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Men fish June 13, 2023, in the Sea of Galilee, northern Israel. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Ohad Zwigenberg/ The Associated Press
Men fish June 13, 2023, in the Sea of Galilee, northern Israel. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Karen Morton
PUBLISHED:

A new year. What could be better than the feeling of a fresh start? A new opportunity? A renewed sense of purpose?

This must be the way the disciples felt at the morning meal with Jesus on the shore of the Galilean Sea following his resurrection (John 21). They had gone back to their old ways, fishing, but they caught nothing. At dawn, Jesus called to them from the shore, “Cast your nets on the right side.” In obedience, they followed his command and now there were so many fish, the nets nearly broke.

Do we long for such a miraculous change in life: in ourselves, in our neighbors, in the world? Or maybe we desire even just a little change. Although transformations of any size can be made at any time of year, the rotation of the calendar often spurs us into reviewing the past and resolving a new, fresh course of action.

What made the disciples cast down their nets once more after a long and fruitless night? What gives us the desire and courage to change an aspect of ourselves after perhaps years of a futile pattern? It is the word of God, the Christ-message calling to us, just as Jesus called to his disciples. It assures us that He is here and ready to bless us if we simply cast our faith in Him.

Jesus guided us in nurturing our faith. “Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness,” he tells us, “and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). This loving reminder to place God as our top priority, will launch us properly onto a new path. It may be tempting to reverse Jesus’ teaching and pursue first the things added and then tell God to help us get them. Or maybe the things added are not what we had in mind. The answers from God may not match our outline. But the All-knowing knows the perfect goodness he created for us when He formed us. Our faith is born of trust, and our trust from evidence of divine answers when facing a challenge. As Proverbs 3:5,6 counsels, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.”

If this bounty of good fortune seems impossible, do not be discouraged. The same doubt was in the disciples’ hearts the day that thousands of hungry people in the wilderness needed to eat. The crowd had been listening to Jesus give the “Sermon on the Mount” for several days (Matthew, chapters 5-7). And although the multitude was filled with newness of hope and  inspiration, they also needed to be filled with a meal. With only seven loaves of bread and a few fish, Jesus directed his disciples to begin distributing the food. As they did, the food was multiplied and all 4,000 people were fed. Not only are God’s provisions abundant, but His blessings are humanly practical and perfectly meet our needs.

Are these life-changing moments still possible today? Even without Jesus here? Yes. We are never alone. Our Lord and His Christ-message are ever present. They are the Comforter, here and now, that Jesus promised before he ascended. This divine presence is ready and able to bring blessings that we could have never imagined. It is this Comforter that beckons us to the aspiration of New Year’s resolutions, and draws us to a new beginning.

So as 2025 unfolds, let us listen to our resolutions. They are calling us to follow the Lord, just as the disciples were called to follow. Let’s take our desires to God and purify their purpose by asking, “How can I glorify You this year?” Then we, like the disciples, will turn from old ways and express newness, freshness, and progress in a productive and rewarding year ahead. As the Psalmist extolled, “Sing unto the Lord a new song.”

Karen Morton is a Sunday School teacher at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Allentown.

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