Volume 26, Issue 8
Page 16
WisconsinChristianNews.com
Living This Year For My Lord
By Emily Myers January 2026
Before His
what been
has
sang so many years ago — to live this day for Him.
face I see.
gra- ciously given. Over time, this practice softens bitter- n e s s , strengthens faith, and opens our eyes to the quiet mercies we might oth- erwise over- look.
When I was young, my mother would often wake us in the morning singing, “It’s a new day and I’m living it for my Lord.” At the time, I’m sure we didn’t always appre- ciate being woken that way, but those words have stayed with me. They come back to mind often, especially now. It is a new year, and once again I want to live it for my Lord. No matter what trials or troubles we face — whether close to home or unfolding around the world — God has seen fit to give us another year. That alone is a reason to give thanks. A new year represents a fresh opportu- nity, a quiet reminder that God is not finished yet. He still has work for His people to do. There is still a message to be shared, the good news that even in a broken and hurting world, there is hope. Jesus is still the answer. As we begin this year of 2026, we truly have much to be thankful for. Of all the blessings we could name, I believe the greatest is the as- surance that our Lord holds the future in His hands. The unknown is often unsettling, especially when the past year has been difficult, but Scrip- ture continually calls us back to trust. I’ve been thinking often of the words from the hymn written by Daniel Whittle: “I know not what of good or ill May be reserved for me, Of weary ways or golden days,
But I know Whom I have believed, And am persuaded that He is able To keep that which I’ve commit- ted Unto Him against that day.”
As the psalmist reminds us, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits.” May we carry that reminder with us into this year, choosing gratitude, trust, and faith — one day at a time. Emily Myers and her hus- band, Daniel, live on a small farm in Missouri where they homeschool their seven chil- dren. Emily is a Certified Pro- fessional Midwife. Together, Emily and Daniel co-au- thored “Expressions of Thanksgiving,” a family de- votional designed to cultivate hearts of gratitude through Scripture, song, and reflec- tion. Daniel also illustrated the book with his original art- work.
asking God to help you to be- come a more thankful per- son as the days unfold. Scripture gives us confi- dence that such a prayer is heard. “And this is the confi- dence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing ac- cording to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him.” (1 John 5:14–15). We can be certain that giving thanks is God’s will. Depending on the transla- tion, the Bible contains at least eighty references to “Give Thanks.” One of the most familiar reminds us plainly, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus con- cerning you.” (1 Thessalo- nians 5:18). Thankfulness does not require that everything be easy or pleasant. It calls us to recognize God’s good- ness even in the midst of difficulty. Gratitude has a way of redirecting our hearts — shifting our focus from what is lacking to
By the time you are reading this, the year is no longer brand new. The first day has passed, and perhaps the ex- citement has already begun to fade. But the truth re- mains: tomorrow is still a new day. And it is never too late to begin thanking the Lord. Each morning offers another opportunity to live that simple truth my mother
Those words speak such peace into uncertainty. We may not know what lies ahead — whether this year will bring weary ways or golden days — but we can know the One who walks with us through them all. Each of us comes into a new year differently. Some begin with excitement and hopeful anticipation. Others may greet it with little more than indifference, seeing it as just another turning of the calendar. And for some, a new year arrives carrying dread — uncertainty about health, finances, relation- ships, or circumstances that feel overwhelming. Wherever you find yourself, I believe there are still reasons to thank the Lord. If this year feels bleak to you already, what would you have to lose by beginning today and choosing to find at least one thing each day to give thanks for? I am not suggesting a rigid New Year’s resolution that quickly be- comes a burden. Rather, I am suggesting to start by
Made with FlippingBook Converter PDF to HTML5