I
have to confess that I have never been one to make New Year’s Resolutions. I
had a cousin when I was in high school who resolved to commit suicide for the
new year and he did it. I think that might have soured me on New Year’s
resolutions. But I have also always figured if I need to do something, change
something, or resolve anything, I should do it when I make that decision. I
don’t save resolutions for the New Year. I’m not knocking New Year’s
resolutions, I’m just saying it’s not my style and I don’t need a therapist to
explain why.
That
doesn’t mean that I don’t use the new year to take stock of the wonderful
things in my life and the, perhaps, less than wonderful things in my life. I
love to celebrate Auld Lang Syne—Old times and remember the great things that
have occurred over the year or years, but there are always shortcomings in our
lives because we’re human. So I want to look at the scriptures from today’s
lectionary and take stock of them, what they say about us so that we can renew
resolutions that we have already made.
I’m
going to start with the Psalm: 1 “Praise
the Lord.[a]How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise
him!” While it’s probably true that God enjoys it when we praise Him, He
certainly doesn’t need it. We don’t praise Him because He needs it. It’s a bit
simplistic to ever think He is as arrogant as all that. We need to praise Him
to keep our thoughts positive. I know I’m not the only person in here who
reads, sees, or hears the news headlines. They are almost exclusively negative.
Note that I said almost. I read an article in Time Magazine this past week that
focused on how 2023 was actually a good year in many ways. Violent crimes in
the United States have dropped considerably, yet I would never have guessed
that by any other article in Time. The article also stated that we are really
making headway on slowing our output of greenhouse gases. These are all things
to praise God for. And those are the ones that affect us all, but if you read
the Psalm further, it lists myriads of reasons to praise God. He covers the sky with clouds;
he supplies the earth with rain
and makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He provides food for the cattle
and for the young ravens when they call.
10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
11 the Lord delights in those who fear
him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love
In spite of our negative news feeds, our David
and Debbie downer outlooks, God is in control and He really does know what He
is doing, even when we don’t. How pleasant and fitting to Praise Him! We need
to resolve to continue praising God, to give thanks in everything. The boat
floats, not because of our ingenuity, but because of God. I’m reminded of Peter
in Matthew 14: “25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the
lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the
lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in
fear.
27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take
courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”
28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you
on the water.”
29 “Come,” he said.
Then Peter got down
out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But
when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord,
save me!” “
We
need to hold to our resolution of knowing why the boat floats and praise Him
for that so that we will stop looking down and look up. That’s how you stay
afloat.
Now
don’t get me wrong, I’m well aware that that saying “Be Happy” in, and of,
itself, does not work. I’m not even saying “Fake it ‘til you make it” because
that doesn’t work very often either. The reasons to praise God are infinite,
and by doing it, we stop looking at ourselves and work to make things better
for everyone. Sometimes we just have to consciously
make an effort. Get outside. Call a friend. Go for a walk. Tell someone thank
you for something they did that you noticed, even if they didn’t know they did
it. Gratitude for all we have and those around us are vital ways to praise Him.
All praise must go to Him.
Look at Isaiah 61 10 I
delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.
That
praise that we give really originates with God, not us at all. We have done
absolutely nothing of our own beyond simple belief, so we don’t need to be cry
babies saying “Woe is me, I’m so worthless.” Of course, we are. It is by God’s
grace that we are here and everything we have, everything we do, everything is
by His grace. He gives our praise, our possessions, our eye color, our aching
bones by grace because we don’t deserve any of it (except, maybe, the aching
bones). He adorns us like a bride: the bride of Christ. Any righteousness we
have comes from Him. He has that covered, not us. So let’s renew our resolve to
not judge. Not our place. Leave it to God. God’s grace has everyone covered. All praise must go to Him.
To
continue with today’s readings, look at the gospel of John: “1 In
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through
him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been
made. (including aching bones) 4 In him was
life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The
light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.” That’s why we
don’t need to worry. The darkness can’t comprehend the light, let alone overcome
it. That should bring us the peace that goes beyond understanding.
And he continues: “The
true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the
world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world
was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He
came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet
to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, (to
us) he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children
born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but
born of God.” That’s us. All we did was believe. We recognized him. We need to
resolve to be little moons reflecting the brightness of Him, the son. By grace
we are saved from the gloom and doom that really could overpower us, drown us. But
we are flooded with the light that that doom and gloom doesn’t even understand.
We need to continue our resolve to not be ruled by darkness. All praise must go
to Him.
The
next scripture is Galatians. I think this is the first time I have ever read
this passage from the point of view of being underage or mature—a parental, or
teacherly, view. It’s like all those conversations I used to have with students
about drinking ages and voting ages. The Mosaic law was for the underaged.
Interesting thought. Here’s Galatians: “23 Before the
coming of this faith,[a] we were held in
custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be
revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until
Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now
that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. (The guardian
being the law, and to a large extent, a do as your told mentality that didn’t
make sense until our belief in Jesus.) 26 So in Christ
Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for
all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with
Christ. (Isaiah’s For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and
arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness.) 28 There is
neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and
female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If
you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and
heirs according to the promise. 4 What I am saying is that as
long as an heir is underage, he is no different from a slave, although he owns
the whole estate. 2 The heir is subject to
guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. 3 So
also, when we were underage, we were in slavery under the elemental
spiritual forces[b] of the world. 4 But
when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a
woman, born under the law, 5 to
redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to
sonship.[c] 6 Because
you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the
Spirit who calls out, “Abba,[d] Father.” 7 So
you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God
has made you also an heir.” Not only are we now fully grown up, we are joint
owners without having done a lick of work. It’s like having the keys and title
to a brand new Cadillac (or a Tesla?) without even playing the lottery or
anything. When you see it in that light, How pleasant and fitting to praise Him!
And,
of course, as adults, Christians, it is our responsibility to act like adults
and share the grace that has been given to us. We have to forgive others and
ourselves for the sins we regularly, often unwittingly, commit. We have to help
others along the way without condition. We are all human, so we need to not
dehumanize through politics, nationality, religion, or anything. Because we are
adults we know we are part of the all that has sinned in Romans 3:23: “for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And when I tell you this,
I have to remind myself over and over. God’s grace has clothed us, and given us
enough clothing to share with everyone and we’re not talking Good Will used
clothing, but clothing no earthly money can buy. The kind that none of us
deserve. And we all know that we get kind of picky about who we want to share
anything with. Jesus said in John 10:10 (KJV) “The thief
cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they
might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” We are not the
thieves, but those who have abundant life. Again, how pleasant and fitting to
praise Him.
There
is no doubt that terrible things have happened this year. We have had wars
abroad, divided politics at home, wildfires, death, continued disease. We can
all look at that stuff, and we should, not to wallow in it, but to give thanks
for what we have. We are grown ups with an inheritance that gives us pause, or
should, to remember Him and praise Him for everything.
I
told you that I don’t typically make New Year’s resolutions because I associate
it with negative things that happened in my life. But I do believe in making
resolutions right away. And we, all of us here and many more of us around the
world, already resolved to be grown-ups, to believe in the Word that became
flesh and dwelt among us, to accept His grace. John 1:14: We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who
came from the Father, full of grace and truth. So, the only resolution
I want to make this year, right now and forever more is to believe and accept
that grace and truth and live like it by remembering how pleasant and fitting
it is to Praise Him. He is what keeps us afloat, so we need to be helping others
stay afloat as well. Amen!
