My personal theme for 2020 has begun. And by God’s grace I look forward to all our Lord has in store for me as He develops His vision in my daily life.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39
My Personal Theme
My personal theme for 2020 is CONQUER. What surprised me most is that I had this theme in my notes as a potential theme for two years!
Often God impresses me with my personal upcoming theme about six months prior to the new year. But this is a first where God prepared my personal theme years in advance. I was struck. What does God have planned?
Basic Training
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Ephesians 6:12
In November of 1989 I was on my way to South Carolina to begin my basic training for the U.S. Army. My training was essential in preparing me as a soldier. I was not trained to fight and debate my own. I was trained to fight the enemy.
As a soldier in our Lord, how often do you find yourself fighting the wrong battles?
I cannot tell you how many years I spent battling against my husband, children and even God’s people. I was not content because I had not yet learned that my energy was being spent in the wrong battles.
Endure Hardship
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2 Timothy 2:3
I count my military training a blessing for it has given me a greater desire to be a good soldier in Christ. Not only did my U.S. Army basic training prepare me for battle but also to endure hardships should I ever become a prisoner of war.
I admit, training for our Lord’s Army has been much more rigorous and personal. With our Lord, humility is the key to true victory in the Christian life. And humility is a challenge to a proud self-sufficient individual.
I’ve faced the loss of babies one which was a still born. I became ill and weak, eventually diagnosed with cancer and severely anemic. What a physical picture of my spiritual state!
Even as God’s child we go through difficulty. But it is all for our good and His glory. As my body weakened my desire to draw closer to God grew. I knew I had struggled living a victorious Christian life for years. I failed as a wife and mother.
But what joy in the years that followed where I’ve seen God’s faithfulness and enduring love.
Theme Song
With my theme there has also been a personal theme song. Something to give me focus. This year my theme song for my personal theme for 2020 is Heal Our Land by Kari Jobe. My theme song also goes along with my personal prayer for revival.
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 1 Chronicles 7:14
Conquer for God’s Glory
I have been desirous to have a part in God’s work and I am thankful to be serving with my husband Bruce on the mission field of Africa. This was after completing seven years of ministry in Nicaragua.
In the past my husband has been on mission’s trips in a variety of countries. At one point he had a part in going to Bangkok, Thailand for an outreach at the Asian Olympics. We had little children so I stayed back home in the states. But I had the privilege to be part of a prayer team and saw God answer many prayers.
Little did I know almost two decades later, I would be involved in a prayer team for the Asian Games again. This time God led in eventually meeting a young lady of faith to encourage. Her name is Ashley and the Lord had put on my heart years prior though I had no idea who she was or where I would meet her.
Today, she is my best friend and as my dedication in Book 3 says, she has become the “real Elise” of Love’s Weaving Hand series. The book No Greater Love is where you can read portions of our friendship in a fictitious setting.
And as we continue to encourage each other in the Lord God keeps weaving His plan. Our Lord is intentional in all He does. I had no idea that on my birthday this past November my daughters would pay my trip to Ireland. This trip is an outreach that I will have a part in as well as my dear friend Ashley.
And I know God intends for us to conquer for His glory as the outreach has been titled the Irish Invasion
Not Alone
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12
The greatest part of all is that we are not alone. Our Lord goes with us to conquer for His glory because He indwells us.
I used to think reading other people’s faith journey was an unrealistic dream in my life. But not anymore because I know God is the Author of my journey of faith. And He has prepared great and mighty things for me to behold that I’ve yet to discover 🙂
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3
To GOD be ALL the GLORY
In His hands,
Ann Marie Moore
Photo by Alex Jones on Unsplash
