December 1
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
2022 has been an interesting year. After we went through 2020, we all hoped that things would be back to normal by now. Unfortunately, we have figured out that things are not going back to the way they were before the pandemic. Things are just different. Children have returned to school, but we are now seeing the detrimental effects that they experienced from not being in the classroom for over a year. Churches are meeting again, but some people have still not returned. Those who went to church out of habit have gotten out of the habit and just haven’t gone back. We just got through the midterm elections and the results show that our country is as divided and contentious as ever. The news brings scenes of the war in Ukraine, threats of nuclear war from Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran, warnings of oil shortages that will leave most of Europe without heat for the winter, and fears of economic recession or possibly depression. We hear rumors about supply chain breakdowns and when we go to the grocery store, we are greeted with empty shelves and rising prices for everything from meat to milk and eggs. We are not as scared of Covid now because we are more knowledgeable about its cause and treatment. But in the back of our minds, we are all a little bit worried about the possibility of another pandemic. Families and friend circles are as divided as ever. Emotions are high and we are all a nervous about dealing with family drama over the holidays and saddened by the empty seats at the dinner table of those we have lost in the last couple of years.
We all seem to be on pins and needles waiting for the next shoe to drop. When the lockdowns came in 2020, we had no idea what to expect or how long they would last. At first, it was kind of nice to have extra time with our families and to catch up on things, but then it went on and on and we just wanted things to return to normal. Now we know what to expect and we do not want to do it again. I don’t know what 2023 holds in store for us. The economy is likely to get worse. There will be wars in the world that may reach our shores. There are going to be shortages that will affect us. It would be easy to have anxiety and fear about the future, but that is not necessary. The Creator and Lord of the universe is our God. He loves us and He promises to take care of us. We do not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future. We are safe in His hands. We can enter 2023 confidently and securely because Jesus goes before us and will be with us every step of the way. He will prepare us for whatever we will face, and He will never leave us or forsake us. Please read the two verses above and meditate on the promises in them. As we go through this advent season, let’s keep our eyes focused on the One we are celebrating and not on the problems in the world around us, and trust Him to meet our needs.
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