With all my heart I wish you rich blessings and all the best for the New Year. May each one of you experience the Lord in many diverse ways!

I call upon all of us to go into the New Year with great trust in the Lord. Recently I read a nice little story in which a robin said to a sparrow: “There is one thing I would really like to know: Why do humans have to rush and worry all the time?” In reply the sparrow said to the robin: “My dear friend, they probably do not know the Father in heaven, who is so kind to you and me.”

Now one might argue that life is not so easy – especially not in our days. There is a great deal of distress, concern, and suffering. And at times we just do not see any way out. I am well aware of that. Nevertheless, let us not lose confidence in the Lord and His leadership.

Peter once brought this archetypal confidence in the Lord to expression after many disciples had left the Lord. He responded to Jesus’ question: “Do you also want to go away?” with the profession: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:67-68). He was conscious of the fact that there is really no substitute for the Lord.

This must also be our attitude. Let us cast aside all hesitation and simply allow ourselves to fall into the hand of the Lord!

The words recorded in Hebrews 3: 6 caught my attention recently: “But Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.”

“His own house” is His congregation. The defining characteristics of the congregation of the Lord are thus trust, confidence, and hope – hope in the fulfilment of the divine promises. There is really no substitute for this!

With heartfelt love I remain

Yours,

Wilhelm Leber