Happy New Year
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Happy New Year! Did you see the new year in? When our kids were younger, and still at home, we did stay up, playing games, eating and drinking.
I have to confess, that I stopped staying up until midnight, a few years ago. These days I would only fall asleep anyway.
What does the dawn of a new year mean for you? Do you look back over the last 12 months reflecting on its ups and downs? Do you look ahead to 2025 with fresh hopes and dreams?
I do a bit of both. 2024, like most years, was mixed. I loved seeing people, and especially my children develop and grow in all aspects of life. I did enjoy a visit to the Tower of London in the summer too!
We have been blessed to see our church grow, with some wonderful new people joining. It was also tough saying goodbye to some dearly loved people as well, who passed away in 2024.
One thing I do annually is to read the entire Bible. I love doing it, as it keeps me in ‘God’s Big Story’. The discipline means that I read bits of the Bible that I may not glance at otherwise. And, most importantly, I see what God is like, and He speaks to me through reading it.
The first book in the Bible, Genesis, is the account of creation. It also reveals how people quickly ignored and disobeyed God, choosing to live without Him. In chapter four we read about Cain killing his brother Abel. They were sons of Adam and Eve.
Because of his actions Cain had to leave his family home, and he said to God…
““Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.”
This was a sad and difficult time for the human race, as we see the effects of separation from God. As I reflected on this, I saw something important.
Cain, with his family, lived in God’s presence. As a few chapters before it speaks of God walking in the Garden of Eden. Because of this, they lived in peace. They also had purpose, as God had told them to take care of the land.
When Cain had to leave all this, he became a ‘restless wanderer’. In other words, he was no longer in God’s presence, he had no peace and no purpose.
I believe we are all designed to live God’s ways. Without God, we too are restless wanderers. However, in His presence we find peace and purpose in life.
How about that for 2025?
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader