In Exodus 12, God institutes the Passover in the month that he designates as the first month of the year for the Hebrews. The feast of remembrance of their deliverance from Egypt, the sacrifice for the passing over of judgment upon their homes, was to be a yearly reminder at the beginning of the year. They were to start the year with a “clean slate” so to speak. Instead of sacrifice, we start with resolutions about ourselves; what we are going to do.
The clean slate is a good idea. The dependence on self to maintain all our lofty goals isn’t. We need the help of God in each and every endeavor. Paul writes what whatsoever things we do, do as unto the Lord. Now it is true that the only things that can be done “as unto the Lord” are things that are good. No. We cannot sin as unto the Lord, though we are capable of doing things that are sinful to the Lord. So let’s make sure we keep our resolutions on the holy side of life. This is befitting both as Christians and Methodists who are commissioned by Jesus and John Wesley to “spread scriptural holiness throughout the land.”
So we have this New Year to do with us we purpose. Let our purpose be to start right with our Lord, clean in His sight, and claim the promise that He will never leave us as we walk with Him daily. What a wonderful year we will look back upon next December 31. -- Ben