“The last shall be first”—words spoken by Jesus to His disciples when explaining how the Kingdom of God operates. Yet this concept was established at creation. Humanity was created last, but positioned by God as first. Dominion over all creation was given to mankind through the very first blessing God spoke over humanity.

“Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”
—Genesis 1:28 (NKJV)

Happy New Year!

We invite you to join us in a deeper exploration of God’s heart toward humanity. Together, we will turn to His Word to uncover answers to questions often lie buried within us—questions frequently drowned out by the cares and distractions of daily life:

• Why were we created?

• Were we given both a collective and an individual purpose?

• Is our existence random, or left to chance?

• What does God gain from creating humanity?

Our journey through the Psalms has oriented our hearts to God’s Word and taught us to trust Him with our laments, our hopes, and our lives. It has renewed our awareness of His presence in the everyday and revealed His character in deeper ways. As we come to the end of this journey, the Holy Spirit—through His inspired words in the Psalms—graciously leads us to a single conclusion: Hallelujah. Book 5 closes with the repeated refrain, “Praise the Lord!” reminding us that praise is not merely a feeling but a deliberate, personal choice to maintain worship.

The Psalms poetically capture humanity’s long history of singing to God about struggles, longings, and triumphs. They not only highlight our deepest concerns and our need for the Most High but also reveal His very nature, mind, and vision. It is as though each psalm beckons, “Come, take a closer look at My heart.”

We’ve reached a powerful milestone: Book 5, the final stretch of our journey through the Psalms!

Our path began in Book 1, where our hearts were anchored in God’s word and the hope of the promised Messiah. In Book 2, we learned to trust the Lord through seasons of disorientation. Book 3 led us into deep lament, giving voice to our despair. In Book 4, we found restoration as we welcomed the Lord’s presence back into the center of our lives.

But the journey doesn’t end here.

As we step into Book 5, we continue the pilgrimage. Fifteen of these psalms, known as the Songs of Ascent, remind us: praise is not a destination, but a journey. These psalms teach us, through lived experience, how to walk faithfully and worship fully, one step at a time.

Let’s set our hearts once again on pilgrimage.