As I read Psalm 103 this final morning of 2022, one verse stood out:

The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.

A good remembrance, don’t you think, as we finish one year and start another? No matter what challenges I face, or pleasures I enjoy, or mistakes I make, the Lord stays in control.

Tomorrow I’ll start reading through the Bible again, this year marking the 30th time (maybe when I finish I’ll get the number 30 tattooed somewhere on my body—I have all year to think about it).

If you’d like to join me, here’s the Bible reading plan I use: Five Day Bible Reading. I like the rhythm of reading five days during the week, with two days to catch-up. It works for me and helps me stay on pace behind during busy seasons.

One last thought as the year ends. I wrote the words of Jeremiah 24:7 in my journal this year and pray through them regularly for myself and my family and my friends, and I offer them to you.

God said, I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

May the Lord develop such hearts in each one of us this coming year.

Photo by Andreas Dress