Ten Expressions of Praise, Worship, and the Greatness of God

King David:  "The earth is the LORD's and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it."

The Writer of Psalm 104:  "Bless the LORD, O my soul!  O LORD my God, Thou are very great; Thou art clothed with slendor and majesty, Covering Thyself with light as with a cloak...O LORD, how many are Thy works!  In wisdom Thou hast made them all..."

Daniel:  "Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.  And it is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men, and knowledge to men of understanding.  It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him.

Seraphim:  "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the LORD of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory."

Nebuchadnezzar:  "For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation.  And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and no can can ward off His hand or say to Him, "What hast Thou done?"

Moses and the sons of Israel:  "Who is like Thee among the gods, O LORD?  Who is like Thee, majestic in holiness, awesome in praises, working wonders?"

Job:  "I know that Thou canst do all things, and that no purpose of Thine can be thwarted.  Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?  Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.  Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask Thee, and do Thou instruct me.  I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees Thee; Therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes."

Zacharias:  "Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David His servant-"

Thomas:   "My Lord and my God!"

Paul:   "Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!"

The great multitude around the throne:  "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

Have a great day of worship.

Jeremiah 31:37

I was reading in Jeremiah this morning.  When I came upon verse thirty-seven in chapter thirty-one, I knew it was going to be about my next blog post...
 
"If the heavens above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out below, then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done, declares the Lord."

Now watch this you tube video on the size of the universe.  (I believe it's a secular production...I am a young earther.  It mentions the universe being billions of years old...just ignore that part...)

Do you get the picture of how great God's love is for Israel in spite of her sin?  The heavens cannot be measured.  They are so vast, so expansive, so HUGE.  He will never stop loving Israel.  God is a covenant keeping God, period.  He has that same love for all of His elect.

Wow...

We know God is really, really big because of the size of the universe.  He created it.  He says He holds it in the palm of His hand.  I think another reason God made the universe really, really big is so that we can kind of, sort of, get a bit of a grasp on how much He loves...I still can't wrap my mind around it...

(Louie Giglio videos are from a biblical perspective...Here's a great one to check out...)

There is a Creator!

My daughter and son-in-law went snowshoeing yesterday up on Mt. Rainier.  Annie captured this image of a lenticular cloud...amazingly beautiful!  (Click on the image for an even bigger gasp...)

Being Faithful

In marriage, in parenting, in ministry, we are in control of the effort; God is in control of the results.  Focus on the issue of being faithful at the efforts with which you've been called.  It is God who rewards that faithfulness.

Praying for Those Under Affliction

The church I grew up in had prayer meeting on Wednesday nights.  My grandparents lived next door to me.  I would usually go with them or with my mom.  It was the same routine.  Someone gave a devotional type message that lasted about ten or fifteen minutes and then prayer requests were taken.  It always seemed like the requests were concerning those under the affliction of bad health and for their healing, and it stopped there.   

Fast forward to my Bible college days.  In one of my Bible classes we were required to read all the books that Paul had written.  We were to concentrate on the prayers of Paul and then make a summary of their content.  I can tell you, they weren't all about people's health.    Paul's heart was that the saints faith would flourish and grow while under difficult circumstances; His prayers centered around spiritual things.

The Thessalonians were enduring great persecution at the time Paul wrote his second letter to them.  Their faith was growing in spite of the intense pressure as well as their love for each other.  He said because of this he was able to speak proudly about them to the other churches.  They were not caving under the pressure, but persevering.  He goes on to teach the Thessalonians what the church can expect to see before Christ returns and gathers the elect.  Their affliction did not mean they were in the day of the Lord.  The day of the Lord, the point at which Christ comes and gathers the church and then pours out His wrath, would not come until after the man of lawlessness is revealed.

At the end of chapter two and into chapter three, we find Paul turning his thoughts to prayer for these dear saints.  Here are his final requests to God for this afflicted body of believers: 

• may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ
• may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance
• the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all

Paul didn't ask that the affliction be removed.  I do think it is okay to ask for healing for those you love, but I think the greater appeal should be for the spiritual well-being of those enduring affliction, of any kind.  I especially love Paul's words after the first bullet - may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ.

