Ok so I know every new year people make out this list of resolutions, yes I am guilty party myself..but this year I wanted to do some research into the word "resolution" what excatly does this word mean? and here is what i found...."A resolution is a commitment that an individual makes to a project or the reforming of a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year's Day and remain until fulfilled or abandoned"............. how ironic that the name means basically failure and dissapointment no wonder none of us can keep them! So this got me thinkin..maybe instead of calling these our New Years Resoulutions..we should change the name..to hmm Promises..go with me for a sec;)..how many of you have made a resolution to someone? some maybe..but how many of us have made promises to someone? and when we say "I promise..." we usually do everything we can to keep our word..right? what if someone else promises something, we expect that promise right? excatly..now your getting my point..its all in the matter of what words are chosen and what kind of commitment is behind that word..when we say resolution i am thinkin most of our commitment following that is empty, but when we change the word to promises..I do believe I see some heads lifted and confidence regained:)..now why is that you ask? why does the word "promises" touch our hearts the way it does? Friend believe it or not you were created with that word tucked away in your heart...God put that in you...because it is apart of Himself..God has promised us so much..and when God promises something He can't break that promise its just not in the character of God...so what does that mean..it means you too have that same character tucked away in your heart somewhere..some of us have discovered it..and for others it may be one of those hidden treasures you have yet to discover;) So what is it that God has promised us? Here is but a small portion of what God promises for His children..
Promises To Remember When We Are Afraid:
Genesis 28:15 - "I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
Deuteronomy 31:8 - "The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Psalm 50:15 - "and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."
Luke 21:17-18 - "All men will hate you because of me. But not a hair of your head will perish."
James 4:8 - "Come near to God and he will come near to you."
Promises To Remember When We Make Decisions:
Psalm 32:8 - "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."
John 8:12 - "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
John 14:26 - "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
James 1:5 - "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."
Promises To Remember When We Have Done Something Wrong:
Matthew 6:14-15 - "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Promises To Remember When We Are Having A Bad Day:
Jeremiah 29:11 - "'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.'"
Matthew 11:28 - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
Luke 6:35 - "But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked."
John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
John 10:28 - "I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand."
John 14:3 - "In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
John 20:29 - "Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'"
Romans 10:9 - "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
James 4:10 - "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up."
Promises To Remember When We Need Something:
Luke 12:31 - "But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."
John 14:14 - "You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."
1 John 5:14-15 - "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us-- whatever we ask-- we know that we have what we asked of him."
Promises To Remember When We Are Being Tempted To Do Wrong:
1 Corinthians 10:13 - "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."
2 Thessalonians 3:3 - "But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one."
So I ask you this New Years, Instead of setting yourself up for dissapointment with resolutions..pray about what God has placed in your heart..what promises has He promised for you? they are in there..waiting..for you to discover them and allow God to fullfill them;)
