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How to Overcome Blurred Vision

 “... I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, …. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:8, 13, NIV).

Melissa is on her way back to her hometown after having been away for 3 years. When she left home, she was full of joy for and anticipation of the great opportunity ahead. She was walking into her best life, or so she thought. However, the following 3 years were filled with shattered dreams and downtrodden expectations, unexpected suffering, and almost intolerable pain. Returning home was her only hope but the thought of all she had lost and what lay ahead filled her with inconsolable grief. She could not stop crying.

Having resolved to start the journey home, Melissa packed the U-Haul truck and drove off towards the north. But she could not stop crying. She navigated the route with tears rolling down her cheeks, until she heard these words: “If you don’t stop crying, you will not be able to see the road; you will not be able to see where you are going.”

As I reflected on 2023 and turned my gaze toward 2024, the memory of one of my co-workers testimony flooded my mind. Melissa shared with me how God’s leading and guidance brought her through one of the darkest times of her life and that guidance began with the words she heard in that U-Haul truck. Those words were life changing for her and, at the time that she told me her testimony, it was as if the Lord Himself was speaking those words to me.

So often, our forward movement is hindered not because of a lack of sight, but rather because of cloudy or blurred vision caused by tears. Tears of sorrow because of the pain of losses; tears resulting from having to let go. Tears of fear brought on by the unknown, not knowing what lies ahead. Tears that cause us to freeze in place, not able to move forward.

I listened and was pointed to Ecclesiastes 3:1 -11a (NIV). “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…. He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Every activity has a season assigned to it and accepting the end of seasons, though sometimes difficult, is essential to our ability to move into the next for our lives. Like Paul, we must master the art of “counting all this as loss…. forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” (Philippians 3:7, 13, NKJV).

The year 2023 has come to an end and we have just entered a new year. We are not sure where our path will take us this year. But one thing is certain: if we don’t stop crying, we won’t be able to clearly see the path ahead. My prayer for you this year is clarity of sight and that God would grant you the comfort, courage, and grace to stand despite sorrow so that you can “make your way prosperous and have good success” (Joshua 1:8, NKJV).

Friend, wipe away the tears. Position your eyes to see. Lift your eyes so you can see with clarity the length and breadth of that which the Lord God has in store for you and be able to safely navigate the path to get there. This year can be an amazing year if you reject blurred vision brought on by tears.

Let us pray: Our Heavenly Father, as I begin my journey into this new year, I pray that you would grant me grace to let go the things I need to and embrace the new things that you are sending into my life. May my life be characterized by joy and not sorrow, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below and share the post on your social media. Thank you for your support.

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Give Thanks!

“in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)

Every morning as the sun rises, every time the rain falls, every time an animal deposits its waste on the ground (soil), and every time the weight of a bee settles on a flower, it is an opportunity for that plant to receive what it needs to grow and multiply. To some, the heat of the sun, the wetness of the rain, the stench of the manure, and the weight of the bee may be perceived as NEGATIVES, discomfort, and even pain but, to others, these same things are perceived as BLESSINGS.

There is [an] opportunity for growth in EVERY situation that comes our way. This is why the Lord God said, through Paul, “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NKJV).

Friends, we can choose to view these situations as earthen vessels with treasures buried within and hunt for the treasures that will enrich our lives with growth and multiplication. OR we can choose to stay at a place of depression and defeat. The choice is yours. Choose well!

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Right thing, Wrong time

Grace and I were on our way to visit a church. I punched in the address in the GPS and we set off. According to the GPS, the journey should be about 26 minutes, that is, it should take us about 26 minutes to get to our destination. About 6 minutes into the journey, Grace asked, “Mummy, are you watching the map?” I then looked at the GPS, sighed and said, “I just added 3 minutes to our time.”

I missed a turn! I was distracted; I was engrossed in thought. I was not concentrating on or paying attention to the journey because my mind was preoccupied with what the Lord had revealed to me that morning during my time with Him. I was doing a good thing, a God-thing but at the wrong time. 

