For the New Year
Presents have been opened, returns have been made, lights and trees will soon be taken down, and the radio playlists for many have changed back to regular tunes. A new year is upon us. Between a terrorist attack, a major assassination, mass shootings, and political scandals, 2025 in the US has had its share of conflicts and corruption. Of course, it wasn’t all bad news. There were close to 25 percent fewer overdose deaths recorded this year compared to last, and for the first time in a decade, no hurricanes made landfall.
For many, the dawn of a new year often brings thoughts of hopeful change. We don’t know what awaits us, so we attempt to “better” ourselves. We look back at what hasn’t been done and say, “This year I will get busy. I will not waste my time. I will be more practical, more purposeful, and more active for the Lord.” For a short while, we lift our heads high with grand aspirations, yet in time our passionate resolutions turn into mild suggestions, and we find ourselves sinking back into the mire of complacency.
I am not trying to be pessimistic about the future, but it is hard to ignore the pattern that repeats each year. The fact is that we can all experience needed change, but it will only come when we learn to wait. Does this sound silly? It may, because we have become addicted to the instantaneous and this tendency has been heightened by the rise of AI technology.
David wrote in Psalm 62:1, 5, and 8: “Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation... My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him... Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.” This is the change we need and the resolution we must keep: to wait on God. To sit at His feet and simply rest in His power and love. It is where our aspirations align with His will and our attitude becomes one of childlike trust. To the patient believer, wisdom is given. It is in moments of humble reflection, prayerful and scriptural meditation, that we find strength and understanding.
Sadly, I see a generation that wants instant gratification and success. I see people who would rather react immediately to “biased news” than wait to learn all the facts. I see a crowd of professed believers who would rather fulfill their own immediate desires than take time to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ! We have not learned to wait upon God. We all want to start the new year right. If this is true, then let us keep at the forefront of our thoughts this promise: “The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.” (Lamentations 3:25)
