On dark nights, walking outside can be a challenge without any light. Even though you’ve crossed your yard hundreds of times and know where every divot or bush or plant is, the darkness makes it seem like a new landscape, one we aren’t sure about crossing. Going out into the unknown can often be as disconcerting as stepping into that darkened yard.

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep.” Genesis 1:1,2 (ESV)

Imagine being there in the beginning of everything. There is complete and utter darkness. Nothing. No direction. No way to tell where to go. Silence that presses in on one. An utterly terrifying prospect. 

And yet, there was hope too.

^“And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.” Genesis 1: 3,4

When there was utter darkness and no direction, God had a plan. He provided the light so we would be able to see, to understand which way to go. We were not left in despair in the beginning and we aren’t now either.

The start of a new year can be uncertain. What will be ahead for us? Will 2023 be a year of joy or a year filled with heartbreak? Will there be sickness? New life? Bounty? Scarcity? 

As we take the first steps into the unknown landscape of 2023, remember to allow God to light the way. Allow Him to shine on the path he has for each of us. 

We may be unfamiliar with the layout in front of us but God knows every divot, every turn, every tiny pebble that might be in the way and become a tripping hazard. He wants to guide us. His desire is to lead us in the path He has chosen for us.

I pray we all walk into the New Year hand-in-hand with God, unconcerned about our future. Totally trust in Him.

^“In him was life, and the life was the light of men.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:4, 5 (ESV)