Christmas has come and gone along with the family visits and delicious food most of us take for granted. This year, for Dwayne and me, our family reunion was extra special because it included a daughter who hasn’t been with us in years. Our visit was very sweet, rebuilding family relationships and overflowing my heart with joy.
But also, during this time, I was mindful of those who were hurting. Two close friends of ours lost loved ones in 2022—one a spouse, the other, a father. Another girlfriend of mine, who lost her dad, declined to join us for the day, preferring to stay home alone and remember him. How quickly we can lose our happiness. I’ve heard it said that love and grief are the same sentiment; we call it grief when it continues after the death of a loved one and it is often accompanied by regret, remorse, and guilt. An older man we know has been trapped in this cycle since he lost his wife a dozen years ago. He stayed with us for a few days recently. He hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in many months, being plagued with nightmares. He was worn out. We could feel the tension build in him as the clock moved toward bedtime. Wanting to help him sleep, I grabbed a Bible and Dwayne and I read John chapter 1 to him and prayed with him afterwards. We sent him to bed with the Bible, bookmarked to John, chapter 2, encouraging him to read if the darkness moved into his mind. In the morning, he stood in the kitchen clutching the Bible and made his announcement with a wide smile. He’d slept all night, all the way through! He’d found that the light of God’s Word truly is stronger than the darkness. He was overjoyed. Later that day, we bought him a Bible of his own so he could continue growing in the light of God’s Word!
God can deliver us from those gripping cycles of dark oppression. Romans 8:1-4 says, “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” But we can get tangled in a horrible web of anxiety. In Philippians 4:6, the Bible speaks to us about this: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” He will guard our hearts and minds! His ability to do this transcends all understanding! Daytime or night, God is guarding us. But we must do our part; we must talk to Him in prayer and ask Him for help. As we trust Him more and more, His peace grows stronger in us.
So here we are in the second week of January, moving into the new year. Whatever God has for us, let’s trust Him. Let’s run to Him when times are hard, circumstances seem overwhelming, or tragedy strikes. He alone is our source of peace and strength. This year and every year, God is for us. Romans 8:38-39 assures us of this truth:
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Happy New Year, dear friends, from Dwayne and I. May it be filled with blessing and the peace of God.