Hope and Perseverance in the New Year

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. – Isaiah 40:31

It’s January 1st, 2025. A new year. A fresh start. But for many, it doesn’t feel that way. Maybe you’re stepping into the new year carrying last year’s stuff  — the weight of disappointment, exhaustion, fears or anxiety. Maybe you’ve already decided this year will be no different than the last — just another stretch of endless struggles with no hope in sight.

I came across an interesting story this morning.

In a study from the 1950s, researchers conducted an experiment with Norwegian wharf rats. They placed the rats in tubs of water and kept the water moving so the rats couldn’t float or rest. On average, the rats drowned within seventeen minutes.

But here’s where it gets interesting. For the second phase of the experiment, as some of the rats neared exhaustion and were on the verge of drowning, the researchers pulled them out of the water, dried them off, fed them, and returned them to their cages. After a full recovery, the same rats were placed back in the tubs under identical conditions.

This time, instead of lasting only seventeen minutes, the rats survived for an incredible thirty-seven hours.

Why? The psychologists conducting the study concluded that the rats had developed hope. They had experienced a moment of salvation — being pulled from the water — and this time, believing they would be rescued again, they persevered. That hope gave them the strength to endure far beyond what they could have otherwise.

This experiment may seem like an odd place to look for truth, but the principle aligns with God’s Word: His hope sustains us.

When we’ve experienced God’s rescue — when we’ve seen Him show up in our lives, pull us out of the depths, and set us on solid ground — it gives us hope for the future. That hope fuels our desire to persevere. It gives us the strength to keep running, even when we feel like quitting, because we know the God who saved us before is faithful to save us again.

Isaiah 40:31 reminds us of this truth: when we place our hope in the Lord, He renews our strength. We don’t endure because of our own abilities or willpower; we endure because we trust in the One who never fails. Just as those rats held on because they believed rescue was possible, we hold on because we know rescue is certain in the hands of our Savior.

But for those who don’t know Jesus — who haven’t placed their hope in Him — life can feel like that first trial. They move from one hopeless situation to another, with no anchor for their souls and no expectation of salvation. It’s no wonder so many give up, choosing defeat.

As we begin this new year, where is your hope?

If you’re tired, weary, or feeling like you can’t go on, don’t place your hope in fleeting things — money, achievements, or even your own strength. Those things will fail. Instead, put your hope in the Lord, the One who never grows tired or weary. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is faithful to rescue.

No matter what challenges lie ahead, God’s salvation is not just a past event — it’s a daily reality. The same God who pulled you out before will do it again. When we hope in Him, we find the strength to soar, to run, and to walk through life’s hardest seasons without giving up.

Let this year be different. Let it be a year marked by perseverance, anchored in the unshakable hope we have in Christ. Because when we hope in Him, we don’t just survive — we thrive.