Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I have a confession to make.  I cannot tell a lie.  I am kind of freaking out.  The magnitude of what I have committed to do over this next year in memorizing Colossians has met with me this morning with polarizing shock.  What was I thinking?  Can I really do this?  Sure memorizing is one thing, but really, writing about it as well.  Writing is work!  Memorizing is work! 

Lord could you perhaps spin the earth backwards for say about a month so I can retract, regroup and refrain? 

No answer.  Shocking I know.  Have you ever been in this situation?  So radically excited and sure of something and then when the reality of actually doing the something hits, you kind of smack yourself on the side of your head and wonder “what was I thinking”?  But there is one thing I can say about myself even in the midst of my energetic stupidity is I keep my vows.  I wasn’t always like that.  It is now a compulsion with me.  So I will press on with this.  Like David “I will fulfill my vows to the LORD, in the presence of all his people.” (Psalm 116:18) Or at least those who read this blog. 

But, and this is such a big but, I will not be able to reach this goal without prayer nor the Holy Spirit’s help.  Any glory in my completing a vow all goes to the Lord.  There is no possible way I could finish this task without a divine intervention.  You need to know this.  Let me say it again.  You need to know this.  It will not be my brilliant memory, (see prior post) or any other natural tendency that will make this happen.  Just Jesus.  Just Jesus. 

So with that said, its time to start this thing off and that needs to be on my knees.  A few years ago I wrote the following prayer and as I re-read it I felt the wording of it was timely for this project as well.  Would you join me in praying?

Lord we thank You that the entrance of Your word brings light and life into our lives.  We thank You that it is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.  Father we pray that You would illuminate our lives with the brilliance of Your word.  We pray that it would seep into every crevice of our being and make us more like Your son.  Father we ask through the power of the Spirit that You would make us not only hearers of Your word but doers as well.  Lord You have said in Your word that nothing is exalted above Your name or Your word.  How I pray that we would do the same.  That we would not allow anything to crowd out You or Your word in our lives.  Father give us a passion for it.  Let everything else pale in comparison to our time spent alone with You.  Speak to us personally and specifically as we read.  I pray that you would give us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of You, that the eyes of our hearts may be enlightened so that we may the hope to which You have called us, the glorious riches of the inheritance in the saints and the exceedingly great power to those that believe.  Father I pray that You increase our faith as we set our hearts on Your word because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.  Lord I ask that this time next year I and anyone who prays this prayer, would see You more clearly, love You more dearly and follow you more nearly each and every day.  We love You Lord.  Overturn some tables in our lives and make us radically head over heals in love with You.  Enthrall us with Your personality through Your word.  In the mighty name of Jesus.

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, that Your ways may be known on earth, Your salvation among all nations.....God will bless us, and all the ends of the earth will fear him."  Psalm 67:1-2,7

Shalom dear friends.  Here we go!