The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness. –Lamentations 3:22-23

These are good verses to contemplate as we enter a New Year. The Lord’s mercies and His grace did not end in 2025. We will receive new and continuing mercies each morning in 2026. Great is God’s faithfulness!

I am thankful for that. The last few months of last year for me were rather challenging on many levels and very blessed in other ways. You might have sensed the challenging part by the lack of blogs for Living Letters in past months. I took a much-needed respite over the holidays. I’ve reached the age when the most restful thing I can think of is sitting (or napping) in my cozy apartment, quiet music playing in the background, and something awesome to read or an old movie to watch. Even better when there are Christmas decorations all around and something chocolate to munch on. 

But yesterday I was reminded in church that most likely 2025 hadn’t turn out as we [I] expected or necessarily wished and indeed it didn’t for me. It was hectic and stressful in a lot of ways. Yet, I could count on the faithfulness of God through it all. The same can be said on all counts for 2026. There is no way for us [me] to know or see the outcome of this new year. There is, however, a safe place to endure whatever happens and that involves trusting Jesus.

Two days ago, I was at a loss for what to write here. But hearing that scripture and the words said with them yesterday inspired me back to reality. I have often used Colossians 1:9-13 as a starter for my morning prayers, particularly in praying for my family, which is a rather large group for those of you who may not know. (I have seven biological children, one awesome stepson, 25 grandchildren, not to mention five foster grandchildren and two foster great grandchildren. Of course, there are spouses as well and then last month I became a great grandma through the bloodline although there was already a step-great granddaughter.) As you can imagine, my prayer list is rather lengthy.

As a New Year begins, I want to pose these verses in the form of questions so that we might all take inventory as we begin to journey through the next year. 

1. What is God’s will for me? Notice Paul’s immediate answer: to “… be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…” Our Lord makes His general will for His people plainly known in His Word. It’s hard to miss what He wants for us if we are habitually in His Word. The spiritual wisdom and understanding are part of our spiritual heritage as we seek His will for us. Not what we want for ourselves, but what He wants for us which requires obedience to His will. Make a plan for reading Scripture every day in 2026.
2. Am I seeking God’s will? Or usurping His with mine? As Paul puts it: “…walking in a manner worthy of the Lord…” To be worthy is to seek Him by remembering and not taking for granted what He has done for me. No other answer exists that surpasses God’s only Son laying down His life, bearing the death my sin deserves, freeing me from its consequences, imparting His own righteousness to me, giving me His constant presence, and bringing me into eternal life with Him. No way am I worthy of that but all I can do is present myself a “living sacrifice” for His glory. May I recall these things quickly every day of 2026.
3. Today, is my aim to please God? “Fully please Him’’ as Paul puts it. Do my desires and my goals for each day reflect a desire to please Him? Especially in my interactions with others—those who are close to me as well as those I might just bump into in a day. Oh, that I would remember Who I belong to each day, that I am not my own, that I was bought for a price.
4. Am I doing good work? Does what I accomplish reflect Jesus, does it cause others to acknowledge Him and Who He is, or do I seek my own praise and glory? Do I think I am pretty good at what I do because of who I am or what I know or because of the abilities God has graciously given me? Do I fail to see that God has given me abilities and often feel a complete failure? “Oh, for grace to trust Him more” in these matters every day.
5. How can my knowledge of God increase? The answer to question one assured us that God is able to completely fill us with His Spirit, which includes His love and His wisdom and understanding. Nevertheless, our hearts should constantly be crying out for more, the reaction we often give the less important good things in life. Just as we want to know more about those we cherish most, spending more time with them, pleasing them, and bringing joy to ourselves at the same time. May I love Jesus better daily in 2026.
6. Am I operating In Christ’s power? Paul’s prayer for the Colossians in verse 11: “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy…” It is difficult to even surmise a tiny bit the effects that His power can have on us. Ah, but I have experienced it at hard times when there was nothing left of my own strength. At the death of loved ones, a divorce, financial trials, struggles of those I love, finishing difficult tasks, and much more. To call on it daily for all tasks should be our desire. May I endure all that comes my way in 2026 with patience and joy by the strength of Christ’s glorious might. 
7. Am I thankful in this moment? Oh, I certainly should be! For I have been qualified by God the Father “to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” –Colossians 1:12-14. May my heart be full of thanksgiving to this glorious God throughout 2026!

“O you, who has taught us to seek first your kingdom and its righteousness, teach me to say, “Your will be done,” before I say, “Give me my daily bread.” Teach me to accept your will as the foundation of my happiness, and other things as only its superstructure. I am more afraid of the hunger of the body than of the hunger of the spirit. Convince me that it would not profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul. Show me that it is only the possession of my soul that makes the possession of the world any gain. Impress me with the truth that no thing can give me joy, if I myself am not already joyful. Inspire me with the knowledge that the issues of life are not from without but from within. Guide me into the discovery that the pleasures at your right hand are the only things that “pleasures forevermore.’” 

–George Matheson