Welcome to the January 2026 Archive. You are welcome to read the entire archive, or find a topic on the list below that is of interest to you. Just click the link, and you will be taken directly to the day it was written. Enjoy, and may you know God's peace as you read His Word.
You are welcome to use these writings or pass them on. All we ask is that in all things you remember the Author and give Him the glory, and remember this vessel which He has used to bring them to you. Peggy Hoppes
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Scripture on this page taken from the World English Bible which belongs to the public domain.
A WORD FOR TODAY, January 2026
January 1, 2026
“If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don’t have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don’t have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don’t have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn’t envy. Love doesn’t brag, is not proud, doesn’t behave itself inappropriately, doesn’t seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when that which is complete has come, then that which is partial will be done away with. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known. But now faith, hope, and love remain - these three. The greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, WEB
A former editor of Bible Study Magazine named John Barry once wrote, “‘Focus on your relationship with Jesus.’ When my friend said this, I knew it was the answer to all my questions. I had been so focused on God’s calling that I had neglected my relationship with the caller, Jesus. This is precisely Paul’s message when he says to the Corinthian church, ‘If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a ringing brass gone or clashing cymbal’ (1 Corinthians 13:1). Without love, our lives are simply noise.” The article, “From Noise to Music,” reminds us that everything we do is nothing unless God is the focus. Barry wrote, “We’re like an orchestra without a conductor.”
This is a good reminder on this day of new beginnings. There are many things about my life that I really want to change in the coming year. I want to spend more time in my studio and seriously work on and finish the book I have begun writing. I want to continue to work toward healthier living. I want to find a purpose, something new to accomplish this year, a place where I am needed and where I can offer my gifts. I want to continue a project digitizing all my old videos. I want to be a better housekeeper around my house. I want to be more kind and less judgmental of the people who cross my path. These are all good things, positive things, which I can do for myself and for those around me this year.
This past year was a good year. Oh, things are never perfect, but that is because we live in an imperfect world. People disappoint. We get sick. We make mistakes. We lose people we love, both through death and broken relationships. We be lonely at times or confused. We will fail to do what we should do, and we’ll do things we should not do. We are human and we experience the ups and downs of life, no matter how hard we try to make our world happy. Sometimes the greatest success is to face the bad with an attitude of faith, trust, and love.
We don’t do this with our own power. As a matter of fact, our feeble attempts are much like that orchestra without a conductor. We do ministry for the sake of doing ministry, because we think we are called to something, but if God is not the center or the focus of our work, then we are just going through the motions. Whatever we choose to do to make 2026 a better year, whether it is changes in our lifestyle, our purpose, our attitude, the most important thing is to begin with these words in our hearts. It begins with love. Anything we do without God is just noise. Now is the time for us to make music.
Now is the time for us to fall in love again with the God who is our Father, Creator, and Redeemer. As we dwell in His love we will see the world through faith. We may not accomplish our goals, and we will face those times and experiences that we try so hard to avoid. We will probably fail at our resolutions. Through it all, however, the God who loves us will be with us and He will help us through. He will lead us to where He wants us to go, which is far better than anything we can imagine. Our focus might be good, but the best thing we can do is to focus on God, for it is in Him we will truly find love and will make beautiful music.
January 2, 2026
“When the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were fulfilled, they brought him up to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, ‘Every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’), and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, ‘A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.’” Luke 2:22-24, WEB
The Old Testament is filled with images of God that we do not like to see; they leave us with questions and doubts. We prefer a God who is loving and kind; any stories of death and destruction are difficult for us to juxtapose with our understanding of a gracious God. We don’t really understand why our God would require the death of any animals as a sacrifice of thanksgiving.
As we look at the Old Testament story of the Exodus, we can’t really understand why the God who sent us the baby in the manger could possibly allow the death of all the first-born innocent children of Egypt. That’s what happened at the Passover, when the angel of death passed over the homes covered in the blood of the lamb and took the sons of Egypt as the final plague to convince Pharaoh to set the Hebrews free. There must have been a better way.
