Several years ago, I had occasion to open the top of the cavity that contains my water meter. The cavity is five or six cubic feet in volume and is usually dark and dank. Sometimes there are a few little creatures scuttling about, disturbed and wary. As I opened the lid, I noticed a hapless grasshopper that had wandered into this sinister subterranean chamber and had become entangled in a spider’s web. He looked rather pale, perhaps his vital juices already being withdrawn by this arachnid assassin.

The thought came to me that maybe I could save this creature by pulling him out of his entanglement. But, wait, maybe the spider might bite me too. Throwing danger to the wind, I plunged my hand into the abyss and lifted the unfortunate creature out. I placed him far away from the edge so he would not fall back into the spider’s trap. I thought how Jesus did that for us. He plunged Himself into a nightmare to rescue hopeless, hapless creatures and then placed them into a path toward eternity, away from eternal death and destruction.

“ Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them…….He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself.” Hebrews 7:20-27

“ So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many….”  Hebrews 9:28

The New Year is a time of renewal reminiscent of the fresh starts each school year brought when we were children.  Starting fresh is intoxicating to those of us encumbered with a litany of bad habits and regrets we would like to leave behind. Overwhelmingly those who resolve to leave baggage behind each new year fail.  Most can make it a couple of weeks, a few for a couple of months, and a small minority past six months.

As the habits and regrets each day mount, we trod along hoping for another fresh start fix.   Like junkies we crave a fix and decide to move, or change jobs or one is forced upon us through the tragedy of divorce, fire, or death.  With each start we once again resolve to change only to fail again.  Our hope for the next new year renews and the cycle repeats.

There has to be a better way.