January 1, 2004

Dear family:

Today is "new years day." A new day, new year, new beginning. All brought in with the sounds and sights of fireworks lighting up the skies. People filling the streets singing "Auld Lang Syne" and shouting "Happy New Year".

As the magic hour approached, I pondered the events of our family during the past 12 months and tried to visualize the next 12 months. I thought about resolutions and considered what would be a fitting one for me. I wondered what resolution each of you might contemplate and how resolved you would be to bringing your resolution to fulfillment. I wondered if the coming months would bring each of you greater happiness,  greater success, new friends and closer ties and deeper commitments to family. 

Josh 4:21-24
21 Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?'
22 "then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land';
23 "for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over,
24 "that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever." (NKJ)

When your children ask you what did your Dad do in 2004? I hope the answer will be he set up these stones to remind me and you to tell our children and grandchildren who the Lord is and what He has done.

Centuries ago the children of Israel were in bondage and slavery in Egypt. God told the Pharaoh to let the people go but he would not. So through numerous miracles the Pharaoh was persuaded but then decided to kill the Israelites instead as they departed. But God caused the Red Sea to open up and let the Israelites cross over on dry land and then caused the water to close behind them covering the Pharaoh's army.

This story is a picture of our lives. When we are born we are alive physically but not spiritually. By nature we are in bondage to and a slave of sin. Sin is acts of disobedience to the will and purpose of God. There is one sin which has eternal consequence. It is the sin of disbelief that God has sent His son to the world to pay the penalty for our sin. When we, by faith, accept the payment of our penalty that Jesus, God's son, made for us, we become alive spiritually forever. We are then children of God and as His children we are to live to bring glory and honor to Him.

God promised the children of Israel that he would lead them to Canaan, a land filled with milk and honey. Literally paradise but the children of Israel became disobedient and worshiped false gods. So they became lost in a wilderness for forty years. This is a picture of our spiritual life.  We believe some days and doubt some days. It shows how it hurts God for us to not love Him or believe Him or trust Him by faith. It shows us what it is like to be out of fellowship with God. God always loves us but sometimes He is unhappy with the way we act and the things we do. It is up to us to go to Him in prayer and apologize.

Finally after 40 years the children of Israel crossed over the Jordan River into the land of Canaan. As they went across the river, the leader of each family picked up a stone and built a monument to remind future generations what God had done for them. God wanted everyone to know that He is the only true God and that he is true to his promise. So I have built a monument here by writing this story today to remind me to tell you this story and to remind you to tell it to your children.

 

Love ya,

Dad