Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassion never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22–23 (NIV)

Happy New Year!

A Time of Reflection:

As we start 2026, let’s reflect on the past year.

For me, there have been great joys in 2025, such as a trip to Alaska and Canada with my husband, and seeing relatives far away and those who are near. There were deep sorrows, as my brother-in-law, a cousin, and several friends passed away.

Looking back from a biblical viewpoint

Let’s ask ourselves the following questions:

• Where do I see growth in my faith?
• What areas need renewal in my walk with God?
• How consistent was I in spending time in prayer and Bible study?

In some areas I’ve grown in following God, and that causes me to rejoice. He continues to teach me to let go of fears and to trust Him. I’m working on replacing negative thoughts with God’s Word. If I’m honest, there’s been many times that I’ve struggled with doing what I know God wants me to do. I have not lived whole-heartedly for God every day. I struggle with being consistent, but I want to be 100 percent faithful.

What does your reflection reveal?

Where did you see growth in your faith?

Do you feel like you followed God whole-heartedly in 2025?

Are there areas that need spiritual renewal?

Hope for the Future:

Regardless of the year or the day, we can have hope in the LORD. His compassion is new every morning!

God wants us to come to Him. He will forgive us when we confess our sin. He wants to revive us, as we are told in Isaiah.

For this says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:15 (NKJV)

Suggestions for a Better Tomorrow:

• Confess any sin to the Lord and ask His forgiveness.
• Embrace new beginnings with gratitude to God for the lessons learned last year. Record what you learned to remember it later.
• Dedicate time daily to pray, worship, and read God’s word to strengthen your faith. Schedule that time, and keep it as an appointment.
• Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you each day.
• Write down plans for new growth and spiritual renewal. Schedule Scriptures to explore. Maybe join a Sunday School class or other Bible study.
• Reflect on God’s promises. Write them down and claim them.
• Have an accountability partner. I’m better about reading my Bible when I know my friend is going to ask me what passage I’ve read or how I’m doing on memorizing a verse.
• Seek ways to serve God by serving others this year. Jesus came to serve us. Befriend a lonely neighbor. Volunteer to feed the homeless, help in the children’s program, or to meet another need.
• Encourage others. Let a coworker know you notice the good job she’s doing. I receive encouragement when someone shares that they read my devotional, or when my husband surprises me by doing dishes. Encourage each family member.
• Celebrate opportunities and victories. Years ago, I wrote down a friend’s compliment of my cleaning of an area of my house. That encouraged me on the days when toys, dishes, and laundry were challenging. 
• Remember that each day is a gift from God. Cherish moments, like the funny things your child says.

• Please add your own suggestions to the comments. We can all learn from each other.    

Let’s go forward into each day with purpose and hope, knowing that God is a good God. Lamentations, chapter three tell us:

I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. Lamentations 3:24–26 (NIV)

Lord, thank you for each day You give to us. Help us to use them to bring You glory. Amen.

Thank you for reading my devotionals. I hope they touch our heart and soul. Past devotionals include the 2025 Clay in the Potter’s Hands series; Attributes of God: A to Z series in 2024; and others dating back to August 2020. Click on the date under the title to expand the text.

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Scriptures marked NIV are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV):Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION ®. Copyright©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™. Used by permission of Zondervan.

Scriptures marked NKJV are taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION (NKJV): Scripture taken from the NEW KING JAMES VERSION®. Copyright© 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.