How is your 2023 going so far? Before the beginning of each year, I reflect on that year and pray about the coming year. God often begins speaking to me a “one word” before the beginning of each year which serves as a theme throughout the year, and He usually also gives me a Scripture or two for the year.
Sometimes He gives me a song to go with the one word. (I stopped making new year’s resolutions years ago because I often broke them within the first month — or the first week!)
My one word for 2023 is “Light.”
The two Scriptures for this one word are John 1:5 and Daniel 12:3.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)
“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.’ (Daniel 12:3)
Shine like the stars!
Photo source by Alexander Andrews @ Unsplash
God never intended for us to hide, but to use our spiritual gifts, talents, and skills to shine like the stars for His glory.
Here are some fun facts about stars (source: Google):
- Stars are any massive self-luminous celestial body of gas that shines by radiation derived from its internal energy sources. (God is our source within, who causes us to shine with His Spirit.)
- Of the billions of stars in the observable universe, only a small percentage are visible to the naked eye. Every star you see in the night sky is bigger than our sun. (Not many people will “shine” with God’s glory.)
- Our sun is the nearest star to us and is a typical star in its activity.
- Stars are light-years from the Earth. We are also seeing stars as they were. (They’re dead, but still shine for us to see! Isn’t God amazing? Our lives are to shine long after we’re dead, too.)
- Stars appear to twinkle because of movement in the Earth’s atmosphere. (Nothing can stop our shine!)
- The hottest stars are blue, not red, and there are no green stars. (Let’s be like the hottest blue stars!)
- When a star explodes, it’s called a supernovae and creates an explosion billions of times brighter than our sun, with enough energy to outshine its own galaxy for weeks. These massive explosions throw large amounts of matter into space. (This speaks to me about how our lives influence so many others even after we die, and we leave a legacy here on Earth.)
Copyright 2014 Leah Jones
Whether your gifts and talents are speaking, writing, coaching, painting, drawing, playing or writing music, sports, accounting, management, hospitality, cooking, website design, or whatever, God wants to use you to SHINE through the power of His grace and Holy Spirit to glorify Jesus Christ.
The Bible says that darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. (Isaiah 60:2, KJV) I think we all can observe that, reading the evil news headlines today. That’s why it’s so important for you and me as believers to be carriers of Jesus’ love and light. To overcome evil with God’s good.
The definition of the word “light” according to the Merriam Webster online dictionary is:
- something that makes vision possible;
- the sensation aroused by stimulation of the visual receptors;
- daylight;
- dawn;
- a source of light such as a celestial body, candle, or an electric light;
- a color of notable lightness (a light or pale color);
- sight;
- spiritual illumination, inner light, or enlightenment;
- public knowledge (shedding light on a problem);
- a noteworthy person in a particular place or field (a literary light among current writers);
- a lighthouse, beacon.
Light exposes the darkness.
Light helps us to see clearly.
Light guides us.
Light reveals.
Light illuminates.
Light is good.
Jesus said that He is the light of the world. (John 8:12) As believers, we are to be like Him and be shining lights in this world, too. To be an influence and impact on others with our lives.
In the beginning, the first thing God created when He made the Earth was light. Light is very important to God. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.” (Genesis 1:1-4, NKJV)
This is a wonderful one word for 2023! I encourage you to study Scriptures on light and darkness.
What is your one word for 2023? Do you have a verse with it?
Please leave your comments below. I’d love to hear about it!
Here’s a great song about shining, Burn Bright, by Natalie Grant:
Below is the link to my video about my 2023 one word “Light.” While you’re there, be sure to subscribe so that you don’t miss any of my newest videos or vlogs (something I am doing lately, which is fun! I’m still learning how), ,
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