May your heart go deeper and deeper into God's love.  May you have greater and greater comprehension and understanding of His love for you and may your love for Him then grow.  May He give you great endurance and patience in Christ's strength. 

Fretting...

is not acting according to the call of God.  If we find ourselves becoming alarmed, "it is time to tend to the garden of our emotions with the tools of biblical truth."

...gleaned from John Piper's message on 2 Th. 2.

She's Home...

Thanks everyone for your prayers.  I passed all the love and messages along to Marion.  She is feeling much better and glad to be able to sleep in her own bed tonight. 

Update on Marion

Marion did not come home from the hospital today (Sunday).  She had a bad night, trouble breathing.  She is weak.  She hasn't lost her sense of humor, however!  Please keep praying for her...

Thanks.

Marion

 This is me and my friend Marion the day we and several other gals baked 137 dozen cookies for our Living Nativity.  Marion landed herself in the hospital yesterday battling a virus.  I spent a few hours with her yesterday and then a couple with her today.  They are going to let her go home tomorrow.  (The hospital staff will be bored to tears without Marion around...)  She is greatly loved by everyone at church.  She loves all of us and the Lord with all her heart.  Her physical heart isn't doing so well.  The virus has weakened it.  They will adjust her medications to make her heart work more efficiently.  While I was there this evening our worship leader and his family stopped in.  (She really is greatly loved.)  Marion and Paul teased back and forth.  Marion told him she found out the bathroom in her room has great acoustics.  Paul said he had a song he wanted to sing for her.  We all laughed when Marion suggested he go in the bathroom to sing it.  He sang Psalm 23 to the tune of "Oh, Danny Boy."  It was breathtaking.  I pictured the Great Shepherd with His arms around my dear friend.  Anyway, I wanted those of you who haven't met her yet to meet her.  Thanks for your prayers for her.  (And yes Marion, I will get over next week to give you my Psalm 19 lesson.  I know, I know, I've been promising that for three months now!)     

Proud people... Humble people...3

Here are the final ten...

Proud people...                 Humble people...

21. want to be sure             21. once broken, don't
that no one finds out            care who knows or who
when they have sinned;        finds out; are willing to
their instinct is to                  be exposed because they
cover up                              have nothing to lose

22. have a hard time            22. are quick to admit
saying, "I was wrong;           failure and to seek
will you please forgive          forgiveness when necessary
me"

23. tend to deal in                23. are able to acknowledge
generalities when                  specifics when confessing
confessing sin                       their sin

24. are concerned                24. are grieved over the
about the consequences        cause, the root of their
of their sin                            sin

25. are remorseful                 25. are truly repentant
over their sin, sorry                over their sin; forsake
they got found out                  their sin
or caught

26. wait for the other             26. take the initiative
to come and ask for-             to be reconciled when
giveness when there is            there is a misunderstanding
a misunderstanding or             or a conflict in relation-
conflict in the relation-            ships, no matter how wrong 
ship                                       the other may have been

27. compare themselves         27. compare themselves to
with others and feel                the holiness of God and
worthy of honor                     feel desperate for His mercy

28. are blind to their               28. walk in the light
true heart condition

29. don't think they have         29. realize they have
anything to repent of                need of a continual
                                               heart attitude of repentance

30. don't think they need         30. continually sense their
revival but are sure that            need for a fresh encounter
everyone else does                  with God and for a fresh
                                               filling of His Holy Spirit

And there we go, dear friends.  God says we are to humble ourselves. We should not wait for God to humble us.  We certainly have our work cut out, don't we?

"A truly humble man is sensible of his natural distance from God; of his dependence on Him; of the insufficiency of his own power and wisdom."

