How God was Present on the Eve of the New Year

“The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”  (Exodus 14:14)

December 31, 2016:

I awoke this morning to find myself once again hitting the snooze on the alarm. I sleepily recalled hitting it over and over again, unable to pull myself out of slumber. The reality was I needed to be up at the time set, but my body was protesting…or, perhaps it was my spirit. Or my mind. Heck, it could have very well have been my heart. Later in the day, I concluded it was God giving me much needed rest and also preparing the army of angels he assigned to shroud me in prayer and protection for this particular day.

The Path

“Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:5) 

Determination has always been a strength I possess; after all I recently walked through and out of with the Lord’s help, I am determined to stay steadfast on the path to pleasing Jesus and making life here ‘on earth, as it is in heaven’ (Matt 6:10).

It’s a commitment one should not take lightly. God certainly doesn’t.

In order to continue on a path to victory I have vowed to not look back at what was, what happened or how I felt then…because it is the past. December 31st is certainly a day I could have looked back to 2015 and let it be a bleak spot instead of just another day.

“As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness,

Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; 

And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.” (Luke 3:4-6)

New Year’s Eve…2016

I hadn’t given thought to much as the day began but for some reason I was in a very sour mood – one I couldn’t shake. There was no reason I should be sitting in this place. The week had seen one blessing after another, yet, that morning I awoke disturbed. I asked the Lord to show me what was shaking my joy and attacking my mind. Thus opening up a door for the enemy to manufacture a lie then whisper it into my ear, over and over, to the extent I started to believe it: My dog was going to die soon.

At one point I was so upset over the thought, I sat down and wept. Through this I prayed and discerned it as torment, then desperately rebuked it, commanding the enemy to flee.

Finally, good won and the thoughts left me be…Yet, I still couldn’t figure out what was eating at me. I went about the rest of my day and decided to enjoy the evening celebrating New Year’s Eve, quietly, with family. It was while sitting at dinner that I pulled out my mobile phone to see a text message from a dear friend and sister in Christ. She was the first new friend God gave me upon my relocation…her husband was friends with the man I had married. They were part of our shotgun wedding party and Julia has blessed me so, since.

New Year’s Eve…2015

The message made everything clear; Julia reminded me of what God was trying to let me forget: how sad and upsetting NYE 2015 had been. Not just for me though, for her as well. She texted sending me a breath of gratitude for staying on the phone with her, as she sobbed uncontrollably, for probably a couple of hours. Stating she hoped we were both in much better places on this night than the year previous. Wishing me a most blessed year ahead and much love in Jesus’ precious name. Julia has been blessed with her fourth child this year so I do certainly pray December 31st of 2016 was kinder to her.

As for me, receiving this message explained exactly my mood throughout the day. There was a spiritual battle ensuing and God was winning. The enemy had probably set out to try and torment me with memories of what happened in my own life on this day, 2015. In brief, I spent it alone, in an Eastern Kentucky hotel room; the Lord, me, and Julia’s voice on the phone, as we ministered to her heart as my own was breaking. Seeing her message didn’t upset me, thankfully, rather served His purpose.

Memories…

God won’t allow a bad memory to become a permanent memory, because he wants us to keep walking steadfast in Faith. He desires our hearts to be filled with the Lord’s protective love, peace and joy. “Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved…And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:1,7)

God is protective of his kids and will even allow the enemy to distract us from what he is protecting us from, as to quickly move us through a thing, without even realizing it. In this case, the enemy planned to use the memory for emotional harm; instead, God intervened, surrounding me with intervening angels. Since the enemy couldn’t penetrate my peace with that memory, he devised another tactic but not one I couldn’t discern. Thank goodness!

Once I understood the battle being waged around me, and how God completely clouded that memory for me, I was astounded by how much the Father and the Son must love me and desire my happiness, to perform such a miracle. Would I rather have been in a lousy mood for a day rather than sinking in the sorrow of what my life once resembled? Absolutely! I am most grateful for such a protective Father and Friend in Jesus. I am also grateful to realize the memory no longer affects me. It is past tense – hallelujah – and I reside in the present tense! The Lord helped me create new memories to look back upon, fondly.