Happy (secular) New Year. May this new year bring you closer to HaShem, may you 'taste and see that Adonai is good' and that 'His mercy is new every morning' (Psalm 34:8 and Lamentations 3:22). The problems our societies are facing seem insurmountable and we are bombarded daily with fear, hopelessness and despair. It was Martin Luther who said 'if I knew that the world would end tomorrow, I would plant a tree today'. The Bible, which contains the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) as well as Messianic Scriptures (New Testament) offers us tremendous hope for the present and the future. A wonderful scripture is in Romans 15:13 - 'may the G-d of hope fill you with all joy and peace' - that's quite a promise. G-d's promises are totally dependable! But it gets even better. In Romans 8:38-39 Rav Shaul (the Apostle Paul) reminds us that 'neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers, neither what exists nor what is coming, neither powers above nor powers below, nor any other created thing which is able to separate us from the love of G-d which comes to us through the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord' (Complete Jewish Bible Translation by David Stern).
Love is the most powerful force in the whole cosmos. There is no greater power than love. And one of the Talmids (Disciples) of Yeshua proclaimed to a stunned audience 'those who do not love, do not know G-d; because G-d is love' (1 Yochanan or John 4:8). Love is G-d's very essence, His very character and motivation. Even G-d's punishments (which can sometimes seem harsh to us) are motivated by love, to correct us and to bring us home - ('For rejection by Adonai does not last forever, He may cause grief, but He will take pity' - Lamentations 3:31).
There is a wonderful poem by Emmet Fox called "Love will Conquer"
There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer,
no disease that enough love will not heal,
no door that enough love will not open,
no gulf that enough love will not bridge,
no wall that enough love will not throw down,
no sin that enough love will not redeem...
It makes no difference how deeply seated may be the trouble,
how hopeless the outlook,
how muddled the tangle,
how great the mistake.
A sufficient realisation of love will dissolve it all.
If you could only love enough you would be the happiest and most powerful being in the world.
May 2012 be a year of hope, new beginings and new discoveries for you. May it be a year of happy memories, wonderful friendships and new opportunities.
