This is the year the Lord has made. The start of any new year brings an opportunity to consider, dream, and strategize for the months to come. How much more so a year like 2023, where the air is thick with expectation and possibility after the overturning of Roe v. Wade. But it is worth considering, what stands out about the year to come? What about 2023 gives us hope? Is it that this is the first year our country will experience without the burden of Roe v. Wade? This is, after all, the first year where multiple states will live without the reality of legal abortion. Or could it be the likelihood that 2023 will be a monumental battle as both pro-life and pro-choice groups are energized and headed toward collision in many states? Perhaps hope comes from the fact that this will be the first full year of legislative sessions where states can set a direction for their own abortion policy. Truly there is no shortage of things to consider, dream of, and strategize about as 2023 begins! While these aspects of the coming year are weighty and worthy of our attention, they are not where our hope should rest as we head into the new year. Rather, our hope in 2023 is firmly rooted because this is the year the Lord has made. I know I am at risk of speaking Christian cliches by making that assertion, but I am confident that there are truths in that statement on which we need to meditate. God has made this coming year, which means He will not be surprised by anything that happens. He is in complete control, and more than that, He knows exactly what is needed and is working out His plan. God is so big and so kind that He is bringing about what each individual Christian needs for their own growth and sanctification, while also accomplishing His will all across the globe, culminating in the final victory of Christ when every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:11). The truth of the matter is, we cannot know what 2023 will hold. There are nearly as many threats as there are opportunities. State courts continue to eat away at pro-life laws, and pro-abortion groups are racking up wins with ballot initiatives. Politicians are increasingly focusing their efforts on shutting down the life-saving work of pregnancy centers. The abortion industry is raking in more donations than ever before. It is possible that all of these trends could continue to get worse and overwhelm the optimism currently driving the pro-life movement. WWW.PRO.LIFE | 1 (800) 858-3040 | 919 S. MAIN ST, SNOWFLAKE, AZ 85937 74
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQxMw==