Another Year With Thee

Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; - Psalms 65:11

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This is a time of reflection and anticipation. Reflection on the year past, and anticipation of the year to come.

But, probably the most common thing you hear about at the new year is resolutions...things you hope to change; health, i.e. diet, exercise, eat better spend more time with your family read more, stop using your credit card.

Now all this is good and fine, but could I challenge you to make a different type of new years resolution...spiritual resolutions:

• read my bible more 
• pray more 
• share my faith more 
• invite people out to church more 
• to fight sinful attitudes and actions more 
• to talk to my kids about Jesus more

 

Now, Ecc. 5:4,5 says,"When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay."

Can you relate to that?

See, our problem is not making resolutions, promises, vows...our problem is following through on them.

Four paths to fulfilling your resolutions:

1. Be realistic

2. Don't be thrown-off by failures this is a common snag to progress 

Is. 43:18,19 "Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder the things of the past. Behold, I will do something new..." Phil. 3:13,14 "...but one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on..."

 God is always ready to give us a second chance.

3. Be patient, give it time

4. Be reliant on God to bring about the change. 

Paul will say in Phil. 3:3 that we are not to, "...put confidence in our flesh, our own ability..." II Cor. 3:5 Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God."

Real change is possible only when we come humbly before God and cry out to Him to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

Conclusion: It's a new year, but the same God...by same I mean: predictable, unchanging, reliable, trustworthy solid, dependable, faithful, constant, loyal, etc.

Do you want to know what this "same" God has to say about this "new" year?

Jer. 29:11-13 "For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come to Me and pray to Me and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all of your heart."

Matt. 28:20 "I am with you always even to the end of the age."

Heb. 13:5 "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Romans 8:39 "...nothing can separate us from the love of God..." - 

Dave Jacobs

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Another year is dawning,
Dear Father let it be,
In working or in waiting,
Another year with thee.

Another year of progress,
Another year of praise,
Another year of proving
Thy presence all the days.

Another year of mercies,
Of faithfulness and grace,
Another year of gladness,
The glory of thy face.

Another year of leaning
Upon thy loving breast,
Another year of trusting,
Of quiet, happy rest.

Another year of service,
Of witness for thy love,
Another year of training
For holier work above.

Another year is dawning,
Dear Father, let it be,
On earth, or else in heaven,
Another year for thee.

 Frances R. Havergal