In With The New

To say that 2020 has been a challenging year would be an understatement. It has been dubbed “the year of change, the year that stood still, even the year that never was. For me, 2020 has been a year of rebuilding, renewing and awakening. A reboot, if you will. Back in March when the world came to a stand still, I began a journey to get back to the relationship with God that I had lost somewhere along this road called life. And for me it took this world stoppage to get me back on the right path. I have gone through the same emotional roller coaster that everyone else has experienced. But the only thing that has gotten me through this year is God’s word! I have listened to more teaching this year than I have ever listened to in my life! Seriously:  my dad’s a minister, my husband is a minister, and we have been in ministry for decades; and I have never devoted this much time to God’s word. This is my public confession and my humble apology to my Heavenly Father.

Several times in the last two months I have heard people say, “I can’t wait for this year to end” or “Next year has to be better than this year.” This begs the question… will it be better?? Will 2021 be better than 2020?? Simple answer: I don’t know. We so often ask questions that really can not be answered with a simple yes or no. How often has your child asked you a question that you honestly didn’t have an answer to? But you being the adult, you try to give them some technical answer to make yourself look smart or just to get them to be quiet. Many today would answer them by saying, “Google it!” Well unfortunately, we can’t just Google the answer. But I can tell you this, what you put into the new year is what you will get out of it!  Mark 13:33 says, “Take heed, watch and pray: for you know not when the time is.” We do not know what tomorrow will bring, but God will carry us through.

When my daddy first got saved, when I was little, he would always say, “I know, that I know, that I know!” People would ask him what he knew. He would respond that he didn’t know: but he knows, that he knows, that he knows. It took him some time but he finally figured out that the God in him was bigger than the god of this world. That he could do all things through Christ that strenghtens him (Phil 4:13.). 1 John 5:13 says, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and you may believe on the name of the Son of God.” This is where we all should look for refuge. God is our healer, God is our provider, God is our all.

As we turn the calendar to a new year, we all have a responsiility to do our part to make this world a better place. We are the body of Christ. First half of GOD is GO, the second half (in reverse) is DO. As the body of Christ we are to GO into all the world (Mark 16:15) and DO great works(John 14:12.) We can’t go and do if we are stuck within the walls of a building. In 2021, I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone, reach beyond your four walls and touch the world with what God has given you. We all have a voice. We all have a ministry. We all have a calling from God to touch the world for His glory.

Happy New Year,

Susan Stricklin