Resolutions for 2021

As I began to seek the Lord about what I was to share with you this month, my heart began to contemplate what it meant to see the old year 2020 pass away and to witness the new year 2021 come upon us.  As I did so, two main themes began intertwining in my spirit and mind.

             The first one is the overwhelming sense that he wants us to know His faithfulness, to be saturated in the meaning and knowledge of the very fact that He is always and will forever be faithful.  Our world continues to permeate us with a spirit of fear, including instability in every way.  This past year has brought us Covid-19 along with the Presidential election, riots on our streets, earthquakes, floods, devastating fires and a record number of hurricanes, to name a few.

Because of the constant barrage of news that is either good, bad or fake that is thrust upon us each day, I find myself being drawn to find a place of refuge and intimacy, where He dwells in faithfulness and truth.  There I can meditate on His word while I consider all His attributes, especially His faithfulness.  In Psalm 92, the Psalmist spoke these words for us to live by, “To declare your loving kindness in the morning, and your faithfulness every night.”  Psalm 89 reminds us of the covenant with David and his sorrow for lost blessing, “I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.”

And when we minister even from our home or on our computers, or talk to our neighbor, or travel the world again, we will do as Psalm 40 says:  “I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation.  I do not conceal Your love and Your truth from the great assembly”.  His faithfulness is far beyond anything we can imagine or conceive in this temporary world in which we live.  I pray that we will all have a greater revelation of His faithfulness and eternal love for us in 2021 and that we will proclaim it to the nations.

The second theme stirring in my spirit is that we learn to live in constant communion with Him.  To be dependent on the Father for the works of our hands and all the words we say.  I remember in the first part of this renewal, I had the revelation as I read the book of Exodus that we needed to ask the Lord to direct our every step as Moses did, that we would not go anywhere without his presence and leading. 

Exodus 33:15-16, ^“Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?”

The Lord has been reminding me of this again, calling me back to a constant abiding and communion with Him.  Almost all great men and women of God that I read about, from John Wesley to Smith Wigglesworth, chose to learn how to live in communion with the Lord. 

The saintly Andrew Murray has given us three simple rules for a life of continuous communion with God.

             1.          Take time to meet with God. (Mathew 28:9), “Suddenly Jesus met them.                               “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.”

             2.          Take time till you know that God is very near, (Psalm 16:8), “I keep my eyes always on the Lord.  With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.“

3. Take time to humble yourself before God.  Be silent before God and let Him bless you.  (James 4:10), “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

Did you notice the repetition of the words in all three sentences?  ‘Take Time.’

That reminded me about the revival and camp meetings of the early Nazarene church.  They would wait on the Lord until they felt and knew His tangible presence and direction for the meeting.  The Assembly of God denomination talks of the word ‘tarry’ in their early meetings.  Tarry means to remain, stay, wait, or delay.  In the Azusa Street revival, they learned to tarry or wait for the Holy Spirit to come tangibly.

Once you have learned to recognize and experience God’s presence, you know that it is so worth waiting on Him.  You know that you do not want to live without Him, or even assemble without the expectation that He will be there to bless and renew His people, convict and bring salvation to sinners, heal the brokenhearted, and to set the captives free.  This life of serving Him is anything but boring when we come to know who he is and the power of our salvation. 

In this fast pace world, full of distractions and worries many of us do not know how to wait or tarry.  May we learn how to choose to take time to commune with God and abide in His presence daily.  All the wisdom of man, the pursuing of wealth, and even pursuing doing good things for him will not take the place of this communion with Him.  Psalm 24:4-5 says, “Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”

We do not know what is to come in 2021, but we do know that, He always brings hope and that as we live from His heart we will manifest His character and live out of the abundant life that only He can give.  In whatever situation we are in may we stay in tune to hear the voice of our precious Savior and Lord and be comforted by His presence as we know that He has more than we can ever think or imagine for those who love Him.  I Cor. 13:12, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

So as we enter this New Year, our prayer for each of us is that we will have a fresh revelation of His faithfulness, telling about it to all generations and nations.  That we will continually be in communion with Him living out of the overflow of His presence in our lives. May we be found as His beloved sons and daughters made ready for our bridegroom.

Much love in Him,

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