My Top Picks
For 2026
SUNDAY
Our God Is Longsuffering
After I decided on Love, Joy, and Peace, I realized that these are the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23, so I’m going to continue with them today with “Longsuffering”. I began my Bible reading and I noticed how our God is so longsuffering with us, in the story of Noah. “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” (I Peter 3:20) We are starting the New Year and I noticed that after the long hard year on the ark, Noah had a New Year. “And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry.” (Genesis 8:13) I don’t know what kind of celebration they had, but I think that was probably the happiest first day of the year he had ever had in his 601 years of living. Some years naturally seem harder than others, but I have never had to spend a year through a storm as Noah had to do. He and his family, and animals of every sort, were shut up in the ark. If we back up to chapter 7:5 we read, “And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.” Noah did everything God told him to do, and he still went through the storm. Maybe you don’t have a problem with this, but sometimes when I’m going through a really hard storm I start wondering what I did to cause the storm. And God shows me that sometimes when we are in the midst of a storm we are right where God wants us to be. The next thing we see is that Noah did what it took to keep his family safe in the storm. “And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth. And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.” (Genesis 7:6-7) When we follow the Lord and lead our family in the ways of the Lord the people of the world won’t understand. They may mock us and try to lead us astray, but we need to keep our focus on God and do all that we can to protect our loved ones. When Noah went into the ark it wasn’t a pleasure cruise. His family had to pack food for them and for all the animals they had to take care of. Also, the rain didn’t fall immediately after they went on the ark. “And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.” (Genesis 7:10-11) We sometimes try to warn others about the danger of not trusting Christ as their Savior, but because the consequences are delayed, they don’t see the necessity of asking the Lord to save them now. One more thing, New Year’s Day didn’t mean the sudden end of the storm they had been through for almost a full year. Noah had looked out the first day of the New Year, but they all still had to wait on the ark a little longer. “And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.” (Genesis 8:14) We are going into a New Year and we may be excited to start a new beginning, with hopes of a better year. Don’t get discouraged if you have to wait a little longer. It’s been a long year. Maybe you can see clear weather on the forecast. Don’t be impatient. Wait on the Lord. “And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.” (Genesis 8:15-16) Remember to give thanks to the Lord. The first thing Noah did after they got off the ark was build an altar unto the Lord. (Genesis 8:20) Thank you Lord, for bringing me through another year.
MONDAY
Gentleness
I like the story of Elijah on Mount Carmel. “And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.” (I Kings 18:21-22) Elijah stood alone against the false prophets and God gave him a great, mountaintop victory. The wicked Queen Jezebel threatened to kill the prophet and he ran to the wilderness. There are so many lessons we can learn from this story, but today I see the gentleness of God. God did not rebuke Elijah for running. God let him rest and fed him. After he had time to rest, God spoke to him. Not through a great strong wind, not through an earthquake or fire, but through a still small voice. That’s what I want for the coming year. I want to listen for God’s gentle, still small voice. I am thankful for the gentleness of our Lord. This pick for 2026 is “Gentleness”. If my Almighty God can be gentle with me in my failures, then I should remember to be gentle with others. (And by the way, God told Elijah that He had 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed to Baal. Sometimes we may feel alone, but we are really not alone.)
“4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.
5 And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.
6 And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
7 And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.
8 And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.
9 And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah?
10 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.
11 And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” (I Kings 19:4-12)
TUESDAY
Goodness
Let’s continue with the Fruit of the Spirit as we come to “Goodness”. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23) This was the first thing I learned about God as we prayed before every meal, “God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. By His hands we are fed, Give us Lord our daily bread.” This was a wonderful way to learn of the goodness of God. From the very beginning, everything that God created was good.
“3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.” (Genesis 1:3-5)
Over and over in the Bible we read of the goodness of God. “Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” (Psalm 106:1) With this pick for 2026, I want to be a good and faithful servant for my Lord and Savior!
WEDNESDAY
Triumphant Faith
On the last day of 2025, Pastor Rick Byerly preached a sermon titled, “Can Faith Triumph?” In his introduction he asked, “What is the opposite of faith?” We can answer, “Fear and doubt.” Faith gives us courage to do what we know God will have us to do. Faith gives us resolve not to turn back, but continue to go in the direction God wants us to go. He continued with the questions, “Can I view the future as I have the past?” We don’t know what God has for us in 2026. We can’t view the future as we have the past in that sense, but we can know by faith that just as God did not fail us in 2025, He will not fail us in 2026. We can have triumphant faith because God is faithful! I want that trusting faith!
“Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;” (Deuteronomy 7:9)”
“God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” (I Corinthians 1:9)
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (I Corinthians 10:13)
THURSDAY
Meekness
As I continue with my Top Picks For 2026, I see how important it is to be Spirit led day by day. We are almost to the end of the list in Galatians 5:22-23. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” Many people view meekness as weakness. This is far from the truth. We see this in the life of Moses. Moses was a great leader in the Old Testament. He stood before Pharaoh and told him to free the Israelites from their bondage. He warned Pharaoh with signs from God with plagues of blood, frogs, flies, darkness, and more ending with the death of all the firstborn in Egypt who did not apply the blood of a Passover Lamb to their door. Moses led the people 40 years in the wilderness. In all his strength and leadership, we see him described in Numbers 12:3, “(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)” In the New Testament we read that Jesus was meek. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:29) We are encouraged to be meek. “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5) Peter was speaking to the wives when he said, “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” (I Peter 3:3-4) Today I choose a meek and quiet spirit.
FRIDAY
Temperance
I saw some beautiful pictures of temperature blankets shared online. The tops are various hues of blues and they gradually pick up greens before turning to oranges and reds in the middle, before turning back to blue as winter comes again. The idea behind them is that each row represents a day of the year and each color tells what the temperature was on that day. A person uses a different color of yarn to crochet one row every day of the year. The colder days are the deepest blues and the hotter days of summer are the brightest reds. Maybe it has to do with temperance sounding so much like temperature that made me think about a temperance blanket. If I took the time to crochet a row each day to signify my state of mind and actions, would I have a beautiful cool blue blanket? Or would I have rows of raging red or obnoxious orange, or maybe some envious greens, or even some fearful yellows? In the Bible temperance means moderation and self control. I think of self control as being a sign of wisdom and maturity. Temperance is last on the list of the fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. Peter also includes temperance, between knowledge and patience, in his thoughts about being fruitful. Temperance is a wonderful addition in my Top Picks For 2026.
“5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (II Peter 1:5-8)
SATURDAY
Peace
My next pick for 2026 is “Peace.” We are all born in sin, and are enemies of God. When Jesus saved us we made peace with God, and the most wonderful peace of all, the peace of God follows. God gives us peace that the world can’t understand. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) We don’t know what trials and storms we will have in the coming year. Jesus is able, and sometimes does bring our storms to an end with great peace. “And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39) There are other times when He gives us peace during the storms. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) I want to have the peace of God in my life. My God has never failed me and I know that He will not fail me in the New Year.
