Fr. Mike Schmitz

And I think that is so good for us, all of us who have gone through the entire Old Testament, except for those last verses in Proverbs chapter 31.

All of us who have gone through the Old Testament, we recognize that

the entire Old Testament is pointing to the new.

In fact, the New Testament is hidden in the old and the old is revealed in the new.

And so here is Paul writing to Timothy saying, yeah, you've been familiar with those.

They've instructed you and goes on to say, all scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

And that's just, again, one of the reasons why maybe, maybe in eight days, we're going to start back in day one and one more lap around the Bible in another year.

But we also recognize that we pray that God helps us not just to start well, but he has helped us to finish well.

St.

Paul in chapter four, verse seven, he says, I have fought the good fight.

I have finished the race.

I have kept the faith.

And there's something so, I don't know.

I don't even know if I have words for it.

It's just so powerful.

We just say, God, please let that be me.

Let me not fall away from you.

Let me not abandon you ever, ever.

And if I do bring me back, because we know this, that the Lord's love for us never fails.

Even if we walk away from him, he is faithful.