Main Verse: Isaiah 41:8-16

Good morning and Happy New Year!

            “If you do not like something, change it. If you cannot change it, change your attitude” (Leo Tolstoy). January 1^st is the beginning of the New Year and a time for a fresh start. Unfortunately, change is not easy for humanity because it means leaving things behind us and adopting innovative ideas and norms; of course, change is easy when someone else needs to change but when we must change, we put our feet in the dirt. Consider the Sanhedrin who out of fear executed Jesus at the hands of the Romans; what the Sanhedrin feared the most was, “loosing their jobs” and becoming irrelevant (John 11:47-53).

Today in America we are witnessing the first signs of trouble and the trouble is dividing the nation just like Israel a millennium ago. Humanity’s worst foe is not so much the Devil but “Fear” (Proverbs 29:25). The Lord admonishes us to always trust Him even when life is not at its best (Proverbs 3:5-6). We have no more power to make people change their ways than we must change the earth’s orbit; God gave us the authority to change ourselves (Romans 12:1-8, Matthew 19:21). I highly encourage you today, considering God’s word to remain calm always and make no rash decisions that you will later regret (Isaiah 41:8-16).

I.H.S.

MK