Happy New Year!
Greetings in the name of the Father, the son, and the Holy Spirit.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” –Joshua 1:9
Every new year feels like a doorway. We stand with one foot in what has been and one foot in what has not yet arrived. Behind us now lies 2025—a year that can no longer be edited, revised, or undone. It has been set, almost fossilized, into the story of our lives.
For some, 2025 was marked by celebration. There were moments of laughter, milestones reached, goals accomplished. For others, it was a year of quiet pain—losses that reshaped daily life, disappointments that lingered long after the calendar turned, prayers whispered with no immediate answers.
Whether the memories of last year bring smiles or tears, one truth remains: the past cannot be changed. But it is not meaningless. It shapes us. It teaches us. It becomes the guide of the present and, in many ways, the parent of the future.
Now we step into 2026—not with certainty, but with questions.
We look around and see a world that feels increasingly fragile. Nations remain locked in conflict. Families across the globe wake up to sirens instead of alarms, to fear instead of routine. Economic pressures weigh heavily. Natural disasters remind us how little control we truly have. The news rarely pauses long enough to let us breathe.
In moments like these, courage can feel like an unrealistic expectation. Strength can feel like a luxury reserved for people with fewer worries, more resources, or clearer answers.
And yet, thousands of years ago, another man stood on a similar threshold. His name was Joshua. He was about to lead a people into an uncertain future, carrying the weight of expectations, fear, and responsibility. To him—and to us—God spoke words that still echo across time:
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
This is not a motivational slogan. It is a divine promise spoken into uncertainty. And it is where we begin.
1: The Command to Courage (Joshua 1:9)
When God told Joshua to be strong and courageous, it was not casual advice or a motivational slogan. It was a command—and it was repeated. Three times in one chapter, God spoke the same words to Joshua. That repetition matters, because repetition reveals both urgency and compassion. God knew Joshua’s heart. He knew the weight Joshua was carrying.
Joshua was stepping into a role once held by Moses—a leader whose name had become synonymous with deliverance, miracles, and authority. Moses had spoken with God face to face. Moses had parted seas and received the law. Now Moses was gone, and Joshua stood at the edge of a land he had never led anyone into before.
Joshua knew the stories.
He knew the expectations.
And he knew his own limitations.
God did not ignore Joshua’s fear. He did not say, “Don’t feel afraid,” or “Just try harder.” Instead, He addressed fear directly—not by removing it, but by placing something stronger beside it.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged…” (Joshua 1:9)
Biblical courage is not the absence of fear. It is obedience in the presence of fear. It is choosing to move forward when the outcome is unclear, when the risks feel real, and when confidence feels fragile. Courage is not bravado. It is trust expressed through action.
Many of us learned in 2025 that our own strength has limits. We reached breaking points we didn’t anticipate. Plans unraveled. Bodies weakened. Relationships strained under pressure. Some dreams stalled. Others quietly faded away.
Those moments expose a hard truth: self-reliance eventually runs out.
So when God says, “Be strong,” He is not pointing us inward, as though the solution lies buried somewhere deep inside us. He is pointing us outward—toward Himself.
The strength God commands is not something we generate.
It is something we receive.
Joshua’s courage did not come from believing in himself. It came from believing a promise:
“For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9b)
This is the foundation of biblical courage. The future does not have to be predictable because it is shared. The road ahead does not have to be safe because it is accompanied. God does not promise that the journey will be easy, but He does promise that it will not be lonely.
Throughout Scripture, God repeats this same assurance:
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” (Isaiah 43:2)
“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)
Courage grows not when circumstances improve, but when awareness of God’s presence deepens.
As we step into 2026, we may face new opportunities or unexpected challenges—new responsibilities or new grief. We may not know what the year holds, but we are not asked to know. We are asked to trust.
The command still stands.
The promise still holds.
And the presence of God still goes with us.
Be strong. Be courageous. You do not walk into the future alone.
2: The Reality of the Struggle (Ephesians 6:10–12)
Courage would not be necessary if life were easy. We would not need strength if there were nothing to withstand, nothing to endure, nothing to resist. The very call to courage tells us something important: the road ahead includes resistance.
The apostle Paul understood this well. He wrote these words not from a place of comfort, but from confinement. And from that place, he spoke a truth we often resist hearing:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12)
Paul is not denying that external problems exist. He is saying they are not the deepest problem. The real battle of 2026 is not only economic, political, relational, or cultural. Those are real pressures—but beneath them lies a deeper struggle, one that presses quietly and persistently on the heart and the mind.
This struggle often doesn’t announce itself loudly. It slips in subtly.
It sounds like discouragement that drains motivation.
It feels like bitterness that hardens compassion.
It shows up as anxiety that robs sleep and peace.
It whispers lies like, “You’re alone,” or “This will never change,” or “There’s no point in hoping anymore.”
These struggles are not imaginary. They are deeply real. Many carry them silently, assuming everyone else is handling life better. But Paul reminds us that if we misidentify the struggle, we will fight the wrong battles—and exhaust ourselves in the process.
When we believe people are the enemy, relationships fracture.
When we believe circumstances are the enemy, despair grows.
When we believe we must fix everything ourselves, weariness sets in.
The forces that shape despair want us divided, exhausted, and hopeless. They want the pain of the past to define the promise of the future. They want last year’s wounds to write this year’s story.
But God does not call us to denial. He does not minimize the struggle. He calls us to preparedness.
