As we begin a new year, it seems fitting to start at the beginning.
The Bible begins:
1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters...
and then God created light and the light was good.
and then God created sky and it was good.
and then God created the land and it was good.
and then God created the plants, trees, and fruit and it was good.
and then God created the sun and the moon and the stars and it was good.
and then God created the birds and the fish and it was good.
and then God created the animals and it was good.
and then God created people and that was VERY good.
That was the beginning and here we are at the beginning of a new year....a clean slate...a chance to begin new habits, new changes, new adventures.
God created this new year and it is good.
God created the sun and the moon to rise and set on the days and the weeks and it is good.
God created the upcoming seasons and it is good.
God created the place where we live for a purpose and it is good.
God created all the people we will interact with, they were created in God's image and they are good.
However, as we continue to read today's text, things didn't stay good. Even though everything in the world at that time was perfect, bad choices were made and humanity became separated from God. When we begin a new year, it can seem like we have a brand new opportunity to begin anew. However, as 2018 unfolds, it likely won't always stay good either even though God created it that way. The choices we make could have disastrous consequences. When we stand at the end of this newyear, what choices will be be proud of and which choices will we regret? We will likely have some of each during 2018.
Our New Testament reading offers hope for those regretful decisions:
15 ...Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
We have a way "out" of our bad choices. We can repent and believe. We have hope in the God who created the universe, who created us (knowing how we would wander), and called it all good.
Happy New Year!
1 comment:
Can't wait for the new beginning that will be perfect for all eternity! So thankful for the hope we have.
Mark 1: 1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,[a] the Son of God,[b] 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way”[c]—
3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”
This is a reminder to me to pray for my unsaved friends and family, that the Holy Spirit would prepare their hearts to receive the Good News!
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