A New Year’s Question: What do you put your faith in?

I was at the grocery store the other day standing in line when I happened to see a young mom by the lottery ticket machine. She was small with wispy blond hair and she looked about eight months pregnant. She was darling.

One hand rested on her belly as the other hand pushed the buttons on the machine.

As I finished in line and passed her on my way out, I was struck by the hope I saw in her eyes as she bought those tickets. And I could just picture what she was thinking…

I hope I win… It would mean better times for me and my baby. Things would be easier. Life would be great.

I could imagine how a winning ticket would ease the worries and uncertainties that come with preparing to take on the responsibility of a new life. I could see the excitement and anticipation that was going on inside her head as she picked her numbers. And while I don’t really know what the woman’s financial situation was or what a winning lottery ticket would mean to her, I do know the hope I saw on her face.

Because we all have that hope for our future, and for the future of our kids. We all imagine and want the best for our families. We long for it. We chase after it (in different ways). We are seekers–sometimes of money or success, sometimes of approval, sometimes of attention, sometimes of something else.

Because we were created to long for something more.

We were created to long for God.

While a streak of good luck might make our lives easier or more exciting for a while, only God can take the anticipation, longing, and hope we have in our hearts and truly meet our desires. Only He can fill that God-shaped hole within us that nothing else can fill–not even a million dollar winning lottery ticket.

We can put our faith in things other than God–people, our own abilities, finances–and I think it’s safe to say we’ve all done that before.

But the problem is, those things can disappoint.

And, while believing in God and putting our faith in Him doesn’t mean life will always be peachy and easy (because it won’t), His love doesn’t disappoint.

It fills and covers and strenghtens and builds.

It calms and restores and heals and soothes.

It comforts and lifts and satisfies and refreshes.

Even in the midst of life’s biggest storms.

God loves each of us unconditionally, regardless of who we are, where we come from, what we’ve done or haven’t done. He loves us so much that He sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for us. And he longs for us to know that–to believe that, to accept that, to understand that… so we can truly live the adventure He created us for…

full, free, and forgiven.

Now that’s something to put our faith in for the New Year,

and for the rest of our lives.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. – Hebrews 11:1

What about you? What have you been putting your faith in? Let 2012 be the year that you believe and experience God’s unconditional, amazing love.