“Therefore came I forth to meet thee,
diligently to seek thy face,
and I have found thee.”
{Proverbs 7:15}

Our life in Christ is all about Him. We are to focus solely on our Savior Jesus Christ: from that focus, flows sanctification and actions which glorify His name.

This is what I am learning lately, as I realize how many things in this world persistently strive to steal my focus away from Jesus Christ. And so often I become more focused on reforming my outward actions – submission, kindness, gentleness, joy – than on my Leader, my Rock of strength – my ALL! “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Psalm 18:2). If any man knew what this meant, David did – the great man of war. He knew His God was trustworthy and was his source of…everything!

When I am not focused on God, my life bears no godly fruit. I am only fruitful when I am abiding in Jesus Christ, my Vine of life, and I am only truly joyful and victorious when that is where my eyes are focused. Why is this so? Because of my own strength I am nothing, I am weak – Christ says that He is the only source of true spiritual growth. Never truer were the words, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye,except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing” (John 15:4-5).

And so how do I maintain this ardent, unmovable focus on my Savior? on that incorruptible prize that will be bestowed to the faithful at the end of our earthly race? “Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible” (1 Corinthians 9:24).

The only solution is to place aside – with fervor! – distractions and any estimation of worldly acclaim or glory of man. This is hard, for as a human I naturally strive for the acceptance of fellow man – but I must only be looking to One and only seeking His acclaim, His approving words, “Well done, good and faithful servant”(Matthew 25:23).

One way I have recently been striving to remind myself of the importance of the approval of Jesus Christ alone, is just repeating a beautiful yet simple verse to myself: “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength” (Psalm 18:1). Truly this is a choice, and so reminding myself of it is very important.

“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee:
my soul thirsteth for thee, 
my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land,
where no water is.”
{Psalm 63:1}

One of my recent memory passages was Psalm 42, and I am continually praying and requesting a truth of this in my life: “My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is” (verses 1-2). I am opening my mouth, longing for more of God and more love for Him, and know that He Who is faithful will perform His promise in Psalm 81:10, “I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

From this relationship and focus on Christ alone will flow the areas that we all desire in our Christian walks – the fruits of the Spirit: joy, love, peace, meekness, faith (Galatians 5:22), patience, truth, goodness (Ephesians 5:9), and the overwhelming love of Christ Jesus that you just want to pour it out on everyone you see! This happens when we come to Him and place Him first in life, and let me tell you friend, it is an unbelievable joy to have His love overflowing within! It is so worth seeking with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength!

Knowing You
All I once held dear, built my life upon
All this world reveres and wars to own
All I once thought gain I have counted loss
Spent and worthless now compared to this

Now my heart’s desire is to know You more
To be found in You and know as Yours
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All surpassing gift of righteousness

Oh to know the power of Your risen life
And to know You in Your sufferings
To become like You in Your death, my Lord
So with You to live and never die

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing
You’re my all, You’re the best
You’re my joy, my righteousness
And I love You Lord.
{Graham Kendrick}

May we each run the race set before us without falter or wavering of focus on the One true God and the One true source of strength. May our eyes be only and always for Our King, awaiting the day when we shall see His nail-scarred hands open to welcome us Home (Matthew 25:23) to those streets of gold (Revelation 21:21). Sister, go to Him today; leave your burdens there at His throne. Are you weary? Quit bearing those burdens for no reason. Stop trying to do good alone. Rest in Him and enjoy the fullness of His presence (Pslam 16:11). Simply worship Him in holiness and invest in loving Him more. He will bless your effort!

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found,
call ye upon him while he is near.”
{Isaiah 55:6}

“The Lord is faithful,
who shall stablish you,
and keep you from evil.”
{2 Thessalonians 3:3}

Is your mouth opened – wide? He is ready to fill!

Looking to Christ,

2 c o m m e n t s »

SAMANTHA P. Sarah ~ this article was so timely for me! Thank you for sharing it with us! God has been teaching me some similar things recently. I find it so easy to lose my focus on the Lord and let other things cloud the beauty of gazing upon His face! He is our ALL! Oh to KNOW Christ – there is no greater thing! Oh to count everything else as loss compared to that wondrous knowledge! (Phil. 3:7-11) I love that verse in Psalm 81:10, “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.” What a beautiful promise! The Lord recently reminded me of that promise and I have been thinking of what a great picture it is for us. The Lord is our great provider, and all we have to do is open our mouth – reach out our hand – and accept His great blessings! What an amazing God! Thank you for the reminder to cast all our cares and burdens at His feet. We so often tend to try in our own strength to carry our cares, without thinking of how foolish we are. May the Lord continue to bless your ministry to young ladies!
(By the way, your pictures of the baby bird went so well and were so cute!)

