Kicking off 2005 right

There's no better way to kick off the year than by spending it in worship with your Maker. Along with about 80 kids and 15 adult leaders, I had the privilege of ringing in the year 2005 by consecrating my life to God at a weekend youth retreat up in the Rocky Mountains near Westcliffe, Colorado.

The blessings were multiple. First off, it was awesome to just escape the distractions that seem to build up in our lives, almost like a layer of silt that keeps us from seeing or hearing God and that clouds up the glowing joy that we as followers of Christ should exhibit to others every day.

Second, it is so cool to see kids surrendering everything to God, letting go of addictions and relationships and hurts--everything that robs us of an ongoing deep relationship with God. We saw lots of kids doing this over the weekend and experiencing new peace in Christ. Praise the Lord!

Third, God gave me the opportunity to spend some wonderful time with the guys from our youth group who went on the retreat; we bonded through push-ups competitions, volleyball, and bowling, but more importantly through praying together and spending devotional time in God's Word each morning. It's so groovy to see these kids learning to love God's Word and to seize its message for their own lives, and not to see it as simply a book that somebody is telling them they should read.

Fourth, I got the opportunity to pray for a number of kids during a ministry time on Saturday night. That was awesome! I have this tendency to think that I'm not emotionally or spiritually or mentally prepared to pray over people sometimes--which I know is not of God, because He is the One who does the ministry (not me), using me as a channel as long as I am willing to let Him. So I asked God to give me words to pray over these kids--and in response, not only did God give me specific things to pray for each kid, but He also gave me prophetic words for a number of them--either an image He gave me in my head or a specific thing I sensed in my heart that He wanted me to speak to them on His behalf. This is the first time that has ever happened to me, and I could see from the kids' response that God's message to them was right on, every time. Imagine that!

Finally, God challenged me in a mighty way to do two things this year:
1) simplify
2) obey Him

Doing the first will open up doors for me to hear God's voice and thus know how to do the second. I've got to stop being so thinly spread over so many things and place my emphasis on pressing into God. When I do this, and only when I do this, can I learn to hear His voice and obey Him. Funny how I used to be able to do these things, but as time passed and I got busier and busier doing "ministry", I stopped knowing how to recognize or even listen for God's voice.

So 2005, then, is about going back to the basics for me.

Lord, please help me to draw near to You. Re-teach me how to do this, and forgive me for overcomplicating something that is so simple. Walking with You is about depending on You for everything--not about working or doing. Thank You for Your love, Your grace, Your patience, and Your faithfulness...I love You!

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."
--James 4:8