5 Ways to Seek God First Every Day of the Year

I began 2018 with one word…

SEEK!

And one verse…

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need. Luke 12:31

And now, a year later I have decided SEEK will be my word for the rest of my life.

I want to seek God above all else … to trust Him completely and give Him complete control over every area of my life. I want to know His truth and follow His will faithfully.

But if I’m honest, I have to admit that with all of life’s distractions and demands it’s hard to stay laser-focused and completely surrendered.

Which is why I am making SEEK my life word,

You see, something I’ve realized over the past year is it’s easier to say I want to seek God first and give Him complete control — than it is to actually do it!

Whew, I fall short … every day!

So, I’ve made a list of ways, goals really, to help…

5 Ways to Seek God First Every Day of the Year

1. Seek God First – Remain Humble and Repentant.

It’s so easy for followers of Jesus to gather in holy huddles and begin to feel self-righteous. You know the problem … we start comparing ourselves to other people as the benchmark of our “goodness” rather than comparing ourselves to our perfectly holy God.

Did you know there isn’t one time in Scripture where God revealed His glory to people that they didn’t fall flat on their faces?

That’s natural humility!

It’s realizing that I fall so far short of what God wants for me that I can’t help but fall repentant before Him.

But the good news is—I can take my humbled (broken by sin) self and ask God to forgive me and His Word promises…

If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 1 John 1:9

So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. Ephesians 1:6–7

That is seriously Good News! Forgiven. Cleansed. Free. Amen.

2. Seek God First – Remain in God’s Word

Rev gave me the New Living Translation of the Life Application Bible for Christmas last year and my goal for 2018, was to read not only the Scripture text but all of the notes as well.

And wow, was I blessed!

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16–17

I need to remain in God’s Word because I need a daily reminder of the ways God is at work in my life. I need a daily reminder of the ways He wants to work through my life.

I need to know His truth and experience the blessings of His promises.

3. Seek God First – Remain in Prayer

I wish I could say I quickly and faithfully go to God in prayer about everything.

That I live the verse…

Never stop praying. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Oh, I’m a mighty pray-er in the middle of the night when I can’t sleep. But during the day when life is moving fast and I’m easily distracted, well I can honestly tell you I’m not nearly as faithful as I want to be.

Paul wrote…

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Colossians 4:2

And…

Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. Romans 12:12

One of my goals for 2019 is to keep a prayer journal … a written reminder of my prayers and God’s faithfulness. And I want to quickly and faithfully go to God with everything.

4. Seek God First – Remain Obedient to God’s Will

I believe God’s will for me is to…

Love Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Love my neighbor as I love myself.

I believe it’s His will for you too.

The Commandments can be divided into loving God and loving others.

And Jesus said, that obeying God’s commands is evidence of our love.

If you love me, obey my commandments. John 14:15

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. John 14:21a

I sometimes wonder if I can get so focused on “doing it right” and “keeping the rules” that I forget about the love part of obedience.

And I don’t ever want to forget about the love part of obedience!

5. Seek God First – Remain in God’s Presence

A few months ago, I decided to take the Philippians Challenge.

A challenge to…

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8

And I can do a better job of focusing my thoughts when I remember that…

Although we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:3–5 (NIV)

And…

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life. Proverbs 4:23

Because when I replace the world’s lies with God’s truth and guard my heart by focusing my thoughts on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely and admirable, God promises…

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3

My friend, that is simply a better way to live.

Forgiven. Standing on God’s promises. Prayerful. Obedient. And in His presence.

There’s no better way to live than to remain in Him.

Because there is the second part of the “seek God first” verses…

He will give you everything you need.

Not everything I want, but everything I need.

And my greatest needs are God’s gifts…

Amazing Grace.
Jesus.
Undeserved Mercy.
The Holy Spirit.
Perfect Peace.
Forgiveness.
Strength.
Courage.
Truth.
Freedom.
Provision.
Protection.
Hope.
Joy.
Eternal Life.

And so much more! Blessings too numerous to count!

So, I will keep seeking and I will make it my heart’s desire to remain in Him.

And as long as God allows … I will keep sharing what I learn with you, here in this space.

I would love to partner with you on your journey. If you have a specific topic or verse you would like to talk about … please leave a comment or email me. I love knowing what’s on your heart and mind and I love when God allows us to inspire and encourage each other.

You bless me! I am so very thankful for you!

May God bless you and your family in the year ahead.

This Week’s Friday Favorites

Highlight Post of the Week!

