Twenty-one days into the new year and I’m finally getting around to writing about the new thing God has said. Maybe like me, you have gotten quiet to ask God for a word on your 2021 that would help align your heart and reframe your thinking for all the year holds. If not, I hope you will. I’ve always found it to be surprisingly helpful, even if it ends up being in hindsight.
Corporately I felt like God gave me a picture of a kaleidoscope, and then He confirmed that word by mailing it to my doorstep with a note that read “what do you see?” A kaleidoscope is a tool that changes patters which become visible through a concentrated eye piece. Often times with an endless variety of patters that come into focus as we adjust our scope.
I felt strongly that in 2021 we will have countless “opportunities” to adjust to new patterns in our life. With some concentrated effort, we will begin to see something new emerge in our various situations by adjusting our lens and looking at things from another angle. I know that seems a little vague so let me offer a verse for some perspective. In Mathew 11:17 Jesus said this, “We played the flute for you, but you didn’t dance. We sang a lament, but you didn’t mourn. For John the Baptist came neither eating or drinking but you said he had a demon. The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they said-look, a drunkard.”
Some missed the moment, missed what God was doing in the season because they couldn’t adjust and get a new perspective. I propose that this year will be a time in which we will need to continually realign ourselves with the scope of Gods word so we can see what different patterns are emerging. At times it will take a “concentrated effort” on our parts, but I believe that just like any kid who picks up a kaleidoscope in anticipation, we too will be surprised by what we see taking shape.
May your knees be nimble this season as you adjust to some unexpected things, may your hearts be open as God re-orders some other things, may your eyes be full of focus, and may your spirits be aligned with all that God has in His mind to do in 2021.
Blessings-from someone who has been trying to shift so much I have knee burns. Change isn’t always easy but when Gods in it than we are all the better for it. I think some unexpected blessings are in store as we get close and ask Him to speak. Xo-DeAnn
Words have been plentiful for me this season. I’ve been close to the finishing of a book I’m writing, I’ve been helping my kids with remote learning while the school took a break, I took in precious words from friends at a birthday gathering, and just recently played some serious games of speed scrabble over the Thanksgiving break with family. We all know that words have been plentiful with people over politics, over the pandemic, and over what this next season holds.
Words are important, and maybe even more important is what we do with them. The other night I was exchanging a letter in my scrabble game to make a new word and I sensed the Lord saying to me that “His words will be with us this season in bulk.” Later I went to Joel 2, in the Message Bible Version where it reads, “be glad in your God. He’s giving you a teacher to train you how to live right. Teaching, like rain out of heaven, showers of words will be sent to refresh and nourish your soul, just as he used to do.”
I believe that God is not only going to shower us with words that will nourish and grow us up into health, but like a good teacher He is also going to give us a new context about the words He releases and deposits with us. Words that hold, reveal, and return wonder back to us… “God will set you back on your heels in wonder” (Joel 3). WONDER; – a feeling of surprise mingled with admiration, caused by something beautiful, unexpected, unfamiliar, or inexplicable. – a desire to be curious or know something. (SYN. Astonishment, amazement, fascination, awe)
I keep hearing the phrase “wonder words”- words that will be weighty and will act as an anchor for us in the coming season. Unlike the way I strain at scrabble to put a word together, I believe the words He speaks will come to us with ease and very little effort on our part, “on the very same day I’ll give an answer to you.” -Hosea 2
It’s a time to ask God about some things, to exchange any old, harmful, or confusing words for some better ones, and to take seriously the ones He’s giving to you. Isaiah tells us that “He is not a man that He would lie, He makes good on his word, fulfills His promises, and all the words out of His mouth wouldn’t return back to him void or empty but will do all that He has planned to do.” (Now that’s a word 🙋♀️)
In the midst of a typically busy holiday season, remember to slow down and take some time with the Living Word, the One who is still a wonder and speaking wonders. “And The Word became flesh and made his home among us…” I pray each of us would know words and The Living Word in a brand new way this Christmas season, there is no shortage of things He wants to share with us.
I try to daily position myself and tune in toward the words of Psalm 85:8, “having an ear to listen to what God says.” Sometimes that tune is right on key and other times I’m missing the chorus. However A couple of weeks ago I was on key and sharing with our staff about something He said and it has yet to leave me. It was about the woman who went to Jesus with her very expensive perfume bottle and giving no thought to all the eyes in the crowd she broke her costly bottle over him and the fragrance filled the air as it was poured out.
It reads like this: While Jesus was reclining at the table And a woman came into the house of Simeon the leper. She was holding an alabaster jar of perfume that was filled with the highest quality of fragrant and expensive oil. She walked right up to Jesus and broke the flask and poured it down over his head. Some who were watching became indignant, complaining to one another “what a total waste.” They began to scold her but Jesus rebuked them promising that wherever the gospel is preached her devotion will be mentioned. (Mark 14:3-9)
When we make our way towards Jesus we all come with something. Some times what we come with is extended and given like an offering, sometimes an offering of ourselves and our gifts…so costly others can’t get their heads around it and instead of celebrating they end up criticizing. And still some times in our coming we choose to hide or hold back, either way our coming is costly in one form or another. King David said in 2 Samuel 2:24 that he would not offer something or give sacrifice to the Lord that cost him nothing. This is not only a word about what it will cost us to come, but also what we will allow to be broken after we have brought ourselves?
