Welcome to my New Year post!
"I know that my redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand on the earth."
- Job 19:25 NIV

The noise of Christmas and the last few moments of the year have slowly disappeared. This post is a reflection of this past year; a year of struggles with health complications and experiences of doubt, failure to keep myself focused, and to manage time well. There were many uncertain times of looking towards a
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future that seemed bleak and hopeless. I lost my sense of direction many times. I had this scary thought that - 'time is running out for me' and I haven't done all the things I want to do.
The unavoidable impact of sickness can take a lot of time from us. I am still on a journey of recovery from spinal pains. But as I write this, I pause to thank God that despite the struggles, I am not where I was and I continue to believe that there are better days ahead. I believe that God is my Healer, and complete healing comes from Him.
This morning as I woke up and began to pray, the first thought that came to my mind was, 'my Redeemer lives' (the song by Hillsong, and from the scripture in Job 19:25). As I continued in prayer, the thoughts of 'lost time' came flooding into my mind and it overwhelmed me. I realized that most of my prayers have been for God to intervene in helping me get back to writing - to blogging. While my physical health is improving, my writing has really suffered and I have struggled for a while to concentrate on completing posts that I start but unable to finish. And God appeared to be silent but I kept praying. Sometimes I would fall asleep at night with prayers still on my lips, ...Lord I need you!
Until today, when God answered and released a word to inspire me. With hindsight, most of us would like to relive our lives and if given another chance will try to do all the things we could have done. However, for me, it's a whole new start, a fresh beginning. After reading the Book of Job (chapters, 19-20), I was inspired and humbled to be reminded of Job's faith. He suffered tremendously and was stripped of everything he owned. But Job held on to his faith and in the end he says these words, "My Redeemer lives". Job knew his Redeemer and that one day his Redeemer will come back to earth to redeem his own. I felt humbled and was lost for words. There is so much I don't know and understand about the word of God. My circumstances are much less severe than what Job had experienced, suffered and lost.
If you are reading this, and maybe you are, or have experienced similar situations or circumstances, the following points may be useful to also encourage you along.
1. Redeeming the time - making up for time lost or uselessly spent. The devil is like a thief who comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy (John 10:10). Among other things that Satan wants to steal from us is, our time. Every moment he manages to distract us are moments we aren’t doing the work God has assigned us. The enemy likes to keep us in a constant state of frustration. He is the author of confusion that sometimes leads to stressful moments of overthinking, self pity that can lead to having thoughts of failure and giving up. I am in my seventies and I admit that I have been there many times and those discouraging thoughts got me nowhere. Time belongs to God and our times are in God's hands.
In Psalm 31:15, David says, "My times are in your hands, deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me."
2. It's time to wake up!
The three words God gave me this morning, "my redeemer lives" were powerful and filled with hope. After days and weeks of praying, my breakthrough finally came and I am excited as I write this post. I feel spiritually recharged to continue to pursue my dream to write, not only to encourage myself but other people who will visit my blog. God‘s word promises that he has plans for me, "...plans to prosper [me] and not to harm [me], plans to give [me ] hope and a future." (Jeremiah 29:11)
3. Get into the Word of God
God's word strengthens us, it renews and revives our hopes to survive and to overcome difficult situations we encounter in life. His grace is sufficient for us. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul, the apostle when tormented by a thorn Satan had given him, pleaded with the Lord three times to take it away from him. When we're at our most weak places, Paul encourages us and says,
"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
Ephesians 5:15-16 says, "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making most of every opportunity because the days are evil."
Jesus Christ is the Word. "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." (John 1:14) Jesus is a person who came in the flesh and dwelt amongst us.
The psalmist says, "Your Word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path" - (Psalm 119:105). The Word is not only a lamp to our feet but also a light to our path.
I love what the following scripture says,
Isaiah 55:9-11, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return to it without watering the earth, and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seeds for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth; it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire, and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
This morning, I have received God's word with a grateful heart. I am activating the word to produce this piece of writing, sowing it as a seed, with a prayer that it will accomplish the purpose of why God gave it to me. Praise be to God!
4. Prayer is a weapon!
2 Corinthians 10:4 says, The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."
Without prayer, we will not fully receive all that God has provided for us. Prayer is our relationship with God where we consistently seek Him personally and ask Him to be at work in us and our circumstances. James said, “You do not have because you do not ask God.” (James 4:2).
God's word is our weapon against the enemy. We pray it and we speak it into every difficult situation we encounter as Christians.
Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the the heart."
In closing, let me share with you a very encouraging quote I found: "If the Lord be with us, we have no cause of fear. His eye is upon us, His arm over us, His ear open to our prayer - His grace is sufficient, His promise unchangeable." -John Newton
PRAYER:
Lord, it seems that most of us are experiencing trouble and stories of the unthinkable everyday. Help us not to focus on that and live with a fearful heart. No matter what or who is in control, life goes on and we want you to be the Lord of our lives. Knowing that You are the Lord of all of it, we can face the scary unknown of coming days because we know that You are already there. AMEN
Wishing you a Happy New Year!
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