Can it possibly be December 2018?

It seems like a year or two ago we were all gearing up for a new decade, and even a new century.

Suddenly, we are going into the last year of that new decade. Will the 20s roar? I guess we will find out in about 13 months.

First things first, let’s surrender our new year to Jehovah, the God who created all that we know.

2019 will become what we, with God’s help, will make it.

It seems the year 2018 was a, “I’m going to hold on with all the strength I have,” kind of year for many people.

The truth is “holding on” is a good thing, may be even a great thing.

The tenacity we exhibit throughout our lives is one of the things that determines victory or defeat.

God has not promised faith is an easy thing to keep or victory is an easy thing to accomplish.

He does give us a great promise connected to some real life truth in Hebrews 13:5, “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

Conversation is “mode, style, deportment and character.” It’s how you make adjustments when the winds are blowing against you. Some give up, some give in, some bare down and push into the winds until they have passed.

In the New King James version, Hebrews 10:38-39 says, “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.

“But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”

And the Bible in Basic English version says, “But the upright man will be living by his faith; and if he goes back, my soul will have no pleasure in him.

“But we are not of those who go back to destruction; but of those who have faith even to the salvation of the soul”

The emphasis of these two verses, in whichever version that is speaking to you is this:

It is the just man, the upright man, that while he is living by faith, problems come, life happens and the contrary winds are in his face.

The victory is not in having no contrary winds. The victory is in the “not going back.”

Here we have it: Behind us is destruction and ahead of us is the faith journey.  Which shall we choose?

The victory rests in a single word, found in Zechariah 9:12, “Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even today do I declare that I will render double unto thee;”

Yes, ye prisoners, not of wealth, wine and women, but that rare kind of person, who has seized onto the eternal weight of glory. Those prisoners of hope. I will render double unto thee.

Tom Hall is senior pastor of Church of the Living God.