Dear Reader,

The word "reset" keeps ringing in my mind. It makes me think of a change of seasons, like when winter becomes spring. The the flowers bloom producing seed for the next planting. RESET.

The Animals also produce young and a new generation is begun. RESET

The fields and gardens are cultivated and seeds are sown with whatever the sower would like for harvest in the fall. RESET. New Years resolutions are made. RESET.

A blank canvas, paints laid out, brushes cleaned and ready for whatever the artist dreams. RESET.

God, in His wisdom, created opportunities to start again--opportunities for RESET. And through Him who strengthens, us all things are possible for those who believe.



 If we have been going the wrong way, distracted and distressed, we can RESET and choose to focus where we should, placing our hope in Him and to turn the corner. In the Walking out of our salvation, we don't always know the right way to go. We do make mistakes sometimes. We don't hear Him clearly or don't listen to instructions, or change the instructions to suit our desired outcome. The wonderful thing is,  God allows course corrections (repentance, change of allegiance).

It is a matter of the heart, the place where the soul and spirit meet, that "well spring of life." Who is in charge?  Which part of us do we allow to take the lead in our goals and decision making? Remember, we are spirit, we have a soul, and we live in a body. At conversion our spirit is quickened by His Spirit and saved. The soul, our mind, intellect and emotions, are being RESET and reformed--and we live in a body that is in need of wisdom from the One who created us as to what is good for us to live healthy lives. See Proverbs 4:20-27 for more about that.

Our New Year holds promises of a new grand baby.  Jim and I get to be "GRANDMA and GRANDPA!" What kind of Grandma do I want to be? What do I want my future grandchild, grandchildren to remember about me? It will mean some sacrifices (gladly given) on my part. I may have to readjust some expectations and some plans that were made before I knew about this blessed event. RESET.

This new beginning, this blank slate, and this opportunity to create, this RESET, is the part of the season I adore.  Creativity   often results in a huge mess from those looking in from the outside with their minds fixed on a finality of things.

What do I mean, "the finality of things?" Let me explain.

When I take this season of RESET and look at it through the lenses of "what I left behind" or the challenges ahead and plan according to what I fear will go wrong or what I anticipate to be a problem and plan for that, this is FINALITY. When I move forward into the future looking in the rear view mirror of "what has been" or "what it used to be like," I set myself up for limitation and missing the very best of what is to come. While it is wise to learn from our mistakes so we don't make them again, a Focus and expectation on  making those mistakes and the fear of failure  handicaps the process of learning and discovery (revelation and knowledge) that leads to reformation and wisdom. 

Not long ago, I was in conversation with someone and started sharing all thing things I'd enjoy accomplishing in the future. In my mind I was standing before a blank canvas, with a brush in my hand ready to paint the possibilities when she said with a laugh, "How long do you think you are going to live?" 

 That wasn't a curiosity question, by her tone of voice, but rather unbelief that I would live long enough to accomplish all of my dreams. (In my mind I set the brush down. The canvas remained blank)

My friend did not believe. She did not have a hope that I could or would accomplish much, if any, of what I wanted to do in the future. Her mind was on the finality of life, preparing for what lay before her balanced by her bank account and ability.  She did not understand and to continue down this unexpected turn in the conversational path--I changed the subject.

Because I know her well, I know she was unaware of the word curses she had thrown against my hopes.

Words are powerful and creative, be careful in conversation and thoughts. (Phil 4:8) Like mud in a bog, negative thoughts expressed will stick like a curse sucking down hopes into depths of nothingness.

The Character of God, the Law of the Spirit of Life by which we live through the Plan of Salvation given has an answer to RESET. There is wisdom to be found in Scripture, in counsel with believers and in prayer. I know from experience that I have dear friends that can help Jim and I bring clarity with their experiences without pumping up false hope nor throwing mud upon a blank canvas while we hold the brush ready to paint a dream. We value their council.

Now, consider Ezekiel 37.

