December 27, 2007
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Hope is found in God’s Word!
The year 2007 is nearly gone and the new year is right around the corner. I love new beginnings, don’t you? I love the start of a new morning, the smell of new puppy or even a new house. “New” brings with it the hope of a beginning of NEW THINGS. Good things! That is what I am looking forward to in 2008. A NEW YEAR with the hope of many NEW THINGS to learn about God through His Word!
I also love to take the time, around the first of the year, and evaluate the previous year spiritually. Did I spend as much time in God’s Word as I had hoped to? How was my prayer life? Did I ‘lay up treasures in heaven’ or did I spend more time laying up treasures on earth? Did I use my spiritual gifts for the sake of His body, the church, or did I waste my time on things that will ‘burn’ up on judgment day? What kind of changes can I make this coming year to place the highest priority on studying God’s Word and obeying it?
I spent some time this morning responding to a couple of emails and as I wrote I was so overcome by how much God’s Word has meant to me in my Christian walk. I thought back over the years and how God’s Word became an anchor to my soul in the early years of a bad marriage. God place a pastor’s wife in my life years ago who came alongside me and helped me to see how God’s Word could be lived out in my home. A few years later the Lord brought along a woman who was able to teach me how to ‘rightly’ divide the Word of God. How thankful I am for these women who were devoted to God’s Word and teaching it to others.
God’s Word changed my marriage! TODAY, my husband is my best and dearest friend. I never would have imagined this in the early years of our marriage that were filled with fighting and selfishness.
God’s Word has delivered me from so many of of my fears. Since my early childhood years I had established fearful thought patterns. God has delivered me from so many of those fears and continues to reveal to me areas where I am not trusting Him.
God’s Word has been my counselor and my guide! People pay thousands of dollars to therapist and psychiatrists to get guidance and help for their problems. I have THE COUNSELOR as my guide and He is living inside me and counsels me through His Word. His Word has become a ‘lamp unto my feet’ and shown brightly in the darkest times of my life.
God’s Word has given me HOPE in those areas of my life where I feel overcome by sin.
God’s Word (made flesh in the person of Jesus Christ) has been my constant companion and guide!
There are no accurate words to truly describe the value I place on God’s Word and how grateful I am for it’s living power in my life.
So, this coming year I purpose (by God’s grace) to place an even higher priority to study it, memorize it, obey it, teach it and meditate on each and every day of the year! This will take a higher commitment of my time but NOTHING compares to the dividends it promises!
How about you?
I am to ‘search’ God’s Word. (Acts 17:11)
I am to handle it accurately. (2 Tim. 2:15)
I am to be a ‘doer’ of God’s Word. (James 1:22,23)
I may suffer for God’s Word. (Rev. 1:9)
God’s Word is my GUIDE (Ps. 119:133)
God’s Word is my STANDARD to live by. ( Titus 2:5)
God’s Word is my source of JOY (Ps. 119:162)
God’s Word is my DAILY BREAD ( Mt. 4:4)
God’s Word is a LAMP to my feet (Ps. 119:105)
God’s Word is my COUNSELOR. (Ps. 73:24)
Happy New Year!
Comments (4)
It is a blessing to hear the testimonies of God grace in your life. He does make all the difference in everything we do, we only need to appropriate His Word into our ALL. Thank you for the prompting…it was much needed for me! May this post encourage all your readers to reflect as well and purpose to live for Him this year more than we did last year….starting today.
Thank you so much for sharing these words of wisdom and promise — reminders to me also of how my God loves me and guides me and provides for me through His Word. I, too, love New Years — I don’t celebrate with parties on the eve; I tend to reflect on Isaiah 9:6 — how the Lord has been a Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace during the past year — and then I know that the only resolution I need to make is to continue growing in Him and letting Him work during the coming year
…and your teaching to us. Love your words of encouragement to us that you receive thru HIM! Have an amazing 2008…
Thank you for sharing this.. you have blessed me again with your posts..