2019 WORDS: Trust & Intentional

Ahhh, the new year! Goals, plans, new focus.

Many people make resolutions to improve their lives, some claim a Bible verse to live by, and others focus on a word to be the lighthouse of their year.

Through my 33 years I have done all of these, but never consistently. This year God put on my heart a word, well, actually two. One word is for my  vertical realtionship (heavenly), the other is for my horizontal relationships (earthly).

When it comes to my relationship with the LORD, He is continuing to tell me to TRUST Him. Trust His plan for my life, Trust Him with our finances, Trust Him with my children, Trust Him and His word. The Holy Spirit is guiding me with this by continually putting the old hymn in my mind:

Trust and Obey

John H. Sammis, 1887

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way!

While we do His good will, He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain:

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,

But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love

Until all on the altar we lay;

For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet,

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;

What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;

Never fear, only trust and obey.

I grew up with this old hymn, and it speaks to my heart. Trust and Obey - Trust God, Obey His commands. This is how we are to live our life. How to live the Christian life.

Then there are my earthly relationships. I am working on being more intentional.

• Looking people in the eye when I speak to them
• Saying a person's name when I am talking to them
• putting my phone away when someone is talking to me
• Praying immediately when someone tells me a need
• Reaching out to my friends
• Writing down what people say to me, and following up on events they attend, or projects they complete.

By being intentional, I am investing in my relationships. I am making them more personal. I am getting to know those in my life better. I am proving that I care.