By Bethany Riehl
Welcome, my friends, to the year of our Lord, 2026.
Can you believe it? How are you feeling? Maybe you’re apprehensive. Maybe you’re excited.
Maybe you’re just thankful to have all of the decorations back in the garage.
Me? I’m a sucker for a new year, making plans and resolutions, dreaming dreams – essentially, I’m the exact target audience for those useless-but-oh-how-tempting yearly planners.
I’ve bought – and within weeks forgotten about – several through the years.
Although at this moment, I stand before you (metaphorically) with a handful of markers in one fist and a Fitbit in the other, I really only have a small idea of what this year will hold – I don’t have a big picture view. Neither do you.
But there is One who knows completely.
God planned each day before the foundation of the world. He knows the end from the beginning. And no matter what may come, He and His plans for you and for me are good.
At the end of Numbers 6, Moses gives Aaron, the high priest, a blessing to say over the people as he made the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offering.
This is my prayer for all of us this next year:
“The LORD bless you and keep you…”
It’s easy to look to the world for accolades, assurances, and answers. But who better to receive a blessing from than our Creator? He who took on flesh and did not despise us, but entered the dirt and grime with us, in order to lift us out of it by living the life we couldn’t, paying the debt we owed, and rising from the dead to give us new life? We once were lost in our sin, living in darkness, separated from the blessing and keeping of God.
But “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
If He is for us, who can be against us? No matter what may come, if we are His, we know that the Lord has taken care of our greatest need: to be cleansed from our sin and reconciled to Him. If the world curses us, we need not fear. We have the Almighty God blessing us.
If we lose everything, He keeps us tight in His hand. Nothing shall sweep us away.
“…The LORD make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you…”
God’s face is toward those He loves. He considers them, knows them, cares intimately for them. May we walk in His light, knowing with full assurance that God is in our corner. Let’s seek His face; He’s shining it upon us.
“And those who know Your name put their trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You” (Psalm 9:10).
“…the LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Psalm 139 gives us a picture of what it looks like for God’s countenance to be upon us. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows our motives even better than we do. In Charles Spurgeon’s sermon, “The Incarnation and Birth of Christ,” he says this: “Not only when you were born into the world did Christ love you, but His delights were with the sons of men before there were any sons of men…I am sure He would not love me so long, and then leave off loving me.”
God’s great love toward us is from everlasting to everlasting – what greater peace can be given?
I wrote earlier of a bright excitement heading into this year. And while I have my work schedule planned out, a few resolutions taped to the mirror, and a pocketful of dreams I’m dreaming, I know that this year is going to be difficult in many ways. There are big changes coming in our family that will require resilience, patience, and a true reliance on prayer. I am not naïve enough to think that my plans will in any way come through; I’ve lived long enough to know that the LORD is in the heavens and does what He pleases (Psalm 115:3).
And He has every right.
If I find the tasks He sets before me to be heavy, I can know that He is truly the one doing the heavy lifting, giving me just enough weight to build up necessary spiritual muscles.
He will bless me and keep me.
If He showers me with earthly blessings I am not expecting, I will be ready to praise Him with a song of thanksgiving.
He will make His face to shine upon me and give me peace.
I can do this – and so can you – because He is a great and gracious God. And if you need help remembering – as I often have – go to Psalm 103 and sit in it until it seeps deep down in your heart and you can say with David, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfied you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalm 103:1-5).
He will lift up His countenance upon us and give us peace.
No death, no lay off, no broken heart, no broken bone, no financial loss, no law, no hardship, tragedy, or joy or gain, or any good thing for that matter will take any of that away. It is true all the time: the LORD forgives, heals, redeems, crowns, and satisfies. This year and all the rest.
Bethany Riehl lives in the Treasure Valley with her husband, three kids, and a dog. She writes articles and fictional novels when she can, and her one desire is to point others to the love and sufficiency of Jesus Christ.
