One year passes, another dawns

I, the LORD, do not change (Malachi 3:6).

One year ends, another begins. Are you glad to leave 2010 behind, or do you dread what nasty surprises 2011 might have in store for you?

2010 had its share of tragedy—the earthquake in Haiti and the flooding in Pakistan come to mind. But you don’t have to go through a natural disaster to have a bad year. Many people were diagnosed with cancer. Many suffered economic hardship. Many went through divorce. Many lost a loved one to death.

I suspect that 2011 will have plenty of heartache as well. There will be international conflict and natural disaster. There will be sickness and crime. There will be anger and disappointment, fear and sadness, loneliness and confusion. There will be death. These things will touch your life, and they’ll touch mine.

Of course, 2010 was not all gloom and doom. Couples fell in love and got married. Babies were born and kids graduated from school. Some people got promoted, others were able to retire and kick back to enjoy life.

2011 will also be filled with times of joy. Who knows when the next medical breakthrough will take place? Who knows what kinds of career opportunities might reveal themselves? Who knows how many new friends you’ll make in this country where people are always moving around?

Our lives swing between war and peace, sickness and health, deprivation and abundance. It’s always been that way. Only one thing remains constant—the God who gave you life. Even though our hearts are fickle, His love for us never changes; no matter how badly we mess up or how long it’s been since we last prayed, He will forgive your sins if you lay them at Jesus’ feet. Even though storms and man-made disasters drive us to our knees, God will give us relief and support us until things get better. Even death must bow before His power; Jesus is living proof that God’s children will rise from the grave.

2010, 2011, it doesn’t matter; God is still in control. If you remember that, you can live each day of the year with confidence and inner peace.