MARTHA JOY Dear Sarah! Thank you so much for the encouraging article! I lately have had the same troubles that you are talking about here…not focusing on the Lord, but rather things of this world. It’s so hard not to get caught up with things around us, but then I suppose that’s what what the world wants of us! :| Thanks again for the encouragment, dear sister! Love you ~ Martha Joy

“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels,
and hast crowned him with glory and honour.”
{Psalm 8:3-5}

When things go wrong, what is our response?Who do we blame? Since we know that God can do anything,our problems must be His fault, right? We want everything to go according to our own personal good. And if we find things uncomfortable, then we often blame God for being unfair. If He was truly good, He would not let us encounter pain, right?

At least, this is the ideology that the world proposes. How often do we as Christians find ourselves thinking something along the same line of thought? When things go wrong, we complain to God, as if we deserve something better. When He doesn’t answer or relieve our circumstances, then do we give up on Him?

As I have been delving into the Word of God lately, I have seen – only in part! – what a great God we serve. He is the Almighty Creator of the earth and universe.“Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God”(Hebrews 11:3). Jehovah has infinite power and He created human beings for His own glory and pleasure. But His perfect plan was quickly ruined when man decided to rebel against his Master. We decided to take our own way; Isaiah said, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). The very fact that our Creator has not completely wiped us from the face of the earth because of our rebellion to His name, is vibrant testimony to the unreachable span of His mercies.The verse which says, “For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds,” (Psalm 57:10) has an entire new meaning and depth to me as I realize this, yet even the Psalmist’s inspired words do not fully reveal the depths of God’s mercy. How can word or pen describe the wonders and character of God?

Yet, we often find ourselves complaining and lacking an attitude of humble thankfulness! Why is this? Last week, I listened to a striking sermon by Dr. Voddie Baucham, “Who Do You Think You Are?” based on Romans 9. I now reading this passage with new eyes, in a humbling realization of the place I have been given in God’s kingdom.

“Thou wilt say then unto me,
Why doth he yet find fault?
For who hath resisted his will?
Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?
Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it,
Why hast thou made me thus?
Hath not the potter power over the clay,
of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour,
and another unto dishonour?
What if God, willing to shew his wrath,
and to make his power known,
endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction:
And that he might make known the riches of his glory
on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.”
{Romans 9:19-23}

Who are we to question our great Potter? The One who deals in great mercy toward us, when we are only fit for destruction! Who am I to do anything but bow my head in thanksgiving for what He has for me, no matter what that entails? He has given me breath, and yet I trespassed against His holy name and rebelled against Him. He created by body for His glory, yet I am bent toward my fleshly nature and desires. He offered me mercy and completely justification from my sins – and has granted eternal life to me! So who am I to ask Him anything, outside of wisdom that I may know how to bless His name all the louder and ability to worship Him more whole-heartedly?

When we realize who we are – and Who God is – then we will sheepishly see the foolishness of questioning anything our God has for our life or any suffering we might encounter. Who are we to question His plan? When we look at the truths of God and His just nature, His sovereignty – yet at the same time, His love and mercy usward – we should be completely awed and humbled at the place we hold in His world (Psalm 8). How does our soul not bow in complete surrender and adoration for Who God is and the mercy He has outpoured on us? I owe every breath to Him who has saved me! I deserve an eternity of damnation and unutterable suffering. “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered” (Psalm 40:5). The fact that this world has green grass and water – all resources that sustain human life overflowing – witnesses of God’s love and mercy. And that our God cares for each one of us and has plans for our future – what an incredible thought! As I witness the mercy of God, then I wilt in wonder at the fact that God has given me life bearable, much more in fact – but it is a blessed joy! Thank you Jesus, for your blessings innumerable!