The consequence of my inattention was additional stops and ultimately delay. The initial route from the point where I veered off required 6 traffic lights stops but the route I ended up taking had over 15 traffic light stops. As I drove and waited at each traffic light, I fought the feelings of frustration that the wait invoked. I told myself there was nothing I could do, at this point, but stay the course and remain focused going forward so I can make it to my destination sooner than later.

As I talked myself into remaining calm, I pondered on how the delay meant that we would miss what was ministered to the congregation within the first 5 minutes of the 1-hour service as well as whatever else the Lord had prepared to release into our lives at that time. I saw how delay not only makes the heart sick but it robs us of some of what was rightfully prepared for us, while bringing into our lives unnecessary interruptions and the frustrations that accompany them.

I thought of my current journey and wondered:

  1. Could it be that the frustrations that I am experiencing is because of a delay?
  2. Could it be that I am doing the right thing but because of lack of focus I have fallen behind schedule and am no longer in sync with the timing of God?
  3. Could it be that the delay or setbacks I am blaming the adversary for are a result of my failure to be intentional or give keen attention to my journey?
  4. Could it be that I am doing the right thing but at the wrong time?

I am reminded of the five foolish virgins in the parable Jesus taught in Matthew 25. The reason they did not experience their expected end (Jeremiah 29:11, KJV) was because they were doing the right thing at the wrong time.

“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut” (Matthew 25:10, NIV). 

These virgins were doing the right thing: “going to those who sell oil and buying some for themselves” so that they could complete their assignment of lighting the path for the bridal procession. They ended up at the right destination: the wedding banquet but were denied access. Why? Although they were doing the right thing and were at the right place, they had missed the right time. Their lack of focus and attention during the journey opened the door to a delay that caused them to be out of time and to incur unnecessary sufferings.

Similarly, we are told in Luke 19:40-44 that Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they missed their time of visitation and the price they would pay was untold sufferings.

On the other hand, the Shunnamite woman understood that it was not enough to do the right thing; the right thing must be done at the right time. 2 Kings 8 1-4 (NIV) tells us , “Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.” The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years. At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to appeal to the king for her house and land.”

She moved in the timing prescribed and “It so happened that as Gehazi was telling the king the story of the dead person brought back to life, the woman whose son was brought to life showed up asking for her home and farm” (2 Kings 8:5, MSG). The king ordered, “Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now” (2 Kings 8:6, NIV).

My dear friends, when we do the right things at the right time, we intercept the things that God has already prepared for us. But we must be mindful that it is possible to be following the leading of the Holy Spirit and still fall behind schedule. How? If we are not vigilant about distractions, especially those that stem from within – internal distractions- we can propagate a cycle of delay in our lives, limiting ourselves from being and doing ALL that the Lord God has fashioned us to be and do. In this year of recovery, let us be intentional about being on the lookout for distractions, staying focused, and endeavoring not only to obey but to be in time as well.

Let us pray: O Heavenly Father, please grant me the grace for discernment that you gave the sons of Issachar so I can understand not only what you want me to do but the right time at which it should be done. I break the cycle of delay over my life, in Jesus’ name, and receive strength to be vigilant as I follow the leading of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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Not in Your Own Strength

I awoke with these words ringing in my ears: In your own strength, you can do nothing.

I had been going through a season where I was struggling in the areas that were known to be my “strengths”: discipline, evidenced by time management, organizational skills, commitment, and diligence. I prayed. I cried. I grieved for the absence of these “strengths” in my life. I sought God to find out if this was some sort of attack or if I had opened a door for the adversary to come in and plunder my goods. I could not seem to find an answer to the cause nor was I able to turn things around.

So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and began to change some things in the routine of my natural life hoping that this would help facilitate the change that I so desperately desired. I made several attempts to be steadfast to those changes but, in a matter of days, I was right back at the same place of weakness. Finally, one day, I found myself at a terribly low place and it was in that moment that I realized how foolish I was. I have known that the things that we see in the natural do not appear from the natural realm. The natural realm manifests what is occurring in the spiritual realm. Therefore, the changes that I was seeing must be indicative of a change concerning me in the spiritual realm.

