Before I was...

Week 1:

Psalm 139:15-16 15My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

What a passage to start a year with!  Before I was born my days were written in God’s book.  For some, this may be a scary thought.  For others, this is an exciting thought!  I choose this day to be the “other”.   How about you?



Starting a new year with the knowledge that God has a plan for all my days is an exciting prospect.  It is both comforting and challenging to know that God has something in store for me each and every day of my life.  I can approach this with fear knowing there will be challenges and times I must persevere. However, knowing the story of the great characters of the Bible, they had to endure tough challenges in order to be transformed by God and used for His purpose.  So, the fear I feel should be healthy yet not paralyzing.  Fear is natural.  I need to choose to use its energy to drive me to perseverance.

Besides fear, there is excitement.  What does God have in store for me this year?  What good works will I get to join Him in accomplishing?  Who will be new in my life that will challenge me to be more Godly?  I look forward to what He has in store for my life, my family, my church, my friends, and my circumstance.  What new ways will He reveal Himself to me? 

What a great comfort it is to know that God knew you and me when we were unformed and being woven into who we are now.  Reading that reminds me that no matter what happens and how bad it may seem or get, God has the plan, he knows the end of the story, I have a purpose. 

So, as you enter into this New Year… take this passage to heart and realize that God has plans for you.  As you work through your year, know that to you it may seem routine and uneventful or it may be tumultuous…but God knows then end of the story.  And like so many of the great characters of the Bible, He has a plan for you and what you will do for Him this year.

“My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.  When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.  All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Questions/challenges:

1.       As you reflect back on last year, where did you see God working in your life?

2.       Was it challenging or tumultuous?

3.       Did you see and end result, if so what do you think it was? 

4.       What did this passage spark in your heart when you read it?

5.       Spend some time this week in silence and ask God to reveal to your heart some preview of what He has in store for you this year.  Afterwards, listen and watch.

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