The beginning of a new year often brings a mixture of hope and hesitation. We step forward with plans, prayers, and expectations, yet beneath them lie questions we cannot answer. What will this year hold? Will provision be enough? Will strength last? Will prayers finally be answered? Scripture does not pretend that these questions do not exist. Instead, it directs our attention away from the uncertainty of the future and toward the faithfulness of the One who already stands there. Confidence for the new year is not found in knowing what will happen, but in knowing who holds what will happen.
David’s declaration, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1, KJV), is not rooted in predictable circumstances. It is rooted in a relationship. A shepherd does not abandon his sheep when the terrain becomes difficult or the weather turns harsh. He leads, protects, and provides because the sheep belong to him. To approach the new year with confidence is to remember that we belong to God. Our future is not unmanaged or accidental; it is overseen by a faithful Shepherd who knows every need before it arises and every challenge before it appears.
Fear often grows when we try to carry tomorrow with today’s strength. Jesus warned against this burden when He reminded His followers that tomorrow will take care of itself (Matthew 6:34). God does not ask us to have faith for an entire year all at once. He provides daily grace, daily provision, and daily guidance. Confidence comes when we learn to trust God one step at a time. Even when the path ahead is unclear, His presence remains constant (Hebrews 13:6). He has never failed to take care of His own, and He will not begin now.
As the new year unfolds, confidence does not mean the absence of difficulty; it means the presence of trust. It is the quiet assurance that whatever comes, God will meet us there. He will provide wisdom when decisions are difficult, peace when uncertainty rises, and strength when endurance is required. To walk into the new year with confidence is to say, “I do not know what lies ahead, but I know the God who goes before me.” And that knowledge is enough to steady the heart, silence fear, and step forward in faith.
To you and yours, I wish you God’s very best for 2026.
