Glad to welcome everyone to the New Year, New Beginning of 2021. The Year 2020 was full of unexpected challenges, hardship and stress because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The year 2020 evolved new vocabulary in our life’s dictionary and we couldn’t celebrate life’s fortunes together anymore. There was social distancing, wearing of mask and practicing proper hand hygiene. It would be observed that during the pandemic short time plans were changing, very elusive and less predictive such that people began to adjust to long time plans even though much difficult and very highly unlikely to achieve. People were encouraged to make haste to get vaccinated, not necessarily that it would totally eradicate the virus in the short run. However Public Health leaders are warning of the harder-they-come days during the evolving phase of pandemic. Many in this state may be struggling in attempt to keep balance but the mere absence of friends and acquaintances around them may be driving them crazy. What makes you think 2021 will be any better in the midst of pandemic? According to Jeffry Bartash, Dexter B. Wakefield, Mitchell Hartman, Gabriel Cortes and Olga Oksman reports from the various media/research groups, The U.S. economy is still healing, but fresh dangers await: the good news is that the economy was picking up seemingly growth of about 7.4% in the 3rd quarter of last year. The not-so-good news is that Coronavirus cases continue to rise as well as the death toll in unimaginable measures. Small businesses were badly hit, closed their doors and out of businesses while large corporations get large junk of money. The 1st half of 2021 will be uncertain for small scale industries. Despite the arrival of two rapidly produced vaccines, side effects increase problems and unhealthiness but will not stop administration of vaccines. While the industrial sectors continue to do well due to commercial demands, retailers are struggling and office sector facing continuous adjustment. Most people are still working from home and many accepting pay cut as a means to stay afloat.
Many Churches, companies and other organizations are still shut down and limited business travel into mid-2021. There was a wide range of government/Economic support measures as the COVID-19 gripped the country especially for the big firms. There was strong growth amid record-setting demand for grocery deliveries during the pandemic. It was a difficult year for professionals to pay salaries and other fringe benefits to their staffs. They engaged in negotiating for pay cut, short recess or complete close of business. However there were great new opportunities such that those who wore their thinking caps made millions in mask making, sanitizers, and sign post for distancing, mask wearing and hygiene hand washing; on line purchases and deliveries got a boom etc. More opportunities shall continue to avail this New Year. Too many people died in the pandemic and funeral homes made fortunes. American people have spoken through their votes for change in leadership in the White House and that will be effective January 20th, 2021. We are skeptical if the current economic growth rate will be sustained. It is our hope that we will learn from the challenges we have faced in this past difficult year and exploit the new opportunities created by the COVID-19 pandemic. We wear our thinking caps and begin to dive into the world of seeing and doing the impossible. Make no mistake; this is NOT a call to panic. It’s a call to prepare.
January 5, 2021- Democrats will control the U.S. Senate after winning both seats in Georgia’s runoff elections. This dramatically boosts the prospects for Biden’s agenda. Jan 6, 2021 – Members of congress were forced to take cover yesterday after a violent mob stormed into the U.S. Capitol, in a stunning attempt to overturn America’s presidential election and undercut the nation’s democracy. The chaos left four people dead, including a 35-year-old woman who was an Air Force veteran. Congress confirms Biden-Harris win after day of chaos and terror.
New Year comes with new beginning, new opportunities, new challenges, new potentials, and new expansions to your life, new friendship and new adventures. It’s a time God is leading us to experience pleasant surprises and uncommon successes – what we do with our potentials, accomplishing set goals in life and all that God created us to achieve. We discover our best talents, skills and abilities and activating our inner power house – thinking and thoughts. People clean closet and get rid of old unusable stuffs, retain some, release some and remember past lanes with smiles over some others (Col 3:1-4). It is a time to reflect on the year ended and look forward into the New Year just begun. Many make New Year resolutions. Don’t just make a resolution but determine to follow it through because resolutions are easy to make and hard to keep. Take inventory of our walk with the Lord and examine our relationships. Individual and organizations including Churches make new budgets, set new goals and new proposals. Make critical changes on the structure while focusing on new goals and challenges ahead: see where we have been, where we are and where the Lord wants us to be. We should appraise the environments, consider past performances, count gains and losses. Learn from past events and mistakes; make necessary adjustments for the future and pursue realistic goals.
