Isaiah 42:16 “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.”
I, like so many others across the world, like to make New Year’s resolutions. There’s something about the start of a new calendar year that breathes enthusiasm and hope into a life in need of a change. Resolutions bring a peaceful close to the past 12 months as we think, this year, things will be different. However, for most people, by February, resolutions fail and the peace that we once held onto becomes the calm before the storm. The busyness of life creeps in, and we are left scratching our heads, wondering why we couldn’t keep our oaths of change. Could it be that our worldly resolutions need to be guided by some spiritual revelations? I think so.
For many years, I never considered what God would have my New Year’s resolution to be. I focused on the things I wanted to change in my life, not the things He wanted me to change. But then, this year, I came across the prophet Isaiah’s words “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them” (Isaiah 42:16). I realized through this verse how desperate our Father is to direct, not only our resolutions, but also our daily lives. He wants our focus to be on Him consistently allowing His Holy Spirit to guide our every move, word, and thought. It’s the reason He sent His son to die on the cross for our sins, and the reason Jesus told us that He came so that we “might have life and have it more abundantly” (John
10:10). I had to ask myself, do I believe this – do I trust that my God is a personal God who cares about every decision I make? It was this revelation that led me to begin this blog.
If you are a believer in
Jesus Christ, how often do you think about the redeeming sacrifice our Lord made when He sent His son to die on the cross for our sins? If you are like me – not often enough. Our redemption was bought only at the price of our Savior’s blood, and it’s almost incomprehensible to understand! The unconditional love our Father bestowed upon us the day of
Calvary and lavishes upon us on a daily basis is so unlike the world in which we live, that we rarely pause to really think about what He did in order for us to be delivered from the “sin that so easily entangles us” (Hebrews 12:1). While its a continuous struggle to keep my focus on my Heavenly destination, it is His redeeming love that has completely redirected my life over the past ten years. My God has proven over and over again to me what that “abundant life” really is – leading me to step out in faith and create “redeemed and redirected.”
My prayer is that each week God will give me the words He would have me write, and that “redeemed and redirected” won’t be about me, but about revelations of His character and His ways, allowing His glory to shine above all else. So, I’m excited to begin this new experience with our great Lord and with you, and I’m looking forward to what He has in store for each of us!
Until next week, I leave you in His magnificent name and redeeming love…Katie
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Redeemed and Redirected 
Katie,
Your faith is a beautiful thing! Keep up the good work, I look forward to reading your blog! Sully
Thanks so much Jeff for your words of encouragement!!
Katie,
Congrats to you for writing this blog. The words God gives you to write will inspire so many people. I look forward to reading weekly.
~ Stephanie
Thank you so much Stephanie for supporting me – we’ll see where He leads us! Blessings to you! Katie
What a beautiful testimony you are providing of God’s grace, how his love can completely redeem and redirect the course of your life and through you change the lives of others. Looking forward to your next installment!
Congratulations on the start of what will truly be an amazing journey,
Polly
You gave me the courage to go forth with this – it just took me a year to do it! Thank you so much for your support! I’ll be calling you with questions on navigating through this! Love to you!
Katie – Your blog is great and I look forward to reading what He leads you to write…thanks for sharing!
Kim, thanks so much for reading it and for your encouraging words – it will be a journey for me! Happy New Year to you and your sweet family! Katie
What a blessing it was to read your blog today! The scripture couldn’t be more applicable to my life as I have been thinking alot about “resolutions” in the last few weeks. I am excited to see where God leads us all in 2012! I will be praying for you Katie as God speaks to all of us through your writing! In Christ, Stephanie
Steph – thanks so much for sending me your support – what a blessing you are to me! So thankful we will experience 2012 together! I love you! K
katie God bless you so much for your encouraged word a time like this ,
jane