“In God will I praise his word:
in the LORD will I praise his word.
In God have I put my trust: 
I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.
For thou hast delivered my soul from death: [what else can we ask for?]
wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God in the light of the living?”
{Psalm 56}

The miracle of our salvation also must drive us to our knees in humble thanksgiving. We have broken the commandments of the covenant found in Deuteronomy 27-28. We deserve all the curses that should be hailed on us. Until we realize what we deserve, we will not grasp what our Savior Jesus Christ has done for us. Jesus Christ, the only perfect One who lived up to God’s commands – HE took the curse! He bore the suffering on our behalf. And this too is even more blessing to be grateful for each day we abide in His grace!

“My soul hath them still in remembrance,
& is humbled in me.
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed,
because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
{Lamentations 3:20-3}

I am finding just how much I have to be grateful for each day. Instead of grumbling because of some inconvenience or a change in plans, I am slowly learning to instead remember what I have been blessed with every moment. This month, I am going to make a goal to write down at least five of God’s blessings I am thankful for each day in my journal. This will require a constant attitude of awareness for the many ways He has taught and blessed!

May we never cease to wonder at the hope found in God’s mercy. Let us remember that we are to humbly bow the knee in submission for His will, in gratitude that He is patient enough to make us His workmanship for His eternal plan. We exist for His purpose and His eternal glory! May He receive glory in our lives: “All mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them” (John 17:10).

Bow the Knee
“What a privilege to come into God’s presence,
Just to linger with the one who set me free.
As I lift my eyes and see His awesome glory,
I remember who He is and bow the knee.

“With His voice He spoke and all things came to be.
Yet He hears each simple prayer I bring before Him
When I humbly seek His face and bow the knee.
Bow the knee, bow the knee, He is king of all the ages, bow the knee!
God alone on His throne, see Him high and lifted up and bow the knee!
Kneel before Him, all adore Him…
As you live to love Him more,
bow the knee.“

“O LORD, thou art my God;
I will exalt thee,I will praise thy name;
for thou hast done wonderful things;
thy counsels of old are faithfulness & truth.”
{Isaiah 25:1}

Humbled in Joy,

“Blessed are they that keep his testimonies,
and that seek him with the whole heart.
They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.
Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!”
{From Psalm 119}

The Lord has been teaching me so much through His Word, especially through Psalms, lately. I have always loved the Psalms, but they have more and more echoed my heart’s cry for a deeper love and worship of my Father. He has gently been teaching me about trusting Him and committing my way to His will – delighting in His path for me (Psalm 37:3-7).

Recently, I was encouraged to seek the Lord more fully and to fill my mind more and more with His Words, rather than the words and things of the world. My old sin nature must be continually pruned and starved – and in that place I should be ardently feeding and growing the new nature that Christ has renewed within me. I must fill my mind with more of God, less of the world: thus I have been striving to fill my mind with more of God’s precious, pure Words of life. Psalm 8, 27, 34, 55, and 119 are a just a few passages that I have been memorizing portions from andmeditating on. I have been reading one stanza from Psalm 119 each morning before delving into my devotional time. David’s love and hunger for God’s Word, for His Law and Statutes – this chapter rings with His adoration and worship of God. I must daily pray for more love for Christ and His Word. As we do this and seek Him diligently, He will reward us and draw nigh unto us, as James 4:8 promises, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.” I memorized this verse as a very young child, but its truths only seem to become more real and true to me as I get older! He truly blesses and rewards those who diligently seek His face in faith (Hebrews 11:6). In January, I memorized Psalm 116 with my sister, and these verses have continually reverberated in my heart lately:

“I love the LORD,
because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.
Because he hath inclined his ear unto me,
therefore will I call upon him as long as I live…
Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.
Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.
For thou hast delivered my soul from death,
mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living…
O LORD, truly I am thy servant; I am thy servant,
and the son of thine handmaid: thou hast loosed my bonds.
I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
& will call upon the name of the LORD…”

The more I study and meditation on these beautiful portions of Scripture, the more I soak my mind in His promises found therein, the dearer and more treasured the Bible has grown to me! I love reading it and finding the promises and commands it contains for the diligent seeker of Christ. My “verse underlining pen” has been very active lately in my Bible as Christ has shown me these treasures! I love this verse:“When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek” (Psalm 27:8). I want to seek His face with my whole heart! And there is no better time to do so than today!

