To me, these are bittersweet days as Christmas disappears in the rearview mirror and the new year lingers just over the horizon.  To realize God’s amazing gift of Jesus our Savior is beyond comprehension and incredibly sweet.  Knowing that Jesus has promised never to fail nor abandon us (Hebrews 13:5 NLT) pushes sweetness forward into the new year as well.  How incredibly blessed we are by His goodness, and I pray that your Christmas celebration was filled with the wonder of His gift of salvation.

Despite sweetness in both the past and the future, there is bitter reality in the present state of our nation and our world, as evil seems to run roughshod.  Today’s news tells us that ISIS has not backed down (despite US-led airstrikes), the Palestinian Authority pushes for a vote at the UN, Turkey continues to take up the cause of radical Muslims, and Hamas seems to be cozying up to Iran (despite their Sunni-Shi’ite differences).

Perhaps just as burdening to me, though, is the state of our own nation.  And society seems to have no answers.  In fact, our society seems to wage war on the only One who can help us…Jesus Christ.  Repeat offenders escape our legal system, judges legislate from the bench, definitions of marriage and family are being re-written, and lines between morality and immorality have become very blurred.

Many deny that faith and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ is of any importance.  However, our founding fathers certainly didn’t deny it!  Our nation was built on Christian principles…so is it any wonder that it crumbles when we drift from those principles?

While most Americans may not realize how important faith is to the success of our nation, the Marxist economist from China in this video clip certainly recognizes it!  Take a look, and pay careful attention to the last phrase:

Indeed, a democracy is fully dependent upon the peoples’ willingness to self-govern, and if you take away religion you can’t hire enough police!

As we charge ahead into a new year, my prayer continues to be that we look for the Blessed Hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus. (Titus 2:13)  The giver of “sweetness” will deal with the “bitter” that comes our way!  May you sense the Lord’s embrace during seasons of “bitterness,” and may you be overwhelmed with the Lord’s “sweetness” in 2015!  Happy New Year!