Light for the Path in 2026

In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst,
​let him come unto me, and drink. 
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly
shall flow rivers of living water. Joh 7:37-38

As 2025 comes to an end, I've asked the Lord for His heart on the coming year, and what He'd like me to focus on in prayer for the coming year of 2026. I received this devotion, because as I read it, the Holy Spirit came upon me in a peculiar way, full of the love of God, for his wandering, rebellious people, groping in the darkness. These verses are Jesus' heart cry for those in this world, who find themselves in various stations of anxiousness, blindness, looking for satisfaction, happiness, and fulfillment in things that cannot quench the thirst in their souls, that only Jesus can supply. Even though they may not be consciously aware of it, their soul longs for sincere, true love, a love that isn't fickle, for a love that will sustain them, in whatever they may be facing in life. To know the peace and stability, of knowing their souls are connected to the Eternal God, and their life has purpose, and a sure foundation.
 
Only a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ can supply these needs. It's not a religion, it's a relationship with the living God. Jesus promises that He's gone to prepare a place for us, but unless we are honest with Him, and come to Him as we are-sinners in need of a Savior, we continue to wander in darkness, and look for what the world offers, to fulfill the deepest needs of our hearts and souls. Many never come to the place that they can be honest with themselves, and admit, they cannot make themselves good enough to stand before a holy God, and be justified. Our hearts condemn us, because we know, we have no covering for our sins. When we stand before God-we are naked, and our sins are separating us from Him. Jesus stood and cried out of the deep compassion and love, this is why He came into the world. All who would come to Him, and simply admit their sin, and receive Him as their Savior, would receive everything their souls could need, and their sins would be forgiven, and covered. All who come to Him, He redeems, no one is rejected-no matter what you've done. When Jesus forgives, He washes you clean, you are born again. From the moment of your salvation, you now stand before God, robed in the righteousness of Christ, and free from sin. Nothing anyone may say or do, can change this. As soon as you turn to Christ, and receive Him into your heart and receive His forgiveness, now the Holy Spirit dwells within, and will guide you to walk with Jesus, and read His word, and learn what it teaches, and how to live for Christ in this world. You'll learn that trials and persecutions will come, but, His abiding presence, and guidance will grow in you, and you will find that Jesus is there, in every situation and will never leave you nor forsake you. His word will be a continuous source of direction, and comfort to you. In the increasing chaos, persecutions, and upheavals in the world, and the unknowns of the coming year-one thing never changes, Jesus Christ. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He's promised us, that if we cling to Him, we will find Him to be more than sufficient for us, to be with us and carry us through whatever may come. 

The more you seek Jesus, and His presence in your life, the more you will find, there is no bottom to His love for you. When you look at the cross of Christ-meditate on the fact, that this is how much he loves you. He was willing to go to the cross, and suffer and die for you, to forgive you, and redeem you from your sins. There is no way you can repay Him, but, your love, and your desire to live for Him, is the glue that binds you to Him, for eternity. Remember, and read the gospel of John, especially chapter 14, He there tells us, He's gone back to heaven to prepare a place for us, that where He is, we will be with Him there. He keeps His promises. 
​
Joh 14:1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 
Joh 14:2  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 
Joh 14:3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. 

​But, remember, right after saying this, we are told:

​Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 
​
There is no other way to heaven, but through Jesus Christ. He is God the Father's only begotten Son, and God in the flesh-now risen from the grave and coming again.

May the devotions below, be a comfort and encouragement to you, as we face the coming year.
Lorna Couillard

Jesus Christ-The Fountain of Living Water
Charles Spurgeon-Morning Devotion

​Patience had her perfect work in the Lord Jesus, and until the last day of the feast he pleaded with the Jews, even as on this last day of the year he pleads with us, and waits to be gracious to us. Admirable indeed is the longsuffering of the Savior in bearing with some of us year after year, notwithstanding our provocations, rebellions, and resistance of his Holy Spirit. Wonder of wonders that we are still in the land of mercy.
Pity expressed herself most plainly, for Jesus cried, which implies not only the loudness of his voice, but the tenderness of his tones. He entreats us to be reconciled. "We pray you," says the Apostle, "as though God did beseech you by us." What earnest, pathetic terms are these! How deep must be the love which makes the Lord weep over sinners, and like a mother woo his children to his bosom! Surely at the call of such a cry our willing hearts will come.
Provision is made most plenteously; all is provided that man can need to quench his soul's thirst. To his conscience the atonement brings peace; to his understanding the gospel brings the richest instruction; to his heart the person of Jesus is the noblest object of affection; to the whole man the truth as it is in Jesus supplies the purest nutriment. Thirst is terrible, but Jesus can remove it. Though the soul were utterly famished, Jesus could restore it.

