Resolutions For Righteousness

Resolutions for Righteousness

Text: Ps. 63:1-8

Intro: Well, here we are at the beginning of another year. I have often wondered if we would make it this far. However, in spite of everything, we find ourselves embarking upon a new beginning, days filled with adventure, as well as adversity, and thrills, as well as our fair share of troubles. Nevertheless, whatever comes our way in the coming year, God’s children have His promise that will help us face every situation: “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Heb. 13:5c).

It is customary in our society to close out the old year with giving, and commence a new year with goals. The idea of goals for the future is a good one, for all of us need a sense of direction and purpose to motivate us. Goals are healthy, as long as they are not unrealistic or unobtainable. We all need something that urges us to go forward.

However, I think our resolutions and goals for the coming year need to possess substance. There are perhaps a lot of worthy goals that one might entertain today. However, the real question I think we should consider is whether our prospective goals will make any eternal and spiritual difference in us as individuals, or in our world. I believe we should make some spiritual resolutions for this year that has the potential for drawing us nearer to the Lord. I call them Resolutions for Righteousness. Allow me to suggest three such goals for you today.

Theme: May I suggest that this year you resolve to…

I. FOLLOW THE LORD INCESSANTLY

Ps. 63:8a “My soul followeth hard after thee…”

NOTE: The basic idea of the word “incessant” is that of persistence or unrelenting in one’s pursuit.

A. This Will Involve Seeking the Lord Continually.

1 Chron. 16:11 “Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.”

NOTE: [1] We should always seek God’s will and direction in every matter of life. Some years ago, at a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson, former New York Yankee second baseman, offered a prayer that is a classic in brevity and poignancy: “Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen.”(1)

[2] Long before the days of Bobby Richardson, D.L. Moody uttered this rather challenging statement: “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to Him.”(2)

B. Obey the Lord Constantly.

Eccl. 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.”

Luke 6:46 “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

C. Trust the Lord Completely.

Heb. 11:6a “But without faith it is impossible to please him…”

Eph. 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,”

NOTE: [1] Someone has said, “Faith is reliance on the certainty that God has a pattern for my life when everything else seems meaningless…Faith is…the conviction the Promiser keeps His promises.”(3)

[2] I wonder what we would accomplish if we would learn to totally rely on God. Someone has related the following story:

A small congregation in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains built a new sanctuary on a piece of property that had been willed to a member. However, ten days before the opening of the new building, the local building inspector informed the pastor that the parking lot was too small for the size of the building. The church would have to double the size of the parking lot before the building could be used for services. The problem with that was the fact that the church had used all of their land, except for the mountain against which the sanctuary had been built. The only way more parking spaces could be created was to move the mountain out of the backyard of the church.

The next Sunday morning the pastor told the congregation that he would meet that night with everyone who had “mountain moving faith.” They would pray that God would move the mountain and somehow provide the means to pave and paint that area before the dedication service for the new sanctuary. That night 24 of the church’s 300 members showed up for prayer.

The next day the pastor heard a knock at his study door. Upon entry, the pastor saw a big burly construction foreman standing before him. The man said, “Excuse me, Reverend. I’m from Acme Construction Company over in the next county. We’re building a huge new shopping mall over there and we need some fill dirt. Would you be willing to sell us a chunk of that mountain behind the church? We’ll pay you for the dirt we remove and pave all the exposed area free of charge, if we can have it right away. We can’t do anything else until we get the dirt in and allow it to settle properly.”