Dear Editor,

We have entered a new year by the grace of God, and I am grateful to Him for sparing our lives. The month of January has been a special one for me and my family, and I am thankful for His blessings.

As we walk in faith on our journey of life, let us allow God to lead, guide, and direct our path so that we can fulfil our purpose on this Earth. I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a blessed and peaceful new year.

For many of us a new year means new opportunities and new challenges to encounter on our journey. What makes the difference for each of us is how we make use of these opportunities and challenges in our lives. More often than not challenges serve as character builders to propel us to the next level. Unfortunately, many have failed this test because of a lack of perseverance and insight of their destiny. Knowing God and trusting Him is the greatest treasure we can hold on to. Where He leads, we will follow. That is how we fulfil our purpose here on Earth.

As we embark on our journey, let us keep in mind that Satan is like a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8) We have to be intentional in resisting him, for he is determined. We need to be steadfast in our resistance. As the scripture says: “Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7) Notice that we must submit to God first to be able to resist the devil.

Remember the words that God said to Cain as Satan flooded this man’s mind with evil thoughts: “Sin is crouching at your door. It wants to rule you, but you must overcome it.” (Genesis 4:7) Let us not pay attention to sin and follow after it, like Cain did, because of jealousy and envy. On account of these things, he was sent away from the presence of God.

Let us fight the good fight of faith by putting on the whole armour of God. In fighting this spiritual war, we need to seek God’s help and intervention through prayer.

To God, manifested in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be all the glory. Amen.

Sonia Fay Buckland

faithfulb7@yahoo.com