Dear Church,
I can’t believe that 2024 is already here. I was looking back at my calendar, and on January 7-8 2023, I had an event that simply said “Leask.” That was the first time Katie, Jon, and I came out to meet everyone here. One year later, here we are! It’s wonderful to look back and see God’s hand working through transition, the ministry He allowed us to do in 2023, and even to see some hard stuff we’ve walked through together. I pray we look forward with anticipation to what God will do in the coming year.
As we look forward into 2024, what are we looking for? New Year’s resolutions range from “no more chocolate this year” to “I’m going to read the Bible cover to cover 3 times this year.” But the question I would like to ask us is this: What are we anticipating God to do this year? The Bible tells us: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1). What is it that we are assured of? Our hope in Jesus, the presence of the Holy Spirit, salvation by faith in Christ, and eternity with Him. However, faith also acts as a proof to that which is unseen, and still to come. I think we need to exercise faith in our lives by trusting God with everything – our lives, families, homes, futures, etc. I think we should also live with expectancy. Of course, we live with the expectancy and assurance of things like eternity and Jesus’ second coming. Yet we can also live with expectancy that God will show up in our daily lives and do amazing things. I think this helps bring us closer to our real, living Savior Jesus, and better in tune with the Holy Spirit’s voice. Living in expectancy of what God will do this year – while trusting God with the details – allows us to live ready for what God’s going to do, and how He will use us.
As we walk into 2024, here is my prayer for you and our church: may you live with trust in God’s plan, and expectancy for what God will do. May you grow deeper in your faith this year and be or become disciple-making disciples of Jesus Christ.
Happy 2024.