What Does the New Year Hold?
Categories: Bible Study LessonsYesterday was January 1st, 2005. The year 2004 is gone forever. Some may be wondering, “What will the new year hold for us?” Will there be weddings? (I know of one being planned.) Will there be funerals? Will there be births (I know of one of these too!) Will there be good times? Will there be bad? Will there be changes that we don’t like? Will there be changes that are good? For man, the future is completely unpredictable and while we can expect some things to happen, we really don’t know what is going to happen, and we should not spend our time worrying about what MIGHT happen (Matthew 6:34) but we should always say, “If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that” (James 4:15). So what will the New Year hold, if the Lord will?
The New Year holds time! Not counting yesterday and today, we have before us 12 months, 52 weeks, 354 days, 8496 hours, 509760 minutes, and 30,585,600 seconds. Anyway you look at it, we have time given to us. We can only live that time one moment at a time. Each moment is precious, priceless, and pregnant with potential for us to do that which is good and right, pure and holy. There is also the potential for us to use our time to do that which is evil and wrong, rotten and defiled. Potential, however, never accomplished anything! It’s not until the potential becomes the kinetic that things happen! How will we use our time in 2005? Let us not give place to Satan, but redeem each moment doing the Lord’s will (Ephesians 5:16)!
The New Year holds opportunity! We should pray for opportunity, but we should also pray for the resources to be able to take advantage of the opportunities we have! Health, family, friends, fellow Christians, financial means, talents, and many other things are all resources that we all need to make the most of our opportunities. We can take appropriate advantage of those resources for good or we can neglect them. We also need to pray for the ability to recognize the presence of an opportunity. Many times opportunity knocks, but no one is home to hear the rap. Let’s be on the alert for ways in which we can do that which is good toward all men (Galatians 6:10).
The New Year holds optimism! A new year is not a time to be pessimistic and think of all of the terrible things that COULD happen to us. Rather, it is a time for us to think optimistically! Out of all of the people on the earth, the Christian has the knowledge to think optimistically. We know that Jesus was raised from the dead. We know that the life of the Christian is the best life one could live. We know that one day Jesus will come again! The faithful child of God has every reason to rejoice and nothing over which to brood (Philippians 4:4).
The New Year holds work! Since God created man, God has expected man to work to some degree. Man’s first job was to dress and keep the garden (Genesis 2:15). Today we have a God given work as well. Jesus’ has exemplified this work for us in his mission to seek and to save that which is lost (Luke 19:10). The church has the same work today. We must use the year 2005 fulfilling the mission that Jesus has for His body. We can fulfill this mission through our works of benevolence for the needy, edification of the saved, and evangelism for the lost. If we water and plant, then God will give the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6)! Each day that passes in this New Year, let us consider how we can be involved in this great work!
The New Year holds so much more than what we have set forth here, but these four things are definite starting points for us to make this New Year a great one. The New Year holds time, opportunity, optimism, and work. Let us put our hands to the work, with an optimistic attitude, using our time to serve the Lord and looking for those opportunities which are ever before us! May God bless this New Year for the church of Christ at Berryville!