The Exodus was the first of many great works and a foreshadowing of the greatest work that God performed in and through Jesus Christ. The deliverance was not easy; Pharaoh’s heart was hardened against the Hebrews, and he refused to let them leave despite his promises. So, God made the ultimate demand, the demand that the other gods had no right to make. The Lord Almighty gives life to all, so only He has the right to take that life away. As a last resort, God took the first born of Egypt, man and beast. But as proof that He is God, He saved the firstborn of the Hebrews. He saved His sons.
After Pharaoh ordered the Hebrews to leave, God gave the people instructions about the journey. He told them to remember the Passover regularly, to remember how God delivered them out of Egypt. Then He called His people to consecrate all their first-born males, human and animal. This consecration is to happen not only in this night, but in all time after they enter into the Promised Land. The animals were sacrificed; but God never demanded death for the first-born human sons. They were consecrated to life. God commanded His people to dedicate their first fruits to God’s service. The first born belonged to God.
The redemption price of five shekels could be paid to a priest when the first-born son of a mother was thirty days old (Numbers 18:16). This redemption price would have “bought” or “redeemed” or “paid the ransom” for the child so that they could be restored to their family. If a father could not pay the redemption price, the child had to do so when he became a man. We don’t hear about Joseph paying the redemption price, but from the beginning Jesus belonged to God. He was sent to pay the price Himself, not with shekels but with His own blood.
In other words, the very command to consecrate the first born was truly fulfilled in the life, ministry, and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mary and Joseph dedicated Jesus to God’s service, and Jesus served in a way that only He could serve. Ultimately, we know that Jesus was the final sacrifice and it is His blood that is now painted on our doors.
There is a meme I’ve seen that says, “God did not check inside to see who was worthy. He checked for the blood on the doorpost. None are worthy. The blood of Christ covers us.” In Christ we are among those who have been redeemed. We do not have to pay the price anymore. We were never really able to pay the price. Through Christ, God has saved His sons and His daughters. The angel of death will still take our flesh one day, but when He does, we will be welcomed into the eternal kingdom of our God, to dwell with Him forever.
You are God’s holy and beloved, dedicated by faith to service in His Kingdom. The life you are called to live is not necessarily like those we hear about in the Nativity story. We won’t be like Mary or Joseph, John or Herod, the shepherds or angels, Simeon or Anna. We won’t be like those who died for the sake of the Gospel from the Holy Innocents to Stephen, to all the martyrs throughout history. The sacrifice God seeks from each of us is thankfulness with our whole hearts.
Even though Christmas is past, will you continue to seek Him, to watch for Him, to wait for His coming with your whole being, serving Him with your entire life? It might sound like too much, especially as we return to the hustle and bustle of our normal lives, but when we consider what God has done for us, we know that it will never be enough. Thankfully, Jesus accomplished more than enough. That babe that was laid in the manger became the required redemption because He died for our sake. By His grace we live in word and deed in His name, sharing the peace of God with one another and the world.
January 5, 2026
“And to the angel of the assembly in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says these things: I know your works, that you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up and strengthen the things that remain, which you were about to throw away, for I have found no works of yours perfected before my God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it and repent. If therefore you won’t watch, I will come as a thief, and you won’t know what hour I will come upon you.” Revelation 3:1-3, WEB
A few years ago, Victoria Beckham gave her husband David a white gold cross covered in diamonds that was worth £40,000 at the time as a Christmas gift. David gave her a similar cross a few years before that. David was a Manchester United football star and Victoria was a member of the pop group the Spice Girls at the time. They had the wealth necessary to give such gifts and David had a reputation for wearing crosses, particularly during his games.
I have always worn a cross, so I understand the fashion choice. I wear it as a statement about my faith, and David grew up in a Christian home. He has some Jewish heritage, with which he identifies, but he had a strong connection to Christianity. David and Victoria had their two youngest children baptized, and David got a tattoo of Jesus, “the man of sorrows.” We can’t judge the heart of any man, only God can do that, but despite some Christian actions, the faith of the Beckhams has been questioned.
Victoria was quoted in the newspaper when she gave David the expensive, gold and diamond covered cross, “Now that is a real cross.” My current cross is an inexpensive one I bought a few years ago through an online jewelry supply company, but I have to admit that I wanted to buy a white gold cross when we were in England. It was far more expensive than we could afford, so I left it in the case. I still regret not spending the money. I have a beautiful cross with diamonds that was a gift from my husband that I wear on special occasions, but it isn’t worth nearly as much as the one Victoria gave to David. I also have never thought my crosses were “real” as compared to the cross that saved me.
