"Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." (Isaiah 43:18-19) 

A heartfelt Happy New Year is my wish to each of my valued social media friends, and I offer special thanks to those of you who faithfully read my devotional posts. As we prepare for the coming of 2025, I pray for good health, bountiful prosperity, and genuine peace of mind for you and your families. 

Personally speaking, I have learned that true peace and fulfillment in life are attainable only by the grace of God through a faith-based relationship with Jesus Christ. For those of us who know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, I pray for a closer, more intimate daily walk with Him in the year ahead as we yield our hearts to the transformative power "Christ in us" that Colossians 1:27 calls "the hope of glory." 

As Christians, let us seek to seize opportunities to share Jesus with the many unbelievers who have never met Him personally. May God empower us to tell others of the steadfast hope that we have in Christ so that, through the power of the Holy Spirit, they too can have the new beginning of spiritual rebirth and experience God's saving grace. 

As we welcome the New Year, I am most thankful that in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, we as believers have the certainty of salvation and abundant and everlasting life. When we trust, obey, love, and serve the Lord, His blessings, now and eternally, flow freely into our lives. 

As God promised to bless the obedience the ancient Israelites, He rewards our faithfulness by making "a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" experiences of our lives as He guides us to the "Promised Land" of our eternal heavenly home. Praise God that in Christ, we have a bright future and a certain hope!