I Make All Things New

Last week we were lighting Advent Candles, in the midst of the Christmas celebration, and now here we are, standing on the brink of the New Year. But even though Christmas Day is past… the holiday music on radio and in the stores has ended, and Christmas items are being drastically marked down in stores, we can still hold on to the true Christmas attitudes and spirit. I can recall Elvis Presley, and several other artists, singing, “Why Can’t Every Day Be Christmas?” Advent helped us remember the birth of Jesus, as well as helping us prepare for the glorious return of our Lord to earth. And what better way for us to begin, and continue into the New Year, than with those Advent preparations still intact.

One of the ways some people begin the New Year is making New Year’s resolutions. I’d like to go on record here by saying I managed to keep 9 of my last year’s resolutions. I kept them…. safely tucked away in the empty journal I also resolved I was going to keep in 2023. I did keep the journal… in my bookcase.

Being on the brink of the New Year is like standing on a mountain, looking into the unknown future of 2024. It’s been said that those who don’t know where they’re going, will never get there. Regardless of our individual plans for our future, though, everyone stepping into the New Year is choosing their path into their future, whether or not they fully realize where those paths lead. So, whether we make resolutions, or set goals, we all begin, looking ahead, anticipating what we hope to accomplish in the New Year. But when the big ball hits bottom tonight, if we’re still awake, or when we open our eyes tomorrow morning, our journey of 366 days into 2024 (we get an extra day with leap year) will begin. What path will we choose?

Choosing our attitude for the New Year may help us choose our path. For those blessed with the hope, peace, joy, and love of Christmas, their attitude helps put them on the Lord’s way. Those who accept Jesus into their lives and are willing to commit to the Lord’s way are given God’s Sanctifying Grace, in Wesleyan terms… God setting us aside for His purposes, on His path to eternal life with Him.

Others may remain firm in their rejection, or even indifference, of Jesus as their Savior. They’ve chosen their own way forward, willing to risk the consequences.

Unfortunately, there are also those who mistakenly feel they haven’t rejected Him, but as in the Christmas story, have no room for Him in their lives, perhaps finding only a convenient place to squeeze Him in.

They may have heard about the good news of great joy, like the shepherds hearing the angels’ message, but really haven’t gone to see about Jesus for themselves, remaining indifferent, or satisfied with their status quo.

Without a commitment to the Lord’s way, though, they’ve inadvertently chosen the wrong way. Our OT lesson from Psalm 1 shows the two distinct paths we face. It’s an appropriate opening for the Book of Psalms, as well as an appropriate psalm to show our choices going forward into the New Year. In the first 3 verses the psalmist describes those on God’s path as happy, or blessed. They don’t walk in step with, or tag along, with the wicked, nor do they stand in the path of sinners, which is putting themselves in places where they are likely to be influenced by sin. I think we all can identify places where people might hang out, and even if they don’t engage in sinful activity, would be badly influenced by the sinful activities around them that may even result in their own evil thoughts and sinful actions. But those who are blessed, on God’s path… don’t listen to their counsel, or the unwise thoughts of the ungodly, or mock, or tear down, others. Their worldview, their ethical lives, and moral decisions are not determined by those in rebellion against God.

These “thou shalt nots” are things we should avoid. They don’t necessarily bring us happiness, but they at least keep us on the right path. But the next verse describes the person who knows God and enjoys His blessings. He delights in the law of the Lord, and meditates on it throughout the day. Delight in the law of the Lord makes us want to read, hear, and understand God’s Word. In the Hebrew this psalm was written in, meditating wasn’t just a matter of introspective thinking, but meant bringing to mind the resulting understandings of the Law and speaking it. Although some may scoff at, or degrade God’s Word as too restrictive, it’s much more than that. It shows us God’s will for our futures of happiness, not doing the things that will be harmful, but then knowing the things that will make us strong and healthy. Finding the delight, the joy and happiness God wants for us.