Hello ,
A new year does not arrive with fireworks in Scripture.
It arrives quietly.
God does not often announce new beginnings with spectacle; He invites people to move forward one step at a time.
When Israel stood at the edge of the Jordan River, nothing about the moment felt dramatic.
The water still flowed.
The future was still uncertain.
Yet God gave a simple instruction: move forward.
The Lord said to Joshua, “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Joshua 1:9).
Notice what God does not
promise.
He does not say the road will be easy, predictable, or free of resistance.
He promises presence.
Courage is not the absence of fear—it is movement in the presence of God.
History reminds us that meaningful progress rarely begins with certainty. In January of 1776, the American colonies were fractured, outmatched, and unsure of survival. Yet Thomas Paine wrote, “These are the times that try men’s
souls.” Progress came not because fear disappeared, but because people chose to act despite it. Scripture affirms this pattern repeatedly.
Paul echoes this posture when he writes, “Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus” (Philippians 3:13–14).
New years are not invitations to erase the past; they are invitations to stop letting the past dictate the future.
2026 does not require
perfection.
It requires God's empowerment to obey.
It requires courage to step forward even when clarity is incomplete. God does not ask you to see the entire path—only to trust Him with the next
step.
As this year begins, release the pressure to have everything figured out. God is already ahead of you. Walk forward with steadiness, humility, and trust.
The One who called you forward walks with
you still.
Have a great 2026, and God bless!
Pastor Mike / The Open Word
