A New Year Devotional

A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other! In fact, here are some startling stats about typical resolutions for the new year in America:

• 27% break their resolutions by the first week of January.

• 31% lose their resolutions by the second week of January.

• 41% do not last more than one month with their resolutions.

• 55% have stopped their resolutions after six months

Incredibly, less than 5% of American adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day and only one in three adults receive the recommended amount of physical activity each week.

For many Americans, the lack of commitment to their physical health is mirrored by the way they approach their spiritual health.

I also want to encourage you to make a new commitment to put worship as a priority and grow together with a local community of faith in the new year.

Here are some great worship quotes to consider for the new year:

• “Isn’t it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate!” (Francis Chan)

• “Worship is the most powerful, joy producing, hope sustaining, life-altering thing a person can do!” (James MacDonald).

• “I need to worship because, without it, I lose a sense of wonder and gratitude and plod through life with blinders on.” (John Ortberg)

• “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care” (Psalm 95:6-7).

Blaise Pascal, a French philosopher from the 1600’s, is often quoted as saying, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every person which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator.” Pascal is saying that our happiness in the year ahead will not come simply through financial success.

Have you heard the story of the king who fell into a very serious depression? Nothing could lift his spirits. His servants tried everything—music, dancing, court jesters, lavish banquets — nothing seemed to help him. Finally, an old, wise man came to the king with an unusual piece of advice: “O King, if you can obtain the shirt off the back of a truly happy man, you yourself will be happy.”

Upon hearing those words, the king ordered his army to search the four corners of the earth and bring him the shirt off the back of a truly happy man. Weeks passed, then months. Finally, his soldiers returned. “O King, after many days and much searching, we found a truly happy man. But, your Majesty......the man was not wearing a shirt!”

My ultimate prayer for you and your family this new year is that you would understand that your joy in life will never be found through the acquisition of more THINGS. Jesus said, "In ME you will have peace" (John 16:33a).

Keep your eyes on Jesus in the new year ahead and receive this blessing from the very Word of God:

Numbers 6:24-26: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace”.

- Dr. Larry Petton

Related Sermon Illustrations

A. W. Tozer, Another Wonderful Devotional Writer ... PRO

Contributed by Mary Lewis on Jul 2, 2002

based on 17 ratings
| 19,879 views

A. W. Tozer, another wonderful devotional writer said this: The widest thing in the universe is not space; it is the potential capacity of the human heart. Being made in the image of God, it is capable of almost unlimited extension in all directions. And one of the world’s greatest ...read more

Tags: Heart, Miracles, Fulfillment, Giving Yourself

Denomination: Baptist
In His Book Dare To Believe, Dan Baumann Shared ...

Contributed by Charles R. Swindoll on Nov 1, 2004

based on 1 rating
| 11,196 views

In his book Dare To Believe, Dan Baumann shared some thoughts about crucifixion that should deepen our gratitude for what the Savior did for us. He wrote, "The twentieth century has forgotten how cruel and hideous crucifixion really was. We have perhaps unwisely and sometimes unconsciously ...read more

Tags: Cross

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational
Charles Spurgeon Offers This Warning: "If You ... PRO

Contributed by Robert Leroe on Jul 10, 2002

based on 10 ratings
| 7,457 views

Charles Spurgeon offers this warning: “If you haven’t looked at Christ on the cross, you’ll have to look at Him on the throne—with great trembling. The sacrificial death of Christ will be brought before the eyes of all who refuse to accept His free gift of forgiveness and eternal life. In ...read more

Tags: God's Judgment, Lordship Of Christ

Denomination: Congregational
Advice

Contributed by Kenneth Anthony on Dec 31, 2006

based on 1 rating
| 6,796 views

ADVICE A man was on the practice golf course when the club pro brought another man out for a lesson. The pro watched the fellow swing several times and started making suggestions for improvement, but each time the pupil interrupted with his own version of what was wrong and how to correct it. ...read more

Denomination: Orthodox
Henri Nouwen, Who Was A Roman Catholic Priest And ...

Contributed by Mary Lewis on Jul 2, 2002

based on 1 rating
| 6,405 views

Henri Nouwen, who was a Roman Catholic priest and a man of deep devotion to Christ said this: I often think: "A life is like a day; it goes by so fast. If I am so careless with my days, how can I be careful with my life?" I know that somehow I have not ...read more

Tags: Discipleship, Christian Values

Denomination: Baptist