I face this new year with a sense of faith-filled anticipation. Just the thought of walking forward into new territory with Jesus fills my heart with a sense of adventure and excitement. Kind of like the photo above makes you feel eager to keep walking to see what is on the other side of those trees, I am looking forward to seeing all the good things God has in store as we cross the threshold into a brand-new, untainted year and walk through it with Him leading us and winnowing the path of every single day.
O-—opportunities
P-——promotion
E--—experiences
N———-—new
I loved that OPEN was my word for 2023! It was a continual reminder to keep my heart wide open to God and all He wanted to do and reveal to me. Due to one profound Divine lesson, 2023 turned out to be a watershed that has armed me to walk into 2024 with new perspective and an accompanying sense of great relief.
What's the lesson?
God impressed on my spirit to take a directive that He gave me on 11/9/2018 concerning a particular situation and apply that same directive to every single part of my life going forward—from now on. It has taken a bigger leap of faith than I have heretofore been asked to take in all my years of serving Him, and believe me, that is saying a lot. The power of this plunge into deeper waters of trust has completely transformed my way of thinking and the way I approach my walk with Him and even life itself. It is a secret I wish with all my heart I had learned years ago when I first started my Christian journey. Oh, the pain and heartache it would have spared me had I only seen it then! The worry I would have been spared if only I had been armed with the knowledge of it!
Without sharing the details surrounding that particular 11/9/2018 directive, I will tell you the short version, simplified, secret formula that served as the catalyst for change in my mental trajectory.
Here it is. In a nutshell. Condensed.
If God wants a circumstance, situation, job, open door, person, opportunity, step, action, experience, or assignment to enter my life, He will bring it to me. I am not to look for it. I am not to stress over what is and is not in front of me. If it is there, it is because He brought it to me and placed it there. If it is not there, it is because He doesn't want it there. Have absolute trust in His choices, His timing, His interventions, His preventions, His orchestrations.
I said above, "2023 turned out to be a watershed that has armed me to walk into 2024 with new perspective and an accompanying sense of great relief." The reason I feel such relief is because I don't have to plan anything, chase after anything, try to force anything. He's got this. All of it. The year 2024. My entire life. My future. My moments. My days. They are all in His hands. He controls every detail.
If you have read many of my writings, you know I love Joshua 3:1-4. I am doing my utmost to walk lockstep, following the Ark. When He says stop, I stop and rest. When He says move, I get up and follow. His schedule. His path. His way.
I need do nothing other than live a fully surrendered, consecrated life, giving Him full control, no trying to force things to happen, and no endless pursuits.
Is it scary? To let go to this degree? To lean this hard on God? To release all control?
It used to be. It sounds that way. But, at the end of the day, I can't begin to put into words the measure of peace it has brought to my inmost spirit to let go of the shoreline and fling myself out at His mercy like this. I thought I knew consecration. I thought I knew what it meant to be "all in." I thought I knew what "laying my all on the altar" meant.
This is different. This is peace. The responsiblity of trying to make things happen has been lifted off my shoulders. I can't do this. It is all too big for me. He can do this. None of it is too big for Him. All I have to do is move out of His way and allow Him to have full control. It is exhilaratingly liberating and has completely renewed my mind. It turns out that full consecration truly is for my benefit and removes the struggle after all.
My prayer for everyone who reads this is that you see the value in full surrender to God. That you find the courage to release it all and allow Him to lead. He sees your end and every step between now and then.
While the world grows darker and more evil around us and those who do not trust in Jesus give way to full blown panic, we hold the secret to real peace. Our hope has never been in this world anyhow. Let's fix our eyes on Jesus, surrender our all to Him, and find complete soul rest as we lean into His perfect will for our lives.
Jesus said,
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33
God hasn't confirmed a particular word for me for 2024. If and when He does, I will try to share it with you here.
Here are my latest song uploads to YouTube. I hope they are a blessing to you.
May God richly bless all of you dear readers in 2024!
Just think! This could be the year Jesus comes back!
Let us live ready to meet Him at all times.
Oh, dear Cheryl, this post is so encouraging and inspiring! To fully trust and surrender to God is where I want to be. I get discouraged when my walk gets shaky or stagnant. May I keep putting one foot in front of the other, but this time with greater faith! May I get to the place where Christ becomes dearer to me each day. :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your singing! Loved your sweet email, my friend! God bless you!
Much love,
Valentine
May God bless you, dear friend, as you seek to surrender even more to Him! I so appreciate your kind words and encouragement. Sending much love back your way tonight!
DeleteCheryl, this is indeed a beautiful post. The past year has been a challenge in many ways, but God has been and always will be faithful! Thank you for sharing your heart, my friend!
ReplyDeleteThank you, sweet friend. I am SO sorry this past year has been so challenging for you, and I trust 2024 will be much easier and better for you. I appreciate you and your encouragement and kind words. God bless you always!
