“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word” (2Thess.2:16–17).
Indeed, “may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Rom.15:13).
Dear Jesus, there are 2 things we can’t get too much of all the way Home—encouragement and hope. And the best news is you, Abba, and the Holy Spirit are tenaciously committed to giving us these and much more—such as joy and peace and power. We’ll talk all 5—and as much of each as you will give us Lord.
So how does our eternal encouragement become fresh and daily encouragement? How does the good and sure hope of heaven become functional and powerful hope for today? How are our joy, peace, and power refreshed and supercharged?
First of all, there is no substitute for the investment of time and energy in walking with you, Jesus—contemplating your truth, goodness, and beauty (2Cor.3:18). And every time you give more of yourself to us, it’s always for the good and blessing of others as well. May 2026 be a year of …
Investing our heart-passion in you.
Surrendering our thought-life to you.
Engaging our hand-strength in serving you.
Jesus, each of us—no matter our age and stage, number of birthdays and hair follicles left … each of us easily, gladly declare: We don’t want to spend our remaining days giving ourselves to things that don’t matter “diddly-squat” in light of eternity, or in “getting more/getting ours,” or in nursing grudges when we could be building bridges, or in majoring in “rightness” more so than in kindness. Hallelujah, and So Very Amen.
