Cast Off, Behold, and Put On!

 


Dear Friends,

As you enter this new year, my wish for you is to have a year where you CAST OFF, BEHOLD, and PUT ON. Many of you are probably making new year's resolutions and such goals for the year 2024 but would you take some time to CAST OFF, BEHOLD, and PUT ON. Bear with me as I walk you through this. Some of us might have experienced difficulties, challenges, significant events/losses in 2023 leaving us wondering "why?" We did not ask for these things to happen and none of us wished for them to happen but regardless they happened. Did you ever wish that they would have never happened or should have been resolved quickly? I know I did! I want all of us to start this new year with a different perspective. CAST OFF, BEHOLD, and PUT ON. What do these words have in common?? 

One of the definitions for "cast off" from Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary: "to get rid of something because you no longer want or need it". Wow. Go back and read that definition again. When God gave me this word for 2024, I did not know what He truly meant until I started reflecting on it. How many things, situations, events in 2023 that happened that you did not want, need, or wanted to get rid of totally? How many times have you questioned, cursed at, cried out to, or prayed to God to get rid of "a thorn in your flesh/side?" There were many times in 2023 where I was like, "God, I don't want to deal with this! Can you please make it go away?" Sometimes I got angry, other times I questioned God, and most of the time, I prayed, worshiped, and cried. How about you?

 The Bible says in Psalm 55:22 (NIV) “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” In 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” The Amplified version of this verse says it like this: “casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].” Friends, your worries, your cares, and your anxieties about the things in this world are meant to be CAST” not for you to hold on to. In whatever situation you find yourself in this new year, CAST OFF, get rid of whatever you don’t want or need it. Cast it all on God not only because He wants you to but because He has such deep affection for you and sends His angels to keep watch over you. Will you cast it all on God this year?

I like how Merriam-Webster describes "behold": "to perceive through sight or apprehension", "to gaze upon". Cambridge's definition is “to see or look at someone or something." The Greek meaning of behold is “be sure to see”. I love this meaning from a blog I read: “pay very close attention to what comes next, because it’s especially important”. I want you to think about these different definitions of “behold”. I’ve read this meaning from an online Christian Magazine: “When God uses it, he’s grabbing us by the collar, urging us to notice something incredible that we’re currently ignoring.”

 In this year, I want us to BEHOLD Jesus. It’s time for us to recognize and become aware of His presence in our lives. It’s time to for us “to pay very close attention to” God’s movement in our lives, what He does next, “because it’s especially important.” BEHOLD Jesus because He wants to be your everything. He said “it is finished” for you. He took the stripes on His back for you. He died and rose again for you. He is seated at the right hand of the Father for you. He intercedes for you. He has overcome the world for you. He is greater for you. The peace He gives is not the world’s peace because the peace found in Jesus is greater than any storm that’s going on around you. BEHOLD your “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”. (Isaiah 9:6). BEHOLD your Jehovah-Jireh (Provider), Jehovah Shammah (He is there), El Roi (He sees), Jehovah Rapha (Healer), Jehovah-Raah (our Shepherd), Jehovah-Tsuri (our Rock), Jehovah-Shalom (our Peace), Jehovah-Nissi (our Banner), Jehovah-M’Kaddesh (Sanctifies), Jehovah-Tsidkenu (our Righteousness), Jehovah-Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts or Armies, Protects & Delivers), and Yahweh (I AM WHO I AM, I WILL BE WHAT I WILL BE, OR I AM). Will you BEHOLD Him this year?

The Merriam-Webster describes “put on” as: “to dress oneself in”, “to make part of one’s appearance or behavior”. We don’t want to ignore His voice and leadership. We want to be continually beholding Him because the more we behold him, the easier it is to hear His voice. When we cast all on Him and behold Him, we can then put on Christ. We can dress ourselves in who He is. We can take on and put on His characteristics. Ephesians 4: 21-24, “when you heard about Christ and were taught in Him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” In Ephesians 6, we learn to “put on” the full armor of God to stand against all the schemes of the enemy. Colossians 3 tells us to “put on” our new selves since we let go of our old selves what our old habits/practices. It also tells us to “put on love” which is a virtue above all these other virtues: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with each other, and forgiving one another. And finally in 1 Thessalonians 5:8, “But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.” Friends, let us put on Christ this year, let us take on His characteristics and make it our behavior. Will you agree with me that we all need more of Christ in our lives this year?

 

Warm Wishes & Happy New Year,

 

Carline

 

 

 

 


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