DeleteGood morning Cheryl and Happy New Year! I really enjoyed this post and how your life has changed by completely surrendering to God’s will. My word for this year is TRUST, which is much like the ideas in your post. Thank you for your beautiful songs. Much love to you in this New Year of 2024.
ReplyDeleteHappy Belated New Year to you, too, sweet friend. I love your word for the year. I am still seeking the Lord about mine, and am almost certain of it, but waiting for total confirmation. Once I get it, I will share. I am so glad you enjoy the songs. Sending much love back to you in this new year!
DeleteOh such much amen to this dear Cheryl: "Our hope has never been in this world anyhow. Let's fix our eyes on Jesus, surrender our all to Him, and find complete soul rest as we lean into His perfect will for our lives." Yes Lord, let it be so! Blessings to you this new year my dear sister!
ReplyDeleteI'm still pondering my word for the year, too, Cheryl, but you might just have given it to me in this post - Surrender. I know in my heart that's what I need to do consciously each day - surrender completely to God and trust His will for my life. I'll let you know the word I finally choose.
ReplyDeleteBlessings always!
Dear Martha, I am so thankful the Lord may have confirmed your word for the year in this post. I appreciate you and am so grateful for your support and encouragement. Blessings always to you, too, sweet friend.
DeleteI love how the Lord works within our hearts, and speaks into our lives in the little things. My heart is open to the Lord, for His will to be done, and that my heart would be satisfied with what He brings. This is such a beautiful way to live - just a sweet trust in the Lord, and a knowing that whatever He brings, asks, or does, it is for my good. He has always been so faithful and I do believe that this year of 2024 will bring new things - like your verse shared! God has a way of doing things that we never could see, understand, or believe - but He does all things well! May His will prevail on earth as it does in heaven! Many blessings to you dear friend!
ReplyDeleteOh, He surely is so very faithful! I so enjoyed reading your words when I first read them and again tonight as I am re-reading and trying to catch up on responding. Many blessings to you in this new year, too, dear friend!
Delete"Let's fix our eyes on Jesus, surrender our all to Him, and find complete soul rest as we lean into His perfect will for our lives." Amen! I so long for this! Thank you for all this encouragement, Cheryl. Love and blessings to you in 2024!
ReplyDeleteYes, dear Trudy, I so long for this, too! You are so welcome, my friend, and I send much love and many blessings back to you in this new year!
DeleteHappy New Year to you Cheryl! I'm looking forward to joining you and the other ladies for our next you version study after a break to do Advent devotions. Talk to you soon.❤
ReplyDeleteDear, sweet Regina, I am so thankful the Lord led you to join us in this new study. You are such a blessing to me. May God bless you richly in this new year.
Deletedear Cheryl, a blessed new year to you and your family. that Isaiah verse says it all, doesn't it. may we have eyes to see what God is doing and yearns to do in our hearts, lives, work, families, ministries ... all of it! He is so very able, willing, and ready to unleash His grace and power. no wonder we call Him our Savior!
ReplyDeleteA blessed new year to you, too, dear friend! Yes! That verse surely says it all, and I agree wholeheartedly with your prayer that God would give us eyes to see what God is doing and yearns to do in our hearts and all the rest. Your words resonated with me so much. Thank you, sweet Linda!
DeleteSweet Friend, Thank you so much for sharing this! For the past few months I have been looking for part-time work to help supplement my husband's income as things have gotten pretty tight as they have for many of us. A few jobs came up and I even went on a couple interviews being one of the top two candidates, but I was not chosen. The need is still there, but the job market has dried up a bit. I've pondered several side hustles, but the Lord seemed to just keep whispering and making His will mine to stay in ministry. Over Christmas, I didn't think too much about looking for a job and continued to pray knowing that God knows what we need, what I need. At the end of last week, I started to look around for Christian freelance writing opportunities and long story short, I was contacted by an Editor and just submitted my W9 to be one of the writers for the sister site to Crosswalk. This freelance position will provide just a little extra money which I am so grateful for, but not as much as I had needed for our budget. So yesterday I prayed for additional provision and told the Lord that He will need to drop something in my lap if it's from Him. That I am leaving this "job search" to Him and trusting Him to provide in all aspects. And then I came to read your post and it just confirmed my prayer and encouraged me in that prayer. Thanks so much for always sharing your heart in such a humble way. I am so blessed to call you friend.
ReplyDeleteOh, dear friend! I so enjoyed reading your comment tonight and also when I first read it. I am so thankful God opened up this wonderful opportunity for you to do what He has called you to do! I know you are right in the center of His perfect will. I am so excited to see how He will work through you in this new year as you continue to walk forward in faith in this new venture. Please keep me posted. I am so blessed by your friendship, too, and send much love your way!
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