A Thought For The New Year

I picked up a new devotional yesterday. Yeah, I know it was already the 5th...but better late than never. I pretty much picked it out like I did last years' only at Half Price Books instead of Barnes and Noble. (There is an economic recession on, you know.)

I had met Kelli and Brooke for lunch at Panera Bread and Half Price Books is next door. I wanted to see if they had a One Year Bible...but as I got out of the car, I prayed that the Lord would just open my eyes to what He had for me.

As I walked into the 'Religion' section, a book on the top shelf caught my eye. "A Word For The Day" is the title. It is written by J. D. Watson, whom I had not heard of before this book...but it is published by AMG Publishers and I have a couple of their Bible dictionaries.

The layout of the devotions is to give a Greek word from the New Testament each day followed by an exposition of that word. I love delving into the meaning of words in the original Greek. I can't read Greek...but I have learned to use a concordance and dictionary over the years.

So, today, I was sitting in a waiting room...waiting to have an ultrasound of my thyroid at the hospital...and I pulled out the book to begin reading. I had read yesterday's devotion, but I have some OCD tendencies in that I HAVE TO READ EVERY SINGLE PAGE. I read the preface, the introduction - even the dedication.

As I read through the introduction, I came across a quote that stuck me to the core.

"I pray that this book will bless your heart, enrich your mind, stir your soul, and empower your life."

Whoa! I know that neither my life nor this blog have anywhere near the power or impact of God's Word...but I want these four things to be my guiding light for 2009. What a life lived if someone can say that you have blessed their heart, enriched their mind, stirred their soul and empowered their life!

I think I am going to let this stew a little longer. It has stirred my heart in such a way that I recognize the still small voice God. Where He is leading or what He has for me to learn, I don't know yet. But I do know that He who has begun a good work in me will be faithful to complete it. (Phil 1:6)