THE NEW YEAR AWAITS | Northstar Church

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.” – Isaiah 43:2.

It is hard to believe, but it is that time. A new year is approaching right on schedule — again. And with the new year comes resolution(s) to change a particular area or multiple areas in our lives. New Year’s resolutions range from simple desires to seemingly foolproof plans for extensive life change. What we all have in common is the hope that something will change, we will overcome the obstacles, and life will be better in the year ahead.

We do this as a closure to one year and then an opening to the next. After we have reminisced, we begin to look forward with great excitement, wondering what God has for us this coming new year. What new experiences will we go through and what new lessons will we learn.

In Isaiah 43:2, God talks to the Israelites, as they begin a journey. After years in captivity, they rejoiced at the freedom to return to their homeland. But to get there, they would have to travel a long distance. They couldn’t catch a plane or jump on some buses, or put all their stuff in trucks. There were no bridges over rivers. Men, women, children, livestock, and all their belongings would have to find a way through deep waters or difficult rivers.

In 2024, we probably won’t have to worry about crossing a river; we will likely encounter something that seems like a raging current this year. Isaiah 42:2 says, “When you go through deep waters … When you go through rivers of difficulty …” When. Not if. The nation of Israel was guaranteed to encounter these on their journey, and we can count on it too in the new year. Those times when the water is deep, your feet can’t feel the bottom. And your body is tired, but the other side is still in the distance.

When we desire to make changes in the new year, we have the perfect example to follow: Jesus Christ. When we are ready to implement change, we have the perfect guidebook: His Word. And we have the perfect companion to strengthen our resolve: His Spirit.

As the Peach Ball drops to usher in the new year, God’s grace, mercy, and love follow us into the new year. It also gives us a fresh new outlook for the coming year and enables us to leave the past where it belongs, not that we forget the past but learn from it and move forward into our present future with opened hearts and minds to receive whatever God has for us.

Discussion Questions:

What do you want to pursue in the new year?
What are some ways we can be better as followers of Jesus in the new year?
What would you like to change in your life in 2024?