Can we say that we truly, deeply love the Lord with all of our heart? Is that our life’s cry? Are we offering Him the sacrifice of thanksgiving for the doom He has saved us from in His mercy? Are we looking to Him for Who He is and thanking Him for His grace? I have been asking myself these questions and found myself deeply lacking. A recent journal entry reads,

“I am finding as I meditate on Psalms and the worship of God, just how awesome and powerful and good He is – and how small and weak I am, without His grace. See, that is the main key I have to realize: that my hope is found in His sanctifying grace. If I keep this in perspective, so much falls into place (including my humility). I am praying for a smaller view of myself and a larger one of God. I hope to reap much growth by investing in this relationship, seeking to love Jesus more and put all things under that subjection. I want this to be my goal: ‘One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple’ (Psalm 27:4).”

Recently, a friend told me that she fasts from a certain food each March, to show the Lord she loves Him. When I heard about a media challenge that some dear young ladies are taking together – and seeing all that the Lord has been showing me and desiring to grow in my walk with Him, I decided to take a “fast” this month myself. I am purposing to stay off the internet during the month of March (outside of a set time each day to check email). Along with staying offline, I will be spending more time in the Word, prayer, memorizing Scripture, seeking and serving the Lord. A friend and I are going to keep one another accountable in this challenge throughout the month (via phone). I am looking forward to seeing what the Lord does through this and am praying for His blessing.

Would you like to join me in a commitment to seek the Lord more diligently this next month? Is your heart willing to give up a particular area (something you enjoy doing or eating) for His cause? Or simply to spend more time seeking Him and investing in your walk with Christ? This can be through daily Bible reading, longer prayer time, doing certain projects this month which will deepen your walk with Him, or serving Him in certain ways. I am realizing that my walk with Christ will not “just happen” – it will take sacrifice and commitment on my part as I seek to put Him first in my heart and life. I would love to hear if you will take the challenge.

“Seek the Lord and his strength,
seek his face continually.”
(1 Chronicles 16:11)

May the Lord Jesus be first in our hearts, may His Word be precious to us, and may we love Him more than the whole world beside! I am determined that “my meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD” (Psalm 104:34). Are you?

Seeking Him,

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KATIE H. » Thank you for the encouraging post! Instead of “fasting” from the Internet for the month of March, I’m going to be doing something my dad suggested and use every thought of something I’ve been dwelling/focusing too much as a trigger to go practice my piano pieces that I am practicing for offertory. This way I’ll be taking my focus from this thing and placing it on developing my skill to better praise the Lord! Blessings! Katie

SARAH LEE »Katie, thank you so much for sharing! I am excited to hear about your resolve to take captive every thought for the Lord’s glory. This is an important area for us all to learn, and may God bless you as you seek to obey His command. Keep seeking the Lord Jesus with your whole heart!

How much time have you spent in prayer today?

Last week, I was reading a biography of a great woman of the Faith, Frances Havergal, and her words about prayer were humbling true:

“Ten minutes or a quarter of an hour! Is that enough for the many things which he has to say to us? Is that enough time to spend in converse with the Friend of friends? Does this look as if we really cared very much about Him?”

This struck me hard. It is so true that I often bemoan the dedication of such a small amount of time to go to the Lord Jesus in prayer. How can I hold back anything from Him when through prayer He speaks to me, I find strength and power to live for His glory? Arthur Pink says of prayer,

“Only three ends are permissible: that God may be glorified, that our spirituality may be promoted, that our brethren may be blessed.”

This is what we must seek, dear friends, and nothing less! The results of prayer are incalculable. Following, my friend Maggie shares some of her thoughts on the power of our faithful intercessions and prayer. May God bless you as you seek Him humbly on your knees!

Prayer 
by Maggie Bullington

A little girl dressed in a pink striped dress toddles over to her daddy, who is sitting in his favorite chair reading a book. She stands there for a second and then crawls into his lap and looks up at him with loving eyes. He smiles down at her and hugs her tight. She then begins to tell her daddy all of the things that went on that day, and that she is having trouble learning to write her name and that the neighbor girl is too shy to play. He listens well and then reassures his daughter that he’ll help her with her problems. She smiles, as peace once again enters her small mind. “I luv you, Daddy,” she says sweetly. Such is prayer.

