Hebrew Highlights 83 – Next Year

Shalom, this is Yuval Shomron, coming to you from Jerusalem.

I thought today would be a good day to share a few bits of wisdom from the Bible about days ahead. Many of us make New Year’s resolutions, hoping to rid ourselves of bad habits, or to in some way improve our lot in life.

ECC 7:10, “Do not say, "Why is it that the former days were better than these?" For it is not from wisdom that you ask about this.” Many of us fall into the trap of longing for the “good old days”. According to this verse, that is not wise to do. Perhaps instead, we should be looking forward God’s grace each day, as we see in LAM 3:22-23. “The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Thy faithfulness.”

On the other hand, we should not use this as an excuse to keep sinning, as we in ISA 56:12, "Come," they say, "let us get wine, and let us drink heavily of strong drink; And tomorrow will be like today, only more so." Lest we be complacent, we must remember, a day of judgment will eventually arrive.

And what about those good deeds we’ve been putting off? PRO 3:27-28 says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in your power to do it. Do not say to your neighbor, "Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it," When you have it with you.”

We might also want to reflect on our commission, as remembered in 2TI 4:2, “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

How valid are our New Year’s resolutions? Let’s look at JAM 4:13-15, “Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit." Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and also do this or that."

Let’s pray that we will see ourselves growing in our relationship with God. This is undoubtedly His will.

At the end of every Jewish Passover meal in the Diaspora, the

participants say together, “Next Year in Jerusalem.” Since I am recording this appropriately on December 31^st, my prayer for you is that during this coming year, you will fulfill your dream of visiting us here in Israel. God willing, I’ll see you soon!

Shalom, Shalom from Jerusalem.