Reflecting

The sparkling of innumerable lights upon the water brings to mind wonderful memories of time spent on or near the water. Whether seeing this stunningly bright phenomena from a beach in my youth or gazing upon the glistening of these lights from a lakeshore in the high country of North Carolina as an adult, sun glitter is spectacular!

Sun glitter – that bright, sparkling light formed when sunlight reflects from water waves, is both mesmerizing and memorable. Growing up in the Tampa Bay, Florida area – Treasure Island to be exact, I witnessed many sunsets. And on occasion, when the sun was at the right angle in the sky, it produced sun glitter.

Oh, those Florida sunsets!

Does sun glitter evoke any memories for you? And if so, what kind of memories?

As 2022 draws to a close, it’s a time when we’ll often reflect upon our lives. What happened this year? What did I do or did not do? How did God move in and through my life? It’s a time to reflect upon God’s goodness and grace extended to us once again, for He is faithful, always faithful.

Apart from our witness for Him, let’s praise and thank Him for simply saving our souls:

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). 

Hallelujah!

Reflecting upon His saving grace is wonderful. For our remembrance should evoke rejoicing.

Reflecting upon our witness is also important, for He wants to conform each of us more into the image of Christ. And this conforming includes the shaping of our testimony for Him.

Soon 2022 will drop below the proverbial horizon. In the coming days may we reflect upon our witness this year and the kind of witness for Jesus we aspire to be in 2023. 

To be sure, none of us has arrived nor ever will this side of glory. Yet this post isn’t meant to bring guilt. Rather I hope reflection will evoke celebration of what God did accomplish in and through you this year and anticipation of how He could might you in the coming year.

As we think about our testimony for Christ, intercessory prayer is an integral part of our witness.

I thank God for the privilege of praying for salvation of the lost and for those witnessing to them. In fact, some of you reading this post have allowed me the opportunity to partner with you in prayer for that friend or loved one you know. Praise God! He does move and is moving in the hearts of people, drawing many to the Savior.

I have a friend whose prodigal daughter recommitted her life to Christ. And I have seen the Lord draw someone in my family closer to Himself this year. And although that person hasn’t received Jesus yet, I’m encouraged. Also, a Jewish woman I met at a church meeting I ministered at later received Christ this past Spring at that same church! Hallelujah!

I think about the reality that God is moving in the lives of many people I have and continue to pray for. Because I know that only in glory will the effect of many of our prayers be revealed, for we “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

We sow in prayer. I want to encourage you to continue sowing in prayer for those in your sphere of influence who have yet to trust in Christ. How has God answered evangelistic prayers in your life and in the lives of others this year? Remember and rejoice! And also let me know by shooting me an email testimony, as it will not only encourage me, but other fellow strugglers!

We also sow in good works. What opportunities did the Lord give you this year to demonstrate His love tangibly through good works? Reflecting God’s love through good deeds is a wonderful blessing and powerful testimony of His goodness and grace. In my personal witness for Jesus, this is an area where I can certainly grow. 

And finally, we sow through proclamation of the gospel. Our verbal witness is an integral part of our testimony, for “faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Romans 10:17).

As I reflect upon this past year, I’m thankful for the opportunities God gave me to share gospel truth with people in the course of conversations, giving out bibles and other evangelistic literature. And you? What doors did the Lord open for you to be a witness? Be thankful for any and all opportunities to share truth and the life-transforming gospel.

As we reflect upon our witness in 2022, we can also with joyful anticipation the ways God may use us to reflect His glory in 2023.

As the first rays of the New Year arise, we can be assured that the Lord has plans and purposes for our witness! What an exciting thought! For He desires to grow our witness and to use our witness to reflect His Glory and communicate His Gospel!

If you’re encouraged about your witness and how the Lord used you this year, be encouraged,  but don’t rest on your laurels. If you feel discouraged about your witness and how the Lord used you in 2022, be encouraged with this truth. The past doesn’t necessarily equal the future. We all can grow and God desires to use each of us in the coming year.

For He is, even as you read and I pen these words, in the process of providing opportunities to sow in prayer, good works and good words in the coming days, weeks, months and beyond. 

Each of us “are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works [including the work of evangelism], which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).

As we strive to reflect the Light of God in 2023, may He pour out His richest blessing upon our evangelistic efforts – for His Glory, our good, and for the continuing expansion of His Kingdom. Amen.