For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. —Philippians 1:6 (NASB1995)
The other day while I was praying for some friends, I had a prophetic vision of the Lord Jesus standing with a clipboard outside a building. Light shone when He moved, and He looked up with a huge smile. As the Architect of their lives, I knew He was ready for an inspection. Later, as I prayed about what He wanted to say for December, that image returned.
December is often a month for reflection and preparation for the coming new year. But this year I sense the urgency of an unexpected opportunity waiting around the corner. There is hope and energy in His eyes, as He encourages us to finish those things we are still working on so we can jump into the new.
The first step is to take
inventory of the past year with Him. What worked, what did not? There is no
condemnation for failure. He wants you to see Him as your Guide, your Teacher,
who knows you learn from mistakes as much as successes. He enjoys walking on
the journey with us and would like each one of us to find time to sit with Him
and reflect on the past year.
The second step is to clean
out the cupboards with Him. Ask Him what projects, ideas, and responsibilities
need to continue and what needs to be left behind. I have a strong sense the
year 2025 will have opportunities to expand your tent pegs, but you will
need to be prepared for those opportunities. He is inviting you to let go of responsibilities,
personal agendas, or pipe dreams that did not originate with Him. It is also
time to get rid of offenses and disappointments, which have the potential to
overshadow the good things He has in store for you. Be brave and let Him shine
His light into those places. They don’t freak Him out. He loves to see us free!
The final step is to look at
what is in your hand. What has He already put within you that He wants to use
for your expansion? It may not seem grand, but in His Kingdom, even the
smallest impact has great value. Allow yourself time to dream with Him about
the possibilities. See through the eyes of your Architect and then make
preparations for what He wants to build in you, through you, and/or around you.
You are in this with Him, and He will continue to perfect His work in you!
Encountering Jesus as our
Architect will help us prepare for the new year ahead—a year full of
possibility. As I finished writing down what the Lord was saying for December,
He whispered one more thing, “Aslan is on the move.” This is a quote from The
Chronicles of Narnia, which indicates the enemy’s entrapments are weakening and
God is bringing change and deliverance. Battles may ensue, but we will be
victorious as we look to our King.
Let’s take inventory with
Jesus, prepare ourselves for the future, and wait with joyful anticipation for
what He has in store!
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