Walking With Our Father
Trust in the Lord and do good; Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light And your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, Because they take refuge in Him.
Psalms 37:3-8, 39-40
Sometimes the Word seeks us out. I didn't go to find this passage first thing in the new year, but every word of this is what I need. It's really the cry of my soul to be able to do everything that this passage talks about, and yet I feel like I'm terrible at it.
Every Christmas, for the last 40 some years, every person in my family has drawn from a bowl the name of Christ that God wants them to focus on in the upcoming year. We pray over what He wants to reveal to us about Himself, and then ask Him to guide our hands as we draw. We put the names some place that we will see them every day and ask Him to guide our hearts, minds, soul, and strength after those things. For me, I put mine in the back of my clear phone case last year so that every time I turned my phone over it would remind me.
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6
Those are the four names that we pick between. Last year I got Everlasting Father, and my goodness did the Lord work on me in that. I spent all of last year at the feet of the Lord, often in tears. The weight on my soul was too much to stand, and I felt too broken to be able to stand anyways. And yet, the Lord had a dear friend remind me, that we aren't just at the feet of the Father, but that we are also held in His arms. We are His beloved children after all. That natural instinct that we have, especially that parents have, to hold tightly little children like they're the most precious thing in the world to us, that instinct comes from the Lord, because that's how He feels about us.
That shifted my perspective of the nature and character of the Lord for the rest of the year. I'm not just at the feet of the Lord, broken and lonely anymore, but I'm also held dearly in His arms. That mental image and realization didn't make my pain or brokenness go away, but it did teach me about the nature and character of my God. It shifted my perspective on how the Lord views me and how I should view Him. That reminder has helped carry me through pain that may have otherwise claimed my life. It started with the Lord's faithfulness to set my heart and mind to be prepared to seek after Him in that way, and then He had the friend speak truth lovingly into my life in a way that will likely alter my perspective of the Lord for the rest of my life. Thank you Lord for Your faithfulness and loving kindness.
The name I pulled for this next year, Wonderful Counselor, is quite honestly the name of the Lord that I may have wanted to see in my hands the least, but the one the Lord knows I need most. The other names of the Lord give me a hint of hope, whereas Wonderful Counselor makes me tentative. Mighty God - I would hopefully get to see the Lord move in powerful and wonderful ways. He would use His strength in my weakness to pull me from the torment that I face. Prince of Peace - I'd be able to look forward to the Lord hopefully giving me a peace that I've spent the majority of my years crying out for. Everlasting Father - I'd be able to focus on and learn even more about being held in the protecting and loving arms of my Father. It felt like the year ended and I was just starting to really grasp that, so more time in that would be welcome. But Wonderful Counselor... This one gives me pause. Honestly, my experience with counselors in the past has been a bit of a mixed bag. But one thing sticks in my mind when thinking of a counselor, that it means I likely have even more pain to walk through, and considering my soul is already so exhausted to the point where I weep for heaven, I'm really not looking forward to that. But the Lord knows that it's that exact thinking that means I need a Wonderful Counselor for this year. In fact, He knew that I needed it so much that I actually drew it twice. Once in my small group and once with my family.
And yet, Wonderful Counselor. A counselor tries to help you heal. Shoulders your burdens. And gives you strategy to live life more abundantly. A counselor partners with you and helps you see truth and new perspectives. A "wonderful" counselor accomplishes all of this and more. So I shouldn't fear it. I shouldn't see it in weariness but in comfort. It's the Lord's reminder to me that I'm never alone.. That I'm safe with Him. Lord, help me to lean in to You and Your truth as my Wonderful Counselor.
Last year I felt as if I couldn't walk at all and needed the Lord to carry me, in the arms of my Everlasting Father. This year I think the Lord is finally having me take steps, but I know that I truly need a Wonderful Counselor to walk alongside me to take them with me, to give me wisdom along the way. Every time I lift my foot I don't see the path where it's going to fall. I know that my trust and faith in the Lord in that needs to grow. I hope the Lord builds that in me and desperately hope that He gives peace in that process.
I know that just because we focus on one name of the Lord for a year doesn't mean the others are less true. I still hope I see Him work in those other names as well, but that first passage I read this year, the Psalms 37 verses that I started this writing with... Every single one of those words are ones that I need ingrained into my soul by my Wonderful Counselor. I'm hesitant and nervous by it, because I'm weary of what my soul feels may be even more pain ahead, but I'm trying to trust and hope in it.
I encourage anyone reading this, if you're not sure about new years resolutions and all that, or even if you are doing new years resolutions, choose one of these names of the Lord. Pray over it and ask Him to guide you to the one you should focus on, and then spend the year seeking after Him in that. Pray that He will reveal Himself to you in it and get into the Word to find it. As Charles Spurgeon said, "if you wish to know God you must know His Word" (meaning both Scripture and Christ).
Dear friends, let us spend this year at the feet of and in the arms of our Lord, while also walking step by step with Him. Not ahead or behind, but in stride with Him. Not even watching where our feet may fall as much as we watch for where His feet walk. For where and how He steps is where and how we step. Hand in hand with Him, as children walking along a path with their Father. Sometimes He'll need to carry us. Sometimes He'll tell us to wait while He clears the path ahead. Sometimes He'll tell us to pay extra attention to His steps as we cross a treacherous area. For He is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.
Danger comes when we run too far ahead of our Father, when we explore to the side with no path, or when we slow down and stay behind. But as long as we keep in step and in hand with Him, we'll be okay. Though, even if we do run ahead, to the side, or stay behind, He is still our Father. He still knows where we are. He's watching us even if we can't see Him and feel lost in the woods. He still picks us up and cherishes us when we stumble. No matter where we are, nothing can make us any less His beloved child, for He is our Everlasting Father. Everlasting. From the days before, this day, and forevermore. We are loved, dear friends. No matter how we hurt or ache. No matter the brokenness we see or feel. Our Father is still our Father, and our destination is destined to be His Home. He is building a place for us to be with there Him. So keep walking the path. For that path leads to everlasting life, and life abundantly.
