Your Best Year Ever
Psalm 37:3-5
Pastor Brian Chandler
New Season, New Goals, New Dreams, New Resolutions. It’s a new year with great new possibilities.
Now most people when they start the new year they make new year’s resolutions and most people fail to keep their new year’s resolution. In fact statistics tell us that four in five people will break their new year’s resolution.
Here is a list of new year’s resolutions I found online. Some of these might be the same or different than some of yours. Here they are…
1. Lose weight
2. Get organized
3. Spend less and save more
4. Enjoy life to the fullest
5. Staying fit and healthy
6. Learn something exciting
7. Quit smoking
8. Helping others
9. Fall in love
10. Spend more time with family
Now 3 in 4 of your will not keep your resolutions, in fact most of you will break these resolutions within the first couple of weeks of this year. Maybe you already failed and where just 8 days into the new year.
So if most people fail when they make a resolution or set a goal, the question we need to address is, “How can you increase your chances of keeping any resolution or commitment that you make?”
If you are going to be successful you have to make a commitment. You have heard they saying, “Better to have tried and failed than not to have tried.”
A chicken and a hog were walking past a church building one day when they noticed the Sunday morning sermon posted on the outside bulletin board, "Helping the Poor." They walked a ways when the chicken suddenly came across with a suggestion. "Say, Brother Hog, why don’t we give all the poor people a nice breakfast of ham and eggs?" The hog thought a moment and replied, "That’s all right for you to say because for you it is only a contribution, but for me, it’s total commitment!"
Here’s an even better question than how you can increase your chances of keeping your commitments, “How can you make 2012 your best year ever?”
Today I want to share with you four steps to making 2012 your best year ever.
Psalm 37:3-5 “Trust in the LORD and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.” NLT
Step # 1 - Trust in the Lord
Psalm 37:3a “Trust in the Lord…”
In the promise land there were many battles the Israelites faced, there were giants they faced, there were many unknown things before them, but God’s greatest desire was for them to learn to trust in Him. And God’s greatest desire for you is that you learn to trust in Him in all things.
Maybe things just didn’t go your way last year. Trust in the Lord. Maybe you didn’t get the job you were hoping to get. Trust in the Lord. Maybe it wasn’t a good year financially. Trust in the Lord. Maybe a relationship went south. Trust in the Lord. In all things you need to trust in the Lord.
You have heard the saying…When you have lemons make lemonade. How about this, this is a lot better…God causes all things to work together for your good.
Whatever didn’t go well for you or the way you thought it should have gone, you need to continue to trust in the Lord.
None of us can control our circumstances and what happened last year or even what will happen to us this year, but we can control how we react to our circumstances.
What is your new resolutions do you have this year? What goals have you set for yourself this year? What commitments have you made? What are you hoping to achieve in 2012?
God wants each of us to learn to trust in Him more and more.
The word trust here means – To attach oneself too something, that something here being God. Attach yourself to God.
You have heard of Marsupials right? Marsupials are animals that attach themselves to their mother’s backs. The animal is born in an immature state so they are carried by their mother or in a pouch. i.e. - Opossum, kangaroo.
And the principle here is to attach ourselves to God so completely that our only trust is in Him.
i.e. – Jesse Ventura former Governor of Minnesota and ex-pro wrestler said this about Christians. “Christians are a group of weak and feeble people depending on God for strength instead of themselves.
The reality is that is a true statement, we are weak people and we desperately need God’s help.
Our attitude need to be, “I can’t get through this month, or this week, or this day without you God.”
In the New Testament there is the beautiful story about the prodigal son. He ran away from home, he squandered all his wealth in wild living, he blew it morally, but finally came to his senses and decided he would return home and ask forgiveness and be reunited with his father. At the end of this story we see this beautiful picture this father leaving his house to run to greet his son and his son running home to greet his father and to embrace him and to attach himself to his father once again and he doesn’t want to let go. Because he realized it’s the safest place he could be in the arms of his father.
The word trust here also has another meaning. It means to confide in.
Think about a person whom you know well that you can share anything with. You can confide in this person, you really trust in this person. That they have your best interests in mind and you trust in them to help you in what you’re going through.
It’s that kind of trust that David is writing about here. You come to God and you confide in Him. You share with Him all that’s going on in your life and your trust is in Him to help you in whatever you are going through.
What do you hope to accomplish this year? Trust in the Lord. What goals do you hope to reach? Trust in the Lord. What new resolutions do you hope to keep? Trust in the Lord. What commitments are you making? Trust in the Lord.
What is one area of your life where you need to trust in God more?
There’s an old hymn that goes “Only trust Him, only trust Him, only trust Him now.”
Listen to those in the bible who trusted in the Lord.
Abraham trusted in God and became the father of a great nation.
Moses trusted in God and become the deliverer for the Israelites.
Joseph trusted in God and became second in charge of all of Egypt.
Shadrack, Meeschack, and Abendigo trusted in God and were miraculously delivered from the fiery furnace.
Daniel trusted in God and was delivered from the lion’s den.
