A New Year

    

    In these last days of 2023, television news programs, newspapers, and magazines in this country made programs or published special editions of all the important events that occurred during this year. A few hours before the arrival of 2024, the question that may be on our minds is, what will this new year be like? During my quiet time this week, I found the following quote credited to musician John Lennon and I want to share it with all of you. It goes like this: “Life is what happens to you while you plan to do something else". What a truthful statement! As you do a “year in review” of your life, remember all the things that happened to you while planning to do something else. However, remember that God’s timing in our life is perfect. Even when we welcome the end of a particularly trying year, the Bible teaches that God’s mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23-24).

    As this year ends and another begins, may the Lord give you enough happiness to keep you lovable, enough trials to keep you strong, enough sorrows to keep you human, enough hope to keep you happy, enough failures to keep you humble, enough successes to keep you eager to do more, enough friendships to give you comfort, enough riches to cover your needs, enough enthusiasm for you to look at tomorrow differently, and enough determination for you to do each day better than the day before. Ask God to help you use the 8,760 hours of this year in the wisest way we can for His Glory. Romans 13:11-12 (ESV) tells us: Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. ¹² The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”  

    To all my friends and family, I wish you all a happy 2024. May the Lord fill each of you with rich and abundant blessings.

Pastor Dimas