Our future confidence: “all things new”

Ah, a new year is upon us. Which of course means the psuedo-obligatory New Year’s Resolutions. Some resolve to exercise more, eat less, or improve our behavior. Like the lady who vowed to be more cautious with her words & not put her foot in his mouth in 2022, then had the following conversation with a friend:

Friend: I bet you can’t guess my New Year’s Resolution.

Woman: To lose weight or to update your hairstyle?

Friend: (Staring) No. I’m going to learn to speak Spanish.

Woman: Oh.

As one ponders New Year’s pledges, it is easy to imagine resolutions for some of our favorite Biblical friends.

• Eve: I’m going to be an Android girl in 2022. No more Apple or Apple related products for me. (Tip: Always thoroughly read the terms & conditions.) (Eve’s experience in the Garden of Eden with the forbidden fruit probably tainted her view of the Blackberry phone, too.)

• Goliath: I think it’s time to give up the whole “war-monger” thing & follow my true passion & play basketball for the “Phighting Philistines” in the N.B.A. (Nineveh Basketball Association.) (Hook shots are probably preferable to sling shots. 1 Samuel 17)

• Joshua: After our victory at Jericho, I think we’ll form a permanent marching band with uniforms & color guard – the works. We’ll call it “The Pride of the Promised Land.” (Joshua 5:13-6:20)

• John the Baptist: Going to finally open my insect-themed restaurant – “The Best Grub(s) in the Galilee!” (John’s legendary diet could become trendy. Matthew 3:4)

• Samson: I’m going to follow Delilah’s advice & get rid of my comb-over this year. I think she’s right. I’ll look more hip with a man-bun. (Judges 16:17-19)

• John (The Disciple): After that dream of the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse, no more late-night pizza & John Wayne western movies for me. (Revelation 6:1-7)

• Noah: Not going to hear me gripe about the weather again. As the great prophet, B.J. Thomas, wrote, “Never gonna’ stop the rain by complainin’.” (After his Oceans of Fun experience, this seems apt – Genesis 6:9-7:24)

• Joseph of Arimathea: I’ve been such a packrat through the years, collecting cups from sporting events, mugs from church new member programs, & even chalices from Passover meals, it’s now time to downsize. Someone, somewhere, could really want this old stuff. (Considering his role in the legend of the Holy Grail, he’s probably right.)

• Jeremiah: Laugh more. More re-runs of “The Carol Burnett Show” & less “Old Yeller” for me in 2022. (Jeremiah, a.k.a. the Weeping Prophet, could probably stand a break from the tearjerker genre – Lamentations)

• King Solomon: Simplify my life. After I buy Henry David’s Thoreau’s Walden’s Pond for my Kindle, I’m going to quit surfing Amazon. (Simplicity was not Solomon’s strong suit – 1 Kings 10:14-29)

We’ve heard a lot of expert opinions the past 2 years that have turned out to not be so wise. Chatting with a group of friends last week, we concluded that we would probably have been better served just following our Grandmother’s advice from the get-go:

• Get outside & enjoy the fresh air

• Get in the sunshine (Experts have now concluded that vitamin D is helpful.)

• Too much TV is bad for you (Change to “screen-time” & even the experts have concluded that encouraging young people to spend even more time in front of screens has caused some issues.)

• Get out of the house & play with your friends (Physical distancing can be necessary, but social distancing has a lot of unintended consequences.)

• Don’t slouch (Well, some advice applies to any era.)

• Go to church

Our friend, John, in today’s passage would emphasize this last tip. Perhaps we should take the “expert advice” with a grain of salt &, instead, choose to place our trust in God. As John might say, “You’ve tried the rest, now try the Best.”

Maybe 2022 is the perfect year to quit looking solely to earthly sources to find our hope & peace. What if we really began to look to God as the basis for our joy, our hope, & our peace? We could start by spending time chatting with Him in prayer, then join a group to discuss His characteristics, & then start to determine exactly what He thinks of us. I would submit that after we discover the lengths that God will go to show His love for each & every one of us, 2022 might become a year of great possibility & amazing potential.