A new year - a new life?

It's 2008! Happy new year!

In thinking about what I could write about at the start of this new year, my thoughts were directed to this year's Bible verse from the Moravian Church. Way back in 1731, Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf started the tradition of choosing a Bible verse by lot for every day of the year and printing them in a book called "Losungen" in German ("Daily Watchwords" in English). This tradition has continued until the present day and now published in some 50 languages with a circulation of over 1.5 million, thus making them the oldest and most widely read devotional work in the world (see Wikipedia article).

The Bible verse for the year 2008 is from John 14:19, where Jesus says:

Because I live, ye shall live also.

What a wonderful message for the new year! Jesus lives and He is the reason that we, too, can live. And Jesus wants to give us life. Not only the physical life He has already given us, but true life: life with meaning, life with purpose.

A few chapters earlier, in John 10:10, Jesus says:

I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

And not only that, but also eternal life:

And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28)

How can this be? Simply because Jesus Christ Himself is "the life" (John 11:25 & 14:6). If we live with Him, we can have a completely new life. This was also the experience of the apostle Paul, who said:

I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Jesus is life! Will you take Him at His word and trust Him? If you do, I guarantee you that this will be your happiest year ever! Live life! And have a very happy 2008!

And this is life eternal,
that they might know thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
(John 17:3)

And we know that the Son of God is come,
and hath given us an understanding,
that we may know him that is true,
and we are in him that is true,
even in his Son Jesus Christ.
This is the true God, and eternal life.
(1 John 5:20)