Given the Key.
December is my favorite month of the whole year. It's a time of reflection. It's a time to remember all the joys and difficulties. It's a time to look at what all God has taught me and the ways He has grown me. It's also a time to pray and look forward with Him in what He wants to do the next year.
I would be lying if I said this year ended up being everything I thought it would be. And I'd be lying if I said I achieved all my goals and overcame all the obstacles I had hoped would be over by now. Some things in life don't move as quickly as we'd hope, but thankfully our circumstances, feelings, and opinions do not dictate the Truth.
Scripture says that "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1)," and "For still the vision awaits its appointed time;it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay (Habakkuk 2:3)."
No matter the wait, we can rest assured that God is completely sovereign and in control of all things, and His timing is absolutely perfect. Although it may not feel like it sometimes, it is. He knows exactly how to blow our minds and completely satisfy our souls, and I have found that His ways are higher than my ways and His thoughts greater than my thoughts. He never lets us down.
With that, it has been absolutely wonderful to reflect and see how intentional the Lord has been this year and specifically over the past few years. Christ's death and resurrection has given us access to FREEDOM as we seek, trust, and follow Him - no matter the cost.
Our hearts seek so many other things apart from Him, such as: approval of others, understanding of circumstances, self-sufficiency, security through finances, jobs, relationships, and so much more. Ultimately, we want everything to "feel" good, but this world has nothing good to offer us except hopelessness, disappointment, and pain, or simply just things that will only provide temporary satisfaction. This is why, as I stated in my last post, our perspective is what changes everything. Where we look for our hope, joy, and satisfaction affects everything.
So this December's reflection, I sit in awe and with eyes full of tears because of the Lord's goodness. He gave me the best gift I could ever want or receive: He gave me so much more of Himself. He is truly my hope, joy, peace, and rest. He is my Deliverer, Savior, and Defender. He taught me how to truly love, forgive, stay steadfast and not run away or shut down, show grace and mercy, and more. Honestly, as He gave me more of Himself, He taught me how to be His light and reflect Him to those around me. Through the trials and the hardship, He has taught me that fear, anxiety, doubt, restlessness, uncertainty, anger, guilt, shame, and self-condemnation do not own me. Those things are not of Him. And Christ died so that I could experience life here on earth to the fullest and in the complete fullness of joy, hope, rest, and peace. Any thought or feeling that does not produce the fruit and freedom He offers is not of Him. As much as I would've preferred to "automatically" know and/or believe these things, it's through the trials and hardships that He "trains" us and provides opportunity to learn more about Him and grow in the understanding of His love and the freedom He has for us.
As I reflect on this year and all the battles, trials, and hardships it entailed, I praise God because through the constant seeking, reading His word, and learning more about Him, I can truly say I have found the key to freedom. My eyes have been opened to so much more of Him and His truth, and although the end of this year looks a lot differently than I anticipated or expected, I know that God has done all that HE planned to accomplished and saw as good for me. And what a beautiful truth Romans 8:28 tells us, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." When TRUTH is our anchor, no weapon (trial, hardship, circumstance) formed against us can remain (Isaiah 54:17).
We as His children MUST be able to recognize His voice and truth. Our battlefield is in the mind, and we have to understand that every thought and/or feeling is not always His or even ours. We must listen to what the thought is saying and what feelings it produces. God cannot go against Himself and His character. This discernment can only come through TRULY knowing Him and reading His word. So, as always, I encourage us all to keep pressing into Jesus, seeking and learning more about Him. Receiving more and more of His love each day - "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love (1 John 4:18)" - I pray that we would truly believe and cling to this truth, and that it would radically change us; that we would restknowing that, in Christ Jesus, we are 100% loved and He is 100% pleased with us. End of story.
One final truth: The Lord gave me a dream where my friend was talking about feeling trapped, like in a prison cell, and they couldn't get out. Then pure wisdom and truth came from my mouth (it could have ONLY been the Lord Himself to give this bold, wise statement in my dream): "You have the key to your own prison cell. You are only stuck in the cell because you are not using the key that is in your hand."
Wow. What truth. John 8:32 says, "and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Freedom only comes through TRUTH. Deliverance only comes through TRUTH. We, as Christ followers and children of God, have the key to get out of the prison cell... no matter what it looks like. The key is HIS WORD. It is HIS TRUTH. Rebuke what is not of Him, declare His Word and Truth, and walk in freedom.
I strongly encourage you to reflect on all God has taught you this year and rest with Him, seeking what He wants to do in and through you this next year. I pray it will bring you to a place of awe as you see how good He truly is, even when life itself doesn't feel the greatest. Press in and let Him restore your hope and joy.
I pray this next year (and decade!) would be one of freedom as you press into His word and truth.
To God be the glory. Amen.