The End of 2008

Dear Loved Ones,

As I am reflecting back over the year 2008 the word that comes to my mind is faithfulness. Our Lord has been so faithful to me this year. When things were hard it was to His faithfulness I turned, knowing that my faith was being stretched and built during these times of trials in my own personal life. I am so thankful for our Lord's sustaining faithfulness. As I read through the book of Hebrews recently Chapter 11 encouraged me to be found faithful as the people the Lord mentions there, because they stepped out in faith and believed that God was who He said He was and He would do what He said He would do. “Now Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

As I summarized why these people were chosen to be mentioned in Chapter 11, one word comes to my mind, Obedience. They stepped out in faith and were obedient even when they didn’t know what would happen. So the character trait I have chosen to ask the Lord to help me work on in my life in 2009 is disciplined obedience.

A song that I have come to love the past couple of months says it all.


Speak O Lord by Keith Getty and Stuart Townend

Speak O Lord as we come to You
To receive the food of Your holy word
Take Your truth plant it deep in us
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith
Speak O Lord and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory

Teach us Lord full obedience
Holy reverence true humility
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity
Cause our faith to rise
Cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority
Words of power that can never fail
Let their truth prevail over unbelief

Speak O Lord and renew our minds
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time
That will echo down through eternity
And by grace we'll stand on Your promises
And by faith we'll walk as You walk with us
Speak O Lord till Your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory

It is my prayer for each of us that we may use this song in the new year as we continue to grow, step out in faith and become obedient to the Lord in every area of our lives.

Hopefully none of us will be the same when we reach December of 2009. I pray that all us grow more to be like Jesus in 2009.

Happy New Year!