Crossing the Threshold

 

Remembering the Way the Lord Has Led Us

“Observe the commands of the Lord your God, 

walking in obedience to Him and revering Him.”

Deuteronomy 8:6

As the people of Israel stand on the edge of the Promised Land, Moses speaks with deep pastoral wisdom. A new chapter is about to begin, yet he knows the greatest danger is not behind them, but ahead. Prosperity and progress can quietly erode reverence if memory fades. So Moses urges them to remember—to walk humbly and to fear the Lord, especially when life becomes full and settled. “When you have eaten and are satisfied… be careful that you do not forget the Lord” (Deuteronomy 8:10–11). Remembering becomes the discipline that keeps faith alive as God’s people move forward.

As this year draws to a close, we find ourselves standing at a similar threshold. Like Israel, we carry gratitude alongside unfinished work, unanswered prayers, and hopes still waiting to be fulfilled. Before rushing into a new year of plans and resolutions, we are invited to pause and look back. As a family, it can be meaningful to choose a simple stone of remembrance—a small stone placed on a table or shelf—as a way of naming God’s faithfulness over the past year. Each person might share a moment when God provided strength, guidance, forgiveness, or peace. Such remembering is not nostalgia; it is testimony. It gently asks our hearts, Where do I stand with God today? What has He already carried us through?

From this place of remembrance, we approach the idea of New Year resolutions differently. Scripture does not call us to resolve out of fear or self-improvement, but to respond in trust and dependence. Moses’ words remind us that obedience flows from reverence, not anxiety—and that true change comes not by our own strength, but through the quiet, faithful work of the Holy Spirit. Our resolutions, then, are not demands we place on ourselves, but holy responses to God’s grace: to walk more attentively, to live more gratefully, to love more patiently, and to trust more deeply as the Spirit shapes us from within. As the year ends, we release what remains unfinished into God’s care, confident that the Lord who has led us this far will continue to guide us forward. His purposes unfold with quiet strength, as the Spirit leads us one faithful step at a time.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, teach us to walk humbly and remember the way You have led us.  As this year ends, help us give thanks for Your faithfulness, release what is unfinished into Your care, and form our resolutions in trust rather than striving. Lead us gently into the year ahead. Amen.