Are you discouraged or afraid of what awaits us in this new year? Perhaps while others are singing “Happy New Year,” you are entering this year with worry about what’s around the corner for us in this journey of life.
I think being a worrywart is my life’s default mode. It can weigh my heart down so much that I have trouble remembering how strong God is to overcome the giants blocking the way. I compare myself with the giants instead of comparing the giants with God.
I’m learning step by step to trust God and His all-sufficient grace more than the giants. And more than my feelings. My feelings can sway with the wind and can be misleading. They can cause me to cower and curl up in a ball of defeat when the giants overshadow me. They tell me that God has forgotten to be merciful in this world.
Not true! God’s Almighty power, love, and faithfulness never sway or change. God is loyal, constant, and steadfast. He was faithful in the past, He will be faithful today, and He will remain faithful in our future. He still has this whole world and every single heart in His hands.
So does He condemn us when we do worry? Never! There is NO condemnation in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) Others may tell us worry is a sin and we should “just have faith,” making our burdens even greater. But God knows how weak and frail we humans can be. He understands us more than anyone. His patience with us is bottomless. His love for us never lessens when we slip into worry or distrust of His plans.
Isn’t His love amazing?! No matter what we do or don’t do, He just keeps on drawing us into His love and inviting us to surrender our anxiety and burdens into His Almighty Hands and His all-sufficient grace.
“Come to Me,
all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28
We cannot know what will happen this year, and it’s a good thing we don’t. But God always knows. He has plans for each and every one of us. Plans to prosper us and not to harm us. Plans to give us a hope and a future.
Does this mean there won’t be struggles, losses, or pain in our lives? Definitely not. Here we will have trouble. But the wonder is that even when it “feels” like God’s designs are against us, the absolute truth is that He is still working out everything towards our good.
The hope and future He plans to give us may seem a long time coming. But it will come, because He is a faithful Promise-Keeper. Someday our journeys here will end in a most glorious conclusion.
Meanwhile, may we take His hand and follow Him wherever He may lead us in this year, remembering that He has promised to be our refuge through all the storms in life and our Almighty strength in all our weakness. We are safe in His hands. He has proved that in the past, and He will continue to be our help today and in the future.
“God is our refuge and strength [mighty and impenetrable],
A very present and well-proved help in trouble.”
Psalm 46:1 AMP
“You Raise Me Up”
by Josh Groban
“When I am down and, oh, my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until You come and sit awhile with me.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong when I am on Your shoulders;
You raise me up to more than I can be…”
Freed to Fly 
Thanks for this encouragement today, Trudy! I have been worrying far too much lately and this is true for me too: “I compare myself with the giants instead of comparing the giants with God.” It is reassuring to know that God knows what lies ahead even when we don’t, and that his power is greater than anything we will face. Love and hugs to you!
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I’m so grateful you are encouraged today, Lesley. I definitely need to remind myself more to compare the giants with God. Yes, His power is always greater! Love and hugs to you, too! May we together remember to keep our focus on God!
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Such beautiful and inspiring words to start out the New Year, Trudy! Yes, we can trust always in God and His love for us no matter what the coming days may bring. Boy, did I ever learn that lesson in 2017! I must admit, I’m praying those giants don’t appear again, but if they do, I will lean into the One who can save me.
Blessings for 2018!
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I’m so grateful you are inspired, Martha. Yes, you certainly learned in the past year to trust God and His love no matter what. I pray you both will have the blessing of good health this year, both physically and spiritually. When the giants appear in our lives, may our automatic response be to lean into our powerful God who alone can rescue us!
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I can be a worrywort too. Thank you for setting it straight with Truth Trudy! May the Spirit’s effervescence fill you with all Joy and Peace in the coming year!
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It sounds like we both have to keep reminding ourselves of the Truth, Deb. Thank you for your prayer! I hope the same for you! May the Spirit’s effervescence guide us always!
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Oh, yes… been there, done this… but thankful to God that He has everything in control even when my faith falters. Beautiful post, Trudy! And you have included one of my favorite songs as well. I’m going to play that on repeat today as I meditate on the truths you’ve shared here! Huge hugs to you dear Trudy! ❤
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Thank you, Lynn. Huge hugs to you, too! Yes, it’s such a comfort to know God has everything under control even when our faith falters. He’s got us! I love this song, too! When our hearts are burdened and we feel so weak, may we be still and know He is God, and may we wait for Him to sit with us and raise us up again!
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“I compare myself with the giants instead of comparing the giants with God.” I love that line Trudy. How true! In a devotional I read today the focus was on how big our God is. There is nothing that can be happening that can sway our God from us. It really is the inner hope in our hearts that God gives us that keeps our peace even if there are giants at the door, isn’t it? Also, thank you for the Christmas message you sent to me! Such sunshine you always are!
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Thank you for your kind words and for sharing about the devotion you read today, Lynn. It’s such a comfort to know that NOTHING can sway away our God from us, isn’t it? Which devotional are you reading? May we together remember to compare the giants with God instead of ourselves with the giants!
