A New Year, God is Still Faithful
Thursday’s Verses:
From Lamentations 3:22–23 ESV
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22–23)
The calendar page turns, and we call it a new year. We celebrate it with new planners, hushed resolutions, or a long sigh of relief after a long season. New Year’s Day can feel hopeful, but it can feel honest, too. We bring gratitude for what’s been good, and regret for what’s fallen short. We carry both of those to God.
It’s there that this day begins for us. Not with the promises we make to God but with the promises God has already kept.
The Bible does not say that everything will be new because we try harder this year. It says God’s mercy is new every morning. Before we take one single step into this year, God has already met us with forgiveness, patience, and grace. We stand at the beginning of January, the same as we stand every day of our lives: justified by grace alone, for the sake of Christ.
Luther once wrote that the Christian life is “a daily repentance.” That means every day is a kind of New Year’s Day. Each morning we drown the old Adam in repentance and rise again as new creatures in Christ. Today simply makes that truth easier to see.
We do not know what this year will bring. There will be joys we can’t yet imagine, and crosses we would never choose. But we do know this: Christ will go with us. The same Lord who carried us through last year’s sins and sorrows will carry us through this one as well.
So we begin the year not with fear or pressure but with trust. God is faithful. His Word still stands. His mercy is still new. And that is enough for today.
✝️ A Prayer for Today:
Lord God, as we begin this new year, we thank you for your faithfulness that does not change. Forgive us for the sins of the past year, known and unknown. Renew us by your Spirit, keep us grounded in your Word, and lead us in the way of Christ. Whatever this year brings, help us to trust that we belong to you. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
The photo above was created by ChatGPT.