Happy New Year: A Deep Ruts Blessing – Shades of Grace | Natalie Nichols- Shades of Grace | Natalie Nichols
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Happy New Year: A Deep Ruts Blessing

Psalm 65:11 is my favorite Bible verse for this time of year. You may have noticed that I’ve included it in my New Year’s prayers before.

I recently looked it up on Bible Gateway’s list of all the English translations. I love doing this with almost every verse that is meaningful. Seeing all the different wordings side-by-side like this helps me meditate on a verse and understand the meaning better. (It’s hard to believe that when I was in college, we had to purchase a printed copy for each translation we wanted to see. And in order to see several at once, we had to lay multiple Bibles on the table, or use a parallel Bible. Having over 50 translations available in a side-by-side comparison online like this still amazes me!)

The prayers below were prompted from some of the versions listed on this Bible Gateway English translations page.

From the Beginning to the End of the Year

“You start the new year with a good harvest. You end the year with many crops.” (ERV)

May you start this year with a good harvest. May you end the year with many crops! From start to finish, may God provide for you every day of the year!

I have friends who are still reeling financially from the pandemic. Some lost work, got behind financially and have yet to recover. Others took a significant financial risk to open a new business in early 2020 … days before the shutdowns occurred. Sadly, they ended up losing the business and all their investment. The ones who avoided bankruptcy will be years climbing out of the debt.

Like me, you may know many people who need a financial breakthrough this year. You may be in desperate need of one yourself, especially during this season of record inflation.

May this verse be an encouragement to you as you pray for your friends and for yourself.

Wherever You Go There Is Plenty

“What a rich harvest your goodness provides! Wherever you go there is plenty.” (GNT)

If you look at the translations of this verse, you’ll notice that quite a few mention “wagon tracks” — “your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.”

That doesn’t make a lot of sense to us in the 21st century… until we see the wording in the Voice.

Wagon Tracks

“You crown the year with a fruitful harvest; the paths are worn down by carts overflowing with unstoppable growth.” (VOICE)

“The paths are worn down by carts overflowing with unstoppable growth.” Imagine carts loaded with the harvest — weighted down with vegetables, fruits, and grain. … By the time cart after cart traverses the path, any grass that existed on the path is beaten flat. Not only the grass, but the ground itself is worn down by the sheer weight of the wagons. Wagon wheels have pressed deep ruts into the dirt.

“You give the year a good harvest. You load the wagons with many crops.” (ICB)

Wherever you go in the coming year, may there be plenty. May your paths be worn down by wagons overflowing with unstoppable growth. May your year begin and end with a rich harvest — a harvest so abundant that the paths used to transport it are worn to the point of deep ruts.

Deep Ruts

If you live in an urban area, it may be hard to visualize ruts. I grew up in the country. My family used to drive down a long, dirt road to go visit my grandparents when I was a little girl. After it rained, the ruts could be challenging to navigate.

I still live in a rural area and drive on a small portion of dirt road. In April, it rains excessively for days and days on end. As February and March approach, I dread the mud and ruts of the spring.

But when ruts are due to God’s abundant provision weighing down wagons of transport, that’s another story! Bring on the ruts, I say!

A Prayer for Deep Ruts

Friend, may we all know these kinds of ruts in the coming year! May God load our wagons with so much overabundant, weighty provision that the wagons of transport wear down our paths.

May God provide for you this way in every area of your life:

  • Spiritually in your walk with Him
  • Physically in your health
  • Professionally in your career
  • Financially in your income

Whatever you need, whatever you are believing God to do in the coming year, may God answer you in such undeniably miraculous ways that even your paths bear the marks of it!

Even Your Hard Pathways

“You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.” (NLT)

This was the translation that first endeared this verse to me. “Even the hard pathways….” As we know, there will be no way to avoid the hard pathways in the coming year.

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” Will. Not “may have trouble” … or “might have trouble” … or “could possibly have trouble.”

No, Jesus said, “will.” We will have trouble. It’s a promise — a guarantee… just not the kind of promise our natural man welcomes.

That’s why Psalm 65:11 is so encouraging! Even our paths that lead through hard times can overflow with God’s abundant provision — with abundant grace, and strength, and joy, and contentment, and faith, and every thing we will need.

Questions:

  • If you could ask God to provide abundantly in any area of your life, and you knew 100% without a doubt that He would answer, what area would that be? Financially? Spiritually? Physically? Perhaps you need Him to equip you on your job… or in your role as a parent … or as a caregiver…
  • How would you respond right now if you could see into the future, to the end of next year, and see all of the incomprehensible ways God answered your prayer and provided throughout the year? However you would respond then, respond similarly today. Do what Jesus did and thank God in advance for answering your prayer.

 


 

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