welcome 2026

We're a week into 2026, and I'm glad to see you here :)

At the beginning of the week, I received a newsletter from Story Warren that took a different approach to the start of a new year. Instead of focusing on change and resolutions, she gave a reminder of things that are still true heading into 2026. Following her lead, I would like to give you a list of 6 things for 2026. My prayer is that it will bring you some peace, reassurance, and encouragement as we start another year.

1.  God isn't surprised by any of the stuff that catches us off guard. There's nothing that will pop up in your life this year that will make Him say, "Well crud--I didn't expect that. Now what?" Isaiah 46:10 tells us, "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, 'My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'" So whatever happens, God knows. He's there in the midst of it, even the worst of the worst.

2. Your heavenly Father cares about every detail of your life. There's nothing too small for His attention. In Matthew 10:30, Jesus told His followers that God has numbered every hair on their heads. Judging by the number of hairs I shed in a day, keeping track of that number is no minor feat. If He cares about something so tiny, what sense does it make to think there are things that happen in my life that are unimportant to Him?

3. "He deposes kings and raises up others" (Daniel 2:21b) When we like the person in power, we have a tendency to talk about how that person has been put in place by God. The thing is, every leader is in place because God allowed it. He uses the just and the corrupt for His purposes, no matter what. As followers of Christ, our job is to pray for those in positions of leadership, no matter what. Those prayers may change, but the general tone is the same--that those leaders would be instruments of God's righteousness, justice, and mercy.

4. Your worth is determined by Him. My aunt loves antiques. One day, she was telling my dad about something she had found in an antique shop, and how excited she was that no one had bought it before her. My dad was giving her a hard time (a duty brothers seem to delight in, no matter their age), saying it was probably still there because it cost too much. Her answer? "I guess they just didn't know what it was worth." The same is true about you--no matter how you feel about yourself, your worth was determined by the price that was paid for you. That price was a perfect life, sacrificed on a cross.

5. The only One who has the power to condemn you has already declared you "not guilty." We worry so much about being judged by others, but as followers of Christ we need to remember the words Paul shared in Romans 8:33 & 34. "Can anyone be so bold as to level a charge against God's chosen? Especially since God's 'not guilty' verdict is already declared. Who has the authority to condemn? Jesus the Anointed who died, but more importantly, conquered death when He was raised to sit at the right hand of God where He pleads on our behalf." That doesn't mean we have free reign to do whatever we want and live a life that runs counter to God's plan. It does mean, however, that when we mess up we have the guarantee that the blood of Christ has already covered it.

6. You are here--in this place in the world, at this very specific time--for a purpose. Psalm 139:16 says, "Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." In Acts 17:26 & 27, we're told, "From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, thought He is not far from any one of us." When God designed you, He did so for a very specific purpose. He chose the exact moment in time and the exact place on earth for you, and He chose you to be there for a reason. There is a part for you to play in His plan; you aren't here by accident or chance.

 

So as this year starts, with all its craziness, I want to leave you with a blessing:

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”
(Numbers 6:24-26)