Joy to the World

by Lana Pummill
@ Finding Inspiration in the Chaos

Open Letter to Those who have Failed Jesus

by Stephanie Gammon
@ Heart-Captivating Daring Redemption

AND the…

Faith ‘n Friends Link Party

<div align="center"><a href="https://countingmyblessings.com/" rel="nofollow" title="Counting My Blessings"><img src="https://countingmyblessings.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Link-Party-Button-Pic.jpg" alt="Counting My Blessings" style="border: none; height: auto; width: 200px;" /></a></div>

I’m so glad you’re here!

This is a place to share faith, make friends, and have fun.

I’d love to connect with you on social media!

I’m finding #Friendship and #Inspiration at #Faith ‘n Friends #LinkUp Come join the fun!

Click To Tweet

Deb Wolf
Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

No More Rules Link Party

Add 1-2 of your favorite faith/life posts.
Then just make friends and have fun.
You know they love it when you stop by and say “hello.”

I would really appreciate it if you would
Grab my Link Party Button above and link back to CMB.

Loading InLinkz ...

Thank you so much for partying with us!
May your week be blessed with faith, love, and friendship!

Don’t forget to leave your prayer requests…

and pray over the list left by our friends.

I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.

Have you visited the Faith ‘n Friends Link Party Board on Pinterest? It’s a great place to catch up with past posts you may have missed here at the party and/or save them for a future read! If you’d like to become a contributor to my Pinterest Group Boards – email me at deb@debwolf.com with a link to your Pinterest home page.

And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…

And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an update.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Thank you and God bless!

Why My Time Away was NOT Restful

7 / 3 / 177 / 3 / 17

Two weeks ago, when I told you all that I was taking a couple of weeks away . . . you were awesome, like always. I received so many encouraging comments telling me to get some good rest and enjoy my time off.

Well…

I did enjoy my time away, but it was anything but restful.

Rev and I used the last couple of weeks to move from one side of the state of Missouri to the other. We moved to St. Louis the year we got married and except for one brief year in Ohio, we’ve lived the Gateway City for more than four decades.

Wow! Where does the time go?!

Anyway…

Our daughter moved to Kansas City 13 years ago and each time we visited her we fell more and more in love with this side of the state. And of course, her family was a huge magnet as well.

So, we kept our eyes open for a home and the end of April we were blessed to find a house that felt like the perfect fit for us.

And that began the process of packing up one home and moving to another.

Moving is definitely NOT rest and relaxation.

My body aches, my hands are a mess, and I’m still searching for a few things that seem to be hidden in box A, B, or C. Whew!

Moving is exhausting physically, mentally, and emotionally. But one of the worst parts and I have to say it’s hard for me to admit . . . I neglected my spiritual wellness in all the busyness. So, I’m spiritually exhausted, too.

That’s why, the last few days I’ve forced myself to slow down, ignore the boxes still crying to be unpacked, and quieted myself at the feet of Jesus.

It’s so easy to get caught up in our busyness, isn’t it?

But last Thursday morning, as I was feeling guilty about how far behind I’d gotten with my Bible reading plan . . . I set aside my to-do list, grabbed my coffee and headed to the couch in my office.

Where I read these words from Luke 18…

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar was sitting beside the road.³When he heard the noise of a crowd going past, he asked what was happening.³They told him that Jesus the Nazarene was going by. So he began shouting, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

“Be quiet!” the people in front yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

When Jesus heard him, He stopped and ordered that the man be brought to Him. As the man came near, Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?”

“Lord,” he said, “I want to see!” v. 35–41

I just love how the Spirit works through the Word. Honestly, I can’t even explain why those words hit me the way they did . . . but the Spirit used them to quietly remind me I was momentarily blinded by busyness and distractions.

Spiritual depletion can happen so fast and too often I don’t even realize how drained I am until the Spirit gently reminds me. It’s awfully easy for me to let myself become distracted by “life” and I don’t do well when I neglect my time with Jesus.

So with the Spirit’s help, I stopped and like the blind beggar, I cried out this prayer.

Dear Jesus,

I want to see!

Please forgive my busyness and distraction. I’ve neglected my time with You and because of that, I find myself drained mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Lord, I need You! Open my eyes that I might see Your truth and live centered by Your love.

I want to hear!

Make me sensitive to the sound of Your quiet voice. It’s so true… You whisper while the world around me screams for attention. I want to live every moment aware of Your sweet presence. I want to “pray without ceasing” while waiting quietly for Your counsel and guidance.

I want to speak!

Lord, I want to fiercely go to battle as a warrior for Your kingdom. Please teach me Your truth. I will go to Your Word and with Your Spirit’s help, I will learn Your will and follow Your ways. Help me boldly tell people of Your love and saving grace! Give me the words You want me to share and the courage to share them.

By Your grace and in Your name, Amen.

Finally, responding with gratitude…

I often picture God like the prodigal Father, waiting patiently and lovingly watching the path for me to return home whenever I foolishly wander. But the truth is He doesn’t just watch and wait.

He calls out my name and encourages me through His Word and my circumstances to choose to sit at His feet and enjoy something better than any busyness that tries to call me away.

It’s been a crazy and exciting few weeks. I’m so glad to be in Kansas City and I’m REALLY glad to be on this side of our move, but more than anything, I’m glad to be able to slow down a little and remember what’s most important.

And I’m thankful to know and love a Father who knows what’s best for me and cares about me physically, mentally, emotionally, as He cares for me spiritually . . . who will not turn away when I get busy and distracted.

His love is amazing.

Quotes to help you and me remember to slow down and take time to listen and pray…

“Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely. Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly. Though we may feel lost and without compass, God’s love encompasses us completely. … He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken.” ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

“Rest time is not waste time. It is economy to gather fresh strength… It is wisdom to take occasional furlough. In the long run, we shall do more by sometimes doing less.” ~Charles Spurgeon

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things. Only one thing is important. Mary has chosen the better thing, and it will never be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41–42

“Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord; and our heart is restless until it rests in Thee.” ~Augustine

Don’t forget to leave your prayer requests…

and pray over the list left by our friends.

Remember – I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.

And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…

And don’t forget about the

Where my best blogging friends and I are sharing our best of the best blog posts through the Summer Sizzle Blog Hop Series.

You don’t want to miss this! We’re publishing nine new posts each week rated by our readers as our most popular.

And you wondered what you were going to read on these lazy warm days…

You know you want to subscribe so you never miss an update.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

5 Ways to Know if Something is From God

5 / 1 / 1711 / 12 / 18

Do you ever wonder whether you are following God’s will or plan for you?

Do you worry that you might be headed in the wrong direction?

Do you wish God would write His will for your day on your to-do list?

Yep, me too!

Since his ordination, Rev has received calls to serve at various ministries and I’ve had to decide whether I should go back to teaching full-time, part-time or if I should stay at home.

And work is just the beginning, isn’t it?

How many children should we have? Where should our children go to school or should we homeschool? Where should we live? Is that the right house for us? The right church family? When should I retire?

What should I do?

The questions go on and on.

Sometimes it’s easy to tell where God wants us, other times are harder.

Life decisions can cause some of the greatest stress in our lives.

So the question we all want to know is…

How can you and I know if something is from God?

Click To Tweet

There are some things we can do to test a situation as we ask for God’s guidance and seek His will.

5 Ways to Know if Something is From God

1. Pray

Begin with prayer. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? It is.

Start by asking God to show you His specific will for you in this situation.

Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go. Jeremiah 42:3

2. Glorify God

Ask – Does this glorify God?

God will never guide you to do something that will not give Him glory.

Click To Tweet

Ask yourself, “Does this bless my relationship with my family? Does it make it possible for me to serve others? What will my attitude be if I do this? Etc.”

Give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Romans 6:13

3. Agree with Scripture

Does it agree with Scripture?

God gave us His Word to show us His will. You and I can trust the counsel of the Bible.

You never have to ask God if it’s His will for you to embezzle from your employer or dish the latest dirty detail about your neighbor.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Timothy 3:16

4. Be Willing to Wait

Be patient. God’s will is worth the wait. Trust His timing.

If something is God’s will, He will guide you while you wait and bring it to pass. Don’t rush it – when the timing is right God will let you know.

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

5. Trust God to accomplish His will in your life

God will fulfill His promises and accomplish His will for you.

I’ll admit, I’ve gotten impatient at times. I want a clear answer and I want it now! But I’ve learned I can watch and wait . . . God will do what He says He will do, and He will accomplish His will.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20

Not everything in life is clear. There will be times when you will do all the above and still be uncertain about God’s direction for you.

That’s okay.

You can trust that if God wants something specific in your life He will guide you to it.

If you’ve gone through the 5 step process and still have no clear answer . . . just keep moving. Make a choice. The good news is if you are trusting and glorifying God with your life you can move ahead confidently.

Rev and I have had times when the choice was clear . . . so clear in fact, we had to change our plans midway.

