It began with an invitation from a friend… a practice she had heard on the radio last year… and it came back to mind near the start of this year…
Ask God to give you a word for the year…
one on which to focus your spiritual growth…
Unsure… whether the invitation was for me… I didn’t pursue… but my friend… in the midst of ministry… and surrounded by sisters with words… she says… You’re gonna get a word…!
So I surrendered… saying a silent prayer… God… if You have a word or me… for the year… I’ll receive it… but make it clear…
Well… a word came… and He made it clear… the word…
OBEDIENCE
Whew… a heavy word… one that came with trepidation… and a shade of guilt… Have I not been obedient enough…? I have that much MORE to learn…?
I do strive… to be obedient… careful to listen… doing what I hear… even when it’s hard… or weird… or seems senseless…
But I received it… OK… obedience…
Now each word… is to be attached to a Word… a scripture… that sets the tone for the word… and the year…
When I began to seek a verse… I could not recall any with the word “obedience”… I thought of “obey”… and “obedient”… so I began to doubt… if obedience was the word…
Finally… I went to my Logos… the Bible software with the complete concordance… and entered… obedience…
The final reference… it spoke… clearly…
2 John 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. …
And here it was… obedience is love…
There was a necklace in my closet… one I bought 2 or 3 Christmases ago… a gift… never given… just last week I found it anew… while reorganizing my closet… it has a charm that reads… A friend loves at all times… and on the back… Proverbs 17:17…
As I contemplated the verse to complement my word… God spoke to my spirit… Go put on that necklace… I’m giving it to you…
My heart… it melted… this word I dreaded… thought might be a scolding… was actually an affirmation… You are My friend…
I cried… as this message sank in…
Obedience… it is a privilege… an act of friendship and love… to share with the Creator…
My whole view of obedience has changed… so often… it feels like a punishment… a discipline… but in
reality… it is an invitation to friendship…
I look forward to what else I will learn… from my word-for-the-year… this world-view shift word… I know it will be hard… every friendship has its moments… but I’m excited… about what my Friend… has in store…
And the charm… it is written in the round… on a pewter ring… an “O”… for obedience…
No one can make this stuff up… it must be Him…
What about you…?
Maybe He has a word for you… for the year…
Why don’t you ask…?
You might be surprised…
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Published by Carol
An ordinary Christian following an extraordinary God.
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