Pastor's Ponderings, July 13, 2015

Let’s Have A New Year’s Resolution Reset

My Goodness!  It is already the middle of July and we are hurtling quickly towards the fall and winter seasons.  We should have made a half-year’s progress on those great New Year’s resolutions that we made with such hopefulness.  Perhaps you have not done as much as you would have liked. I have great news.  You still have almost six months to go.  You can still complete the tasks that you have begun.  It is only the evil one that will try to convince you that it is too late, your season has passed, opportunity has knocked and has gone on to the next in line. 

In the Bible, Jonah missed his first opportunity to warn the one hundred and twenty thousand citizens of Nineveh of their coming destruction.  He ran from God and went in the opposite direction (Jonah 1:1-3).  But God knows that He will bring you to His expected end  (Jeremiah 29:11).  He gave him another chance. Jonah did not miss it this time and completed his task (Jonah 2:1-3).

We are in the second half of the New Year.  We can press the reset button and start again to accomplish the vision that God has given to us at the beginning of the year.  Don’t be discouraged, don’t be depressed, and don’t be disappointed.  We can run any race or complete any task that we have knowing that our God will never leave us (Hebrews 12:1, Deuteronomy 31:6)!  Let us dust off our New Years resolutions and begin anew!!

Jonah 1:1-3
New International Version (NIV)

1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai:
2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish…

Jeremiah 29:11
New International Version (NIV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jonah 3:1-3
New International Version (NIV)

1 Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time:
2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.”

3 Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh…

Hebrews 12:1
King James Version (KJV)

1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Deuteronomy 31:6
New International Version (NIV)

6 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”