Dear friends,

The tinsel is down and the tree has been hauled away, but the bitter cold of winter is still with us and many people are struggling with post-Christmas gloom. So much for wishing everyone a Happy New Year!  It’s the same story every year, as the anticipation of December gives way to the sharp reality that life is still much the same in January, so New Year resolutions rarely make it past the middle of the month. It’s just as well that the Bible has things to say about present realities and future hope, with promises which far outweigh anything we might otherwise turn to, in vain attempts to ‘do better this year’.

In the book of Proverbs, we read this advice: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). This means that we weary Christians, wondering what the coming year will bring, can trust that God has things in his control. It is far better to lean on him, in submission and faith, than it is to lean on our own very limited perspectives and wisdom. But we are offered here far more than just a therapeutic pat on the head, as God has promised us that when we fully acknowledge our need for him in every facet of our lives, he will give us a clear direction, so that we are no longer wandering aimlessly with only our fears for company.

Unfortunately, even straight roads have obstacles and we often let them get in our way. King David understood this, but still did not despair. He wrote in Psalm 37: The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though they may stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord upholds them with his hand. Let’s hold on tightly to God’s hand this year and keep walking along his straight paths, secure in the knowledge that he will not let us fall, even on the darkest and most dangerous stretches of the road.

With one final nod to Christmas, let’s end with a quote from the carol O Little Town of Bethlehem, remembering again the truth that God sent his son Jesus to save us: Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting light. The hopes and fears of all the years, are met in thee tonight.

With our love and prayers for 2025,
Matthew and Pauline