Good Morning Friends,
Doubt often reveals itself in how we live. Advent reminds us that some welcome God with joy while others resist His presence. Yet Scripture shows us that God is not threatened by our questions—He uses them to draw us deeper into faith. Are We Rejoicing in Belief as We Watch God Keep His Promises?
Scripture: I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Then you will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you will be my people, and I will be your God.
Ezekiel 36:26-28 (NIV)
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
Ezekiel 37:4-6 (NIV)
Message: Ezekiel gives us a powerful picture of hope. God promises, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you” (Ezekiel 36:26). He gathers His people, restores what was ruined, and breathes life into what seems beyond repair. In the valley of dry bones, God says, “I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life” (Ezekiel 37:5). These promises reveal a God who restores from the outside in: He gathers first. Then He breathes life. Then He transforms the heart. We live between Christ’s first coming and His final Advent. What we believe about Him shapes every choice we make. John the Baptist pointed beyond himself to the One who brings hope, glory, and salvation—and we are called to do the same. Doubt may visit us, but God invites us to grow beyond it, trusting the One who keeps His promises. Keeping our eyes on Jesus shapes how we live now. God uses this perspective to form us into people who reflect Christ’s abundance and joy. Doubt may visit us, but God invites us to grow beyond it.
And So, our fellowship with God determines whether the New Year becomes a season of rejoicing or regret. Moving from uncertainty to certainty is not a sin; it is part of discipleship. God is bigger than our questions and welcomes honest doubt that seeks truth. When doubt drives us toward God, it becomes a doorway to deeper faith. Our calling is to abide in Christ through the Spirit, letting His love guide our choices. We are not meant to be so “earthly minded” that we forget heaven, nor so “heavenly minded” that we neglect the world. Jesus—fully human and fully holy—unites both. Because heaven has come to earth in Him, our lives can hold hope, peace, and purpose.
Pray the Promise over Israel and our own community and places of worship. Pray the Promise over our own hearts. Pray we let God’s promises shape our worldview and our hope for the year ahead. Pray the Lord breathe His Spirit into the dry places of our lives, give us new hearts, a steady faith, and eyes to see God’s faithfulness in Israel’s story and in our own. Pray that we recognize each moment as a choice. Pray that we watch for Christ’s return while noticing hints of heaven today. Pray that we abide in the Spirit, study and share God’s Word, and act in love. Pray for confidence in Christ, courage in witness, and hope in God’s purifying work. Pray for eager expectation—both for Christ’s coming and for the year ahead. Pray for discipline, joy, and love in daily life. Pray for clarity about what is eternal and what is temporary. Pray that our relationship with Christ shapes our perception of time and helps us choose well. Pray that in 2026 we believe more deeply in Christ and doubt God’s love less.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 