Happy New Year from Israel! “But, Amir, how can you say that this new year is happy? Have you not seen the atrocities in Syria? Have you missed the ballistic missiles coming from Yemen? There is war in Gaza and Ukraine and Russia and Mali and Somalia and Myanmar and other places. And did you watch what happened in New Orleans, Louisiana?” Yes, my friend, I have seen all that. It is tragic and I will get to those topics later in this newsletter.
However, despite the struggles taking place in this world, I refuse to let the negative destroy my positive. I will not let the sad kill my happy. My glass will always be half-full because I am the child of the true, compassionate, loving God. He is not a distant deistic Creator, but is involved in His creation. He has a perfect plan for this world and for me, and He is carrying it out to perfection. I must admit that there were times in 2024 that it was difficult to remember these truths. When the missiles flew overhead and I worried for the safety of my family, when countries were abandoning my nation and the verbal threats were overwhelming, when I thought of the hostages held in misery in Gaza and the hopelessness that they must feel every moment of every day – those were dark days when I wrestled, not with my trust, but with my understanding of what God could possibly be doing.
It is in dark times that faith often becomes stronger. Just ask Elijah when he fled from Jezebel or Paul when he was locked in a Roman prison. If there is nothing left but to trust God, then there is nothing you can do except – you guessed it – to trust God. When you do, it is one hundred percent guaranteed that He will show Himself faithful and your dependence on Him will grow.
So, yes, there are difficult things around this world, but I will still choose to wish you a Happy New Year! Let 2025 be a year of change for you. Let it be one in which you intentionally seek to draw closer to God through prayer and studying His word. And ask the Lord to make this year one in which you are able to make an impact on those around you. My dear friend, Dr. Rick Yohn, prays each morning that the Holy Spirit will put at least one person in his path whom he can encourage with the hope of Christ. Do you know that there has not been one day in which the Lord has not come through for him? It may be sharing the Gospel or giving away one of our books or just offering words of hope and truth. If this 87-year-old man can do it, so can you and so can I.
I don’t know what God has planned for this next year, but I am excited about it. For me, it will mean traveling to many places around the world to teach the word of God. Here at CONNECT, we will continue to grow in excellence as we produce online programs that share what’s happening in the world and how it all relates to Scripture. With Behold Israel as a whole, we see greatly expanding opportunities to reach people through books, videos, and social media. We know that as long as we keep our eyes on the Lord, this will be a great year no matter the circumstances around us.
So, let me encourage you to keep your eyes on Jesus this year. Expect Him to use you as you open yourself up to His lead. Be ready to make a difference. Let 2025 truly be a happy new year!
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