Hopeful For 2013 And Beyond

January 1, the start of the New Year. For some people,  New Year gives them a fresh start.  Kicking old habits away and starting a new one.

For others, it’s giving them a brand new hope, especially after going through tremendous crises in 2012 – maybe health-related, connected to finances or something about relationship.

While still others are hopeful that 2013 would continue to bode well for them after a very good or fruitful 2012 in business or career.

People in general have high hopes every time New Year comes along, perhaps, because of an opportunity to start fresh anew.

My wife and I were talking to a friend of ours who for nearly decades have yet to really meet her real parents. All she knew about herself was what people used to tell her that she was placed in a tiny little shoebox during infancy, hoping that some kind-hearted soul would pick her up and nurse her to life.

Indeed, a poor couple came to her rescue and reared her, though not perfectly she said. While she no longer had any hope of knowing who her true family is, one thing that put a tear in our hearts was what she said just before we ended Dec. 31 in prayer – “sana makilala na nila kuya (foster brother) si Lord, dahil di lang naman pera at ari-arian lang ang mas mahalaga”.

Amazing to hear that from someone who has suffered a lot – lost and even during some moments of her life, confused about her identity.

Yet, she said, that’s her prayer for her foster family because deep in her heart, she’s secured that while her life may not have gone the way she wished it would, she’s convinced that God has His own reasons and that God will never fail.

Psalm 136 (in the Contemporary English Version) describes God’s constant characteristic…

4 Only God works great miracles. God’s love never fails. ⁵ With wisdom he made the sky. God’s love never fails. ⁶ The Lord stretched the earth over the ocean. God’s love never fails. ⁷ He made the bright lights in the sky. God’s love never fails. ⁸ He lets the sun rule each day. God’s love never fails. ⁹ He lets the moon and the stars rule each night. God’s love never fails.

We can be hopeful for the New Year not because of what so-called experts would say about the future. But we can be hopeful because God’s word says, God’s love never fails.

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