Hello beloved! Hard to believe that this is the last month of 2023. I hope you have found our number studies helpful to your spiritual growth. I know that I have personally grown this year, discovering new things about the Lord and a deeper understanding of how He works. Our God is truly sooooo glorious!
This month, it's all about the number 12 and there is so very much to discover! The more we look at our Bible as our reference source, the more we see how God uses themes and connects things together. When we apply this to the number 12, we see that God designated 12 Tribes of Israel in the Old Testament and then Jesus had 12 disciples in the New Testament. Right after the parting of the Red Sea, the Israelites were led to the city of Elim where they could drink from the 12 springs of water. And Jesus multiplied the fish and loaves in 12 baskets. Both nourish and replenish a people who were weary. The more we look into scripture, we then see that the meaning of the number 12 is God's Perfect Order.
God's perfect order is for us to partner with in daily life. As we do, we reap His benefits including peace of mind at all times.
God's perfect order encompasses several aspects that influence our daily life:
Harmony and Purpose: God's order brings harmony and purpose to life. Just as in creation, where each element has its place and purpose, God's order encourages us to find our role and meaning within His greater plan.
Moral and Spiritual Guidelines: God's order provides moral and spiritual guidelines through teachings found in our Bible. These principles offer direction for ethical living, shaping our decisions and actions.
Relationships and Community: God's order fosters healthy relationships and community. It encourages love, forgiveness, and unity, emphasizing the importance of treating others with respect and compassion.
Personal Discipline: Living within God's order involves personal discipline. It encourages self-control, patience, and perseverance, helping individuals grow spiritually and morally so you are aligned with God.
Contentment and Trust: Trusting in God's order brings contentment, even in challenging times. Believing that there's a divine plan and order, offers peace amid uncertainties, fostering trust in God. It's an exercise of faith that grows your trust.
Stewardship and Responsibility: God's order promotes responsible stewardship of resources upon the earth. It encourages stewarding the environment, helping others, and being responsible with the gifts and talents He has given us.
In daily life, living in alignment with God's perfect order means our lives will have balance so that we can live pursuing righteousness and prioritizing values that reflect God's character. It involves making choices that honor God's principles, treating others with kindness and fairness, and nurturing relationships based on love and respect. God's perfect order provides a framework for navigating life's complexities with wisdom, resilience, and a sense of purpose. It also allows us to live out the purpose that He created us for.
Psalm 23:1
The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want.
This verse is another great example of why I love the Amplified Bible. It breaks down what a shepherd does; feed, guide and protect. As we step from God's Promises into understanding God's Perfect Order, we can look at this verse understanding that God's promises for our lives is to provide, guide and protect us. How glorious! There is nothing that we will ever lack when we believe and receive this promise. This is part of God's perfect order. Our lives are meant to reflect His perfect order.
Our Christian culture has these phrases "God will turn your mess into a message." and "God will take your test and turn it into a testimony." These are good to look at because the first part of each sentence talks about living without God and the second part speaks about what will happen when we choose to do things God's way. Both phrases underscore the transformative power of choosing to live according by God's design. When we choose to live according to God's perfect order, we will experience profound personal growth while inspiring others to do the same. It's a reminder that God can bring beauty, purpose, and strength out of our most challenging circumstances when we trust in Him and align our lives with His will. And that is the entire point of why God has order. It serves purpose and there is intent behind it all. It is also the easiest path for us to walk upon.
I want to challenge you this month. Go back to all of our number studies for each month and tie them together, creating a story of how they all play into God's perfect order for your life. As you do, you will find that if you left just one of those numbers out, if you skipped the meaning of just one of those numbers, then you'd be missing a part to God's perfect order. This might also help you identify something that you now need to incorporate into your own life to fully align with God's plan.
It's going to be another rich month of study! Be sure that you read the other blog posts this month and I invite you to church on Wednesday nights over YouTube so you can learn more about God's Perfect Order and how to align with His plan for your life.