New Year's Resolution

[Lani]

Psalm 119:1-8


1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.
4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.


Blessed are they that keep [the Lord's] testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. Psalm 119:2


I recently visited friends in South Carolina for Christmas. While I was there, the pastor of the church they attended asked me to read 1 Corinthians 13 in worship. Since I am blind, I read in Braille. I moved carefully and deliberately through the apostle Paul's words about love.

After the service, the pastor said that the slow, deliberate way I read touched him deeply. Too often, we rush through Bible reading and do not take the time to mediate on what God wants to say to us through the words of scripture. The writer of Psalm 119 held a high view of God's word and righteousness, as the entire psalm shows clearly.

How mush do we cherish the gift from the Lord, God's message, to people everywhere? This reflection prompted me to resolve for the new year to study God's word more diligently so that I grow in my understanding and become more committed and consistent in living what I believe.

This year, as a New Year's resolution, I determine to take more seriously what the Lord shows me in the pages of the Bible. Studying god's word moves us toward spiritual maturity. The Bible offers guidance for every day of our lives.



Prayer: Dear Lord, help us this new year and every year to read and study your word more and to spend more time with you. Amen

Prayer Focus of Day: Worship Leaders

Thought for the Day: The Bible is God's letter of love to each of us.

Story shared by: Roger B (FL)
Source: Upper Room Daily Devotional 1/1/13