by Pastor Douglas Brauner

Hope for 2026

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’”
Revelation 21:5 New International Version

A blessed new year to all of you!

Not all of us respond the same way to this declaration. Some of us don’t like new things and saying goodbye to the past is difficult. It means that we are another year older and another year closer to the grave. A new year might bring with it a sense of dread for some of us. I had two sisters who did not live past their sixties and this year I will turn seventy. Will I make it?

You might be thinking, “Well that’s a cheery way to start a New Year’s devotion!” You find yourself grateful that 2025 is over. Things look better for your life, and you are hopeful that significant changes are on the horizon. It is an exciting time for you. A new job, a new adventure, a new relationship, give you hope that 2026 is going to be a wonderful year.

Then there are those of us who are somewhere in the middle. There might be some trepidation concerning 2026, some fear that things might go sideways, yet we also hold out hope that better circumstances await us in the coming year.

No matter whether you are fearful of what might happen, rejoice over the possibilities for 2026, or find yourself somewhere in the middle, Jesus’ promise reminds you that he is always in the process of making things new. It doesn’t mean that all things will go well, but that our time is in his hands (Psalm 31:15). God takes the good things and the rotten things and uses them for good even when you can’t see it, even when you rebel against it (Romans 8:28).

Once again, a blessed and happy new year to all of you no matter what 2026 brings.

Copyright Family of Christ Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado