Happiest of New Year's to you!

New Year's Eve celebratory supper

We sincerely pray you will walk out 2013 in such a manner as to wholly attract God's richest blessings  to your life! 

How 2013 begins, is walked, and ends up will be largely determined by your moment to moment walk each day.

In the Word, we find references to two different walks.

The first speaks of doing and then subsequently remembering deeds that defile.  It then rapidly brings to light the consequence of such doing through the use of the strong words, "loathe  yourselves."

"....you will remember your ways and all your deeds with which you have defiled yourselves; and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for all the evil things that you have done."  Ezk 20:43

".... you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and your abominations." Ezk 36:31

Do you know what God's number one charge against Israel was?  Wanting His blessings while doing things their way....."being a rebellious people."  I encourage you to read these passages in greater length than just my quick reference to them. They are a powerful check to anyone's walk. I think the most amazing thing that God states and restates is that we do not wholly receive ALL that we sow BECAUSE of His name's sake!  Truly, it is ONLY because of His love and restraint we are still permitted breath!  

"Not for your sake do I do this, says the Lord God; let that be known to you. Be ashamed and confounded for your [own] wicked ways, O house of Israel!"

No, God uses restraint so as to preserve His name's sake,  to preserve us as His "misfit band of ambassadors."  He states, "I withheld My hand"  -- "I cleanse you from all your iniquities."

And while I am thankful, abundantly thankful, for His mercy and His ability to cleanse us of our iniquities, should not the goal be to not amass the iniquities on purpose in the first place?

The second kind of walk is seen in Paul's remarks to Timothy.

"I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience..."  2 Tim. 1:3

A what?  A clear conscience.  THAT, my friend, is a worthy goal!  To walk upright before God.

Paul continued:  "the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day,  longing to see you, even as I recall your tears, so that I may be filled with joy. For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you.....For this reason, I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."  

God has not given us a spirit of timidity.... BUT of power, love, AND discipline! 

Those who weigh heavy in the "grace corner" don't especially take a liking to that word, discipline, but, dear ones, it is ESSENTIAL to embrace that word - both in meaning and action -- if maturity is to come to YOUR life. 

As I wrote the other day, man relates to God through resolution; God relates to man, however, through revelation. When the two are combined, it gives birth to revolution -- defined as "a radical, sudden, complete change"! 

Some wait and wait and wait for revelation from God before THEY determine even so much as a single personal growth resolution.  On the flip side, many take on a virtual mountain of resolutions (especially this time of year) in the hope that this time next year they will have a radically different existence.  

Those who have read my writings for any length of time know there must be a beautiful balance between these two popular extremes.  A walk with God is very much like a dance.  We must use our ability (our legs, our mind, our will), while looking keenly to God to lead the dance.  God won't lead "dead weight," but neither will He take to  one trying to lead either!  To get in sync with God requires ACTION on our part, BUT the key is that action must be second, only to God's revelation.

Resolution without God's revelation is hollow and meaningless. That's why so many New Year's resolutions come and go without fulfillment -- because they haven't been sanctioned and released by God's revelation.

Take the TIME to apprehend God's revelation on your resolutions -- only then will you gain the revolution you truly desire!   And only then, will YOU be able to declare as Paul declared, "I thank God, whom I serve with a clear conscience..."    May YOU be able to boldly proclaim that at the end of 2013!

Godspeed to you, dear one; Godspeed!  
Deborah