by Aaron Derstine

“You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.” – Psalm 65:11

What does the year 5780 hold in store for those who worship the God of Israel?

The upcoming Rosh Hashanah New Year forecasts both storm clouds and sun rays of hope on the horizon. No one fully knows the answer to what lies ahead, but here is what we do know…

1. Christians around the world are participating in what has been a glad reversal of the division between the faith communities of Jews and Christians.

Since the days of the Roman emperors, the Julian (and later Gregorian) calendar and the Hebrew calendar have had little to do with each other. Now, in the year 2019, or the year 5780 that begins on the final day of September this year, we can say truthfully that this is no longer the case.

Although we still have our differences, Christians and Jews are coming together on common ground as those who worship the God of Israel and celebrate His covenant.

As this shift has slowly taken place in greater manifestation in the last several decades, more and more Christians are coming to recognize that Rosh Hashanah is our New Year as well, because it comes from the Biblical calendar that God Himself established in the Pentateuch – the same God that we worship. This renewed, widespread recognition in the 21st century is nothing less than historic.

2. Truly we are living in momentous days like none other that have come before us.

The years 1948, 1967, and 2018 (to name a few) have taken on a pronounced significance for Christian believers in this generation. The rebirth of Israel as a modern nation, the reunification of the city of Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty, and the return of the first international embassy (the United States) to Jerusalem are all events that have had a massive impact on a geopolitical scale.

Additionally, in the present moment, Israel’s elections of this week and the approach of the 2020 U.S. elections will be significant markers on the roadway to the future of the Judeo-Christian relationship.

It remains to be seen whether these current political events will foster the growing relationship between Jews and Christians, or whether they will fight against it. Either way, this relationship is here to stay.

3. God’s ancient promise in Scripture still stands true today.

“You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.” – Psalm 65:11

What better time than now to declare that God will crown this upcoming New Year with His goodness?

As apples dipped in honey symbolize in Jewish tradition the sweetness of a new year, so the fruits of our lives dipped in the sweetness of God’s promise point towards the dawning of a new day in the world.

Make no mistake, God will ultimately have His way no matter what happens in the world, but He invites us to be active participants in the release of His goodness in this New Year 5780. Is God able to handle it all by Himself? Yes. Has He also determined, however, to unfold the fullness of His desire for Jerusalem and the nations through the lives of ordinary people like you and me? Yes!

So join us today in praying God’s eternal blessing over the land and people of Israel this year… and as you do so, pray this for your life and your family as well. Let’s join together with Him in crowning the year 5780 with His goodness and faithfulness!