How to Thrive in 2024
Bible in a Year | Word of God | Spiritual Warfare | Christianity | Jesus Christ | God
What Are You Taking with You into 2024?
Last week’s post offered an idea for a New Years Resolution: Read through the Bible in a year.
Our household has learned that having a complete view of God’s word, both the Old and the New Testaments, can better guide us, or anyone, through whatever 2024 may have in store for us all. When we have a full and complete view of God, Who He is and what He desires, we all can better navigate life because we will have a complete map, or guide, to help us on life’s journey.
Let me tell you a brief story as an illustration.
A Brief Journey that Wasn’t
On Christmas Day 2023, my husband and I did something stupid. Well, at least from my viewpoint it was stupid, Lol.
While our Christmas dinner was slow-cooking in the crockpot, we decided to go for a brief drive to enjoy the bright, sunny day and the miles of open space that stretch north from our home. We wanted a simple, easy drive on a quiet Christmas afternoon and nothing more. We hopped into the car with just the basics. Husband grabbed his pro digital camera just in case “the right shot” appeared during our quick journey.
Our easy drive led us to a trailhead in the local national forest. We love to go camping and hiking, so we have fanny packs, backpacks, and Go Bags at home for our adventures in God’s beautiful wilderness.
The key phrase for this tale is “at home”.
We parked at the trailhead and husband took off with his camera, walking with strides that come naturally to his over six foot frame. I stood back for a moment to breathe in the vanilla fragrance of the ponderosa pines, and to watch several hikers descend from the trail to go to their cars.
I walked up the trail a few yards and raised my phone to take a selfie of me with the iconic promontory behind me. After capturing the perfectly framed shot, I turned around and…everyone was gone.
Everyone.
I stood on the popular trail alone. The sun’s rays glowed as they filtered through the foliage of the oak trees and the pines. Song birds and jays chattered, their music the only sound I heard. I saw no human, I heard no voices.
Where was husband?
I called his phone and he didn’t answer. I shouted out his name once. The breeze was the only response. As I looked across the forested slope I realized how easily one could get lost, even on a popular trail.
On Christmas Day afternoon.
When people had left to go home.
When husband had disappeared from view.
I heard a noise and turned. To my left and below me, husband came hiking toward me like Tom Bombadil striding through the Old Forest of Middle Earth. He wore a big grin on his face unaware of my state of mind.
“Come on, you have to see this.” He had found something he wanted to show me.
“Why didn’t you answer your phone?”
We weren’t in an emergency situation and the rest is pretty comical now that I can think of it in the comfort of my warm home. But, husband had gone bushwhacking off trail and that’s why I couldn’t see him nor find him.
He didn’t answer his phone because it was still set on Silent from the previous night’s Christmas Eve service. In other words, there was no way I could have contacted him by phone when I felt I had lost him.
On top of that, we didn’t have our emergency whistles around our necks. We went to the trailhead almost completely unprepared because we had left the house only to go on a brief drive on a lovely day.
That’s a scenario for Search and Rescue teams. And, there are many lost hikers in our area every year.
Well, I knew better, and chastised myself. We Not Newbies made newbie mistakes in the forest that Christmas Day. We didn’t leave home prepared with a complete view of our area in mind, where easy access to the forest is only minutes away. We know that it’s best to be fully equipped, even on a brief and easy drive, just in case a trail or a lake calls to us and we choose to wander.
Prepare Yourself with God’s Entire Word
The truth is not one of us can be ready for 2024. But, we can try and be equipped with God’s word in our heart and mind to face whatever may come our way. When we read through both the Old Testament and the New Testament, we can then carry God’s entire story in us, which helps us not to lose our way in this world.
Psalm 119:11 (NKJV)
Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You.
His word in our heart helps us discern His will and ways from the evil ways of the world. His word is our trail map that keeps us walking in the right direction (in His righteousness) and not bushwhacking in the ways of the world (“not sin against You”).
John 17:17 (NKJV)
Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
Before His crucifixion, Jesus asks Father God to set us apart from the world through His word. Our studying God’s word helps us grow in His holiness (“sanctify them”).
Ephesians 6:17 (ESV)
…and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
God’s word is a crucial piece of the full armor of God; the sword of the Holy Spirit. Swords in Roman times were sharp, double-edged weapons. Our spiritual enemies fear God’s word, so let’s hide His truth in our hearts and “pull it out and use it” whenever we’re in spiritual battles.
And, if you think 2023 threw a bunch of spiritual battles at you, buckle up boys and girls (with God’s belt of truth) because 2024 could be the same, or….
I’m guessing all of this sounds simple, especially to long-time Christ followers. Don’t be fooled. Over the past few years, several mature believers have confessed to me that they need to dive deep into God’s word, again, to get through the many challenges life throws at them. They had taken their eyes off God and put them on their circumstances.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, when you have a complete view of God’s word, both the Old and the New Testaments in your mind and heart, you’re better equipped to have God guide you through the New Year 2024.
And, it doesn’t matter if you need more time than 12 months; that’s okay. Just begin at Genesis and keep on reading until you reach Revelation, even if it takes you a bit longer than a year. The most important thing is the understanding you’ll gain about God, and that’s a treasure your heart will welcome and embrace for a lifetime.
Soli Deo Gloria!
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Thank you, Jenise, for your words spoken here were done so by a wise woman.
Just give us JESUS!
"They had taken their eyes off God and put them on their circumstances." Jenise
"Suddenly, a fierce Storm Struck."
Matthew 8:23-27 NLT: "23. Then Jesus got into the boat and started across the lake with his disciples. 24. Suddenly, a fierce storm struck the lake, with waves breaking into the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25. The disciples went and woke him up, shouting, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!"
26. Jesus responded, "Why are you afraid? You have so little faith!" Then he got up and rebuked the wind and waves, and suddenly, there was a great calm.
27. The disciples were amazed. "Who is this man?" they asked. "Even the winds and waves obey him!" Matthew 8:23-27 NLT
How Great art Thou?
Let us pray. . . LORD, how Great art Thou? in that You would be here as the storms of life come upon us. Yes, storms will come, but You will not worry. You are the one who made all things. Everything is in Your control. You are still beside us even when we can't see past the crashing wind and waves. How wonderful is the LORD, how Great is He, who would calm all our storms, so let us praise Him and acknowledge His everlasting Love for us and His presence in our life. He is here now, so let us rejoice and be glad. Amen
How Great art Thou?
Psalm 107:28-31 NLT: 28. "LORD, help!" they cried in their trouble,
and he saved them from their distress.
29. He calmed the storm to a whisper
and stilled the waves.
30. What a blessing was that stillness
as he brought them safely into harbor!
31. Let them praise the LORD for his great love
and for the wonderful things he has done for them." Psalm 107:28-31 NLT
Just give us JESUS!
GOD bless you all!
Give Me Jesus https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyRzfVYWTNQ
So relevant Jenise! I'm a big 'be prepared' kind of guy but you're so right; oh I know this world, I got this down. Yeah, I know those verses. They need to be in our spiritual backpacks everyday with our guide! Great words to start this year. (Glad your guide found you!)