It's a New Year?

Happy 2021!

The Higham's rolled into the new year in a quiet way. We were continuing with our Harry Potter movie marathon, and ended up watching one of the movies right through the big moment. That's right, no ball drop, no countdown, no fireworks. Harry Potter movie, right through into the new year. But that was fine by us. 

Now here we are, a little over a week later, the tree is down, the ornaments and decorations are put away. The Christmas lights have been wrapped up and stored away, and the swag and garland is in the burn pile waiting to be burned up. Christmas is officially over and a new year is here.

Our hope rests on what God has already done, what he is doing,
​and what he has promised still to do. 

I'll be honest, the house is a little sad minus the colors, lights, and festivity of Christmas. We're kinda looking forward to Christmas 2021.

But this post isn't about Christmas, it's about the new year. And while I'd love to say it's  about our hopes, our goals and ambitions, our wants and dreams for us and our family; it's not. We're not there just yet. Amy and I are planning a date night where we will talk about our goals for 2021. After that meeting, we might share some of our plans for 2021. But, this post, this post is about hope.

You see, we believe that there is a hope that can fill our lives with joy, even in the midst of difficulty and struggle. I think it's this hope that allowed last year, to be a great year, despite all that happened in 2020. Amy and I have both shared in different blog posts about 2020, and why for us, it was so good. If you haven't read them, take a minute to read them here; Amy Shares Some Thoughts on 2020 and A Week of Thankfulness.

​Even now as we step into 2021, our hope doesn't rest in what we see in the media, or what flashes across our social platforms. Our hope is found in the One who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. 

Over the last couple of days we have been reminding ourselves, over and over, the truths of Scripture and what we know of God and his sovereign rule. And just the other night, while reading the book, The Explicit Gospel, by Matt Chandler with Jared Wilson, I was reminded of this. Matt writes, "God is aware of every event that has ever occurred and will ever occur, and he knows completely how each event affects other events that create still more events that roll into other events and so on and on forth ad infinitum." (The Explicit Gospel, Matt Chandler with Jared Wilson, page 26-27.)

What a statement! There is nothing, NOTHING, that escapes God. He knows it all. Everything. Yes, everything. 

Think about it. If that statement is true, and we believe it is based on what we know of scripture, then think about the implication. If God knows all, everything that was, everything that is, and everything that will be, than there is an assurance, a hope, that rests in the truth all that we see and hear is known to him. And because his promise to us is a future hope, when all things are made right, then it makes sense to rest in this truth.

So what do I mean by rest? Rest is to know that God is still in control. It doesn't mean that we don't care, or that we are not interested, or even that we're not concerned by what we see and hear. We are, and we should be. But our hope doesn't rest on what we  or others do. Our hope rests on what God has already done, what he is doing, and what he has promised still to do. 

Who knows what 2021 will hold for us. I don't. The media doesn't. But God does. God knows. And because he knows, I'm able to step into the unknown knowing where I can place my hope.

We are little more than a week in to the new year, and already major headlines are breaking with disturbing reports of what's happening in our country. And I have a feeling that as time moves on, it's only going to get worse before it gets better. Regardless of where you stand on what's dividing us, who we are should be what truly defines us. I am a child of the One True God. I am heir to the kingdom, a citizen of heaven, bound through the blood of Jesus Christ. My beliefs and actions should be a result of who I am.

Who knows what 2021 will hold for us. I don't. The media doesn't. But God does. God knows. And because he knows, I'm able to step into the unknown knowing where I can place my hope.

2021. Will it be happy? I think it can be. If we set our eyes on Jesus, we will find the rest, and the hope that rests in the One who is always the same.

Can we encourage you, maybe even challenge you, despite what we see and hear, can we remind ourselves to look not towards the media for our truth, but that we would instead seek the source of eternal truth and rest in the Hope we find in Jesus.

​- jay

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