It’s one thing to bring ourselves and all we have and offer it up as a sacrifice to the Lord for his using, it’s another thing entirely to come and allow for the breaking that happens as we offer ourselves. When we offer ourselves with the allowance to be broken, bended, submitted, refined, and bruised then I believe our lives are like the sweet aroma of Christ. Paul speaks of this in 2 Corinthians 2:15. It’s costly, it doesn’t make sense, but its these kind of stories full of devotion that Jesus mentions, elevates, adores, and receives as a sweet fragrance.
Praying that in these days each of us are not only bringing what’s costly to the Lord but allowing for brokenness to occur once it’s brought so that our lives would be a sweet aroma. And Heaven help us if we look at what others have to offer and scold instead of celebrate. May we be the kind of people that help and clap any way we can as others make their way towards Him.
I am not known for my navigation skills, my husband always tells me it’s imperative I look for “landmarks” to help me remember. Before summer began we were in KS for a couple months whereby I used a group of cows to help me remember where to turn, only they are mobile so I couldn’t count on them consistently (😂). 2020 has felt a little bit like that, hard to find consistency while we navigate the road ahead. I’ve felt like I’ve been wearing a blindfold must of the summer wondering what and where is “next.” However I felt in my Spirit the whisper of Lord speaking that His Holy Spirit will be our land mark in this season. He will teach us the way to go, direct our paths, and guide our steps. Deep sigh of relief here because His nature is the one constant in our ever changing seasons, “He is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (-Hebrews 13:8)
I had a dream last night and I saw the Lord changing out records on a record player. He was thumbing His hand through many records along a shelf and letting them play, until finally He placed one on repeat. I Heard the songs while they played;
“Ready or not” by the Fugees/ “Sunglasses at Night” by Corey Hart/ a slew of other songs played until finally again and again “Goodness of God” by Jenn Johnson. I heard the Lord say that there are new songs for new seasons and though I know “goodness of God” is not necessarily a new Song, I believe the words represent a new wave of what God is up to right now.
I felt that this song, the goodness of God was going to be the Hallmark of this season, the theme song for many as 2020 moves into the fall. There are many lines from the song that seemed to be hi-lighted while the song played again and again; “that we will know Him as a Father and know Him as a Friend,” “your goodness is running after, it’s running after me,” “I love your voice, it’s led me through the fire,” “I’m gona sing of the goodness of God.”
I pray the words of this song will be one of our landmarks as we continue to navigate through 2020 and all that is ahead of us. I’d encourage you to ask the Lord for your own specific song and take notice of lyrics that you can’t seem to get out of your head/heart. I heard my husband singing “these are the days of Elijah” last week and though he said he had no idea where it came from, it felt like God was using those words to speak right to us, a song for the season. He’s using lyrics as clues so listen closely. “Speak to one another in hymns and spiritual songs, making music to the Lord in your heart.” -Eph.5:19
He is a creative God, I pray lyrics are plenty for each of us as we move forward in a new time. May the notes be landmarks that help direct our paths. “By day the Lord directs His love, at night His song is with me.”-Psalm 42:8
“I must confess, I would have despaired had I not believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” -Ps 27:13. / DeAnn C.
“In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon people, he may speak in their ears…” (Job 33:15). I love those words and find myself hopeful and at attention as I drift to sleep. Just over a week ago I was waking up out of a dream, and in it I stood in front of a large closet as clothes passed by me. I carefully calculated what things needed to be picked out and packed up. I was sorting, assessing, and rearranging the clothes on the hangers and thought at first I so hoped that the Lord was going to bestow upon me a new wardrobe for the spring, I knew that couldn’t be the case because even though I really liked the clothes on some of the hangers, I had a knowing in the dream that there was no longer a place for them in the closet. The closet I happened to be picking through was not my personal closet but a “corporate closet” and therefore I believe God has layers of insight to reveal to those who would choose to ask Him.
In Colossians chapter three, the writer Paul exhorts us to “clothe ourselves” in compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. To put on love above all.” I imagine that since lockdown these things have not been the most comfortable of things to wear, however I think it’s interesting that Paul tells us to PUT THESE THINGS ON. That means that even if it doesn’t “feel” comfortable, it is still something we can CHOOSE to walk around in. Earlier in the chapter he also addresses the things we need to “take off” and put to death (do away with for good) because some things, comfortable or not, are no longer fitting for us in this season.
In Daniel 2:21-22 it says that God changes the times and seasons, that He reveals the hidden things that rest in the deep and brings light as He surfaces them. This too is not always that comfortable, but I believe that it’s deeply beneficial and as I’ve asked the Lord to go ahead with the show and tell, I have come to see it as a kindness. “The Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except his spirit within him? No one knows the thoughts of God except the Sprit of God and that is the same Spirit that we have” – (1 Cor.2:10). Don’t be to hard on yourself as God continues to put His finger on some things…He’s not a “finger pointing” kind of God, but rather one who’d want to see us both carrying and wearing what looks good.
I pray that in these coming weeks as we literally get out different clothes for a different season, we would also figuratively let our spirits be changed too. Let’s allow the Spirit to search us that we might be even more fit for these times. I believe that God is fashioning us to look, move, and live differently. He’s sewing some things that need mending and attention, let’s be ready.
