What is my personal vision for the new year and the new decade? What do I want the most as I refocus and recommit to my goals and intentions? First of all, I want to remember that I have been FORGIVEN, I want to also forgive and be GRATEFUL for all that have forgiven me – especially God for forgiving me of my sins. I want to live in HIS abundant JOY too. I want to know God more! I want to desire what God wants from me and for me! I want to enter into God’s rest! And I want to help others do the same! So what is the first step? Let’s find out what I am planning to do to prepare for the New Year and the New Decade.
There are many examples of people that knew God that we can explore from the scriptures, God’s Word, that was inspired by the Holy Spirit and documented for us to gain knowledge and wisdom. Here are a few examples of men who knew God, were called by God, spent time with God, knew God’s voice, saw God’s glory, and were called faithful by God:
- Enoch who walked faithfully with God for 300 Years!
- Moses who was given the privilege to “hear” Gods glory pass by him from the cleft of the rock and even see God’s back!
- Samuel who was called specifically by God while he was sleeping and was a prophet of God.
Through scripture I know there is so much more to know and experience of God! Personally, I have experienced a deeper and more meaningful relationship with the Lord and I can only image the abundance of more there is to come! I also know that being in the Word, communicating with God through silent prayer/my prayer journal, spending time listening to God, and spending time with HIM throughout my simple daily activities is how I am going to further deepen our relationship to know HIM more and experience HIM more! I’m looking forward to the new year and the new decade! What about you?
Here are a few scriptures about ways to experience more of God:
- Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
- Psalm 34:8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him
- Psalm 42:1-2 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?
Just like God called Samuel, God calls us specifically into a relationship with him too. God is calling me and he is calling you too! John 6:44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
God gives us the desire to pursue him – He is the “Way maker”! And his thoughts about us are numerous! Psalm 139:17-18 How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them. Were I to count them, they would out number the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you.
God offers us rest from all of our burdens! Surrendering our will and embracing His will!
- Matthew 11:28 Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yolk upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yolk is easy and my burden is light.
- Matthew 16:24-25 Then Jesus said to his disciples “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”
What does it mean to deny myself and follow Jesus?
Understand, here in these scriptures, that Matthew had already laid down his life and was following Jesus. Just as many people today have done as well. They have made a commitment to follow Jesus. But have we “denied ourselves” and “laid our life down”? Let’s take a quick look –
What do we prioritize, “what” or “who” has a grip on us? Perhaps it’s even a blessing that the Lord has already provided that has taken our attention and focus from Him?
When God created us, he left a space in our hearts for Him. What have we put in there? What have we placed into our hearts instead of Him? ‘”What” or “who” is God sharing our hearts with? Maybe we’ve filled our hearts with all the blessings God gave us—things that God gave us for joy, comfort, security, or even love. Maybe we’ve just put those blessings in the wrong place—God wants all things in their right place.
Consider the biblical example of Abraham and his son Isaac in the book of Genesis Chapter 12-28. Abraham received promises and the blessing of his son Isaac in his and his wife’s old age. Then God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. Why after he had provided this significant blessing to them? We know through the scriptures that God never intended to kill Isaac but rather to remove him from the place in Abraham’s heart that belonged to God. Abraham was faithful and did as God asked by taking his son Isaac to the alter and trusting in Him. We know God is always faithful, and he was faithful here to Abraham and provided a ram to sacrifice on the alter in place of his son Isaac!
As we enter into this new decade, it would be a great time to take a look at our own situation, our own priorities, what is taking up residence in our own hearts? What are we clinging to out of desperation? This is where I am starting and have been evaluating as I prepare for the new decade.
If you are feeling nudged, if you find yourself with thoughts or dreams surfacing about the direction you are headed, or your priorities, perhaps this is the Holy Spirit gently guiding you. I always ask God for clarity and always make sure that it aligns with scripture! In my past, I have even experienced a lack of belief that the direction was from God—but I now know first-hand that he will continue to guide me for as long as it takes to understand and know his voice. In those instances, in hindsight, I really wished I would just have trusted God and addressed the shift that I needed to make in my life at the time. I missed out on some of HIS abundant joy! As we enter the New Year 2020, maybe it’s time to surrender “it” “whatever” or “whoever”, to God and then see how he provides for us as he did Abraham. To let God take possession of that space in our hearts that was meant for him to dwell.
This is the process that I am working through and I have been working through —- as our walk with the Lord is a journey! I pray that all who read this will be called by God to desire him, to thirst to know him more, and to take the time to evaluate how to make God the sole resident in your heart – in that space that you were created with that was meant just for HIM!
Living Healthful 