Matthew 1:23 – The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel (which means “God with us”). Matthew 28:20b – And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

New year, new beginnings. This year, for sure, I will … Don’t we all make lists of things we want to be, to do, to change? How long does it take for us to fail? We do not seem to be all that resolute with our resolutions, do we? But do we realize there is one all-time being that can help us whether we rise or fall?

Jesus was promised, centuries before His arrival, as the Messiah, the Savior of Israel. His name would be above every name because He would be king and Israel would no longer be oppressed. Or so they thought. A human’s brain is not great enough to conceive, even in its wildest imaginings, how God works. When He sent His son, it was not with parades and fireworks, as they thought a king should have been presented. He arrived quietly, known only to a select few who themselves were mostly of lowly backgrounds.

The promise came, lived only a few years, died a most horrifying death, and then rose again to fulfill that promise: God is with us. It was foretold long before Jesus was born, and He confirmed it after He died and came out of the grave. As the faithful, we are expected to carry on as if Christ is working alongside us because He is! Letting Him lead, as headstrong and stubborn as we are, is the best decision we can make. He will never leave us or forsake us even when we fail Him.

This year, make Jesus Christ your first, your only, resolution. He is with you. He is there.