Proud people... Humble people...2

Proverbs 51:17 tells us that God will not despise a broken and a contrite heart.  This infers that God does despise a heart that is unsubdued and lifted high and a heart that has no pain or sorrow over sins and offenses against Him.  To see what happens when pride goes unchecked, read the book of Malachi.  Israel had stopped fearing God and where the fear of God ceases, pride steps in as well as a disregard for God's instruction.  The Israelites were bringing sick and lame animals to sacrifice and the priests were condoning it by accepting them!  The Israelites were dealing treacherously with their wives, divorcing them and then marrying pagan wives.  Pride cripples and destroys marriages.  Why do marriages fall apart today?  Because one or both parties become prideful, arrogant, and self-centered.  They stop putting the other first.  Take a look at the comparison list for today and from yesterday.  If you are in a troubled marriage or know someone who is, the problems began when one spouse moved from the right side of the list to the left side of the list.  Where there is trouble in marriage there is always a presence of pride.  Where there is trouble in any relationship, there is always a presence of pride.  Pride that is left undealt with will result in God's judgment as well as His refining fire.  Daily, we need to go before the Lord, with a broken and contrite heart over our sinfulness.  This is pleasing and acceptable to Him.

Proud people...                                Humble people...

11. have a drive to be                       11.  have a sense of their own
recognized and appreciated               unworthiness; are thrilled that God
                                                         would use them at all

12. are wounded when others            12. are eager for others
are promoted and they are over-        to get the credit and rejoice when
looked                                              others are lifted up

13. have a subconscious feeling          13. have a heart attitude that
that says, "This organization is             says, "I don't deserve to have
privileged to have me and my              any part in this work"; know
gifts"; think of what they can do           that they have nothing to offer
for God                                              God except what He enables
                                                          them to do
14. feel confident in how much            14. are humbled by how very
they know                                           much they have to learn

15. are self-conscious                         15. are not concerned with self
                                                          at all

16. keep others at arms' length            16. are will to risk getting close
                                                           to others and to take risks
                                                           of loving intimately

17. are quick to blame others              17. accept personal responsibility
                                                           and can see where they are
                                                           wrong in a situation

18. are unapproachable or                  18. receive criticism with a
or defensive when criticized                  humble, open spirit

19. are overly concerned with              19. are concerned with being
what others think; work to pro-            real; what matters to them is
tect their own image and                       not what others think but what
reputation                                             God knows; are willing to risk
                                                            their own reputation

20. find it difficult to share                    20. are willing to be open
their spiritual needs with others            and transparent with others as
                                                           God directs

(As an aside...some of you know my friend Marion.  She was taken to the hospital this morning with possible congestive heart failure.  She had by-pass surgery on her heart just a year and a half ago.  She is younger than I am. I don't know how serious it is yet.  I will find out this afternoon when I go see her. Please be in prayer that she is resting in the Lord's peace.)
 

Proud people... Humble people...

At the ladies Bible study at my church we are going through Nancy Leigh DeMoss's & Tim Grissom's book, "Seeking Him."  We are told in Psalm 51:17 that the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; and that God will not despise a broken and contrite heart.  In the book the authors list out thirty characteristics of a proud person contrasted with a humble person.  Below are the first ten.  I'll give you the next ten tomorrow and the final ten on Saturday.  We were instructed to ask God to show us which characteristics of a proud heart are true of us.  It was a beneficial exercise, and rather convicting...

Proud people...              Humble people...
1. focus on                      1. are overwhelmed with a sense
the failure of others          of their own spiritual need

2. have a critical,              2. are compassionate; can forgive
fault-finding spirit;             much because they know how much
look at everyone else's      they have been forgiven
faults with a microscope
but their own through
a telescope.

