2008: A Time for Faith to Grow

“. . . a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted.”
– Ecclesiastes 3:2b

I’m looking forward to a good year in 2008, how about you?
What will 2008 bring? What might we see happen that could bring the kind of happiness we hope for? In general terms related to the world we live in, it should be an interesting year at least. With the improvement seen in our military success in Iraq we are hopeful that fewer of our soldiers will be needed in the Middle East to secure a complex and dangerous political situation there. We hope also that greater security from terrorist movements will lessen the threat to our homeland. But then there are major political issues that will be at the heart of an election year sure to become at the center of our expectations for the future. It will truly be an interesting year indeed.
There are always a good many external events of which we have little control except in their aftermath that will also affect the coming year. Weather, human tragedy and institutional failure will all take their turn in bringing their own affects upon communities and individuals across our land and possibly including ourselves either directly or indirectly in major ways.
But whatever happens, and we can never depend on our knowing beforehand, we can be sure of the most important and essential thing that should matter the most to us, and that is God’s love for us in Jesus Christ and what faith in Him can bring. This can become a great year for us under any circumstances if we allow our faith to grow. There are many ways we can contribute to this growth process, all of course dependent on God’s Spirit and grace as the enabling power making it work. Devotions and Bible study are key activities requiring only a little self-discipline to be effective. Start with the Portals of Prayer booklets that we give out at church. There are also some good on-line resources and email lists that can be of help for those of us who spend a lot of time in front of a computer. A daily reading plan such as found on page 299 of the Lutheran Service Book hymnal coupled with a review of Luther’s Small Catechism is another helpful way, and there are many other such tools that can help us. Just reading and reflecting on a portion of Scripture each day will help your faith to grow. Of course these times are useful for fellowship with the Lord in prayer. As James tells us, the prayers of a righteous person have great effect, and we are made righteous by faith in the Lord Jesus that grows while we are in the Word and pray.
There are a lot of people who say they don't attend a certain church or they don't go as often as they should. But then how can you be growing in the Lord without a church to feed you in the Word? If you don't water a plant, it will wither and eventually die. The same is true of our walk with the Lord. We can grow complacent and immune to the ways of the world far too easily without being held accountable and being fed with His Word on a regular basis. Besides, your regular participation in church will bring you fellowship with other believers, vital to permanent growth in your faith. There is nothing like having that special "bond" with a fellow brother or sister in the Lord with whom you share a spiritual relationship in your church when you need a shoulder to cry on, advice, or encouragement in your life.
So make 2008 a year of growth, for you and for your family, and may God continually bless you in your commitment to him and in your endeavor to see your faith in Him grow.