The new year is a good time to reflect on our lives. You may have had a great 2022, or you may have faced numerous challenges. Either way, it is now in the past. It is time to move forward. Forward is the word I sensed God gave me for my own life for 2023, and I believe God may be speaking the same thing to you.
Philippians 3:13 (TPT) says, “I do have one compelling focus: I forget all the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead.” God gives us treasured memories, but we must turn our main focus, attention, and emotions toward the future. Isaiah 43:18 (CEB) says, “Don’t ponder ancient history.” The Message Bible of this verse says, “Don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it?”
When God freed the Israelites from Egyptian bondage, and they faced the Red Sea, God spoke to Moses, saying, “Tell the people of Israel to go forward.” Then after forty years in the wilderness, God said, “You have stayed long enough on this mountain. Turn and set your journey to go.” God is always moving His chosen people forward.
The Passion Translation of Proverbs 4:25 says, “Set your gaze on the path before you, with fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions.” There will always be distractions, but we must keep our minds and hearts focused on the purpose and plan God has for us.
There will always be distractions, but we must keep our minds and heartsfocused on the purpose and plan God has for us.
You may not know all God has planned for you this year, but Proverbs 4:18 (NASB) says, “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.” As dawn breaks, we are able to slowly start seeing the landscape, but it is still dim. But as the sun rises more, we’re able to see more clearly, as well as further. In the same way, we will not see all the paths God has for us for 2023 at this time, but as we walk in the light He’s given, He will reveal more to us.
Spending time in God’s word is vital to hearing His voice and knowing what He wants for us. Psalm 119:105 (TPT) says, “Truth’s shining light guides me in my choices and decisions; the revelation of your Word makes my pathway clear.” May we all take time to hear His voice, pray, and seek His face this year as we move forward into our callings.
Bonnie Hammer
My passion is teaching the Word of God. I had a supernatural encounter with God through reading the Word so I know firsthand the power it has to revolutionize a person’s life. I desire to see women come to understand who they are in Christ and experience freedom in every area of their lives. Besides teaching the Word, I love spending time with my family.