New Year, Same God
Resolutions, and something steadier.
On beginnings that do not depend on willpower.
The big idea
You do not need a new year. You need mercies that are new every morning.
Opening scripture
“They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.”
What does “New Year, Same God” walk through?
Not Consumed
Lamentations 3:22 · KJV
It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
In plain English
Because of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed — his compassion never runs out.
New Every Morning
Lamentations 3:23 · KJV
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
In plain English
They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
Every Morning, Not Every January
The supply is daily. That means a failed resolution on the ninth is not the end of the year — the next restart is tomorrow, not next January.
He Will Finish It
Philippians 1:6 · KJV
Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
In plain English
I am sure of this: the one who began a good work in you will carry it through to completion.
“Willpower runs out in about three weeks. Mercy restocks overnight.”
Number Our Days
Psalms 90:12 · KJV
So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
In plain English
Teach us to number our days, so that we may grow wise in heart.
Aim Small
Wisdom in this psalm comes from counting days, not planning years. The people who change are usually the ones who picked something small and stayed with it.
Pray
God, I do not need a new me. I need you, daily. Amen.
Write it down
What is one small thing you could do daily this year?
Start again tomorrow
And the day after. That is how it works.
Which passages does this journey use?
4 passages, drawn from Lamentations 3:23, Lamentations 3:22, Philippians 1:6, Psalms 90:12. Every verse appears here in the King James text with a plain-English line beside it, so you can read it without a commentary open. Allow about 7 minutes for the whole thing, or 8 short sittings.
- Lamentations 3:23
- Lamentations 3:22
- Philippians 1:6
- Psalms 90:12
Read any of these in full on the complete KJV, or look the wording up independently at Blue Letter Bible.
More in Seasons of the Year
All Seasons of the Year →Advent: Waiting In The Dark
Four weeks of not yet.
Christmas Beyond The Story
What actually happened.
Lent: Forty Days Of Less
Subtraction as a spiritual practice.
Holy Week, Day By Day
The longest week in history.
Easter: The Morning Everything Changed
The claim the whole thing stands on.
Starting Something New
New place, old nerves.