KBM It's 2025

Today begins not just a new day and new month, but a whole new year. It’s always an exciting time when we turn over to the next calendar year. It’s is also a little confusing and each of us will likely still call this new year 2024 for a bit. It’s not only a new year, it is a time when a lot of people will embark on striving to improve themselves in what we traditionally called “New Year’s Resolutions.” People will resolve to stop smoking (a good one), or exercise more, eat healthier. A lot of spiritual resolutions will be made as well such as people resolving to pray more, read their bible’s more, or attend the services of the saints more. All of these things, if in the proper context (1 Timothy 4:8) are good to strive for, especially the resolve to be spiritually better, but unfortunately like with the physical New Year’s resolutions people fail the majority of the time at keeping them. Why is this the case?

It’s because the proper foundation is not there. Let’s read Daniel 1:8. The ESV reads here…

Daniel 1:8 ESV

8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.

The NKJV reads this way…

Daniel 1:8 NKJV

8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Daniel made the resolution that he would “not defile himself” and then did something about striving to keep that resolution. But the reason he was able to keep that resolution, even unto death, was because he had prepared his heart for many years for this moment if it ever came.

In other words, Daniel had prepared his heart for this very moment by each day previous to this situation growing in his faith in God. We see someone else understand this as well, and his name was Ezra. In Ezra 7:10 we read…

Ezra 7:10 NKJV

10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.

Spiritual resolutions are good, but the only way we can be successful in them is if they have the proper foundation. We must prepare our hearts first. This isn’t just saying “I want to do such and such” this is “determining from the heart to do what needs to be done.” If our heart is not into it, it won’t get done as Jesus clearly knew when he said in John 14:15…

John 14:15 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.