New Year's Meditations
Dear Diary,
Laurel Wreath says, "I am not really one to make "New Year Resolutions" (infact I dislike them), if I make them I break them. But I am one to think about what my dreams and desires are at the time, and see where the Lord leads me. Sometimes it is exciting because the Lord has so much more in mind, sometimes it proves to be a difficult year because He had a lot to teach me. Either way it is exciting to follow God's leading and plan for my life. How about you?"
I've never been one to make resolutions either. It could be the stubborn streak in me that likes to dig my toe into the sand and ask why this day should be any different than the rest. Or maybe it's that I'm too anxious--too impatient. If I can't wait for my taost to turn brown, how could I possibly wait for the clock to strike 12? When I seek change, I'm "Johnny on the Spot."
But like most everyone else, in the back of my mind I do see the newness of the year and I do see myself wanting to be better each year than I have been before. Is that bad? No. It's growth and it's what I should be striving for as a child of Christ.
Because resolutions always seem to fail for me, I've come to live by Lamentations 3:21-23 "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." And the wonderful hym that echoes the scripture. Great is Thy faithfulness Lord unto me...Morning by morning new mercies I see...
Wow. I'm thankfull that should I wake up on January 6th with the guilt trip that I didn't seek God the way I hoped that I would have, or if I didn't serve my family the way that I should have, or if I didn't run on the treadmill as long as I could have... I can draw from His compassion and begin once again to seek Him in all that I do.
I know that this isn't about diets or addictions or housekeeping regimens, but yet in so many ways it is to me, because in giving to God I give all. I need to seek God in all that I do, so that in running the race, I'm running to win that I may attain the uncorruptible crown of glory. God doesn't expect perfection, but He does accept my tarnished and torn gift of love.
The gift of love that I offer Him is this. "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I not as one that beateth the air." ~ 1 Corinthians 9:25-26
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Labels: Christian Walk
posted by Darlene @ 5:53 PM
16 Comments:
Darlene, thank you so much for writing this. "Morning by morning new mercies I see..." THANK GOD. In fact this is one of my favorite songs. God brings it to my mind many times when I am "down".
I too am so "Johnny Spot" also. Patience and waiting are something God is continually trying to teach me.
Thank you so much for participating. You are a blessings.
I am sure glad that He is faithful to me -- even when I don't have it all together, He still loves me and He still smiles on me. I am glad that I don't have to be perfect in His eyes, because Christ has made me already perfect :). Makes me smile and happy. I too want to give Him my love -- everyday of the year.
Thank you Darlene for sharing your thoughts on Laurel's little challenge.
I too never make resolutions! I am guilty of making lists! But this year my only personal goal is to seek out God more often than I did last year! Sadly I have neglected my Father more than I should have and want to embrace him more than I did! He has been so good to me and mine and I feel as if I haven't been so good back.
That's the joy of His grace...even when we feel we have fallen short, He lets us try again. And again. And again!
What's wrong with wanting to make changes in yor life? So what. The timing is somewhat coincidental. Ok, it's extremely coincidenttal and perhaps the "newness" of the year is our father calling, louder than usual, for us to come to Him. At least, that's how it is for me, this time.
It's interesting that sometimes we fail to see that a life that is in-sync with Christ and the priorities God's Word calls us to have - is a life that bean1977needs no resolutions.
Know something interesting?
My daughters and I just read that verse from Lamenentations this morning. Then I went downstairs and blogged about resolutions needing mercy. The desire to change isn't wrong but we need to have mercy on ourselves when we fall short.
God does, and we are supposed to be like Him right?
So everytime I mess up my resolution (or any intention) we gotta just get up and try again, His mercies are new...
Good post.
I am thankful for fresh starts and new beginnings but I am more thankful for these words, "...for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."
Blessings in 2007!
I, too, am glad that every morning is a new start and beginning. I fail him often and it is a good thing that I don't have to wait until New Years to start anew. Thank you for sharing in this blog. It really encouraged me.
Thank God there are new mercies every morning! I could not get by without them. And for me, that gives me the freedom to dream what God might want me to do, because I know He will reveal "new" as I need it. Blessings in 2007!
Hi Darlene,
I like your Diary format for your blog. Reading the daily thoughts, problems and praises of other Christians helps me make it through another day myself.
Wow, I hadn't read this post until later this morning. I wrote about this same verse yesterday and posted it at Faith Lifts and my site this morning. I'm glad His mercies are new every day.
Glad to see you have a personal blog again! :)
Amen and amen!
"Redeeming love hath been my theme, and shall be 'til I die..."
So true, that when you live for God you give all- the little and the big. Great post!
I know what you mean about rebelling against new year's resolutions. I want this year to be different than last year though so I must change something.....I am grateful for the fresh start this new year brings!
Blessings
Hi Darlene,
I am a Darlene too. I am new at blogging (since Oct) and have slowly been learning how to make my blog more atractive and interesting. I still don't have a picture at the top of my blog but hope it will come. I have one picked out but lack the knowledge as to how to get it where I want it. But I will.
I'm enjoy reading your blog and all the other posts you write. I have been reading it for almost a year. I first thought I didn't have anything anyone wanted to read but in reading all the other blogs, I find myself getting sucked in. Maybe I do have something people will be interested in reading.
Thanks for the neat inspirations and ideas. My link it:
I'm thankful for the thorns
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