Hope for the New Year 2022

Besides peace and joy, hope is another word that gets overworked at Christmas. It is quite natural that the word hope would be very big at this time of the year. Christmas is after all the birthday of Jesus Christ. The arrival of a new baby is a time of hope. This was certainly the case with Jesus Christ, the long-awaited Messiah and Savior. He represents the hopes and aspirations of many who believe. On the eighth day after his birth, Jesus was dedicated by his parents in the Temple. Eight days after Christmas is the first day of our New Year. Along with Christmas, the arrival of the New Year brings renewed hopes and expectations for peace and prosperity. So it is no wonder that many holiday cards make mention or use the word hope.

A lot of people, including my grandchildren, hoped for certain things at Christmas (and dropped big hints)! Many others are hoping for particular things in the New Year: the end of the pandemic, a job, increased business, new or improved relationships. Much of what we call hope is in reality wishful thinking. The biblical concept of hope is not mere expectation or desire. Biblical hope is confident expectation; it is trust in God. The New Testament uses several adjectives with the word hope. There is “good” hope (II Thess. 2:16), “blessed” hope (Titus 2:13), a “better” hope (Heb. 7:19), and “living” hope (I Peter 1:3).

Would you like to have more of the biblical hope, which is a sure thing versus wishful thinking? Be careful before you answer this question. Reread what Paul wrote in Romans Chapter 5, “We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (v. 3 & 4). Did you get the progression mentioned in these verses: suffering, perseverance, character then hope? Paul also mentions to the Thessalonians their “endurance inspired by hope.” (I Thess. 1:3).

The New Testament uses the word hope in conjunction with several different things. There is hope in the future. Numerous times the Apostle Paul mentions to the various people he is writing, that he hopes to visit them soon (Rom. 15:24, I Cor. 16:7, I Tim. 3:14). To the Philippians, Paul hopes to send Timothy (2:23). Sometimes he adds the phrase, “if God wills…” We should always think this regarding our plans whether we consciously state it or not. One thing we can be certain about is the “hope of eternal life” (See I Thess. 4:13, Titus 1:2 & 3:7).

There is hope in God. The ground upon which our hope is based is of course “the God of hope” (Rom. 15:13). “We have put our hope in the living God who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe” (I Tim. 4:9-10). We ought to trust in God, not countries, corporations, or money (See I Tim. 5:5 & 6:17).Lastly, there is hope in Jesus Christ. The fountain head of hope is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. “In God’s great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” (I Peter 1:3). “Christ in you is the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). “Christ Jesus is our hope” (I Tim. 1:1). “I/we hope in the Lord Jesus” (Phil. 2:19). His return is indeed “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13).

Faith and hope are linked together. “Now faith is being sure of what we hoped for and certain of what we do not see” (Heb. 11:1). May you experience your hopes in 2022.

 

Wise and Foolish Builders

Any builder knows how important the foundation is to a building. Even though it is not seen, it is what the structure rests upon. Equally important is what is beneath the foundation itself. Jesus used this fact to conclude His Sermon on the Mount by telling the parable of the wise and foolish builders.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash" (Matthew 7:24-27).

The wise man in Jesus' story built upon "the rock." He dug down until he reached bedrock and then he laid a foundation and built his house. While Jesus was using the illustration of building a house, he was really referring to the foundation or values upon which one builds his life. With this in mind we need to ask what constitutes "rock." The passage itself suggest the words or teachings of the Lord. The Scriptures or the Word of God certainly provides the sound basis upon which to build one's life; "Thy word is truth" (John 17:17). The Apostle James exhorted his readers to "not merely listen to the word," but to "do what it says" (James 1:22). The New Testament refers to Jesus Christ as the incarnate word (John 1:1,14). The Lord himself is indeed "the rock" (see Romans 9:33, 1 Peter 2:6-8 and 1 Corinthians 10:4). If we build our lives upon Christ and the Word of God we are indeed wise builders.

The foolish man chose to build upon the sand because it was easy and convenient. What is the "sand" that so many choose today to found their lives upon? It is the popular, Godless, hedonistic values of the age that caters to the flesh and immediacy. Like sand, these values are always shifting and moving about and do not provide the sure and stable footing like rock. When the storms of life come, and they surely will, the life built upon the "sand" will not stand up against the tests of nature. The crises of life reveal what we have chosen to build our lives upon. We are constantly being fed messages from the media that represent "sand." If we are not rooted in the Word of God, we will be influenced.

The Bible also teaches us the importance of constructing our lives with what is durable and permanent materials. The Apostle Paul wrote this: "If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work (life) will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work (1 Corinthians 3:12-13). As we stand at the beginning of a new year, the question this message raises is, "On what and with what will you build your life in 2010?

Learn From the Past - But Do Not Dwell There

How are you doing with your New Year's resolutions? Did you make any? If you did, what were they? Many people have made them in the past but experience failure. Afterward, some resolve to not make resolutions anymore.

I have found the passing of the old year and the beginning of a new one to be an excellent opportunity to do an inventory of my life. What aspects need some changes? What things should I do differently? It has been said that a definition of insanity is to remain doing the same things while expecting different results!

That said, I find some wisdom in the writings of Apostle Paul that is appropriate to the way one can go forward in the new year. "I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it (perfection). But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.

"I press on toward what is ahead. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me." (Philippians 3:13-14)

Paul's approach to life included the humility to acknowledge that he was not perfect and still needed to work on himself. The people who think they have arrived are not going to grow any further. I am sure we all know individuals like this; let us not be one of them.

The "one thing" that Paul said he did actually consisted of three aspects: forgetting what lay behind, straining toward what is ahead, pressing on toward the goal.

A few comments about each of these points: While it is important to learn from the past, we cannot live there. We must leave the past behind, with its successes and failures, and live in the present.

It is also important to have some idea of where one wants to go, to have goals and objectives. Notice that Paul used the word "straining" when speaking of going forward. This implies real effort, not a lackadaisical attitude. Related to this but somewhat different is the "pressing toward the goal." How may times have we failed to reach an objective because we did not stick to it through completion? Using a football metaphor, do not quit on the 10-yard line, but push on until the ball is in the end zone.

If you embrace these steps, you will find yourself achieving your New Year's resolutions and succeeding throughout the year.