Finish Strong, Begin Fresh

Daily Scripture Threshing for Today, Monday, December 29, 2025

Philippians 3:12–16 (ESV)

Key Verse: Philippians 3:13–14 (ESV) — “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Preparation gets us ready for positioning and positioning steps us forward in faith so that we may finish one level strong enough to enter the next. As the year 2025 is drawing to a close, and heaven whispers again: Don’t quit—complete the course with clarity and courage. Finishing strong is never about speed but about stamina. The Apostle Paul, at the height of his journey, fixed his gaze not on what was behind him but on what was yet before him. Faith does not simply start the journey; it sustains it until the final step. As you stand between what has been and what shall be, do not let your strength fade at the finish line. What began by grace must end by the same grace.

The Spirit’s call to finish strong is not a call to strive harder but to stand firmer. Paul’s “one thing” focus reminds us that divine destiny flourishes in simplicity — laying aside distractions to pursue the upward call. The world celebrates beginnings, but heaven honors completions. God delights in the believer who endures to the end with excellence. Each time we finish a course strong, we prepare the way for a fresh beginning. Every ending is a seedbed for the next chapter of grace.

Finish strong through gratitude. Remember not the failures of yesterday but the faithfulness of God through every valley and victory. Gratitude keeps your gaze upward when regret would pull you backward. Thank Him not only for what was accomplished but for what was endured. It is often in surviving the storm that strength is refined. The one who thanks God at the threshold of a new year carries favor into the next.

Finish strong through focus. Paul said, “This one thing I do.” As the year winds down, narrow your vision to what truly matters — what God said, not what people said; what remains eternal, not what merely entertained. To finish strong is to refuse to be entangled by the noise of the near. Evaluate what needs to end gracefully so that you can enter God’s new beginning freely. Carry purpose forward, not clutter.

Finish strong through faith. The pressing forward Paul describes is an act of faith that refuses stagnation. You cannot press and pause at the same time. Faith keeps pressing even when it feels like little has changed. Keep believing; keep declaring; keep expecting. The same God who brought you through this year will crown your obedience with overflow. Finishing strong ensures you begin fresh.

To finish strong is to close one chapter with worship and open the next with wonder. Please don’t enter the new year carrying excess baggage of doubt. Lay your fears, failures, and fatigue at the altar. The Lord who called you to begin will grace you to finish — and then breathe new wind into your sails for what’s ahead. Tomorrow is not the end of a story; it’s the turning of a page. Step over the threshold with thanksgiving and expectation. Grace is waiting at January’s door to welcome you forward.

Action Steps: Today, reflect and release. Write down three things from this year for which you’re deeply grateful — and three things you must leave behind. Offer them to God in prayer. Make a declaration of completion: “Lord, I finish strong by Your grace and enter the new year fresh by Your Spirit.” End this day with praise and faith, knowing that the Author who started your story is faithful to finish it.

Quote for the Day: “The year doesn’t end when the clock strikes twelve by 31st's night — it ends when your heart releases the old and embraces the new.” — (Simon Olatunji #quotablequote)

Let Us Pray: Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for carrying me through every season of this year. I choose to finish strong by faith and begin fresh by Your Spirit. Help me to let go of what You have released and embrace what You have prepared. Sharpen my focus, deepen my gratitude, and renew my strength for the journey ahead. Let my steps into the new year be firm in faith, full of praise, and forward in purpose. In Your mighty and unfailing name, Lord Jesus, Amen.

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Thank you for threshing the Word with Him today. For further study, read: 2 Timothy 4:6–8; Hebrews 12:1–2; Isaiah 43:18–19

With all my love and prayers,

Simon Wale Olatunji, Ph.D.

Your Darling Bishop (DaBishop)

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