Dec 31 2024

For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.

In this verse, we find a tender reminder that the Lord is always with us and we do not have to be afraid in any circumstances. Whatever we are facing today, the Lord is right next to us and will help us see it to the end. As we look ahead to the new year, we can remember that the Lord will be with us every single moment of the next 365 days of 2022.

One thing that stands out to me about this verse is how the Lord recognizes that the Israelites might be afraid. In the context of this chapter of Isaiah, the Israelites are facing battles with other nations. The Lord understands their fear, and instead of telling them they were wrong to be afraid or chiding them for their lack of faith, He simply reminds them that He is right there with them.

Today, whatever you are experiencing—whether on the highest peak of a mountain, in the lowest valley, or somewhere in between—the Lord is willing to hold your hand. He does not look down on you for your weakness; in fact, he will help you overcome it. Whatever you are experiencing, you never have to face it alone. The very God of the universe loves you and will walk side by side with you.

We need to remember, though, that God will only hold our hand if we extend it to Him. He will not forcefully grab our hand to take control—but when we offer it to Him, He will gladly take it. We do not have to provide anything except our willingness to be helped by the Lord and He will answer and help us.

Think about beginning 2022 with your hands open. We will need the Lord even more than we realize, so go ahead and commit yourself to rely on Him to help you through everything. Know that He will be with you and that because of His presence, you have no reason to fear. Instead, look forward to the brand-new year with joy and anticipation because you will discover more and more the almighty power of the Lord.

Dear Lord, I thank you that you care about my fears and that when I think about you, they all go away. Your name makes my fears vanish because I remember that you are so much more powerful than all of them. Help me to cling to you in 2022, firmly rooted in who you are. In Jesus' name, amen.

Dec 30 2024

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. :

In Psalm 23, we have a meditation on the goodness of the Lord. Even though our lives may be difficult, we can look forward to the day when we dwell in the house of the Lord forever. We also know that the Lord's goodness and mercy will surround us.

Think about the goodness and mercy that the Lord has already shown us through Jesus. There was no way we could ever have a relationship with Him, but He came down to us and was the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He paid the debt that none of us could have paid, the debt that would have left us eternally separated from the Lord. Then, He opened up our hearts to receive salvation. If this were the only goodness and mercy that the Lord ever showed us, we would have abundant cause to rejoice for the rest of our lives.

But it doesn't end there. We will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. We will be restored to His name in all the wholeness and completion that existed before sin came into the world. We have the assurance of full restoration.

It's easy to let our minds drift away from the promises of God. This world bombards us, and the Adversary would like nothing more than for us to forget about Psalm 23 and the peace that it offers us in every circumstance. The best way to keep rejoicing and thinking about the goodness of the Lord is to memorize verses like this one and to recite them throughout the day.

Print some of your favorite verses and leave them in your car to read while waiting at a stop light. Take screenshots and use them as your phone's background. Follow Godly pages on social media so you are truly dwelling in the Lord's faithfulness on a day-to-day basis. Immersing yourself in God's Word will change the way you live your life because you will be able to align your emotions with the truth and the hope in this Psalm and on every page of the Bible. It will open your eyes to the realities of His goodness and mercy.

Dear Lord, I thank you for the love that you show me on every page of the Bible. I want to immerse myself in your promises, resting—truly resting—in your demonstrated faithfulness. I love you, Jesus, and I thank you for the goodness and faithfulness that you have shown me all the days of my life. In your name, amen.