What’s Ahead?

Ok, we’ve turned the calendar to 2021. So what? What now? Will life “go back to normal after pandemic?”

We do not know what is ahead, but we can choose to answer “so what” by how we enter this new year, even if it doesn’t yet include ditching masks for ever! Even if we still do not have a job, or family gatherings, or great health, or……

For a number of years I have sensed God giving me a theme, verse, or word to focus on for the year. Sometimes it’s just because of where I am in my life, although this past year my focus came from a topic I had for a conference I was leading and then adopted as my 2020 focus. (You can read last year’s focus here.) Often, a song, or songs, accompany my annual theme.

For 2021, the Lord gave me “refuge”. This was mainly due to my depending on Him as my refuge, my stronghold, my rock, during Hurricane Sally. If you missed the series I wrote on this experience, read this first one which links to the other 3 posts that followed.

I even began looking up the word refuge in a Bible concordance and the number of passages with this word was huge, especially in the book of Psalms. I then also included stronghold and rock as well. This will be my focus for study and research this year, not just to know the passages, but to ask God how I can depend on Him, more than I ever have before, as my refuge, no matter what 2021 brings.

Songs in my “refuge” playlist (and FYI this theme includes what God impressed upon me in this season…boldness for Him because He was my hurricane refuge): Available, Salt and Light, Once and For All and Build My Life. Usually, the Lords adds to this list throughout the year.

In 2019, my annual focus was “I will not be shaken”, based on Psalm 62:6-7 (that post is here). So it feels like a bit like a deepening of this theme now. Not only the hurricane, but several other experiences (like Covid-19 for one, election of a president for another) have caused me to want to add “refuge” to that idea and do deep research this year to cling to Jesus more than ever before…because, I do not know what 2021 holds! And neither do you.

A friend of mine wrote a great post for LifeWay Voices that I wanted to share with you here: Spiritual Disciplines in a New Year. Whether God gives you a word, song, theme, or scripture, or just pushes you to go deeper with Him, incorporating these basic disciplines into your life will help you grow in Christ. Then you can add other disciplines along the way as well: sacrifice, solitude, fasting, stewardship, serving, discipling others, just to name a few. (Two great books on the subject: Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Donald Whitney and Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster.)

Because the year is new and completely unknown to us, we need something to hold onto. My husband and I will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary this month…we’d planned to be on a 10 day cruise with several friends. After having to cancel that trip, we booked a week on a southern Gulf coast Florida island. We don’t know at this time if we will be able to actually make that trip. But that is just one of several things planned for 2021 that may or may not happen…as we remember multiple cancellations of trips, beach time, and women’s conferences that cancelled for 2020.

But regardless of what we do, or do not do, my desire is to end the year 2021 knowing Him more deeply, loving Him more faithfully and obeying Him more completely. And I, and you, can rest in knowing God DOES know all that will take place this year.

Is your desire to know Christ better? It takes intentional disciplined steps to grow spiritually. Let’s cheer each other on in 2021 as we take those steps! and REMEMBER, we don’t know ‘what’s ahead’ but we know WHO does!

Banner photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash