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The start of 2014 has been . . . interesting so far. The new year started with some situations that needed to be resolved. Two weeks in, I can say that clarity has been given for one issue and focus and direction is coming in another. Doors are opening, (after all, we are in the Jewish year 5774, the year of open doors) and I’m excited to see what God has for me around the corner.
But the very beginning of 2014 started out wonderfully. It started with fellowship with wonderful friends and the first minutes of 2014 brought an answer to prayer, a really fast yes, and what I know is the beginning of a breakthrough.
Blessings by Text
The first day of 2014 started out with blessings by text from friends and family. I’ve written them down in my prayer journal and have made them a part of my morning devotion for the year.
From my mom:
Numbers 6:24-26: The Aaronic Blesssing
May the Lord bless you and keep you,
(Watch, guard, and keep)May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you
(enlighten, kind, merciful and giving favor)May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.
(tranquility of heart and life continually through the new year.)Jesus loves you and so do we. 🙂
A pretty awesome welcome to bring in the new year.
Positioned for Promise
And from my friend Katherine:
Are you positioned for promise?
And I had to ask myself, “Am I?” Am I in the exact place God wants me? The place where his blessings for my life are waiting?
At that particular moment, I wasn’t sure. That was actually a prayer that I had a few weeks before, that I and the people I was with would be in exactly the right position that God had for us and that we would know it.
And so she gave me a verse Proverbs 3:6:
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take. ~ NLT
The NIV translates “seek his will” as “Submit to him”. The NASB translates it as:
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He will make your paths straight.
Part of the way to prepare yourself for seeking and walking in his will is given in Philippians 4:4-8
4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.
If the primary fruits of the spirit are peace, joy and love, those should be evidenced in our lives. Jesus said that he came so that his joy may remain in us and that our joy may be full. (John 15:11) If we are an anxious, stressed-out grumpy Gus, we probably need to be checking where we are out of his will or unsubmited to him.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
We are to have faith in God, in his goodness and that he will do what he says. We have to have faith beyond our immediate circumstances. That is where His peace resides.
8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Sometimes we have to face some ugly circumstances, but we have to look beyond, beyond the valley we are walking through and believe that God’s Word is true. That he works ALL things together for good for those who are called according to his name. (Romans 8:28)
And the next text I got was this:
Happy God Year!
Completing the old and bringing in the new. Enjoy a profound move of God.
It occurred to me, since God works through his people (Philippians 2:13,) if he is going to do a profound move . . . some of us have to be willing to be profoundly moved.
Are you ready for a radical, dramatic shift in order to see a radical and awesome move of God.
Sometimes I will see a mental picture. About six months ago, I saw a grid of blue discs gradiated from light blue to dark blue. I didn’t know what it was or what it was supposed to represent. I drew a rough approximation of what I saw.
A couple of days later, I saw the same picture again but this time it was like a movie. The grid was like one of those puzzles where you slide a piece at a time to move pieces into position. I saw a hand sliding the discs. Some were locked into place, but others were still being moved to their position.
I felt like God was telling me, “You have to be ready to be moved.” I wasn’t in my spot yet.
Trust in the Lord
I’ve decided I’m ready to be moved. I can see a direction, but I don’t know exactly where that direction ends yet. But I know that it will be awesome.
See, God has come to save me.
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
The Lord God is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.”
~ Isaiah 12:2
