Archived Post (March, 2015) – In January, right after this year began, I did a very short 4 day Bible study through the You Version Bible app. It was called “One Word That Will Change Your Life”. The premise was (is) that as the reader reads and thinks about each of the scriptures, God will reveal the one word that would be kind of like a resolution – sort of – except deeper and more meaningful and more all-encompassing. I thought it sounded fantastic – one word to live by instead of an “eat less, exercise more” resolution that would quickly fade – count me in! So, I jumped in!
One of the scriptures for the first day was Psalm 27 which begins — “The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is my stronghold of my life – of whom shall I be afraid? (2) When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. (3) Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then I will be confident. (4) One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
The Psalm continues as David describes being surrounded, attacked, forsaken and turned over to his foes. But, David alternates this scary description with phrases like, “he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in his tabernacle”. Finally, David ends with, (13) I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (14) Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Now, I *can be* a bit of a worrier, so all this about being attacked and besieged, freaked me out a little! I was scared and nervous about the upcoming year being difficult! I prayed hard that morning – explaining to God that I was very content. I prayed for William’s protection and the protection of my marriage. I begged God that if He was going to test me and refine me that those would not me the ways. God settled my worry, though, I moved on quickly through the first couple of days. On Day 3, as instructed, I also read Nehemiah 6 in which Nehemiah was completely focused on building the wall. As I reflected on both the passage and the prayer I had written, a little light went off…
I vividly remembered listening to a speaker in my mid-twenties talking about making a “personal mission statement”. Though MANY things slipped through my fingers at this time of my life, I grasped on to this one. I worked hard on my statement, memorized it, hung it in my cubicle and in fact, I have moved it from job to job and even now it hangs in my “office” upstairs. It says, “Demonstrate grace, loyalty and leadership with authentic actions and well-thought out reactions.” I whole heartedly embraced this mission statement and used it for years.
When William was a much littler guy, I read an article entitled “Just Breathe” about a swimmer who learned to balance tough times. I would often repeat “Just breathe, just breathe, just breathe” when I was struggling through the hard days and nights of having a toddler and working full-time.
As William grew, I moved on from “Just breathe” to “Choose Joy” (though I can’t say exactly where that one came from). I remember sitting in a meeting and feeling my face turn hot with frustration and sadness. I looked down at my lap, closed my eyes for just a moment and exhaled while (in my mind!) saying, “Choose Joy!” The mantra eased joyfulness into my soul as I navigated through the difficult situation. (Remembering this moment, makes me feel another post coming on!)
A few years later, when we moved here, I was settled; I was lulled away from any sort of mission statement, mantra or even a One Word, as I rocked along in the contentment of life. I had dreams that weren’t exactly fulfilled, but life was full of all the little things that fill our day to day – friends, family, errands, even Bible study. The “Choose Joy!” mantra had quietly faded. Now, as I worked through the One Word Bible study, I wondered what God would reveal. In each of the passages, though, a word kept popping out — “dwell”. Words that were similar backed up the idea – tabernacle, shelter, tent, be still and wait patiently.
Take a moment to read Psalm 27, Psalm 84 and Psalm 37:3-7.
I wondered if it could be this easy, could God’s word simply command me to “dwell”. But, what did this mean? I’m still not sure exactly, but I do know that God has opened the door and facilitated conversations that lead me to believe that I am right where I’m supposed to be, that God has plans and a purpose for me, especially if I choose to “dwell in house of the Lord.”
What about you, what is your One Word for the year or for this season of your life? What scripture whispers to you when you need it the most? I would love to hear and I’d love to encourage you in your journey.