How God’s Faithfulness Meets You in the New Year

Be honest: How are you walking into 2026?

Maybe—for some of us—walking isn’t precisely the right term. Maybe it could be better described as a sort of jilted dragging; an awkward, fumbling forward motion that reflects the stress and exhaustion of the last few months.

But even if this last year was more struggle than success, even if you feel worn down and anxious about the challenges to come in the months ahead, allow me to encourage you with a few foundational truths that never change, regardless of the season and regardless of your personal feelings and circumstances.

God is good.

As Christians, we all know this in a general sense. We affirm it to each other every Sunday; we say it when something really wonderful happens to us; we plaster it on bumper stickers and coffee mugs and wall decor. But even though we encounter these words so frequently, do we really understand them? Do we really believe them? How many times have you, like the psalmist in Psalm 13, fallen to your knees in worship in the midst of grief? Personally, I struggle to do that. I am much more prone to asking God “Why?” than I am to thanking Him for His goodness amid my suffering. But David reminds himself (and his readers for generations to come) that even when we feel forgotten by God, we can be assured of His “steadfast love” and “salvation,” that He has “dealt bountifully” with us even when our circumstances feel the opposite of bountiful (Psalm 13:5–6, ESV). Sometimes—for humans corrupted by sin—that goodness will feel confusing; even painful. His goodness does not mean that He will pluck every thorn from our flesh or keep us from every earthly pain, but rather that He remains faithfully present with us through our trials and has promised us a future where tears and anguish will be no more (Revelation 21:4).

God will never be anything but good to you, because He Himself is goodness.

God is sovereign.

As we consider God’s goodness, it should comfort us greatly that He is also sovereign—that we have a good King on the throne. But looking back on a politically and culturally tumultuous year can sometimes probe us to wonder if God is really in control—if He’s really watching and working the way Scripture says He is. We wonder: If God is sovereign, why is He allowing this?

It is undeniably true that sin (and therefore, suffering) runs rampant in our fallen world—and when it comes to the question of “Why?” we will not be given all the answers on this side of eternity. But we can have confidence in God’s goodness and sovereignty because He has already overcome the world (John 16:33) by sending His Son to atone for the sins of mankind. Though human beings often use their free will to inflict pain and seek power, God Himself has entered into that suffering in order to deliver His people from it. The God of all creation—of whom David proclaims in Psalm 24, “The earth and everything in it, the world and its inhabitants, belong to the LORD”—is surely held secure in His hand.

He has overcome sin and death on our behalf; so we can trust that He is in control (even when we don’t understand His ways).

God is with you.

If these past twelve months have been full of challenges, you may have doubted God’s presence with you. It’s a lie I have been tempted to believe many times—and I think it’s a natural human reaction when we come face-to-face with the darker seasons of life. But whatever obstacles you’ve faced this year, know that God has been with you through them all. Whether His presence felt palpable and immediate or you struggled to feel Him at all, He was—and is—walking with you. The reality of God’s nearness is not dictated by your feelings; they are some of the best deceivers. If His Spirit indwells you, then you have Him, now and forevermore.

Remember Matthew 28:20 (ESV), in which Christ our Lord reminds His disciples: “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

You are His and He is yours—and there is nothing that can snatch you from His hand or pull you from His presence. He is with you now, and He will continue to be with you in the months and years to come, and indeed, for the rest of your days henceforth. He will never stop being your Father. He will never stop drawing near to you out of His radical love for you.

Store these words deep in your heart as the new calendar year approaches: I am with you always, to the end of the age.

Reflecting on 2025

As you look back on 2025, I encourage you to spend some time reflecting upon the ways in which you saw the three truths above—God’s goodness, God’s sovereignty, and God’s presence—in your life this past year. (It might be helpful to grab a journal and carve out special space in your schedule for this—even if it’s just fifteen minutes!)

Consider:

How was God good to you this year? How did His goodness shine in a difficult circumstance? When did His goodness cause you to rejoice?
How have you seen God’s hand working in your life or in the world this year? How can you remind yourself of His sovereignty even when things feel hopeless?
In what ways have you felt God’s presence this year? How can you remind yourself of His nearness when He feels far?

A Prayer for the End of the Year

You can’t go wrong entering the new year with a prayer on your lips. Even if that prayer is full of lament—full of “Why?”—or expressing your anxieties for the year ahead. He wants to hear it all. The eloquent, the messy, the broken. Each word you offer Him is precious to His ears, so don’t hold back.

If you’d like a little structure, consider praying the following prayer to get you started:

Heavenly Father,

You have brought me to this moment; You have walked with me along paths both smooth and rocky over these last twelve months, and yet even when I slipped, Your loving arms held me steady. Even when I wept, You beheld me with compassion and Your gentle hand caught each one of my tears.

Thank You for never leaving my side—for not once giving me cause to doubt You. For though I am lowly and sinful, and do not always understand your wisdom, You delight in lavishing me with Your love. You insist on sheltering my soul in the shadow of your wings.

You have been nothing but good to me, O Lord; You have been nothing but Faithful and True. Your sovereignty in all creation shouts of your Kingship—yet in Your royal robes You still stoop to comfort me. You still deign to pick me up when I fall.

Father, help me to enter this new year fully aware of your presence. Help me to take the lessons you taught me over the last year into the following months and years of my life, and guide me in Your wisdom.

Help me to be holy as you are holy. Help me to grow in compassion toward my fellow creatures; in discernment when big decisions loom; in gratitude for all the blessings I have and do not deserve; and finally, in devotion to You, the Restorer of all things broken and the Redeemer of my very soul.

I pray that this new year reveals to me new depths of your love and mercy so that I might reflect Your image to the rest of the world.

In the name of your precious Son, Jesus Christ, and through His Spirit, I lift up my prayer to your ear. Thank you for hearing these humble words.

Amen.

Additional Resources for Walking With God in the New Year:

A Year in the Bible \| 4 Volume Bundle	Eden to Eternity 365-Day Devotional	Christ in All of Scripture \| 4 Volume Set \| Year-Long Bible Study	Seasons Change, God Remains - The Daily Grace Co. Blog
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