Behold Him
2016 was a tough year for many of us. Let’s just be real and say that most of us aren’t mad that 2016 is over. Maybe you’re feeling pumped for 2017 and can’t wait to see what the new year brings. Maybe you’ve got life figured out and you’re going strong into the new year. But for most of us, even though we’re happy to see 2016 end, the start of 2017 can feel daunting rather than exciting.
If you’re starting the new year out feeling weary and broken, if you’re dreading what this new year may bring, or if you’re still harboring pain from the past, you are not alone. But there is a way to trade that dread in for joy and that pain in for peace.
Behold Him.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart,” (Hebrews 12:1-3).
Whatever problems you have faced or will face in this new year, God wants you to behold His glory by looking to Jesus. We can only begin to truly understand this life by looking to Jesus and what he did for us. The pain and suffering he endured for us is immeasurable. Once we behold this vast love that Jesus has for us, then we will see ourselves for who we truly are. And once we’ve seen ourselves for who we really are, we will have a new understanding and appreciation for this new year and for every year to come. Beholding Jesus brings life into focus and will give us a new endurance to run this race set before us.
Jackie Hammond≫ ≫ Jackie is an artist and writer with a heart for those who are suffering, whether it be from things in the world around them or from the battles they are fighting within themselves. She is the owner and creator of Vine & Branch Co., an online hand lettering shop and blog she started to encourage those who are struggling with who they are and why they're here. Her goal is to use her passion for hand lettering and writing to help others understand their immense worth as children of the creator.