“It is truly wonderful when the people of God live together in peace.”—Psalm 133:1 (CEV)

Although it has taken me 3 weeks to get to this post, at least I am getting it done in the first month of the year!

As I reflected on 2023, I have prayed for God’s direction by asking Him to reveal to me how and where to put my focus for this upcoming year. I have no idea what 2024 holds for me or our world, but God does. As I shared earlier this month, staying in His Word is the only way for me to stay grounded.

I did shift gears last week with my Bible reading plan. I had chosen The Bible Reading Coach with Karl Vaters. I thought I would rather have a weekly podcast versus the daily one. I was wrong. By week two, I realized that I also prefer reading the Bible chronologically instead of book by book.

I have now switched to Wondered by the Word by Brittany Rust. It is also on the YouVersion app.  It is a chronological Bible reading plan with a daily podcast that is anywhere from 5-10 minutes 6 days a week, so I get the one day break I was wanting. I was even able to catch up to where I need to be to stay on track for the year. It is a much better fit for me. As you can see, there is not a one size fits all when it comes to this. There should be no guilt if like me, you start one and realize it isn’t right for you.

Going back to my blog post title, rather than have a New Year’s Resolution, I choose a word (this year it is actually 2 words) and scripture to focus on for the year. For 2024, God impressed on my heart the words, Positive Peace along with Psalm 133:1, “It is truly wonderful when the people of God live together in peace.”—Psalm 133:1 (CEV)

With this being a big election year for the United States, walking in love may be a challenge. As a Christian, I do struggle with listening or reading about other believers who support candidates whose policies clearly don’t align with scripture. I continue to pray for conviction for our leaders who profess they are Christ followers, yet their platforms contradict biblical principles.

 I know I will need to limit my time on social media due to all of the negativity (from both sides) that I will see. While I know many Christians have strong feelings about certain candidates, others are watching. We need to be very careful the words we say and type. Are they God honoring? If not, then don’t hit, send or post it for everyone to see.

It truly is wonderful for God to see His children living in unity together. It is not easy for us to stay positive and live peacefully among those who may persecute us for our Christian values. I know how hard it is to not get sucked into the negative news….at least it is for me.

While I need to stay informed with what is going on in our world as well as educate myself on ALL candidates before I cast any ballots this fall, I am going to do my best to display the love of Christ with my words and actions. Part of God’s plan for His disciples is to model the love of Christ in all we say and do.

Let us live 2024 with a Positive Peace by modeling Christlike behavior that will lead others closer to Jesus.

 Father God,

Thank You for leading me to a Bible reading plan that will help me grow in Your Word. I praise You for those You have gifted to teach the Bible to increase Christ followers knowledge of who You are. Forgive me when I let my emotions dictate my thoughts and actions. Help me to exude peace and positivity when negativity is bombarding me. Use me as a vessel to show the love of Jesus to a lost and broken world. I pray these things in the Mighty Name of Jesus. Amen

January Verse

“It is truly wonderful when the people of God live together in peace.” —Psalm 133:1 (CEV)
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