Nothing New

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1:9 (KJV)

Happy New Year!

Except, according to Solomon, there’s nothing new under the sun. So that means this year is pretty much the same as last year, right?

I might take exception to that. We all recall 2020. It was nothing at all like 2019, right?
We were told to stay safe by staying at home. Businesses closed and only “essential” workers left their homes. Every company that could do so began having employees telecommute.

There were shortages on toilet paper and other essential products. People began doing grocery pickup so they could avoid contact with others. When things opened up, faces were covered by masks of every size and shape, and we avoided everyone with six feet of space.

Talk about “they have cooties” to an extreme!

Yes, I’m making light of all these changes because that’s how I cope with hard things. It’s not meant to minimize the seriousness of what our world faced in 2020.

If 2021 was different and maybe even better than 2020, than that gives me hope that 2022 can be even better still.

But the truth is, COVID-19 and all its variants was nothing new to God. To him, there is nothing new in the world.

Remember that Solomon is a bit jaded as he begins writing Ecclesiastes. He sees much of what he’s done with his life as vanity—pointless and useless.

Why?

Because in the end, everyone dies. The rich man and the poor man face the same final chapter. A man’s success at business or stockpile of riches doesn’t exempt him from mortality.

Remember the rich fool? See Luke 12:16-20 for a refresher.

The bottom line: he’d been successful and made plans to take it easy. That same night, he died.

When viewed in that light, it does seem a bit pointless, doesn’t it?

But we don’t have to start 2022 jaded by the struggles of the past few years.

Because God makes all things new. That’s right, there is nothing new under the sun except for what God makes new.

You and I become a “new creation” when we’re saved (2 Corinthians 5:17).

When we repent, God gives us a new heart and spirit (Ezekiel 18:31).

Thankfully, God’s mercies toward us are new every single day, thus insuring they never run out—Praise the Lord (Lamentations 3:22-23).

One day, God will create a new heaven and earth (Revelation 21:1), a new Jerusalem (Revelation 3:12) and give us a new name (Revelation 3:12).

Yes, that’s happy news for the fresh calendar of 2022.

I pray we all let God do something new through us this year as we share the old story of Jesus Christ.