It's a New Year

Romans 7:15 (NIV) "I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do, I do not do but what I hate, I do"

Here we are at the beginning of a new year and many of us have made the dreaded “resolutions” or have expressed the desire to let God work through us to grow, teach an mold us into more mature Christians who understand (and follow) His Will.  I've never been big on resolutions but either way – the beginning of a new year is traditionally a time for looking over the last year and making plans for the new one.  For me, God spoke clearly on the last day of 2010 and showed me through His word that I have missed overflowing blessings because I was not listening.  I heard the whisperings of the Holy Spirit but ignored them because God was not shouting.  Or, was I listening but just not doing anything about it?  How often do we hear, but can’t or won’t clearly understand because we just don’t try hard enough?  It requires change….a movement away from one thing toward another.  It requires….work!!  It might even require sacrifice.  Here is the scripture that I read:

Malachi 3:7-12 (New Living Translation)

⁷ Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

   “But you ask, ‘How can we return when we have never gone away?’

 ⁸ “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me!

   “But you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’

   “You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. ⁹ You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. ¹⁰ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test! ¹¹ Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease.^[a] Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. ¹² “Then all nations will call you blessed, for your land will be such a delight,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

I’m thinking…”how can I return to you Lord when I’ve never gone away…how have I cheated God?”   And then it hit me.  A lovely Christian sister shared with me once that we should think about our tithe not only in terms of money but time.  What a concept!!  In the busy world we live in – sometimes it seems difficult to find 15 minutes in the morning to just read some scripture or do a devotion.  Are you kidding me?  If you are like me and look at your day to determine if you are giving God one tenth of  it….you might be saddened by the cold hard facts.  I was.  I have cheated God.  I have robbed God.  Not only in the amount of time I spend with Him but because I have not done what He was clearly calling me to do. 

Not that I want to test God, but I’m pretty sure that because I have ignored His direction, gone my own way and not spent the time with Him that He deserves…… I’ve missed out on the floodgates of heaven being opened and the blessings poured out.  I know He loves me no matter what but Oh, what we miss because we are too busy living our crazy lives!!  So, that brings me back to the Romans scripture at the top of the page.  Why is it so hard to do what I know I should do when I know I will be overwhelmingly blessed if I do?  I want to make sure I’m clear that I’m not talking about physical or monetary blessings here.  The overwhelming, abundant, amazing blessings I’m talking about are the peace and contentment of knowing that God has a plan for your life so much bigger than you (or me!!).    The times in my life where I have followed Him with abandon have been the most amazing experiences...shouldn't it be easy to follow?  Sadly, sometimes we think we know better or we get stuck in the habits we've formed.

So, for me, there are no “resolutions” this year.  There IS the desire to allow God to have my life.  ALL of it!!  It will require some change, work and sacrifice on my part but I’m excited by the possibilities of a life bigger than what I could plan!!  (even my "one simple life")