This year, I had the incredible privilege of reading through the entire Bible, finishing TODAY, Sunday December 22, 2024 with the book of Nehemiah as the conclusion of my year-long plan! Oh how I’ve been anticipating this particular “finish line.”
Warning: This blog is not particularly for those who are in a hurry to skim and jump to the end. This blog post has been written from my heart with those in mind who desire to read the following with the ears of their own heart engaged. Those who are willing to take a moment and journey alongside me in my humanness and my thoughts and reflections all the while letting God refresh, nourish and invite you to hear His voice throughout. (Therefore, you will find that what I have written below lacks the scrutiny over grammar rules and attention-span protocols…)
If the above describes you, sink with me into the couch of God’s presence and allow the following to touch you in a powerful and unique way…
As I journeyed through God’s Word, I was struck again and again by one overarching theme: the entire Bible is one long, beautiful invitation to come to Jesus.
From my reading from Genesis to Revelation, I saw how God reveals His relentless love and His desire for all people to find life, hope, and salvation in His Son. Oh how amazing! (Even last Sunday, the Spirit led me and enabled me to memorize Psalm 145:13-21 and recite it everyday for a week to someone new!) Praise the Lord! (Even though I missed 2 days of reciting it to someone new…just saying…I’m not in this to be perfect, ‘cuz I can’t be…but I can be vulnerable, willing and faithful…and so can you!)
In everything that is going on in us and around us presently, I encourage us to remember…
In Jesus, we discover the meaning and purpose of life. He alone satisfies the deepest longings of our souls and provides the refreshment we so desperately need.
And this invitation is not just for us—it’s for everyone.
As we drink deeply from the water of life that Jesus pours out, we are called to invite others to come and be satisfied in Him as well.
Reading through Nehemiah as the final book of this journey felt particularly fitting to my own personal walk with Jesus this past year. It’s story paralleled my own as it vividly described restoration, repentance, and recommitment, set against the backdrop of human sin and God’s faithfulness.
Oh how I need Him as my heart is so prone to wander!
It was also a reminder that our purpose is not only to worship our one true God but also to live in a way that invites others to experience His grace, love, and truth.
God’s heart is that we never journey with Him or toward Him alone. He desires for us to walk in community, establishing key relationships that encourage, challenge, and refine us as we grow in our personal walk with Jesus. It’s in the context of godly relationships that we find support and accountability, helping us stay the course and deepen our faith.
With this in mind, I am passionate about serving others through professional, Christ-centered coaching to those who long for a profound, catalytic relationship that fosters growth and transformation.
Through coaching, I aim to create a space where you can:
slow your pace,
savor the present,
consider the now and
thoughtfully explore where God is at work in your life.
Together, we’ll carefully peel back the layers to uncover new areas ready for God’s touch, fortifying your journey to live aligned with your God-given design.
As a fellow child of God and sister in Christ, I invite you to consider the following invitation for a New Year lived aligned to your God-given design…
If you were to read Nehemiah 13, you would witness, as I have, the powerful and sobering reminder of how the problem of human sin persists even amidst rebuilding and spiritual renewal. Despite the Israelites’ efforts to restore the walls of Jerusalem and recommit to God’s covenant, they fell back into patterns of disobedience. (Uggg…that makes me sad and tired as these failings highlight how human sin remains a deep-rooted issue, even for those striving to walk faithfully with God.)
But, oh how this touched my heart in a bitter-sweet way! Sad, for the continual presence of sin in and around me; but so tenderly encouraging that God does not demand holy perfection from me, but rather a vulnerable, authentic trust and faithfulness in Him, even in my many failings!
God’s Mercy, Grace, and Design
Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that we are God’s masterpiece, divinely designed for good works that He prepared in advance for us.
Our God-given design is rooted in a singular purpose: to worship God, to glorify God, to know God, to enjoy God while making God known in your unique sphere of influence, by way of your unique design of giftings, experiences, passions, talents, personalities, and backstory!
Yet, as Romans 5:8 reveals, God demonstrated His great love by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. This truth affirms that our only hope in living aligned to our God-given design and addressing sin lies not in our own striving, works or boundaries but in the mercy, grace, and love of God. What an stress-reliever! Thank you Jesus!
