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Gleanings From The Word

Tag: hope

  • Resolve to be more Christ like

    Resolve to be more Christ like

    Hapy new year 2026

    With New Year’s Eve being tomorrow and the end of the holiday  and weekend, we will return on Monday, January 5.

    Yesterday, I touched on the celebration of the New Year and looked forward to what was to come. If you missed it, you can see it at https://gleaningsfromtheword.com/?p=3837

    It got me thinking about New Year’s resolutions. People have been making them for about 4000 years. The ancient Babylonians made the earliest known resolutions during a festival called Akitu, held in March (their new year). They resolved to repay their debts and return borrowed items in hopes of gaining the gods’ favor.

    By the fourth century AD, Christians were making resolutions that were more spiritual and reflective. Christians used the new year for self-examination, repentance, and renewal. Watch Night services encouraged believers to reflect on past mistakes and future improvement.

    Even today, many people make resolutions to change their behavior in the coming year. We’re not very good at keeping those resolutions, spiritual or otherwise. Statistics show that 80% of resolutions don’t last until the end of the first month, and only about 8% survive the year.

    We want to make changes solely out of sheer willpower. Yet, our flesh and wills are weak.

    I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:1-2

    What if we resolve to be more Christ like? How can we do it?

    We redevote ourselves to Him.

    We can resolve to pray more, love more, read the Bible more, fast, give more, serve, or do whatever we think will make us more like Jesus. The way will look different for all of us, although there will be common elements.

    It’s still going to be a day-by-day, moment-by-moment, and decision-by-decision process to do that. We’re going to fail many times. We have to keep working at it. 

    One source puts it this way, “Becoming more Christ like is the desire of every believer, and it is encouraging to know that God has the same desire for us. In fact, the Bible says that God “predestined [believers] to be conformed to the likeness of his Son” (Romans 8:29). Making us Christlike is God’s work, and He will see it through to the end (Philippians 1:6).”

    It is an impossible task on our own, but with the Holy Spirit, it will happen.

    It’s not something that will change overnight; the journey of sanctification (being made holy) is lifelong. We need to stay the course, repenting and turning back when we fall down.

    His goal is to make us more like Jesus. Let’s allow Him to work in us so that the task becomes easier.

    Celebrate the little victories. Turn back from the failures and trust.

    God will have His way. The changes may be incremental, but the results over time will be huge. We can say, “I’m not yet where I want to be, but by His grace I’m not where I used to be.”

    May God richly bless you and may you resemble Jesus more each passing day. Happy New Year, my friends. May you become more Christ like.

    Praise His name.

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

    The call of the gospel

    Right belief or right living?

    Read the Word

    Jesus never changes – celebrate the truth

  • Flood Waters – Perseverance in times of trial

    Flood Waters – Perseverance in times of trial

    abbotsford flooding Dec 11, 2025

    I live in Abbotsford, BC (the Lower Mainland,) and about a  5-minute drive from the US Border. We’ve been under an atmospheric river for some days, with more to come. (Image is not mine, credit to the photographer)

    The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration defines atmospheric rivers as “… relatively long, narrow regions in the atmosphere – like rivers in the sky – that transport most of the water vapor outside of the tropics. While atmospheric rivers can vary greatly in size and strength, the average atmospheric river carries an amount of water vapor roughly equivalent to the average flow of water at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Exceptionally strong atmospheric rivers can transport up to 15 times that amount. .…) When the atmospheric rivers make landfall, they often release this water vapor in the form of rain or snow.

    That means it’s been raining cats and dogs (and horses and cows and who knows what all else). The area has been experiencing flooding. Every route into the interior of the province is closed due to flood, rockslides, or mudslides. Washington State, to the immediate south of us, is having an even worse time.

    We’re in no danger. For the flooding to reach us where we live, I’d expect the neighbor to be building a huge boat and to see unclean animals coming by in pairs and clean ones in sevens. Still, it’s inconvenient for us and devastating for many, some of whom are still recovering from the 2021 flooding.

    Floods, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, forest fires, hurricanes, storms, and other natural disasters are a simple fact of life in a fallen world. They have come about as a consequence of the sin of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:17-19, 5:29).

    Like us, creation waits for the final culmination of all things when our Lord returns.

    For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:18-25

    There is a promised time when such things shall be no more. All will be set right, and we will be with God forever. The curse will be lifted, and creation will no longer groan in agony.

    Hold fast, my dear friends. His return is imminent, and all will be restored. We can’t predict the timing, for only the Father knows, but we can rest assured that He will keep His promises.

    Be blessed, 

    Kevin

    Is it right belief or right living?

    Down to the river to pray