"Goodbye!"

Reflections4Life™ December 29, 2019

“Goodbye!”

“The Lord said: Forget what happened long ago! Don’t think about the past. I am creating something new. There it is! Do you see it? I have put roads in deserts, streams in thirsty lands.” Isaiah 43:18-19 (ESV)

Scripture Contemplation: Psalm 28; Psalm 51; John 14; Romans 12; Colossians 3; James 1...

©Ruthe Mcdonald.

It is the last Sunday of 2019. Can you believe it? So many things have happened this past year; Good things, bad things, horrific things, life-changing things. What will you take from 2019? What lessons have you learned? More importantly, what have you learned about yourself, and about the grace of God?

I heard someone say that this past Friday was the last Friday of the year. From that statement, God shared with me the following: Do not let it be the only "last" of 2019. Let it be the last time you doubt yourself. Let it be the last time you procrastinate. Let it be the last time you believe the lies of the enemy and his minions. Let it be the last time, you say you're going to do something, and then don't follow through. Let it be the last time you doubt God and His promises for your life. Finally, let it be the last time you put yourself last. How can you possibly be any good to anyone else, if you are not first, good to yourself? 2020...it's on! There's no looking back! Say goodbye to the old you, the old ways, the old things…, and every lie the enemy has ever whispered to you and said about you!

I decree that this week's Reflections will be a continued source of encouragement and inspiration for your heart, mind, and soul. As you embark upon a brand New Year, leave behind the burdens of this year, while embracing the lessons learned. Allow the set-backs and adversity of this past year to catapult you into a transformed life for this coming new season. Say hello to the greatness of God designed for your life. There is more that God has for you. Expect it.

Many of us have already resolved what we are going to do in the New Year. The plans to leave the past behind us. That's all well and good. Yet, what you determine to do for God will bring about the greatest change in your life. It is obedience and the willingness to sacrifice that will bring about a transformed life. And it begins in our minds.

The number one lesson I have learned this past year was about the power of our minds. It is no wonder the enemy tries so hard to mess with our thoughts. It is often said that the mind is a battlefield and the devil's playground. I believe AND know, that whatever we think on most, will certainly manifest. If our thoughts are not on the things and promises of God, then chances are that we have brought to pass in our lives some very harsh realities. I do know for certain, that our perception determines our reality. Whatever we perceive to be true; real, will most certainly manifest in our lives.

If you have experienced a year of great adversity, and you can say to yourself: I knew this would happen, the chances are great that you have been operating in a negative mindset. Whatever we believe, beloved, we draw unto ourselves. We are a magnet. Whatever we are, whatever we think, we will most certainly attract to us. Be it situations, circumstances, or people. Our experiences become a reflection of perceptions, and how we think. It is time to say goodbye. Goodbye to the former things; the negative and pessimistic thinking, and thoughts.

Philippians 4:8-9 “Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” (THE MSG)

In order for us to have transformed life in this New Year, we must renew in our minds and our thoughts. We must be able to say goodbye to the past, and all of its yokes and chains. Yes; we take the lessons we’ve learned and applied them, but we let go of all the things that are negatively binding and crippling. You can say to yourself that you are going to do things differently in this new year. However, unless you have a made-up and determined mind; a mind that is renewed daily; a mind that is set upon the things of God; a mind that seeks after the will of God; the chances are great that you will repeat the same things of the past.

Yes. Our mind is a battlefield. And on that battlefield the enemy has shown up, seeking to kill, steal, and destroy. Yet, on the battlefront of that battlefield is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, declaring you the victor, with the promise of abundant life, a renewed mind, a transformed life. Declaring His love for you, lifting up the blood-stain banner of His sacrifice for you, that guarantees you a blessed and abundant life—should you believe, and begin to see through His eyes, the glorious, transformed being that you are.

Take the lessons of this past year, beloved, and all the hurts and wounds, and lay them all at the altar. Plead the blood of Jesus over your thoughts and mind. Commit yourself to Lord and to the reading of the word daily. Spend more time in the presence of God. Think of those things that are of God. Renew your mind daily, and be confident in the fact that greater is He that is in you, than he that is in this world. Though things may appear one way, determine in your heart that you will believe the report of the Lord.

Remember: the enemy is a master illusionist. Making false evidence appear real, which is just FEAR. However, God has given us a spirit of love, power, and a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7) When we think about the things of God, say goodbye to the past, its mistakes and the things we cannot change and are in constant fellowship with our Father, our lives will begin to reflect that. We will have a renewed mind and a transformed life.

My Beloved, I decree that the spirit of peace and of prosperity has found permanent rest in every area of your life. Walk in the promises of God by keeping your mind renewed daily. Take the lessons and adversity of this past year, and allow them to propel you forward in the will of God. You are made in the image of God. This means that there is greatness within you.

This is the last Reflection of this year. We have had a full year of fellowship. Many things have taken place in each of our lives. We have shared many things with one another. Thank you for your fellowship. Thank you for your time. Your kind words. Your emails. I am declaring and decreeing that this New Year will be the best yet for you and your loved ones. 2020 is the year of answered prayers and manifested blessings! I love you. God Bless. God is doing just what He said. Believe it. Expect it. Receive it. You are blessed. Now, go...and continue being a blessing!

©2019. Ruthe McDonald. All Rights Reserved.