Motivation Monday - Moving Forward with Hope

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” --Joshua 1:9

Am I the only one willing to admit that yes, my Christmas tree is still up, halfway through January of this new year?

I still love to see its lit branches at night and reflect on the year that was, both the joys and the challenges. Part of me wants to hang on to the old, willing it not to change, because I doubt whether I have what it takes to embark on a new year with all the plans and unexpected turns in the journey that it will bring.

I wonder if you feel this tension too? The gravitational pull of the old compels you to keep things status quo, and causes you to wonder if you have the emotional, spiritual, physical or mental capacity to deal with another year of a world turned upside down.

As we look back, we see that God was in the fabric of every day of the year behind us, weaving his perfect purpose among the threads of our perfectly imperfect lives.

God is also in the new - in the endless holy, prophetic, imaginative possibilities of the future.

Even though the speed and certainty of the passage of time

is out of our control,

celebrating the possibilities of a new year

is something we can choose to do

with hope and expectancy.

I find the door of my life is swinging on a hinge that can hold both disappointment and hope. It is my choice what I choose to believe.

Every step forward can be a new opportunity for hope,

not defined or limited by the disappointments of the past.

The only way to leave the past behind is to believe that a new year brings the opportunity of new possibilities and a fresh start. It must have been the same way for the Israelites when they stood with Joshua looking forward to a new era ahead of them. They had wandered for 40 years in the desert, and finally they could see land flowing with milk and honey ahead. Better yet, they had God's promise that He would never leave or forsake them.

As you stand with your back to the old year and look forward to the new one, you can have hope in the promises of God. You will certainly face both trying and joyful times ahead, but you can rest assured that He "will never leave you nor forsake you" (Joshua 1:5). That promise is enough to be hopeful about the new year ahead and perhaps get that Christmas tree down to make room for fresh celebrations.

I believe in you.  God bless.

Cathie