Monday, January 2, 2012

Twenty Twelve - Anticipating the New Year!

WOW! 2012 is here and all the hoopla regarding the end times has hit even the secular news.  Interesting times we live in but for me right at this moment I want to concentrate on what God wants me to be DOING to promote HIS KINGDOM here on earth.  I also realize that I am nothing without HIM and can do nothing without HIM.  He is the vine and I am but one small branch.  Even so, I don't want to be unproductive but fruitful and it is in that context that I want to start the year out with some alone time with the Lord.

I have been blessed with three days of no one at home but little 'ole me and the Lord.  This may have been the first time since I have been married to my hubby of 28 years that I was alone on New Year's Eve. It was a quiet evening and I truly tried to keep the day covered in prayer and meditation but well...the laundry needed done and the Christmas decorations begged to be taken down and put away.  This Christmas was one of the best as all my children and grandchildren were with us but that also makes for cleaning and that's alright...but it can wait until my alone time with God is over. I just have too push it out of my line of vision and keep my head down with my eyes on God's word.

So Saturday was wonderful and Sunday was filled with God's goodness; a  time of musical worship, a great sermon from my pastor, a wedding feast for 2 friends, and a visit to the funeral home to show respects for the mother of a friend.  Then as I settled down in the evening in my new comfortable chair I asked the Lord to reveal to me what I need to change...about me....about my daily activities....about my ministries.  How can I change for the better to serve Him with my best.  (There's so much to change...where will He start?)

This morning He gave me Hebrews 12:1a-3 ( I like to read it as if it is written to me personally so I will write it as such) "...let me throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let me run with perseverance the race marked out for me. Let me fix my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endures such opposition from sinful men, so that I will not grow weary and lose heart."

Today I will meditate on what is hindering me (it could be good things), what sin is entangling me (sin I don't recognize as sin), and what race I am running that is not mine to race (I have a tendency to do that).  That should take me all day!!  But I have all day and I know that if I ask Him He will deliver. As Hebrews 12:10a-11, "..but God disciplines us for our good that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.  Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."  I want peace that comes from His righteousness therefore I am ready to take the discipline.  Hebrews 12:12 says, "Therefore strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees."

Well it's time for me to get in my exercise today...my feeble, flabby arms and weak knees need to be strengthened so I can be strong enough to do His biding!  Discipline!  Just not that excited about it though! But praise God that I am able to do so!! I want to be a living interpretation of what I believe!

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