Hope Has A Name.

My dear friend,

As we step into a new year, I’ve been praying for you not just for what lies ahead, but for what you are carrying forward from the year behind you.

Every ending leaves something in our hands. Some victories. Some questions. Some prayers still waiting for an answer.

Scripture reminds us that there are seasons when people are moving forward yet still walking in shadows.

Isaiah described it as walking in darkness not because they stopped believing, but because clarity had not yet arrived.

That’s often how new years begin. We move forward by faith, not by sight.

This is where hope matters most.

Hope is not wishful thinking.
Hope is not optimism.
Hope is a Person.

Jesus is God’s answer to hopelessness in every season. Not a concept for the past, but a living Savior for right now.

He does not ask us to pretend that pain never happened. He invites us to trust Him with what remains unresolved.

Jesus came not to eliminate struggle, but to overcome it.

Not to condemn failure, but to forgive and restore.

Not to stand at a distance, but to walk with us into what’s next.

And this is where the Holy Spirit becomes essential as we begin a new year.

Paul prayed, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

Notice the timing now. Not after things improve. Not once circumstances change. Now.

The Holy Spirit fills us with joy and peace while we are still believing. He supplies what the moment lacks. He empowers us to abound in hope even when outcomes are still forming.

This hope does not ignore problems.
It overcomes them.

Living with hope changes how we enter a new year.

Hope reshapes fear. It no longer controls us.
Hope reframes challenges. They no longer define us.
Hope redirects our future. We move forward with confidence, not anxiety.

We do not hope for better conditions.
We hope in a faithful Savior.

As this new year begins, I want you to know this.

You are not starting from empty. You are starting from promise. The same Jesus who carried you through last year walks ahead of you now. The same Holy Spirit who sustained you will fill you again.

Step forward with expectation. Step forward with courage. Step forward with hope.

Because hope has a name and His name is Jesus.

Blessings,

Mike