Happy New year everyone. 2025 is here. We have made it. Hard to believe it has been a little over 365 days since we welcomed in 2024, but now here we stand a year later. (Don’t know if anyone is already looking ahead to 2026.)
Perhaps last year was a year of cliffhangers and plot twists with unexpected changes for you and now here we stand on the precipice staring out to 2025.
Whether you are seeing a view of a lush and beautiful blue ocean or whether you are Sam and Frodo staring out at the wasteland and burning arid landscape of Mordor. Or Ellie clutching her weapons staring out at a post-apocalyptic USA. The unknown of 2025 may already be making the hairs on your neck stand, uncertain of what is to come.
You have the map in front of you, but not everything is mapped out. It’s ok. This my friends is how adventures begin.
Stepping into the unknown can feel like staring at a final boss that’s way over your level. There is fear, uncertainty, a daunting, an echo that plays in your mind of not being able to defeat it. Can I provide you with some encouragement and good news: This is what we were made for and this is what we can overcome. Enemies may be big, but you are bigger than them, in fact, you ARE powerful. Here is why:
Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
As you can see, God is the source of your strength and it is supernatural, which means it exceeds any expectations in this world and is part of the recipe that allows us to do incredible and even impossible things, all because God ‘upholds us’. Two of the things that are clear that are required from us from this verse are courage and faith.
While we are on the topic of two things, let us follow that up with two beloved characters who are examples of stepping into the unknown with faith. (You must have seen their names above, Frodo Baggins and Ellie.)
Frodo Baggins: The Unexpected Hero
This little hobbit certainly has a lot of big burdens. You need to put yourself in his shoes (or feet, in his case.) You are nestling in the quiet of the shire, living a carefree and merry life, enjoying your second breakfast, then suddenly Gandalf appears and gives you an important task.
“No worries, what is this task?”
“Saving the world.”
“Ok. Sounds fun. What exactly must I do?”
“Destroy an ancient evil artifact that can corrupt anyone that is in its possession. This can only be done by casting it into the place where it was made, which by the way is literally fire and brimstone. Its name: Mount Doom. Also, you have never been beyond the borders of the Shire or seen any other beings except for hobbits and a wizard.”
Talk about stepping into the unknown.
Frodo had absolutely no idea what he was doing or how to proceed. He had no idea that he would be pursued by Ringwraiths, take a detour through a mine which housed an ancient and great evil or even get lost in a sea of jagged rocks considerably taller and bigger than him.
He had no idea about the landscape of Middle Earth except for his homeland, Hobbiton which was lush green, open fields with a huge amount of food and ale, (mustn’t forget that) alongside the odd smell of Old Toby hanging in the air from the pipes they smoked.
Here is one thing that Frodo possessed: He had courage, despite the fear that he faced.
Like him, you don’t have to be fearless as you walk into 2025. This is going to be a very cliche thing to say, but it is all about taking the first step. Just as Sam was right beside Frodo’s side from the start, you can trust that God will be right with you.
Frodo could have turned down the quest and lived the quiet life of a hobbit, but he stepped out in faith and rose up to the challenge he was given. We can do the same this year. Even though we may not possess a map, we can trust that God will not only equip us for our own quest, but that he will be with you from the start, right through to the very end.
Ellie: Courage in the Midst of Darkness
Here we have Ellie from The Last of Us. For her, she lives in the world that is post-apocalyptic USA. A complete contrast to Middle Earth which had at least some form of fauna life to enjoy.
What makes this even more terrifying for her is that she is only a teenager. Imagine waking up to a world that is filled with brutality and danger at every corner, where undead creatures could pop up at any point. Not to mention that sometimes, the humans can be more brutal than the creatures themselves. For an adult, this is already frightening, but for a child, this takes on a whole new level.
What good can come from a world that seems to be one big wasteland? What can Ellie, more specifically, a child teach us in something like this?
Like Frodo, she demonstrates courage, for her though it is courage in survival. When things got tough, she pushed on, when things looked bleak and defeat seemed inevitable, she always found a way.
We can see that she adapted to the new world, using what resources she collected, relying on her instincts, and never losing that hope to keep fighting for the greater good.
Perhaps it feels like you are entering 2025 in survival mode, you can’t see how things can fall into place. But take heart, you don’t need to have all the answers, you don’t even need to know the way, you just need to put your trust in God, because he will guide you each and every day.
In the words of Proverbs 20:24: “The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?”
This is further reinforced by Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light to my path.”
The Path Ahead for 2025
Fear is a weapon that the enemy uses against us. He doesn’t want to see any of us rise up and do great things, but God has given us a spirit that overcomes fear, he has given us hope, faith, and power to be a light in this world and to encourage others who might be in their own post-apocalyptic worlds, as it were.
Frodo was a small person, but he had great courage, your faith just like this can move mountains. Ellie had moments where she wasn’t so sure if she would ever make it to tomorrow, but we know who holds tomorrow.
Fear will always be there and this year is no exception, but we have the power to rise above it because has promised to uphold you and keep you, to always walk with you and beside you.
In the words of Meg Cabot: “Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else s more important than fear.”
May 2025 be the year when you rise up and see the success you have been waiting and praying for. May this year be your year for breakthroughs and great testimonies as you accomplish everything.
Your adventure and quest awaits!