Prayer is a very important part of having a strong walk with the Lord because it is during our time in prayer that we have direct communication with God. God is our Heavenly Father and we can approach with matters of any kind. We can make special requests for healing or needs that we have…or we can even just use our time with Him to praise Him for His goodness and love. Don’t hesitate thinking that your request is too small or large for Him.

Prayer is obviously very important because throughout the accounts of Jesus’ life that are in the Bible, there are several instances of Jesus praying all through the night and for other long periods of time. Look up Mark 6:46 and Luke 22:39-46 for just a few examples. Jesus says several things about prayer throughout the Gospels. And in the book of Luke, chapter eleven, verse one, Jesus was approached by His disciples and asked a question. “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” Jesus’ answer is known as the Lord’s Prayer.

“When you pray, say:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who
is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into
temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.”

Prayer and faith, coupled together, has fed thousands, healed the lame and blind and even raised people from the dead. But not only big problems can be brought before the Father. While trying to find a certain kind of blouse that I needed recently, we went to several thrift and consignment stores. I prayed to Him, asking Him to help us find one. Walking up to the checkout counter at the last place we stopped, I noticed several blouses on a rack behind the counter that looked to be just the right color. Upon asking the checkout clerk she found that there was one in my size. I looked at it and decided that it was what I needed. I then asked the price… “Oh, these are free – you can have it,” she answered to my joy. Luke 11:9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will fins; knock, and it will be opened unto you.”

There are so many examples of God’s love and miracles that are the direct answer to prayer and it would be impossible to name them all. Some, like my personal example may be small, and to many people, insignificant, but others have changed lives and even history.

Take Hannah, who prayed for a son, even though she was barren. She was blessed with Samuel, who would one day be a great prophet.

Take Zacharias and Elizabeth who wanted a son. God heard their prayer and blessed them with a son named John who became known as John the Baptist and prepared the way for Jesus.

Take Peter who, with prayer and faith, was God’s instrument in bringing Dorcas back to life.

Take George Müller, who ran an orphanage for poor English children. One day his cook informed him that there was nothing for the children to eat. While the staff was still praying for God to give them something to eat, a knock sounded on the door. A wagon had broken down and the driver had no way to transport a load of bread. “Could Mr. Müller use the bread for the children?”

Take Hudson Taylor who had a ministry in China and who also prayed for food when they had none. A letter arrived that same day from a friend who had inherited a sum of money…enclosed were the badly needed funds.

All through the Bible and through history there are amazing and thrilling stories of what the Lord has done for those who believed and asked. “…With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” Cast your cares upon your Heavenly Father and stand back to see His love for you.

~Maggie

2 c o m m e n t s »

SAMAMTHA P. »Thank you for this great reminder, Sarah and Maggie! I especially loved the examples that Maggie gave of men and women in Scripture, throughout history, and in her personal life who prayed the sincere prayer of faith. I am always amazed at the greatness of our God when I read stories like those. God, in His infinite goodness and grace has chosen to use sinful humans – like you and me – to accomplish His great purposes! He delights in answering our prayers, especially when all looks hopeless, for then it brings more glory to His Holy Name. He is the God of the impossible! I am finding more and more what blessed joy comes from worshiping the Lord through the fruit of my lips. I have so much to praise Him for! I could spend eternity just worshiping and praising Him for all He has done, is doing, and will do!

KAITLYN F. »Thank you Sarah and Maggie for the wonderful reminders on how powerful and important prayer is! How humbling it is to think that He is constantly loving us, watching us, caring for us….just waiting for us to talk to Him. May we all “Pray without ceasing”!

As this year rolls to a close, I am faced with the inescapable fact that time passes all to quickly. It is with joy and thanksgiving that I look back over the year the Lord has given us and His blessings in 2010. As I peer into the unknown future, I desire to use each day that the Lord gives me to grow in Him.

Over the past few weeks, the Lord has graciously revealed many specific areas in my life which must be conformed to His image. I have earnestly prayed that He would do this work in my life, and that I would be willing to go through whatever this transformation takes! But I also realize that there are some keys to growth that I can instill in my life to encourage this growth, as I shared in the new winter issue of The King’s Blooming Rose.

