We are living in an age of grace. Year after year we experience our Lord’s blessings, but often fail to acknowledge them and thank him.
As we enter the twilight moments of 2024, the most important thing that God expects from us is nothing but our words of gratitude. As the best way to express our feelings of gratitude to our Lord, let us join in praising and worshipping him in this blessed new year eve.
Jesus came to the world to proclaim, among other things, ‘the year of the Lord’s favor’ (Lk 4:19). He was quoting from prophet Isaiah, who had something more to add to it; ‘….to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God…’( Isa 61:2).
So it can go either way. ‘If you are willing to accept it’ (Mt 11:14) Jesus came to proclaim the good news of the Lord’s favor. If you refuse to accept the good news, the days will turn into days of vengeance of our God. And that day brings with it the ‘fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries’ (Heb 10:27).
Standing at the threshold of a new year, we are really at a crossroads. Whether to make the new year a year of the Lord’s favor, or to make it a series of days that would witness God’s vengeance befalling humanity depends on our decision.
Paul the apostle also quotes Isaiah saying; ‘At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.’ He goes on to add that now is the acceptable time, and now is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2). For us believers, in spite of all that we have witnessed, it was an acceptable time because God’s mercy protected us throughout the year. And in Jesus, we hope that humanity will be willing to accept the coming year as their days of salvation.
Let us pray for the world to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in this new year. And to make it happen, let us pledge to bear witness to Jesus Christ in everything, big or small, we do. ‘Let our light shine before others, so that they may see our good works and give glory to our Father in heaven’ (Mt 5:16). And let this not become another routine pledge that we take every new year.
Wish you all a very blessed year ahead.