What do you need to trust in God for?
Lose weight? Stop smoking? Get a job? Get out of debt? Get in a God honoring relationship? Get healthier? Have a better relationship with your kids? Grow in your spiritual disciplines, like prayer, time in the Word, serving the Lord, etc…?
Here’s the first step to finding success in 2012, trust in the Lord. “This year I make the commitment to trust in the Lord more and more in all things.”
Step # 2 - Do good
Psalm 37:3b “and do good.”
God told the Israelites it they were going to be successful when they were in the promise land that they need to do good.
One of the best things you can do to start having more success and more victory in your life is just to start doing good.
There are a lot of things in our life that are out of our control, but one thing that we can control is to do that which is good. Each of us can choose to do the good thing.
You might not be in control of your circumstance but you can choose to be in control of how you respond to your circumstances. You can control if you will trust the Lord or not. You can control your attitude. You can control your thoughts. You can control your behavior. Things can be so much better for you this year than last year if you will just start practicing this principle, do good. Do the right thing.
You might say Pastor Brian, “I blew it too many times last year.” Start doing good.
I think one of the amazing things about God is He has amnesia when it comes to our sin.
God will always forgive us when we sin and confess our sin to Him. Always willing to forgive us. No matter how many times we have blown it, He still forgives us.
“Hey God you remember last week when in anger I said some things I shouldn’t have said?” What anger? “Hey God your remember last weekend when I lied to my parents about where I was at that night?” “What lie?” “Hey God do your remember yesterday when I didn’t honor you with my life in that situation?” What situation?
The bible says, His loving kindness lasts forever. He is always willing to put our past in the past an allow us to move forward in faith.
Jesus says, “Behold I make all things new.” Jesus came to change us and for us to no longer be the same.
You know God doesn’t want our past mistakes to dictate the present reality of our life.
God wants you to leave your past in the past and move forward today to do good. It’s a new day, it’s a new week, it’s a new beginning, it’s a new year with incredible new opportunities to do good.
Jesus said, “No man who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
We don’t live our life in the past with all of our mistakes and shortcomings. No we live our life today in the reality that Jesus died to set us free from our sins and to make all things new in our life.
Paul said, “I forget what is behind and I press on to what lies ahead.”
So what does that mean for your life? It means you forget last year and you press on to what God has for you this year.
I can’t control my circumstances or the results of my circumstances, but I can control how I respond to them. And one of the greatest choices you can make this year it to do good.
Do good here means to be pleasing and beneficial to the Lord. To be morally good. To be godly. As opposed to being bad, displeasing to the Lord, or ungodly.
I Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” NIV
What a great verse to memorize this year. Make this your theme verse for 2012. Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Losing weight, stop smoking, better relationship with loved ones, new job, better financial situation, more time in prayer and bible study with the Lord, etc…
Whatever it is, change your approach to each thing you are trying to accomplish. If you are trying to lose weight, do it for the glory of God. Trying to stop smoking, do it for the glory of God. Better relationship with your spouse, do it for the glory of God. Trying to get out of debt, do it for the glory of God. Trying to workout and get in better physical shape, do it for the glory of God. Trying to do better in school, do it for the glory of God. Trying to improve my relationship with my children, do it for the glory of God. Need to quit drinking, do it for the glory of God. Trying to grow in your relationship to God, do it for the glory of God.
Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
Next park of verse 3 the NAS puts it this way, “Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.”
One of the things that will help you accomplish any goal you set out to accomplish this year is to be faithful. Faithfulness will bring success.
David was meaning for God’s children to cultivate a faithful relationship with God.
In order for this to be your best year ever you must stay faithful. You must work on making God the center of your life. You must work on the right things to help move your relationship with the Lord to the next level.
We are starting a new series is starting next week. Healthy Habits: Ten Spiritual Disciplines to Change Your Life.
I want to challenge you to make a commitment to be a part of this new series.
Make a commitment to be at church for the next ten weeks (Not the rest of your life just ten weeks). Make a commitment to be involved in a small group which will take what we are learning on Sunday mornings deeper into our heart and life. Make a commitment to read the weekly scripture passages. Make a commitment to memorize the weekly verse. Make a commitment to being faithful to God, to this church, to your church family, and to yourself spiritually.
Faithfulness is the key to success in any goal you set out to accomplish. You’ve got to stick to it. You have to commit to stay at it. You have to be disciplined. You have to remain faithful. God blesses those who do good and are faithful. You can’t lose by choosing to do good and be faithful.
2012 can be your best year ever if you will make a commitment to do good.
Here is the third step to your best year ever.
Step # 3 - Delight Yourself in the Lord
Vs. 4 “Delight yourself in the Lord”
Delight means to be happy about something, to take pleasure in something.
We take delight in our relationship with the Lord.
What are some things you take delight in? A day off. A vacation. Good book. Warm sunny day. Ice cream. Dessert. A special date.
Delight is like a picture of a husband taking delight in his wife. He is captivated by her beauty. He can’t take his eyes off of her. He is smitten by her presence. He can’t get enough of her love.
