Fr Alvan looks forward to the new year

In his latest Voice of Hope article, Fr Alvan Ibeh looks forward to the new year – 2024.

“Let everything that has breath give praise to God,” Psalm 150:6

If you are reading this article, it means you have made it to the year 2024 and I wish to formally congratulate you for being among those God has given the opportunity to see another new year.

I know someone may ask, “why should I be congratulated for making it to the new year. Is it not just as simple as sleeping and waking up to discover that the date has changed from 31/12/2023 to 1/1/2024?

“Is there anything extraordinary that has happened that I should be joyful for? Why should I even be happy when last year was a complete mess of a year for me, I couldn’t even achieve any single thing I planned doing and am not even sure of how this year will be for me?”

Some people may have already given up hope for the new year judging from what happened to them in the previous year. To some, last year will forever remain the worst year of their lives because they have lost someone dear to them in the course of the year. Come to think of all those who lost their lives in different wars, diseases, accidents, etc.

While I was on my annual leave in Nigeria, I witnessed a series of road accidents in which I am sure a couple of people must have lost their lives. Yes, a lot of people who entered Flight 2023 with us crashed and didn’t land safely with us. But we landed safely, notwithstanding the turbulence we experienced in different ways during our individual flights. While I was coming back from Nigeria on board Air France, we had turbulence and it was very scary but we landed safely, to the glory of God.

So my dear friend, we are all privileged to have landed safely and also privileged to have been among those who have boarded the next flight – flight 2024. It doesn’t matter what happened last year, God the chief pilot of this Flight 2024 is saying to you, just put all your trust in me and believe I will take you safely to your desired destination.

He says in Isaiah 43:18-20: “Forgot the former things, do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”

All we need to do this year is what Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and He will direct your paths.”

I pray that this year will bring overwhelming blessings to us all and a renewed hope for those who have lost hope in life. Let all our focus for the year be on God who is well able to take care of those concerns us. Let us not focus on the past as it doesn’t exist anymore and cannot come back to us. The only one thing that we are sure of right now is that we have a faithful God who does not disappoint those who put their trust in Him.

Have a blessed and fulfilling new year my dear friends.

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