Shepherd Notes January 2026
A New Year, A Beginning of Time and Yet a Continuance of Time.
A thousand years to you are like one day; they are like yesterday, already gone…. Psalm 90
God is eternal. He is without beginning or ending. Time does not rule over Him; He rules over it as its Creator. That’s one reason why Moses could write in Psalm 90 that for God a thousand years… are like a day.
But time does rule over us. For fallen humanity time keeps moving forward, and we are unable to slow its pace. Because our days here soon come to an end, Moses also taught us in Psalm 90 to So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom..
A heart of wisdom is one that has learned to give thanks to God that the passing of the years and the passage of time can never separate a Christian from the love God has for us in Christ Jesus our Lord. The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8, For I am certain that nothing can separate us from his love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below—there is nothing in all creation that will ever be able to separate us from the love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Because of Christ Jesus our Lord, His sacrificial death, His triumphant resurrection, and our baptism in His name, when we die our souls will be welcomed into the eternity of heaven. On the Last Day, our bodies will be raised from the grave and made new again. Our bodies and souls will be knit back together as one. Because of the mercies of our eternal God, a thousand years in heaven will be like a day for us. Our life with God will never end.
Jude wrote, But remember, my friends, what you were told in the past by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, "When the last days come, people will appear who will make fun of you, people who follow their own godless desires." These are the people who cause divisions, who are controlled by their natural desires, who do not have the Spirit. But you, my friends, keep on building yourselves up on your most sacred faith. Pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, and keep yourselves in the love of God, as you wait for our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy to give you eternal life.
Let us pray: Eternal God, we commit to Your mercy and forgiveness the year now ending and commend to Your blessing and love the times yet to come. In the new year, abide among us with Your Holy Spirit that we may always trust in the saving name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Your Servant in Christ Pastor Brian