- May 24, 2011
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Happy New Years everyone!!!!!!!!! 2011 brought many joys and some sorrows to my life. I am thankful to make it through to another year. I was blessed when my wife gave birth to our third child, Lauren. She was a band-aid on broken hearts as 2010 left us with two miscarriages. I am blessed to still be employed in a rocky economy, and I was blessed to start this blog in January of last year. Writing here on this page has really increased my focus on God, and what He wants from me here on this earth. I pray that God will continue to bless me in writing this blog, and that He will use it to His glory, and not mine.
Traditionally, everyone this year likes to come up with a New Year's resolution. Something that we are going to try better to do this year, that we could not do last year. While viewing the news last week, a learned of a poll that was done that said that 85% of people quit on their resolution in the first month, and 90% never make it past the second month. I can honestly say that I am in the 85% group that never makes it past the first month. I have finally got to the point that I did not make them anymore. But, I noticed that all of them were of a physical nature. I wanted to lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier, etc. All things that I tried to do on my own for me. There was never any inclusion of God in what I was doing. So I decided to do things a little differently a year or two ago. Instead, I just try to take a good honest look at my spiritual life, and see where I need the most work, and do my best to work on it that year. And I pray for God's guidance and help to get me through. Is it always easy, no, absolutely not. Will I fail? I will probably make many mistakes along the way, and there will be consequences I am sure. But, I know that God is right there with me.
This caused me to think on the story of King David. The first time we see David is in 1 Samuel 16. He was hand picked by God to become King of Israel. David was faithful to God. He demonstrated that in the killing of Goliath in chapter 17 of that same book as well as the rest of 1 Samuel and the beginning of 2 Samuel. However, in chapter 11 of 2 Samuel, we see David fall. It is here that he falls to sin in the murder of Uriah and the affair with Bathsheba. This was certainly not a good time in David's life. We see his punishment with all that happens in his family afterwards. However, David does ask for forgiveness. He asked God for His help. And God was faithful. And because of this, David was able to persevere through his trials.
God will help you through things that are going on in your life.
Philippians 4:11-13
"Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
To those who are lost, there is a promise.
Romans 10:9-11
"That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
And once you are truly saved, you will be forever new.
2 Corinthians 5:16-18
"Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,"
So, with this new year, will you choose to make God a part of your resolution this year? If you are lost, and seeking God, I encourage you to click the link at the top of this page for the Plan of Salvation. If you are a believer, I hope that this will help you set good goals this year to help in your walk with God.
Thanks for reading and God Bless you all in 2012!
This and more at:
Encouraging Thoughts for Life
Traditionally, everyone this year likes to come up with a New Year's resolution. Something that we are going to try better to do this year, that we could not do last year. While viewing the news last week, a learned of a poll that was done that said that 85% of people quit on their resolution in the first month, and 90% never make it past the second month. I can honestly say that I am in the 85% group that never makes it past the first month. I have finally got to the point that I did not make them anymore. But, I noticed that all of them were of a physical nature. I wanted to lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier, etc. All things that I tried to do on my own for me. There was never any inclusion of God in what I was doing. So I decided to do things a little differently a year or two ago. Instead, I just try to take a good honest look at my spiritual life, and see where I need the most work, and do my best to work on it that year. And I pray for God's guidance and help to get me through. Is it always easy, no, absolutely not. Will I fail? I will probably make many mistakes along the way, and there will be consequences I am sure. But, I know that God is right there with me.
This caused me to think on the story of King David. The first time we see David is in 1 Samuel 16. He was hand picked by God to become King of Israel. David was faithful to God. He demonstrated that in the killing of Goliath in chapter 17 of that same book as well as the rest of 1 Samuel and the beginning of 2 Samuel. However, in chapter 11 of 2 Samuel, we see David fall. It is here that he falls to sin in the murder of Uriah and the affair with Bathsheba. This was certainly not a good time in David's life. We see his punishment with all that happens in his family afterwards. However, David does ask for forgiveness. He asked God for His help. And God was faithful. And because of this, David was able to persevere through his trials.
God will help you through things that are going on in your life.
Philippians 4:11-13
"Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
To those who are lost, there is a promise.
Romans 10:9-11
"That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
And once you are truly saved, you will be forever new.
2 Corinthians 5:16-18
"Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,"
So, with this new year, will you choose to make God a part of your resolution this year? If you are lost, and seeking God, I encourage you to click the link at the top of this page for the Plan of Salvation. If you are a believer, I hope that this will help you set good goals this year to help in your walk with God.
Thanks for reading and God Bless you all in 2012!
This and more at:
Encouraging Thoughts for Life
