Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Approaching a new year always seems to carry a sense of adventure and expectation, although that attitude is not normally mixed with the level of trepidation we might be feeling just now. Moses’ successor Joshua, one of two faithful spies, seems to have embodied this sense of courageous expectation much of his life, but even he needed an extra dose of Divine encouragement as the Lord commanded him to cross the Jordan and take possession of the promised Land.
Three times YHVH exhorted Joshua, a man with a great deal of natural bravery, to be “strong and (very) courageous”. God knew what Joshua would be facing, even a lot better than the general himself, and so in a pivotal and personal message, He spoke to him: “Do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” [ Joshua 1:8 ]
It is impossible to overestimate the value of this simple truth, this amazing promise, this unmitigated provision! God is (and will be) with us. Anyone who has truly experienced this reality knows its inestimable value. We glibly quote this passage from Romans 8 when the dangers are minimal or the challenges are not really too challenging. But what a difference now as we face a New Year which may well threaten our freedom, our well being or our very lives.
But God is with us by His Spirit; and His Spirit is NOT “a spirit of fear, but of love, of power and of a sound mind.” [ 2 Timothy 1:7 ]
Therefore, nothing that happens this coming year can threaten your union with Messiah Yeshua, the Lord Jesus Christ, if indeed, He dwells with you. He is the embodiment of Love, and “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear;” [ 1 John 4:18 ]. Daniel prophesied of the end days that “those who know their God will display strength and take action;” [ Daniel 11:32 ]. So, whatever the coming days call for, consider yourself equipped! Go out with joy, be led forth with peace….and a very happy and blessed New Year!
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy Devotions. This devotional was originally published on Worthy Devotions and was reproduced with permission.
How to display the above article within the Worthy Suite WordPress Plugin.
[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]The Hebrew letter mem, equivalent to our English letter “M,” has a fascinating characteristic: it has two forms. The “open mem” appears at the beginning or middle of a word, with a small opening in its design. The “closed mem,” however, is used exclusively as the final letter in a word, fully sealed in its appearance. This distinction is consistent throughout the Hebrew language—except for one extraordinary exception found in the Bible.
Yeshua (Jesus) gave a remarkable parenthetic instruction in the middle of His Olivet discourse on the time of His coming and the end of the age. While it is unlikely that He himself said this, He certainly inspired Matthew to insert, “..let the reader understand”, concerning this critical event prophesied by Daniel, the Abomination of Desolation. His exhortation intended us (the readers of Matthew’s gospel) to learn what this means.
In John Bunyan’s best-selling book, Pilgrim’s Progress, the central character, Christian, begins his journey leaving the city of Destruction and ventures on his way toward the Celestial City. Early on his journey, Christian decides to depart from the narrow path onto an easier one which leads him to the territory of Despair and its stronghold, Doubting Castle.
The United States is currently experiencing a polar vortex—a surge of frigid air from the Arctic circle that blankets the country, bringing massive winter storms in its wake. As of now, over 350,000 people are without power. This sudden and unexpected cold snap brought to mind a story I’d like to share.
During this frigid weather across the United States and the devastating fires in California, millions have been grappling with widespread electricity blackouts. Thousands of people across the country remain without power. Across the United States, many teens are experiencing life without electricity for the first time—an adjustment that also means living without their cell phones. Can you imagine?
Mount Ibu, a volcano on Halmahera island in Indonesia’s North Maluku province, erupted on Saturday, spewing hot lava and sending a column of smoke and ash soaring over three miles into the sky. It’s a reminder of how volatile Indonesia can be as it has nearly 130 active volcanoes. All of this volcanic activity reminded me of another explosion that took place in 1991.
Following the devastating fires in California, we reported that the state’s insurer of last resort is nearing insolvency, potentially leaving many property owners with uncovered losses. This would be catastrophic for affected homeowners.
It reminded me of when we first arrived in Israel about fourteen years ago, my wife was almost eight months pregnant…