The year seems to be on a fast start
at least for me. J I have been reading several articles (the Lord’s leading?) on
finding a verse for the year and a word for the year instead of having
resolutions (I generally don’t do resolutions). In previous years a couple of
friends have gathered to put the old year in its place and declare God’s
faithfulness for the coming year, kind of like a Sozo session before I knew
what that was. Purpose being not to focus on self but on how/what God wants for
our development in His kingdom in the coming year.
When I worked in retail, we always had a
slogan for the year ahead and/or a word. Sometimes it would be “absolutely”,
“fun”, “determination”, responsibility etc., we had some grand words (our
vocabulary definitely increased) and we always talked about it and weaved it
into our day. So knowing how that affected our progress through the year I
loved reading about this idea of pleasing the LORD with our effort to learn
more about the Word in a more personal way. I guess I need a step by step to
get me going in the right direction.
Example given by the Crosswalk
author was John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes
to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.
And the word is Nourish. So throughout the year meditating the scripture and
hearing what the spirit wants to teach you. Listening for what God is calling
you to do before just planning on your own. I’m sure you can already see how
valuable the wisdom this scripture can bring.
In reading the whole chapter of the
verse chosen will encourage you further. The word nourish: to sustain, to
cherish, keep alive, to strengthen, and to promote. This definition will help
you discover the layers of meaning the scripture has as it pertains to you
specifically. As you meditate on this verse, other verses will come alive
through the lens of nourishment. The author says that last year’s word of unity
Ecclesiastes 4:12-19 for her is built upon by each new year’s verse and word
and still learning about it, and the article states that Matthew 5:14-16 has
become her life verse, and expected to see her LIGHT shine brighter than ever
this year. May that be true of us.
What a great idea to start the New
Year. What about you? Will you choose a verse to guide you into this New Year?
Using these scriptures is a good start. We could do individually as well as a
team. This would be a challenge for me
since I tend to read through the whole chapter because I don’t want to miss
anything, so taking a verse and to continue to meditate on it will also be
exciting to see what the Spirit will teach me. Some good words to get you
thinking: Captivating, Joy, Love,
Overcomer, Miracles, Love might be a good one for the team, especially after
our last meeting, and there are plenty of scriptures on love to go around. I am going to take some time to find a verse
and word so I can dwell on it throughout the year, how about you? Let me know.
If you already do this, then let us know how it is working for you and what the
Spirit has taught you.
Blessings for a great week!
