A Thrill of HopeSample

We get to this point in the year, and we begin to reflect don’t we? It's the weird week between Christmas and New Year where time is just a number, days are a “suggestion” and we can get lost in our thoughts, lost in our books and lost in our dreams for next year.

What if, for a moment today before we turn our eyes to our plans, we turn our hearts to the Lord in thanksgiving? Maybe this year was one where it has been easy to be thankful. Where God’s hand was clear, you have answered prayers coming out the wazoo, and you are sad to see the year end. Or, perhaps this year you have had to fight to be thankful.

It has been a year of thankfulness because God is exactly who He says he is, even if your year was not what you hoped. That’s okay, you know why? Because God is right here. We are made by Him, and we are sheep in His pasture. He does not leave His sheep to fend for themselves. His love is steadfast, He is worthy of our praise and whether we are praising Him for answering prayers or we are praising Him for being exactly who we needed in a storm, it is good to enter into His presence with thanksgiving.

Today, ponder this: What has being thankful in 2025 looked like? What can you carry into 2026 as a rhythm of thankfulness based on today’s Psalm?