At the beginning of a new year, many of us feel a mix of hope and hesitation. We don’t know what this year will hold, what conversations we’ll need to have, what prayers we’ll keep praying, or what hills we’ll have to climb in our marriages, our parenting, or our personal walk with God.
A Listening Heart
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One morning, while I was out running, I noticed a father and his two sons riding bikes up a hill. The father and the older son were far ahead, while the younger boy struggled behind. Suddenly, the older brother stopped, turned around, rode back down the hill, and waited. He didn’t rush his brother. He didn’t shame him. He simply came alongside him, ready to help him climb.
That picture has stayed with me.
Trusting Jesus As Our Helper in Marriage, Parenting, and Life
In John 11, we see something similar. When Lazarus became sick, his sisters Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus, their helper. But Jesus didn’t come right away. Lazarus died. Four days passed. The situation looked hopeless.
Martha voiced what many of us feel at the start of a new year filled with unanswered prayers:
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now, I know that whatever you ask from God, He will give you.” (John 11:21–22)
That phrase, “but even now,” is faith holding on.
Jesus didn’t rush past their pain. He wept with them. He stood with them in their grief. And then He called Lazarus out of the grave. His delay was not absence; it was purpose. God’s glory was still at work, even when it didn’t look like it.
As we begin this new year, I don’t know what hill you’ll be climbing.
- Maybe it’s a marriage that feels lonely or strained.
- Maybe it’s a child you love deeply but can’t seem to reach.
- Maybe it’s fear, exhaustion, or the thought that you don’t have the strength to keep going.
Here’s the promise we carry into this year: Jesus is our older Brother. He does not stay far ahead while we struggle behind. He turns around. He comes close. He walks with us up the hard hills of life.
He may not move on our timeline, but He is never late. The same Jesus who raised Lazarus still speaks life into dead places, restores hope, and strengthens weary hearts. He is our helper, this year and always.
Jesus asks Martha a question that echoes into this new year:
“Do you believe this?”
Where do you most need Jesus to come alongside you this year, in your marriage, your parenting, or your personal walk with Him?
Take a Step of Faith
As you step into this new year, intentionally name one “hill” you’re facing and invite Jesus, your Helper, to walk with you through it each day in prayer.
Prayer
Lord, as I step into this new year, help me sense your presence beside me. When the terrain feels steep and the path uncertain, remind me that you are my helper, my protector, and my strength. I trust your timing, even when I don’t understand it. Thank you for walking with me every step of the way. Amen.
So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can mere mortals do to me? — Hebrews 13:6
This devotion, My Helper for the Year Ahead, was adapted from the Weathering Storms Devotional. If you’d like more devotions like this, get your copy on Amazon.
You may also be interested in Prayer For Overwhelmed Mom of Adult Children
Weathering Storms: Finding Treasures in the Ruins by Dr. Temitope Keku
2 thoughts on “Climbing the Hills of a New Year: Trusting Jesus,Our Helper in Marriage, Parenting, and Life”
Thank you dear sister I am blessed by this.
God bless you.