It's 2026

It's exactly midnight, and the sky bursts with color as fireworks light up the dark heavens. The air is filled with the sound of laughter, shouting, and cheers as men, women, and children scream in unison, "Happy New Year!" The world around me is alive with celebration, but here I am, tucked in my bed, half-awake, with a cold and fever weighing me down. I can barely bring myself to join in the revelry. I wonder to myself, "What’s there to be happy about?" The world may be dancing and shouting, but I feel isolated, disconnected from all the noise.

Then, as I lay there in the quiet of my room, a thought strikes me—a reminder that I am truly blessed. I am still here. I have made it into the year 2026, while many others haven’t. It’s a humbling thought. I whisper softly to myself, “Happy New Year,” and, in my heart, I send a prayer of gratitude for the gift of life, for the opportunity to see another year.

But then, another thought comes rushing in, one that makes my heart tremble—a thought that reminds me that life is fleeting. I am closer to my final day than I was yesterday. The day of the Lord’s return is coming, and I can feel it. The world around me is celebrating with noise and joy, but in my heart, I can’t help but wonder: Am I ready for that day?

I whisper a prayer, a plea for God’s mercy: “Lord, help me be prepared for Your coming. Let me be found worthy when You return. May I be counted among the faithful.” The excitement and noise of this New Year celebration suddenly seem so distant compared to the weight of eternity.

I think about the day of the Lord as it’s described in Scripture—what it will truly be like. Zephaniah 1:14-18 speaks of a day like no other, one filled with wrath, darkness, and destruction. It’s not the joyful celebration of a new year, but a day of reckoning. The mighty will cry in distress. It will be a day of desolation and gloom, a time when nothing—no wealth, no power—can save those who have turned away from the Lord.

My heart is filled with both fear and longing. Fear, because I am reminded of the cost of my sin, and longing, because I desire to be prepared, to be worthy of God's grace when He comes.

In Joel 2:2-10, Scripture paints a terrifying picture of that day: a day of darkness and terror, when the earth trembles, and the sun and moon themselves turn dark. It speaks of a fire that devours everything in its path, of armies moving with swift destruction. And I can’t help but wonder: Who will be ready for such a day? How many people today, with their partying and joy, are even aware of the gravity of the moment we’re in?

The day of the Lord is near, yet many still live in ignorance. They wish for His return but do not truly understand the weight of what it means. For many, it will not be a day of celebration. It will be a day of weeping and despair. Only a few will have joy in their hearts because they have lived in righteousness and faith.

It's now 20 minutes past midnight. The fireworks have faded. The cheers have quieted. The world has returned to silence as quickly as it erupted in joy. The year has begun, but the day of the Lord will not fade so easily. It will not come and go in the blink of an eye. When that day arrives, it will be unrelenting, and it will change everything. I find myself weeping, not for the world’s celebrations, but for my own soul, for the world’s blindness.

Joel 2:31 reminds me of the sun turning to darkness, the moon to blood, before that great and terrible day comes. The finality of it all fills me with awe and sorrow. I wonder—what does tomorrow hold for all of us? Will we live with purpose? Will we seek God while He may be found?

I pray that we will all have a blessed 2026, not just in the fleeting joys of this world, but in the peace that comes from living in holiness and faith. Seek the Lord while He may be found. And may we all be ready for the day of His visitation.

Hebrews 12:14

[14]Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:

Amen 🙏