We’ve occasionally used a “fleece” to ask God for guidance. You can read about Gideon and how he used a fleece to confirm God’s direction, here. No, we haven’t actually asked God to leave dew on lamb’s wool but we have asked Him to clearly show us His will through events that made it easier for us to make decisions.

And I will honestly tell you, there have been a few times when we went through our list of five and still felt uncertain about what we should do.

So, we just lived each day…

And you can too!

Trust God’s love . . . lean into His grace and mercy. You can be confident that God will make any specific plans He has for you clear. You don’t have to live in fear of His displeasure when you seek His will through these 5 steps.

Pray, glorify God, study the Scripture, be willing to wait, and trust God’s ability to work in your life.

Your Father is with you.

He wants what is best for you and He is able to accomplish it!

Go for it! Live your life for His glory and honor. Praise Him!

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11–13

♥ This is a repost of my most popular post. I’m leaving all the comments as I know they will bless you.

Leave your prayer requests…

and pray for others who have left requests.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.

And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…

Thanks! And God bless!

How to Make Your Hopes and Dreams Come to Life

2 / 17 / 172 / 18 / 17

You have a list of hopes and dreams. Things you want to accomplish. Places you want to visit. Hopes you hold on to for the future.

You set goals.

But the truth is…

Some of your hopes and dreams will happen and some will not. And I always find it interesting that even of those realized, some will provide the imagined satisfaction and pleasure and some will not.

When I was growing up, I dreamed of being a mom and a teacher. I played with baby dolls and set up pretend classrooms. In all honesty, I didn’t think past my family and career.

Now my kids are grown and I haven’t taught in a classroom for years but I still have hopes and dreams and I’m guessing that whatever stage you are in life . . . you have hopes and dreams too.

Sometimes dreams need goal-setting and a to-do list that will inch us closer to our hoped for outcome. But sometimes they’re beyond us.

That’s where I find myself these days. My current hopes and dreams rest in God’s hands because they’re not for me . . . they’re for my loves.

My Hopes and Dreams

1. That the people I love will know and love Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life and that through Him they will “love God with all of their heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love their neighbors as themselves.”

I want people to know how much God loves them and that a relationship with Jesus is not about religion, rules, or doing it right. It’s about trusting His love and surrendering to His will . . . then letting the Holy Spirit do His work in our lives.

It’s so much easier than we make it, isn’t it?

2. That a broken family relationship will be restored by God’s grace.

There’s not much to say. It’s a mother’s dream.

It’s a short list . . . but one that is deep in my heart.

Have you ever wondered what to do when your dreams are beyond your reach?

How My Hopes and Dreams Can Come to Life

Self-help books tell us how to accomplish our heart’s desire. How to set goals through well-planned baby steps. One after another . . . until we reach our desired outcome.

But when our dreams aren’t ours to attain. When our dreams rest in the hands of a sovereign God then, we have to hold on to the most important truth.

God loves me and He loves my loves even more than I do.

So, I don’t worry and I don’t set goals.

I pray.

I trust God and I live.

Not because I’m a fatalist. But because I believe God.

Do you remember the account of Ezekiel in the Valley of Dry Bones?

The floor of a valley was filled with dried up old bones and God asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones become living people again?”

Ezekiel wisely answered, “O Sovereign Lord, You alone know the answer to that.”

And I love the next part…

Then God said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, ‘Dry bones, listen to the word of the Lord!This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Look! I am going to put breath into you and make you live again! I will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”

So I spoke this message, just as He told me. Suddenly as I spoke, there was a rattling noise all across the valley. The bones of each body came together and attached themselves as complete skeletons.Then as I watched, muscles and flesh formed over the bones. Then skin formed to cover their bodies, but they still had no breath in them.

Then He said to me, “Speak a prophetic message to the winds, son of man. Speak a prophetic message and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, O breath, from the four winds! Breathe into these dead bodies so they may live again.’”

So I spoke the message as He commanded me, and breath came into their bodies. They all came to life and stood up on their feet—a great army. Ezekiel 37:4-10

Can you imagine?!

God can make dried-up old bones a great army. He can and does create life from death.

It’s the message of Jesus, isn’t it?

Jesus said to her, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believes in (adheres to, trusts in, relies on) Me [as Savior] will live even if he dies;and everyone who lives and believes in Me [as Savior] will never die.” John 11:25–26 (AMP)

The miracle of life from death. He is the God of possibilities for me, for you, and for our loves.

