Hello, 2020!

My friends, we are starting not only a new year but a new decade. I feel very excited about it as I feel it will be a momentous year, not just personally but for everyone.

Will this be the decade of the Lord's return? I have no idea but just feel it is ever closer. The signs of the times are all around for those who have eyes to see.

Paradoxically, though there is much to be done and this is no time to be lazy and uncaring; I feel the Lord's will for me - and I don't feel I'm the only one - is to slow down and rest.

In a word, Sabbath.

Sabbath is God's gift to man. Divine permission to take a day off and rest. However, rest does not necessarily mean napping and binge-watching Netflix. (Although there can be some of that!) No, it means to spend your time doing things that refresh you both physically and spiritually. It means making time to enjoy God and your family. Time to connect. Time to examine who you really are and who you are becoming. Time to focus on what is life-giving and put aside what is life-draining.

Then you can return to the work world and be even more productive because you are not burnt out.

God felt so strongly about our need for this that He even commanded it to be so; yet it is the one commandment we feel justified for breaking!

There are many voices out there speaking for Sabbath. In fact in 2016, I read Shelly Miller's Rhythms of Rest which started me on the pathway to examining my Sabbath habits. Since then, I've run across more and more writers pointing the way to Sabbath.

I am convinced this is my year to put into practice what I've learned; so my One Word 365 to dwell on is "Sabbath."

Have you participated in One Word 365? Instead of making new year's resolutions - and breaking them quickly - why not focus instead on one quality or goal for the year. Pray and pick out one word that most closely aligns with what God is speaking to you.

In the past, these are words I've focused on:

• 2012 – Joy
• 2013 – Fearless
• 2014 – Abiding
• 2015 – Intentional
• 2016 – Rest
• 2017 – Less
• 2018 – Press
• 2019 – Consistency
• 2020 – Sabbath

However you decide to spend 2020, my prayer for you is that you will strive to be at the feet of Jesus whenever possible.

Then you will really be a success!