Resolutions

By David R. Ferguson       I am all for doing whatever is necessary to improve our lives, but I am a strong believer that we should always remember to do what our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, said in Matthew 6:33: “But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” We should never fail to put God and His will first in our lives in everything we do.     The word of God is all about new beginnings: We have the Book of Genesis itself, whose very name means “beginning,” and within its pages God shares with us the creation story and how with just His word the whole universe sprang into existence. We also see how sin first arrived in that perfect world, and how quick was God to offer a remedy for that sin by stating the very first prophecy of redemption regarding the Messiah in Genesis 3:15. A few chapters later we see the underpinning of the nation of Israel laid as God promises Abraham that from him would come peoples and nations and most importantly, the Promised Seed from Whom all the world would be blessed. At the conclusion of the Book of Genesis, we see the foundation of God’s chosen people being created as Joseph protects his family from the famine that had ravaged the land, his family who were direct descendants of Abraham, in the land of Egypt.     In the Book of Exodus, we see the beginning of the nation of Israel, God’s chosen people, come to fruition as God calls them out of bondage in Egypt as the Lord formed His covenant with them at Mt. Sinai. But shortly thereafter, we witness the beginning of the long history of Israel’s rebellion against Jehovah. But He is steadfastly loving and patient and kind in His longsuffering, always maintaining a remnant for Himself. In 1 Samuel, we find the beginning of the monarchy created as God has Samuel anoint Saul as its first earthly king, once again resulting from the people rejecting their true King, Jehovah. It’s in 2 Samuel we find the beginning of the Davidic line to the throne established, the line from which came Israel’s and our King and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Upon His arrival, the Old Covenant gave way to the new, which is why the Hebrews writer tells us in Hebrews 8:13 just before the Destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, “And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”     Jesus Christ is all about new beginnings. Through Him we have forgiveness of sins (Colossians 1:13-14). Through Him we can have a new birth (John 3:3), and it’s through this new birth that our old man dies and we are resurrected to be a new creation (Romans 6:3-5), and no longer at enmity with God (James 4:4). May you begin the new year right by resolving to live your life in step with Christ!

- David R. Ferguson preaches for the Mentor Church of Christ in Mentor, OH.  He may be contacted through the congregation's website: http://mentorchurchofchrist.com/ or davidferguson61@yahoo.com