Most of us approach a new year with some degree of apprehension. It’s human nature to fear the unknown. We don’t know what tomorrow may bring, and it’s easy to imagine the worst. If you are fearful on New Year’s Eve, 1 Peter 1:6–7 is a helpful passage of Scripture that should both comfort and embolden you.
Simon Peter assures his readers they have “…an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade… kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4–5).
God will shield us from pain that will harm us.
This passage promises that God will “shield” us by His power. We often complain about the tragedies we’ve experienced. “Why did God permit that sickness?” “Why did He allow that accident?” But have you ever stopped to think about the numerous times God shielded you from pain and you didn’t even realize it—or thank Him? I believe when we get to heaven and see our lives in retrospect, we’re going to be amazed at how many times God protected us from harm that would have been detrimental to us.
As a young preacher, I often preached a recurring sermon to church leaders about the importance of communicating the gospel in simple terms. I would explain that the apostle Paul said he didn’t use eloquent words or human wisdom when he proclaimed the gospel (1 Corinthians 2:1). So I would stress, “Keep it so simple a fifth grader can understand it.”
To illustrate that point, I would quote a paragraph from a Christian publication written by a brilliant professor. His article was filled with advanced, scholarly words and contorted phrases—so much so that it was impossible for the average reader to determine his meaning. At the end of the quote, I would chuckle and say, “And all God’s people said…” The crowd would laugh and shout, “Amen!” pretending they understood it.
One evening I was preaching that sermon at a church in the Midwest and didn’t realize that same professor was sitting in the audience. When I came to that part of the sermon, something within me said, “Skip it! You’ve made the point. It’s not needed. Skip it.” So I did.
After the service, the professor introduced himself to me and complimented my sermon. As soon as he said his name, I gulped—realizing how close I had come to deeply offending him and undermining my credibility!
To this day, I’m convinced it was the Holy Spirit who prompted me to skip that part of the sermon. I’m very thankful God shielded me from total embarrassment and from becoming a permanent laughingstock.
That kind of unseen protection is what King David was describing when he penned Psalm 121:
“The Lord watches over you—the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—He will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore”
(Psalm 121:5–8).
However, Simon Peter goes on to explain that God doesn’t exempt us from all pain:
“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6–7).
God will permit pain that will benefit us.
Just as gold is refined by fire, God permits us to endure painful experiences to refine us for eternity. Suffering matures us. Suffering equips us to minister to others who hurt. Suffering helps us appreciate what Jesus endured. And suffering enhances our witness to the lost and the weak.
I underwent surgery a month ago. I wouldn’t volunteer for it, and it wasn’t pleasant. But I now have much more sympathy for people who go under the knife than I did previously. I developed a deeper appreciation for what Jesus endured on my behalf, and I prayed more intently than I had in a long time.
In the fourth chapter, Simon Peter adds,
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed” (1 Peter 4:12–13).
This means we can face 2026 without fear. Be confident God is going to shield you from anything that would be detrimental to your growth in Christ. And while He permits pain that matures you, He has promised to walk with you through the valley of death so that you need not fear any evil. The Bible assures us that nothing is going to happen to you in 2026 that God will not see you through.
I like the plaque that reads, “Lord, help me to remember that nothing is going to happen to me today that You and I can’t handle together.”
So let’s face the new year with confidence, knowing, “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” Walk by faith in the God who shields and matures you—and enjoy one day at a time.
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:33-34).
