Well, we have survived another Christmas. The bottom of the tree might now look bare…or your tree may already be put away for another year. You may still have remnants of ripped off wrapping paper on your carpet and your belt might need to be loosened from all your overeating.
With Christmas now over, our thoughts turn to welcoming in a new year. What will it bring? Some are excited about tackling new opportunities and/or adventures in 2026, but for some, looking ahead brings great tension, stress and fear. I think sometimes, the way we look at the new year, is dependent on what we faced in this past year.
I know in my life, the word “can’t” easily became a word which infiltrated my vocabulary in 2025. Do to my health situation, I could be heard saying, I can’t face the unknown…I can’t understand why God isn’t giving us the answers we need…I can’t do everything I want to do because I’m just not strong enough…I can’t stand the thought of seeing yet another new doctor, only to be told he doesn’t have answers…and some days all I could say was, I. just. can’t.
I’ve been thinking about this the past few days, and I think it is important for us to remember that whenever we think we can’t do something…we need to ask God if HE can. You see, if it is something that He wants us to do…He CAN give us whatever it takes to get through. I believe He wants us to stop dwelling on what we can’t do and start focusing on what He can do through us. We need to allow Him to use the difficulties that we face for His glory and not use them as our excuse. We must be willing to live “beyond the limits” of our comfort zone so that God can accomplish great things through us for His glory. And yes, sometimes we need to be willing to just be still…trusting God to be with us during those times when we just can’t do what we want to do.
There is a huge problem though…Satan doesn’t like this at all. He doesn’t want us to accomplish anything for God, especially if it draws others to accept Him as their Lord and Savior. He doesn’t want us to have peace…even in the valleys of life. He wants us to remain stagnant…living inside our protective bubble…settling for the status quo with a stomach full of knots. Unfortunately, it’s really easy for us to want to remain there too.
I have written before that I have a lot of respect for Corrie Ten Boom and the amazing testimony she had throughout her life…even when she was in the worst of circumstances. When she spoke, her words were so powerful and they are still having a huge impact long after she received her eternal reward. Corrie was a child of God who wasn’t afraid of pushing herself way beyond her human capabilities, knowing that wherever God led her, He would give her exactly what she needed every step of the way.
I read a quote of hers that was exactly what I needed. Her timely words were, “When we are powerless to do a thing, it is a great joy that we can come and step inside the ability of Jesus.” In other words, when Satan is whispering over and over in my ear that I can’t do something, that I am too weak to accomplish a task, I can smile right back at him and yell, “You are right Satan…I can’t…but HE CAN!”
What a difference it makes when we realize Whose abilities and power we can tap into! There isn’t anything we will face that is beyond God’s capabilities. There isn’t any detour on our journey in which He doesn’t know where we will end up. Nothing surprises Him…nothing makes Him fret…nothing overwhelms Him. We can be assured that no matter what, His answer to us is, “Don’t worry…I’ve got this!”
Are you living in fear of what you might face tomorrow? Are you afraid that if you commit to living completely sold out to God in 2026, He will ask you to do things which are way beyond your strength and abilities? You are right…He probably will…but He already knows when He asks that you can’t do it by yourself, but He knows that He can! All He needs is your willingness to let Him lead and He will take care of the rest.
Here we go… into another year and I’m guessing there will be times when you and I feel powerless. Let’s not forget that we have the privilege of “stepping inside the ability of Jesus”. Just the thought of that gives me chills. Let’s do this!
“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” Ephesians 3:20-21 The Message
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