Receiving Your WORD for 2023
/Here we are again, friends. Another year has past, and for many it’s a time for the infamous “New Year’s Resolutions.” But several years ago I turned away from that initially hopeful, but later, dreaded “setting yourself up for failure,” tradition to a new thing altogether.
Resolutions are no temptation to me anymore. I’ve given up trying to change myself by my own self-effort. The indwelling Christ is my “Game-changer” and my “Life-changer.” And a few years ago, He brought a lovely “new thing” to my attention … the idea of a word for my year.
So may I rehearse with you my journey out of resolutions into receiving — out of the self-effort-laden “to do list” into the revelation-unfolding-transforming Word for my year.
Initially, I devised my word, thinking it would be exactly what I needed for the year ahead. But the word I chose never took hold until 2016, when I stepped aside and allowed the Lord to “give” it to me, rather than try to come up with one on my own.
So each year my word just seems to “find me.” Every year, it has appropriately come in the midst of my “all too real-life” circumstances. At the end of each year, as I was thinking blank thoughts of what the coming year could hold, there it would be, my word for my next year. And can I just say, it was right every time.
Here is briefly what the last several years have held:
In 2016, my blood pressure had shot up because of everything going on. In the midst of it all, the Lord reminded me of advice I had received years before, “let life unfold.” So “unfolding fullness” became my “mantra” for 2016. And each day I journaled how the previous day had unfolded and prayed about the unfolding to come.
Then in 2017, overcome with thoughts of inadequacy to face what was ahead, I welcomed the Lord’s word for the year, “daily bread.” I knew Him as my Provision and Sustenance for each event as it came.
In 2018, as my blood pressure shot up again, my word came: “rest, just rest.” I found myself drawn into rest over and over again, sometimes because of sickness or medical procedures for my husband or myself. But I rested in HIM.
Then again, as 2019 began. . . as in the past, my word found me — “Wait …wait on Me and My timing.” And the Lord actually set me up to wait on Him. Wait on Me came through a retreat message I was preparing. The same Wait grabbed hold of my soul through long and recurring bouts of vertigo and dizziness and the resulting diagnosis of past strokes.
And then for 2020, my word just seemed to plop in my mind: Write. So as the pandemic began to ramp up, I wrote and wrote and wrote on my blog.* And then again I wrote lessons for my ZOOM Bible class in the fall. This wasn’t the “writing” I had thought it would be… not my devotional book that was still simmering in my soul. But Write I did. And I sensed God’s speaking Voice writing through my keyboard.
2021 brought an additional word. This time it was Write and Submit. So I thought maybe 2021 would be the year for my devotional book [working title: Glory in Disguise]. But alas! Not! But write and submit, I did…an article, a podcast (Redemption Press Podcast: DEEP PLACES PODCAST), blogposts (Kingdom Winds Collective & right here at A Branch in the Vine), etc. **
Then 2022 brought a word that still warms my heart whenever I recall it — the Simplicity that is CHRIST.*** This word “simplified” my days and brought forth that long awaited devotional manuscript (Glory in Disguise) with the partnership of my poet friend Penny Mandeville.
And so now I again pray as I see 2023 approaching . . .
Thank you, O God, for these past years. May all my “words” keep coming together to shape and form me into Your image and glory while I’m still walking with You on this earth. I wait on You for every word, because You are my Bread, and You are my indwelling Fullness for everything I face. I rest and receive it all from You. And because I am already submitted to YOU, O my King, I will wait on You and follow Your lead in the years you give me in Your grace. And I will continue to write as I hear Your Voice and receive Your Words. Simply You, O Christ, Simply YOU.
In Your Name. Amen.
In my next post, dear reader, I will share with you what I believe the Lord is giving me for the coming year 2023.
But in the meantime …
What about you, my friend? What is going on in your life right now? Is your attention being drawn to a particular scripture? Does a word keep coming to you? Ask the Lord about it. Maybe that’s the Word HE is giving you for the year ahead. He IS the Word, you know!
And as always, I would love to hear what you discern. Consider leaving a message below.
Again this year, a favorite song to inspire you to seek the Lord for His WORD for your year, always consistent with His “Ancient Words.”
*If you are interested in some of my pandemic posts, check out a few of these:
**If you would like to listen to the podcast on the Secret Place of Communion and read the blogpost associated with it, click right here or above: DEEP PLACES PODCAST & The Secret Place of Communion
*** Here a few favorites from 2022’s word “Simplicity of Christ”:
