"They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor." - Isaiah 61:3
As we enter a new year, I (like I am sure most everyone) have been thinking about what the new year is going to bring this year. We all want it to be better than the last... a second chance (in my case, 100th chance... lol)... We want to start off fresh, right wrongs and of course shed weight, stop bad habits, etc.... the list goes on and on.
I have never been one to make New Year's resolutions because I know I simply won't abide by them. However, I just feel this overwhelming urge to jump on the resolution bandwagon this year.
So, I have been really thinking about all of the things that I want to change and do this year. Honestly, I have to say that everything, and I do mean every area of my life comes back to one thing... to be a better servant of Christ. To follow Him and seek Him in everyway.
I have really been enjoying the pages of Isaiah and I have to say that Chapter 61 are really my life verses. Verses that I have always came back to, verses that heal and give me hope. I love the verse quoted above.... To be called "oaks of righteousness" just absolutely entices me. And after much thought, meditation and prayer, I have realized that if we can actually live as the women that God wants us to be then everything we want to accomplish will be there. We can do anything, if we have Christ at the center of our lives.
I don't know about you, but I yearn to display God's splendor. I yearn to be that woman that God has called me to be. I am tired of sitting in a nice little shelter that I have made for myself because that is where I feel like I am safe from the world. From the pain and hurt that life has caused me. I want to get out of the pit and serve Him... I want to be an "oak of righteousness... a planting of the LORD..."
I have truly been in a dark, dark place for the last two years... I have felt that I could not even feel the presence of the Lord in my life. I have not been able to understand why I deserved what this cruel world had to offer me. I have seen pain beyond belief for my family. Confusion, disarray, and just down right hopelessness.
But you know, I have really learned in the last few months that I have put myself in a place that I could not hear anyone. I have completely shut off everything so that I would be safe. A place of unfeeling. Oh, how wrong that was. I have hurt myself in more ways than I could ever tell you today. The list goes on and on....
But I have now come to a place where I am ready to crawl out... beaten and bruised... and right now I am still very bloody from the chains. But thank God for grace and mercy... that He would come to me right where I am.
I am not saying that I am starting my New Year completely healed and raring to go... I am weak, poor, injured and as I said above bloody from the battle that I have been fighting on my own. However, I start the New Year with hope, I see light now. I see light through Jesus Christ who gave His life so that I may have life and have it more abundantly. I see hope that I can be an oak of righteousness, a display of God's wonderful splendor. I cannot tell you how grateful and thankful that I am that He has rescued me from my own self.
I just want to encourage you today, that if you have yourself in a place that you have created or in any place that you know that you cannot stay, to have courage... just call on Him. He will come and get you right where you are. No questions. No doubt. He will be there when you call on His name. So, call for Him. Start this New Year off right. Make it a year of healing, growing and serving. Seek Him in all that you do.
How wonderful would it be to sit here this time next year looking over the past year and truly being able to say... I have been called an oak of righteousness, a planting of my Lord... I have been a display of His splendor this year... Oh Lord... let it be, let it be in each of our lifes...