​Proclamation is made most freely, that every thirsty one is welcome. No other distinction is made but that of thirst. Whether it be the thirst of avarice, ambition, pleasure, knowledge, or rest, he who suffers from it is invited. The thirst may be bad in itself, and be no sign of grace, but rather a mark of inordinate sin longing to be gratified with deeper draughts of lust; but it is not goodness in the creature which brings him the invitation, the Lord Jesus sends it freely, and without respect of persons.
Personality is declared most fully. The sinner must come to Jesus, not to works, ordinances, or doctrines, but to a personal Redeemer, who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree. The bleeding, dying, rising Saviour, is the only star of hope to a sinner. Oh for grace to come now and drink, ere the sun sets upon the year's last day.

​No waiting or preparation is so much as hinted at. Drinking represents a reception for which no fitness is required. A fool, a thief, a harlot can drink; and so sinfulness of character is no bar to the invitation to believe in Jesus. We want no golden cup, no bejeweled chalice, in which to convey the water to the thirsty; the mouth of poverty is welcome to stoop down and quaff the flowing flood. Blistered, leprous, filthy lips may touch the stream of divine love; they cannot pollute it, but shall themselves be purified. Jesus is the fount of hope. Dear reader, hear the dear Redeemer's loving voice as he cries to each of us,
"IF ANY MAN THIRST,
LET HIM
COME UNTO ME
AND DRINK."

Christ’s Call to the Thirsty

Note, first, who are called. The invitation is to the thirsty. This thirst may be either general and unfixed, or it may be special and definite. It may be a thirst for something, many things, anything,—we scarcely know or care what; or it may be a thirst for some one precise thing, of which we have in part a distinct conception. To both kinds of thirst—but especially, as I think, to the latter—is our Lord’s invitation in the text intended to be applicable. (1) It applies to the first sort of thirst. To the many who say, "Who will show us any good?" is the invitation addressed. Your conscious uneasiness indicates something wrong. Do not hastily conclude that the wrong is irremediable. You have been seeking more from the world than it was ever fitted or intended to yield. It is the tabernacle of your pilgrimage; it cannot be a home for your hearts. Seek ye then the Lord, and let your souls thirst for the living God. (2) The thirst referred to in the invitation of our Lord may be regarded as somewhat more definite and precise—as the thirst of a guilty conscience, a heart estranged from God, seeking and needing peace. Here is Christ, having all blessings in store for you—pardon, peace, reconciliation, renewal, hope, joy, the water of life; come unto Him without hesitation, without delay, without fear, without doubt. Come unto Him, and drink freely, copiously, continually.

The invitation is as simple as it is suitable. "Come unto Me and drink." It is faith viewed (1) as the faith of application—"let him come unto Me"; (2) as the faith of appropriation—"Drink." Whatever you need, seek not to attain to it directly, as if by an effort of your own; but go to Christ, seek it through Christ, seek it in Christ, seek Christ Himself, and the thing you need and want will be yours. You cannot directly, by any exertion of your own, compass any spiritual achievement. If you complain of weak faith, by no wishing and working can you make it strong. If of a cold heart, no working in or upon the heart itself will warm it. Come to Christ; be ever coming to Christ to drink.
(R. S. Candlish, The Gospel of Forgiveness, p. 37)

What Is the Path to Salvation?

Luk 24:45  Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, 
Luk 24:46  And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 
Luk 24:47  And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 
Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. 

Gal 3:11  But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. 

Rom 8:1  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 
Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
​
​​2Co 5:17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 
​​2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 
1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 
1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 
1Jn 1:10  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 
  +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Walking in the Spirit  ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
​​Col 3:1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 
Col 3:2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 
Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 
Col 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 
Col 3:5  Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 
Col 3:6  For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 
Col 3:7  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 
Col 3:8  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 
Col 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 
Col 3:10  And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 
Col 3:11  Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.