3. are self-righteous;         3. esteem all others as better
look down on others         than themselves

4. have an independent,    4. have a dependent spirit;
self-sufficient spirit            recognize their need for others

5. have to prove               5. are not argumentative
they are right

6. claim rights; have a       6. yield their rights; have a
demanding spirit               meek spirit

7. are self-protective        7. are self-denying
of their time, their rights,
and their reputation

8. desire to be served       8. are motivated to serve others

9. desire to make a           9. are motivated to be faithful
name for themselves         and to make others a success

10. desire self-                  10. desire to promote others
advancement

HP

I hope Mark Driscoll doesn't mind that I pulled this picture off of his Facebook album...this is the pastor that lost his wife in the earthquake.  This is the man who told the Churches Helping Churches team that he wants help so that he can continue teaching about Jesus.  I don't know this man's name.  I've decided to call him HP, for Haitian Pastor.  Do you notice what I notice about HP?  He is smiling.  He has seen horrible devastation and is living amongst the stench of death, but he is smiling.  HP must have an eternal perspective and the joy of the Lord as his strength.  I'm going to be praying for HP.  I'm also looking forward to the reports brought back by the Churches Helping Churches team.  You know what else I'm looking forward to?  I cannot wait to meet HP in heaven someday!

Selflessness Amidst Grieving and Loss

If you are like me, you are watching the updates on what is happening in Haiti.  I usually jump on Fox News in the morning and a couple of other times throughout the day to find out the latest.  Teams from various relief organizations and churches are there, doing what they can to help, learning what they can to know how to help in the days ahead.  The team from Churches Helping Churches spent time today with a teacher from a Christian school.  He was under a tent with his four children.  The school at which he taught collapsed during the earthquake, killing his wife and thirty-six others.  The team learned that he wants help, so that he can continue teaching about Jesus. 

Amidst grief and loss this man's concern was over the souls of others and not on his present circumstances.  No request to be removed from his present situation.  He didn't say he needed a new home.  Wow.  Just for help so he could continue teaching about Jesus. 

How would I have responded if asked that same question under the same circumstances?

Lord, strip away my bent for comfort and self-preservation...may I have a heart for others like this dear man who just lost his wife and is without a home and mother for his four children...and meet the needs of this tenderhearted saint...

CHURCHES HELPING CHURCHES

This new ministry was just launched because of the earthquake in Haiti.  I plan to follow it.  Hope you will too.    A dear friend's husband is also involved.  Join me in prayer for them as they go to help the churches in Haiti, won't you?

God is Sovereign

I learned that Jason and Sharon and all the Wordsower people, and the children are safe.  Thankful for that.  It is heart-breaking to see the devastation, heart-wrenching to see all the streets lined with those who died.  Why do these things happen?  Why is there suffering?  Why is there death and such ugly death at times?  Scripture tells us it is because of sin.  Some who died probably were believers.  For them it turned out to be the best day of their lives for they gained the very literal presence of Christ.  For unbelievers, those who never embraced the truth, who never repented and turned to Christ for salvation from their sin, they will now endure the wrath of God, away from His comfort and presence, for the rest of eternity.  There are no second chances after death.    

The news is now reporting that people have moved from shock to anger, complaining that relief help is slow in coming.  Some have taken to the streets and are looting.  There are worries of diseases breaking out because of the dead.  How would I respond if such a catastrophic event were to occur where I live?    If I had to watch a loved one endure suffering and pain because no help was available?  If I had to endure suffering and pain?  Does this mean God does not care?  That God's hands have been tied?  That He is not in control?  His Word tells me He is very much in control.  He knows when a sparrow falls.  He knows every detail of my life, of your life.   The righteous do suffer along with the wicked but God has not stepped down from His sovereign throne.  His love for us hasn't stopped when we suffer or when we see suffering.  We are to continue to trust Him.   

My thoughts go to the return of Christ as I was watch the news reports on Haiti.  He told us these types of disasters will occur and increase in magnitude before He returns.  He compared these signs to birth pains in Matthew 24.  It is probably just a matter of time before "The Big One" hits my densely populated area.  I'm not right in town but I live just twelve miles from Tacoma, a major metropolis.  Twelve miles in the opposite direction is a major earthquake fault.  All my family live in Southern California.  An earthquake disaster of epic proportions there is said to be not a matter of "if" it will happen, but "when" it happens.

Another type of earthquake is looming on the horizon.  An economic earthquake.  From what I am reading, we are one to five years away from hyper inflation and a deep depression that won't even compare to the Great Depression of the 1930's.  Every report I read says it is going to happen.  It's not an "if" matter, but a "when" matter.