So, take your hopes and dreams and surrender them to God in prayer. Trust Him, He can bring dreams to life. He will work His will His way for His glory and speak life and peace into you while you wait, if you let Him.

Do you have hopes and dreams beyond your reach?

Now it’s time for…

Faith ‘n Friends Link Party

<div align="center"><a href="https://countingmyblessings.com" rel="nofollow" title="Counting My Blessings" target="_blank"><img src="https://countingmyblessings.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/FaithnFriends-RB.jpg" alt="Counting My Blessings" style="border: none;" /></a></div>

I’m so glad you’re here!

This is a place to share faith, make friends, and have fun.

I’d love to connect with you on social media!

I’m finding #Friendship and #Inspiration at #Faith ‘n Friends #LinkUp Come join the fun!

Click To Tweet

Deb Wolf
Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

I’m excited to share the following posts with you this week.

Blindsided by a Doll

by Joan Davis

@ Journey in Faith

and

When Anxiety Seems to Overpower God

by Nicole Kauffman

@ Courage. Hope. Love.

Thank you, Joan and Nicole, for partying with us!

No More Rules Link Party

Add 1-2 of your favorite faith/life posts.
Then just make friends and have fun.

I would really appreciate it if you would
Grab my Link Party Button above or link back to CMB.

Loading InLinkz ...

May your week be blessed with faith, love, and friendship!

Don’t forget to leave your prayer requests…

and pray over the list left by our friends.

Never Miss an Update

I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.

And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…

Finding Out What Matters Most When You Have Questions

1 / 18 / 171 / 14 / 17

I remember feeling more than ready to close the calendar on 2007 and welcome in a New Year.

Each January 1st arrives with hopes, plans, and goals. But the first few months of the new year were equally hard . . . so much so that our friends started calling us the “high maintenance prayer family.”

So, I’m excited to share this post from my friend, Kathy Cheek. She learned through unexpected new year circumstances what matters most.

Finding Out What Matters Most When You Have Questions

The beginning of 2016 is permanently etched in my memory. It started with the joyous news of our daughter being proposed to on New Year’s Day and an engagement party in the afternoon with family and friends. Wedding planning was definitely etched at the top of our family’s to do list for a June 2016 wedding.

Yet, at the same time, on New Year’s Day following the excitement of a proposal and engagement party, my husband and I had to travel out of town because his dad had a stroke on December 29. We didn’t immediately leave due to the fact that we knew this proposal was coming on New Year’s Day because a certain young man had invited my husband to meet him for breakfast on Christmas Eve to ask for his blessing and for Amy’s hand in marriage.

We did not want to miss the big day.

According to Randy’s sister’s reports on his dad’s condition, it would be okay if we didn’t come immediately but she urged us to please get there as soon as we could, which we did since we hit the road and began our drive from Dallas to Phoenix as soon as the engagement party was over.

Thankfully, it turned out that the stroke wasn’t severe and the prognosis was that Randy’s dad would regain what was damaged through rehab.

So, while Randy was spending time at the hospital with his dad the first few days of 2016, I was at his sister’s house where his parents lived, and helping with the care of his mom who was in last stages of Alzheimer’s which was a difficult phase.

While we were there for Randy’s dad’s stroke, his mom took a sudden turn for the worse and died a few days later. Since we were already there because of the stroke, Randy had a few days with his mom before she had the sudden downward spiral. She might not have even known who he was, but she did appear to look directly into his face a few times and just maybe she saw her son.

Suddenly, wedding planning was temporarily set aside.

And funeral plans started. We saw up close the different seasons of life playing out at the same time. Joy and sorrow were woven together in January 2016.

June 2016 was a time of joy and celebration as our daughter and her fiancé became husband and wife and began their beautiful life together.

And now, another year has rolled around.

2017 is here.

A beautiful wall calendar next to my kitchen sink with a snowy country church scene announces this New Year every day.

Sometimes, moving into a new year isn’t as simple as turning the page on a calendar. Sometimes, instead of an organized list of plans and goals the New Year resembles a lengthy list of question marks.

The things of life don’t always fall neatly into place with everything sorted and resolved according to our best-laid plans.

When we turn a calendar page and a brand new year stares back, it reminds us how little we know about what tomorrow holds and how little control we have over events that unfold.

As I enter a new year…

I will acknowledge that it isn’t about how much I know and how well I have planned for what lies ahead. Approaching this New Year is about who I know and that is Jesus Christ. This relationship with Jesus sets the course for another new year and is the firm foundation on which my life stands.

