Tag: commit

Reflections of 2024

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I am always amazed when I reach the 31st of December and look back. Where did it all go? My word for this year was Commit and I choose the following two scriptures.

Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to the Lord;  trust in him, and he will act.”  

Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your work to the Lord,  and your plans will be established.”

Commit is almost a dirty word in today’s society. Trying to get people to commit to being on a committee, working with a group, deciding to read or study a certain book, being in a relationship… etc. People don’t seem to want to tie themselves down incase 1- something better comes along or 2-things don’t go so well, they worry about how to get out of it. Knowing this, God wanted me to focus on things in my life and be faithful to continue them.

God enable me to read the New Testament this year with a reading plan so that a read a portion of scripture daily.

God enabled me to continue working and serving children in the school district that are unable to go to school and to work with children at Bible Study Fellowship.

God gave me health issues to persevere through, though no always cheerfully I might add.

God allowed me to continue writing my blog and one for the church I attend.

What did I learn? God is faithfully with me each day and gives me joy and inspiration when I write or teach. Even when things are not the best, God is with me and helps me to persevere. God provides me with multiple opportunities to thank and praise Him!

I am looking forward to 2025 and what God will teach me in the New Year.

Happy New Year to you and yours.

Linda

My Word- More Scriptures

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When God gives me a word for the year, I select scriptures to solidify the concept God has laid upon my heart. The first verse I mentioned in my last blog, Psalm 37:5-6. The other two verses God gave me are Proverbs 16:3 and 1 Peter 4:19. What truths do these verses add to my word- Commit? I looked each up in various translations to seek clarification and improved understanding.

Proverbs 16:3 “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” ESV     “Commit your actions to the Lord,  and your plans will succeed.” NLT            “Put God in charge of your work,  then what you’ve planned will take place.” Message   Commit your works to the Lord, And your thoughts will be established.” NKJV

Each of these translations adds something new to the concept of committing everything I do to God and the promise He gives. The New King James Version adds thoughts to the work one does. That new dimension challenges me to put all my doing, acting and thinking into God’s hands. Commitment at this level is total, complete and focusing on what is important for success in life. These are sobering reminders of what God desires of each of us. Doing things, thinking Biblically about what I’m doing or going to do is essential for plans to be accomplished. Committing my work to God and following through for Him brings success. It also tells us that God is the driving force behind successful work for Him.

My final verse 1 Peter4:19  “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” NIV    “Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.” ESV    “So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you.” NLT      “Therefore, those who are ill-treated and suffer in accordance with the will of God must [continue to] do right and commit their souls [for safe-keeping] to the faithful Creator.” Amplified     “So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it.” The Message

It also helped me to look at this verse in various translations. The suffering is expanded in the Amplified to mean ill-treatment and suffering for doing God’s work. Our response to suffering is to continue onward, continue to commit to God, trust Him and what He has for our future. I like the word the ESV version uses for commit- entrust. I am to entrust my life to Him in these trying times and He will see me through because He is the faithful one the faithful Creator.

I love the Word, Commit, God has laid upon my heart for 2024 and the verses He has shown me. I am looking forward to the adventure of 2024 with Him

Linda

P.S. Please let me know what word you have chosen for 2024 by responding. Thanks.

Scripture and My Word

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After God has laid upon your heart the word He has for you, you choose 8-10 related words to help you clarify and broaden the scope of the word in your mind. The next step is to go to scripture and search for your word. Most often there are many verses using your word and you need to read through them to see which ones resonate with your heart and capture the broadened meaning of your word. This year’s word for me, Commit, was used over 150 times in the Old and New Testaments. I sifted through and saw various meaning’s or uses of the word. As I studied the passages I began to focus on 3 different scriptures: Psalm 37:5-6, Proverbs 16:3 and 1 Peter 4:19. 

Psalm 37:5-6 ”Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
    and your justice as the noonday.” 

I love these verses and included them in my book Promises for Dynamic Living. God promises that committing your way to Him and giving Him your trust allows Him to act on your behalf. He will bring forth good things, help you to shine for Him and see that you are treated justly. Those are mighty returns for your commitment and trust! There are principles about God and His character embedded within theses verses. 1. God is good and wants only good things for me. Those things brought forth through our trust and commitment are in the light, righteous and just.  2. Following God requires trust and commitment. God promises action only if we do our part- trusting and committing. We know God keeps His promises so to receive his blessings we need to commit and trust in Him. Blessedly God knows us and our weaknesses and often acts in spite of what I do. Then I thank God for his boundless grace towards me.  3. God has the power to mold and shape my character. His actions will bring forth from me new light and righteousness in Him. God desires to make us more and more like Jesus as we walk with Him daily. 4. God is just and righteous. These attributes are an intergyral part of God’s character and who He is.

Here are 2 verses from Isaiah about our Just God. 5:16 “But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.” 30:18 “Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.” 

Here are 2 verses from Psalms about our Righteous God. 71:19 “Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?” 145: 17“The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works.”

I pray you will find just the right verses to go with your word so that God can use them to imprint Himself upon your life this year.  The other verses I’ve chosen will be written about in future blogs.

Linda

Picture My Word for 2024

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I have been praying and asking God for a new word for this year. He has impressed upon me the word ‘commit’. The dictionary defines commit as to pledge with purpose, to do, to preserve- like to your memory, to trust or charge with safekeeping, to send into battle….  Reflecting on this definition, is would seem that people in our day and times have difficulty committing to relationships, jobs, pursuits to reach goals, and/or to joining or serving and sticking with it. 

Biblically commit is used over 150 times.  Exodus speaks of commit in the 10 Commandments- as in what not to do. ”Do not commit ____.”  Leviticus speaks over and over about the sins people were doing which were committed against God and His laws. 1 Samuel and 1 Kings speak of committing your way to the Lord. One of my favorite verses is Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this:” David also spoke of committing his spirit to God in Psalm 31:5 “Into your hands I commit my spirit; deliver me, Lord, my faithful God.” Solomon added in Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” In Luke 23:46 Jesus spoke from the cross of committing His spirit to God. Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.” Paul speaks of us being committed in 2 Corinthians 5:19 “that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” Peter speaks of our commitment in 1 Peter 4:19 “So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” 

We are exhorted in the Old and New Testaments to NOT commit sins- adultery, stealing, lust, etc. In addition to striving to put sin aside we are asked to commit our way, our spirit, our being, our resolve, our faith to God and follow Him. Our job is to commit our ways to Him and then He will lead and bring about things for our good and His glory. 

The related words to commit that I have chosen are: persevere, submit, act, do, support, pray, study, write, serve and join. It will be interesting, as in an adventure, to see how God uses this word in my life in 2024. Here are the verses I am using to guide me: Psalm 37:5-6 “Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” 

1 Peter 4:19 “ So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” The suffering here is not so much bad things but committing to God and walking away from worldly pursuits.

I pray God has given you a nudge towards a particular focus word for 2024. I will expand on these verses in days to come as I mediate upon the word and verses God has provided.

Linda