“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22)

Craig kept a coffee table book open to a photo of the Grand Tetons. The picture showed those rugged peaks mirrored in a calm lake beneath a deep blue sky. But one morning, when he finally turned the page, he discovered something hidden. It was a folded flap that extended the picture another eight inches. The mountains became even grander.

You know, that’s what God’s mercy is like. Every new year, you turn the page and discover that His love, His mercy, and His grace unfold wider. What you saw before was real but not complete.

God’s compassion doesn’t end at the page you’re on. It keeps opening, expanding, renewing. So today, as you step into this new year, turn the page. Those past hurts that are laying open before your eyes—His mercy is still there and still unfolding. If you’re staring at a picture that feels frightful and causes fear, ask yourself: What is folded into all of that?

The answer: His mercy. It will be found even in the valley of the shadow of dread, and even in the shadow of death. And that is why, no matter how the picture appears right now, we can celebrate a Happy New Year in 2026 and into eternity. Because it is the mercy of God that, in Christ Jesus, redeems, renews, and restores.

He is faithful. So remember: the picture is bigger than what you saw in 2025. Let’s thank Him for seeing more of His mercy in 2026.

Prayer
Lord, as this year begins, help me turn the page with hope. Unfold Your mercies before me—new every morning and perfect for today. Thank You that Your love is wider than my failures, deeper than my fears, and constant through every season.
In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

ITTT