Navigating this journey of life as a new year begins is also a process of holding tight to faith–a faith that endures the calendars of days to come.

Since the dawn of mankind in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve to the dawn of a new year, God has been pursuing a relationship with us, built on faith and obedience in our walk with Him.

This relationship will grow and deepen when you and I consistently choose to seek the Lord and faithfully follow Him all the days and all the years of our lives.

As one year ends and a brand new year gets underway, this is what matters most.

I hope this new year finds you walking hand in hand with the Lord who never lets us go.

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV

Thank you, Kathy, for blessing and inspiring us!

A little bit about my friend, Kathy!

Kathy Cheek writes devotions, inspirational stories, and poetry. She has been published in various Christian magazines and regularly guest posts on several devotional and ministry sites.

Her favorite subject to write about is the rich relationship God desires to have with us and how that is walked out in everyday life and every circumstance.

Kathy and her husband live in Dallas, TX and have two daughters who also reside in the Dallas area. You can read more of her devotions at Devotions from the Heart.

Leave your prayer requests…

and stop to pray one or two of the requests listed.

Subscribe to Blog via Email

I LOVE hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.

And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…

When You Need to Remember God’s Gifts are Good

8 / 5 / 168 / 26 / 16

Do you like getting gifts?

Of course, you do. Who doesn’t?

It’s normal for children to start making lists of the presents they want for their birthday or Christmas long before they can write. And many of us still have lists of things we want, just in case someone’s interested . . . decades later.

You and I want what we want.

Sure we want stuff, but your list goes beyond that, doesn’t it? It also has goals, hopes, and dreams.

What was on your “gift” list?

I wanted to be a teacher, married, with 3 children, and a dog. I wanted everyone to be healthy and happy. I dreamed of large family gatherings with grown children and a bunch of grandchildren. I wanted to be talented and smart. Cute and fun. Add a few good friends and a nice home and well, you get the idea.

Okay, so maybe I was a little spoiled.

I had my perfect life all planned out and my list made.

And I guess deep down, I kind of expected that, like my parents, if something was really important to me, God would come through and help to make it happen.

Again, maybe a little spoiled.

But I’d read verses like…

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:11

God gives good gifts to His children. But I’ll be honest I was afraid there would be nos because I’d looked around I knew life wasn’t all cupcakes and butterflies.

And because there’s this…

In this world, you will have trouble. John 16:33

It’s a conundrum, isn’t it? You and I make our list and ask God to get on board and help us make it happen. Then we look around and realize that lists don’t always get checked off they way we want them to . . . even for those who love God.

So, how are we supposed to understand God’s goodness when life doesn’t meet our expectations and we don’t get the gifts and blessings we want?

That’s where trust and surrender come in.

Did you ever ask for something your parents knew wasn’t safe or good for you? Have your children? Absolutely!

Love means saying “no” sometimes even when you know it will be hard to hear. And you want your children to trust the “no” they don’t want to hear really is coming from love and trust it’s for the best!

But I can be that spoiled child that stomps her feet and throws a tantrum. I haven’t always trusted God’s “no” was a blessing. I’ve felt sorry for myself. I’ve doubted.

You too?

That’s when I need to run back to His Word for a reminder of His love and goodness.

10 Verses to Remember God’s Gifts are Good

God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8

Surely your goodness and love will be with me all my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23:6

Every good action and every perfect gift is from God. These good gifts come down from the Creator of the sun, moon, and stars, who does not change like their shifting shadows.God decided to give us life through the word of truth so we might be the most important of all the things he made. James 1:1

Change your hearts and lives and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

God wants all people to eat and drink and be happy in their work, which are gifts from God. Ecclesiastes 3:13

Jesus has the power of God, by which He has given us everything we need to live and to serve God. We have these things because we know Him. Jesus called us by His glory and goodness. 2 Peter 1:3

Each of you has received a gift to use to serve others. Be good servants of God’s various gifts of grace. 1 Peter 4:10

We know in everything God works for the good of those who love Him. Romans 8:28

And so we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God is love. 1 John 4:16

Examine and see how good the Lord is. Happy is the person who trusts Him. Psalm 34:8

With God’s help, I’m praying to throw fewer tantrums.

With His help, I will remember how often He has turned bad into good in my life. How He has drawn me close and given me strength when I needed it. How He has delivered me from overwhelming fear, healed my broken heart, and given me peace and contentment.

I will remember God’s goodness and celebrate the perfect gifts He chooses for me whether they are on my list or not.

Now it’s time for…

Faith ‘n Friends Blog Hop