Remembering the unchanging God in a New Year
It’s a new year! The perfect time to reorganise and reprioritise. A time to dust off the side-lined goals of last year and to recommit them to the Lord. I entered 2024 thoughtfully. Enjoyed a wholesome dinner at a homey pub in Leytonstone with our young family of four. Then, it was tucking our kids to bed, saying bye to my husband as he headed to the crossover service, and watching the service from home, journal in hand with a hot cup of camomile (my favourite).
I really cherished the peaceful evening entering the new year because as I thought of all we would have to get through, I was filled with a mixture of anxiety and excitement. 2024 is going to be a big and busy year for us. With many impending life moments to get through; our daughter’s 1st birthday, my return to work, our son’s formal start to home-schooling, turning 30, and the growth of our recent business venture, I felt surrounded by a myriad of unknowns and changes I wasn’t sure I was quite ready for.
As I listened to the sermon, I was reminded that no matter what will happen this year, I will still be on a journey through this world, until I reach the destination of arriving in glory with God.
The importance of prioritising spiritual disciplines
The New Years Eve sermon was on Exodus 15:22-27, rightly titled “The Bitter is Sweet.” In this passage, the children of Israel find themselves free from Egypt and are journeying to meet with God. They start heading to the promised land that God has prepared for them, but first they must go through the wilderness according to God’s plan. A journey that is symbolic of the pilgrimage journey of the Christian in this present world. God doesn’t want us to perish here. He wants us to make it to Him, to glory.
In busy and difficult seasons, we need to have more time with God. As Christians, we are supposed to long for God, to fix our eyes on Him. The only way we don’t perish is by emptying the worries of our hearts to Him. Our end goal is to be with God, so in the midst of all our goal setting, we must remember to prioritise our spiritual walk. Spiritual habits and disciplines such as prayer, reading the word, fellowship with other believers are crucial to our growth and wellbeing as believers.
Life can be hard, but God can be trusted
As a Christian, I know that bitterness can be a part of God’s will for our lives, and God doesn’t want our response to be one of grumbling, but of trust in Him. I have found such beauty in journaling for this very reason. To remind myself of the unchanging faithfulness of God at points in my life I found life terribly bitter. I sometimes line all my old journals up and flick through random entries. From old pages lined with cries for help, to future pages full of contentment and praise. This year, I’ll be journalling in my Christian journal, which is specifically designed to help build positivity and elevate faith.
A resolution for spiritual growth in 2024
As you embark on your own journey through the New Year, I encourage you to take a moment to consider your spiritual walk. What disciplines will you prioritise to navigate the wilderness of life? What moments of bitterness can you allow God to transform into opportunities for trust and growth? I pray that this year is a testament to God's faithfulness in our lives. Here’s to a year of purpose, growth, and the realisation that, no matter the challenges, we are journeying towards glory.
Blog by Zainab: Zainab attends Hackney Evangelical Reformed Church. She is a contributor to Daughters & Heirs. Zainab lives in London with her husband and two children. Find out more about our writers here.