Early one morning the week before Christmas, before any other creatures stirred, I set my cup of peach-ginger tea on the table beside the armchair then stilled myself under a cozy fleece blanket. Enveloped in quietness, I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. After a long, slow exhale, I repeated the practice several times. When my spirit quieted some, I whispered, “I come.”

I repeated my acceptance of Jesus’ invitation from Matthew 11 on a breath. Again and again. “I come.”

This time in the stillness, I received a word . . .

Discernment.

The word settling into my consciousness that morning hadn’t been a stranger to me in the month of December. At least twice, the word discernment had hit pause in my mind grabbing my mental attention for more than a mere second.

The first pause came during my reading in Philippians. In chapter 1 v9-10, the apostle Paul wrote, “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”

On a separate occasion, while listening to a Practicing the Way teaching podcast*, John Mark Comer shared that learning to discern how God is coming to you through the events of your life, for the moments of your life, for what is happening to you or what is not happening to you is a key part of learning to hear God’s voice.

Number three was the whisper in my spirit that crisp morning while I rested in my armchair. Father God held my attention as I sat in stillness. In the quiet solitude, I battled my many internal distractions to contemplate what the Lord wanted me to do with the notion of discernment.

Year after year for several years now, I’ve asked the Lord to give me a word that represents an overarching focus for the upcoming new year.

Listen from Proverbs 8:33, Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not disregard it. 

Spacious from Psalm 118:5, When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; He brought me into a spacious place.

Delight from Psalm 37:4, Delight yourself in the Lord.

Just to name a few.

I hadn’t yet asked for a focus word and Scripture verse for 2024. Turned out I didn’t have to. Yep, discernment is the one word and the focus for the new year stretched out before me.

What meaning and purpose am I to unpack from this three-syllable word? How does the Holy Spirit wish to guide me in this new year with the gift of discernment?

In the Merriam Webster Dictionary discernment offers the ability to comprehend what is obscure; it’s an act of perceiving something. Things like reality and truth. Essentially discernment is the ability to see or understand something clearly.

Pastor Paul packed Philippians 1 v9 and 10 full of encouragement and equipping, full of purpose and promise. Our goal is that our love for God and others would overflow in knowledge and depth of insight, so that we would be able to discern, perceive, know what is right. What is aligned with God’s will. What is best. Not just good or better, but best. Perfect for the launch of a fresh start.

The ability to discern is not a passive verb. Instead, discernment requires action. A choice comes into play when I embrace this one word gift of discernment. Love over contempt. Truth over lies. Faith over fear. Wisdom over folly.

Friend, I hope you’ll choose with me to open the Holy Spirit’s gift of discernment today and everyday in 2024.

PRAYER

Father God, thank you for the ability we have through the redeeming work of Jesus, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to discern lies from truth, right from wrong, and what is best from what is good. Help us to grow in our love for You and to open Your amazing gift of discernment more and more frequently. Regularly. Habitually. In Christ, we pray these things. Amen

Do you engage in the One Word for the New Year practice? I’d love to hear your word and direction for 2024.  Please comment.

*John Mark Comer Teachings Podcast, Listening to God, Prayer E3.

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