Tada – All Things New!

Six days into this new year. We walked across the line of 2020 to 2021 and announced “Ta da and whoo hoo -- 2020 is whosh -- done AND gone! HAPPY NEW YEAR! All NEW and improved!” But alas – we’ve already found out that it isn’t really so. Well, the 2020 to 2021 is – but maybe not our circumstances. The overdue bills, the cranky neighbor, the pain and discomfort (I say that as my body creaked and whined from all this cleaning-out, rigorous routine), the child gone astray, the prayers unanswered (or so we think), the sickness or loss of a loved one. Though we took our circumstances into 2021 with us, it doesn’t mean that they’re going to stay there. And, more importantly, we took ourselves with us into this new year – and just maybe that’s where old to new is most needed. At least new thinking and believing and pressing into our race that God set before us. “And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by fixing (keeping) our eyes on Jesus …” Hebrews 12:1 If we took that scripture seriously, it doesn’t matter what year it is. We are secure in Who our Leader is and we’ll carry on because our Lord will not lead us astray. In this scripture, we read about a race set before us by God. We’re encouraged to run that race with endurance, but we’re also told how that is possible: “We do it by keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2). But there are so many distractions along the way that keep our eyes from being fixed”on Him. That’s why, when the concerns and worries come, we must immediately have a mind-jerk reaction. A knee-jerk reaction is referred to as an UN-thinking moment and doing something stupid. But, a mind-jerk reaction is a purpose-driven moment. That “fixing” our eyes on Jesus is a locked and loaded, unwavering, anchored-in, purposeful FIXING. That “fixing” means to turn our eyes away from what the enemy is touting and FIXING our eyes on Jesus. Fixing our eyes on Jesus might not always be easy. After all, Jesus may go at a pace that might not agree with our pace. He may slow us when we want to speed up. He may move us when we’d rather stay put. He may stop us for some rest, but we have too much to do to stop. But, truthfully, when we place our trust in our Pace-Setter, Jesus, we will not only finish strong, we will draw a crowd that finishes strong with us! Dear Jesus, I want to run the race marked out for me in 2021 with my eyes fixed on You. Set my pace so that it may always coincide with Yours, along with Your purposes for my life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. “Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.” (Proverbs 4:25)