Pastor’s Corner – January 2025
When I was in school, I always liked the first day. Not to meet new teachers, or have to learn after a summer of baseball and friends. No, it was the day when you gathered all your new school supplies and headed to school. And in my younger days, I always thought erasers were cool.
With an eraser, you could make any mistake you had just made (especially in math!) go away instantly. Erasing something on the blackboard was cool too (except you had to do it in front of everyone!), but there was nothing like being able to erase your very own words or numbers off your very own paper-without anyone knowing!
The New Year is kind of like that. Maybe we made a mistake in the past year we really wish we hadn’t done. Maybe it was a bad decision about work or family. Maybe we could have done more than we did. Maybe we could have used our time better. Maybe we wish we had the whole year to do again.
An even more important tool is the one God gives us. He gives us a chance to use a GIANT eraser-and wipe away all our sins, through the precious blood of Jesus. We all sin-every day. We are all sinners, saved only by God’s grace. We all need a chance to forgive and forget when it comes to past sins, and we need to look forward.
School starts again each fall. Maybe it’s the very first day. Maybe it’s a new chapter, such as middle school (we used to call it junior high); high school; or even college. Or maybe it’s a new chapter in our life. A new job. A new marriage. A new baby in the house. Whatever it may be, we have a chance to start brand spanking new and hopefully, we have learned from any past mistakes! And one day, we who believe will be on the other side of heaven, praising our God for His giant eraser, and for giving us another chance. Happy New Year!