In the book of Song of Solomon there is this beautiful picture of a man and women deeply in love with each other. They can’t wait to gaze upon each other. They can’t wait to be together to show each other just how much they love each other.
This is the picture that David is trying to convey here about our love relationship with God.
We are to take delight in and take pleasure in our relationship to the Lord.
You might have had a bad year in 2011 and you might not even be looking forward to 2012 with great anticipation but you can choose to delight yourself in the Lord. To be happy in your love relationship with Him.
We can choose our attitude towards any situation. We can choose to get angry, we can choose to rebel, we can choose to sin, or we can choose to rejoice and give thanks and take delight in our relationship with the Lord.
The bible says that not problems, not circumstances, not issues that come up in our life, not money, not things, not demons, not even death can separated us from our love relationship to the Lord.
So take delight in your relationship with the Lord. When you are delighting in your relationship to the Lord you are learning to trust in Him more and more.
Tell God, “God you’re more important than anything else in my life. God I love you. God I thank you for my life. God I thank you for who you are. God I thank you for your salvation. God I take delight in you.”
Enjoy and take delight in your relationship to the Lord.
Best year ever…Step # 1 - trust in the Lord, step # 2 – Do good, step # 3 – Delight yourself in the Lord.
Step # 4 - Commit your ways (works) to the Lord
Psalm 37:5 “Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you.” NLT
The word commit means to entrust to another’s care. To put in the hands of someone who is more trustworthy than we are.
So David pretty clearly spells out what we need to do to be successful in the things we put out hands to.
1. Commit what you are doing to the Lord.
2. Trust Him with it when you give it to Him.
3. And He promises to help you.
Those areas of your life where you want to be successful and grow in. Those goals you want to accomplish. The resolutions you desire to keep. Commit them to the Lord, trust Him with it, and He will help you be successful.
Proverbs 16:3 “Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” NIV
You want success in any area of your life turn it over to God and humbly ask for His help.
Let me ask you is it ok for us as Christians to ask God for success? Yes. God wants you to be successful in the things you put your hands to. And what the alternative, to pray and ask God to help you be a failure? No God doesn’t want His children to be failures, I believe He wants to bless His children and help them learn to be successful.
Share background
Genesis 24:12 They he prayer, “Lord, God of my master Abraham, make me successful today, and show your kindness to my master Abraham.” NIV
He prayed to God and ask that God would give Him success. He was asking God for a good thing.
So it’s ok to ask God to grant you success as long as your motive is right. James says a lot of times when we ask God for things we ask with the wrong motives that we might spend what we are asking God for on our own pleasures or lusts. God won’t honor that kind of a prayer.
Pray to God about your goals. Pray to God about your relationships. Pray to God about your resolutions. Pray to God about your future. Pray to God about your dreams.
Prayer shows how series you are about those things and prayer reveals to God how much you really care about those things and you are depending on God for His help.
Chuck Swindoll – “God I entrust this year into your faithful hands. God I entrust my wife and my children into your trustworthy hands. God I ask for your protection and watch care over us. God will you take control of my life and use my life to the glory of your name this year.”
Pretty good prayer to pray. Have you prayed that kind of prayer to God this year? Have your turned it over to God and ask for His blessing upon your life, your family, your job, your health, your finances, your house, your dreams, your goals, and everything that you put your hand too?
Let’s make this real practical.
Desire to lose weight – 1. I start by trusting in the Lord and leaning on His strength not yours. 2. Second do the good thing, do the right thing. What would the right thing be? Don’t eat as much. Work out 20 minutes a day 3 days a week. Don’t eat snacks after 6 p.m. Cut out sugar. 3. Delight yourself in the Lord. Find you joy and satisfaction in Him. 4. Commit it to the Lord. Petition, ask for His help. And He promise to help you be successful.
Need a job – 1. You start by trusting in the Lord and telling Him about your need and what you really want. 2. Start doing the good, the right thing. Network with friends. Check out job sites. Read classified ads. Check online. 3. While you’re waiting you delight yourself in your relationship to the Lord. 4. Commit your need to the Lord and He will help you be successful.
Promise: He will give you the desires of your heart
Psalm 37:4b “and he will give you your heart’s desires.” NLT
Desires, we all have desires. We all have things we hope to accomplish this year.
The word desire in verse 4 actually means to petition or to ask God for something you desire, something that you really need. What is that things that your really need that you can’t live without? Petition God about that thing.
Petition – is this picture of this person who is pleading their case before God. They are crying out to God for an answer.
When you petition something you are trying to get someone to support your point of view. i.e. – signing a petition against something.
In this chapter there is simple plan that if followed I believe will move the hand of God to answer the petition of your heart.
What is the desire of your heart? Ask God to give you the desires of your heart.
James 4:2 You don’t have because you don’t ask.
So ask God.
Matthew 7 How much more will you Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him.
What Now?
God I need your help to be successful in this _________________________.
God I trust you with this, please help me to do good, teach me how to be delighted in my relationship with you. I commit this into your trustworthy hands asking for success, in Jesus name I ask it. Amen!
