Category: Encouragement

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬

Question
What fear about the coming year do you need to surrender to God’s promise of His presence?

Context
Joshua received these words at an important time. Moses was gone, the leadership had shifted, and the people stood at the edge of going into the Promised Land. The future was uncertain. God did not promise Joshua an easy road, but He promised His presence.

Application
New Year’s Eve often feels like standing at a river’s edge with one foot in the past and one foot in the unknown. The coming year may bring new responsibilities, changes, or challenges you can’t fully see yet. God’s command to Joshua still speaks today: “Be strong and courageous.”

Notice that courage here is not rooted in confidence in self, but in confidence in God’s presence. God didn’t say, “Be strong because you are ready,” but “Be strong because I am with you.” As this year closes, God reminds you that you will never step into a day where He is not already present.

Truth For The Day
We can face the future with courage because God goes with us into every step of it.

Pray
Lord, as this year ends, I thank You for Your faithfulness. As I step into the unknown of a new year, help me walk in strength and courage, not because I feel ready, but because You are with me. I trust Your presence to guide me wherever I go. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬

Question
What part of your past are you allowing to hold you back from fully trusting God with what’s next?

Context
The apostle Paul writes these words while imprisoned. If anyone had reasons to dwell on the past it was Paul. Yet he intentionally refused to let either his failures or his successes define him. His focus was forward, fixed on Christ and his calling was unfolding before him.

Application
The last couple of days of the year invites us to pause and look back but not to live there. The past year may hold moments of joy and growth, but it may also carry disappointment, loss, or unfulfilled hopes. Paul’s words remind us that spiritual maturity includes knowing when to remember and when to forget.

“Forgetting” does not mean denying the past; it means refusing to be ruled by it. God is not finished writing your story. What lies ahead is not limited by what lies behind when your eyes remain fixed on Christ.

Truth For The Day
Our past does not have the power to determine our future when we walk forward with Christ.

Pray
Lord, thank You for walking with me through every season of this year. Help me forget what belongs behind me and give me faith to press forward into what You are doing next. Fix my eyes on Christ and strengthen me to move ahead with hope and obedience. In Jesus’ name, amen.

He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.
‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭17‬

Question
Where have you been trying to hold things together on your own instead of trusting Christ?

Context
Colossians was written to affirm the supremacy of Christ in a world filled with competing philosophies and distractions. Paul wanted believers to know that Jesus is not one option among many, He is Lord over all creation and the One who sustains it. This truth anchors our faith, especially in seasons of uncertainty.

Application
Paul declares that Jesus is not only the Creator of all things but also the Sustainer of all things. Every breath, every step, every unseen detail of your life is under His authority and care. Even when circumstances feel unstable, Christ remains constant. What feels like chaos to us is never confusion to Him.

Before we step into a new year, we can rest in the One who has carried us through this one. He held you in your strongest moments and He held you in your weakest.

Take time today to release the weight of this past year into Christ’s hands. Name the moments that felt unstable and trust that Jesus was present in each one. As you prepare for the new year, shift your confidence from your plans to His faithfulness.

Truth For The Day
Christ is faithfully holding your life together, even when you cannot see it.

Pray
Lord, thank You for sustaining me through this year. When I felt overwhelmed, You were steady. When I felt weak, You were strong. Help me to rest in Your faithfulness and trust You with what lies ahead. I place my life fully in Your hands. In Jesus’ name, Amen.