I enjoyed this year’s word so much. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and grew my faith more than any other year, I think. As I read back over my journal and see all the crazy things I’ve witnessed this year two things come to mind: intentionality and habit.
This year I was intentional; in every circumstance or situation, I had a sense of the bigger picture and made myself listen to what God wanted for that moment. That intentionality led me to pray some crazy prayers, send some out of the blue texts, speak when I didn’t have all the answers, give when I questioned the amount...it was all amazing and so rewarding and because I lived in this way I saw physical healings, spiritual healings, strengthened faith, answered prayers! Looking back it almost seems unreal! The verse that keeps coming up over and over for me is James 5:16 - “Therefore, confess your sins one to another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” That last part...wow!! Every time I moved when He said move something happened and that last part of the verse would cross my mind. When I stay surrendered and attentive, my prayer is His prayer and it accomplishes much! I also find so much hope in the fact that in the areas where patience is needed in a situation and the outcome may not be seen for years to come, this verse still holds true! Something is always being accomplished, whether seen or unseen!
The second word, habit, also comes into play this year. This year was my second year to complete the One Year Bible. It’s a plan to read the entire Bible in a year. The first year was such a struggle; not so much the meeting with Jesus part, but more of the reading and understanding what I was reading. I pressed through and just kept on with it this year for round 2 and there was a shift. The reading was no longer a struggle. I didn’t understand everything, but I felt like I understood more than the year before! He highlighted Proverbs 1:23 - “Turn to my reproof, behold I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.” And all of Proverbs 2!! So encouraging!! If I seek wisdom I find it...I just needed to form a habit of seeking it. In our instant gratification world we want immediate results and 2 years is a long time to see results, but if you keep at it, He is faithful! As I start in on year 3 of the One Year Bible I can’t help but think of all the new revelations! Like watching a movie over and over, I know the lines and the songs and even see scenes differently or more in-depth because I’ve seen it so many times, I think the same holds true for reading the Bible repeatedly. Think of all the scripture inside my heart and head, and every time I read it, it just goes deeper and I see things differently and God reveals more. I don’t think I would have encountered all I have encountered this year without the consistent intake of His word.
I pray I will continue to operate out of my comfort zone as the years go by. I really want to keep this word another year, but He has something different for me already, so I will take what I’ve learned this year and continue to apply it in all the tasks He asks of me in 2018!
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