5783 – 5784 An Ending and A Beginning!

TAKING A LOOK BACK.

5783 has been the bridge of favor and grace needed to move through the arduous process of ending one season ending and beginning something new.

Looking Back Before Going Forward

Looking back is always easier than trying to forecast the future. 5783 has been a year of dependency upon God’s grace like never before. This was the year of gimel, the camel. I think most of us must admit, that as much as we see and know by why of the Spirit, there is so much more that we do not see. That often times leaves us to grope in the dark looking for answers, or at least an explanation. If you are like me, I needed an explanation from God about the prophetic words I received, in relation to 5783.

Let’s Talk Camels

Camels bring supplies. The support and supply delivered by the Spirit of the Lord this year, symbolized by the camels, has been an ongoing supply of God’s abundant grace. I can hear some of you balking at that. I feel ya. Sometimes it didn’t seem that way.

God often uses earthly imagery to relay a spiritual dynamic. Camels carry supplies through the rough terrain of the desert. 5783 has been a bit of a wilderness/desert for many of us. That desert usually infers some kind of lack or weakness.

YOU’RE ALIVE!

Here’s what I know. If you have somehow stumbled on this post, you are still alive. I don’t believe the dead have internet access. My point is, you didn’t die along the way. You made it. You may be feeling a bit worse for wear, but you did it. You got through another year. You have made it though gimel.

We are about to embark on the month of Elul. Elul is the final month of the Hebraic year. In Hebrew, Elul is spelled Aleph, Lamed, Vav, Lamed. It is an acronym for Ani L’dodi, V’dodi Li, which translates to “I am for my Beloved, and my Beloved is for me” Song of Solomon 6.3. With this statement, the Shulamite expresses the exclusivity of their relationship. She does not have other lovers.

Like the Shulamite, the Ekklesia, must abandoned any flirtatious affair with the world system and the god of this age. If we are to come into union with Christ, as His Bride without spot or wrinkle, we cannot serve two masters. It is in the wilderness that Christ refines His bride. It is in that dry desert place that we learn to lean on our Beloved.

5783 has been a time of being wooed by the Lord in the wilderness.

The Rollout

This year was kicked off with a call to get back to port for repair. At the onset of this year I wouldn’t have called it a wilderness season, but that is exactly what it has been. Once called back to the desert, it was a time of getting more firmly secured so that we would make it through the storm ahead. It is during horrific storms that life becomes about one thing, getting through the storm. Priorities shift. Focus narrows. Life simplifies. The extraneous and superfluous get left behind. The storm caused us to let go of those things that needed to go. For some those storms came ripping through our lives like a Kansas tornado in the Spring.

Thankfully, the storm was letting up around Passover 5783. (April) Progressing through Pentecost (June), the focus of Holy Spirit centered on building up our inner-man. Holy Spirit was strengthening our core. With the summer months upon us it was time to begin work on the new foundation.

Today is August 14, ,2023. The month of Elul begins this Friday. Soon, some will beginning to get a glimpse of the new path that will emerge in 5784.

5783 A Year of Recovery

I didn’t want to spend this entire year in recovery, but I have. My plan was to spend my time building and growing my website, writing a new book and fine tuning my podcast. God’s plan, however, included none of those. Rather than building and growing, this was a year of pruning.

Pruning is to cut off or cut back parts of something for better shape or more fruitful growth. Such as: to prune the branches. What is unwanted, unproductive or superfluous is removed.

Necessary Endings

I reread Henry Cloud’s book: Necessary Endings, every other year or so. I turn to it whenever I’m in a pruning season. Our time, energy, talent, emotions, and money are limited resources. We cannot effectively spend more than what our current supply will allow. If we do so we end up in debt. A deficit of energy is just as defeating as a negative cash flow. There are only 24 hours in each day. I don’t care if you start your week on Sunday or Monday the number of days will always be seven.

Endings are to be expected, anticipated even. They are a normal aspect of life. 5783 has been a time of endings before the new beginnings emerge.

Endings can be difficult but necessary

Some things we hope never end. Marriages, the lives of our loved ones, friendships, and careers I would think top the list. Reality dictates that all of those things may at some point come to an end. Some sooner than others. I didn’t want my marriage to end. I wanted it to change. But when it didn’t, when it got dangerous, I ended it. I didn’t want my mom to die. I wanted her to be healed. I wanted her to get off that sick bed, so I could continue to have her in my life. Yet, cancer took her body and death took her life. My time with her ended. There have been jobs, groups and friendships I wish I could have held on to longer. There is much that ended in 5783.

Every ending is escorted by death. Every death is accompanied with grief. The loss of a job, a home, a loved one, or close friends takes time to heal. Our mental and emotional resources are taxed as we process the ending. 5783 has been a year to process an ending and prepare for something new.

Isaiah 43.19 A New Thing

Isaiah 43.19 was one verse the Lord put on my heart two years ago. I discuss it in my book 5782 A prophetic picture. I don’t know about you, but I like when things happen quickly. I don’t like long drawn out processes. I’m a ‘cut to the chase,’ kind of person. As 5783 progressed, it became evident that this was going to be a long recovery; long, and very much needed. I didn’t want to admit that I needed this year to repair, recoup and regroup. I wanted to go forward with the work of the Lord. God however, wanted me to rest. I wanted a fast healing. God wanted a thorough recovery.

Read more on the insights I received on Isaiah 43.19 and 1 Peter 5.10

Grace, it’s all about grace

1 Peter 5.10 was the verse the Lord gave me for 5783. Since it was one of the verses I got for 5782, I was a bit confused. After a year of meditating on this verse one things stands out. THE GOD OF ALL GRACE…WILL HIMSELF!

I think I know what God’s grace is. I’ve been walking with the Lord since I was seven years old. Yet, after this year, I can honestly say that God’s grace has a deeper meaning for me than ever before. God is going to do this. He is going to restore. He is going to secure. He is going to strengthen and He is going to establish. My resources are limited. His are endless. He has an endless supply of patience. His grace is eternal. It never runs short. I have learned to ask each day, “Lord what grace are you giving me for me today?” Sometimes that was grace to hang out with family. Sometimes it was the grace to endure sickness. Other times it was the grace to just simply endure.

It has only been by grace that I have gotten through this year. His grace has carried me. His grace has empowered me. His grace has sustained me. His grace has led me. His grace has been exactly what was needed. It was hard to wait. It was not easy to surrender what little strength I had. Every time I did, His grace took me further. Now that we are approaching the end of 5783 I can smell the fresh tar of a newly paved road. I don’t know exactly where it leads. But I know the new path is about to open.

A New Road Ahead

5784 will be a like stepping on a newly paved roadway. For some it will be an old path that has been resurfaced, yet headed in an entirely new direction. For others it will be a new path they have never been down before.

5784, A Dalet Year – Transitioning thru the Door

Dalet = Transitioning from where we are to where we need to be

I would love to say that I have a book for this year. I have not only recently been released by Holy Spirit to return to writing more, including my blog. We will see what the days ahead bring.

Having said that, I am eager to see how Holy Spirit will lead us through 5784. Since the main focus of my website is related to the dalet, I am expecting to receive sharable insight in the days and weeks ahead.

Watch Beyond the Dalet for more about 5784 in the weeks ahead.

check out what I wrote at the onset of the decade of Peh – 5780’s.

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