"Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. You turn people back to dust, saying 'Return to dust, you mortals.' A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night...Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:1-4, 12).
As this blog is prepared, we are nearing the end of 2024 and preparing for the beginning of 2025. We are a week past another Christmas celebration, and there may be some post-holiday exhaustion and worry resulting from the excitement of the season and then the sudden return to normal daily living. This has led my thoughts toward a dual track of consideration.
First, this is an opportunity to look back retrospectively to the past year and to review all that has happened in our lives. As is the case with most years, 2024 has been a "mixed bag" for many people. There have been successes for some, stresses for others, happy moments for many, and the experience of serious illnesses and loss of loved ones for some. At the national level, we witnessed a very harsh and negative political season and now await the transition of power in our nation's capital city as well as in many states and locales around the country. Around the world, we have witnessed increased persecution of many people (including, but not exclusively limited to Christians) because of their religious and/or political views, volatile wars in the Middle East and in Ukraine, genocide of people groups and violence against the more vulnerable people in many countries, widespread wars and rumors of war in many areas of the world - and on goes the list.
My comments in the above paragraph are not to upset you or to claim that 2024 has been one of the worst years in human history. As I recently shared in our Sunday School class at Saloma Baptist Church, every age of history, and every year of human existence, there are many problems and concerns. This is nothing new in 2024. Since the very beginning, much of humankind has followed the ways of the world and the wiles of the evil one. That is why God sent "His only begotten Son" into the world - a message that should not be limited to Christmas, or Easter, but should be proclaimed each and every day. It is a word of redemption, liberation, freedom and liberty from sin and death, and it is the hope of humankind!
Yes, 2024 was a year of both good and bad. We learn lessons from the experiences we encounter day by day. And now we look to 2025 and naturally wonder what the new year will bring our way. The words of the scripture text I shared at the beginning of this blog (Psalm 90:1-4, 12) came to mind as I was prayerfully considering what to share in this bimonthly blog.
The Psalmist reminds us of the brevity of time - our understanding of time is different than that of God. As the Psalmist states, "A thousand years in your (God's) sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night..." In verse 12, the Psalmist states something that rings so very true for you and me in 2025: "Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." We should value each day that comes our way in 2025 and seek to live it to the fullest and in God's good and perfect will.
This brings me to the very practical and wise advice given in James 4:14-15, 17: "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'...If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them."
James reminds us that our life on this earth flies by in terms of God's eternal perspective. Consequently, we should live the abundant life in Jesus Christ here and now and do what we know to be God's will for our lives. James points out that our failure to do this is sin!
Yes, 2025 will be a "mixed bag" just like 2024, and prior years, in that we will experience ups and downs, blessings and disappointments, opportunities and challenges. We cannot change the course of global or national events by ourselves, but we can do our part in living each day in and for Jesus Christ. That sounds so simple, but it is the way of living for Jesus Christ in 2025. May we all live each day fully and completely and minister to our community and world in 2025 for Jesus Christ.