Many of us have experienced a New Year’s Eve celebration. And most of us have tried to sing the old tune Auld Lang Syne. Emphasis on “tried”. (You can sing along with Pentatonix’s lyric video here!) We usually just push through mumbling words without knowing what we are singing.
Auld Lang Syne is an old Scottish poem set to music in the 18th century. No wonder most people have no clue what the words mean. The direct translation is “old long since; old times, especially fondly remembered; or old or long friendship” (Dictionary.com). The song is about looking back at the times that have gone by, to be thankful for the experiences and friendships that we have.
As 2022 begins, I find myself looking back at the past year, past 2 years, and even 5+ years. As I have looked at “old times” one thing has stuck out in my memory: the ongoing and unending faithfulness of God. I think many people have experienced difficulties in the past few years, and it can be exhausting going through long seasons of life with unanswered questions. As we look backward it is easy for difficult and stressful times to feel exaggerated. But we need to remember that even through the hard times God is faithful. As our faith grows, so does our hope. Paul wrote to the church in Rome and told them that their faith would build character and hope.
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." Romans 5:1-5
It can be difficult to read this verse. It can feel that hope is lost, and prayers you’ve been praying have fallen short of God’s ear. You can start feeling weary of maintaining the faith that God will come through again. We must remember that it is not in God’s nature to leave us or to forget us. As the Lord told Moses, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest” Exodus 33:14. I truly believe that God’s presence will go before us and give us rest. It’s not easy to believe all the time, but that is why faith is so important.
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1
We can’t have faith looking forward if we forget the faithfulness of God behind us. We are the ones that are confined to a moment of time; God is not. He knows all, sees all, and he knows the pains and the joys of life. He is not surprised by world events, and he is not overpowered by anything. You can have hope coming into a new year that God has not forgotten you. He sees you, he hears you, and he has plans for you. On a practical note, I encourage you to look back at the past year and write down the memories of God’s faithfulness. This will give you hope to the year ahead of you. Ask God’s Spirit to go before you, follow his leading and his voice. I promise you that he won’t lead you astray.
Tags: faith; looking back; faithfulness; hardship; romans 5
