This New Year, instead of focusing on my imperfections,
I will set my eyes upon THE GREAT I AM, knowing He is the only One who can perfect me.
Focus of the Month: Promises, Promises
Have you ever made a New Year’s Resolution that you didn’t keep? Oh, you started with the best intentions, had the calendar marked, meals planned, schedule in order…for the first month… Yet, slowly and inconspicuously, life crept in and overcrowded the goal. Eventually, not just the desire, but the ability to see the goal completed, slipped away into some unobtainable abyss. We can all probably say to ourselves, “Yeah… Promises, Promises…”
Many people choose to make New Year’s Resolutions. There’s always the typical: Lose Weight; Exercise Regularly; Eat Healthy; Give Up (Tobacco, Alcohol, Sugar); Make and Live By a Budget; Read More; Spend More Time With Family; and many more. Yes, the new year seems to bring focused resolve and energized commitment to these promises we make to ourselves.
It is good and right for us to examine our lives and make adjustments to provide the best lives for us and our families. And what better time than the new year? One chapter closes. The new one begins. Fresh start. We often are invigorated with the idea of new beginnings. And if that’s where you are, kudos to you! We encourage you and support you in reaching your goals!
But here’s a little more food for thought as we approach these goals. If, in all our doing, we only look to ourselves, we will fail miserably – for we are able to do no good thing apart from Almighty God. And if our goals are set from a heart already overwhelmed by our imperfections and inadequacies, we’ve failed before we’ve even began, for we are perfected by Him who has created us. Our sufficiency is only from God.
Instead of focusing upon our shortcomings and weaknesses, and setting our goals from a place of lack and defeat, let’s renew our minds as to who we are in Christ, see ourselves through His promises, and allow our imperfections to be perfected through the finished work of the Cross.
“For all the promises of God find their Yes in Him That is why it is through Him that we utter our Amen to God for His glory. (2 Corinthians 1:20).
To fully enjoy the Yes in Christ and the Amen to God for His glory in His fulfilled promises to us, we must know what He has promised. But even before that, we must understand the character of God. In Exodus 3:14 and 3:15, God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and, “This is My name forever and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.” God is Jehovah, Yahweh, the Great I AM. He is the Self-Existent One who is our All in All. Anything we need in any moment – He IS! He is ever-present and all-knowing. All honor, power and glory belong to Him. Further, scripture tells us He who promised is faithful! He is our All-Sufficient One.
As we enter this new year, we hope to point you to the promises that are ours through Him. Join us every Monday morning for the next several weeks as we explore a new facet of the character of God and His promises to us. Let’s start 2018 together, setting our goals from a place of victory in Christ, knowing His Promises are sure as we commit to look unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith! Happy New Year!
Holding Fast to Hope,
Maryann
Scripture References: Romans 7:18; 1 John 2:5; 2 Corinthians 3:5; Hebrews 10:23; 12:2
