Advent Week Five: Carried by Love Into the New Year

As the new year begins, we carry with us the light of Advent: the love that has come, fought, redeemed, and now reigns. This is not a love that gets packed away in storage with the elf who sits on the shelf or fades once the Christmas lights are packed away. It is a love in action, revealed in God’s character, fully sufficient for every trial, every decision, every uncertainty that the year ahead may hold.

"Likewise, the love of God—a prominent theme in both Testaments—is never kitschy or sentimental. His love is tenacious as oak roots, potent as a typhoon. It is abrasive as much as it is soothing. It scours and breaks us before it sets us right—in order to set us right. It never lets us alone. It is so fierce, the love of God, that many choose to be condemned rather than to step out into the light of it. 'For God so loved the world,' Jesus said, 'that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.'" —Mark Buchanan, Holy Wild

All we could possibly need—from restoration, protection, guidance, strength, or stability—is found in this living, revealed love. It moves with us, empowers us, and anchors us in the midst of life’s storms. Love does not simply linger as a swaddling-wrapped memory of Christmas; it carries, lifts, and equips us to step boldly into the new year God has prepared.

This fierce, intentional, and redeeming love revealed in the character and nature of God is made available to sustain us:

Jehovah Khabodi — our glory. Love restores. God lifts the lowly, honors the humble, and defends the dignity of those who bear his image. As a new year begins, it’s tempting to measure our worth by resolutions kept or progress made or to chase God’s favor or human approval through performance. Jehovah Khabodi reminds us that our value is not earned or contingent; it is rooted in the glory of the One who made us. When life (or comparisons with others' social media profiles) leaves us feeling ashamed, overlooked, or diminished, this name whispers a deeper truth: we are already deeply treasured, lifted, and honored in God’s presence. (Psalm 3:3)

Jehovah Machsi — our refuge. Love shelters. God is our safe place, a fortress amid storms both seen and unseen. As a new year begins, uncertainty and anxiety can feel heavy—so many unknowns lie ahead, and we may wonder if we’ll have what it takes to endure. Yet Jehovah Machsi reminds us that the One who is our refuge is already present in every tomorrow. His protection is not just for today; he goes before us, and in him, we are already carried, already victorious, already held. When fear threatens, we can rest in the shelter of his love, knowing we are never abandoned, never left defenseless, and fully secure in his care. (Psalm 91:2)

Jehovah 'Ori — our light. Love guides. Darkness does not have the final word. As a new year begins, it’s easy to feel uncertain about the path ahead or to miss how God is weaving the present and future together in our lives. Jehovah 'Ori shines into every shadowed corner, illuminating what we cannot see and helping us discern the steps he calls us to take. He reveals truth when confusion, doubt, or despair cloud our vision, reminding us that nothing is wasted and every moment contributes to the greater tapestry of our transformation. In him, we are never lost; we are seen, directed, and drawn toward the One who is shaping us into Christlikeness. (Psalm 27:1)

Jehovah Sel’i — our rock. Love anchors. A new year does not automatically mean a new season. The calendar may turn, but grief, wilderness, waiting, and unanswered questions often remain. For many, January arrives still heavy with loss, fatigue, or uncertainty. Jehovah Sel’i does not promise a sudden escape from those seasons; he promises steadfastness within them.

God is our firm foundation when everything else feels unstable. When life shakes—relationships, health, hopes, or plans—he remains unmovable. Jehovah Sel’i anchors us not to outcomes or timelines, but to his unchanging presence. We may still be in the storm, but we are not drifting. We are held, secured, and established by the One who cannot be shaken. (Psalm 18:2)

Jehovah 'Uzzi — our strength. Love empowers. The new year often arrives with an unspoken demand to be stronger, braver, more disciplined—better than we were before. But God does not ask us to manufacture strength we do not have. Jehovah ’Uzzi meets us in our depletion, not our resolve.

His strength is not a supplement to our effort; it is a substitute for it. When we are tired, overwhelmed, or aware of our limits, he does not stand back waiting for improvement. He carries. He sustains. He supplies what obedience requires and what endurance demands. Because his strength is at work within us, we are free to face the days ahead—not with forced confidence, but with quiet dependence and enduring hope. (Psalm 28:7)

These names are more than titles; they are promises. Each one reveals the love of God in motion: love that shelters and guides, anchors and strengthens, restores dignity, and holds us steady when the path ahead feels uncertain.

Wherever you find yourself as this new year begins, his love is already there. You are carried, not rushed. Lifted, not measured. Empowered, not pressured. And nothing will ever separate you from the love that has come, that fights for you, that redeems at great cost, and that reigns forever.