Key Verse:

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”

— Hebrews 12:1

Rooted Truth:

Before God calls us to run forward, He invites us to lay things down.

Faith Story:

The final day of the year carries a unique stillness.

It is a threshold moment—one foot in what has been, one foot in what is coming.

Hebrews does not speak to beginnings first—it speaks to release.

“Lay aside every weight…”

Not every weight is sinful. Some weights are expectations. Some are regrets. Some are disappointments. Some are fears that quietly followed us all year long.

And yet, Scripture is clear: weights slow the race. God does not ask us to carry what He never intended us to keep. He does not shame us for our burdens—He invites us to surrender them. The end of the year is not about evaluating performance. It is about entrusting what remains unfinished to a faithful God.

Some prayers are still unanswered. Some wounds are still healing. Some plans did not unfold as expected. Some lessons came through hardship.

Tonight, God does not ask for explanations. He asks for trust.

To lay something down is to say:

“Lord, I release control.”

“Lord, I trust You with what I cannot fix.”

“Lord, I believe You are sufficient for what lies ahead.”

The race ahead does not require more striving—it requires lighter steps. And when we lay things down before God, we do not lose them—we place them in better hands.

Scripture for Deeper Roots:

Isaiah 43:18–19 – “Remember ye not the former things…”

Psalm 55:22 – “Cast thy burden upon the LORD…”

Philippians 3:13 – “Forgetting those things which are behind…”

Daily Practice:

Tonight, identify one weight you are intentionally leaving with God.

Name it specifically.

Then pray aloud:

“Lord, I lay this down and trust You with it.”

Daily Prayer:

Faithful God, as this year comes to a close, I lay down what no longer belongs in the next season. Thank You for Your grace that covers my failures and Your mercy that carries my unfinished story. I trust You with what I release and with what lies ahead.

Amen.

Deep Reflection:

• What weight has quietly followed you throughout this year?

• How does surrender prepare your heart for renewal?

• What would it look like to step into the New Year lighter and freer?

#DeeplyRooted #DailyRenewed

Devotions for a Grounded and Growing Faith