Year 30- Witness

This birthday feels like being gifted a new journal. 3,652 pages of possibility are bound together in this dazzling new decade titled "My 30s."

Many reported to me their 30s were their best years. I hope the same will be true for me; I will endeavor to make it so.

I feel every single bit of the weight of 30. I am no longer a child. I am no longer a girl. There is more gravity here. I am a woman. A woman with a call, mission, and purpose to fulfill. A woman fully aware of the fleeting of time and awake with the urgency to redeem it. A woman motivated by the depth of great love and the pain of great loss.

I have been seeking the Lord for fresh direction for my 30s.

The verb "Witness" was breathed into my spirit during prayer leading up to my birthday. As normally happens, I continued to bump into this word in sermons, songs, books and podcasts over the following weeks.

God revealed a two-fold interpretation of the verb witness.

There is an obvious active application. 

As a spirit-filled believer, I am activated and empowered to be a global witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

Acts 1:8 says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” 

This year, I desire to be a trusty witness of Jesus everywhere my feet take me.

I want Jesus to pour out of me in every conversation. I want to pause and pray for people the moment a need is expressed. I want to silence the voices of depression, anxiety, fear, and shame and declare the truth of abundant life in Christ. I want to display the freedom He freed me for and live completely unburdened by previous hangups and failures. I want to be salt in unsavory places and light in dark places. I want to walk in a newness of life so remarkable others can’t help but think, “I want what she’s got,” and I can't help but share it with them.

As I enter this new decade, I want to be a witness of Jesus. 

I want to be a witness for Jesus. 

I want to be a witness about Jesus. 

I would have been content to stop there and embark on this “Witness” journey, but the Lord impressed me there was another side to this coin. 

Jesus doesn’t just want me to witness on behalf of Him; this year Jesus wants me to witness HIM.

Jesus wants me to witness HIM being who His Word says He will be!

Admittedly, I get caught up striving to earn His blessing, favor, and love. At this new juncture, I feel a strong invitation to cease clamoring for His approval and instead bask in the benefits of being His daughter.

This year, Jesus is calling: “Stand still and WITNESS ME.”

Witness Me do the impossible.

Witness Me turn it in your favor.

Witness Me renew your mind.

Witness Me transform your ashes into beauty.

Witness Me bring the increase.

Witness Me resurrect those dreams.

Witness Me respond to your prayers and heart cries.

Witness Me make a way in the wilderness and a river in the desert.

Witness Me as your Savior - delivering you from your fears. 

Witness Me as your Bridegroom- purifying you with my love. 

Witness Me as your Refuge- sheltering you through the storms. 

Witness Me as your Shepherd- guiding you to green pastures and still waters.

Witness Me as your Provider- giving you good gifts in My timing. 

Witness Me as your Reward- satisfying you with My goodness. 

Witness Me as your Redeemer- working every situation for your good.

Witness Me as your Peace- calming the anxiety within you as you trust Me.

Witness Me as your Potter- molding you into what I want you to be. 

Witness Me as your Righteousness- covering you with My sufficient grace.

Witness Me as your Rest- inviting you to "Come to me" when life gets heavy.

In this dedication of Year 30, I am declaring: I will intentionally witness Jesus reigning sovereign in my life.

In Isaiah 43, the Prophet Isaiah delivers a powerful message of identity to Israel, God's chosen people.

Verses 10-11 say:

"Ye are my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me. I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no Savior."

In Year 30, I pray I will know, believe, and understand God more than ever.

I pray I will recognize and esteem Jesus, and only Jesus, as my Lord and Savior.

In Year 30, I pray I will both witness and witness about the One who holds my life in His hands.

Jesus.

My song for the year: