I have always loved New Year’s Day: a time to set goals and intentions for the next twelve months. However, a month ago while everyone was reflecting on the past decade and preparing for the next, I found myself amidst a storm.
My 2019 word of the year was abide. God knew the way 2019 would end for me … angry at Him. During this watershed moment, I had three options: I could live in denial and say, “This isn’t happening. God is good. Blah blah blah. God wouldn’t allow this to happen to ME.” This option is usually done with good intentions. This can cause you to live in blissful ignorance of the fact that sometimes tragedies serve the purpose of drawing you closer to God. Second, I could deny God and just throw in the towel and say, “God doesn’t do any good, so HE must not be good.” Or I could choose to continue wrestling, embrace God, and not let go. I found myself resolutely choosing the latter.
To abide in God I needed a year of diving into his word learning about his character and faithfulness. The words I heard him whisper to me a year ago were all coming back: “You are exactly where I want you. Completely honest with Me. Resting in Me. Trusting in Me. Abiding in Me. Abide in Me, beloved.”
So, what do you do when what you see with your eyes is different from what you believe in your heart and you find yourself continuously stuck in the valleys of life? What do you do when you are crying out to God, believing he will hear your prayers, that he will move in a way that will bring relief or blessing or provision and yet it doesn’t happen?
It’s time to praise God even when I don’t see him moving. It’s time to praise God even when I don’t feel like it. It’s time to praise him not just for what I see or don’t see but for who He is. It’s time for unwavering hope.
H O P E
When I first realized that the concept of hope had been surrounding me and the Holy Spirit was nudging me, I was very reluctant to embrace it. Could I be drawn to a more cliche word? I thought “c’mon God can’t you give me a word that isn’t used and abused during every trifling problem in society today?” But maybe, just maybe, God is telling me that hope can be found everywhere.
At first I viewed the word “hope” in a passive way. Sort of like wishing upon a shooting star for something positive to happen. Some kind of unsure optimism that God will answer MY prayers immediately and life will unfold how I want. “I hope (wish) I get the promotion at work.” “I hope (wish) it doesn’t rain on my wedding day.” But when the Bible talks about hope it means something completely different. It’s a gift from God. Biblical scholars agree that by definition hope is a steadfast and confident expectation that God follows through on his Word. But in this sin-filled world hope often gets buried by demanding God do things according to our timeline, not His. It shines brightly at first then it gets buried under a pile of adversity. In this next year, I’m on a search to find and hold onto hope despite when my expectations are not met.
Hope takes practice. Hope takes faith. Hope takes work. Hope must be an active word in our vocabulary. Hope is not passive. Hope is not a wish and expectation placed on God. Hope must be invited in. Hope must be welcomed. Hope must be practiced. Every. Single. Day.
Here’s to a year (11 months, since it’s February now) of unflinching hope.
So, if you find yourself like me a month into the new decade and have not set intentions for the year – it’s not too late.
I’d love to hear, what is your word for 2020?
xx katie
The Fox Adventure 