Year of Jubilee

Leviticus 25: 14

In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to their own property.

Well, we certainly did return to our own property and stayed there. 2020 is the year we will not forget. Many people have surrounded themselves with more deep thought and philosophy in the months since the coronavirus invaded our lives than perhaps in entire years. Here is the question, though, what do you want to be able to say in say, 2022 when you look back at this year? Will you be able to say that despite the monumental challenges, the unprecedented impact upon our way of living, that you, none the less, we’re able to come out the other side having gained something important?

This could be our year of jubilee despite the trials. It could be the year of redemption. Perhaps this is the year you drew closer to God. Maybe you want to use this time to get in better shape, read a book, do that project that has been neglected. Maybe it is time to work on a degree or undertake a crazy idea for which you have not had time. This might be the year your prayer life takes on a substantial change. There are all kinds of things you can do to redeem this time so that positives come out of this time.

Romans 8: 28 says that God will take whatever lemons life hands you and make lemonade from them. Of course, it is a partnership, right? You and the Lord. Together you can find ways to redeem the year that the locust has stolen. I live by this verse. It is a promise from our Lord, so I am always looking for lemonade, and I love lemonade.

Another philosophy of mine is that today is January 1st, every day is January 1st. By this I mean that we get to treat every day as if it is the first day of the year. We get to start over whenever we want. So, I am suggesting today is January 1st. You are confronted with life being very different. What do you want to do with it? What do want to say about you and your life when this is all said and done? This year has been very disruptive but what can you do to redeem the rest of the year?

What if you decided to write a book? I want you to think big and decide to be better coming out of this year than when you began. I hope you will have grown spiritually as well as personally. Write the book, read one. Paint, workout, walk, learn to play bridge, sit outside, talk with your Father. What will be your silver lining? What will you say you got out of this year?

Let’s all share our thoughts. Leave a comment to this post. We can use this forum to encourage each other to make the best out of a difficult year. Let this be our Year of Jubilee where we redeem the land we lost.

Bad Seed

Job 4: 8

According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity and those who sow trouble harvest it.

According to what I have seen, this verse is true, alarmingly true. Sometimes when bad things happen it is, unfortunately, because we have sown bad seed. It is almost frightening at times to think about what kind of seed we might have in the ground. Whatever we have sown will produce a harvest. Galatians 6: 7 couldn’t be more clear, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” This may sound like pretty bad news but we have heard that the Gospel is supposed to be good news, so, how can this verse inform our lives for the positive?

First, if you are living in a deluge of bad things happening, frustrations and just generally unsettled waters, inquire of the Lord if any of it is the harvest of seed you have sown. We certainly don’t want to hear God tell us, “yes,” but even if He does, at least we can develop a strategy for overcoming it. Remember that Jesus made us overcomers. If the answer is yes, there is an answer because Jesus made a way for us. You can ask your Father what the seed was, and then it is as simple as repenting. What is repentance? It is a change of direction, a change of heart, a change of mind. If you will just tell God with a sincere heart that you are sorry and that is not what you want for your life He will shower you with the fruit of His forgiveness.

Next, ask Him to redeem the bad seed. Ask Him to kill it at the root. You can also ask Him to reveal to you any other bad seed and the two of you can uproot it. You do not have to live with the produce of your errors but you do have to be sincere about your change of direction if you want Dad to destroy the bad crop.

Look, everyone makes mistakes and we are all learning and growing. Sometimes we let that old dead man out of his grave and he always sows bad seed. No worries. Jesus is the master gardener. Humbly ask him to help you and he will hoe new ground shoulder to shoulder with you.

Lastly, if you are sowing discord, grief, or any negativity into the lives of others, please be advised. It is going to come back to you. And the great and horrible thing about a seed is that it produces much more harvest than its size. There is forgiveness for this but you need the help of the Father. Humility and honesty will avail much. Prostrate your ego at the feet of Jesus and he will help you.