Launching Forward: New Strength, New Hope, New Life

“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.”  Isaiah 43:19 (KJV)

Let Go of the Baggage

To launch the year properly, we need to shake off some heavy baggage, the kind we don’t like to talk about and some of us may not even admit is there. Admission is the first step to regaining your freedom. Maybe life has thrown more at you than you can handle, and you just keep putting that nagging issue off because you can’t face it, let alone deal with it. Disappointments, heartbreak, missed opportunities can weigh heavily on us. And honestly, you might be too tired or scared to hope again. So this year, let’s get ready to launch and make those changes happen.

God Has Not Forgotten You

Here’s the thing: there is hope. God hasn’t forgotten about you, not for a second. Even if life hasn’t gone the way you planned, even if it feels like time’s running out, He’s still at work. And His plans? They’re bigger and better than anything we could imagine. He’s got you engraved on the palm of His hand, and He sees every detail of your life.

Think about this: the same God who promised to make rivers in the desert and paths in the wilderness is still at work today. If He can bring life to a tree that’s been cut down, He can breathe life into whatever feels dead in your life, too. You matter so much to Him don’t lose sight of that.

Be Honest With Yourself

One of the perks of admitting the weight we carry is that we can be honest with ourselves. It may be that we are in a tough spot because of our own choices. Maybe we ignored God’s guidance or brushed off those quiet nudges from the Holy Spirit. Ask God to show you where you went off track and to help you course-correct. Don’t stay stuck in guilt. Ask the Holy Spirit to forgive you for not heeding His warning. And don’t forget to forgive yourself. His mercies are new every morning, and He’s ready to give you a fresh start.

The Power of Praise

Here’s something that’s been life-changing for me: there’s real power in praise and worship. When we shift our focus off our problems and onto God just thanking Him for who He is, something happens. We exchange hurt and defeat for grace upon grace. So wherever you are, take a moment to thank Him. Even if it feels hard at first.

The Holy Spirit Is Your Helper

Here’s the good news: God never intended you to do life all by yourself. The Holy Spirit is available to comfort us, teach us, and help us. He will show up for you whether you’re praying, praising, resting, or simply being still. Just welcome Him. The Holy Spirit will guide you, give you wisdom, and show you the way forward. He has the power to break every chain holding you back whether it’s fear, doubt, depression, or anything else keeping you stuck.

God Brings Dead Things to Life

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is from Ezekiel. God takes him to this valley full of dry, lifeless bones. They’d been there so long they were brittle and scattered no hope of anything good coming from them. And yet, God asks Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?” Ezekiel doesn’t pretend to have all the answers; he just says, “Lord, You alone know.”

Then God tells him to speak to those bones, to declare life over them. And as strange as it must’ve felt, Ezekiel obeys. Suddenly, the bones start rattling, coming together, forming bodies, and God breathes life into them. What was dead became a great army.

Here’s the point: God can bring life to what feels lifeless in your life. Whether it’s a broken dream, a strained relationship, or just a heart that feels tired and worn out He can revive it. Also, we must declare the Word God gives to us over our issues, particularly in the place of prayer. When we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.

Trust God’s Timing

I’m also reminded of Martha’s story. When her brother Lazarus died, she was heartbroken. She told Jesus, “If You’d been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” Can you hear the pain in her words? She believed in Him but thought it was too late. Still, Jesus assured her, “Your brother will rise again.”

Martha assumed He meant in the distant future, but Jesus had something else in mind. He called Lazarus dead for four days back to life.

The same Jesus who raised Lazarus is alive and working today. He’s not just the Resurrection and the Life for the past or the future He’s that for right now. He can breathe new life into whatever feels hopeless in your world.

In this story, Jesus explained to the disciples that Lazarus dying and being raised from the dead was for the glory of God. We must understand that certain things may happen not because we sinned but because God is beckoning us into a place of trust and greater intimacy with Him, even as He works things out for our good.

Invite the Holy Spirit Into Your Life

Today, I want to encourage you to invite the Holy Spirit to take His rightful place in your life. If you are born again, you have the privilege of receiving the Holy Spirit’s empowerment. The only requirement is that you are born again and part of God’s Kingdom.

The Holy Spirit is not just a force or a feeling He is God, just as much as the Father and the Son. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and always present. Empowerment or baptism by the Holy Spirit is available to every believer who desires this. May it not be that you have not because you ask not.

Get Ready for the New

Get ready for new strength. Get ready for renewed hope. Get ready for God to do something new in your life. He will make a way where there seems to be no way.

Dry bones can live again. Dearly beloved, rise up and get launched into the year ahead. You will thrive. You will flourish. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1 Corinthians 2:9, 1 Peter 2:8b, Ecclesiastes 10:8, John 14:26, Ephesians 4:30, 1 Thessalonians 5:19, 1 John 1:9, Psalm 22:3, Isaiah 49:16, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Romans 4:17, Romans 9:16, Ephesians 3:20, Psalm 139:23-24, John 14:26, Romans 8:14, John 16:13, Zechariah 4:6, Acts 10:27, John 1:16, John 5:14, James 4:8