It’s a new year – 2025! In many ways, I never thought I would live long enough to see this year. I guess God has other plans for me (and glad I am). I’m beginning this year with great anticipation. Not the “Anticipation” I felt when I sang along with Carly Simon in my hey days, but anticipation of hope and joy … not fear!
During my Bible studies, I was reading Isaiah 35. What I read struck me like a burning bush: “The wilderness and the dry land will be glad; the desert will rejoice and blossom like a wildflower. It will blossom abundantly and will also rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.” In these verses, God said “I am able… and I will.” Yes, God IS able to take what seems broken and abandoned and make it new. “He is the God of redemption and restoration. He is able to take the dry land and make it flourish with new growth.”
This passage gives me great hope and tremendous joy that good things are coming. It doesn’t matter whether I experience them in the present or in eternity someday, good things are ahead.
Anticipation is about expectation. It means that we look ahead to what is coming and believe with certainty it will happen. Another word for anticipation and expectation is faith. Faith is the confidence that what we believe is true (Hebrews 11:1). Our faith as believers is rooted in who Jesus is, what He has done, and what He will do.
Today we live in tense times in a world that is broken by evil and suffering. There is pain and sadness and loss and frustration all around us. But however bad there is, we are also in the midst of great beauty, goodness, hope and joy, which is the result of the kindness and grace of God that surrounds us with loving arms.
You may be thinking that after a year like just passed, with brokenness all around us, how can it possibly get better? In 1 Peter 1:3-5 we have “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead” and “an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.” All believers are “being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” One of the ways we can say “NO MORE!” to the darkness of this broken world is by looking for God’s light in everyday moments. Notice the glory of His creation. Spend time outside and behold the genius of His handiwork. Enjoy the gifts of His people and marvel at how He made us all uniquely and intentionally for the life He has given us. Notice how His faithful love and presence fuels peace and hope in our souls today. Even as trials and temptations and struggles and suffering threaten to overwhelm us in the here and now, in Jesus we have a joy and hope and salvation that is unshakeable. So anticipate the beauty and goodness of God’s healing work here and now. Yes, God is near us in this very moment, and He has good things for us to enjoy now and for the tomorrows to come. Meet each day with great anticipation!
Debby Efurd is co-founder of Cary John Efurd Ministries of Pittsburg, TX. She has been a contributor to Bound for Life and written numerous articles published in LifeNews, Christian Post and the Baptist Standard, and is the author of Go Tell It! Debby can be contacted at caryjohnefurdministries@ gmail.com
