Entering Empty

Read

John 2:3, 7, “When the wine was gone…Jesus said to the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water’; so they filled them to the brim.”

Think

The second day of January often feels quieter than the first. The confetti has settled, the resolutions have been made, and the excitement of a fresh start begins to wear thin. Maybe you’ve already felt it—the familiar weight of disappointment, exhaustion, or uncertainty creeping back in. You wanted this year to feel different, but you’re stepping into it feeling more empty than expectant.

I’ve been there. I was sitting across the table on New Year’s Eve, when asked a simple question: “What are you looking forward to in the new year?” I wanted to answer with hopeful plans and bright dreams, but the truth was, I felt hollow. I was weary from a long year of disappointments, too drained to think about what was ahead. I silently wondered, “What can God do with someone who feels this empty?”

Maybe you’re asking the same thing today. But here’s the truth: in God’s hands, emptiness isn’t a problem—it’s an opportunity.

In John 2:1-12, at a wedding in Cana, the wine ran out, and all that remained were empty jars. Those jars could have been seen as a failure or a limitation, but Jesus saw them as something more—an invitation. He instructed the servants to fill the jars with water, and when they obeyed, he turned that water into the finest wine. The emptiness became a vessel for God’s glory.

That’s what he does. He meets us in our emptiness and fills us with his grace. He doesn’t require us to come full or put-together. He only asks us to come to him—poured out, honest, and willing to trust him with what little we have left.

So, on this second day of January, if you’re feeling empty, bring it to Jesus. Let him fill the spaces of disappointment and uncertainty with his presence. Because when we offer him our emptiness, we open the door for him to do what only Jesus can—turn it into something far better than we could imagine.

Apply

Identify one area where you feel empty—relationships, work, or personal goals—and take a small action, trusting God to guide you. This could mean joining a small group to build community, reaching out to reconnect with a friend, starting a gratitude journal, or setting aside time to pray about a specific need.

Pray

God, I surrender the areas where I feel poured out. Fill me with your presence, your grace, and your strength. Help me to trust that you can use my emptiness for something beautiful. I place this new year in your hands and trust you to guide me one step at a time. In Jesus’ name. Amen.