“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” – Psalm 118:24

As we close out the last week of 2016, I have heard a lot of talk about how bad the year has been with the loss of many favorite celebrities, a depressed economy, and incredibly divisive politics. However, I would argue that 2016 was ripe with opportunities; opportunities to know God more intimately, to experience His grace and love, and to grow into the child He desires you to be. Many of us have heard or maybe even quoted Psalm 118:24. What holds true for each day holds true for each year, and verses 21-23 of Psalm 118 tell us exactly why this is true: “I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” This passage is a well-known prophecy speaking about the coming of Christ. Because of what Jesus has done for us on the Cross and through His resurrection, we can be confident that every day and every year is a gift from God. Circumstances should never determine our joy or peace, because we know that God is working in all of it, whether “good” or “bad” in the world’s eyes, to bring us closer to Him. So rejoice in the close of a year of walking closer to God; and if you have trouble seeing 2016 in that light, determine right now that you will enter 2017 with this new perspective.

Heavenly Father, let us enter every year and every day with a deep desire to seek You and know You more intimately; all the while being confident in the guarantee that everyone who seeks You will find You.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon <><