Matthew 2:19-23
“Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel.” vs. 21
According to Matthew’s gospel, after a brief sojourn in Egypt, Joseph takes his family to Nazareth in Galilee, a safe place where he could find work and provide for his wife and child. After life in Bethlehem this would be a new beginning with fresh opportunities. And that’s exactly what today represents to many of us! It’s the first day of a new year, a time for fresh resolve and an opportunity to get our messed up lives straightened out. Some will be making New Year’s Resolutions, a list of things we know we should be doing but that we haven’t gotten around to yet. We do this year after year, always with amazing optimism, in spite of what is for many a dismal track record. And sometimes we actually pull it off…at least for a short period of time. We stop watching so much television, start the needed diet and exercise program, begin the desired discipline…and we feel a sense of pride. But it’s so hard to sustain! Only occasionally does a person actually make permanent changes. But still we try! And every January 1st, we try again. It’s a good reminder of our constant need for repentance as God’s people. We need many fresh starts…and by God’s grace that’s exactly what we get. In Christ each day is a new beginning, a new opportunity to love and serve…even if we don’t ever lose a pound!
Thought for the Day: What am I resolving for this new year?
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