The 2021 New Year signals the end of one era/decade and the beginning of another one: be it a new dawn, fresh start, new hope and new season. It’s the reason it is celebrated with fun fare, praises and thanksgiving to God, the maker of the universe. Others are fearful with anxieties and worrying as well as skeptics. Those who had a bad year can breathe signs of relief saying thank God it has passed. While those who enjoy bountiful year wish it should not pass. Unfortunately life is not like automobile where you can accelerate or reverse it at will. The truth and reality is that the past has been with us but the future is unknown and unpredictable. But when we know who hold the future we can go into it trusting Him. The coming of the New Year appears God’s way of reminding us that because of the coming of Savior we have a new beginning. The Word that was with God is God and has become flesh and lives with us – mankind.
However, to experience new beginning, we have to learn to let go yesterday, old life, and old ways. It must start with self: Avoid procrastination, deceiving self, selfishness, pride and filthy communication. Drop those baggage’s that weigh us down – anger, hate, un-forgiveness, grudges, fleshly deeds, malice, lying, covetousness, malice blaspheme, uncleanness, inordinate affection and every type of secret sins (Col 3:8-10). Every change offers us two sides of the coins – the Past and the Future. The past is where we are coming from and the future peeps into where we are going. We learn that “Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday.” It offers us an opportunity to focus on God and thank Him for getting us through a turbulent and toxic year. In the New Year, “Thy shoe shall be iron and brass and as thy days so shall thy strength be”- Deut 33:25. –We shall wear iron shoes for a rocky road.
What do we do with new beginning? Shall we fold our hands and expect manna from heaven? Make excuses for inaction and complain for what our parents did not do, what the government has failed to do? Procrastinate what we could have done today? Today we should do something meaningful – apply for that job, get into college and or obtain new skills to help you get better job opportunities in this age and century. New Year is God’s way of giving us another opportunity to right our wrongs, to start afresh, perhaps rewrite our history. It’s a great chance to renew our vows and recommit ourselves to God. We are called to mend our ways: break down barriers/fences that has held us in prison without walls/bondage for long. Build bridges and reconcile with our loved ones. We should rebuild our natural boundaries and get involve in our churches and communities and grow it; expand her territories/ boundaries; forsake our self pride and arrogance and seek peace with God and one another. We should decide to build our families and refurbish our marriages; reconcile with our children and loved ones. God is not only interested in our relationship with Him but desires it. God is ever ready to forgive and forget our past. But we have to accept His forgiveness and forgive ourselves and others. “Let us press on to know the Lord” – Hosea 6:3.
Joshua 1:1-9; Deuteronomy 31:1- 8. The death of Moses begins a new era –strange leadership under Joshua. Joshua went to bed an apprentice, woke up a national leader. He got a job he neither desired nor planned for. The new assignment is to lead Israelites – stubborn and stiffed necked people; across Jordan to the Promised Land. There will be expansion of territories. Joshua was Moses servant for many years. He witnessed the uncommon humility of his master – Moses. He observed the stubbornness of the Israelites yet Moses loved them. He witnessed how Moses tarried for hours seeking God’s face and listened to Him; how God worked great miracles in the hands of Moses. Despite all that Moses did, God stopped him from entering the Promised Land. Little wonder Joshua had Hugh and genuine fears.
God’s Promises to Joshua: Every place where you set your foot will be yours. No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so shall I be with you. I will be with you wherever you go and you will be prosperous and successful.
God’s desire/requirements: Be strong, courageous, do not be afraid. Be careful to observe/obey all the laws. Keep the book of the law always in your life. Meditate on it day and night. This is a tough assignment with God’s presence/promises. Life requires a great sacrifice and understanding the duality of the universe: It takes sadness to know happiness; it takes pain to know pleasure; it takes weakness to know strength; it takes hard times to know good times; it takes bumpy road to know and appreciate good freeway. Yes, we walk down the bumpy road and it toughens up our feet but they also help to illuminate our true path. It helps deepens our understanding of ourselves and lead to the right path. Funny enough looking at hard times, it always seem bad times never end: we walk up to the same job we dislike; the same bills that make us broke; the same people that test our patience – unfriendly friends. We wonder when it will get better.
