Photo by Josue Michel on Unsplash
I am thankful God created seasons because each one offers something unique. For instance, the fall offers cooling relief from hot summer days.
I am also thankful for time because it marks a beginning and an ending. For example, December 31 marks the end of 2024, and I am (over the top) ready for that.
In 2024, I fasted and prayed more for specific matters (personal, national, and global) than I have in a long time.
In 2024, hope was repeatedly deferred (put off), which prompted the fasting.
An Old Testament proverb speaks about this.
“Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.”
Proverbs 13:12 King James Version
Hope speaks of future things, and when it is delayed (deferred), it can suck the wind out of your sail.
This describes many I have spoken with throughout 2024. (This isn’t to say good things have not happened; they have)
Without hope, humanity tends to do crazy things, which could explain the bazaar acts of violence we have seen worldwide in 2024.
The Message Bible puts a different spin on deferring hope when it says:
“Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around.”
Proverbs 13:12 The Message
I like the picture it paints.
Unrelenting disappointment reminds me of being caught in a rip-tide (called current by some). It is a localized stream of fast-moving swirling water moving away from the shore.
The natural reaction is to fight against it, which rarely works in your favor. Panic sets in as you realize how helpless you are to escape, which describes “unrelenting disappointment.”
The unnatural (or, for spiritual purposes, supernatural) response is to relax and go with the flow. You will likely be a reasonable distance from where you want to be, which is disappointing, but you are alive and have the strength to get back there.
However, (this is what I love about the Word of God) there is a “but,” which gives you hope.
The desire will come, and the sudden good break will show up. It will be a tree of life that turns life around in your favor.
I like time because it marks a beginning. January 1 marks a new beginning in 2025.
Globally, things have never been worse. Governments are in disarray, defaulting, and dissolving, which is predicted to happen at the end of this age. The U.S., however, seems to be moving towards stability. It will remain to see how it plays out on the global scene.
Financially, things remain tight as inflation holds on, prices drop by the penny, which isn’t helping, and global economies teeter on recession.
However, (but for the Christ-follower) Jesus has something to say about it.
“There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don’t quit. Don’t cave in. It is all well worth it in the end.
It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you’ve run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived.”
Matthew 10:22-23 The Message
If you forgive a Southern expression, “Just don’t have quittin’ sense,” everything will work out fine.
I have a sense that for the Christ-follower, 2025 is going to be a good year.
I believe hope will be restored, and peace will settle in your heart.
In 2025, you will be like the fish swimming upstream (like in The Chosen graphic in the opening credits), seemingly going the wrong way but heading precisely in the right direction.
I anticipate 2025 will not be without challenges, but they will turn into peace-giving victories.
Thank you for following in 2024.
I hope you enjoy what 2025 will offer.
Blessings on you all.
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