So I have been making a list of 2011 goals, which in fact has grown to be quite long! Along with a few physical skills that I would like to learn this year, I listed several character traits that I need to focus on in 2011. To give myself a hard-set goal to reach this year, I have listed one topic for each month to grow in or learn. These areas range from submission, to honoring parents, to materialism, to time management.

Of course none of this can be attained by my own power. I am continually realizing the shallowness of myself and the humble state in which I stand before an all-knowing and all-able Father. Yet I find His promises to be comforting. The following verse has been going through my mind for the past few days and I am so thankful for it.

“Being confident of this very thing,
that he which hath begun
a good work in you
will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
(Phillipians 1:6)

I can’t describe what a privilege it is to be a daughter of High King…He accepts me as His own! Though I sin against Him daily and rejected His Son in my sin, He has forgiven me and offered to wash me clean! What a merciful God.

Setting Goals

So as we stand on the brink of a new year, why don’t we each make a few goals? One of my new year goals is specifically to read the Bible every single day for the next 365 days for at least 15 minutes (I usually read longer than that, but this is to account for those days when life is busier). I have challenged my siblings to join me on this as well. Will you? Will you invest in your walk with Christ? Is it work the time and effort to you? If you are willing to make this your own goal as well, I would love to hear! I can assure you that you will never regret this: “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth.” (Ecc. 12:1) Don’t forget God’s promise in James 4:8:

“Draw nigh to God
and He will draw nigh to you.”

What are your new year goals? I would truly be encouraged to hear how my sisters in Christ are striving to grow in the Lord in 2011. Let us encourage one another in His ways! Press on in Him, sisters – “O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.” (Psalm 34:3)

Grace and peace be to you this new year~

____________________________

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JENNY I too have had my eyes opened to all sorts of areas I need to change. With God’s help in this new year I hope to make good progress with them! I wrote my resolutions and it did turn out to be a very long list. There is so much for me to change and so much for me to learn. I am excited though! My first resolution is all about improving my relationship with God. The new year seems so full of potential! I hadn’t thought of assigning my goals to a specific month but that is such a clever idea. Blessings, Jenny

SARAH  Jenny, thank you for sharing how you are establishing your own new year goals! You are right: there are so many areas to change. My list was long as well. May God bless you and grow you this new year!

BETHANY WARDSarah, What a wonderful reminder! I love all the ideas you gave, especially the monthly challenges idea! My new years resolutions are to: 1. Grow closer to Christ 2. Memorize 1st Peter 3. To pray a lot more often throught the day. 4. To read a pile of books which I’ve been wanting to read for some time. Thank you so much for the encouraging article! I really enjoyed reading it! (As always! :D) Bethany

SARAH Thank you very much for sharing your goals with us, Bethany! I am really encouraged by them and pray that the Lord enables you to reach them for His glory. Happy new years!

SAMANTHA R. I’m still working on my list of goals but I have quite a few in mind and have already tackled a few: like reading my Bible in just 90 days. I have already begun to see just how challenging this challenge can/will be and I can only run the race by His help and grace. Thank you for sharing and encouraging us!

BEKAH Thank you for this…funny how God has been showing me that too! He has been impressing on my heart ways I seriously need to improve and how that we are given today~ tomorrow it is gone and we can’t have it back. So how am I living it? Am I making good use of the life God has given me? An interesting way of looking at this is, He gave me life~ am I living it so that the time He spent on me was worthwhile, or could He have simply “skipped” me? By the way, I liked the pictures you used with this post. :)

CHARIS H I loved the way you put it Sarah! May God bless you as you serve & seek Him in the coming year. “when I awake, I shall be satisfied with thy likeness…” is my “goal” or rather prayer for this year–the likeness of Christ! I always enjoy writing out goals and this year divided it into several groups (spiritual, physical, homemaking, business, study, etc) with certain dates to due certain things by. Blessings!

MAGGIE B. Thank you so much, Sarah, for sharing about the new year and for challenging your sisters to make goals. What a wonderful article! I still need to write down a big list of goals for 2011 {time has already started to get away from me!}, but aside from some specific goals for around here, I do have a few already thought of. First off, of course, I so desire to grow ever nearer to the Lord through this year. I hope to learn to trust Him, come what may… Spend more time in His word… Finish some memorizing projects… Strive to help more around the house and be a better sister to my siblings… And speak out with great boldness about the Lord to those around me. May He bless you this year and always, dear sister!