The other day I said to the Lord, “Please don’t leave me. I cannot imagine my life without You.” To be clear, the Lord had not threatened to leave me. If I ever said that, I hope you’d know I was lying because His word says,
“The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.”
– Deuteronomy 31:8 CSB
Side note: That being said, He can give us over to a reprobate mind, should we choose idols and our evil desires over the One who created us (Romans 1:22-28). But that’s a topic for another day.
But I had this brief thought of a nightmarish life without the Lord, which prompted that request. Can you imagine your life without Jesus? My life hasn’t been the easiest but even in the worst of it, I am reminded of Peter’s words,
“Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
– John 6:68-69 (CSB)
I don’t know where else I’d go or to whom I would go, which brings me to this Advent season. Historically, Advent was a time of repentance, fasting and prayer in anticipation of the second coming of Jesus. Over time, Advent evolved into a joyous, celebratory season in remembrance of Jesus’ first coming, a practice of how we live presently with Him in our hearts, and in anticipation of His second coming. In summary, Advent brings us back to Peter’s words. “To whom will we go? [Jesus has] the words of eternal life.”
As we reflect on this let’s take 2025 into perspective. Last week, my guest Herbert wrote about Tracing God’s hand through the seasons of life.
How about we start by tracing His hand through 2025?
My word for 2025 was capacity, based on Isaiah 54:2 (CSB),
“Enlarge the site of your tent, and let your tent curtains be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your ropes, and drive your pegs deep.”
This year I was stretched out into doing things I hadn’t done before. It felt like I was laying a foundation for things to come. I was challenged to step into my true identity and become intentional about embodying my true identity within my vocation. There were times I felt discouraged because I “stretched out” but was not satisfied with how God filled the space I created. On the same note, I was delighted with unexpected testimonies of people who had been touched by my work. But even in my discouragement and questioning, I continued to “drive [my] pegs deep,” which sometimes felt counterintuitive. Through it all, His hand was on every aspect of my life this year, and what I learned was;
- I was governed by gratitude for having a Savior who descended in human form and took all my sins upon Himself.
- I was challenged to practice His presence, especially during the tough parts.
- I learned to surrender my way and my thoughts because His are higher. His perspective meant I took my eyes off myself and put them on Him because the work we have to do here is ultimately for His glory as we look forward to His second coming.
How about you, friend? As we remember, practice and anticipate the One who has the words of eternal life, how have you seen His hand through the 2025 part of your journey? Where have you practiced gratitude? Where have you felt challenged yet stayed present with Him? Where have you changed your perspective for His greater purposes?
As usual, I’d love to hear from you. Comment below or send me an email.
Until next week …
Miracles + Blessings!
Brenda
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