As I shifted my mindset from “What can I do to fix this?” to “Something must have changed in the spiritual realm”, the Holy Spirit was finally able to reach me with His words, “In your own strength, you can do nothing.” I thought on that statement and was reminded of:

  • John 15:5, 5c (NKJV) – “ … As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. …for without Me you can do nothing.”
  • Philippians 2:13 (AMPC) – “[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work….”

Often times, because we have been given a measure of strength and that strength has gotten us some results, we tend to lean mostly on that strength forgetting that although we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. Once we are born again, we have entered a war that causes our lives’ journey to be now primarily spiritual and thus must be lived not by our own strength, but by God’s strength. This is why Paul said to the church at Ephesus, “… be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might” (Ephesians 6:12, NKJV). He also testified to the church at Philippi, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NKJV). And to the church at Corinth he shared that God told him, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NKJV).

The more we mature and the higher we rise in God, the more we should be depending on His strength. I had been growing and rising in God. He, through His Holy Spirit, had taught me discipline. Without realizing it, I had gradually moved away from having the mindset of “this discipline is His empowering” to it being “this discipline is one of my strengths”. Simultaneously, the Lord had been preparing me for a new level, a new season but I was still holding on to my perceived “strengths”, trying to lean on those strengths. The Holy Spirit then revealed that my strengths were not sufficient for where He was taking me and for the assignments He needed me to fulfill. Like Joseph, I was being stripped of my coat of many colors (Genesis 37:23) in preparation for my next. He was taking me on another journey so that more of His Strength(s) could be formed in and revealed through me. This season of loss or seeming weakness was actually a path to new strength, strength for this new phase of my life, strength that will ensure victory.

Friends, the times in which we live necessitates the strength of God. Our strengths that can be represented as our understanding/intellect, our emotional intelligence, our finances, or our skills/abilities are not sufficient to stand against the forces of darkness that have been released against our lives, families, communities, cities, and nations. Leaning on those strengths will only take us so far and no more. We will come to a time when those strengths will produce nothing, no results. Therefore, we must be intentional about staying connected to our source of Strength – the Vine – and depend on Him to give us power, His strength, both to desire and to act. For, in our own strength, we can do nothing.

Let us pray: Father, please forgive me for leaning on my own strength. Forgive me for making my strengths idols in my life and for turning away from You, the true source of my strength. Help me to submit to the working of the Holy Spirit in my life so that I can receive Your power to will and to do, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Washed

 “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3, NKJV).

It was “Family Car Wash Day”. All four of us were in the backyard putting hands together to wash the three cars in our household. Thad, my husband, had just gotten through lathering the truck and John our son followed with the hose, rinsing off the soap. As the flood of water ran down the side of the truck, it revealed areas that still needed washing. Grace commented how interesting it was that it looked like the truck was washed clean, but the rinsing revealed that it wasn’t. She continued with her observations about the need for more washing for it to be thoroughly clean. As she shared, I was reminded of the 3-fold washing taught by Scripture: the washing by the blood, washing of the word, and washing by the Spirit. Without all 3, we will not be thoroughly clean. “There are three that bear witness on earth: the Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one” (1 John 5:8, NKJV).

As I meditated on this throughout the following days, I thought on how we live in a world that is obsessed with having, having more and having it at any cost. Unfortunately, being immersed in such an environment increases our risk of being contaminated or defiled. There is that constant influence that affects our desires, ambitions, and focus. If we are not intentional about rejecting that influence, we will remain in a state of uncleanness and miss our reward at Jesus’ appearing.

1 John 3:2-3 (NKJV) states, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”

“… everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” Everyone who has this hope in Christ should cleanse oneself, or should take upon oneself purification. We each have a responsibility to endeavor and maintain purification so we can be pure as Jesus Christ.

Yes, there is an act of purification that comes through the blood of Jesus; through and by His blood our sins are washed away. But there is further purification needed to free us from contamination and defilement as we live in this world. This purification or cleansing is done ‘with the washing of water by the word’ (Ephesians 5:26, NKJV) and “through the washing in which the Holy Spirit gives us new birth and renewal” (Titus 3:5, GW). We must aspire for these to be daily applied to our lives.

