Free Grace Women

New Year’s Day, 2025

Once Again, It’s a New Year 

Because of the date, I have stopped to thank God for the blessings of the past year, and think about the future—and I am particularly struck by the cyclic nature of life, and the many opposites that bring challenges in different ways.

In my life and daily concerns for my family, I am currently trying to balance time, money, and energy against the needs of life, as I have done so often.  Among my family and friends are persons of every age, each with its own rewards and difficulties; persons in many stages of health, relationships, and achievements; and persons I once knew well with whom I have lost contact.  As my family drove to a shared meal and game time last night, we thanked God for many blessings; this morning I received a call asking if I had heard of the latest terrorist attack.

Sometimes I feel zealous to do more for God, then I get worn out and want to rest; following a period of rest, I want to do satisfying work again; and after working hard on a frustrating task and again seeing evil prevail somewhere, I pray hard for Christ to return and clean up this mess.

First Praise

Amid the ups and downs of current life these promising words from Ecclesiastes ring true:

Whatever is, has already been, and whatever will be, already is.  However, God seeks justice for the persecuted.

Ecclesiastes 3:15 CSB¹

When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep his commands, because this is for all humanity. For God will bring every act to judgment, including every hidden thing, whether good or evil.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 CSB

Praise #1 for the New Year: despite the world around us, God sees every person and every hurt, and the all-powerful Judge will bring justice.

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Second Praise 

As I have lived through this past year, I have seen again that I am not always full of faith.  Through our family’s toughest trial of the year, I managed to trust God’s goodness for about a week.  After that I just cringed at every setback and expected the worst—and that’s only one of many times during the year that I did not act according to truth and Jesus’ promises.

Two related truths encourage me, recorded many times in the Bible, including these verses:

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16 NKJV

…God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV (underlining added)

Praise #2 for the New Year: God is faithful.

If I have ever believed in Jesus for everlasting life, I will not be separated from Him eternally, no matter what I do or don’t do.  He is faithful.

Also, He understands I am weak, and He provides the strength to obey Him.  Whether or not I deserve it, whether or not I avail myself of it, He provides it.  He is faithful.

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Third Praise

Through the old year and into the new year, I hear humanity saying we want meaning for our lives, our hurts, our year.

Even as a Christian, believing in God and knowing that there was such a thing as eternity with Him, I have honestly asked the question, “Can someone give me a good reason why it wouldn’t be better for a person to die as soon as they were guaranteed they were going to be with God for eternity instead of living through all the pain and uncertainty here?”

It took several years—and a lot of time studying the Bible, listening to good teachers, and being willing to check my beliefs against what Scripture actually teaches—but yes, several writers in the Bible address that question, including the apostle Paul:

And if we are children, we are also heirs—heirs on the one hand, of God, and on the other hand, co-heirs with Christ if we suffer together with Him so that we may also be glorified together with Him.

Romans 8:17 Hodges² (underlining added)

Now we know that all things work together with those who love God to produce good, that is, together with those who are called in harmony with His purpose.

Romans 8:28 Hodges³ (underlining added)

Praise #3 for the New Year: the suffering I endure and the effort I put into this life have a goal (ruling with Christ in His Kingdom) and a purpose (working together with Him to accomplish His good).  

I am capable of cussing out my kids, turning my life over to addictions, or denying truth because that’s convenient—and thus wasting my life.  But I also have the option of living a life that has lasting purpose, and I have opportunities each day to work with God by following what He has said in the Bible.

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Conclusion

Among many praises I have spoken or written in the last two days, why share these three?  Because, even more so than my attempts to balance time, money, and energy against the needs of life, or than the changing seasons, these praises applied last year and will apply next year too.

“Happy New Year!” is not a bad sentiment; but with a greater sincerity I pray you are blessed with rest, wisdom, encouragement, and grace through the various cycles of life.

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1. The CSB translates this verse somewhat differently from a number of other Bible translations, but after checking it with an online interlinear and referencing the other places the same wording is used in the Old Testament, I think this rendering is a fair translation, and easier to understand than most.  If you doubt its accuracy, please study it yourself!  God’s Word is important in all its details.
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2.  Zane Hodges, Romans: Deliverance from Wrath (Corinth, TX: Grace Evangelical Society, 2013), pg 224.  The grammatical reasons why Hodges translated the verse this way continue onto page 226.
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3.  Ibid, pg 235, translation explanation continuing to pg 238. ↩︎

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