Dr John Mohan Razu
Years pass—by, years keep dawning. Years come and go, and we keep stepping into the new year, as if it’s normal. We tend to think that years come and go, but seldom have we gone deep into the dynamics of time and space. Most of us may have taken for granted or failed to observe or recognise the very fact that there is no assurance or guarantee that we would step into another year. Let us spend a moment and recount or take stock of how many of our friends, relatives, siblings, parents or members of the community or congregation who we saw or met last year are with us. Irrespective of age they’re dead and gone.
We breathe and drink polluted air and water respectively; live in the midst of atmospherically-hazardous environ. We consume hybrid vegetables and meat grown and fattened with chemically inflated boosters, for our medication, we are diagnosed capsules, tabs, and syrups that are adulterated prohibited for consumption or even dispensation. People die all of a sudden, not knowing the exact cause of their death. Every day we step out of our home without any guarantees that we would safely return. Whether we travel by four or two wheelers, walk or travail by government transport there’s no safety and anything could happen.
Our life is increasingly becoming so fragile and susceptible day-after-day. Everyone day by day live out of God grace alone. As some of our known people who were with us last year are not with us in the New Year—2026. We are alive, not because of our workouts, but by God’s Grace. Lat us not think that we are alive because of our ritual observations and prayers or due to morally on high grounds, but sheerly out of God’s blessings. Let us not find reasons and justifications, so that our yardsticks show some kind of exceptionalism. We are alive that’s it and entered into the year—2026.
We will have to leave those aside and keep thanking God for making our eyes to see a new year, lungs never stopped inhaling and exhaling breath and hearts continue to tick. The Grace that we have received from our Lord Jesus Christ is costly, and certainly not cheap. Let us count God’s blessings one by one, only then we would know how blessed are. Let us not look at those who are above us, but those who are deprived of minimal needs and live in hunger and hostile environs. Let us not forget them, not only remembering them in our prayers, but also engaging with others in the acts of compassion and charity, as these are virtuous life and living intrinsically linked to each other.
As we have stepped into year—2026, as ordinary mortals and finite people who are susceptible and totally prone to all kinds of dangers have only one thing in us is our faith in God who is our Refuge and Strength, in whom we trust. The most assuring biblical message for year—2026 can be found in Lamentation 3: 22-23, which emphasises God’s unending mercy and continued faithfulness. “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness”.
This verse offers profound assurance regardless of what we are and who we are. We are thus studded with all sorts of failures and future uncertainties, and yet promised that each new day and each new year is an opportunity for a fresh start rooted in God’s reliable character. It is covenantal relationship between God and humans that runs to millennia. Humanity navigated with steadfastness and hope, despite all odds and dooms only with those covenantal assurances. God in Jesus Christ has never failed from His promises and continues to show love, peace, grace and compassion to all people of the world.
Not knowing what is before us, we rely on only one source vis-a-vis faith in God, the Almighty and Saviour, who enabled us to journey through the tough and rough terrains, offering His constant guidance and protection all the times—be it perils and conflicts that gave us the strength and confidence to tide over. Our God has never failed in times of despair and misery. The God in Jesus Christ in whom we believe who suffered along with us, crucified and risen and lives amidst us.
Our God is the God of Life and Light of the world who redeems us in times of perils and despairs. As said by prophet Isaiah in 40: 31, God’s promises are renewed and gives strength to those who lay their hopes in the Lord. We live by that hope. Our faith is rooted in hope because the God who we worship is the God who offers that hope as illumined in John 10:10, ‘I have come so that you may life and life in abundance’. This is the God who we worship and adore, our Lord and Refuge. We have tasted what our God has done in our lives and why and who should we be afraid of.
We are born a new. As we have already stepped into 2026, the new creation comes alive through faith in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). In a world which is filled with tensions and anxieties that sucks our energy, health, and peace of mind we have no other go because they are enjoined by psycho-somatic levels and so what then is the way out. We are reminded to depend on God who is our everlasting hope and refuge as said in the Philippians 4: 6-7 and God has assured us the peace to guard our hearts and minds against all sorts aliments that covers psycho-somatic (mind and body) we would be confronted with. Our Good Shepherd provides
We are just mortals so flimsy and vulnerable to natural and human catastrophes. Like grass we sprout when rains and in the next moment everything is gone. It just reminds us we are nothing to boast of ourselves except to recognise the fact that we bare humans. Our life and existence are solely and wholly dependent on Jesus, the Christ who is our Creator and Sustainer. With all humility and total surrender we lay our hope on Jesus Christ, our Lord and Good Shepherd. Let the year—2026 be filled with amazing things that testifies what our Lord God has done to us. May God use us in His own ways for His purposes, so that we continue to exalt God in and through our words and actions. I wish you all a Blessed—2026.