Friends, to be totally free of the past, we must ensure that we are washing; washing daily, washing frequently. Washing ensures cleanliness. Just as we see the importance of washing our bodies, cars, clothing, utensils, etc, we should also see the importance of washing our soul daily. It is when we have clean hands and a pure heart that we can ascend into the holy hill and partner with God (Psalms 24:3-4, KJV). The cleaner we are the more we become like Him and the more intimate we can become with Him (1 John 1:5-7, NKJV). The more intimate we are with Him the more access we have to His heart and His power.

Paul said to the church at Corinth, “And such were some of you. But you were washed …. (1 Corinthians 6:11, NKJV). Let us endeavor to be WASHED.

Let us pray: Dear Lord, I thank you for your blood that washes away my sins. Thank you for the availability of your word and your Spirit that sanctifies and cleanses me until I become as pure as you. May I not be content with the contamination of the world that settles on and around me. Instead, may I have a desire to access both your word and your Spirit as a means of purifying/washing myself daily. I look forward to being like you on the day of your appearing. Amen.

DIG DEEPER:

  1. Bible Study: The Laver of Brass
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Getting Pass Your Past

A moment ago, a minute ago, yesterday, last week, last month, nine months ago …. All these phrases are examples of THE PAST.

If you are like me and many others, at this time of the year, you have taken some time to reflect on the past, specifically the past year. You wonder what you might have done differently and how you can improve or do better in several areas of your life for this upcoming year. For many, this reflection might present a sense of “stuckness”, where it seems, although not impossible, very likely improbable to get pass certain aspects of the past. This feeling of “stuckness” is often buried  beneath smiles and well wishes for the season and new year. But there is a way of getting pass the past, a way to truly enter the new year with new momentum and a new drive. I have found that answer in a set aside time of prayer and fasting at the end of the year. For me, it takes the form of 3 days of prayer and fasting but for others the length of time might differ.

In this final blog post of 2022, I would like to share with you a strategy that I have discovered and used to help me get pass my past. First, before entering this period of set aside time of prayer and fasting, I set goals and clarify the purpose of the times of prayer during this fast. This enables me to be targeted in my requests and focuses my spiritual eyes and ears to receive instructions and directions from the Lord, concerning my deliverance, growth, and development. For me, the story of Jonah has provided targeted goals needed to facilitate my moving pass my past. Those goals are namely:

  1. To be rerouted and realigned with God’s destiny for my life.
  2. To hear clearly God’s instructions to me a “second” time.
  3. To realize redeeming of time/restoration of years.

The prayer requests that accompany these goals would then be:

  1. Lord, please cause me to have such an encounter in this time of prayer and fasting that it would be the prepared “vessel” that would transport me to exactly where you want me to be in this season.
  2. Lord God, attune my ears to your frequency and give me the eyes of an eagle to be able to clearly hear your voice and see your leading.
  3. Lord, grant me acceleration and redemption of time that I would arrive at where you intended me to be at this date and in this season of my life.

My prayer for you as you end this year and look forward to another is that this upcoming year you would

  • “forget what is behind and straining toward what is ahead …. press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [you] heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14, NIV).
  • “stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Colossians 4:12, KJV).
  • that “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better…. that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1: 17-19, NIV).
  • “be filled with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience…” (Colossians 1:9-11, NIV).

I love you guys and am praying for you. Have a happy and Spirit-filled and Spirit-led, New Year. Remember, your past cannot hold you back unless you empower it to do so. The Spirit of the living God has given you power to get pass your past.

DIG DEEPER:

  1. Devotional: The Gift of Mercy
  2. Bible Study: The Power of the 3-Day Prayer & Fasting

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Exactly as He said!

“So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith (complete confidence) in God that it will be exactly as it was told me…” (Acts 27:25, AMPC).

“Even in tumultuous times, the garden is still working.” These are the words my husband, Thad, spoke as he came in from outside, with an almost perfect green tomato in his hand. My thoughts were, “That garden puts us to shame.”

Here is a garden defying what the season is saying to it, and still bearing fruit. We had given up on it, thinking that it had borne all it could for this year. Thad had not been paying any attention to it for months now; he had not been tilling the soil, adding nutrients, or watering it. Yet, the garden persevered and brought forth fruit. The fruit was not in abundance but it was fruit nonetheless. 