Nevertheless, Nehemiah 13, alongside the Genesis account of Adam and Eve, teaches us that…
Boundaries and precautions are still necessary—not as our ultimate hope, but as tools to guard and support our worship of God alone.
Just as Adam and Eve were given a command to protect their relationship with God by avoiding the tree of knowledge of good and evil, we too must establish boundaries that help us resist sin and remain devoted to God, aligned to our God-given design.
As you read Nehemiah 13, you will see how he modeled this by taking decisive action: removing ungodly influences, purifying the temple, restoring proper worship, and calling the people to accountability. His actions were driven by a passionate desire to protect pure worship of the one true God, aligned to our unique God-given design.
How are your present attitudes and actions being driven by a passionate desire to protect your worshipful relationship with your perfect Heavenly Father and sovereign King of kings?
Establishing Boundaries for 2025
As we approach a new year, Nehemiah’s example inspires us to reflect on the boundaries and precautions we need to safeguard our commitment to God. We do so not out of self-reliance but out of reverence for God’s mercy and grace, which empower us to walk faithfully with Him.
Think about this:
The boundaries we instill in our lives then become expressions of our love and devotion, helping us stay aligned with our God-given design! How beautiful and unique these boundaries are for each one of us as they will vary from person to person, aligned to how God has individually designed us!
He certainly delights in the multi-faceted ways and means of our personal walk and worship with Him! So very refreshing is His freedom that invites us BE the masterpiece He declares you and I to be!
One of a kind!
Would you like to take a few moments to consider alongside me the following reflective questions as we prepare for 2025?
Perhaps grab a paper and pen, head to a quiet space, take along a refreshing drink, light a fragrant candle (my “fav” things to do) and quietly enjoy prayerfully reflecting on the following questions alongside Your Heavenly Father:
1. What influences in my life right now are distracting or leading me away from wholehearted worship of God?
2. In what ways am I presently guarding my time and priorities in a way that reflects my commitment to Christ? What part of these feel like they might need a complete overhaul or recalibration?
3. What present relationships, habits, or practices could be compromising my purity of worship or obedience to God?
4. What steps could I take this week to cultivate an environment where my faith can flourish, and my commitment to God can deepen?
5. How might I ensure that my actions are rooted in God’s grace rather than relying on my strength or works?
6. In what ways this year could I invite accountability from others to remain faithful and steadfast in my walk with God?
Nehemiah-Inspired Actions for 2025
Drawing from my own personal meditative reading of Nehemiah 13, here are some practical actions you also might want to consider:
• Remove distractions: Identify and eliminate anything that hinders your worship and devotion to God.
• Purify your temple: Dedicate time to spiritual renewal through prayer, repentance, and Scripture meditation.
• Prioritize Sabbath rest: Set aside time for worship and rest as a reminder of God’s provision and lordship.
• Engage in accountability: Surround yourself with fellow believers who will encourage and challenge you to grow in faith.
• Recommit to God’s work: Identify ways you can actively serve and glorify God in your daily life.
A Call to Action
As you seek to recalibrate your life for the new year, I humbly request you consider how investing in a Christian coaching journey could be a meaningful step for you. Through Masterpiece Coaching, LLC, I offer a Christ-centered process designed to help you live aligned with your God-given design.
My specialized coaching uniquely provides a safe space for you to reflect, set priorities, and establish the boundaries and habits needed to live further aligned to your God-given design with greater joy, deeper fulfillment, and multiplied gospel impact.
God desires, equips and empowers you so that you can walk confidently into 2025, trusting in His mercy, grace, and love to sustain you as His masterpiece!
Would you prayerfully consider scheduling a FREE 15-minute Discovery Call with me, allowing me to help you consider what next step God might be inviting you to take toward guarding your worship, your rest and your daily life lived aligned to your God-given design?
Schedule here. I prayerfully look forward to connecting with you, hearing your heart and listening together how God may be at work in your today, for a flourishing 2025, aligned to your God-given design!
Your fellow sojourner and sister in Christ,
Tami
Masterpiece Coaching, LLC
Certified ICF PCC Life-Coach | COACH Model Trainer
“Helping you live aligned to your God-given design for greatest Gospel impact”
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