I once bought myself a new car. Not a new second hand car mind you, a new, new one. There’s something about the freshness and smell of a car that’s new. No hidden problems. Nothing worn. Everything to enjoy and no nasty surprises. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said of moving into a new year. With the new year comes old problems. Old habits don’t just disappear. Frustrations and disappointments don’t all of a sudden vanish. It is as the writer of Ecclesiastes puts it,

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.”

What he means by that is that we cannot escape the world and its problems simply because today turns into tomorrow. In that respect 2022 will be no different than 2021. Our happy new year may very well turn out to be an extension of what was a mundane, even frustrating old year. But here’s the thing; God does make all things new. He gives to His people new hearts. He gives to them a reason to celebrate. Not because today LOOKS different than yesterday, but because today IS different. What is different? Not the state of the world, but the state of my heart. My heart wants to please Him. My heart is grateful. My heart has been set free. And for that reason, I am happy. Happy new year? Maybe. Happy new me? Definitely!

Pastor Duncan