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Such truth, Trudy. Thank you so much for this encouragement. I too struggle- so easily let myself slip into being a “stressed bunny” – and what for?! He is much bigger than any of our fears/worries, isn’t He?! We see the problems, He sees how He is going to walk us through and grow us in the process – and can reveal that vision of His to us when we stop and sit at His feet. Oh how much I need to do that – turn each worry into a prayer (as a friend reminded me to do recently). Thank you so much for your sweet encouragement here.
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I’m so grateful you are encouraged here, Anna. I know what you mean by being a “stressed bunny.” I am so prone to get overwhelmed by the problems. Thank you for your thoughts on what He sees, how He is going to walk us through and grow us in the process. May we together sit at His feet, see through His perspective, and turn each worry into a prayer!
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Dear Trudy,
Oh, I have been speaking these same thoughts lately: “He was faithful in the past, He will be faithful today, and He will remain faithful in our future. He still has this whole world and every single heart in His hands.” What a sweet confirmation to read them here! I am so grateful that He sees our worries, and meets us right there to show us His Strength and Help. Thank you for your sweet encouragement from the Lord today! Hugs and Love to you!
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I am so grateful God sent you a sweet confirmation of His faithfulness, Bettie. And it warms my heart that you have had the same thoughts lately. 🙂 It’s a wonder how willingly He meets us where we are and gives us His Strength and Help, isn’t it? It amazes me that He not only is willing, but He delights to do so, even when we doubt Him. Such unconditional love! Hugs and love to you, too! No matter what, may we lean into His faithful love!
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Keep encouraging, Trudy. God bless you, this post and the ones to come, plus all those who read your words of truth.
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Thank you so much for your encouragement and for your asking God to bless not only me, but also readers who come here. Is Corazon your first name or last? I tried to find your actual name, but I couldn’t, so I hope it’s ok when I call you Corazon? I love your photos and reflections. May God bless you and your readers, too! May His Name be glorified in all we post!
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My name is Lidia Martinez Hu. Corazon, is where I write from, the heart. ❤ 🙂
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Corazon actually means the heart! That’s beautiful, Lidia. Thank you for sharing its meaning and your name. 🙂 May we all write from the heart! ❤️
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Hi Trudy,
Happy new year! I can so relate to worries and fears seeming to take precedence over hope and faith that it’s a challenge to fix my eyes on God, knowing that he is sovereign over all that happens in our lives. I’m so grateful that he shelters us and cares for us as we step into 2018 and if we keep our gaze on him, he will walk with us through whatever the new year holds for us. Praying for abundant blessings for you! xoxo
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Hi Valerie! Yes, it truly is a challenge to fix our eyes on God in hope and faith instead of worrying and fearing. I’m so grateful, too, that He shelters us and cares for us! Thank you for praying for me. I pray you also may receive abundant blessings! xoxo to you, too! May we remind each other this year to keep our gaze on God!
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Beautiful truths shared here, Trudy! They speak straight to my heart. This verse has taken on deeper meaning the longer I walk with Jesus. The thing I keep coming to with Jeremiah 29:11 is that God’s plans are always good, but that doesn’t mean they are always easy to swallow or accept. We may not always understand the whys of the things He allows into our lives, but when we are choosing to believe the truth of who He is we can accept the hard that He allows into our lives.
Happy New Year, sweet friend!
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Thank you, Jeanne. Happy New Year to you, too! Isn’t it amazing how God leads us deeper into a verse’s meaning? I am learning the same – “that God’s plans are good, but that doesn’t mean they are always easier to swallow or accept.” Through whatever hard God allows in our lives this year, may our hearts rest on that truth of who He is!
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New Year’s Blessings, friend! I fully understand how worry / fear / anxiety can so easily become our default mode. It’s so easy to lapse into that mindset. Thank you for pointing the way out, the way forward, the way to the One who frees us from our selves.
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Thank you, Linda. New Year’s Blessings to you, too! I love how you put it – “the way out, the way forward, the way to the One who frees us from ourselves.” Yes! In this coming year, may we remember the One who can change our default mode from worry/fear/anxiety to a childlike trust in Him and His plans!
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Wonderfully encouraging, Trudy! You may enjoy reading Joy’s post if you haven’t already. She writes about being rooted in Someone so much stronger than ourselves. I love when God confirms His truth through so many of my special friends —- > like YOU! Blessings!
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I’m so grateful you are encouraged, June. I follow Joy’s posts, too. Yes, I did enjoy the one about being rooted in Someone so much stronger than ourselves. Often God confirms some Truth in my heart, too, through special friends. I could say also – like YOU! 🙂 May we cling to our God who is stronger than anything that may happen to us or in our world!
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Hi Trudy! You make such a great point about people who say we sin when we have a hard time trusting. We ALL struggle with trust, it’s being human.
I did read on another blog that when we are caught in the storm, Jesus gets in the boat with us. So I know he’s with you right now as you face your storms and challenges.
I also have a hard time letting go of the past sometimes, because if we give evil an inch, he’ll take a mile, that’s for sure. But with Jesus with us, nothing will harm us. And we won’t even give an inch!
Blessings and grace on your new year my friend!
Ceil
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Thank you for these comforting thoughts and blessings, Ceil. I pray blessings and grace on your new year, too! I love that Jesus will not leave us, no matter what storms and challenges we face. May we continually take our eyes off the storm and fix them on Jesus who longs to sit in the boat with us!
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