New Year resolutions can be disappointing!
I like new beginnings. Every day is a new opportunity. But, especially is the New Year a time to begin again. We make resolutions—or we used to. We attempt to follow them, then we discover how deeply rooted are our patterns of behavior. Changing is nearly impossible for us. That is why God said that just like a leopard’s ability to change his spots, our changing ourselves for the better is, well, impossible.
Fortunately, God is in the business of change. Everything He comes in contact with He changes. He changes our characters, our desires, our attitudes, our thinking patterns and more.
Revelation gives a fair amount of space to predicting that God will make all things new. “And He who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’ And He said, ‘Write, for these words are faithful and true.’”
Imagine being able to make all things new! The atmosphere will be new. The earth will be new. The animals will be new. The people that inhabit it will be new, or shall we say completely restored. Even the New Jerusalem will see change—it will no longer have the temple in it. For two entire chapters, Revelation reveals the bright future ahead for this world when God accomplishes all the changes He has in mind!
Even now, God wants to change us. He wants to give us a new heart, put a right spirit (attitude) in us, make us partakers of the divine nature, give us the fruits of the Spirit, cause us to walk in His ways, put hatred for sin in our hearts, help us to form new habits of obedience, replace our fear with faith, and the list could go on.
If you are looking at your past attempts to keep your New Year’s resolutions and change, you will get discouraged. After all, even the disciple Peter said to Jesus emphatically, “Though all men forsake You, I will not. I will even die with you!” Then, look at what he did within 24 hours! So, if you are bad at keeping resolutions, at least you are in good company. Peter learned that he could do nothing to improve himself. He learned that it was all about trusting Jesus and humbly letting Him have His way in our lives. Often it means waiting patiently for the Master Restorer to work at His own pace. We get in a hurry.
Rather than looking back at our failed attempts to change, look ahead at all the promises of change that God is going to make happen.
Revelation is often viewed as a book of terrible beasts and dragons representing scary future events. Actually, if you look for something different in Revelation you will find it. It is a book of happy people singing praises to God for all the changes He has brought to their lives and the changes He has accomplished in the world scene. We find those happy outbursts in Revelation 4, 5, 7, 11, 14, 15 and 19! Seven chapters contain the records of people who cannot contain their joy! Why? Because God is one Who makes all things new! In this New Year, make it your resolution to simply trust the One who makes all things new. Your New Year will be the happiest ever and you might even find yourself singing for joy!
Dennis
dennispumford.com
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