Back in 2011, I got to begin my year by worshipping the Lord in a remote village in India - sharing the Good News with people who had never heard and giving new sweaters to precious children. It was one of my very favorite January 1st memories - and this year I got a similar one.
Again in India, I experienced so much of the Lord's favor + blessing as we began a new year. One that would be marked by growth + new experience + laughter + adventure.
"Today was so eventful! It was packed full of the Lord's blessing + favor - exactly what I am declaring for this year."
A few days prior, when we were sitting on a rooftop in Nepal, one of my teammates brought to mind a passage that we had all been drawn to already on the trip - a passage that we often quote, but we stop too early!
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, + the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor..." (Isaiah 61:1-2)
We had all decided that the Holy Spirit had led us to this passage to begin praying over 2014 - that it would be a year of the Lord's favor in His church. When I got home, I shared this with a dear friend of mine at work, and she shared that her church in Lynchburg, VA had been studying the same passage and declaring the same thing for the church in the coming year.
On the very first day of this year, the Lord allowed me to share my story in a church in India. I talked about the Lord's grace, and shared about the lost sheep in Luke 15, and shared a few verses from Psalm 28: "Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my plea for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever." I shared some of the lyrics from my favorite hymn - ones that I have tattooed on my arm as a constant reminder of this very lesson: It Is Well With My Soul. I encouraged this small church to rest in the Lord's steadfast love in the coming year and to trust in His sovereignty "whatever [our] lot."
I have been learning every day since more + more about the blessing + favor of the Lord. He truly just pours out - and delights to pour out - His favor + blessing on His children. We just need to open our eyes to it.
How joyful is the life whose eyes are opened to the blessings + favor bestowed on them! When we were leaving Nepal, I prayed for nail polish. With all of the hiking + sweating + greasy hair for 2 and a half weeks, I just had a desire for my nails to be painted + pretty + girly. I prayed that the Lord would bring us nail polish - somehow. Three days later, when we arrived in India, the pastor's wife asked if she could paint our nails for us. THREE DAYS LATER I HAD PINK NAILS. My heart was so full. I couldn't stop smiling! About a week later, we drove by a market and I saw carrots. (I absolutely love raw carrots.) I prayed silently as we drove by that the Lord would bless me with carrots - I never mentioned it to anyone, but three days later we had raw carrots for dinner. We didn't just have raw carrots at dinner that night - we had them at EVERY MEAL FOR THE REST OF OUR TIME IN INDIA.
If I can get that excited over pink nails + raw carrots, how much more joyful should I be over the even greater blessings + favor the Lord shows me?! The fact that I am able to approach the throne of God above is reason enough to celebrate with every breath I am given. The fact that I am adopted by the King of Kings and an heir with Christ is reason enough to rejoice "whatever my lot."
"A Christian whose soul is healthy is joyful + will share along the lines: 'I will not speak about myself except to God's honor.' 'He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud + mire; he set my feet on a rock + gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.' (Psalm 40:2-3) 'The Lord has done great things for me, + I am filled with joy.'" (Psalm 126:3) -Spurgeon
Friends, I challenge you to dwell on that last part today. The Lord has done great things for me, + I am filled with joy. Declare it. Choose joy. Determine that your footsteps today will be ones filled with joy. Decide that your heart will be glad + your mouth will be filled with a hymn of praise to our God because he has set your feet on a rock + has given you a firm place to stand!