The real cross was not made of gold and diamonds. It was made of wood and nails and the blood of Jesus as He hung there to die for our sins. It is made of the heart of Christ, the Son of the Living God, as He was sacrificed so that we might be reconciled to our Father in heaven.
We do not know the hearts of those that wear crosses and we cannot assume those who have a misunderstanding about what a real cross is that they are nominally Christian. We also should not assume all those who wear a cross are Christian. Being a Christian is not about making certain fashion choices. Being a Christian isn’t even about doing all the right things: being a Christian is about wearing Christ.
How do you wear your Christian life? Is it like a dazzling gold cross around your neck? Is the world in awe about your fashion choices? Wake up! Christianity is not about looking good to the world, but about living according to the commandments of God. When people look at you, do they see your obedience? Do they see that you love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself? Does the world see you wearing a shiny piece of jewelry, or do they see the image of Christ in all you say and do?
January 6, 2026
“They, having heard the king, went their way; and behold, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them until it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshipped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country another way.” Matthew 2:9-12, WEB
God promised to send Israel a Messiah, a king who would deliver them from their bondage. The Old Testament is filled with words from the prophets and kings that speak of that promise and God’s faithfulness. The Jews longed for the day that the promise would be fulfilled. This was especially true at the time of Herod the Great’s reign. The people wanted to be a free nation with a proper king, a king from the House of David. They thought the promise was for just Israel and that the promise would be fulfilled with an earthly king.
The glory of Zion would not be prosperity, wealth, fame, and honor. That glory was to be the Light of the world. From the beginning, the Jews were chosen and blessed so that they would be a blessing. The Savior of the world was to come through them, and the world would see the greatness of God through their lives. Isaiah writes, “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” (Isaiah 60:3)
Jesus Christ was the morning star; His birth was the dawn of a new age. He was Light and brought light into this dark world. A star shown in the sky at the moment of His birth, it was a light to the Gentiles. Far away wise men who were studying the skies looking for signs saw this new star appear. They were learned men who were aware of the prophecies of the Jews and knew the sign told of the birth of a king. The left their homes and traveled to Jerusalem seeking this newborn king of the Jews.
They went to Herod; certainly, the new king would be born in the royal household. But there was no child there. Herod called to the priests and asked of the prophecies found in the scriptures. They told him about the words of Micah that foretold of a king to be born in Bethlehem, a shepherd from the House of David. Herod told the wise men they would find the king there. He asked that they return and tell him the location of the child so he could go and worship him.
Isn’t it amazing that the promised nation did not see the signs of the coming fulfillment? They did not see the light appear; yet foreigners knew something incredible was happening and traveled far to be a part of it. Even when the wise men informed all of Jerusalem of their quest, no one followed. Not one person went with them to find the newborn king. During Jesus’ life and ministry, many of the Jews still did not recognize Him, though He often showed Himself to be the fulfillment of the promises. From the beginning of Jesus’ life, from the moment He was laid in manger, His light shined to the entire world, not just the Jews.
The above passage from Isaiah also says, “All from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense and will proclaim the praises of Yahweh.” The wise men fulfilled this prophecy by coming to honor the newborn king and by bringing Him gifts. The gold and frankincense were symbols of royalty and priesthood. The wise men knew that Jesus would be like the kings of old who not only ruled the people but also ministered to the Lord. But the wise men brought another gift, myrrh. Myrrh was a spice used for the burial of the dead. These strangers from a foreign land somehow knew that Jesus was to be more than an earthly king. The gift foretold of Jesus’ suffering and death.
The word Epiphany means, “a revelatory manifestation of a divine being.” On this day the Church recognizes that through the wise men God revealed His divine nature of Christ to the world. The promise of a King was not just for the Jews or for this life. Jesus was the Light, revealed by God in the light of the star that drew strangers into His promise. The Light shines for all the world to see but Herod and the people of Jerusalem missed it. Do you see the Light, and will you follow like the wise men of old? Thanks be to God for His revealed light, that by His power we may see and know Him even today.
January 7, 2026
January 8, 2026
January 9, 2026
January 12, 2026
January 13, 2026
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January 19, 2026
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January 26, 2026
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