Happy Almost New Year

Psalm 57:7
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and give praise.

Next to last day of good old 2013. December 31st will roll around tomorrow whether we are ready or not. There will be a lot of reflection on Television. Looking back at the events of the year...good and bad. For me personally, it has been a good year. Hard and filled with a lot of darkness, but good. God has revealed himself to Vicki and me this year, in ways we never have seen Him before. 2013 was the year of "coming home" for the two of us.

February 2nd, I had been stirred for sometime about leaving Rapha and returning to Vineyard Gadsden to start a recovery church.  In my journal, on February 2nd, I wrote my prayer out..."Lord, I want to come home. I want to return to the Vineyard and start a recovery church."  I think it was the very first time I had written out a prayer that was on my heart.  

One of the major things that we came to learn this year is the necessity of commitment, especially when it comes to commitment to God and His plans. Over the years I have learned that God is not going to lead you anywhere, or expect anything from you, that He is not going to give you grace to do. If God is leading you somewhere or toward a particular work, then He will finance it. (Lesson # 2 in our schooling). God is not in the business of dropping folks off in the middle of His plans without provision. But it takes a commitment on our part to not cut and run when life gets really hard.  As old Job said,"I praise Him in the good time....I'll praise Him in the bad (well, that is a paraphrase on my part). But the idea of keeping my heart focused on God and allowing that focus to come forth as praise is vital to my relationship with Him.  Not that God has an ego that needs to be stroked or coddled, He doesn't. The praise is directed to Him, but it helps me to remember His goodness, His faithfulness and His mercy and grace. When I praise God, it builds and strengthens my faith. It lifts me out of the realm of this world and transports me into His presence. 

God, and this relationship I have with Him, is not a part time job. It isn't an after thought or something that you take and compartmentalize into your life. In fact, you don't fit God into your life....You give your life to Him. Seems to work out better that way. So, it's 42 hours and some change until 2014 kicks in. Why not spend a few moments before the calendar changes and look back over this year. Where are you spiritually today as opposed to last year? Have you grown in Christ? Or are you simply treading water? 

Hopefully, God will give me another year. I want to keep writing here at the Greene Street Letters. I just want this to be a place where you and i both can come and receive some encouragement to keep on in this journey with Jesus. To not get side tracked or derailed as we move through our daily life. I want this to be a place that you find encouragement to know God even better than you do. 

I pray that this coming year be a time where God's truth becomes a major reality in your life and that your faith be increased as you stretch out toward God in every area of your life.

Don't let the darkness of 2013 dictate your view to 2014. The coming year is going to be a year of possibilities from God our Father.
Ephesians 3:20
Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen

Thanks for stopping by today.
God on you...
mb