The biggest test of the believer's faith, even bigger than a devastating earthquake or a failed economy where food will be scarce or unaffordable, is still yet to come.  Amidst the natural disasters, wars and rumors of war, and famine, a man is going to demand worship of the world.  Those who align with and bow to this man will be able to buy food, but in so doing will deny Christ.  They will keep their physical lives for the time being, but sudden destruction will come upon them and they will suffer God's wrath for the rest of eternity.  The Lord tells us that many in the church, professing Christians, are going to fall away and align with this man.  Most who do not fall away and remain faithful to Christ will lose their life.  Are you ready for such a test?  Are you ready to lose your life for the sake of Christ?  This is one of the requirements He makes of His followers.

Now is the time to be preparing.  We'll never have success in the crisis if we don't have success in the process.  Are you spending daily time in His word?  There is where we find our strength.   There is where we see that He is in complete control right now, during what is yet to come, and for all eternity!

Earthquake in Haiti

A devastating, 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti yesterday.  The biggest one ever recorded there.  It's feared thousands are dead, possibly even hundreds of thousands.  Jason Nightingale and his wife Sharon are there right now.  The Nightingales are with Wordsower International, a Christian organization that supports orphans and widows around the world.  They were in Haiti to visit "My Father's House" 1 and 2, orphanages that were begun and are supported by Wordsower.  You can view images of the Wordsower's work in Haiti by clicking here.  You will see they are also involved with orphans in India, Kenya, Liberia, and Ghana.  According to a report by Sharon, the Wordsower people are ok but Jason and I think one of their sons were trying to get to the orphanages.

Jason with children in Haiti.

Jason has a huge, booming voice.  He has memorized much of the New Testament.  He's been to my church a couple of times.  We were blessed to hear him recite, from memory, the entire book of Revelation.  He's also been our head Living Nativity angel.  Normally we use a recording for Gabriel's announcement to the shepherds, but the year Jason was our Gabriel, he belted out  Luke 2:10-14 with his great, deep voice, several hundred times in the course of two hours for all the cars that drove through.

If you think about it, please pray for strength for the Nightingales as they work with the hurting people there in Haiti.  I think it is very possible they might receive bad news regarding the orphanages after seeing the devastating pictures.   The picture of the homes on the hillside was taken before the quake.  I have no idea what that hillside may look like now.  Praise God that Sharon says though it is bad, they are seeing some miracles...

Having an eternal perspective...

...is viewing life as Christ, and viewing death as gaining Christ.

7 Months Today!

...and there is a tooth somewhere behind that smile!

Romans 11:36

"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things...

God planned everything to be centered around Himself.  Is God's self-exaltation an unloving act on His part?

On the contrary.

God is love - 1 John 4:8.

God is holy, holy, holy - Isaiah 6:3.

His ways are blameless - Psalm 18:30.

Therefore, He can do no wrong nor will He ask anything wrong of us.  

God's self-exaltation is wrapped up in His love for us.  Demanding our worship is a most loving act because He created us in such a way that nothing else but seeking after Him, longing for Him, and living for Him will truly satisfy our souls.

...To Him be the glory forever.  Amen."

God's Goodness

I love a good story, don't you?  The especially good ones are the ones in which you see God working His grace, love, and kindness into the lives of His children.  You might remember Jesse Armstrong, the missionary from our church who died from ALS last year.  I posted his testimony awhile back, and also his wife's testimony.  To make a long story short, click here and read how the Lord has worked in Lisa's life since taking Jesse home. 

Make sure you read it before you go on...

Did you?

Ok...

They have set a wedding date.  I received an email from Lisa last night, asking if I was free on March 13th to photograph the wedding.  I immediately wrote her back and said, "Yes!"

Praise God for His goodness, and stay tuned for pictures!

What Drives Negative Comments about Christianity

I just learned today that Britt Hume is a believer.  Listen to his short interview with Bill O'Reilly regarding his comments on Fox News that Tiger Woods needed redemption and forgiveness through the Christian faith.

