Happy NEW Year! It’s finally arrived. Our comments about it change with age. Young people say, “I can hardly wait!” Older ones say, “Where did the time go?”
Time is an ancient concept set in place by the Creator Himself. From the beginning, Genesis 1:1-2:4 declares that evening and morning make a day. We live our days on a twenty-four-hour basis, helped along by sunrise and sunset.
God is not bound by time, but He certainly understands it. Beyond the Genesis record, some argue for Peter’s statement that with God *one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day (2 Peter 3:8). When it comes to Genesis, I prefer to focus on the orderliness of Creation, not argue over the possible increments of time.
*Fiddler on the Roof, one of my favorite musicals, contains a song sung by Tevye, the Jewish Father. Sunrise, Sunset not only speaks of passing days, but passing years . . . one season following another, laden with happiness and tears
Who changed the counting of time from days to years? Encyclopedia Brittanica (sourced on Google) says the Egyptians were the first to create a “civil calendar” from the lunar one used for agriculture and religion. Their year was three seasons of four months, with thirty days each. At the end of twelve months, they added five intercalary days for a total of 365 days.
We are one of thousands of generations who have greeted a new year. To me, “Happy New Year” is a greeting that reminds me to stop, reconsider my life, and make changes where necessary.
We live our “new” daily. According to Lamentations 3:22-25, God’s love never ends, and because of His faithfulness, His mercies never cease - - - they are new every morning! That gives “have a good day” a whole new meaning.
Have a “Happy NEW Year!” But don’t stop there. Thank God for those daily NEW mercies. They’re not leftovers from last year or even the day before, and they’ll never run out. For that, I’m truly thankful.
*2 Peter 3:8 wording is from The Amplified Bible, and is used by permission of the Lockman Foundation and the Zondervan Corporation, copyright 1987 by the Lockman Foundation.
*According to Wikipedia, Fiddler on the Roof was written in 1964 by Composer Jerry Bock and Lyricist Sheldon Harrick.
Thank you for great reminders for the new year!! Excellent advice!!
ReplyDeleteThis blog is very appropriate for the NEW year! Nicely done and good reminders throughout.
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