Paul begins this section with a clear directive:
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.” (Ephesians 6:10)
Once again, the source of strength is not internal. It is not willpower, optimism, or resilience alone. Strength is something we receive, not something we manufacture.
This matters because many of us enter a new year already tired. We feel worn down by responsibility, grief, uncertainty, or disappointment. The idea of “trying harder” feels impossible. And that is precisely where God meets us.
Scripture consistently reminds us:
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)
God does not shame us for weakness. He supplies strength for it.
To stand unshaken in an uncertain world, we must be honest about the struggle without surrendering to it. We must acknowledge that something deeper is at work—and that God has already made provision for it.
We are not called to fight alone.
We are not expected to be invincible.
We are invited to stand—supported, equipped, and sustained by a power greater than our own.
And that is where hope begins—not in pretending the struggle isn’t real, but in trusting that God’s strength is real enough to meet it.
3: The Equipment for the Journey (Ephesians 6:13–18)
Paul describes the life of faith using the image of armor—not because life is violent, but because life is contested. Every day brings pressures that pull at our thoughts, our emotions, and our sense of hope. To stand firm in such a world requires preparation—not anxiety, but readiness.
Paul writes,
“Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.” (Ephesians 6:13)
Notice the goal is not aggression, but endurance. Not domination, but steadiness.
A. The Belt of Truth
The belt holds everything together. Without it, the rest of the armor falls apart. In a world where opinions shift and narratives compete, truth becomes a stabilizing force. God’s truth grounds us when emotions run high and confusion presses in.
Jesus said,
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32)
Truth frees us from fear, from lies about ourselves, and from false promises that leave us empty. It reminds us who God is—and who we are in Him.
B. The Breastplate of Righteousness
The breastplate protects the heart. Guilt and shame aim directly for this vulnerable place. Many carry regrets from the past year—words spoken, choices made, moments missed. But Scripture reminds us that we are not defined by our failures.
Paul says elsewhere,
“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)
We do not stand before God in our own perfection. We stand clothed in His grace. That truth guards the heart against despair.
C. Feet Fitted with the Gospel of Peace
Peace is not passive. It moves us forward. It gives us footing when the ground feels unstable. This peace allows us to walk into difficult conversations, uncertain seasons, and broken places without being overwhelmed by fear.
Jesus promised,
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you.” (John 14:27)
This peace steadies our steps. It enables us to be present without panic, compassionate without collapse.
D. The Shield of Faith
Paul calls faith a shield because it intercepts what would otherwise wound us. Hardship still comes. Bad news still arrives. Doubts still surface. Faith does not stop the arrows—but it keeps them from piercing the heart.
“This is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4)
Faith reminds us that today’s moment is not the final chapter.
E. The Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit
The mind is a battlefield. Hope guards our thoughts. Salvation reminds us that our future is secure, even when the present feels uncertain.
And the Word of God—the sword of the Spirit—allows us to respond, not react. It cuts through confusion with clarity and darkness with light.
F. Prayer without ceasing for us and the fellow believers
Finally, Paul emphasizes prayer.
“Pray in the Spirit on all occasions.” (Ephesians 6:18)
Prayer is not a last resort; it is constant connection. It keeps us aligned, dependent, and aware that we are not standing alone.
We are equipped—not to escape the world, but to stand unshaken within it.
Summary: A Future Anchored in Grace
As we step into 2026, we do not erase 2025. We carry it with us—wisely, humbly, and honestly. We carry the lessons learned, the wounds that shaped us, and the moments of grace that sustained us when we didn’t think we would make it through.
The past teaches us what we could not learn any other way.
The present invites us to stand where we are—alert, grounded, and attentive.
And the future belongs, not to chance or chaos, but to God.
We are not defined by last year’s failures, nor are we imprisoned by its disappointments. Neither are we paralyzed by the uncertainties of what lies ahead. We stand anchored in grace—a grace that does not depend on perfect performance or predictable circumstances.
God calls us to courage, not because the world is safe, but because He is faithful. Courage is not pretending everything will be fine. It is choosing to trust when outcomes are unclear and the road ahead is unfamiliar.
We may not know what headlines await us. We do not know which doors will open or which will close. We do not know what challenges will test us or what joys will surprise us. But we know the One who holds history itself—the One who stands at the beginning and the end, steady and unchanging.
So we stand.
Not in our own strength, but in His sustaining power.
Not driven by fear, but guided by trust.
Not isolated, but accompanied by a God who walks with us step by step.
The same presence that went with Joshua into unfamiliar land,
the same strength that carried Paul through hardship,
goes with us into this new year.
“Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)
That promise does not expire. It carries us forward—anchored, steady, and unshaken in grace.
Let’s pray together.
Gracious God,
we come to You at the beginning of this new season with open hearts. You know what we carry—what we celebrate, what we grieve, and what we fear. We place it all in Your hands.
As we walk into the days ahead, help us to see the new thing You are doing, even when the path is not yet clear. When life feels like a wilderness, make a way. When our hearts feel dry, let Your living water renew us.
Give us courage when fear rises, peace when anxiety presses in, and strength when we feel weak. Teach us to stand firm—not in ourselves, but in You. Shape us into people who trust deeply, love generously, and walk steadily through uncertainty.
We move forward believing that You go with us, that You hold the future, and that Your faithfulness will meet us day by day.
We place our hope in You and step into this new year with trust.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen.
“See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.” – Isaiah 43:19