Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand. (Zechariah 4:10, NLT)
Here we are … already eight days into a new year? Did you write down any new goals, hopes, or dreams for 2026?
The turn of the calendar has been a blur for me due to managing pain from a skin treatment on my face. I’m in the healing process now, but still settling into the reality that a new year is underway.
I know people who have made commitments to start the year with programs like 75 Hard, Dry January, or 21 days of prayer and fasting.
I, on the other hand, am feeling no pressure to jump into any one specific strategy or discipline.
I am physically and mentally groggy from the last four weeks of discomfort. I am also not ready for the pace at which my schedule will soon take flight. But I know it’s coming.
Instead of feeling the pressure of New Year’s resolution energy, I am content to accept a slower, gentler movement into these first weeks of the year.
Where are you on the spectrum of New Year’s resolution energy?
When I searched the scriptures for encouragement about new beginnings, Zechariah’s words struck a chord … “do not despise these small beginnings…”
When the Jewish people returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian exile, they were deeply discouraged to find the temple in ruins.
According to ChatGPT, Zechariah’s main message to the people was, “God calls His people to return to Him, assures them of His faithfulness, and reveals a future filled with messianic hope, judgment, and restoration.”
For these Jewish exiles coming back home, their hope started with the small beginnings of rebuilding the temple one stone at a time.
I believe God has and is still doing the same for us. He sent Jesus, our compass and hope, in the form of small beginnings—as a baby in a manger.
Are you noticing any small beginnings?
God doesn’t need big resolutions or goals to do his work in us. He most often moves in subtle, slow ways.
God invites us, without judgment, to nurture our obedience in the small things first. Our faithfulness matters to him. And what seems inconsequential now may be the cornerstone of a foundation for something much greater in the future.
One small beginning is the invitation to be in prayer. Always a spiritual challenge of mine.
Prayer resides in our soul and is the heartbeat of our praise. When we engage in prayer, we mobilize our hearts and minds into action, and our words become a binding commitment to what we believe is true and possible.
This feels like a good starting place for 2026!
Prayer: Lord, I need your help to remind me that the small things are valuable. Stir me to be in prayer that starts with praise and stirs my soul.