A New Year - a New Hope

5th January 2021

A new national lockdown isn’t the best of news as we begin a new year.

Coping with the restrictions, the knowledge that the new variant of the virus appears to be out of control (and all that entails) and the uncertainty of when it will all end is so hard for so many.

But the Covid-19 pandemic isn't the first time there’s been a national emergency.

When Great Britain entered the Second World War in 1939, there was fear and anxiety and much uncertainty about the New Year for the citizens of Great Britain as events began to spiral out of control.

On Christmas Day 1939, King George VI addressed the nation in a BBC radio broadcast, and in the uncertain last days of that year the king spoke words of peace to reassure the people of England that their future was secure….in the hands of God.

As King George concluded his message, he read part of a poem that had been brought to his attention by his  thirteen year old daughter, Princess Elizabeth.

The poem, titled ‘God Knows’ was written by British poet

Minnie Louise Haskins (1875-1957).      

Years later, this poem became known more widely as ‘The Gate of the Year’.

And I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year,

“Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.”

And he replied:

Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the Hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”

So I went forth, and finding the Hand of God, trod gladly into the night. And He led me towards the hills and the breaking of day in the lone East.

These words resonated with my parents at different stages in their life together. They had a strong faith in God and knew that as they faced challenges, even though they couldn’t see how things would work out, He was the only one who could give real hope and He would show them the way as they committed their future to Him.

I’m so glad I was given the opportunity from a young age, to know God for myself through Jesus, and to walk through life with Him too.

(Just been thinking about Mum and Dad today as it would have been mum’s birthday.)

There is Hope for this year, and not just from a vaccine!

I believe anyone can have Hope for every year by putting their hand into the hand of God.

(If you'd like to see my Christmas poem blog post, see ‘The Christmas Plan’ under ‘Poems’.)