New Year, New Hope

 By: Grace Metzger

The God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while.
1 Peter 5:10

It's a new year, New Year’s day has come and gone. New Years never really meant anything to me, all it meant was that I was going to be writing a different year on paperwork. But lately I've been looking at it through a different approach. I've started looking at it as new opportunities. New opportunities to show others God's love, new opportunities to see His blessing, and new opportunities to get closer with God.

Do not remember the past events; pay no attention to things of old. Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it?
Isaiah 43:18-19

I get to leave everything that happen this year in the past. All the struggle, pain, and guilt is behind me. It's a brand new year. God has called me to no longer dwell on these things. This is something we should be remembering everyday, we should always be remembering that God is bringing new opportunities and we need to leave the past in the past. But New Years is a great reminder that we are not stuck in the same life, there is hope coming! 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11

God has been reminding us all this time that His plans for us are good. So don't be discouraged if you had a bad year, don't allow that to come between you and God. Because there will be good coming; for it's in God's plans for us to prosper. Maybe you didn't get the job that you were so hoping for, maybe you haven't gotten pregnant after trying for months, maybe you lost a loved one. Whatever happened, know that God is there for us; He is our hope, He is our future. So stand strong! Remember that no matter what is happening in your life, your God is bigger and this is a new year. 

Discussion Questions:

1.) Do you have any fun New Year Eve traditions?

2.) What are your goals for the New Years?