So, two weeks ago, I turned 24 and had a party and made my favorite bundt cake (recipe to come!!!).
When it came time to add another number to my age this year, I had a lot of thoughts. This has been a year when God has been teaching me that:
to behold is to become
to become you must behold
we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
(2 Cor. 3:18)
Everywhere I turn, I am reading or hearing someone say some variation of those phrases.
If you've been around here for a while, you know that my greatest joy and aspiration in life is to become like my Savior. He is my only hope. He is my anchor. He is my guide. I love knowing that God has committed Himself to helping me to see His glory and to use that sight to make me more like Jesus Christ.
I've been coming to this space for years now to share some of these glimpses and to share the highs (and lows) of life.
23 was a pretty awesome year. I really don't think 24 can even compete.
God is still teaching me this "to behold is to become" business, so I must have a lot more to get to the bottom of.
During my last week of 23, I read a book that Jay brought back from his trip to Florida this year. The book is "The Evangelistic Zeal of George Whitefield" by Steven J. Lawson. I love reading about people who truly were committed to God and depended on Him with every fiber of their being. Whitefield was such a man.
Did you know that someone tried to attack him in his bed?
Did you know that he preached tirelessly until his dying day?
Did you know that he is probably the reason why Phyllis Wheatley ended up published?
As I reflect on 23 and embrace 24, I continue about the business of setting my hope in God. I thank Him for these men who have honored His name above their own. I pray that I would behold Him and that beholding Him I would be transformed. I pray that I would have the same wherewithal that drove Whitefield until his last so that wherever life takes, I can truly say, "I will fear no evil". I pray that the words of my mouth would be a fountain of life and that my influence would inspire many to join in on the praises of our great God.
What has God been teaching you this year?
How many candles are on YOUR cake?
I love this post! Happy belated birthday!!! "I will fear no evil" is something God's put on my heart lately, too. I'm definitely not great at it yet ;-)
ReplyDeleteFirst off, happy birthday!! What an exciting time to reflect on what God has been teaching you! Do you journal? I love journaling things that I feel God is teaching me and then I get very encouraged to read through the journals every once in a while and see His faithfulness ALL through it!
ReplyDeleteI've heard of George Whitefield! Those are awesome facts about him (scary that someone tried to attack him in his room!).
God has been teaching me to rest and delight in Him this year! And He has been so amazingly good to be this year! I just turned 28 this summer and I can tell you, it gets better and better!
happy happy birthday! :)
ReplyDeletei've got 26 candles on my cake!
i love your thoughts on 24...and what God is teaching you. 23 was a fabulous year for you, and i really believe 24 will hold great wonders!
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