So What About 2009?

My last blog entry was about a theme the Lord gave me for 2008. I walked through a number of areas that He showed me this theme. Well, that was last year. What about this year? That seems to be the big question…

As I mentioned in that post, there were times I really wanted 2008 to be over. It seemed that there was an intense about of struggle in my life and in the loves of those around me. Though 2008 had its highlights, there were many times I just wanted to get away. I even remember asking Andrea on several occasions when we were going to get some good news for a change.

It was with this type of feeling I have been approaching the Lord. Through all of what has been going on, I have just been learning from the Psalms, how to let it all out to God. I seem to have been able to relate to David as he was in Psalm 42, though not all enemies were just about me, they have been surrounding my family and closest friends as well. I have learned a lot from him in his tenacity and will. Though everything on the outside is going wrong, David closed the Psalm with preaching to himself to trust in the Lord. Though it sucked around him, David challenged himself not to get overwhelmed by his surroundings, and forced himself to put his hope in God.

So in asking God for some “good news” for a change, I was given a challenge by the Lord. At this point, I don’t know if this is a theme, or the only theme, or what, but I got a sense from the Lord that this had to be a year of Good News. I got a sense from the Lord that I had to look to the Lord; after all He is where my help comes from. I have a challenge to look for what He is doing. This is a year of good news and I have to preach that to myself.

In saying that, please understand that I am in no way preaching any prosperity messages or anything like that. With our economy and everything going on around us, I am not expecting “Good Things.” I am expecting to see His goodness.

One of the things that I automatically go to in “Good News” is the Gospels. In this year I plan to take a long and extensive look at the Gospels. I hope to see Him in different ways and learn more from His message. I am hoping that I can learn more about His love and ways from the four different accounts of Him.

Another thing that I feel the Lord challenging me with this year is to go out and make some good news. As I mentioned before, when it gets really tough I feel overwhelmed and want to throw in the towel. I feel like this year I will need to take risks. I will need to take challenges and build on them. I feel this year I will need to put more hope in Father. What is good news? Good news is Jesus! How do we go out and make good news? We go out and share his love with those who don’t know Him. I have a feeling that this will be a big theme for me this year.

I am not sure if this is all that Father is putting before me as a theme for the year. I get the sense that this isn’t all, which is why I have hesitated in writing this post. I feel like another thing that is going on this year is the year of accepting challenges. I think this might be the theme, and the Good News might be the first of the challenges I face this year. That being said, it is an adventure and we are 12 days into it…