New Beginnings
By Dr. Richard D. Dobbins
God uses nature to teach us some valuable lessons about life. He made our planet to spin on its axis so that we spend part of the time in the light of the sun and part of the time in darkness (Genesis 1:14-19). This cycle of light and darkness is called a day. The rising and setting of the sun mark every day. He also made our planet to rotate around the sun. It takes earth 365 1/4 days to complete one trip around the sun. This we call a year.

These natural divisions of time are God’s way of reminding us of what life is all about-beginnings and endings. The days and years come and go. Nothing lasts forever! This is true of our joys and our sorrows.
If the beginning of this year finds you at a high point in your life, don’t take it for granted. Realize the blessings God is pouring into your life right now won’t last forever. Thank Him for them! Celebrate them!

On the other hand, you may be going through some of the most painful moments our life. Although it seems this night in your life will never end . . . it too shall pass! In the meantime, remember that pain is a part of death, but it is also a part of birth. Pain may bring some things to an end, but it also can give birth to new and wonderful chapters in your life.

The beginning of the year also reminds us of the seasons of life. God promised Noah that, “As long as the earth remains, there will be springtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, day and night” (Genesis 822, TLB).

God’s matchless grace can help us begin wherever we arc in any season of life–to make the rest of life all that He knows it can be in Christ. Whether we are still young enough to be preparing the soil of life for planting seeds . . . or in the daily tilling of midlife . . . or almost beyond even our harvest years, He can help us make this year a wonderful, fulfilling time of life.

Regardless of your age, your future can be different from and better than your past.