God’s Bounty in a New Year: Trusting His Goodness in Every Season of Life

When 2025 rang in the new year, we had no idea what it would hold. For our family, there were definite high points.

My oldest daughter played her final volleyball game as a senior —and defeated their rivals as she hit a game-winning kill. My middle daughter received an offer to play at Nationals for the Beach Volleyball Tournament in Virginia Beach. And there were the simple joys: laughter in the kitchen, deep conversations on road trips, moments that quietly stitched joy into ordinary days.

But there were also low points—unexpected news of a family member’s cancer, drought in business endeavors, and the weight of everyday disappointments. The offer doesn’t come through, the bills continue to mount, and the friend disappoints once again.

As I reflect on the year that was, I’m reminded that life rarely unfolds the way we envision. There are twists and turns, roadblocks and detours that threaten to overwhelm our spirits. It can feel easier to give up—or at least loosen our grip on hope.

Maybe you’re there too.

Do you wish you could rewrite last year?
Are you tired of hoping when disappointment looms heavy?

And yet…

Even in the middle of disappointment, I can honestly look back on 2025 and see the goodness of God. It is real. It is powerful. And it is sure.

Psalm 65:11 is a beautiful verse to hold onto as we step into a new year, and my prayer is that these words encourage your heart as they have mine:

“You crown the year with your bounty;
Your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.” (Psalm 65:11 ESV)

You crown the year with Your bounty.

This year—2026—is crowned by His goodness. Dare we say, His bounty?

Bounty in a time of want?
Blessing in a season of need?

Even as the seasons change, His blessings will remain the same. This verse reminds us that God’s love encircles every year. Sometimes we simply need eyes to see it.

Look to Him

The traces of God’s goodness can often be found in the most unlikely places. The moon peeking through the tree skyline at night, the laughter of our children in their rooms, the kind words spoken by a stranger. No matter which direction we turn, His favor is there—waiting for us. His mercy strewn across our path.

If we look to Him for spiritual bounty in the months ahead, we will discover a holy harvest: kindness, love, compassion, and grace sufficient for every day. He promises to provide everything we need.

Sometimes we simply need to slow down.
To see.
To observe.

When you look to Him, what do you notice?
Can you see traces of bounty even in drought?
Are there diamonds being forged in the hardest moments of your days?

In The Beauty Chasers, my husband Tim writes about the power of seeing:

“I was thankful to have taken the time that day, time to see. It reminded me that the days possess calamity and wonder, and both come under God’s purview. But what he is most concerned about in both is whether I see him.”

“When we slow down, the world meets us with epiphany. As we attend, our eyes quicken our hearts. When we see, we notice God.”

Friends, let’s slow down and see. And when we do, we see traces of God everywhere.

Encompassed by Him

When we look to Him, we notice something profound—we are encompassed by Him.

To encompass means to surround, to have or hold within.

Will you believe that in 2026 God has you?
That He holds you?
That He is surrounding you?

When the psalmist writes that the Lord crowns the year with bounty, the word crown is the same word used in Psalm 5:12: “You surround them with your favor as with a shield” (NIV).

His crowning is a surrounding.

Friends, we cannot escape this love. God surrounds us with His bounty. We are encompassed by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. There is no part of our lives He does not hold—each month, every day, every moment of 2026 belongs to Him.

Constant kindness traces our days. We cannot wriggle our way out of His goodness, no matter how hard we try. We are encompassed by Him.

So, as you reflect on 2025 and step into 2026, will you believe it can be a year of blessing, a year of His bounty? Will you look to Him and trust that His tracks truly do overflow with abundance?

In the words of Matthew Henry: “Every part of the year has been enriched with blessings of heaven.”

And 2026 will be as well, dear friends.

In His Word

Meditate on Psalm 36:8: “They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights” (ESV). Feast on His bounty this new year and let His delight guide your days.

In Your Life

Spend some time in prayer considering the year ahead. Ask the Lord to help you see His bounty in all the seasons of your life. As you look to the Lord, ponder the following questions:

• How can I slow down my pace this year to make sure I see God?
• Where have I seen traces of God’s bounty even in the dry seasons?
• How does it encourage my spirit to know He surrounds my days?

We Recommend 

The Marveling Studies by Chris and her husband, Tim. This online course is designed to help you see God as you cultivate wonder in your relationship with Him. It provides tools for creating healthy, God-centered rhythms for personal spiritual formation.

Let’s Connect

For inspiration on tending to heart and home, follow Chris on Instagram.  You can also subscribe to weekly devotionals through her Mend membership newsletter on Substack. When you subscribe, you’ll receive her free 7-day guide, Walk into Wonder, to help mend your soul through movement, marveling, and sacred presence.