Of course Britt received negative feedback for being forthright with his comments.  One person said he was a "pompus jerk".  Towards the end Bill O'Reilly asked Britt what drives the negative comments about Christianity.  I was really hoping he would give Christ's own words as to why the world hates Him/us.  Britt said it's always been a puzzling thing to him why mentioning the name of Jesus Christ can trigger such an explosive reaction.  He said he didn't even use the name of Jesus Christ in his comments, he simply spoke of the Christian faith.

It is true.  Speaking the name of Christ to people quite often triggers a negative, hateful reaction.

Why?

Here are Jesus words in John 3:19 and 20.  "And this is the judgment, that the light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than light; for their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light, lest his deeds be exposed."


Unbelievers hate the Light knowing it will reveal their sin.  Just speaking the name of Christ can arouse antagonism and hatred because men don't like their sin exposed and Christ is the Light that exposes sinfulness.

Jesus says this in John 7:7,  "...it (the world) hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil."  

Jesus also told us that we will experience the same hatred He experienced.  John 15:18,19 - "If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.'  If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you..."

He's even instructed us that this hatred will be very explosive and world wide after we see the abomination of desolation spoken of through Daniel.  Matthew 24:9 - "Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name."

We are not to marvel if the world hates us - 1 John 3:13.

And, we don't need to be puzzled either.

THE SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER - John 6:37, 39, 44

These three verses clinch it for me.  God secures our salvation without our help and keeps it without our help.  Our salvation IS secure... 

"All that the Father gives to Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out..."

"And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day..."

"No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day..."

THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU, Heavenly Father, for choosing me and drawing me to your Son!

THANK YOU!  THANK YOU!  THANK YOU, Lord Jesus, for never letting me go!

Grace

Titus 2:11,12 - "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age."

We know that out of all humanity, only those who believe will be saved.  Scripture clearly teaches that salvation is completely God's work and it cannot be undone, walked away from, or lost.  The grace of God comes through Jesus Christ.  John 1:14,16 tells us that the Word was full of grace and truth and of His fulness we have received grace upon grace.  The point I want to make here about these words of Paul to Titus is that God's grace through Jesus Christ is not to be used as a license for any and all kind of living.    Grace in the believer's life results in breaking the power of sin so that the child of God can live a transformed life. 

Living to Please the Lord

Are you one that makes New Year's resolutions?  You know, read through the Bible in a year...go on a diet.  Allow me to be transparent.  The last time I read through my Bible, from front cover to back cover, was in college.  It was a requirement for one of my Bible classes.  I actually had to read it through four times in one semester.  A few years ago I made a New Year's resolution to read through the Bible.  I made it to about the first of April.  Then I started having to catch up.  Then I just quit trying.  Oh, I didn't stop reading my Bible altogether.  I could never do that.  I would dry up and blow away!  I just stopped reading through my Bible, from Genesis 1 through Revelation 22, page by page.  My normal habit is to read through a book in one day.  If it is a big book, I may take a few days.  If it's a really big book, a week.  It was much more comfortable for me to go back to that habit.  As far as dieting, I lasted four days into January one year.  Based on my past record, for me to make those two New Year's resolutions would be setting myself up for failure.

This year, instead of making resolutions, I decided that I would put my thoughts on living to please the Lord in those two areas.  Here's how that would affect my life.  The Word of Christ would dwell in me richly and I would eat responsibly.  As I am writing this it hit me that I am talking about spiritual nourishment and physical nourishment.  Both are needed to thrive.  We need to be in the Word to thrive spiritually, and we need to eat responsibly to thrive in the physical realm.  When we get lax in either discipline, and they are disciplines because they take effort, we are affected in a negative way.  

If you are like most people, making a New Year's resolution won't result in a positive, life long change.  But if we set our thoughts on pleasing the Lord and living for His glory, it becomes about Him.  That should be our motivation for doing anything.   It does take some planning, to be in the Word consistently and faithfully and to eat responsibly.  Then we need to follow through with those plans.  The great thing about living for His glory is that it always reaps wonderful blessings and dividends for us!