As I write, I am reminded of Hebrews 10:35-36, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (NIV)

Friends, as you look back over this year and begin to look forward to the New Year, I would like to remind you that there is still more in you for that goal, that vision, that seems to have borne all that it could. What you need most right now is to hold on to your confidence in God and be patient. Encourage yourself to “have faith (complete confidence) in God that it will be exactly as it was told [you] …” (Acts 27:25-26, AMPC)

I declare over you that your faith will not fail. Confidence is rising in you now and you are receiving strength to hold on to that confidence. As you hold on, it will provide you with the fuel that you need to be patient and to persevere in doing God’s will. Amen!

Let us pray: O Holy Spirit, please help us to cast away everything that will erode our confidence: every lie, every doubt or unbelief, and every fear. We cast them all away today and hold on to your promise, in Jesus‘s name. Amen.

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Because I know Him!

“… but the people that do know their God shall be strong and do exploits” (Daniel 11:32b, KJV()

Yesterday my son John and I were in Walmart Supercenter when the phone rang. I looked at the caller ID on my phone and saw that it was my husband, his father. Before answering the call, I said to John, “He is in the store and is calling to ask which aisle we are on.”

Then, I answered the phone and, sure enough, that was what he asked.

When I hung up the phone, John looked at me in wonder and asked, “How did you know?”

My response to him was, “Because I know Him.”

As I sat on my bed this morning, that exchange came back to my mind and the statement, “Because I know Him” hit my spirit followed by a strong desire to really know the Lord God. I thought, “O how I desire to get to that place in God where I can know Him like that; where

  1. I can predict life’s happenings, God’s movements, not because I am “a prophet” or am “prophetic” but Because I know Him.
  2. I can be convinced of the outcome, Because I know Him.
  3. I can truly rest and be at peace, Because I know Him.
  4. I can smile in the midst of the storm (not as a cliché saying or as a façade, but), Because I know Him.

I WANT TO KNOW HIM LIKE THAT! Don’t you?

Dear Holy Spirit, hear the cry of our hearts today and cause us to draw closer to You so we can grow in our relationship with You. May our hearts yearn to know You until we are moved to that place. In Jesus’ name, Amen

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Who told you that you were naked? – Genesis 3:9-11

I was fine until he said, ….

I was sure that I had heard from God but then she asked me, ….

Sisters, we are living in perilous times. Deceptive spirits are on the rise with the agenda to lead us away from the truth. We are constantly being bombarded with knowledge. Every other type of knowledge except the knowledge of God seems to be magnified in our society and if we are not careful we will be led astray. Just like he did in the garden of Eden, as recorded in Genesis 3, that old serpent, our adversary the devil is seeking to cause us to lose our identity. He does this by injecting knowledge (information) that would tempt us to doubt or question what God said about us and to us.

If there ever was a time for us to identify the source of the knowledge that we live by, it is now. Why? Whomever or whatever we allow to inform us has the power to influence our concept and perception of who we are and ultimately our destinies.

Mother Eve gave her ears to the serpent, received and acted on the knowledge that he provided her, and her life changed forever. Not only her life, but the life of those connected to her as well. Her husband listened to her voice and his subsequent actions changed how he viewed himself and her. Before the introduction of that new knowledge, they were naked and unashamed – Genesis 2:25 . A chapter later, we see them hiding, naked and afraid – Genesis 3:9-11. This new knowledge changed how they viewed each other and how they viewed God. It changed their relationship with each other and their relationship with God.

God, after observing their behavior, knew they were listening to someone other than him. He asked Adam, “Where are you?” Adam’s reply was, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” The Lord God asked, “Who told you that you were naked?“

Does that sound similar to you? You used to ….. But not anymore. Your behavior has changed. You give all sorts of excuses for your changed behavior but you know deep on the inside, the change was the result of something you heard. Your pastor told you…. Your spouse told you…. Society told you …. Circumstances told you…. That sickness told you …. Your thoughts told you …. Then you started to doubt and walked away from the truth: you walked into deception.