Every New Year is the beginning of a new journey. What road are we towing? Will our way be rough or easy? It is human tendency to tow an easy path, but we may have some rough road to travel as we walk through the year. “Especially during difficult times, it seems tempting to hide away and to quit fighting. It’s always easier to give up and to fantasize about someone who will come to your rescue. At the same time, none of these things will help you to overcome the issues you’re confronted with. Giving up will only make things worse” – STEVE MUELLER on Keep Moving Forward, One Step at a Time. If we plan to travel on rocky roads, we need good footwear. As coaches often say, “No pain, no gain. No guts, no glory. No struggle, no growth. We need iron shoes because the road is hard, the way difficult, and the path sometimes treacherous. It may require a shift in our perspective in order to see light in the tunnel or change certain things in our life in order to experience joy. We wouldn’t have found the real life if we had not gone through the trial life. We can’t see the stars without the darkness of the night. We cannot be an experience person in what we have not experienced. It is human nature and tendency to avoid bad times, pains and suffering. Zig Ziglar once said, “Difficult road often lead to beautiful destinations –the best is yet to come.”
God gives great promises because the road itself is difficult, steep and hard to climb. God promised great provision: God assures his people, “No matter what happens, God’s strength will always equal the days that are ahead” – Deuteronomy 33:25.“As thy days, so shall thy strength be” According to Ray Pritchard, on Iron shoes: God’s Promise for every year says this means three things: i) God will give strength for each individual day in the year ahead. ii) God will give strength for every kind of day we may face. Some days are filled with joy, light and happiness; others with sadness, tears, frustration, pain, and headache. Whatever each day brings, there will be strength enough to meet it. iii) God will give strength to all our days until the end of our days. We will run out of days before we run out of God’s strength. The more days, the more strength God gives.”
In Exodus 12.11 – The wearing of shoes for the Passover represents the believer always standing ready and prepared. In Deuteronomy 29.5 – The fact that God preserved the Israelite s’ shoes from wear represents the believer always under God’s care and provision. God promised to give us every place we set our foot, expand our territories, grant us His power and His presence; never to forsake or leave us but we must be obedient, strong, bold and courageous. Trust in God and keep our hope alive in Him. Keep moving, keep going. Ray Pritchard added, “The parable for Christian life. When we start our journey with Christ, He provides “iron shoes” because the road from earth to heaven is filled with “many dangers, toils and snares.” In the beginning, there is light enough for each step we take. As we walk with the Lord, the Light grows brighter and brighter until the light shine so brightly that we simply walk from earth to heaven….We will never find a day when God’s strength is wanting. We will have strength as long as our days last. Therefore we need not look anxiously ahead. In happy days filled with sunlight, we may not need much strength but when hard times come, we will find that the divine reservoir is more than enough to meet our needs.”
The Hymn writer reminds us that: God is our help in ages past; our hope for years to come.” No matter how far back as you go into ages past, you will find God there. He is always present and available. Don’t allow this great opportunity of new beginning to slip – Don’t waste it, don’t ignore it. “…..The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous from the beginning of the year to the end of the year.’ Deut 11:12. “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous. And his ears are open to their prayers” (Psalm 34:15; 1 Peter 3:12. Let the Holy Spirit help us to let go, give us new hope for the future, with strength and courage we obey and closely follow. Apostle Paul was given another chance and opportunity; set his goals in Phil. 3:12-14: i) to press on and move forward; ii) to know Christ; iii) be like Christ; and iv) be all Christ had in mind for him. Paul was determined and devoted all his energies to accomplishing just that. 3 things to hold on to: a) Desire the God’s presence –going back to Bethel; b) Determined to walk and follow Christ – aggressive holiness; c) Dominion in prayers – Rom 12:12. Brethren, keep hope alive, demonstrate courage and show resilience. Pull from your inner strength, the wisdom and strength to face and overcome our emerging challenges.
Thank you Pastor for these words of wisdom. They’re guiding and encouraging.
very inspiring! There’s need to let go of the past and make new decisions and changes this new year. Thank you sir