New Year's Resolutions
Welcome to 2015!
How many of you were ready for a new beginning? What
resolutions have you made?
Eat less and work out more?
Spend less and give more?
Spend more time with the Lord and
less time on social media?
Spend more quality time with your
kids and less time at work?
It isn’t like we really need a new year to make changes, but
January 1st seems to be the jumping off point that many of us need
to kick start our motivation and send us on our way to following through on
those resolutions. A fresh start. A new opportunity to do that thing that
you’ve never done before. A chance to put hard things behind you and look ahead
to the exciting things God has in store for you. Two verses come to mind when I
think of a new year:
1 Corinthians 2:9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—
Lamentations 3:22-24 “The steadfast love of the
Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every
morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”
Most of us walk into the new year with great
expectation—that this year will be better than the last! That our resolutions
will somehow make us happier and healthier. We especially like to think this if
last year was a difficult one. We look ahead with great hope that physical
ailments, financial struggles, death of loved ones, relationship troubles, work
disappointments, and other difficult circumstances will leave the year 2015
untouched. And yet, most of us know that 2015 will probably bring troubles and
worries along with it’s joys and triumphs. So what resolutions should we make?
Psalm 73:25-26 says, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”
Is one of your resolutions to truly desire
the Lord and to seek Him fully this year? If so, you can anticipate a
GREAT year! Not because it will be perfect or because you will be perfect. Not because it will be easy or because we will be spared
hard times. We can look forward to 2015 with joy and excitement because God is
the strength of our heart and our portion forever—not just this year, but for all
of the years to come.
He will be with us through whatever ups and downs this
year will bring. Praise the Lord that He follows through on every one of
his promises, even when the “resolve” in our resolutions waiver.
