2023 12 31

Good morning.

After a long winter, apple blossoms emerge in splendor, signaling the arrival of spring and new life.

God’s grace, like the apple blossom, brings beautiful new beginnings through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8). The gift of salvation is a gentle reminder that our past doesn’t define our future. The Lord, in His infinite wisdom and love, invites us to release yesterday’s burdens and embrace the promise of tomorrow.

As we stand on the threshold of a new year, 2024, we can look back on the past year and declare, like Samuel did, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”  (1 Samuel 7:12)

The prophet Isaiah reminds us that just as the apple blossom signals new life, God is continually working to bring new vitality and purpose into our life. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." (Isaiah 43:18‭-‬19)

As we enter 2024, a season of newness, God’s grace urges us to look ahead for what is to come. He never changes. He’s always doing a new thing. God can bring renewal and hope to our life, creating paths in places where we may have felt lost or abandoned.

As Paul puts it: "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."  (Philippians 3:12)

Blessings.

Mike and Daphne