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January 7 | Isaiah 55:6-13


DAILY READING


REFLECTION

 

"NEW YEAR, NEW YOU"

By Katie Borden


So, how are you doing with your New Year’s resolution?


If you’re like me, you took until about January 3rd to actually make one, and then broke it by January… 5th.


In our society, we talk a lot about fresh starts this time of year. Resolutions, #NewYearNewMe and the like are plastered all over our social media pages. We are made to feel like the goals that were out of reach the other 364 days of the year are suddenly conquerable on January 1st, so we run after them with gusto. And, sadly, the expectations that we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year seldom align with the reality we are living by March 23rd.


Don’t get me wrong: I am a big proponent of taking stock of life and setting goals, and the turn of the calendar provides a natural time to do that. I just know that we are not always faithful to the promises that we make to ourselves or to anyone around us. As anyone that’s lived life with another person long enough can tell you: at some point we’ve all let someone down.


How different (and beautiful!) are these words of Scripture that point to the faithfulness of our God!


This passage in Isaiah reminds us of what we spent the greater part of Advent remembering: that God has made a promise to his people, and he has guaranteed that he will see it through. Verses 10 and 11 have long been a source of hope to me, even and especially when I feel like a failure in my own life: God’s word does not depend on my faithfulness, but on his own. And God’s word will never not accomplish what he has intended. His word that promises the restoration and salvation of his people is a guarantee.


And yet, the way he accomplishes his promise is not in any way we could ourselves imagine or conceive (see vv. 8-9). We just celebrated the unexpected nature of the birth of Christ, the Savior of the world–including you and me. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are just as unexpected to our limited human minds as the notion that the God of the universe would crawl into baby skin for our redemption. His ways are so much more confounding, so much more incomprehensible, and so much better than anything our limited human minds could ever dream. Thanks be to God!


So, lean into this season of hope. But not because of our own willpower or resolutions (which, by the way, you can still give your best shot!). Give thanks and praise that God is faithful to his promise, and look forward with hope to his fulfillment of salvation and life for all creation that he has promised.

 

PRAYER


In this season of “new,” spend some time thanking God for his enduring, never-changing faithfulness and for his promise that a new creation is coming.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR


KATIE BORDEN

I’m a lifelong member of UALC and have had the privilege of serving our community in both volunteer and staff roles over the years. I love learning, OSU football, good conversations, chocolate croissants, laughter, and sharing about the good news of Jesus in whatever capacity I can.



 
 
 

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