A new era of God's favour

A serene landscape with a radiant sunrise illuminates a quaint church, set amidst rolling green hills, accompanied by the encouraging message: "New Era of God's Favor 2025."

Hello, dear readers, and a very happy New Year to all of you!

As we say goodbye to 2024 and welcome 2025, we stand on the brink of new beginnings. Reflecting on the past year, I'm grateful for both the challenges that shaped us and the joyful moments that made each morning worth greeting. I'm thankful for God's unwavering faithfulness throughout 2024, and I'm sure many of you feel the same way—we wouldn't be here without His divine guidance. A friend of mine has a fitting phrase for the year: "It ended in praise."

Indeed, 2024 concluded with much to praise God for. As the song by Elevation Worship goes, even when we were tossed into the water, we didn't sink because Jesus Himself pulled us out before we could drown. For fellow music lovers, the bridge of that song encapsulates our year perfectly:

“There's never been a day, never been a minute

Never been a moment that You weren't in it

There's never been a time that You didn't see me through, God

So I worship You.”

God carried us through 2024, and I'm confident He'll do the same in 2025. No matter what happened last year or what challenges lie ahead, we can draw inspiration from the Apostle Paul. Despite facing numerous trials, he declared, "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."(Philippians 3:13b-14). As we stand on the brink of a new dawn, a new season, and a new year, let’s enter 2025 with thanksgiving in our hearts, joy in our souls, peace in our minds, and with optimism and expectation that this will be our greatest year yet. The phrase ‘onward and upward’ captures this spirit perfectly—always moving forward, always climbing higher. My prayer is that this mindset will guide us through the year.

Interestingly, I hadn’t planned on assigning a theme to this year, but a powerful moment changed that. While I was simply going about my day, the verse Isaiah 61:2 leapt off the page at me. Just a few weeks earlier, I had a dream that echoed this scripture. Then, on the same day, I heard this verse mentioned by two different people. It felt like a clear sign, and I embraced it as the word of the Lord for us all.

Isaiah 61:2 is a powerful and uplifting verse that speaks volumes about God's promises. It reads: “To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour…” in the English Standard Version, while The Passion Translation puts it as “To announce a new season of YAHWEH’S grace.” In the context of the Hebrew Bible, the word ‘favour’ (ratzon) encompasses meanings like

goodwill, acceptance, and will. This verse signifies a period marked by God's grace, redemption, and deliverance.

This proclamation is essentially good news that highlights God's love, kindness, and acceptance toward humanity. It reassures us that God’s disposition toward us is one of love, not hatred, acceptance, not rejection.

As we step into the new year, I invite you (and myself) to take a moment to reflect on how the Lord’s favour—His divine goodwill of mercy, compassion, and blessings—has touched our lives in the past and to also stay alert and hopeful for the ways it will manifest in 2025.

Here's to a 2025 filled with faith, hope, and heartfelt praise!