Each year I ask God for my own personal theme. That might sound a little out there, but stay with me for a moment. A themed year causes me to have focus, direction and brings me to attention when I go through things that need to be lined up to the theme.
This year God gave me two words, ” YES, LORD.” They may only be two, but they pack a powerful punch. When saying “YES” my focus gets turned from me to the God who created me for His purposes. In addition to that, it trains me because I am not that skilled at saying “YES”. I often want to say ” What? You have got to be kidding me, Lord!” But, this year, the instructions are clear, “YES” is the theme.
Many of you know that I have been off the blog due to illness. It has taken any strength that I do have to just keep going day to day with all my regular responsibilities. Think being pregnant and VERY sick, but NOT! 🙂
This week I am scheduled for gallbladder surgery and I am hoping that I will be much better after that. But, in the meantime, I continue to learn to Look Up to Jesus and am being trained by those two words, YES LORD!
I would like to share a passage that popped for me during my reading this morning. I think I will SIT with this for the week and let God speak to me. Perhaps you would like to do the same.
Today’s Truth: 1 Peter 1: 1-2, 6-7 ( highlight for emphasis)
” Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood:
Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
In This you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to sufffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perhishes even though refined by fire- may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
I see two distinct themes here:
First: My identity in Christ is affirmed, and so is yours.
- God’s elect
- Strangers in the world
- Chosen by God
- For obedience to Jesus Christ
Secondly: My trials and sufferings have a purpose, and so do yours.
- To increase my faith in God
- To prove that my faith in God is genuine
- To bring Him praise and glory
We can not say YES LORD when we are not standing in our identity as His. But note that as His, I am to live as a STRANGER to this world. Funny how we learn our entire life how to FIT into this world, but God’s word says we are strangers and need to live as such. As strangers our main calling is to live as those CHOSEN for OBEDIENCE to Christ!
“Yes Lord”, goes so well with this, doesn’t it? We have been chosen for obedience. Let that sit with you for awhile each day this week. And…in this place our trials are producing genuine faith in us.
What is your theme this year? If you don’t have one, you might want to join me in learning to say ” YES, LORD”
Today’s Prayer
Father, I know how to live according to the plan of those who raised me and the culture that has shaped me. I know how to fit into the church culture that has been part of my life for years, but I am not that skilled at living as a stranger to all of that, for the sake of hearing you and following you. Teach me how to say, YES, and how to follow your ways. Thank you for choosing me to live in obedience, now just teach me what that means and how to live it out.
Affirmations
I have been chosen for obedience to Jesus Christ!
My trials are producing genuine authentic faith!
I would love to hear from you! Leave a messasge and I will make sure it gets posted!
you know one of my favorite prayers that I quote, “For all that has been, thanks. For all that will be, YES.”
Saying YES to Him this year with you – pour it on Lord, for your glory!
This IS Perfect! Just TWO days ago, I had to yell out those EXACT Words! Today, my prayer is “Be still my soul, be still….Be still my soul be still…Wait patiently upon the Lord…Be still my soul be still”… I feel Him on the move already, and I’m joining you in saying “Yes Lord, I AM Willing”, just help me keep my soul “still” while YOU’RE doing it Lord!
May God’s healing hands be on you and keep your soul quiet while you prepare for surgery…
Julie
What a inheritence we have in Christ!!
Blessed, chosen, redeemed, adopted, favored and forgiven!
I am encouraged the scripture you spoke of today..refers to our trials as…”for a little while”…as a chronic pain sufferer that means so much.
God bless you as you speak truth!
Your in my prayers for your surgery.
Gloria Craig
I so much appreciated your comments today and your interview on WBCL this morning, (1-12). During this time in my life my circumstances are the pits, and that doesn’t even begin to adequately describe them. I truly want to follow what God is telling me to do, to love others at a sacrifice to myself. My friends don’t always understand that and of course want what they feel is best for me, as a person. God is calling me to sacrificial love to another and I battle daily the outside voices against that, telling me to take care of myself. My faith is strong, honed through fire and trials, there are days it’s shakey but still strong, I question with my head what God is telling me to do.
My prayer has been “God, protect me while I love another, help me to not get in Your way, and help me stay in Your will today.
Thank you again, you are in my prayers today and from now forward.
Thank you for your encouraging message this morning 🙂
I do have a theme this year! To live each day in a state of readiness, knowing that Jesus is coming back!
Your message ties in perfectly 🙂 How will He find me when He returns? I hope and pray that He finds me saying YES to obedience and living a life that’s pleasing in His sight, serving Him and loving Him.
My year started out rough. I have always been the planner. But I see that God has been working on my “flexibility”. there have been curve balls, disappointments, feelings of hopelessness. just last week I opened up my bible to these same passages in 1 Peter. They really did bring great reminders that I am HIS, chosen and called to be holy. And yes there are those trials that make me just want to squirm out of, yet He has a greater purpose. To bring Him glory. Isn’t that what we were created to do? praise, glory all for HIM and through Him the peace stills ours hearts, quiets us with His never-ending LOVE.
Thank you for the encouraging words. May you find true rest in Him today.
Love,
Evie
May Gods rest be ever present in your heart, should and mind as you go through this surgery process.
Obedience – Yes Lord Yes!!!! This is what I have been studying myself as I began a few months back in my season of consecration. This is the sweetest nugget on obedience that I am living in the truth of these days. Or I should say desperately trying to.
When we choose not to obey, our hearts become slightly more hardened, then that produces in our minds the inability to have clarity. It’s this vicious cycle of deception that our flesh and the enemy have a field day with in our lives. However, when we choose obedience even when nothing about it makes any sense except we know what the Word of God says, once we begin to step in blind faith to that obedience there is a bondage that begins to break that we didn’t even know we were in – clarity begins to be back in our life again. Obedience is where bondage begins – most of the time it’s because repentance is at the forefront of this very thing.
Loved your post – as always
And always remember…..keep chasing righteousness!!!
DELIGHTED, as so many others were to see a January post!! I feel like we just had coffee together Deb, that we never seem to have!During worship today I lifted you up sweet friend knowing your surgery is scheduled for tomorrow and will continue to ask for God’s healing power to flow in your body.You’ve come a long way baby!! The team that God has coordinated in womans ministry is so exciting and I want you to know I truly missed seeing you of late, even when it is from a distance.You have been a large blessing to me in my life and I want you to know that.I am joining you in saying…”YES Lord”, even if at times I have no idea what any of it is about. I know my strenght does come from obedience to my Lord….so it has to be YES. Will be praying.