Jeremiah 32:17 (NLT)
17 “O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!

Job 1:21 (NLT)
21 He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave.
The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NLT)
6 So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 7 Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

As we approach a new year, our family is hoping for something better than 2016 or 2017 which had to much suffering, death, illness, uncertainty, change in our family. Yet, who knows? Looking outside our family, there’s certainly no reason to be excited. An imperialistic modern day Czar and an imperialistic mercantile dynasty rule powerful and bellicose nations that do not have the foundation of Christ that the west has. They are expanding their hegemony aggressively for economic conquest not of their immediate nations, but all nations. We have madmen at the helm of nuclear nation (or two depending on if you’re Red or Blue). We have the left trying to drown out free speech in the name of free speech. Ideas are shouted down instead of discussed. Christ is run from the public square because people find the word Jesus offensive. Freedom from state religion has been transformed into a state supported religion of atheism. Doesn’t look too good.

Yet…

I came with nothing and will leave with nothing. All I have is what God has given me, and he’ll take that away when he wants to, or if he feels he needs to. What more do I need? My family that’s left is amazing, loving, supportive, beautiful, joyous. Yes, there’s pain and not everything is perfect, but we’re growing. Life is really good. We’re warm. We’re fed. We’re safe. We have each other and we have our friends. We are cared for as we care for others. Life is good.

There is plenty to worry about, but nothing God won’t handle. I give my worries to God and have full confidence in His ability to solve them properly. What do I have to worry about if my end game is eternity? What do we have to worry about if our end game is eternity? I’ll be His vessel here, do the next right thing, see how long this life lasts and enjoys its richness knowing it’s only a shadow of what’s to come. We’ll be his vessel…. It works.

Proverbs 20:3 (NLT)
3 Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.

As we approach the coming new year and beyond, may we strive for reconciliation (not tolerance) and peace in all we do.

Mark 4:40 (NLT)
40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”