It is January 1, 2008, a new year. Most people in the world today have made “New Year Resolutions.” I didn’t. I made a resolution a few years back that I would not make any more new year resolutions. I have stuck to that resolution. One might think that such a resolution is easy to keep, but, at the end of each year, I find myself wanting to make a resolution. I think it is only natural to want to make the new year a better one than the last.

So, I have not made a new year resolution. I am however resolved to make certain changes in my life. There is really only one thing that stands out for me more than anything else and that is my spiritual life and growth.

There is no spiritual life without God, His Son Jesus (God’s Word), and the Holy Spirit. Last year I managed to read through the bible in one year. This year I plan to read through it again. The new thing that I will do this year is to put God’s word in my mouth. In other words, I plan to speak God’s word in the face of every circumstance I face.

In the face of financial difficulty, I will confess scriptures like this: “My God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”(Phil. 4:19)

In the face of sickness, I will confess scriptures like: “Jesus is the Lord of my life. Sickness and disease have no power over me. I am forgiven and free from sin and guilt. I am dead to sin and alive unto righteousness.” (Col 1:21, 22.)

You get the idea. But you may ask – why? The reason I am confessing is to build my faith in God’s word, which is TRUE regardless of my circumstance. God’s word never changes so guess what has to change as I stand my ground on God’s word? That’s right – MY CIRCUMSTANCE!

Proverbs 18:21 says,“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

I believe the bible intends to tell us that the things we speak out of our mouths have the power to manifest themselves in our lives.

Joshua 1:8 – This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Notice that God says to Joshua “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth.” Yet he is telling him that he had to meditate on the word. I used to wonder – how does one meditate on the word of God? It has to do with speaking God’s word. As long as Joshua was saying what God said, he made his way prosperous, and had good success.

One of the things I learned last year from Charles Capps is that many professing Christians don’t speak the word of God. We speak what we see. We agree with our circumstances by saying… I’m sick, or, I can’t afford this or that, or, I’m always the first person to be laid off at work.

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17)

I believe faith comes even faster when we hear the Word of God coming out of our own mouth. I also have come to believe that we can produce the opposite of faith, which may be fear when we speak anything other than what God’s word says about us and our circumstances.

This year I plan to set myself in agreement with God by saying what He says about me and my life in Christ. I will resist saying negative things about my circumstance regardless of what I see. I will resist saying negative things about myself regardless of what I have done or how I feel. I WILL RESIST!

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

Happy New Year Everyone!