"Can these old bones live?" asked the Lord to the Ezekiel.  Ezekiel didn't assume the answer to the question  based upon the evidence before him. His mind was not on the finality of the valley of bones. He was not looking in the rear view mirror of life contemplating whether or not he had ever seen dry bones come to life. He was not measuring the answer to the question by his natural experiences. Typically dry bones do not come to life so they surely couldn't now. Right?

Instead, Ezekiel considered the power and the character of God. Ezekiel responded, " “O Lord God, You know.” 

Then God told Ezekiel to prophesy  over the bones. To prophesy over the bones. To Prophesy means to speak or sing with divine inspiration, with consolation and hope of a happier age. In the narrative, God told Ezekiel what to say.

‘You dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. This is what the Lord GOD says to these bones: ‘Behold, I am going to make breath enter you so that you may come to life. And I will attach tendons to you, make flesh grow back on you, cover you with skin, and put breath in you so that you may come to life; and you will know that I am the LORD.’”

So Ezekiel obeys and reports that in the vision, "there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone...and a great army was born."

Nothing is impossible with God. Israel needed a miracle, deliverance, and God was saying (my interpretation) that He would provide defense  with the cooperation through the obedience of His people. Note that Ezekiel did not say anything more or less that what God said to say. He didn't add his own wisdom or finish God's sentences with his own strategy. It was the Word of the Lord that Ezekiel spoke.

Devotionally speaking, within our own moments of noticing a valley of dry bones before us, and the "finality" it contains in the natural,( ie. failed efforts to make consistent healthy choices, strained finances, broken relationships) the question for us to consider is the same that was presented to Ezekiel,

"Can these dry bones live?"

In other words, Can this blank canvas result in what is hoped for? Can this garden/field cultivated produce the crop I desire?

The answer is YES. We can choose finality and protect ourselves form disappointment, or we can choose to speak the blessings and the Word of the Lord over our circumstance and hopes. For with God, all things are possible and in Him, we have the tools at our disposal to do our part. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and using the Word of God, we can prophesy over our own lives for good health and  to make good choices and allowing God to work out the details.

What do I mean by prophesying the Word over our lives?  I mean claim a scripture for yourself, within context, a promise of God to His people. A consistant verse we use is Psalm 37:3-5

Trust in the LORD and do good;

Live in the land and cultivate faithfulness [feed on, remind yourself of His faithfulness].

Delight [be pliable, be teachable]  yourself in the LORD;

And He will give you the desires [request, petition] of your heart.

Commit [roll together] your way to the LORD,

Trust also in Him, and He will do it.

( Tangent: That "roll together" is interesting to me and I'll pursue it again sometime, but the first thing that I think of is cooking and the combining of things for a recipe. When it is rolled together it become one thing.)

As believers in Christ we move from revelation to revelation, from glory to glory as we are perfected in Him. Sometimes we fall back a step or two and need to be corrected and put back up on the path we so greatly desire to walk. It's okay. God is all about "reset" and "renew" and "reform" for we have been "redeemed" and we are His.

God cares about us NOW and wants to help us move toward His plan for humanity that includes us. We need to be at our best.

We also have free will to choose what we want to do:

We can accept and receive His Word of Truth, His Will (regarding us individually and corporately) and His Way (strategy). And in that sense, as Psalm 37 says, when we receive His offer  to "roll our desires up" into His ways with His wisdom, "He will do it." Will it look like what was expected? Maybe, but our minds are limited. We don't see all the moving parts. Read Psalm 37 for more...

The other choice is to go it on our own. Make our own choices according to our own will, experience and desires. I've been down this road before, valuing my own perceived safety over the ways of God. I've rejected the tools of prophesy and life to simply happen to me rather than claiming the promises of God. This isn't a satisfying way to live. It does not result in the full abundant life God has for us. But it is possible to live this way and God still loves us, roots for us to succeed.

Grace and Peace, and Happy New Year,

Anne