Encouraging words for December 31!

Hello there everyone! Wow, we have made it to another December 31! How has your year been? Full of challenge after challenge, characterized by peace and stability, or somewhere in between?

I was searching for a new daily devotional guide for 2024, and came upon one that caught my eye. It was written by Donna K Maltese and is entitled Worry Less, Pray More. For me, that sounded like a excellent theme for the coming year!

One of the first readings seemed to be a good one for a New Year’s Eve Day. Donna quotes Warren Wiersbe, who wrote, “ We’re prone to want God to change our circumstances, but He wants to change our character. We think peace comes from the outside in, but it comes from the inside out.”

Donna then says, “No matter what your circumstances, don’t let your fears and anxieties get the best of you. Keep your faith and your peace.” The Scripture passage for today was the one where three men were thrown into a fiery furnace because they refused to worship idols. They were unharmed by the fire and when the King looked down into the furnace, a fourth being was in there with them. This caused the King to remove the men from the fire and require his nation to worship the same God that the three men served. Donna comments that although there may be situations where we have to walk through fire, we can count on God to be by our side as we do so. What a hopeful reminder!

Happy New Year!

Love, Sue