Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations…’ Deuteronomy 7:9

As we begin another year we arrive at that time again when we make our New Year resolutions. We make promises to ourselves and to others about what we will or won’t be doing. Gym memberships will increase as people pledge to be more active and then there will be the New Year diets. People will promise their bosses to work harder and their families that they will work less and there will be the promise that this will be the year when we achieve XY and of course Z. Unfortunately by the end of January (I’m being generous for New year) most of these promises will probably have been broken. You might see me running on the 1st but the novelty will probably have worn off by the 2^nd but what scripture tell us is that when God says He will do something He is true to His word. The whole of the Bible is testament to the fact that God keeps His promises and that as His people we are able to trust Him. We look back over a year where we have seen so much change in the world around us. There have been shifts in so many different areas such as in the political spheres with Brexit and then the American Presidential elections, in the world of fame so many famous figures have passed away and even closer to home we realise what a rapidly changing world we live in but what we know of God is that He never changes. His love, His mercy, His grace are still as strong and perfect as they were yesterday. So as we look forward into this New Year we can look as the world does with trepidation and uncertainty or we can look forward in the certainty that God is faithful to His promises and is working out His plans despite of all that will happen in 2017 and beyond. The amazing thing for us as believers is that He is such a wonderful and loving God that we are included in those plans. God does not need us but He amazingly chooses us for His work and His kingdom. Let us as individuals and as a fellowship seek His will and His ways for this year and trust in all His promises whatever this year may bring.

May I wish you all a happy and blessed New Year and I pray that 2017 will be a year where we trust more deeply in the Lord wherever that may take us.

Every Blessing

Gordon