A New Year and The Same God
THERE ARE BETTER THINGS AHEAD THAN ANY WE LEAVE BEHIND. C. S. LEWIS
AS WE ENTER ANOTHER NEW YEAR – BE ENCOURAGED. KEEP THE TRUTH OF GOD CLOSE TO YOUR HEART AND MIND.
ADVICE FOR THE FUTURE YEAR
The last section of the Book of Hebrews is on “Living by Faith”. The writer presented the great “Examples of faith” in Hebrews chapter 11, the “Encouragements to Faith” in Hebrews chapter 12, and Hebrews chapter 13. He presented the “Evidences of faith” that should appear in our lives if we are really walking by faith and not by sight!
HEBREWS 13:1 – “Let Brotherly Love continue.”
HEBREWS 13:2 – “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares”.
HEBREWS 13:3 – “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourself also in the body”.
HEBREWS 13:4 – “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge”.
HEBREWS 13:5 – “Let your conversation (Manner of life) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: FOR HE HATH SAID, I WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE OR FORSAKE THEE”.
HEBREWS 13:6 – “SO THAT WE MAY BOLDLY SAY, THE LORD IS MY HELPER, AND I WILL NOT FEAR WHAT MAN SHALL DO UNTO ME”.
HEBREWS 13:7 – “Remember them that rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation”.
HEBREWS 13:8 – “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever”.
Like every year, every one of us is given by God: 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, and 31,536,000 seconds. The Lord graciously gives us all this time, and how will we make the most of it in 2026?
WE MAY NOT KNOW WHAT 2026 HOLDS, BUT WE KNOW WHO HOLDS 2026!
The context of HEBREWS 13:8 is that the spiritual elders in the local church may change, in this case perhaps martyred, but “THE FOUNDATIONAL STONE” (1 CORINTHIANS 3:11), is still and will always be, Christ Jesus! The world may change, policies may change, people’s views may change, laws may change, but rest ASSUREDLY, Almighty God never changes, and He is still on His throne in Heaven! That is a guarantee!
It is a truth that should bring peace to both your mind and heart as your inner into a new year. It is a truth and knowing that your Heavenly Father sees all, knows all, owns all, and takes care of His children.
It is the truth that knowing God will provide for all of your needs and that he will make a way where there may not seem to be a way. He will open new doors of opportunity and will take care of you. He will bring justice to injustice, in His perfect time and in His perfect way.
As sons and daughters of “The King of Kings”, we remember and cherish daily the reality that we have a “Blessed Hope” because of Christ Jesus. We need to keep focused on such truths as we enter into the new year, and we need to hold on to and remember those truths as we journey each day in 2026.
As we begin to see events take place and hear things on the news, we must stand on the Word of God. We must read and study our Bible, pray, and share our blessed hope and faith with others and resist fear.
1 JOHN 4:18 reminds us: “There is no fear in love; but PERFECT LOVE CASTS OUT FEAR; because FEAR HAS TORMENT, HE THAT FEARETH IS NOT MADE PERFECT IN LOVE”.
MATTHEW 10:28 –“And FEAR NOT them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body and hell”.
MATTHEW 10:29 – “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground WITHOUT your (Heavenly) Father”.
MATTHEW 10:30 – “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered”.
MATTHEW 10:31 – “Fear ye NOT therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows”.
MATTHEW 10:32 – “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven”.
MATTHEW 10:33 – “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven”.
With each step we take, with each day the Lord gives us, we must walk in faith, not in fear. We must keep praising God, keep worshiping God, keep believing, keep trusting, and keep walking closely with God and be willing to be led by the Word and the Holy Spirit, each day!
We must not be moved by what we see but by what the Scriptures promise! We must begin to “Armor up”, by putting on the full “Armor of God”, as stated in EPHESIANS 6:10 and 11:
EPHESIANS 6:10 – “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might”.
EPHESIANS 6:11 – “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”.
ISAIAH 54:17 – “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord”.
* WE MUST NOT GIVE IN, GIVE UP, OR GROW WEARY, BUT RELY ON OUR HEAVENLY FATHER FOR STRENGTH AND ALL THAT WE NEED EACH DAY, TILL HE CALLS US HOME!
