Ending the Year with Faith, Not Fear

Crossing the Threshold:

The final days of December always carry a sacred hush. It is the hush of endings, the hush of reflection, and the hush of stepping toward something new. The year has been lived—every sunrise, every shadow, every joy, every tear. And now you stand at the door of a new season, a threshold between what has been and what will be.

Such moments invite the soul to pause, to breathe deeply, and to ask the most searching of questions:

“What do I carry forward?
What will I leave behind?
And how will I cross into the new year—by fear or by faith?”

Hear the Lord whisper over your heart:

“The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
— Exodus 14:14 (KJV)

Just as He fought for Israel at the edge of the Red Sea, He stands ready to fight for you now. The threshold is not a place of trembling—it is a place of trusting. A holy place. A sacred doorway. A moment where peace becomes the path beneath your feet.

Let us walk gently into this closing week of the year with hearts steady, spirits quiet, and eyes lifted toward the One who makes all things new.

A Threshold Is a Holy Place

In Scripture, thresholds mark transformation.
A doorframe meant more than wood—it represented covenant, protection, and new beginnings.
Israel marked their doorposts with blood.
Priests stood in the doorway of the temple.
Jesus called Himself “the door.”
The threshold was the space where heaven touched earth.

These final days of December hold that same sacred tension.
You are standing before a doorway God Himself has carved for you.
A doorway into growth, into wisdom, into deeper faith.
A doorway into more of Him.

Thresholds require two things:
Release and readiness.

And oh, how tender the Lord is with both.

1. Before You Step Forward, Let the Lord Settle Your Heart

Many women feel the weight of the year heavy on their shoulders—
unfinished goals,
lingering disappointments,
regrets that still ache,
prayers not yet answered,
mistakes they wish they could undo.

The enemy loves to stir fear at the threshold.
He loves to whisper lies right when you are meant to step into God’s new thing.

“You failed.”
“You are behind.”
“You will not change.”
“Next year will be just like this one.”
“You are not capable of more.”
“You should be farther along.”

But the Truth silences every lie:

“The LORD shall fight for you.”

Not you.
Not your strength.
Not your striving.

The Lord Himself.

The same God who parted the Red Sea…
the same God who broke chains in prison cells…
the same God who rolled away stones…
is the God who stands beside you now,
ready to carry you across the threshold.

2. Release What Does Not Belong in the New Year

If the Israelites had carried Egypt with them,
they never would have reached the promised land.

And if you carry certain burdens into the new year,
your heart will feel heavy before the journey begins.

Ask the Lord tenderly:
“What shall I leave behind?”

Maybe it is fear.
Maybe it is comparison.
Maybe it is the habit of overthinking.
Maybe it is people-pleasing.
Maybe it is bitterness, guilt, or self-doubt.
Maybe it is the lie that whispers you are not enough.

Whatever it is…
lay it down before you step forward.

Truth Mindset™ teaches us that you cannot step into a new season carrying old lies.
Lies create spiritual weight.
Truth creates spiritual wings.

Zig Ziglar once said,
“Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”
But your attitude is shaped by what you carry.

Release the weights.
Carry only truth.

3. Remember What God Has Done for You This Year

The enemy wants you to look at everything that went wrong.
But God wants you to see His faithfulness.

Pause.
Reflect.
Remember.

What prayers did God answer?
What doors did He open?
What danger did He protect you from without you even knowing?
What strength did He give you when you felt empty?
What wisdom did He whisper into your heart at just the right moment?
What opportunities unfolded that you never expected?
What relationships were restored?
What growth took root in you quietly, unseen but real?

Reflection is not self-focus—
it is worship.

David practiced it.
Joshua practiced it.
Paul practiced it.

Remembering makes the heart brave.

4. Let the Peace of God Guard Your Crossing

The threshold is not crossed quickly; it is crossed prayerfully.

“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 4:7 (KJV)

That word “keep” means to guard, protect, surround, and watch over.
Peace becomes your armor as you step into the new year.

And notice what God said in Exodus 14:14:

“Ye shall hold your peace.”

Not chase it.
Not fight for it.
Not manufacture it.

Hold it.
Receive it.
Rest in it.

Peace is your permission to move forward without fear.

5. Step Into the New Year with Expectation, Not Hesitation

The enemy wants you to fear the unknown.
God wants you to trust the One who knows.

Fear looks ahead and trembles.
Faith looks ahead and hopes.
Fear imagines the worst.
Faith expects the best.
Fear sees obstacles.
Faith sees opportunities.
Fear says “What if?”
Faith says “Even if.”

And in this holy transition between years, the Lord is inviting you to choose expectation.

Expectation is faith stretched forward.
Expectation is hope leaning into tomorrow.
Expectation is the heart saying,
“I believe God has goodness waiting for me.”

6. Scientific Insight: Reflection Strengthens Resilience

Psychologists have discovered that reviewing a year—
naming blessings, identifying growth, and acknowledging God’s hand—
reduces fear and increases future confidence.

This aligns perfectly with biblical wisdom:

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.”
— Psalm 103:2 (KJV)

The mind grows stronger
when it remembers truth.

7. A Gentle Guide for Your Year-End Reflection

Here is a simple, peaceful way to reflect:

A. Celebrate the victories.

Large or small—God saw them all.

B. Acknowledge the hard moments.

Not with fear, but with gratitude for His sustaining grace.

C. Identify one lie you battled.

Then choose the Scripture that replaced it.

D. Write one sentence of surrender.

Something you are laying down before the year ends.

E. Write one sentence of expectation.

Something you believe God is preparing in you for the new year.

These practices turn the threshold into holy ground.

8. A Truth Mindset™ Reflection: What Will You Declare Over Your New Year?

Truth breaks chains before a new season begins.

Ask yourself:

• What lie tried to steal my peace this year?
• What Scripture replaced it?
• What truth will I declare over my life as the calendar turns?
• What am I choosing to believe about God’s goodness, guidance, and grace?

Then create your declaration—
your “first fruit” of the new year.

A declaration is not wishful thinking;
it is truth spoken with authority.

And as you speak truth,
your spirit rises.

A Prayer for Crossing the Threshold

“Lord,
I stand at the doorway of a new year,
not in fear,
but in faith.

You have led me through valleys,
held me through storms,
strengthened me through battles,
and comforted me through tears.

I lay down every weight I was never meant to carry.
I surrender every fear.
I release every regret.
I unclench every place where worry has tried to hold me.

Fight for me, Lord,
as You promised You would.
Fill me with Your peace.
Steady my heart.
Strengthen my steps.
Guide me forward.

Let the new year be rich with purpose,
rooted in truth,
overflowing with grace,
and marked by Your presence.

I cross this threshold with You—
in trust,
in worship,
in expectation.

In Jesus’ precious name,
Amen.”

Closing Encouragement

Dear heart,
you were never meant to walk into a new year trembling.
You walk with the One who at this very moment
holds your days in His hands
and has already prepared the path ahead.

Stand tall.
Lift your chin.
Rest your shoulders.
Steady your breath.

This new year is not unknown—
it is simply unseen.
And the God who goes before you
is already there.

Cross the threshold with peace.
Cross it with truth.
Cross it with courage.
Cross it with hope.
Cross it with holy expectancy.

For “the LORD shall fight for you,”
and you will step into the new year
carried by His unfailing grace.