A new year is often accompanied by new plans- to lose weight, to acquire a new skill, to start dating...resolutions, resolutions, and more resolutions. In the past I have written down my plans for a new year and then shelved the journal, totally forgetting what I had resolved to do. So this year I decided to make achievable goals, and stick to them, even when it gets hard…especially when it does.
My number one goal for the year is to walk with a deepening dependency on God. The more I live, the more I understand that there is a big difference between knowing about God, and truly knowing God…daily walking with him…allowing my heart to break for whatever breaks his, and letting it beat for whatever pleases him.
I want my life to be a living sacrifice to God. I once heard someone say that the problem that comes with a living sacrifice is that it can crawl off the altar at any time. Ain't that the truth? How we give ourselves to God, and then when things get uncomfortable, when we are tested and tried, how quickly we squirm and back out? Forgetting or ignoring the process of surrender? I see myself so many times, crawling out…no, running out! Raising my hands in church but stubbornly saying a resounding 'No' in my heart to things that God expects of me. But this year, something has got to give.
I am reminded of the story of Samson in the Bible. He was a powerful, influential judge, chosen by God to do great things. But Samson slowly began to bend the rules that he was instructed to live by; he danced and flirted with the world…he skipped a requirement here and there and it seemed OK at first. But it wasn't too long before he finally fell into the snare that Delilah had laid out for him. This of many stories in the Bible breaks my heart because Samson thought that he could get out of this situation like he had done countless times before. The scriptures say that Samson 'did not know that the LORD had departed from him'. In a moment of weakness he had given away the secret to his strength- sin had blinded him; so much so, that he never even realized that he was no longer walking with God.
And so I implore you beloved to walk with a new sensitivity to the Spirit of God. There is a blessing that awaits those that walk in obedience to his will. You can trust that he will perfect what concerns you. You can trust that he can never pull the rug off from under you feet- no! In actually fact, he will cause you feet to be firmly planted. You will be able to stand through hell and high water, when all else around you begins to fall.
Well, as the story goes, Samson did lose his strength and was taken captive, but that was not the end you see, because his hair began to grow again. His source of strength began to return. God is faithful…it does not matter how many wrong turns you've made- he is better than any GPS ever invented. He will recalculate and re-route a broken and contrite heart to get it on course. It's not too late for you to get back on track. I have been at a place in my past where I felt that I had wasted so much time on superficial things and affiliations. Such a waste of precious time that I can never recover. I wished like never before that I could click on the 'undo' button or 'rewind' and do it all over again in a different way by making better choices. But when I cried out to God, he began to calm the storm and charter me back into his plan. I can now say that I am redeemed, and herein lies the evidence of what I was…what I am not, anymore.
You see beloved, no one can predict the depths of God's will. Even the wisest of the wise, try though they may, cannot unravel the tapestry of His infinite plan. He orchestrates everything for your good. If you allow him, he will work in the warp and woof; in the interwoven fabric of your life.
I have taken sometime to be still as I start this new year, to pay attention to the direction God is pointing me towards. I encourage you to do the same. He loves you with an everlasting love. A stubborn love. A jealous love. Love on him this year. Let your words, and your actions be a love offering given to him. As for me, my resolution is to say a resounding 'YES' to his will, and his way.
I pray that you have a most victorious year. I pray that you find the strength to stay on the altar as a living sacrifice. I pray beloved that when you find confusion clouding your mind, you will pause and look up to Him- the author and finisher of your faith. May He give you the courage to face this year, and a renewed zeal to pursue all your goals. You CAN do ALL things through Him who gives you strength.
From my heart to yours, you are so blessed!
Kambua M.