ISAIAH 40:31 – “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strengths; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and NOT BE WEARY, and they shall walk, and NOT FAINT”.
1 THESSALONIANS 3:12 – “And the Lord make you to INCREASE AND ABOUND IN LOVE ONE TOWARD ANOTHER, and toward ALL MEN, even as we do towards you”:
1 THESSALONIANS 3:13 – “TO THE END He (Christ Jesus) may establish your hearts UNBLAMEABLE IN HOLINESS BEFORE GOD, EVEN OUR FATHER, AT THE COMING OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WITH ALL HIS SAINTS”.
* WE MUST REMIND OUR MINDS AND HEARTS THAT THIS WORLD IS NOT OUR HOME AND TO STORE UP TREASURES IN HEAVEN AND NOT ON EARTH:
MATTHEW 6:19 – “Lay not up for yourself treasures upon earth, where moth nor rust does corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal”:
MATTHEW 6:20 – “But lay up for yourself TREASURES IN HEAVEN, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal”:
MATTHEW 6:21 – “FOR WHERE YOUR TREASURE IS, THERE YOUR HEART WILL BE ALSO”.
*LIVE LIKE YOU BELIEVE THAT CHRIST JESUS IS COMING BACK AGAIN FOR HIS “BODY OF BELIEVERS” (THE CHURCH) SOON AND DO NOT BE TROUBLED BY YOUR CURRENT STRUGGLES IN LIFE OR BY THE CURRENT STATE OF AFFAIRS OF THE WORLD!
JOHN 14:1 –“Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me”.
JOHN 14:2 – “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you”.
JOHN 14:3 – “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also”.
ISAIAH 64:4 – “For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen. O God, beside thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him”.
1 CORINTHIANS 2:9 – “But as it is written, eye have not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them to love Him”.
WE HAVE SO MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO AND SO MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR – ALL BECAUSE OF OUR WONDERFUL SAVIOR AND LORD!
As you take your first steps into a new year, remember God is good, all the time. All the time God is good, and we are His witnesses! We may not always understand His ways, but we can fully trust that He sees the full picture and all His ways are perfect; FOR OUR GOOD AND HIS GLORY!
DEUTERONOMY 7:9 – “Know therefore that the Lord thy God, He is God, the faithful God, which KEEPETH COVENANT AND MERCY WITH THEM THAT LOVE HIM AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS TO A THOUSAND GENERATIONS”;
PSALMS 100:5 – “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations”.
EPHESIANS 3:16 – “That He (Christ Jesus) would grant you, ACCORDING TO THE RICHES OF HIS GLORY, to be strengthened with might by His (Holy) Spirit in the inner man;
EPHESIANS 3:17 – “That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love”,
EPHESIANS 3:18 – “May be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height”;
EPHESIANS 3:19 – “And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God”.
EPHESIANS 3:20 – “Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, ACCORDING TO THE POWER THAT WORKETH IN US”,
WE HAVE EVERY GOOD THING BECAUSE OF CHRIST JESUS! WE HAVE EVERY REASON TO REJOICE IN HIM!
As we venture into 2026, put your complete faith and trust in the capable hands of Christ Jesus and stay close to Him. Take His hand and walk with Him, never let Him go. Don’t allow the enemy to steal your joy or paralyze you in fear. WHEN WE ARE TEMPTED TO LOOK AROUND – INSTEAD LOOK UP!
When you are weary, let Christ Jesus give you rest. When you feel like you want to surrender, stand firm on God’s Word, holding tight to His promises!
Just like 2025 and all the years prior, there may be changes, but God is always the one constant that will never change. So take His hand, stand on His Word, and find your Serenity and rest in Him.
Let His light guide you, His love and peace compass you about, His word encourage you. May your heart be joyful and at peace – as you journey with Christ Jesus into another year.
NUMBERS 6:24 – “The Lord bless thee and keep thee”:
NUMBERS 6:25 – “The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee”:
NUMBERS 6:26 – “The Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace”.
AMEN AND AMEN!
