New Year Reflections - Part 2
Navigating the Personal Devotion Retreat’s (PDR) from year to year has created a special place for me to draw near to God and has allowed me to intentionally steward the responsibilities/identities God has graced me with.
You might be wondering, is it just a time to go study and learn? Yes, it is that but there are more clear intentions on what I reflect upon from the prior year(s) while looking forward to continuing and adding new intentions for the upcoming year(s).
And that’s where my primary identities come into play. I see each of these five identities of mine as the main responsibilities God has graced me with in the season of life I am in. If I grow and mature in each of these from day-to-day, month-to-month, year-to-year, then I believe that any other identity of mine will also grow and mature. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:3 to inform Christian’s of what God’s will is: “for this is the will of God, your sanctification”, your becoming more holy, more Christ-like.
Don’t get me wrong, sanctification will not occur based on my doing, my drawing near, my trying harder. Sanctification is God’s work, a spiritual matter done from Him, through Him, to Him, and for Him (Rom. 11:36). But, as James does remind us, draw near to the Lord, and He will draw near to you. There’s something indescribable about God’s grace when His sons and daughters draw near to Him.
Father God, sanctify me and my household for Your glory.
For instance, as I reflect on my personal relationship with Christ (identity #1) over the prior years, one constant I look back on is the Bible reading plan(s) I have used and determine what I ought to do moving forward. Realizing the Robert Murray M’Cheyne reading plan has worked well over the past 9 years, I recommit to this plan (I use it as a 2 year plan instead of its designed 1 year plan. 2 chapters each day works well for me, and I read through the OT once, NT twice, and Psalms twice in a 2 year period). There are more intentions within this identity which I reflect on and plan for…my Bible reading is merely one of them.
Additionally, 9 years ago on a PDR, the question how can we interact with scripture more as a family and have it more visible kept recurring in my heart. So, one newly added intention then was to interact with scripture more in addition to reading the Bible and devotional books. When I got home and discussed it with Jessica, we decided to build a chalkboard, put new scripture on it each month, and memorize it. We chose to replace a family picture above our kitchen table with the board - it was visible so it would be difficult not to see it, use it, remember it. As that model began to become a staple in our household for worship and discipleship, it eventually led to the idea of replicating it for other households. “If it blesses one household - praise God!”
As you draw near to the Lord, He will draw near to You in ways you may never know or imagine, for He will work in and through his children to make a name for Himself.
Here are a couple recurring prayers:
Father God, help me to be faithful to You, where You have me, with what You have given me.
God has given me Himself, Jessica, our daughters, our church, and my job. Being intentional in how I steward these is my responsibility. With God’s grace, He will sanctify me as He sees fit.
Father God, I will go where You want me to go, do what You want me to do, and say what You want me to say.
All of what He has given me is His. He has graced me with it all. I merely need to give it all to Him.
What are some ways that you can intentionally draw near to the Lord?
Written by Warren M. Grimm