How To Have Victory In The New Year

It is God's will for us to live victoriously in this New Year, and we can! We can live without hopelessness, fear, and utter frustration in the New Year before us if we are committed to Christ and confident of all His promises to us. To live in victory in we need to follow God’s plan for us, because the Christian knows that each day is really about a living in a relationship with the living Savior.

People around the world do some strange things in the hope that good things will come their way in the new year. For example, in America a lot of people eat black-eyed peas and greens on New Year’s Day in an attempt to ensure a year of health and wealth. I knew someone who did that every single year, and I asked, “You seem to be doing fine but you have some health problems, and you are not financially independent, so why do you keep following this practice every year just before New Year's Day?” The person answered, “Yes, that is true, but just think how bad things would be if I didn’t eat black eyed peas and greens on New Year's Day every year!”

What can we do as we face an uncertain future, and believe me, we do face an uncertain future right now in this world. Terrorists are planning every day of the year how to kill us and how to destroy America’s freedom. We are told that there are viruses occurring for which we have no known vaccine, or there are vaccines, but they are not fully trustworthy. Natural disasters, like great earthquakes and powerful bursts of energy from the sun can devastate our nation within hours. Add to this the fact that we all face trials and problems on a personal level that can suddenly bring sorrow, pain, and even death to our families. I'm not trying to discourage you this morning, but we might as well admit that we live in a dangerous world.

I want you to look with me at a man who faced crisis after crisis and yet found the inner strength and peace to rejoice in every situation. He was able to carry on this way because of his unique relationship with the Lord. So, let’s get a grip on some truths today that can help us make this New Year our best year of service for our Lord.

Read with me the text for today - 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 ...

"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God, which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation. For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many."

Father, bless the reading of Your Word, the teaching thereof, and let the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding resound in the heart of Your Church today. Let the words read here today shine forth in everyone's life as let it bring peace, joy and hope to where it is so desperately needed today. In Jesus Name we pray and ask it in faith believing and expecting. And all of God's children said, "Amen!"

In this text, you will note that Paul deals with the subject of suffering, and certainly he knew all about the subject personally and frequently. So, exactly how did Paul continue victoriously through every hardship? In seeing this, we can learn how we too can face the future with assurance and peace.