A NewYear is upon us. 1-1-26. January 1, 2026. Any way we write it we have a clean slate ahead of us ready to be filled with good things. Will the year go as quickly as 2025 did? What is ahead? Only God knows what is for us in 2026. God knows the path we will walk in 2026. There will be joys and sorrows, wellness and sickness, successes and challenges. Only God knows.
My usual activity for January 1 is to fill out my paper calendar with birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, days I want to remember. I enjoy this little task of looking ahead. I don't usually make a New Years resolution, though there are many things I need to work on to make me a better Christian wife, mother, sister, and friend. I pray that God helps me make some real changes that I haven't been successful at in the past year. Change is hard.
My prayer for 2026 is that God will be first in my life, every day. That His Word will live in my heart and be reflected in all that I say and do. If only that would be my resolution to keep in 2026.
Back to the story in Bethlehem:
"When he (Herod) had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. "In Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, " they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
"'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"
Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him," (Matthew 2:4-8 NIV).
This scripture ends with Herod's lie. He didn't want to worship Jesus. He planned to kill him. The prophecy given was from Micah 5:2, written seven centuries before. The Word came alive when Jesus was born.
Heavenly Father, we thank You for sending Your Son as a baby born in Bethlehem. Hope came alive in the birth of Your Son. We still hope for the return of Your Son on that Great Day when You return to judge all people. We confess our sins before You and trust in You for redemption. We long for the day when we will see you face-to-face. We pray in the great Name of Jesus, Amen.
