As we begin a New Year, 2022, I feel Holy Spirit inviting us to a New Way, a Higher Way, a more consistent and sustainable way to live! A Way we can follow EACH day, with some practical guidance from our Good Shepherd. And as I am passionately making a call this year to Make Disciples of Jesus through Mentoring Relationships, this Way IS the way of discipleship: both for me, and any I may be mentoring! (New book Ripples of Heaven, Changing the World through Mentoring One Discipleship Relationship at a Time available now at Amazon, B& N, or locally at Gratitude Boutique and Gifts, Fishers, IN)

If you’re like me, the last few years have been like a roller coaster, with ups and downs and highs and lows. One moment I was walking by faith, safe and secure, abiding in the love of Jesus; and the next I was bombarded with fears, troubles, threats of sickness, and despair! This alone has just been exhausting; I knew there was a better way!

One day not many weeks ago, Father God led me to Psalm 23; yes, the one we know best and some know by heart. But He opened my eyes to new revelation on this well-known Psalm: I heard Him say, “THIS is the way to walk with Me each day.” This is what it looks like to be a Disciple of Jesus!

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside still waters.

He restores me soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

As we begin the first week of a brand new year, I’m going to take multiple blogs and go through this beautiful Psalm verse by verse. For today, here’s an Overview of This New Way to walk each day.

First, the LORD is my Shepherd. First things first. Who is my LORD? Whom have I bowed down to, believed, obeyed, given up control to, and surrendered the throne of my heart to? If you and I can re-start this year and once again joyfully declare: JESUS IS LORD! BE MY LORD! I SURRENDER TO YOUR KIND KINGSHIP, LORD JESUS! HAVE YOUR WONDERFUL WAY! YOUR KINGDOM COME, YOUR WILL BE DONE!~ NOT MY WILL, BUT YOURS BE DONE!

I must start there, posturing my heart to say YES again, that, “I WILL follow you Jesus! Because you are the Loving One I want in charge of my life. You alone are worthy. You are Lord,” THEN , and only then, can I know the safety and provision of Him being my SHEPHERD! Otherwise, I’m like one of those sheep who continually goes MY way, and that leads me ASTRAY from THEE way that He is, and that He leads me on!

What a glorious place to start! Who will I trust in 2022 to be MY SHEPHERD! The LORD, because I have decided to follow Him; & He now can lead me like a Shepherd. And Oh, the blessed life of being led by THEE Good Shepherd. I already feel the weight lifting of trying to figure out life on my own, figure out WHICH WAY to go, which voices to listen to, which path to take… Now, I breathe deeply and easier already, knowing I don’t have to know the way, when I know THEE WAY; I know whom I will follow, and my heart is filled with TRUST as I know He will faithfully lead me to what I need each day.

Now He can lead me. And what He showed me recently is that there is an ORDER to each of these things… First, I decide and declare that the LORD is MY Shepherd: NOW He can lead me.

First to lie down in green pastures. Sheep eat and rest in green pastures. Here, I am fed by His Word and His voice, for man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. He has caused me to actually lie down. As in, stay. THIS YEAR, starting now, in this NEW YEAR of 2022, start each day THIS WAY. Spend some time with Him. Rest with Him. With Him is key. He causes me, MAKES me remain in His presence where I can hear His voice, read His word, and be FED. This is where my empty soul is filled. He knows what we need.

Next, he leads me by still waters. Here, sheep can drink deeply and be refreshed. Here, you and I can drink deeply of the Living Waters of His own Holy Spirit, that is within us like a fresh spring. Life-Giving Water. Holy Spirit is Life-giving water to our thirsty souls! We take time to be still and be FILLED with Holy Spirit again. Daily. Before moving on. This progression is so important. We must not get dehydrated by the life-less things this world offers us. We must drink deeply. Daily. With Him. Of Him!

“He restores my soul.” This is the goal of discipleship. Read that again.

Our Shepherd saw that our souls were fractured by sin. Without Him, we are ‘dead in our sins’. But as we receive Him as LORD and we drink deeply of His Spirit, “If anyone is in Christ, he/she is a new Creation. The old has gone. The new has come.” Discipleship is learning to walk out the FACT that Jesus restores us to our original intention: “He who knew no sin became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ.” Sins forgiven, our relationship to the Father is restored, we become one again through His Spirit, and my soul is healed. My soul is restored. At peace. At rest. Content and full. My Father pulls me up on His lap and lavishes His love and joy over me. No more guilt. No more shame. I am not only accepted, I am wanted and loved and delighted in. My soul’s greatest need is Unconditional Love. Here, I find my Father. I find myself. My soul is restored.

Oh love that will not let me go! The Daily Joyful life of Walking with Jesus is made possible because “YOU ARE WITH ME.” This union with Jesus, as we lie down in green pastures with Him, are fed by Him, drink deeply of His Spirit within…. this is what restores our souls. His love makes us whole.

His is the Love we have been looking for in every other pasture, on every other path. His is the safety & assurance we search for even hoping to find in the latest news headlines. There is only One Love that is sure. Unchanging. Never-ending. Never- leaving. With me always. Knowing me completely. Saving me entirely. Washing me. Cleansing me. Filling me with His own Life. Healing my orphanhood. Restoring my relationship. Restoring my soul.

“I will fear no evil. For you are with me.” The WITH of Jesus. It restores our souls.

This is the WAY I’m going to start each new day in this New Year. It leads to the next steps. There is an order. He is so good and kind to LEAD us. One step at a time. Check back tomorrow as we will see where He LEADS NEXT.

HAPPY NEW YEAR as you WALK THIS BLESSED WAY!

-Lori