At the start of every year, we always feel that mix of excitement and pressure. You know the feeling—new planner, fresh calendar, big goals written neatly in January that somehow look a little messier by March. Maybe you’ve done this too: planned out goals for your career, family, trips, and accomplishments you want to achieve, but over the course of 12 months, one by one, these goals slip away.
Planning can feel risky because it forces us to look ahead into the unknown. But as people of faith, we don’t plan alone. God invites us to dream, prepare, and move forward with confidence because He promises to be with us every step of the way. In Joshua 1:3, God tells Joshua, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.”
That same truth applies to us today. When we make plans for the year, we can trust that God goes before us. Our plans don’t have to be perfect. They just have to be surrendered to Him. Setting goals isn’t a lack of faith; it’s an act of faith. We plan not because we control the outcome, but because we trust the One who does. And even when plans change (because they often do), God’s promise remains the same, always.
As you plan for this year, remember: wherever you set your foot into new responsibilities, unfamiliar territory, or even long-standing hopes—God is already there.
May the God of the Bible bless you!
Bishop Bira Joshua
