Opportunity confronts me as I enter the new year. No doubt you, too, have had reflective moments where you attempt to charter how the year will look. Many do. And yet, few of us follow through with what we dream of at first. Admittedly, I, too, have fallen prey to this cycle many a year. Will this year be different? Will you make it different? I hope so.
As I ponder these things, I am struck by a passage I read in Let Us Abide by Judson Cornwall. He writes, “But like the children of Israel, who had to walk out of Egypt and through the wilderness before they could walk into Canaan, we will have to learn to walk into and with God. God could have supernaturally transported that entire nation into the Promised Land, but instead, He elected to supernaturally lead them in their day-by-day, natural walk, and so He does with us. Some things God does for us, other things He does with us.” (pg. 28-29) Reread it, and let the gravity of Cornwall’s words hit you.
Two truths stand out to me: We must learn to walk into and with God; and Some things God does for us, other things He does with us. I struggle to breathe as I think about it. The immense wisdom and insight in those simple few words overwhelm my heart.
If all I accomplish this year is to embody those two truths, it would have been the most productive and impactful year of my life. You see, everything else moves into the fray when we begin to know that we are doing life with God. When we walk into and with God and know that He wants to do things with us, our entire perspective changes. It all changes. Click To Tweet
“We must learn to walk into and with God” is an admonition to both you and me. It is so because we are not very good at walking into and with God. Our hearts are fickle, despite our good intentions. Imagine what your year would look like if this were a daily goal from day one for you? Wake up every day to walk into and with God. This is not to say that we are all heathens and pathetic at seeking God. However, we are to press in and go higher.
I love the words, “Some things God does for us, other things He does with us.” There is so much in this world to distract us from God. Daily we are confronted with pain and suffering. We see loss and sin in most of the places we look at. Despite all of that, we can know that God wants to do things with us. He wants to do something with you.
I will not pretend that my emotional reaction to these truths is enough to spur me into a tremendous new year. If that were enough, then what an emotionally led world we would find ourselves in. However, what it does is orient me in the right direction. It puts the ball in my court as it does for you.
How does it do that, you ask. It shows me that I need to do something. And when I do that, then there will be a reward. I need to start the year off by walking with and into God. My reward is a relationship with God. It can be your reward also. From this place, I can make Godly led goals for the year.
It’s about perspective and the proper order of things. Start with God first, and then the right things will follow. We must always start with God. Opportunity is standing right in front of you. To ignore it is to harm only yourself. It does not hurt God. When we reject God or treat Him like an option, we are the only one who suffers.
Ask yourself these two questions as you ponder the new year: “Am I walking into and with God? And do I believe that God wants to do things with me?” Have peace in knowing that it is never too late to start!
Werner, thank you SO SO much for this blog. Your statement could not be more true! “Start with God first, and then the right things will follow”. I have experienced this so much throughout my life.