Bible Study Notes

Looking at both the imminent end of one year and the beginning of another gives us a unique perspective on how short and fleeting our lives are. Our present will soon become our past as our future arrives and becomes our “now,” and it will happen whether we’re ready for it or not. This annual transition can spark a number of emotions, one of which could be fear of the future. The world feels this every year, but the believer can maintain a confidence that others lack.

The world has a way of making its own plans, independent from God. However, as Christians, we’re living in the world but aren’t part of it. There’s no way of knowing what will happen tomorrow, next week, next month, or next year. Making God an integral part of our plans protects us from disaster. “Look here, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise you are boasting about your own pretentious plans, and all such boasting is evil” (James 4:13-16, NLT).

We’ve become accustomed to seeing evil and tragedy occur in our external environment. We make a mistake when we focus on it; this focus can put so much fear in us that we forget how to make plans to successfully face the future. What most people forget is that trusting in God brings success to all God-inspired plans. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5, 6). Letting Him guide our steps keeps us safe.

God loves us and wants to show us grace, which is His undeserved, unearned favor. A deeper definition of grace is the unmerited, abounding provision of the operation of God’s unrestrained, infinite love that works through Jesus Christ for mankind, especially for those who depend on Him. It enables us to be confident in a fearful world. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). With the condition the world is in today, a future without God’s grace is terrifying and disastrous.

During His ministry, Jesus prophesied what the world would evolve into. “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places…And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:6, 7, 10-12, NKJV). That time is here. However, despite what we’re seeing around us, there’s nothing to fear when we rely on God.

The future is bleak for those who don’t know God and don’t want to know Him. It’s the exact opposite for the people who choose to lean on Him. Letting Him lead us forward gives us peace, hope, and joy in the midst of it all.

Living as believers in today’s world is often uncomfortable. Thankfulness and gratitude have gone out of style and been replaced by a selfish, “give me/me first” way of thinking. It’s no coincidence that at the same time, belief in Christ has become increasingly unpopular. In an environment that doesn’t know God, bad attitudes proliferate; this is why giving thanks causes us to stand out so brightly as His people.

We know God by developing a personal relationship with Him through constant study of His Word, which increases our faith. “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). The more time we spend with Him and get to know Him, the more we learn about His nature. He’s faithful to us, and He’ll never let us down. Experiencing the goodness, mercy, and love God gives us, even when we don’t deserve it, triggers a thankfulness that simply can’t be denied.

Negative emotions are all around us. Christians who walk boldly into the midst of those emotions and declare their gratitude are using thankfulness as a spiritual weapon to dispel the darkness. There’s a devil loose in the world intent on terrorizing us, attacking our minds, and ultimately killing us, but Jesus has already defeated him and handed us the victory in this war. “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19). This, alone, is worth celebrating.

Having faith in the promises God made to us—and there a lot of them—automatically moves us into thanksgiving. Studying the Scripture reveals them to us, one by one. We’ve been forgiven of our sins, given new life, saved from hell, set on the path to heaven, made righteous in God’s eyes, and given authority in several realms. These are just a few of them; they’re gifts we didn’t earn. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17).

The world offers us plenty of learning opportunities, but many of them can be negative and lead us into wrong-thinking. We can’t depend on what others know because their limited knowledge and wisdom can let us down. By contrast, developing our faith in God, who teaches us what we need to know to succeed in life, is a sure thing. His power is limitless and is the one thing we can confidently trust in. “That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5).

Trusting in God’s love for us, no matter what we do or how many times we miss the mark, generates a grateful heart. The more we think on it, the more we want to spend time with Him and enjoy being in His presence. We can be thankful that we no longer have to work hard to love Him because of an Old-Testament law that says we’re required to. “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Receiving His unconditional acceptance shields our hearts from negative thinking.

A selfish attitude limits us. Believing in God, and walking in that faith, removes all limitations. “For with God nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37). When the world threatens to tie us down to its prevailing mindset, thanksgiving empowers us to break free. This is how we shine as God’s people.