Well, it’s been a month since I’ve written.  I hope all of my readers had a wonderful Christmas break—I know I did.  Even though it’s been a while, you have not been far from my thoughts.  I’ve been praying and considering what God wanted me to share with you next the whole time.  He’s laid several messages on my heart, the one I think He most wants me to share is especially pertinent as we begin a new year.  I pray it blesses you as you bless me.

 It’s common and, I believe, good practice at the beginning of each year to take stock at where we are in life, and where we want to be.  We make resolutions to improve our health, set personal and professional goals, and we reevaluate our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Most of us set these resolutions with the best of intentions.  Even if we rarely achieve them, we desire to improve our lives.  This year, however, I’ve decided not to make any resolutions.  Instead of making a laundry list of new goals, this year I’ve decided to hide more.

 Before you go thinking I’m going to become a hermit, hear me out. Throughout this transition period that I’m in right now, God’s been reminding me of things.  He’s reminded me of the time when I was driving down the road on the way to a job I hated when I prayed, “Lord, I don’t know where this road I’m on is leading me, but I want You to lead my steps.  I give everything to You, and I want you to use me for Your glory.”  He’s been reminding me of verses like, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” Isaiah 55: 9.  And, 1 Corinthians 1:27 “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.”

I know God has been leading me down a path of total surrender to Him.  And, that may look messy.  It may make no sense to the world or even to those I love, but I know that He knows best.

 Now that you know from what part of my heart I’m speaking from, let me show you an area He’s been refining in me lately.  You see, in this time of transition He’s been really growing me.  He’s been showing me that He really can do all things.  And He’s been showing me more of His heart.  I used to think I had all the answers, but during this time of regrowth, He’s been showing me how to love others like He does, and how to see the world through His eyes.  My eyes are sinful and limiting, but His eyes are perfect and are limitless.

 All of this brings me to my decision to hide more.  One of my favorite old hymns illustrates what I’m hoping to achieve.  Here’s the story behind the hymn. (There is some disagreement about whether this actually happened, but I’m including it because it’s a wonderful illustration).  Augustus Toplady, a young Methodist minister serving in England, was traveling home one evening after particularly hard day.  It’s not known exactly what caused his weariness, but being in his twenties and already a preacher, it’s not hard to imagine what he had dealt with that day.  Toplady was not a popular young man.  He was eccentric and often considered rude.  Though he was brilliant and known for his academic achievements, he wasn’t good with people, and he wasn’t accepted.  This day had been difficult for him.  As he traveled home, it began to rain.  (Can’t you just sense his exasperation at this development?)  Before long the rain was so strong that he couldn’t see anything and he was losing footing.  At the exact time he needed it most, he came to a large rock, and even in the dark and with the rain pouring down all around him he found a cleft, or a crevice, just the size for him to squeeze into.  It was there that he came up with the first line from his most famous hymn, “Rock of ages, cleft for me, let me hide myself in thee…”

 Toplady only lived to be 38 years old.  He lived a sickly life and had a short ministry.  However, during that time, he learned how important it is to keep Christ first in your life.  Toplady was known for being strong-willed and obstinate, but in his personal writings we see him as a humble follower of Christ who believed  that Christ came to earth as a “double cure.”  He came to save us from our sins, and thusly from hell, but He also came to save us from ourselves.  He wants to make us righteous. That righteousness comes from Him, and not from ourselves.  It means that I am unable to live a life free from sin, but rather that I must allow Him to live through me.  I must hide myself in Him.  I must hide.

 This year, I want to live in His double cure.  This year, I want to focus on Christ first; I want to hide in the Rock and take in the fullness of the life He has given me.  I want to know what it’s like to be fully infused by His living water.  I want to understand more, love more, and share more, but I want to do this centered in Him.  So, this year, I’m not making resolutions, but I am resolute.  This year will be better than all of my other years combined.  This year will be about Him because I’m hiding in my Rock.

Staying Alert in Christ,

Megan

Playlist:

Rock of Ages, Chris Rice:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvlUiE_QMbU

All You Ever Wanted, Casting Crowns:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea-uQFPcvaM

Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone), Chris Tomlin:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-mNT0axB9U