What a year – a melody made up of spectacular joys, incredible pressures and heart wrenching sadness. I am certain that you can also say that 2018 was a year filled with unexpected blessings coupled with untold sorrows. But isn’t that what life on this earth is all about. Beautiful sweetness mingled with grief-stricken bitterness.
In our colorful country, we experienced a severe drought followed by abundant rain – a direct answer to our nation’s prayer. We’ve seen the retiring of an old president and the stepping up of a new leader. We’ve seen the uncovering of inexplicable corruption and terrible injustices.
So you see, there is always hope and there is always joy when our confidence is in the Lord.
Each new year, I ask the Lord to give me a special word that I can carry with me through the year. A word that I use as my encouragement and my anchor when it feels as if life has lined up all the odds against me.
Because Gods love and commitment to us is constant.
I encourage you to ask God to give you a word too. Or a scripture.
All you need to do, is go to a quiet place where you can feel relaxed and at peace, and ask God for your special word. And then relax and wait for your word to come.
You will be amazed and surprised at how specific the Lord will be. He will give a word just for you.
Because in the difficult times of life, we need a strong reminder that; ‘If God is for us, who can be against us.’
Romans 8:31-38 New Living Translation (NLT)
Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love
31 What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? 32 Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 33 Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. 34 Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”[a]) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.
What awesome victory is ours. What wonderful peace is ours. What endless joy is ours if we just hold onto this truth.
So let us bid 2018 goodbye with a sigh of thankfulness and a breath of hope for a brighter future in the year that lies ahead.