As I am finally settling down into the new year and into the new semester of school I have begun to pray for the Lord’s direction about what ways could I grow closer to Him during this new season. I lead a small group of girls in a weekly Bible study, and during our first gathering of the new semester, I challenged the girls to think about that.
I am a big fan of the “Word of the Year” trend. The premise of this trend is to spend time with the Lord, seeking out one word that you would like to describe your relationship with the Lord at the end of the year. I only started this last year, and it is one of the biggest blessings to see how the Lord took that one word and transformed our relationship into it. Last year’s word was overflow. I picked this word based on Psalm 23:5 and wanted 2019 to be a year of an overflow of everything. I wanted an overflow of knowledge from the Word, overflow of blessings from the Lord, and overall I wanted 2019 to be a year of growth and seeing the Lord’s hand in every situation. And just like He does every time, the Lord showed up big in 2019, with so many blessings. I learned so much about the character of God, and how He loves His children.
Walking into 2020, I looked back in 2019 and wanted to go in a different direction with my 2020 word. This year I picked the word renewed. I picked this word based on Romans 12:2, where it talks about the Lord’s perfect will and the renewal of one’s mind to follow that will. I want that. I have seen how the Lord’s perfect plan and timing into 2019, and now I wanted to walk through 2020 being obedient to that will.
It’s now March and I already am feeling challenged by the Lord’s calling to be obedient. There have been a few aspects that the Lord is calling me towards lately, asking me to trust Him and to be obedient. Through this, I have been reminded of who holds my right hand, reminded of the One who knows best, and just overall the character of Lord.
My organization was doing a reading plan through Exodus last semester, and I found myself through the chapters getting mad at the Israelites for their lack of trust in Moses and the Lord’s plan. However, I soon began to feel convicted that, like the Israelites, I too am quick to forget how the Lord has moved in the past. I remember all the good He has done and yet I still question, and struggle to trust.
The call of obedience perfectly aligns with the preparation of this trip. If I am honest, I struggle daily with the daunting amount of money that I still have left to fundraise. With less than 100 days until we leave for South America, I am struggling to see how everything will turn out okay. However, I am grateful for my team and the community that I have around me. They encourage me to slow down and to remember to trust that the Lord is going to do what the Lord does. Our Father is a purposeful father, things are going to work out the way He sees best. I think the truth that I have been so sweetly reminded of lately is of the greatest joy that is being placed somewhere that is God’s will and desire. Why would I want to be anywhere that the Lord isn’t?
