FROM THE KEYBOARD

A new year doesn’t magically make us new, it simply places another choice in front of us. God frames life as a daily decision, not a calendar event. Each morning is a crossroads: truth or trend, obedience or opinion, surrender or self-rule. The future isn’t shaped by fireworks at midnight, but by faithfulness at dawn. “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments...” (Deuteronomy 30:15-16).

Prophecy was never meant to fuel fear, but to form discernment. Scripture doesn’t call us to chase dates or headlines, it calls us to recognize direction and stay anchored in truth. As deception deepens and the world grows darker, God’s people are not to panic, but to prepare, watching with clarity and living with courage. “Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober" (1 Thessalonians 5:6).

A new year doesn’t automatically bring new life or new circumstances. It only turns a page on the calendar. The calendar turns whether we do or not, but God calls us to turn over our hearts to Him day by day. “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

We do not need new circumstances; we need a new perspective: a heavenly one. Because when the Lord reshapes how we see, He also reshapes how we stand, how we respond, and how we trust, no matter what surrounds us. “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Colossians 3:2).

God’s love is wide enough to invite everyone, but specific enough to save through One. The gospel is inclusive in its invitation: all are called to come. But it is exclusive in its salvation: only Christ saves. Grace opens the door to everyone, yet redemption is found in one name. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).‍

The manger wasn’t sentimental, it was strategic. It was heaven placing hope within reach, in the very place where sheep would feed. From eternity to infancy, God became a Man. From the throne to the trough, the King became a Lamb. From the glory of heaven’s light to a world drowning in darkness and fright. This is Christmas. Not God waiting for us to climb upward, but God coming down to lift us up. “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’” (Luke 2:13–14)