Will you face a trial in 2024?

Here's a word of encouragement...

Happy January 2024!! I hope your year is off to a good start!

*Snag my doodle above to create something for your personal use or ministry.

Today is my birthday. I'm celebrating my 56th birthday. Yes, I’m an old antique! I still miss the sound of dialing on a rotary phone. haha

As I start planning my goals for a new year, I try not to plan too many goals at once. I simply try to see where I want to focus most.

As always, one of my top priorities is restarting my Bible reading schedule. I don’t necessarily read the New Testament in the same order that’s in my Bible.

Yesterday, in Mark chapter one, I was reading about when John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.

In Mark 1:11 KJV, it says, “And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

So, we see directly that God said He was well-pleased when Jesus was baptized at that moment.

But, in the next two verses (12 & 13), we read, “And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.”

I thought this was deeply interesting…

We see that God just finished saying that He was well pleased with Jesus, but yet immediately Jesus was then placed into the wilderness, into a time of temptation and trial. (Wilderness? Wild Beasts? Oh my!)

I was pondering how sometimes, during trials, we ask ourselves, “What am I doing wrong, doesn't God love me anymore? Would I be going through this trial if God truly cared and loved me?

But from the Scripture references above, we clearly see that this is not the case. Sometimes, it's the season we're in, and God allows us to go through these trials to strengthen us and help our faith grow. Our faith is sometimes tested, even though we’ve been very faithful to what we’re supposed to be doing.

As we walk through 2024, we may face some big trials. Let's not get discouraged, nor feel like we're doing something wrong or that God doesn't love us when we go through those trials.

Side note: Yes, sometimes we do go through difficulties when God is chastising us. So when you're going through a rough time, do consider if is there something you need to change. We do seemingly know the trial is a chastisement…God does prick our hearts quickly if we've been doing something we shouldn't.

We don't always understand the “why” of our trials. I surely don't understand why immediately Jesus was thrown here into the wilderness and went through this time of trial for 40 days just after God said He was well pleased with him; however, I thought it was a little golden nugget for the start of the new year. Something worth remembering.

Well, I hope you have a wonderful year ahead. May your goals and main focus be to please God in 2024.

“Accountability” to God is my word of the year. I want to do all that I can to be an encouragement to others, to be a good wife, a good mother, and above all, a good Christian for the glory of God.

My dad shared this Bible verse this morning, and I think it is fitting for you and I on the topic of “accountability”… and being a light to share the gospel, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 KJV

*Snag my creative above to create something for your personal use or ministry.