More From Navamani Peter

The year 2023 was one of uncertainty and loaded with many challenges. My vision was getting poorer day by day. Cataracts were developing fast in both of my eyes. I had to consult an ocular surgeon, and my son dutifully took charge of me. I had cataract surgery in both eyes and was incapacitated for six weeks. My daughter-in-law Carol and granddaughter Harsha took turns caring for me during that time. 

After healing, my vision came back perfect. The world around me looked bright and beautiful. When I returned to the city Bangalore after 10 months, it took time for me to settle down! The flowers in my garden, the birds on the trees, the butterflies fluttering all around looked amazingly beautiful in bright colors. These gave me a new hope and also brightened my spirits. I praise God for the beauty of God’s awesome creation around me. 

I have entered into 2024 with the hope of a new beginning in life. The old has gone, and the new has been ushered in. Ezekiel 36:26 reminds us of God’s promise for a new life: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you, I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. We can take comfort in knowing that God’s promises are always there to better our lives. God’s promises never fail, and God will neither leave us nor forsake us in times of distress, pain, or uncertainty. 

My meditation for today is about a flowering plant in my garden called pentas. I love these beautiful pink flowers that bloom all through the year. But to my utter disappointment, my plant dried up due to extreme heat one summer. It may have happened due to my negligence of not watering the plant regularly. But to my pleasant surprise, the pentas began to show signs of life and new growth after two long years. This reminds me that our relationship with our Lord can dry up sometimes due to our sin, disobedience, or neglecting to study and meditate upon God’s word. We need to water our souls constantly and keep watch over our relationship with our Lord. When we let our sinful nature die, God’s life-giving grace can begin redemptive work within us.

Let this new year bring a strong and lasting relationship with our Savior, who gave his life for us. This relationship strengthens us spiritually and physically. It also gives us an opportunity to build genuine relationship with our fellow believers.