2024 is on the horizon! What lies ahead?
Will this be a Black Swan year — with an high-impact event and global uncertainty? Will this election year bring chaos in the USA with threats of a great reset, financial collapse, wars, cyberattacks, an EMP strike … or worse, a civil war?
Or, will this be your best year yet — based upon God’s Word, and your faith in Jesus, His blood and His Name?
Or, all of the above????
If I have your attention, I want to wish you a blessed and happy New Year as I share this week’s blog — “A Word, A Song and A Laugh” — to look ahead into 2024.
A WORD
The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
Proverbs 4:18
If we believe God and His Word … then the future for believers in Jesus — those who have been made the “righteousness of God in Christ” — is guaranteed to shine brighter and brighter!
At the same time, the Bible tells us that perilous times and persecutions are also a part of the last days global scene. In 2024, according to many respected prognosticators, it’s possible that a Black Swan event defined as: a rare event that seems to “drop out of the sky” with a world-shaking impact (think 9/11, pandemic, etc.) … will be put forth.
How do we reconcile the idea that while the world could get darker, believers can count on their lives getting brighter? Because God’s Word tells us so.
Isaiah 60 speaks about God’s people (Israel and the Church) and our future. “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.”
So, how should we approach the New Year and what should we be doing as 2024 gets started? Let’s look at 3 things we can do.
1. Get Your Mouth in Agreement with God
Let’s start by setting the rudder of our lives, our tongue, to sail in the direction of God’s will this year. Find out what God has promised you in His Word; then speak and declare those things over your life. What an advantage God has given us, that we can put His promises in our mouths and declare our future by calling things that do not currently exist as though they did. We can declare the end of 2024 from the beginning.
Proverbs 18:21, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Job 22:28, “You will also declare a thing, and it will be established for you; so light will shine on your ways.”
Romans 4:17, “God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did…”
1 Peter 3:10, “For the Scriptures say, ‘If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.’ ”
>> Practically speaking, we can say things like: I am always at the right place at the right time. I am surrounded with God’s favor. I am protected and He orders my steps. I am blessed. I have God’s wisdom and I am led by the Holy Spirit. I have an abundant life in every way. I am healed, healthy, whole and full of energy. I get stronger every day. I have a peaceful heart, a sound mind and a blessed memory. I am an ambassador for Christ. I am loved by God. The Name of Jesus is my strong tower and I am safe in Him. His blood covers me, my family, my church, my community, my country. The enemy is defeated and Jesus is Lord of my life and my family.
Get the idea? You can customize the things you say per God’s promises to you and the desires He has put in your heart.
>> On the contrary, be vigilant and don’t say things like: I am so sick of this or that. I am so tired. I can’t take it anymore. I’m scared to death. I am falling apart. I can’t get a break. That just kills me. I can’t stand this or that. Every year it gets worse and worse. I never have enough. Nothing ever goes my way. I knew it wouldn’t work out. I am in a panic. That just worries me to pieces. If it’s not one thing, it’s another.
Don’t declare “evil” or “lies” - by saying things that are contrary to what God has promised.
If it’s true that the power of life and death is in the tongue and we eat the fruit of our words, let’s start 2024 off by speaking words that will produce the fruit we want to eat. :)
2. Live by Faith not Fear
As believers, our DNA is faith, not fear.
>> To live by faith is to take God at His Word. To believe He meant what He said. To trust that He really does love us and He does good. Then, to act boldly in accordance with those beliefs.
>> To live by fear is to doubt God and His Word. To not believe He meant what He said. To not trust that He love us nor that He does good. Then, to shrink back, hunker down and live a small and timid life in accordance with those beliefs.
Don’t live in fear when we can live by faith in 2024. If God is for you, who can be against you?
Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
2 Timothy 1:7, “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
3. Sing Your Song and Keep Your Joy
These are the days, ya’ll! We were born for this. Whether we are in the midst of trials and persecutions or celebrating great blessings and victories; we, like Esther, are here for such a time as this.
When we stay full of joy with a song in our hearts, this keeps us strong in the Lord — strong for ourselves and strong to help those around us!
The Bible is full of stories where God gave His people supernatural victories as they sang His praises, sang of His salvation, sang songs of deliverance … and kept their joy!
Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”
Nehemiah 8:10, “ … Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Psalm 32:7, “You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.”
2 Chronicles 20:21-22, “…the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: ‘Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!’ At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves.”
Acts 16:25-26, “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.”
Can you see the connection between choosing joy, singing His praises and having His strength and victory?
>> Carve out time every day to sing! Go for a drive and put on a playlist of praise and worship then sing every song from your heart to God’s heart, Watch the Lord bring joy, strength and breakthrough into your life. This is the recipe for 2024!
So, in the end it doesn’t matter if there is a Black Swan event or not this year — if we will put these things into practice, we’ll have our best and brightest year yet, in Jesus’ Name!
