ABOUTTIME
A LIGHT TO
MY PATH
KAREN WHITING | KARENWHITING.COM
“I PRAY THAT HE WOULD UNVEIL WITHIN YOU THE UNLIMITED RICHES OF HIS GLORY AND FAVOR UNTIL SUPERNATURAL STRENGTH FLOODS YOUR INNERMOST BEING WITH HIS DIVINE MIGHT AND EXPLOSIVE POWER” (EPHESIANS 3:16 TPT). Certain Scriptures guide me and keep me focused, especially ones I believe God wants me to use for my career and for each year. At the start of each year I look up my life verse, Ephesians 3:16, in a different translation. This year I used The Passion Translation. This New Year I felt impressed with Zechariah 2:5. God wanted the Israelites to rebuild the temple. He declared that He would be a wall of fire (protection) around the temple and its glory within. Wow! Where is His temple today? Paul makes it clear: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit?” (1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV). I am the temple of God the Holy Spirit; God will be my wall of fire to protect and refine me. God’s glory also dwells within me. So, for 2020, I will focus on the word “glory,” including in my life verse. The last part of 2019 I realized how blessing others and writing reveals God’s glory. When people see us and watch our actions, we glorify God. That allows people to glimpse God’s glory, the source of unlimited riches or blessings. The Old Testament words for “glory” are “kaved” and “kavod.” They refer to honor and matters that are weighty, substantive, intense, severe and massive. Glory here implies a weight like a rock so big it provides shade for people. It also means unmovable like our unchanging God. “Kavod” also described how God made Pharaoh’s heart unmovable. For Israelites the more “kavod” (or weight) attributed to someone, the more the
person became respected and worthy of honor. Glory is also a reference to God’s presence. The Scripture draws me closer to God. I’ve seen God flood me with inner strength with divine might and explosive power. God’s power is so explosive that He created the universe. I’ve prayed this verse to be inspired with God’s creative power, strength to write, and more. Praying the verse has changed my life and helped me do so much in writing with creativity. People remark about my creativity, but it all comes from God. I believe God is helping me look deeper to see more of His glory and to focus on letting others glimpse that glory through what God has empowered me to accomplish. I’m excited about how this may direct me to consider my readers and the possibilities of letting others see God’s glory. What do I do with my life verse (Ephesians 3:16)? •
I read it often and pray it.
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When I feel I can’t do something, I trust God will pour out His strength and power in me.
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The word “unveil” in the verse implies time and continually getting to understand God more. That inspires me to continue looking deeper into Scriptures so I can understand God and God’s glory more and how to use the power He gives me.
This year’s verse (Zechariah 2:5): •
God’s glory causes me to desire to be holy and pure, for God cannot abide sin.
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My reading each year is through the lens of the word God gives me. One year it was “hope,” and I saw that in all God did. This year I will view life and work through the lens of God’s glory to share God from a fresh perspective.
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