A New Year’s Devotional
A New Year’s Devotional on Psalm 66
Psalm 66 is one of my favorite Psalms. As I was reading it this morning, verse 12 caught my attention.
“…we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.”
Psalm 66:12b
That verse is the perfect summary for the year I had.
A New Year’s Devotional
This past year was rough. There were times I simply didn’t see a way forward. It felt like too much. And it was.
It was, quite frankly, too much for me to handle.
Thankfully, God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
And when it feels like too much, Jesus invites us to come to Him so He can give us rest (Matt. 11:28).
This year, I struggled with chronic migraines.
Well, I’ve been suffering with them for over eight years now.
Eight. Years.
Years.
This Year was Hard…
This year I felt like a constant disappointment to my family. Not because they were disappointed, but because I was. They are extremely supportive and understanding, but I can’t be the mom and wife I want them to have because my head hurts.
I had to leave my part-time job a couple years ago as I was missing too much work because of migraines–which means the only way I contribute financially to my family is through writing… But I haven’t been able to write much this year as the brain fog was too thick to make any sense of my thoughts.
Writing is my outlet, so that hit me hard emotionally (and spiritually) as well.
I could probably count on one hand the number of times I sat at my computer desk over the last 12 months.
I’ve been to church even less often than that.
We were Creasters this year.
And I hated it.
We watch the live stream of the church service from our livingroom each Sunday morning as a family, but it’s not the same as being there.
I’ve missed our church family and worshipping in the sanctuary.
I’ve missed hugging my friends and fellowship with our people. I’m an introvert, so that says a lot, but brain fog makes it hard to even track conversations going on around me.
We went through fire and through water…
There were times I didn’t know how we would pay our bills.
Days when the pain was too much to bear.
Moments when I felt worthless.
But there was always Jesus.
…But God is Always Good
…yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
When we didn’t see a way forward, God always provided.
When I was ready to give up, He gave me strength.
Related Post: Don’t Grow Weary in Doing Good (but when you do…)
Yes, this year was hard. My family felt like we were drowning at times, and like we walked through fire. But at the end of the year, I’m sitting here with my heart overflowing.
Even in the hardest moments, God never let us down.
I’m still amazed at how He has shown up and not not just met our needs, but blessed us beyond measure.
From our church family bringing us meals when my head hurt too bad to cook, to donations to help keep Candidly Christian running, and too many other blessings to name, I can’t count the number of times I’ve cried happy tears this year.
God’s Promise for the Coming Year
Ever since 2020, I see online jokes on Facebook about wanting to read the terms and conditions for the coming year. But here’s the thing:
Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
That’s what we can expect in the coming year.
It will be hard.
We will probably get discouraged.
But when we keep our eyes on Jesus, He will keep us going. He will be a light in any darkness we face. With Him, we will be able to walk through fire without getting burnt and be able to breathe deep even when it feels like life is trying to suffocate us.
Related Post: Life is Hard, But God is Good
Join the Conversation
How has God blessed you this year? Share with us in the comments below.
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P.S. If you’re not familiar with the term “Creasters,” it’s slang for Christians who only go to church on Christmas and Easter. Hense: Creasters.
