Auld Lang Syne


We ushered in the year 2023 six days ago.  The start of the new year wouldn't be complete without the song "Auld Lang Syne." Every holiday season, this well-known tune is played in the background of TV programs as people wait for the new year's countdown and fireworks displays. When the clock strikes 12, Auld Lang Syne is played loudly, and individuals from other nations (having the same time as us in the Philippines) simultaneously light different types of bright, colorful fireworks that illuminate the night sky, and the scene is just breathtaking and overwhelming.
 
Trivia: The phrase "auld lang syne" is derived from the phrase "old long since," which refers to old friends and acquaintances who should never be forgotten. In short, the song Auld Lang Syne has nothing to do with the New Year, but we don't think of singing it like any other common song sung on videoke or radio on a regular basis. We won't hear it played until the new year, despite its lyrics about friendship, because the true meaning of the song "Auld Lang Syne" has been altered.
 
Kunsabagay, lahat naman talga sa mundo ay nagbabago. In fact, the world is changing at a rapid pace, just as the year's final digit has shifted from 2 to 3.  "Change," they say, is the only constant in life. Numerous changes occur in people, relationships, our ideals and ideas, and the world itself. Someone who used to love you no longer does. Your enemy now is a former friend of yours. You used to be wealthy; you had a good career and a good business, but both are now gone.  You once relished fame, but not any longer. You used to look young, vibrant, and beautiful, but not anymore. Your body resembles that of Hercules, and now you are like a bamboo in the wind. Indeed, nothing in the world lasts forever; everything changes and fades away.
 
But cheers to the wonderful news of the world's shifting times and seasons. Although the earth is changing, God still sits on the throne of heaven. From the time of the first humans, Adam and Eve, to the present and our future generations, up to eternity, He will still be God. While everyone of us undergoes change, God does not. He is the God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Moses, David, Jacob, Isaiah, Elijah, and all the prophets (you name it!). The Israelites were delivered by the God of the Bible from their opponents, the Egyptians, as well as their adversaries, the Amalekites, Ammonites, Hitites, Jebusites, and all other -ites. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were saved from a fiery furnace heated seven times because they were preserved by the God of the Bible; Daniel was saved from the lion's den; and David was saved from Saul and Goliath—all because of the faithful God of the Bible.
  
The God of the Bible is still with us and in us, keeping us safe and sustained throughout. As of right now, we are in the year 2023, and we will remain so for many years to come. The God of the Bible is real, watching over us and defending us from both visible and hidden dangers in this world. He is also consistently meeting our needs because of His enduring grace.
 
I believe in the God of the Bible, which I learned about by reading His word. Can you make Bible reading a part of your change in 2023?
 
Happy New Year po, mga Igan 🙂

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