FINDING GOD’S PEACE AT YEAR’S END

Isaiah 26:3

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, all whose thoughts are fixed on You.”

As the final days of the year approach, life often moves faster than our faith. Calendars fill up, commitments pile high, and our hearts race to finish what we started. But God never called His children to finish frantically; He called us to finish focused. While the world winds down in a whirlwind, Heaven invites us into stillness.

Christmas may be behind us, but the call to calm remains before us. The same Jesus who spoke, “Peace, be still,” to the storm is still whispering those words to our hearts today. This is a sacred season to shift, from frenzy to focus, from striving to surrender, from chaos to calm, and from hurry to holy.

First, pause to pray. Before making lists, setting goals, or writing resolutions, make room for God’s voice. When you give God the first word, He will guide your next steps. Prayer recenters the soul and realigns our hearts with Heaven’s pace.

Next, ponder His promises. Before rushing into the new year, reflect on what God has already done in this one. Reflection strengthens faith because remembrance restores gratitude. The Israelites built altars not as decoration, but as declarations of God’s faithfulness. In the same way, don’t only remember the breakthroughs, remember the battles that built your belief. Don’t just recall the miracles; recall the moments that matured you.

Then, prepare in peace. God’s peace is powerful. It guards your heart and your mind so you can move forward with confidence instead of confusion. When plans are saturated in prayer, progress becomes steady, not stressful. Let peace be your planner. Before saying yes to new opportunities, ask yourself, “Does this align with God’s peace or disrupt it?”

Finally, protect your focus. Finishing the year well requires guarding what gets your attention. Distractions drain destiny and rob us of the clarity that comes from communion with Christ. Focus isn’t about doing more; it’s about doing what matters most. When your eyes stay fixed on Jesus, the noise around you loses its power.

Hebrews 12:2 reminds us to fix our eyes on Jesus, “the author and finisher of our faith.” When we look to Him, we gain strength to endure, clarity to move forward, and peace to remain steady.

As the curtain closes on this year, don’t carry chaos into the next one. When your mind stays on Him, your emotions rest in Him. When your focus shifts from what’s next to who is near, fear fades and faith flourishes. Let peace be the pace of your new season, because the most productive way to finish the year is to finish it in the presence of the Lord.

Happy New Year from all of us at Bass Global Ministries.