Are you starting the New Year with hope and optimism? Or is your heart filled with dread as you dwell on all the problems facing the world? Beginning this month, I want to turn our attention to biblical truths that will enable us to face the future without fear as we center our lives in God. Remembering who we are and to whom we belong will make all the difference.  

When I was a kid (way-y-y back in the 50s) the biggest fear facing our nation was the Cold War. Having seen the devastating effects of a nuclear blast in Japan at the end of WWII, we worried we might be next … if things didn’t go well with our arch enemy, Russia, who also had nuclear weapons. In grade school I remember huddling under my desk or lying face-down on the hallway floor, arms covering my head, during our periodic drills. The “preparations” for an attack were ludicrous, but everyone felt we had to do something. Today, kids in the West have to prepare for many different kinds of threats … school shootings, terrorist attacks, sexual predators, cyber bullying, as well as a worldwide pandemic!   

Amid these potential dangers (and so many others) it’s important to recall and rely on the unshakable truths of Scripture. They will keep our hearts anchored even in the most violent storm. Remember Jesus’ promise to His disciples in John 16:33? “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Here’s why He wanted them to know this truth: “I have told you these things, so that in me you might have peace.”

The truth I want to remind you of this month is found in Psalm 103, which contains a treasure trove of revelations about our glorious God: He saves us, heals us, satisfies us with good things, and renews us by His power and strength. He’s gracious and compassionate. He’s slow to anger. He does not treat us as we deserve. And … here’s what I want us to focus on in this devotional:

“As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, HE REMEMBERS that we are dust.”

If you’re a parent (or you’ve been fortunate enough to have a loving parent) this verse should resonate deeply. We love our kids because of who they are, not how they behave. Since we’re responsible for bringing them into the world, we’re committed to their welfare. We cheerfully provide what they need, no matter how tired or frustrated we might feel. We’re thrilled when they make good decisions, and we lament when they choose the wrong path. We set high goals for our children, and we do everything we can to help them reach them.

In spite of our best intentions, this kind of parental love is never displayed perfectly or consistently in human families, but in the Perfect One we see the love of 1 Corinthians 13 perfectly fulfilled and continually expressed: “Love is patient, love is kind … It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails.”     

The Lord never forgets that He formed us from the earth by His own hands. In all His dealings with us He’s compassionate and merciful, quick to forgive and restore us the moment we confess and repent. We can relax in His presence because He doesn’t just “put up” with us. He enjoys and delights in us simply because we belong to Him. As one prophet revealed to the wayward Israelites, “The Lord your God is with you. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:17).

So what does this truth mean in our daily lives? It means we can approach Him without any sense of condemnation. We can be honest and open with Him. We can rely on His help, His comfort, His companionship. Since He made His dwelling among us in the life of the Lord Jesus, our God is fully aware of the temptations, weaknesses, and other struggles we battle every day. He knows we’re subject to changing moods, whims, and appetites. We’re not always consistent in our devotion to Him. We want to do what’s right, what pleases Him, but often (as Paul wrote in Romans 7) we end up doing evil instead.

Like kids in any family, from time to time we’ll have to be bailed out from bad decisions and reckless behavior. How wonderful to know we can rely on our heavenly Father to rescue us! Sometimes our pride will interfere, making us reluctant to seek out His help. Often we’ll try to handle the crisis in our own strength. But if we will humble ourselves and pray, He will hear our cry and respond in love. This is who He is! 

As new creatures in Christ, we have a high and holy calling upon our lives. God doesn’t want us to use our flesh as an excuse to indulge in sinful behavior or to ignore our spiritual responsibilities. After all, we are His ambassadors in the world! Like any good parent, He patiently trains us in how we should live. He instructs us through His Word and Spirit, all the while trusting that as we grow up in Christ, we will be changed into His likeness. It won’t be a quick or easy transformation, but He will pick us up every time we fall and encourage us to try again. He’s committed to helping us reach our goal.

He wants us to remember we are His dearly loved children. We’re welcomed in, warts and all. “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned. For I am the Lord your God, your Savior. You are precious and honored in my sight” (Isaiah 43:1-4).

In Henri Nouwen’s devotional entitled You Are the Beloved he contrasts living a life of worry with living at home in God. “One of the most notable characteristics of worrying is that it fragments our lives. The many things to do, think about, plan for, the many people to remember to visit, or talk with, the many causes to attack or defend, all these pull us apart and make us lose our center. Worrying causes us to be ‘all over the place’ but seldom at home. One way to express the spiritual crisis of our time is to say that most of us have an address but cannot be found there.”

Will we find our home with our Father in this coming year? Can we rest in His promises and trust that He will be sufficient for every challenge we face? Will we live in the knowledge that He knows our frame and loves us still? If we can say yes to these questions we will enjoy the best year ever, no matter what happens in the world!