Devotions this week based on Come Home Week 5 – PURPOSE (WATCH HERE)
Luke 2:29–32 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”
New Year’s Eve has a way of slowing us down, even if only briefly. The calendar forces a pause. We look back over the year that is ending and instinctively begin to evaluate it. Some memories bring gratitude—moments of joy, provision, growth. Others bring regret, disappointment, or unresolved pain. Very few of us arrive at December 31 feeling finished or complete.
That is why Simeon’s words are so striking. Holding the infant Jesus, he says he can now depart in peace. His life feels complete, not because everything was easy or fully understood, but because God’s promise had been fulfilled. Simeon’s peace did not depend on how much time he had left, how successful his life appeared, or whether all his questions were answered. Peace came from seeing God’s salvation.
As this year ends, Simeon invites us to rest in the same place. Peace is not found in having a “good year” by worldly standards. It is found in trusting a faithful God. When we measure our lives by performance, peace is fragile. When we measure our lives by promise, peace becomes possible even in unfinished seasons.
This matters because many of us carry quiet burdens into the end of the year. There are conversations we wish had gone differently, goals we never reached, losses we still feel. Ending the year in peace does not mean pretending those things don’t exist. It means placing them into God’s hands rather than carrying them forward alone.
Scripture reminds us that God’s mercies are new every morning. That means they have been present every day of the year now ending, including the days we would rather forget. God has not abandoned you in your weariness, nor has He overlooked your faithfulness, however small it felt.
Take time tonight to name God’s presence in the past year. Where did He sustain you? Where did He forgive you? Where did He quietly provide what you needed, even when you didn’t recognize it at the time? Peace grows when remembrance is shaped by trust rather than regret.
As the clock approaches midnight, you do not need to resolve everything. You are invited to rest. Like Simeon, you can entrust your life, past, present, and future, to the God who keeps His promises.
Reflection:
Where did I see God’s faithfulness this year, even in difficult moments?
What do I need to release to God as this year comes to a close?
Prayer:
Faithful God, as this year ends, I thank You for Your mercy that has sustained me every step of the way. I place my regrets, my grief, and my unfinished stories into Your hands. Grant me peace—not because everything is resolved, but because You are trustworthy. Amen.