Three and a half days left in 2018. Man, what a crazy year. Mind you, the last six years have been crazy and filled with major life transitions. 2013: graduated high school + started college; 2014: moved out of my parent’s house; 2015: Matt and I started dating + I moved off dorms; 2016: Matt and I got married + I started working towards my BA in counselling; 2017: I started new jobs + I got pregnant; 2018: Esther was born. With all of these transitions, there have been seasons where we have had plenty and seasons where we have had little. This past year, I feel like we’ve had to put our faith into practice even more.
These stories from the Bible are what God used to remind me to have faith:
sermon on the mount: Do not worry
“Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus is in the middle of teaching the crowds how to live under the new covenant that He was going to establish. In this particular passage, Jesus is assuring the people that there is no need to worry about clothing or food or the things that happen in life because God knows exactly what they need and that He will provide. He gives examples of how God has provided for the animals and the plants and how much more important we are to Him than those things.
I have a tendency to worry. Worry about finances, about food, about my siblings, about the world my daughter will grow up in, etc. And every time I start to spiral, the Holy Spirit whispers: Will worrying help? Will it add a single hour to your life? Can you solve your problem by worrying? I have a feeling the theme for 2019 will be “surrender” or “let it go”. This passage stands as a reminder to seek the Kingdom of God first and everything else that I need will be taken care of.
the fiery furnace: daniel 3
The other story comes from the book of Daniel chapter 3. King Nebuchadnezzar had a gold statue built and he commanded the people to bow down before it. However, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down to it and were brought before the king. This is what they said: “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (I added the emphasis) This played a major theme in my life in the last few months as I worried about finances and going back to work in the new year. It was God’s little reminder that He can and will provide but that even if He doesn’t provide in the way I think He will or doesn’t prevent the difficult situations, He is always faithful and has not abandoned me.
1 thessalonians 5:16-18
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Heading into the new year, I know there are more transitions ahead and there may be seasons where my faith is tested. This verse will stand as my reminder that whether I am facing difficult situations or ideal ones, I must trust in the Lord, be in constant communication with Him, and give thanks for everything I have.
Check out some of my favourite posts from this past year:
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