By Sandy Jones
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28 NIV
I remember as a young girl I was unable to even comprehend the 2020’s. My father was a fan of science fiction, and we all just knew that by the 2020’s cars would all fly, and we’d all have robots as staff in our homes.
Perhaps one too many episodes of The Jetsons.
And here we are – 2025.
Cars still drive on the ground, and these computers that were supposed to simplify our lives, seem to have only further complicated them, by allowing us to multitask, and work so much faster, that we can continue to just take on more and more. I recently heard of a restaurant in Oregon that has robots as wait staff, but outside of that and my robo-vac, I don’t know anyone who has a maid named Rosie either.
You know what else is the same?
God.
God remains the same steadfast Creator and Heavenly Father that He’s always been.
Jesus, His son, remains just as full of grace and mercy as He showed the thief on the cross that day all those centuries ago; and He’s still the Great Intercessor between us and God. (See John 1:1)
And the Holy Spirit is still here, guiding us day in and day out…. If I’d only learn to listen more closely to His leadings.
Yes, the Trinity is still the same today.
No matter how much things change, I find peace in knowing that these things, the really important things, continue to be the same.
On November 13, 2023 our lives changed forever. That’s the day we found out my husband, Steve, has cancer. The next 10 days were an absolute whirlwind of activity, as seemingly bad news only got worse.
As in other really bad times in life I found myself clinging to Romans 8:28 – where we are promised And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…
You might ask why. Why cling to this one verse? Because in the past decade, since He literally spoke it into my mind, He’s given me a front row seat to watch miracle after miracle happen.
Is His answer always “yes”? Or do things always turn out the way I want them to? No to both, but what has been true, is that He has carried me through those times, and often when I thought I knew what was best for me, as a great Father, He truly knew what was best for me, and what I really needed.
Is it easy? Nope. Sometimes not even a bit, but that’s when I turn to my other life verse:
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. – Phil. 4:13 NKJV
All things. Not some. Not a few, but ALL.
Some people have a word for the year each year. I marvel at that. At how deep they look into themselves and the intentional steps towards growth they take to improve in that area.
I have not ever found one word for myself. I’ve tried, honest I have. Instead I find that year after year I place my hope in the New Year in these two verses; and I’m good with that. They’ve never failed me. I’ve continued to grow, personally, professionally and, most importantly, spiritually.
This New Year is no different than any other for me – my prayerful goal is to grow closer to The Lord; to go deeper in my prayer life; and to hear, even more clearly, the call He’s placed on my life, and to joyfully answer that call.
Happy New Year my friend – may we do all we can to bring glory and honor to Him.
Until next time…
God Bless!
You know what else is the same? The fine folks who support us by advertising with us – they still need us to return the favor and support them, so please frequent our advertisers and thank them for supporting the ministry of Christian Living Magazine.
Copyright © 2020 Christian Living Magazine All Rights Reserved.
