Don’t
you love fresh starts? Out with the old, in with the new? I do. Sometimes, I
want a New Year. Last year was hard. Did anyone else have a hard year?
My
first thought was to recount everything that was hard. And then it hit me; I
don’t want to do that. It’s done; it’s over, let’s move on.
So
how do we have a new start from a hard year?
We
learn.
There
has been a firestorm over America – and its social media. People have been on
all sorts of rants and judgment calls. I was angry myself and had to step away.
What did I get from spending time reading tweets? Higher blood pressure, and a
lot of words that I thought ‘should have been spoken.’ And thankfully – during this- I had a Redeemer
who was working on me.
God
helped me to see a goal he has with pain.
Pain
brings a certain ‘squeezing’ process to help us find our better selves. It
refocuses us to what’s important.
It
also helps us take a personal inventory of ourselves.
During
my inventory, a lot of things came up that I didn’t even realize existed.
Psalm
19:12-14 addresses this:
12 How can I know all the sins
lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden
faults.
13 Keep your servant from deliberate
sins!
Don’t let them control me.
Then I
will be free of guilt
and innocent of great sin.
14 May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be
pleasing to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
So,
as I began seeing some ‘issues’ I had – I realized, who am I to judge? That’s
God’s business. I just need to stay humble, and out of the way and let Him work
on who and what He needs to work on.
Also – in that personal
inventory – I saw false motives, false idols, distractions and selfish
ambitions: sin mixed with weights that were holding me back from what God
wanted.
Once the air was cleared –
and I saw the light (so to speak,) God then had a clean airway, or pipe to
start shuttling his will through. His
direction has since been becoming clear. Psalm
25:4 Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me
to follow.
I
realized I needed to go forward – with gusto – and His word became clearer too:
Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are
surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every
weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race
that is set before us,
So
it makes sense, clean up your act, be humble, and I will show you my will…
But
how do we test and know God’s will? Romans 12:2 covers that answer.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern
of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will
be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect
will.
So,
if I am listening… I think this year – I will…. (and I am suggesting for you,
too.)
1. Stay in the Word of God – (try a bible study, or a read the
bible daily plan.)
2. Pray. Balance praying with studying. (I keep a journal by what
ever I am studying. I pray through my studies. Let’s practice taking everything to the Lord
in prayer.)
3. Fellowship.
a.
Get with other believers, (if you don’t already go, then find a
great church, and surround yourself with Christian friends.) if you don’t know
where to start, send me a message and I’ll look up churches in your area.)
4.
Seek God Expectantly - He will show up
a.
Psalm 5:3 ‘At daybreak, LORD, You hear my voice; at daybreak I plead my
case to You and watch expectantly.
b. James 4:8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you.
Happy New Year! And here's to an exceptional 2018!!!
