“I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.” Psalm 104:33
New Year’s Day will be here soon. With that first day often we make New Year’s resolutions. Last year, I launched this blog, challenging us to make a resolution for 2012: Draw Closer To God.
How did that go for you?
Reflecting back over the year, I see where I did grow closer to God. And I see the times which seemed most fertile: the trials, the tears, and the great celebrations. It is often at the deepest depths and greatest heights of life which turn my focus from myself and helped me fix my gaze upon God.
During a Christmas Eve service last week, a great question was asked: What does Jesus ask of you in 2013? To learn the answer, you need to walk with Him. To hear His voice, you need to practice obedience to His laws. And to feel His presence, you need to accept His grace. To know the answer of what Jesus is asking of you, you need to draw close to Him.
This year, I would like to challenge each of us to search for what Jesus is asking of each one of us in 2013. Maybe this is your year to finally take your faith seriously. Maybe you will read your Bible all the way through for the first (or tenth!) time. Maybe you will try teaching Bible studies for the first time. Maybe you will share your faith with someone for whom you have been praying for a long time.
Maybe you will choose to ignore the world’s distractions and instead choose to follow Christ. Maybe, just maybe, you will decide to clean your spiritual house. Toss out the media which does not glorify God. Decide to decorate your home or office or cubicle with positive reminders of God’s great love: pictures of His creation, verses which inspire, and gentle reminders that your life in truly not your own.
Jesus bought each one of us. That reminder is not intended to just make us each feel guilty. No, it is to remind us each just how deeply He is devoted to us. When we begin to comprehend His compassion for us, we naturally draw closer to Him. Eventually we want to serve Him, obey Him, and love Him more than anything.
This year, allow Christ to captivate you. Trust Him. He will never you stranded. (See Deuteronomy 31:6 and Hebrews 13:5) Ask Him what He has for you. His wonders never cease. And He will always love you. Nothing you do, no misunderstanding or misdeed can separate you from His love. (See Romans 8:38-39)
Reflections:
1) Reflect on you journey of faith. When have you felt God’s leading? How have you known it was Him?
2) Pinpoint your times of spiritual growth. Note the surrounding circumstances.
3) Pray, thanking and praising God for carrying through those times.
4) Pray, asking Him what you are to do this next year, what should be your focus. how should you spend your time?
5) Determine how you are going to implement His instructions, and work at drawing closer to Him.
Thank you for reading! The next post should be up by Monday, January 7. Please feel free to share your thoughts and how you are approaching God and drawing closer to Him. Please share your intentions for the New Year.
Happy New Year!