Kathy thought about the approaching New Year as she filed away the boxes of last year’s paperwork. There were things she would like to do differently in this new year.

Oh, there were the usual things most of her friends were claiming as their New Year’s Resolutions:

•    Lose weight
•    Stop smoking
•    Take more time for relationships
•    Set goals

The list went on. The office was filled with laughter and the prospect of hope for change that a new year would bring.  Yet Kathy knew, in a week or so, the chatter would turn to the broken resolutions and very few of the hoped for changes would become a reality. She wanted something more for her life.

That night Kathy picked up her Bible and read Psalm 25. It was full of hope and an expectation of change that only God could bring to her life. She read it through a couple of times and underlined some verses that seemed to jump off the page, bringing fresh hope to her heart.

“Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.” Psalm 25:4&5

The second time she read it through it struck her… here was her New Year’s resolution!

This would be the prayer of her heart every day in this New Year. She grabbed a recipe card and wrote out the words, letting them soak into her soul. This was the change she wanted in her life… to keep her focus daily on the path God wanted her to walk in hope and in faith.

Take a little time over the next few days and read through Psalm 25 yourself. Consider reading it every day for a week and ask God to make the promise of hope come alive to your heart. Write verse 4 & 5 on a card or a sticky note and place it where you will see it regularly. Memorize it and let it soak into your soul and change your life.

Father God, Thank you for the promise of hope You bring to my heart and my life. I do lift up my soul and my life to You now. I want to trust in You more fully this year. Tune my ears to hear Your voice more clearly. Teach me Your path and guide me in Your truth. In these changing days I need to discern Your ways for me. Help me to put my hope in You, not just occasionally or when I am in a hard place, but every day all day long. Thank you that You are God, my Savior! I ask this in the strong name of Jesus, amen.

May God guide us as we face another challenging year!

by Gail Rodgers
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• God’s Plan or My Plan?
• We Plan – God Directs

•   Salvation Explained

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The post A Different Kind of Resolution appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Let your way of life be free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” Hebrews 13:5

Content – How’s it working out for you?  Has it been a tough year?  Have you struggled?  I have.  Maybe most of us have.  We all know economic woes, but in the long run, those don’t really matter too much, do they?  The things that really bother us are usually far more personal than our money.  In fact, if money is so personal in your life that it rises to the top of the list, then it’s probably time to read this verse again.  The real point of this verse is contentment.  That’s the biggest struggle for most of us.  We are a long way away from the prayer of the sages: “Lord, make my heart so malleable that I am ready and willing to accept whatever You provide for me.”  We need to learn contentment.  I suppose that process is very much the same as the one which says, “And He learned obedience through suffering” (Hebrews 5:8).

Frankly, contentment is impossible unless I trust the Lord.  That’s why the author of Hebrews points us toward His faithfulness.  How can I be content if I think contentment is about anything except His faithfulness?  If my contentment rests on any other foundation, I will be disappointed, won’t I?  This is a good time to reflect on the truth that whatever the world provides, it can repossess (with interest).  A life built on sand is a life built on people, possessions and power.  It’s wonderful when you have these things but they are merely blessings of His grace.  In the end, life must be built on something more solid than blessings.  The rock-bottom of contentment is the fact that He will not forsake us, even when everything else seems to evaporate.

The Greek verb here is arkeo.  It is essentially the expression of being satisfied with the provision of God.  “My grace is sufficient” is exactly the same concept (and word).  God provides.  How He provides and what He provides is not my concern.  My concern is simply that He does provide and I am called to rest in that truth.  The real character of my life is reflected in the foundation of my rest.  May I be restless to do His will – and to rest in Him.  This is the sacred balance: that His purpose becomes my driving force and His character becomes my contentment.  The entire message of Scripture can be read in these words:  May I find rest in You, O Lord.

Do you need a New Year’s resolution worth pursuing?  Try this:  Rest, O my soul, in the graciousness of God.

by Skip Moen
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• More Content Relating to the New Year
• Every Reason to be Content –  by Max Lucado
• Learn to be Content – by Phil Ware
• The Secret of Being Content by Max Lucado

The post A New Year’s Resolution appeared first on Thoughts About God.

It’s simply Christ. Christ plus nothing.

“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2 (NIV)

If you’re thinking about making some New Year’s Resolutions, consider this one from The Apostle: “This year I resolve to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified.”

Paul’s message is radically simple: Salvation is in Christ alone. What does this mean?

• It’s not Christ plus your good behavior.

• It’s not Christ plus the years you taught a Bible study.

• It’s not Christ plus your tithe.

• It’s not Christ plus the church you attend.

• It’s not Christ plus the number of verses you memorize.

• It’s not Christ plus your title in the church.

• It’s not Christ plus wisdom from the latest Christian seminar.

• It’s not Christ plus a  fast.

• It’s not Christ plus a good driving record.

• It’s not Christ plus well-behaved children.

• It’s not Christ plus the right job.

• It’s not Christ plus the right spouse.

• It’s not Christ plus the latest technology.

It’s simply Christ. Christ plus nothing.

That’s a message that is as right throughout this coming year as it will be in 2999.

May your new resolution for the year be nothing but Christ and Him crucified.

by Jon Walker
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•  Measurable Goals

•  Affirmations | Commitments to God for the New Year

•  More New Year Articles

•  Salvation Explained

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The post A Resolution Worth Keeping appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”  Psalm 118.6

A few years ago, I kicked New Year’s resolutions to the curb. I was tired of the guilt, of never making it past January with even one resolution. Instead, each year I choose one word to focus on, with the hope that God would develop it in my life.

My word this past year has been DARE.

For much of my life, fear has been the driving force. Fear of failure. Fear of what people might think of me. Fear of the future. Fear of what God would ask me to do. FEAR. It lurked around every corner and stalked me in the middle of the night. It paralyzed me and left me broken and shattered, but my journey finally took me to a place where God’s truth could penetrate my heart.

“The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?”  Psalm 118.6

Do I believe God is bigger than my fear? Greater than my problems? Stronger than what someone may do to me? I’ve found it is easy to say, “Yes, of course, He is.” It’s another thing altogether to live like I believe it.

So picking the word DARE for 2016 was a big step of faith for me. Daring to do what God calls me to do seemed scary, but I’ve found His Word to be true — there is no fear when I truly believe God is for me. This year, since January, I’ve had the opportunity to share the love of Jesus around the world: in the Dominican Republic, Zambia, and India! And this is just the beginning.

Do you believe God is bigger than your fear?

What will your word be this year?

Lord, how little we make you and how BIG our fears have been in our lives. Forgive us for making you small, for trusting in ourselves instead of you. Teach us who you are and give us courage to step out in faith and embrace the life You are calling us to. We dare to do what you want us to do. Amen.     

By Kristi Huseby

You can learn how to start a new life with Jesus.  Read this explanation at:
https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws

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