Acts 13

“Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said, ‘Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors: he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country; for about forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness, and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan, giving their land to his people as their inheritance……We tell you the good news: What God has promised our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children,’” Acts 13:16-19, 32-33a NIV

Today is January 1st, a day that many individuals have been looking forward to. This day is typically viewed as the beginning for something new, or a fresh start, where promises are made to oneself with the anticipation of change being made. One might say that this day is the springboard that launches this change for a better tomorrow. This day provides a hope, a new energy, and perhaps the strength to carry on.

What is interesting in the paragraph above is that the hope that is placed, is placed on a day that quite possibly is the first day to the beginning of failure for many people. A diet stopped, a promise broken, a workout routine interrupted, the succumbing to a habitual sin once again, and the list goes on.

In today’s text, Paul provides us with a great example in where our hope should be placed and he does so by recounting the goodness of their God. God provided food and shelter while their ancestors were in the wilderness. He made promises and later fulfilled them. He overthrew nation after nation and while the ancestors were unfaithful to Him, He remained faithful to them and endured their conduct for forty years.

Dear reader, today is a new day as well as a new year, and it is still a good day to make that personal change. But may we remember to place our hope in the One who gave us this day and not the day itself. Perhaps, like Paul, in order to give us the strength and courage to continue in our transformation, we first need to look back at the goodness of our God, before we can move forward.