NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FROM THE WORD OF GOD (PART 2)

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues, put on love, which binds them together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and advise one another with all wisdom, as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

Colossians 3:12-17

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Yesterday, we looked at the first five resolutions from the word of God, taken from a message I delivered at a church service just before New Year’s Day several years ago. Today, we look at the second part of that message and the top five resolutions. Feel free to share with others and may the Lord richly bless you and yours in all things in 2018!

5. Be thankful.

There’s a popular saying that says, "Count your blessings...and when you get done, count them again." Too often, we lose sight of all the great and awesome things the Lord has done in our lives. In fact, just me being here writing this and you being where you are reading it is a blessing in its own right and something we should be so very thankful for. Just the fact that we are living and breathing is a good reason to be thankful.

Indeed, God has blessed us with the gift of life this very moment even though we deserve nothing good from Him. We are all sinners who stand before a God who despises sin and yet He still is mindful of us. He loves us and cares for us, so much so that He was not willing to let us perish, instead offering up His one and only Son Jesus as the atoning sin sacrifice for all mankind, once and for all.

Through Jesus, everyone has an opportunity for salvation and that in its own right should take us to a place of complete gratitude. For God doesn’t just offer us life in the here and now but forever through Jesus.

So the next time life’s circumstances start to drag you down the road of begrudging the life you have, refocus yourself on the cross and remember how very blessed you are. If you do, I am convinced you’ll find your life attitude turn toward thanksgiving and praise unto the One who gives us every good and perfect thing from above, now and forever more.

Resolution #5: Be thankful in all circumstances.

4. Let the word of God dwell in you richly.

How good are you at time management?

Our days seem to get ever busier as we run from obligation to obligation, from event to event. There seldom seems to be enough time in the day. In fact, too often as we arrange and prioritize our time, we schedule so much that we squeeze the most important things out, like quiet time with the Lord in prayer and scripture reading.

Friends, God blesses us with time. We all get 24 hours a day and He expects us to invest it wisely. Yet, too often we skip giving some of that time to Him every day and jump into living life void of the wisdom, guidance and strength we need to make it through situations we encounter. We often sit in dismay and depression, lost and in need of help, even when that help is just a few minutes of prayer or bible reading away.

We need to remember that all the knowledge, insight, and direction we need is fully found in the Bible, God’s Holy Word, His instruction manual on life given to us so we can make it day by day by day. When we read it, study it, and pray over it, then it comes alive and dwells in our hearts and minds, illuminating our path as we walk down the pathways of life.

I believe that God would say this to us as we start 2018:

“Make more time for My word so you know what to do with the life and time I provide you. Discover my will and purposes for you and then carry them out. Allow My Holy Spirit to provide you a greater understanding of My word and allow that understanding to dwell richly within your heart, mind, and soul.”

3. Teach and advise one another with all wisdom.

We can only do this if we have wisdom within us. And that wisdom is not our own wisdom or worldly wisdom but the wisdom that comes from the Father above.

This resolution only happens when we adhere to the preceding one and let God’s word dwell richly within us. Our study of Holy Scripture will lead to spiritual wisdom as it takes hold within our hearts. Then, God would say, "Don’t keep My word to yourself but rather take the learning you have received from Me and use it to teach one another." In fact, Jesus gave us that instruction in His Great Commission. He told us to "teach others to obey all that He had commanded" (Matthew 28:20).

In the end translation, we learn what the Lord commands and understand His expectations only by reading the Bible, meditating on our reading and then putting it into action. The call for us in the new year is to be not only be active in learning from God’s word ourselves but also proactive in teaching others about Jesus using the wisdom God places within us.

2. Sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Do you have a favorite song? What is it about that song that makes it your favorite?

Most often, it is because the song makes you feel good. It has a way of elevating you above whatever might be happening in your day and brings joy to you for the moment you listen to it.

Personally, I have found that music has an effect on the soul unlike any other medium. Whether it's a praise and worship song, a contemporary Christian song, or a classic hymn, spiritual music is a gift from God that brings us into the attitude of worship and adoration unlike any secular song can.

In 2018, examine the music you’re listening to and ask yourself these questions:

Do these songs glorify God? Do they edify me spiritually?

My prayer would be that you truly sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your heart toward God this year. I share a Song of the Day every day through this ministry to offer up the gift of Christian music to my followers. So when you lift your voice up to sing along with that song or any other, do so in a way that the Lord will feel your fullest gratitude.

Make a joyful noise unto the Lord!

1. Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

Is there a more suitable number one resolution that God would have for us in 2018 or any other year for that matter?

For in this resolution, there is no gray area or exception, just the requirement for us all to do everything in the name of Jesus, all the while giving thanks to God for the indescribable gift of salvation and eternal life through His Son who He gave freely to pay the price for our sins.

Once again I ask:

Is there any greater resolution we could make for the new year?

And is there any more challenging resolution for us to carry out in such a sin-filled world?

The good news is that we can meet this challenge, just as we can meet any challenge, through the power and strength of Christ within us. Truly, as God’s word assures us we can "do all things through Christ who strengthens us" (Philippians 4:13) but only if we allow Him to come within and dwell in our heart, mind, and soul. For if Christ lives within us, then we will truly be able to do everything, whether in word or deed, in His name. And that kind of life, my friends, will always one that is pleasing in the sight of God the Father.

In closing, I pray we will live out the verses of this passage from Colossians in the new year. For if we do, we will find ourselves in the very spirit of God’s will for us in Christ Jesus!

I look forward to a great year ahead in the Lord and wish all of you a very Happy New Year!

Tomorrow, we’ll return to our study of the Gospels and the life and ministry of Jesus.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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