January 1, 2026 

Isaiah 43:1-3 is spoken to a people facing fear, displacement, and uncertainty about the future, much like us, they needed reassurance that God went with them. God does not promise them an easy road or immediate relief. Instead, God speaks words of identity and presence: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are mine.” The passage assumes difficulty, waters to cross and fire to endure, but anchors hope in a promise that God will be with His people through every threat. Deliverance is not described as avoidance of hardship, but as survival within it, grounded in God’s faithful presence and covenant love.

Devotional:

The first day of a new year often carries pressure. We are encouraged to start fresh, set goals, and look ahead with confidence. But for many people, January 1 arrives quietly, carrying unresolved questions from the year before. Some worries did not disappear overnight. Some grief still sits close. Some paths ahead remain unclear.

Isaiah 43 does not ask us to face the future with confidence. It asks us to face it with trust. God speaks first not about what lies ahead, but about who we belong to. “I have called you by name; you are mine.” Before God addresses the waters or the fire, He reminds His people that they are known, claimed, and held.

What is striking about this passage is that God assumes hardship. “When you pass through the waters.” Not if. “When you walk through the fire.” Not maybe. God does not minimize what lies ahead, but He reframes it. The danger does not define the future. God’s presence does.

So often we want God to show us the whole year in advance. We want assurance that nothing will go wrong, that the path will be manageable, that the pain will be limited. God offers something better, though it may not feel easier. God offers Himself. He promises to be with us in every unknown moment.

This is not a promise that the year will be kind. It is a promise that God will be faithful. There is a difference. Faithfulness means God will not leave you alone when the waters rise. It means the fire will not have the final word. It means you will not face any season without the presence of the One who calls you by name.

Entering the new year does not require bold declarations or carefully crafted plans. It requires trust, sometimes quiet, sometimes shaky, but real. Trust that God will meet you in appointments you cannot yet imagine. Trust that God will be present in joys and losses alike. Trust that even if the year brings unexpected turns, God will remain steady.

You do not need to know what this year holds. You need to know who holds you. And Isaiah assures us of that truth. God is with us, not as a distant observer, but as a faithful companion.

Action:

Offer the coming year to God without listing conditions or expectations.

Prayer:

God of new beginnings, as I step into this year, I place my trust in You. When the path feels uncertain and the waters feel deep, remind me that You are with me and that I belong to You. Walk with me through every season. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Thought for the Day:

The future is uncertain, but God’s presence is not.

A new year begins with hope, but also with unanswered questions. Isaiah 43 reminds us that God does not promise an easy road ahead. God promises presence. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” The future may include challenges we cannot yet see, but we do not face them alone. God calls us by name and claims us as His own.
God invites us to begin the year not with pressure or fear, but with trust. You do not need to know what this year will bring. You only need to remember who walks with you into it. God is with us in every unknown moment, faithful in every season.