Every new year is an opportunity to look back and thank the Lord for miraculous guidance and sustenance. It is also an opportunity to look around and see the contexts in which we could make a difference and to look forward with hope and confidence in the Lord who is the Lord of the future too.

Isaiah 30:18-21 is one of the Scripture passages that could give us some insights of hope as we enter the new year.

The Promise of Love and Grace

A people drifting away from God were being warned of the consequences of leading a Godless life. Despite the tone of warning the passage is full of hope since the love of God is made manifest in the Promises the Lord makes to the people who were rebelling- inviting them to return to God.

¹⁸ Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you;
    therefore he will rise up to show mercy to you.
For the Lord is a God of justice;
    blessed are all those who wait for him.

We are reminded of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, “I’ve always loved you, and when you love someone, you love the whole person, just as he or she is, and not as you would like them to be.”

God would have loved the people returning to God and living the life God would expect them to. But despite the contrary God does not lose hope on his people. God is willing to patiently wait, to be gracious and to rise up and show mercy.

It is wonderful to see a waiting God hopeful of the return of the children. One of the profound paintings on the Prodigal son has a waiting father looking down on the meandering roadway spotting a small dot and asking- Would that be my son returning?

There are several people among and around us gradually drifting away from God and the new year is a good opportunity to encounter the waiting God and to return to be part of the community of God.

Our prayer could be- Help me return to you O God and make me a channel that helps others to return to you.

The Promise of Wiping away Tears

¹⁹ Truly, O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem,
you shall weep no more.
He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry;
when he hears it, he will answer you. 

Tears are indeed a hard reality around us today. Several lives are broken. People reel under the impact of war and violence and ruthless bloodshed. There is abuse physically and emotionally that devastate people. Modern day slavery takes new forms. Digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence have redefined vulnerability. There is discrimination in various forms- visible and invisible- be it based on gender, race, age, class, caste, ethnicity, ability, sexuality, identity or orientation. The maze of spiritual abuse is beyond comprehension. Several live under the weight of painful memories. Broken homes and fragile relationships make life hard for many. Migration, refugee crisis, economic hardships and hardliner political ideologies are making life difficult for many. There is tears all around.

A good promise to appropriate in the new year is putting our trust in God who would wipe away all tears. And our prayer could be- Strengthen me O Lord in my tears, Empower me to wipe the tears of others, Sensitise me that I may never cause a tear in any eye.

The Promise of Strength in times of adversities

²⁰ Though he give you the bread of adversity and water of affliction,
yet he will be with you to teach you—with your own eyes you will see your Teacher. 

It is a reality that the journey of life is replete with stony and stormy patches. Adversities and afflictions could be part of any life. The prophet promises the presence of the Lord with his people during times of difficulties. Each crisis point is a big lesson in life and the promise goes on to say that with your own eyes you will see your Teacher through it all.

Painful and disconcerting periods of our life makes us loftier human beings. It brings us closer to God and helps us understand the transience of life. Several of us live with scars that reminds us of the wounds that once were part of our experience. They continue to inspire us with deeper perceptions on life and living. It is said- the school of adversity provides us the best and tangible education. It gives meaning to failure and difficulties and gives us strength and resilience to overcome and start all over again.

Our prayer could be- As I walk though stormy patches help me realise that you are with me. Open my eyes to see you- the Teacher- through it all. Redeem me to tranquility and calmness.

The Promise of Guidance each step of the way

²¹ And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left,
your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’

In the technological era in which we live journeying is made much easier by the navigation tools that are available. If you know the destination then reaching the place would not be difficult.

But the journey called life is much more complex. Though you might have dreams, goals and aims the next step is always a mystery and there could be unexpected twists and twirls any moment.

Imagine in such a situation God himself promises a navigator to guide us. At every cross road in life the inner voice would keep prompting- Yes, this is the way- keep walking in it. All we need to do is trust and obey.

It is a fact that having walked far from God several people have lost tune with this inner sacred voice of guidance. At the beginning of the year one of our prayers could be- Open my ears O Lord that I always hear the voice that guides my path. Give me humility O Lord not to be rebellious when you guide the path. Give me wisdom O Lord to walk the way you want me to walk.

May I wish you a happy and blessed new year 2024. May this be a year of God’s abundant grace and affectionate guidance in our personal lives and in the life of our Chaplaincy.

God Be with You

Vinod Victor

January 1, 2024