New Year Resolutions!

Reading:  Zechariah 8, 9
My Verse: "These are the things that you shall do:
                         Speak the truth to one another;
                         render in your gates judgements that are true
                            and make peace;
                         do not devise evil in your hearts against one another;
                         and love no false oath, 
                            for all these things I hate,
                            declares the LORD"  (Zechariah 8:16, 17).

We are talking about our new year resolutions.  As we do this I keep running into this - You, LORD God have them all laid out in Your word.  We only need to look to You for direction in this.

"Speak the truth to one another."  Help me in this, LORD God.  Help me to be truthful in all things, to all people, to myself and most of all to You!  This is what you love, that I am truthful.

"Render judgements the are true."  Wisdom comes from You, LORD God.  Help me to not be judgmental of others.  Help me to seek truth whenever I am required to make a judgement on anything.

"Make peace."  This is is something that I do seek.  Help me to be wise in this LORD God.  Help me to know when I need to be quiet and when I need to speak up.  Help me to have the courage needed here.  This requires putting aside the self and putting You at the center of every situation!

"Do not devise evil in your hearts against one another."  Love this.  Reminds me of Micah 2:1.

"Woe to those who devise wickedness 
     and work evil on their beds!
 When the morning dawns, they perform it,
     because it is in the power of their hand."

Just because a thing is possible or within our ability to do does not mean it is right.  Some things may "feel" so right because they make us "feel" good in the moment or even for a while after.  But our feelings can lead us astray.  Sadly, we often feel good about the wrong things.  Thank You, LORD God, for your wisdom in giving us a conscience, and creating us after Your own image that we have Your rightness stamped on our hearts.  We do know, eventually, when we have done a wrong.  Planning or devising an evil against another is never right.

"Love no false oath"  This is an interesting statement.  I am not sure I understand what this means.  It sounds like I am required to know when someone is making a false oath?  It does make me think of all the "fake news" talk today.  And it makes me think of all the untruths spoken in our highest levels of government - seemingly blatantly spoken.  Help me, LORD God, to be ever aware of  all falseness.

Thank you, LORD God, that we need only look to You for guidance in improving our lives.

"Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long" (Psalm 25:5).

"Teach me your way, O LORD.
     that I may walk in your truth;
     unite my heart to fear your name" (Psalm 86:11).

Red Sea Road by Holcomb

Thank You.

Ditat Deus - God Enriches!