It is the start of a new year, and it somehow feels to me like the first blog post of the year should be a special one. It should inspire and encourage readers, and set the perfect tone for the year to come.<\/p>\n
That is rather scary. And a lot of responsibility…<\/p>\n
What most of you probably don’t know, is that usually I have no idea what the blog post will be about when I sit down to write. I ask God what he wants to communicate today, and the story unfurls from there. So today I started exactly there again – I asked God what I should write. And the verse that came to mind was this one:<\/p>\n
\nPsalm 3:8 (WEBBE): 8<\/sup>Salvation belongs to the LORD.
\nMay your blessing be on your people.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\nBlessing! That is a great topic for a first post for the year! So i jumped right in and started to search for other mentions of blessings in the Bible. And the information started to pile up and pile up in my mind in a large, disorganized jumble. So many good topics – where to start? Which angle to take? This is a good indication that I had missed the original message and gone off on my own tangent in my own ‘wisdom’.<\/p>\n
\n1 Corinthians 14:33a (WEBBE): 33<\/sup>for God is not a God of confusion, but of peace\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I felt anything but peaceful, so I decided to take a break and feed our darling little Schnauzer his lunch. As I was moving about, I was thinking about this mess that I had created, still<\/em> trying to solve it on my own. (Yes, you may roll your eyes now.) Maybe I should start making a list, and prioritize the possible topics, and then write one for today and starting working on the rest that may very well last me half of the year.<\/p>\n
And then that still, small voice of the Holy Spirit whispered real wisdom: “Messages are like manna in the desert. There will always be a new one next time, exactly perfect for that day. Don’t collect them and store them up and let them go stale!”<\/p>\n
That was at once an aha! moment, and one of extraordinary peace.<\/p>\n
\nMatthew 6:31-34 (WEBBE): 31<\/sup>\u201cTherefore don\u2019t be anxious, saying, \u2018What will we eat?\u2019, \u2018What will we drink?\u2019 or, \u2018With what will we be clothed?\u2019 32<\/sup>For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33<\/sup>But seek first God\u2019s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. 34<\/sup>Therefore don\u2019t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day\u2019s own evil is sufficient.<\/font>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nPhilippians 4:4-7 (WEBBE): 4<\/sup>Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, \u201cRejoice!\u201d 5<\/sup>Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. 6<\/sup>In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7<\/sup>And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I am filled with gratitude for this lesson that I have learned today. God will provide all that we need – physical and spiritual – every single day. Not only is resting in Him, trusting in His provision, a peaceful place to be. It is also far more efficient than trying to accomplish everything on our own!<\/p>\n
But there is more to it than just knowing that God will provide.<\/p>\n
\nJohn 14:26 (WEBBE): 26<\/sup>But the Counsellor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.<\/font>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
The Holy Spirit lives inside each of us, to teach us all things. But the best teacher in the world will not get far with a pupil that refuses to learn. It is tempting to cling to what we already know, what is familiar, and refuse to learn new things. But that would be like scooping a bucket of water out of a river, and turning your back on the rest of the river forever. The bucket of water will only get you so far.<\/p>\n
This year, be open to the teaching of the Holy Spirit. And you will learn INCREDIBLE new things!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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