By Melissa McLaughlin
A New Year in Christ
Each year my goal is to deepen my relationship with Christ. When I think back to the place where my faith journey began, I am amazed to see how far God has brought me.
From my earliest memories, I believed in God and felt His love for me. Around age twelve I confessed Jesus Christ as Lord and was baptized.
Through the years, I have continued reading the Bible, praying, attending church, and serving in Jesus’ name. Step by step, year after year, my faith has grown stronger. Yet, my desire remains the same, to draw closer to Christ and to reflect more of His image in truth and grace.
Journey with the Lord
After considering my own faith journey, I was fascinated to notice God’s attention to detail, during a recent reading of Numbers 33, as the Israelites reflected on their journey of forty years in the desert.
Numbers 33:1-2 NJKV – These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went out of the land of Egypt by their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron. Now Moses wrote down the starting points of their journeys at the command of the Lord. And these are their journeys according to their starting points.
God not only guided and sustained the Israelites every step of the way, but He also directed Moses to record the major starting points throughout their journey.
God Remembers
This list of a forty-year journey reminded me that God is fully aware of our starting places. He remembers how far He has brought us through the years. God is not thwarted by the enemy’s attacks, by our sinful blunders, or by the world’s rebellion toward Him.
Just as God protected and instructed the Israelites through the barren desert, so He will protect and instruct His people as we travel in a dry and weary land today.
Have you answered His call to follow? Are we willing to leave familiar places to journey more closely with our Savior and Lord?
Starting the Year with Scripture
As we turned the page to a new year, my husband suggested a spiritual strategy we used in the past. Choosing a Scripture verse for the year.
Somehow this simple thought moved both our hearts and together we chose this verse:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
We repeat this verse to ourselves and each other throughout the day. We include this verse in our prayers and look to the Lord to reveal more of Himself as we meditate on His Word.
Though this Bible verse is small, it is packed with God’s wisdom and truth.
Short Scripture – Big Truth
Trust in the Lord – Trusting is not easy. Despite ongoing hardships and trials, we intentionally place ourselves into His everlasting arms each day. We remind ourselves of the nail-scarred hands that hold us steady.
With all your heart – Doing anything with all your heart is a supernatural calling. Only the indwelling Spirit can strengthen us to trust God with our whole being.
Lean not on your own understanding – A spiritual heart transplant is required for this! We love our feelings, opinions, and thoughts. So, we choose to trade our finite thoughts for His Word that lasts forever. Daily, we surrender our lives to His Word and His will.
In all your ways acknowledge Him – With childlike delight, we look to our Father God and seek to please Him. We remember our Savior and remind ourselves that His ways are best. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we drag ourselves off the throne of our hearts and invite Jesus to take His rightful place there.
And He shall direct your paths – As we submit to the Lord moment by moment, we are enabled to walk in step with Him. We strive to get out of the way and let God lead us.
Starting the Year with Scripture
As we look back over our lives and remember how far the Lord has brought us, may it renew our hearts. May we recall His great faithfulness and tender mercies which are new every year and yes, new every morning!
What about you? What are your spiritual goals for this year? Would you like to choose a Scripture verse for the year?
With this fresh chapter of our faith journey, may we trust the Lord in new ways and follow hard after Him!
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New Year, New Life by Melissa McLaughlin
I love the idea of a scripture verse for the year, Melissa. This encourages me to do this also. The verse you and your husband chose is the one I write on my grandchildren’s cards as they pass through the rites of passage. It holds true all our lives as we walk with our Lord.
Thank you for your blogs and daily posts on Twitter. Your faith inspires me daily.
God prompted my husband to do this and I’m so thankful. I know it sounds like a small thing, but speaking, praying, and meditating on one verse for the year is a simple way to invite God’s Word to sink deeper. I pray that you can choose a verse to be an anchor for you in the year ahead.
I love how you use Proverbs 3:5-6 to write on your grandchildren’s cards. That is a wonderful legacy you are leaving for them. And you’re right, no matter our age, Scripture is relevant. We never outgrow God’s Word.
Thank you for your ongoing encouragement. You are blessing to me! May God’s face shine upon you, your husband, and family!
Reading and listening to God’s Word reminds me to stay focused on Him and not myself. I pray I will listen, hear, and obey Him in every moment. Thank you for this wonderful message. Blessings! 🙂
You’re right, Melissa. When we immerse ourselves in God’s Word, it lifts our vision from our problems to see our wonderful God and Savior. His Word is truly life-changing. Blessings to you!
What a great idea. I often have a “theme verse” floating around my mind during different seasons, but I love the idea of selecting one verse and truly owning that for the year. I just love your writing and your heart for Jesus!
My husband and I have been so blessed letting this one verse soak in. I’m looking forward to “owning it,” as you say, for the year! I love your heart for Jesus and the truth of His Word, as well. Keep shining for Him, Jessica!
Hi Missy, Proverbs 3:5-6 is one of my LIFE VERSES that God used to draw me closer to him going through the dark times of my divorce. I would recite this verse veiled in tears and God ministered to me directly as I would always feel His peace surrounding me afterwards. It is one of the verses that is etched in my mind and I still find comfort in it. Thanks for sharing this!!
PS. Romans 8:28 is a verse both Patrick & James know by heart because I have quoted it to them often through the years.
Wow, Pat! That is a powerful testimony. Thank you for sharing how God used this Bible verse to enfold you in His peace and make His love and presence known to you. God’s Word is living and active.
There is so much depth to this tiny verse. It’s truly amazing.
Like you, I find comfort in this verse, too. When I say each phrase slowly, one by one, the deep truth of it sinks into my soul.
Romans 8:28 is another verse that brings comfort and hope. May we anchor our lives on the Word of God. It nourishes, comforts, corrects, and lifts us up. May the Lord draw you and your family ever close to Christ in the year ahead!
This was the first year in a while that I remembered to do this. I like the idea more now than ever. It has been helpful to keep me focused on the things above, where Christ is, seated at the Father’s right hand.
I love Jesus and want to be even more like Jesus every day this year and the following years too. I really want to get closer to Him. I’m so happy He is working strongly in my life through His Spirit. And something has happened here, I’ve been riduculed for my faith in Jesus and even hit by someone with hand or first. This may sound strange but this morning I thanked the Lord that I’m worthy to suffer for Him and His name. When I told Him He really met me strongly.
I love Jesus and want to be even more like Jesus every day this year and the following years too. I really want to get closer to Him. I’m so happy He is working strongly in my life through His Spirit. And something has happened here, I’ve been riduculed for my faith in Jesus and even hit by someone with hand or first. This may sound strange but this morning I thanked the Lord that I’m worthy to suffer for Him and His name. When I told Him He really met me strongly.
I strive to deepen my relationship with Christ each year. Sometimes I do better than others but I’m always moving forward. My verse for the year is Joshua 1:6.
Melissa, this is so good. I not only love that you and your husband chose Proverbs 3:5-6 as your focus for the new year, but also how you unpack all the truths and insight from these 2 verses. Like how you said, “We remind ourselves of the nail-scarred hands that hold us steady.” Yes! I’m often tempted to take matters into my own hands and make a mess of things. Our job is to trust and God’s job is everything else. He does the heavy lifting. Thank goodness! God bless!