But today, the Spirit of the Living God has come to remind you of the truth and to set you free. You are not naked! You are not disqualified! You are not rejected! You are not insufficient or incompetent! You are God’s creation, made in His image and likeness – Genesis 1:26. You have been made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus – 2 Corinthians 5:21. You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength – Philippians 4:13.

Knowing the answer to the question, “Who are you?”, frees you to be greater and do greater. It steers you on the path to fulfill your purpose, your assignments here on earth. Do not allow anyone or any circumstance to cause you to lose your identity. Embrace who God says you are and reject all the lies of the enemy!

Prayer: Lord God, forgive me for giving my ear to the voices all around that sought to drown out your voice. I reject any counsel or knowledge that does not align with what you say. Please work in me to desire and act out truth concerning who you say I am and embrace it without fear, in Jesus’ name, AMEN!

DIG DEEPER:

Bible Study 1: Who told you that you were naked?
Bible Study 2: The Power of Knowledge

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Forgiven

John 8 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusersof yours? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

We are less than 48 hours away from the end of 2021 and for many this is a time of retrospection and reflection. Many are thinking about what they could have, should have or would have done in 2021 and are hoping for better in 2022. As I reflect on 2021 and relive some of the memories, I hear my spirit pleading, “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.”

SIN – to miss the way or the mark; to wander from the way; to err or be mistaken; to violate God’s law.

In 2021, there were many decisions I made and actions I took that caused me to miss the way or the mark, and sometimes to wander from the way. There were times when I thought I heard His voice but was mistaken; I was in error. Although many of these experiences provided valuable learning lessons, my heart is still heavy in having disappointed Him and having delayed progress.

Yet, as I cry, I hear the voice of the Holy Spirit’s response, “Neither do I condemn you: go, and sin no more.” With that instruction comes the memory of the account of Mary Magdalene and the woman caught in adultery (John 8: 1-11). What do these two women have in common? They both encountered the same dimensions of our Lord God: compassion, mercy, and forgiveness that led to their salvation.

Life circumstances had brought them both to places of bondage, bondage to sin and death. Mary’s bondage was a result of demon possession; her will was no longer her own. She was controlled and harassed by seven evil spirits that had taken up residence within her body (Mark 16:9). The other woman’s bondage was a result of sexual immorality which led her to a place of death(John 8:3-7).

Nevertheless, when they met Jesus, they were released from their bondage. They received deliverance from and victory over that which had them bound, that which prevented them from being who they were created and designed to be. Jesus, when he saw them, did not focus on their sin. He did not meet them with condemnation but with salvation (John 3:16-18). In fact, their sin did not surprise or disgust Him. Their sin was the reason He came. He came to seek and save those that were lost (Luke 19:10). He came to save His people from their sin (Matthew 1:21). He came with power to set them free (John 8:31-32).

Many of us are looking back at 2021 and we see some things that we are not too proud of. We see occasions where we missed the mark, where we wandered away from the guidance of the Lord God and lost our way. We see things worthy of condemnation. But friends, if we focus on those things, we will remain hostages to the power of sin; we will remain in bondage. Instead, we can choose to have an ENCOUNTER with Jesus, to encounter His compassion, His mercy, and His forgiveness that would lead to salvation and receive POWER to “go, and sin no more.”

My encouragement to You as you exit this old year and make preparations to enter the new is to go after a fresh encounter with Jesus. Make Him your focus of pursuit. Become desperate for Him as Mary Magdalene was when she visited his tomb and was desperate to know where they had laid Him (John 20:11-18). If we seek Him, search for Him with all of our heart, we will find Him (Jeremiah 29:13) and find freedom for our souls, freedom to be who we were designed and created to be, His pleasure.

Dear Lord Jesus, my heart’s cry today is for an encounter with You. I want to so encounter You that my life will never be the same. Like Mary Magdalene, I want my encounter with You to create such a passion for You that my life’s fulfillment will be found in being with You, following You, and ministering to You in life and in death. Thank You for forgiving me and for relieving me of every burden, load and care that has held me in bondage. Thank You for allowing me to know You; may I so know You until I become strong and can execute exploits in and through Your name. AMEN