Merriam-Webster defines reclaim as follows:
Definition of reclaim
transitive verb1a: to recall from wrong or improper conduct : REFORM
2a: to rescue from an undesirable state also: to restore to a previous natural state reclaim mining sites
b: to make available for human use by changing natural conditions reclaim swampland
3: to obtain from a waste product or by-product : RECOVER reclaimed plastic
4a: to demand or obtain the return of
b: to regain possession of
Reclaim is the word God gave me for 2022. It’s not just for me to focus on, but I believe it’s a promise and proclamation. It’s also for you.
The last two years have been hard at the very least and devastating for most. There has been loss of life, jobs, finances, peace, relationships, and more.
During Christmas break, we were in New York State. The mandates there are stronger there than most states, and whether I agree with that or not isn’t my point. My husband was in the state less than three hours when he pulled in to greet me. One of his first comments was he couldn’t wait to get out. When I probed why, I actually knew, because I could feel it.
His answer? He could feel the fear and oppression. It was spiritually choking both of us. Even with masks on, you could see and feel the fear, even in the most faithful people.
Do we take the events seriously? Absolutely. But to live with that fear? No.
It’s time to reclaim.
If Jesus is Savior to you, we have every right to proclaim His promises. We are promised peace beyond all understanding. We have the authority under the blood of Christ to cast out infirmity and demons. And after feeling absolutely paralyzed by grief and trauma last year, I am ready to reclaim.
There’s an old song I remember teaching kids when I first taught Sunday School. It’s about going to the enemy’s camp and taking back everything he stole from us. I’m a visual person and I can picture the enemy with his fancy tent, mocking me, mocking you, with his accumulated spoils.
Here’s the thing. He is the defeated one. Not us. Not you. Not me. Even if nothing changes around us, and I think in 2022 we are going to see a LOT of change, we aren’t defeated. Never forget that. Picture yourself, Jesus marching ahead with purpose, yet also in the back as your rearguard, literally surrounding you, as you make your way to the defeated one’s territory. I don’t make a habit of addressing the defeated one, but I do believe in the power of proclamation.
I see myself gathering up the joy, peace, health, and lost opportunities and placing them in the arms of Jesus. I envision walking over to the defeated one and placing my foot in such a way he falls to the ground and my feet rest on his broken self. “By the blood of Jesus, I reclaim all that has been stolen and place the defeated one under my feet. The enemy has no authority over me or my family. I reclaim that promise by the power of Christ for the glory of His name.”
And Jesus and I skip back home.
Sure, my picturing it is a form of story-telling, but the proclamation and promises of Jesus are real. Use them. Reclaim what has been lost. This is the year.
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I created a short story, Unwrapping Hearts, as a prequel to my 2022 release, Anchored Hearts. This FREE contemporary romance is the origin story of patriarch Paul Hart and how after years as a widower, saw his neighbor, Shelly Hoffman, in a new way. Look for Anchored Hearts, the first book in the Surrendering Hearts series about the Hart sextuplets, by spring.
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