“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)
This week we stand in that “in-between” phase. The final Sunday of one year is gone and the first Sunday of the next year is upon us. We are no longer where we were, and it’s not yet clear where we’ll be. Scripture often highlights this kind of moment: after the Wilderness wanderings the people stood on the banks of the Jordan with a new leader, looking across to the promised land; on the final night of the plagues in Egypt, with blood on the doorposts, they wondered what the morning would bring; after years in captivity and exile, they heard a call to return to a devastated and hostile land to rebuild the city and the Temple; a group of bereft family and friends standing by the cross wondering if Jesus’ words about resurrection had any meaning left. In the turning of our calendars, we are in an “in-between” moment. Yet the “in-between” moments of the Bible teach us that what we think are turning points are a continuation of our journey with God. They provide us with a moment to reflect. We are no longer where we were, and it’s not yet clear where we’ll be. But we know our God will walk with us. Our 2025 might not have been all good, but the God who has been good in all of 2025 invites us to move forward. Let’s take His hand and see what “new thing” awaits.