What does 2022 bring? This year when praying and seeking the Lord – both Karen and I look to hear some direction from the Holy Spirit. Karen usually receives a single word describing the focus of the year He wants us to examine. The Lord usually speaks a phrase or sentence to me – and when the year ends we find that all year long – it is exactly what the Father wanted for this year…
It might be easy to allow sentiments of our nation and in our nation to affect how we feel about 2022 – however – God’s Kingdom – is not subject to the decisions of men – no matter where an authority may reside. We must remember that – each of us has a role, a calling, and a direction to follow. When we resonate with the truth of God’s design and will for our lives – we will not only survive a calamity, but we will also thrive through it because we walk in obedience.
What does that look like? – the details to follow – remember 2020 – “clear vision” – election prophecies – etc.? I’m not going to go that direction because as it looks the USA may face some of its darkest hours from what we have known personally. This will be a year of introspection and of planting seed – internally and bringing the fruit to those around us. This is a spiritual thing – as we grow in the Spirit of Truth – the fruit will abound around us. There has been a great deal of deception, delusion, and misdirection in years past. The focus has not been reaching people with the Gospel and raising disciples = it has been on other things, and while this “pandemic” and the responses to it have damaged many families and hearts, individual economies, and the Church at large – there are few voices of truth and hope, encouraging folks to grow in their walk with the Father.
Joyce Meyer says this – “The eagle has no fear of adversity. We need to be like the eagle and have a fearless spirit of a conqueror.” Despite all that has happened these past couple of years – tenacity and resolve must be in the life of every believer – and we can only have those through the humbling of ourselves to the Father’s will – John records this in Revelation 12:11 – “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” and most of the time we stop there and love celebrating these two aspects of victory – yet we forget the remainder of the verse – “and they loved not their lives unto the death”.
2022 – must be a year for the Believer to not only overcome but to see fruit abound in and outside of them – only because the Father is working life in and through them. When we even look at the year number spelled out in Hebrew, it describes this picture… 2022 is 5782 in the Hebrew calendar – which is Heh – Look, reveal, breath, window, eternity, Yod – Work, throw, hand, Final Nun – Fish, seed, to sprout, offspring, heir, continue, Pey – Blow, scatter, edge, mouth, and Bet – Home, family, the body, within or inside.
What does this say to us? – you could put this together to say the Father is breathing revelation into our work and children, blowing life into our homes… an eternity of throwing our seed but seeing it not only scattered outward but within as well. I believe supernatural life is coming to the Body SO we can see the Kingdom demonstrated across the mire of religion, deception, depravity, pain, addiction, unbelief, and doubt. The physical bodies of believers walking out the Kingdom will be that of walking in wholeness and being imagers of the Father; in seeing that same thing occur in others through the Life of the Spirit.
Despair will turn to miracles. In John 16:20-22 – Yeshua tells His disciples this – “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you.”
There is a pattern throughout Scripture of this very thing. I believe we are at the precipice of our sorrow turning to joy – that the revelation of Yeshua will come to many. You can choose to act like a victim in this season – or act like one who is ready for the wave of His presence just before His return – Yeshua again addresses His disciples in Luke 21:25-28 – “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
How we endure the trials and troubles of life is how we place them all in perspective. It does not mean these things do not hurt, create pain, etc. – It means we either trust Him every moment, every day – or we act like everyone else in the world and are not different – showing no hope. I am reminded of the words penned by Louisa M. R. Stead Born in Dover, England, and accepting Messiah at the age of nine, Stead came to the United States in 1871, living in Cincinnati. She attended a camp meeting in Urbana, Ohio, where she dedicated her life to missionary service. Ill health prevented her from serving initially. She married in 1875, and the couple had a daughter, Lily. Historian Kenneth Osbeck describes a major turning point in the family’s life:
“When the child was four years of age, the family decided one day to enjoy the sunny beach at Long Island Sound, New York. While eating their picnic lunch, they suddenly heard cries of help and spotted a drowning boy in the sea. Mr. Stead charged into the water. As often happens, however, the struggling boy pulled his rescuer underwater with him, and both drowned before the terrified eyes of wife and daughter. Out of her ‘why?’ struggle with God during the ensuing days glowed these meaningful words from the soul of Louisa Stead.”
The hymn, “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus” was inspired by this personal tragedy. If you have never heard it – these are the lyrics – I sang this hymn for months after the passing of both my brother and my dad…
‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
and to take him at his word;
just to rest upon his promise,
and to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more!
Be encouraged for 2022 – not afraid, concerned, or wondering. Yeshua, as he left this realm for the eternal – said this, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” – Now is the time to get your Emotional IQ in order – mature, and take the Kingdom of God to those around you…will you join me in making 2022 a year of His grace in us to make more of His Kingdom known to the world?
Shalom,
