"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." (Genesis 1:1-3)
We have officially begun a new year, 2009. It's here! Many people have spent the last few days making "new year's resolutions." It is a common thing that people do. In fact it is a common question that people ask you when the new year begins to draw close, "So what is your new year's resolution?" There is nothing wrong with making them. I have made a few of them myself over the years. Some folks vow to exercise more, and to eat less. Some vow to quit things like drinking, smoking, or abusing drugs. Others vow to watch less television and read more books. Some vow to mend broken relationships, and some vow do more for others. A child of God might vow to win more souls to Christ, or read through their Bible in a year. The problem is not in the making of the resolution, it's in the keeping of it. The most common phrase I hear toward the end of a year is, "I'm gonna turn over a new leaf." The problem with that is, a leaf turns over and over with every little breeze that passes by. The thing that keeps most of us from doing what we vow to do, is trying to do it in our own strength.
My Daddy, Pastor Charles Savage, always says that he loves the beginning of a new year. He says that the new calendar is like a new slate, or one that has been wiped clean so that you can start over. The "new" year does not have to be like the one before it, unless you so choose. If you are a drunkard, you can stop drinking. If you are a smoker, you can stop smoking. If you are a drug addict, you can stop taking drugs. If you have a problem with bitterness or holding a grudge, you CAN get over it. All you have to do with any problem, as well as any resolution, is turn it over to God.
Perhaps you feel like your life is like the verse written above. Is your life without form and void? Have you tried everything, and everyone, but found nothing that can fill this void? Maybe you feel as though you are stumbling in the darkness, all alone, and no help can be found. Give yourself a REAL, new beginning this year. Let God shine His Light upon your heart. It is yours for the asking. John 8:12 says, " Then spake Jesus unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Jesus doesn't want your life to be without form and void. Why not come to the Saviour today, and confess your sins, and receive his Light into your life? Make the best decision you'll ever make in your life, on the first day of 2009. Let there be light!
