THANKFUL

Chatting with Jesus

Monday, December 30, 2024

Lord, it’s that time of the year again. As this year winds down, for weeks some have been planning their personal changes for the coming year. Many New Year’s resolutions are the same as last year’s, only this year, we’re serious. We will change. People will notice. Yeah, right.

A TV pontificator remarked that most New Year’s resolutions made on Monday are broken by Friday. Looking inwardly, as much as I want to deny it, I fall into that group. My intentions are sincere, but life gets in the way. Busyness happens. Sickness makes a presence. Relationships not focused on the same page create tensions.

Did the psalmist make New Year’s resolutions when the ancients celebrated a new year? Scripture suggests he was sincere about his intentions to make the necessary changes in his life that you wanted. Perhaps your Spirit homed in to his inner man about some of his wayward behaviors. How deeply did he weigh the pros and cons of what he was about to record? Did he swallow hard and take a deep breath before he dared to ask?

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23. 24 NLT).

Lord, maybe I should pray the same. Point out those areas of my life that I need to change. I need your divine help. These areas of offense might not keep me out of heaven, but they could make life more difficult here and embarrass our claim that we know you. The Apostle Peter wrote how these difficulties refine our faith as pure gold (1 Peter 1:6–8). Our faith is precious in your sight.

Amen, Jesus.