A New Year’s Day reflection by Jessica deLinde Dyckman
Lectionary reading for 1/1/2024: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13; Lamentations 3:22-23; Psalm 118:24, Revelation 21:1-6a
Read
Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 NIV
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.
Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT
The faithful love of the Lord never ends!
His mercies never cease.
Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.
Psalm 118:24 NIV
The Lord has done it this very day;
let us rejoice today and be glad.
Revelation 21:1-6a NIV
21 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.
Reflect
Happy New Year! What an opportunity to praise the Lord for a new day and another year! As the new year often ushers in the expectation of new and change, let’s use the Word of God to help set our hearts and minds on the Lord:
“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)
Today can be the start of something new, something fresh or it may not be. It could be that today is another hard day in a long season, and the new year will continue to be challenging. Whatever season you are in on this day, be encouraged that God’s grace and mercy are available every morning, every single day. He is faithful to wake us up with the morning light, and He is faithful to let us rest in the dark of the night.
He holds all things together (Colossians 1:17) and as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, He is worthy of our praise. For the One who calls forth the dawn or tells the sea where to stay, He is our God, Lord Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth! He is faithful and He LOVES you!
He knows you. He cares about you. He sees you. He hears you. He has a purpose for you.
So whatever season you are in (Ecclesiastes 3:1-13), start with praise and gratitude. Let this year be the year that we make an intentional habit to praise the Lord every single day, whether through prayer, song, or Scripture. God is worthy of our praise!
When we thank God for His goodness each day, it “sets our hearts on heaven” (Colossians 3:2), and aligns our hearts and minds with God’s priorities. Let’s start our day and our year with praise, and set our hearts on God.
Open the Psalms.
Turn on Christian praise music or listen to hymns.
Read a passage of Scripture.
Read the Verse of the Day on the Bible App
Pray.
Start a gratitude journal.
Do a devotional.
Ask the Lord what He has for you in this season and new year, and let Him lead you through this day and this year, and give Him praise!
Respond
Realign your heart, habits, tasks, and priorities with the Lord and His Word! Write down Psalm 118:24 or Lamentations 3:22-23 as a response of praise for God’s love and faithfulness. Jot them on a 3x5 card or in a journal, or create a graphic for your digital device.
Then on the back of your card or in the notes of your phone, write today’s date AND a sentence of praise and gratitude to the Lord. Name something or someone that you are grateful for OR list some of the blessings in your life. (It can be something as simple as a hot cup of coffee or as grand as the miracle of life saving medication. We can find God’s goodness in both!)
“This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (NIV)
“The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning.” Lamentations 3:22-23 (NLT)
This is an opportunity to establish a daily exercise of praise and gratitude! Set a reminder in your phone to do it again tomorrow. If you miss a day, do it the next! Be open to “just starting again” as God is more concerned about our hearts than our habits.
As you continue on, you can even find different Bible verses each week to set a “theme” to your gratitude. By filling our hearts and minds with God’s Word, it can bring a sanctifying change in our lives to give us a deeper hope in Jesus Christ, build a heavenly perspective, and equip us for the work ahead of us in this life!
Rest
Dear Lord, we thank you for this new day and new year! We praise you for your love and faithfulness, and ask that you will remind us each morning of your goodness, grace, and mercy.
Open our eyes to see and our hearts to respond to your love. Help us to establish a practice of praise and gratitude for the gifts in our lives. Whatever is before us in this year, remind us of your love and faithfulness, and that you have gone before us and are with us.
Help us to look for you and your goodness in each day, so that we give you the glory and praise all the days of our lives. We love you! We praise you! We bless you, Lord! Amen.
About the Author
Jessica deLinde Dyckman is the founding editor of “The Courageous & Kind Project” a digital media project dedicated to empowering women to live out their God-given purpose. She and her husband live in Atlanta, Georgia, with their son and daughter. Jessica is involved in her community with Oak Grove MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers), the Main Street Christian School, and the Junior League of Atlanta.
Find Jessica on The Courageous & Kind Project podcast on any major streaming platform or follow C&K on social media @TheCourageousandKindProject or www.courageousandkind.org.