“The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.” ~ Isaiah 29:13-
Somehow we’re more than halfway through 2026!! How did that happen? Is it just me, or are the years moving faster? Hehe
I wasn’t sure I’d write many articles this year, but so much has happened in the last seven months that I wanted to share a few testimonies and encourage you as we count down the remaining 140+ days.
Let me start by writing that 2026 has not been the year I’d envisioned — not that I had a clear picture in mind. In fact, I’ve come to believe that when we surrender our lives to the Lord’s will, we often face immense trials and challenges over constant successes and ease. Nevertheless, if I have one takeaway from the last 200+ days, it’s that the Lord hasn’t called us to merely work or live FOR Him, but to walk WITH Him. I read this revelation for the first time in an advanced copy of Jordan Raynor’s upcoming book, Redeeming Your Goals, last December, and I didn’t realize at the time just how personally God was about to teach me this lesson.
The first seven months of 2026 involved some major life changes that can be summarized in one word: Surrender!
From setting down my debut novel to writing over 100,000 words for a new project, facing another intense time of war to being hospitalized multiple times; it has been a wild ride, to say the least. I thought I’d set my mind on seeking the Father’s will, but it wasn’t until the Lord knocked all my expectations and ideas off the table that my eyes finally focused on what matters to Him.
I used to think I knew the Lord pretty well and understood the call on every believer’s life; however, as I’ve journeyed through the chronological Bible this year (I’m reading The Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble), three things have made themselves abundantly clear: 1) There is NO ONE or thing greater than our Heavenly Father, the Lord of Hosts! 2) All of the Lord’s laws and commands can be summarized like this: Choose THE LORD, and He will watch over you; obey what He says because He knows what He’s talking about and loves you more than you can imagine. 3) The greatest lesson and skill we can learn in this lifetime is how to trust in the Lord because we are mere dust on this earth, temporary beings, but He is eternal, so there is no better Counselor or Teacher than the Lord our God!
Out of these three points, the rest follows: a fearful heart, a godly character, a servant’s humility, and selfless love! We will not master all of these within our lifetime, but the more time we spend in the Word and lying prostrate before our Savior, the more we will recognize that it’s never been about our own strength because we are vessels, not “all-important” beings on this earth; and that realization is more freeing than any advice found within self-help books or spoken by motivational speakers. No matter how much the world tries to tell us otherwise, THIS LIFE IS NOT ABOUT US!
So, let me ask you: Are you simply living FOR God: attending a kehilya (fellowship), reading regular Bible plans, telling people you’re a believer, saying a prayer before meals? Or are you living WITH God: surrendering your plans so His can lead the way, dying to your flesh daily so you can walk reborn, actively involving the Father in your day, asking the Holy Spirit what HE wants to say during interactions with others??
Over the next few weeks, I’m going to share a few of the lessons the Lord has taught me during the most significant moments of this year thus far. I’m still a work in progress, but I’m fully committed to bringing God into every aspect of my life rather than treating Him like a wishing well or invisible protector I only run to when things aren’t going well. So buckle up because it’s about to be a transforming time! 🙂
