If we thank God for waking us up to a new day, how much more can we thank God every time we enter the threshold of another New Year with much anticipation that our life in Christ will get better and better each day being assured that we are special and important to Him. But banking and relying on this fact only can surely make man live in a world of fantasy filled with all myths that can eventually destroy him or her if he or she discredits the Apostle Paul’s warning in 1Cor. 10:12 which says, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!”
The Apostle Peter while enjoying those days being with our Good Lord Jesus watching Him doing miracles after miracles, he said to Him, “‘. . . Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.’ And all the others said the same” (Mark 14:31). Same with Doubting Thomas he said, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him [Jesus]” (John 11:16b). But when Jesus Christ was arrested, “Then everyone deserted Him” (Mark 14:51). Our Good Lord Himself did warn them in Luke 22:31-32, “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Praise God for He proved it to us by restoring them back to Him even after they fell for indeed no one and nothing can separate us from God’s everlasting love (Romans 8:39). Jeremiah quoted what God has promised in his book 15:19 saying, “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve Me.” And the Psalmist assured us of God’s trustworthiness with what was written in Psalm 37:23-24, “If the Lord delights in a man’s way, He makes His steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”
1Corinthians 10:12 and Luke 22:31-32 are just a loving reminder from our God in heaven to stay close to Him from day one to the end of time. Like what the Psalmist says in Psalm 27:5, its our comfort as well to overcome every hurdle in the race of life; “For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.” It’s our Redeemer’s great promise to us which is my prayer for you this year 2018 that we can always claim in our temporal and difficult journey in John 15:7-8, “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples.”
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me’” (Jeremiah 9:23-24a).