LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil_

Thursday 1st January 2026
 

WELCOME TO A NEW YEAR

Scripture Reading:* Joshua 3

Then the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan; and all Israel crossed over on dry ground, until all the people had crossed completely over the Jordan._  Joshua 3:17

Welcome to the New Year! This is a new beginning. Every New Year signals a new opportunity for us to experience God’s grace in a fresh new way. Today, we stand at the beginning of a Year of Increase.
 
Usually, the last part of the year is full of activities and anticipation and then the New Year dawns and everything goes quiet. We enter, we pause and we think about what to do with the next 365 days.
 
There are three important expressions of the heart that can equip all of us to begin this New Year on a good note, enjoy a fulfilling year and end it well.
 
The first important expression is gratitude to God for the gift of life and the privilege of encountering a new year. Our lives and the dawn of this day are both gifts from the Lord, which must not be taken for granted.
 
Secondly, we must express confidence in the goodness of God. Many begin the New Year with anxiety, fearful of all the uncertainties ahead. But when we trust the promise of the Lord to ‘crown the year with (His) goodness’, our faith must rise in expectancy. His plans for us are for good and not for evil.
 
And finally, we must express our faith in God through prayer for His guidance in all the choices and decisions we will have to make throughout the year. When the Lord guides and orders our steps, He will navigate our paths past every trap set for us and bring us to the expected end.

Prayer:

 Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of life and a New Year. I bring my life and that of my family under your covering, in Jesus’ name, Amen.