My New Year’s Handle Verse is One to Be in 2023

Last Year, God gave me my first Handle Verse. It was one to hold onto. It meant the world to me!

Last year’s Handle Verse was one to hold onto for 2022.

I’m believing God for some promises He’s made which have yet to come to fruition. And this verse declares me blessed right there. But wow! I’ve also been blown away by how God has made good on His word this past year.

One of the promises God fulfilled in 2022 was our move out of California. If you follow the Back Porch, you know all about it. You remember how we found our house, and how God made the impossible possible to get my daughters and their kids set up in their own places.

Do you need assurance that God still works wondrously? Start reading here.

New Year, New Handle Verse

Several weeks ago, I began asking God to give me a Handle Verse for 2023. Faithfully and consistently, He brought me to the idea of His kindness. He put a song on repeat in my head:

“It’s your kindness that leads us
To repentance Oh Lord
Knowing that You love us
No matter what we do
Makes us want to love You too”

Song by Leslie Phillips

The scripture behind these lyrics emerged as my new Handle Verse.

One to be in 2023

“Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and restraint and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”

Romans 2:4

What a humbling verse! God doesn’t berate us to repentance. He doesn’t shun us until we do what we ought. He draws us with kindness.

My New Year’s Handle Verse is one to be in 2023.
I aim to be more kind.

And you know what? We have direct access to God’s kindness, not just to us, but through us. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit, promised to us as we walk with Him.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

Galatians 5:22, 23 (emphasis mine)

My aim, this year, is to extend God’s kindness so He can draw others to repentance and salvation.

Mama Lava

It is God’s job to bring people to repentance. That isn’t on you or me. We get to demonstrate His kindness.

In context, Romans 2:4 warns us not to misunderstand God’s kindness. It does not mean He overlooks our sin. He sees our actions and knows our judgmental thoughts.

I realize I am judgmental. I also tend toward words. By now, everyone around me knows what I believe and why. It is high time to cease ‘preachiness’ and increase kindness without judgement.

I need only to see someone precious, whom Jesus died to save.

Mama Lava

I need to open my eyes wide to see and address my sin. But with others, I need only to see someone precious, whom Jesus died to save. Their faults are not my business. When it comes to them, I just want to be kind.

God’s unwavering kindness brings me to repentance. It can do the same for those around me, and around you too. If you don’t yet have a handle verse for this year and would like to adopt mine, please do. Its call to kindness makes it one to be in 2023.