King David spent many of the years of his reign fighting against King Saul, fighting foreign enemies, fighting against his own family. He also made many mistakes. And yet there is something about the way he trusted in God that has inspired believers for millennia. This king acknowledged over and over that it was only God who kept him and protected him.

Questions for further thought:
1. How much do you really, truly rely on God?
2. If God is for us, who can be against us?  

Challenge: Pray that in the coming year, you will rest in the everlasting arms in ways that you haven’t before. Tell God that you recognize His faithfulness and ask Him to strengthen your perception of His strength, His faithfulness and His direction for your life.

The people exiled from Israel were undergoing the worst kind of turmoil imaginable, and they had just been told it would be decades before they could return to their homeland. In the midst of this, God told them He had plans for them. More than that, He even said He will restore their own faithfulness, that they will seek Him again.

Questions for further thought:
1. Do you think Jeremiah 29:11 applies to you, too?
2. What does it change about your life if God has plans for you?  

Challenge: Very few people in this world know exactly what God created them to do. If you struggle to see God’s plan in your life, maybe it’s time to look at it differently. What are the small right things that you have done in your everyday life? Think about how your faithfulness has helped create a person God can call on when something larger is required.

Lamentations is a book full of sorrow at the exile of the Jews from Jerusalem. And yet it contains some of the most beautiful words that inspired a favorite hymn. The most difficult circumstances on Earth are not proof that God is not faithful. Because of his love, we are not consumed. He never changes.   

Questions for further thought:
1. When you are in pain, whether mental or physical, do you ever say to God, “I don’t even want to ask You for help right now”?
2. On the other hand, has God shown his faithfulness to you in unmistakable ways? 

Challenge: Think of a story or a real-life event that shows the greatest faithfulness you’ve ever heard or witnessed from another human being: spouses supporting a loved one through sickness, friends staying true under terrible circumstances. Now reflect on how much greater God’s faithfulness must be!