us every step of the way.  His fellowship has been sweet.  How good He has been to us in the past year!
 
We thank the Lord for his promises for the coming year.  He has promised never to leave us or forsake us in good times and in bad.  He has promised to protect us and to provide for us.  He will guide us and bless us and draw us closer to Himself.  How good it is to be His in the coming year!
 
How can we face the New Year with confidence?  The Bible tells us in Romans 8 that nothing can separate us from the love of God.  Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or anguish or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

Romans 8:
36  As it is written: Because of You we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. 
37  No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us. 
38  For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, 
39  height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!   (HCSB)
 
The word “gospel” literally means “good news”!  Jesus commanded his followers to proclaim the “gospel” the “good news” to everyone.  Jesus showed us that the good news is for those who need it most.                                                                                                                  

When He was asked to read the scripture in his home town of Nazareth He read from Isaiah 61 saying, “Today as you listen, this Scripture has been fulfilled.” (Luke 4:21, HCSB).   Here is the marvelous good news that He read to them on that day:
 
1  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; 
2  to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of our God's vengeance; to comfort all who mourn, 
3  to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the LORD to glorify Him.   (Isaiah 61:1-3, HCSB)
 
The coming of Jesus is good news for those who need it most!  Do you need help and good news?  Rejoice, for Christ has come to you to bless you!  As long as God is God there is hope and blessings from God for us. Christ has come to save us from our sins, to bless us and to be with us forever!  He has promised never to leave us or forsake us and He has prepared an eternal home in heaven for us where He will wipe away every tear from our eyes! He has promised to return for us one day.  Let us trust in the Lord today!
 
Pastor Pat