Remembering 2014

While I am looking forward to the new year of 2015, I felt God directing me to look back. To look back to last year at this time when I was sitting quietly, asking God about 2014. Wondering what the year would hold and what God wanted to show me. God asks the Israelites to do this often, He asks them to remember what He did, to look back. In Joshua chapter 4 the Israelites took 12 stones out of the Jordan river that they had just crossed and set them up at Gilgal so that, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground."

Remembering, looking back, at what God has done allows us to remember who He is. God is faithful, holy, just, righteous, merciful and sovereign. I remember wanting 2013 to be over last year at this time, I remember asking God what 2014 was going to hold for me (I was hoping it would be better than 2013)....I was not so excited with His answer. "Hold tight," He said, "Stay close to me, your struggles and trials are not over." I am grateful now, that He gave me those words, that I would have those words and Him to cling to. I didn't know it at the time, but 2014 would be even harder than 2013. And as I look back, I can see one thing very clearly, God was with me and I will remember that. He gave me Joshua 1:9 as my verse for 2014 and boy would it resonate in my soul through the year. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." I will remember He was my strength and my comfort. I will remember that He was my firm foundation and my resting place. I will remember that His Word was the pillar of truth that all circumstances and situations would crash up against. And that He and His Word are faithful and true. I will remember how He gave me a testimony, sermon or devotion at just the right time, just when I needed to know I was doing the right thing and trusting Him with the outcome. I will remember that He allowed me the courage to stand firm and lovingly do the hard thing which is always the right thing. He allowed me the ability to let go and let God. And I will remember that He has brought me, "thus far". I will remember how He provided for us to go back to Zambia and how His hand was supernaturally present in all decisions there. I will remember how He allowed us to be encouraged and encourage others in Zambia; women on the streets and men in compounds. I will remember how He gave me a peace that passes all understanding despite what was going on at home. I will remember that He has called me and gifted me to do His work. See, He was faithful then and He is faithful now.

After taking time to reflect back, it is time to look forward. I will sit before my God and ask for His direction in moving into the new year. What word and verse does He want to gift to me? What goodness does He want to impart? I believe that He wants to give us more of Him, His presence in our lives. As I learned in December, I do not need to know the future or have security or safety, I just need more of Him. Again Lord, reveal more of You to me in this next year. And let us remember He is already in 2015!
Happy New Year everyone and I hope this new year is marked by more of Him in us!

Word for the Season-Reveal

In this wonderful season of celebrating the coming of our Lord to this earth, I always have a word that follows me around. It is a word that I try and see everything through.  A word I try to claim and understand more, a word I let God penetrate me with. That word this year is REVEAL.

To make known through divine inspiration; that is one of the definitions of reveal. It is a verb, an action. Something that happens in the spiritual realm between heaven and earth.

I feel like I have run across this word a lot lately and was pondering on this as December came close. Desiring revelations from God led me to pull back the curtain again on all of who He is. I wanted more.

We have been reading through the names of Jesus as one of our devotionals with our family over the past few weeks in a book from Nancy Leigh DeMoss, called the Wonder of His Name.  I realized that knowing and meditating on all these names would bring me to the revelation I wanted...more of Him. More of the completeness of who Jesus is. Each name has a specific meaning and application for us as believers and for the world. Truly accepting and resting in these names brings us to the fullness of what God wants us to know about His Son. He is the Good Shepherd, the Advocate, the Lion, the Lamb of God, I AM, the Chief Cornerstone, Messiah, Immanuel and many more.  There are 32 in all. They are powerful and reveal something that is deep and divine to my soul.

Ask God to reveal to you a name of His that you need to ponder on this Christmas Season. Is it Jesus, Light, King, The Truth, or Bridegroom? Let us worship all of Him this Christmas Season and share Him with others. The next definition of reveal which states-to show (something) plainly or clearly: to make (something that was hidden) able to be seen, is the perfect "next step". Let us make known and  unearth what is hidden and reveal to a lost world this season who Christmas is all about, the Savior of the world. If nothing else this year, understand this name. He came to save us from the wrath of God and our sins that separate us from eternity with Him. How wonderful the name. It has and will continue be an honor to represent this name in Africa as we go to bring Hope to a dark world.

True blessings from the Choitz Family and Merry Christmas!