2013

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Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: 
for the Lord will do great things. 

Joel 2:21

As another year closes out, I can with certainty look back and say "The Lord did indeed do great things, for He does all things well." This year will always hold numerous memories for me; the majority of them being very special ones. 

2013 marks the year when I earned 30 more college credits, met some online friends face-to-face, attended a conference in Washington, participated in several musical performances, saw increased babysitting opportunities, attended two funerals for close family members, and began teaching Sunday school. There are many, many more things I could list, but that would take far too long and that is not my primary intent for this post. 

The verse quoted at the beginning of this post would have been a good one to remember at the beginning of the year, perhaps. It looks forward to a future of good things. I could not have told you at the start of 2013 what kinds of great things I would encounter--and yet, I clearly saw this promised fulfilled. I can now look forward to 2014, knowing that the same promise holds true for each and ever one of God's children. 

It is interesting to note that God commands His people to "be glad and rejoice" in their present moment and not after He had done "great things". No, He called them to be joyful even when they could see what the future held. They were also commanded not to fear. Joyfulness in the Lord is a confidence that He holds your future in His hands. And confidence in the Lord replaces fear.

Our confidence comes from knowing that we have a *present joy...

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. (1 Peter 1:3-8)

 and a *prospective joy...

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. 

Sometimes I forget that I probably don't just have Christian readers, though. Maybe some of you don't have that joyfulness, trust, and confidence in the Lord. True, not all believers demonstrate those traits consistently, but they have the means of receiving it. 

True joy will only come through the Lord Jesus Christ—He is the Creator of it, and only He can give it. You may see happiness in doing “good works” or accumulating fame and fortune, and, while those things are not always inherently wrong, they will not provide you with eternal life. One day you will die…or the Lord will return before that happens, and in that final day when He judges the earth, you will either both fear and dread Him or you will join the thousands who will praise His name forever. You can choose to believe God doesn’t exist or that your good works will outweigh your bad, but that doesn’t eliminate the fact that your life will be measured according to the righteous standards of God’s law.

There is no other name, person, religion, or method that will prevent you from eternal damnation. (Acts 4:12) Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Him. (John 14:6) Through the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross, He took your sins on Himself, and provided eternal life to those who confess their sins, turn from them, and believe in the Lord. You will die and you will be judged—where is your eternal destiny?

For those of us who have eternal confidence, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is faithful, and has promised that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Fear not—don’t give way to the devil’s temptations, disappointments, and doubts. May you enter 2014 with gladness and joyfulness, knowing that He who has done great things, will continue to throughout this next year and until the day of Jesus Christ.

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11)

May God go with you all.

Your sister in Christ,

Kaleigh

*Terms and quoted texts taken from my pastor's sermon.