God has a way of rejuvenating our spirit when we are lost and desperate and needy for Him. There is something so powerful about second chances, new days, New Years. His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). He refreshes my soul when I have completely emptied it of anything worthwhile or substantial; when I have chosen the fleeting pleasures of the world over the lasting pleasure of living for Him. Why is this a lesson I have to relearn over and over again? Why do I forget God’s goodness, His faithfulness?
If we are not constantly refreshing ourselves, our souls, in the Word, we will forget. It is inevitable. Just as with anything you dedicate your life to, anything you worship, you spend great time on it.
You. Have. To. Spend. Time. With. God.
You will not grow in your faith and in yourself unless you do, unless you are constantly seeking Him. Seek, and you shall find, knock, and the door will be answered (Matthew 7:7-8). We forget because we spend too much time giving our hearts away to other things: TV, school, social events, our pets…you name it. In a world full of endless possibilities of idols we can worship, there is only one person that truly matters and will truly transform your life, save your life: Jesus. It is so good to be reminded, and I know the journey ahead is long and not easy; but it is so worth it. It is the only journey that really matters in the end-the journey of faith. And God gives me joy and endurance in the present to keep pressing on towards the goal. He will give it to you to.
We are always looking at what we don’t have and what we want. But when we want Jesus-truly, deeply, desperately want him- we are no longer in want. What a glorious revelation! We are finally content and finally able to live in the present, to embark on the adventure set before us without seeing lack. I have always loved the idea of abundance, and that is what God gives us: an abundance of grace, love, peace, hope, joy, strength, courage, and love. All things are possible through Him. All things. I am filled with so much hope for the new year, 2017, not because of the goals I set for myself but because of the goals He has set for me. Because He is doing a good work in me and will continue until the day it is completed (Philippians 1:6). All I have to do is keep reminding myself, and saying yes, and obeying. He wants to completely transform me and my life. We think the new year is about transforming ourselves, but its about letting Him change our very beings to become more like Jesus. It takes a constant and conscious surrendering of all that we are before Him, knowing He has more than enough to give us- more than we could ever possibly imagine for ourselves. Trust Him, and say yes to the journey.
The best is yet to come.
rhythms of grace 