Personal Commitments for a New Year
Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your LORD doth come. Matthew 24:42
It is traditional at this time of the year to reflect on what has been, and to be thankful for another opportunity to make changes that will make the future much better. It is easy to remember the failures of the past even though we may not want to remember. The healthy part of that scenario is to be able to consider the past and to make the necessary changes so that these kinds of things will not defeat us in the future.
King David kept his sin quiet for almost a whole year, during which time he was miserable. Sin might be pleasurable for the moment but the consequences far outweigh any benefit a person thinks he has achieved. The high cost of sin is so very great!
Once David faced his sin, confessed it and repented of it, the benefits were so numerous, personally and in his kingdom. Sin, regardless of how good it might look at the time, places us into bondage. In that bondage, David begged for God’s forgiveness. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy loving kindness… Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Make me to hear joy and gladness… Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation; and uphold me with Thy free Spirit (Psalm 51:1, 2, 8-12).
God in His mercy did just that and David speaks of what then took place in his life as a result. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Bless is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. When I keep silence, my bones waxed old…for day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me…I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin (From Psalm 32:1-5).
We just finished celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who came to make it possible to have our sins fully forgiven and to give us life everlasting. That ought to be motivation enough to cause us in thanksgiving to make certain commitments for the New Year to become by His Spirit all that God wants us to become for his glory.
Looking back, there are some things we should probably put off in the New Year and looking ahead, there are some things we should put on. The following passages should be helpful to you on this one – Ephesians 4:22 – 5:6; Colossians 3:8-17.
Here are some things you can do beyond putting off and on that will make 2017 a Happy New Year.
- Purpose to enjoy our Savior’s presence more each day. For in Him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). In Thy presence is fulness of joy (Psalm 16:11).
- Commit yourself to walk in obedience with Him and to practice His peace. O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! then had thy peace been as a river (Isaiah 48:18). Note also Deuteronomy 5:29 and Psalm 119:165.
- Put off old grudges, fears, hurts, resentments and any memories of wrongs. Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13, 14).
- Romans 6:11-13 is the key to both the past and the present. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. We are to reckon ourselves to be dead to that which is wrong and alive to that which is right.
For you, Judy and I wish a radiant, happy, prosperous, healthy, blessed New Year. Let us choose to live it in full expectation of our Lord’s soon return.
Help me, Savior by Thy grace, To keep on looking toward Thy face,
To see no thing that will defile, To speak no word that will beguile;
To do no act of shame to Thee,
From which Thy blood has set me free.
George Stiekes held successful pastorates in churches in Michigan and Washington among other places. He currently resides in North Carolina and blogs at Reverent Reflections. We recommend his ministry and republish his material by permission.