Sound preposterous? Seriously, how can anyone write the Ultimate Guide to Fulfill Your New Year goals?  I don’t know what your goals are, so how can I possibly help you fulfill your goals for the New Year?

Ultimately, I can’t but God can. My own goals and aspirations for the New Year have been on my thoughts.  In the past, I would sit down at the beginning of each year and spend time in prayer to reflect on my family’s wants and needs.

I would ask God to show me His direction.  Then, I would write my personal, professional, material, and spiritual goals.  Next, looking forward 10 years, then 5 years, then 1 year, 1 month and finally, I would think about what I would do that day to work toward that 10-year goal.

I’m a very goal oriented person.  I love learning and challenging myself.  It’s actually been awesome to look back on those goals and see how God has answered all of those prayers and given me way more than I could have ever asked or dreamed. He does that you know.

Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

²⁰ Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

This year is different somehow.

This year the Holy Spirit has brought Psalm 20:4 continually to my mind.  I had to look up some background on it to gain some insight. The commentaries I read had many different ideas about what God intended with Psalm 20.

I am trying to understand what He wanted ME to know.  Sometimes it takes awhile before I understand why God speaks certain verses over and over to me.  I know He has a reason and I am listening. Here is what the Holy Spirit has revealed so far.

Psalm 20:4 (NIV)  May He give you the desire of your heart and make your plans succeed.

I don’t think this means to ask for a Ferrari and a beach house. God isn’t saying make a wish list for Santa and He will give you anything you want.

So, what does it mean and what is the desire of your heart?

I believe God makes this promise to give you the desire of your heart because HE wants to BE your heart’s desire.  When you make Him your heart’s desire, then He will fulfill that desire.  He wants us to seek Him and His will (Ps. 119:2).  Our will should be His will for our lives and others.  We are to align our lives with Him and He will make our plans succeed.

Psalm 37:3-5 (NIV)  Trust in the Lord and do good, then you will live safely in the land and prosper.  Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your hearts desires.

Prov. 16:3 (NLT) Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.

This isn’t a bait and switch. This is the ultimate guide to fulfilling our goals for the New Year. I just think we have to realign what those goals should be.

As promised, here is God’s “Ultimate Guide to Fulfill your New Year Goals”…

1.  Trust in the Lord and do good. (Ps. 37:3)

2.  Take delight in the Lord (Ps. 37:4)

3.  Commit your plans to Him (Ps. 37:5) (Prov. 16:3)

His promise to us if we do this:

1.   We will live safely in the land and prosper. (Ps. 37:4)  Pretty awesome promise, don’t you think?

2.  He will give the desires of our hearts (Ps. 37:5)  We’ve learned we should desire Him and help others know Him.

3.  He will establish our plans. (Prov. 16:3)  Our plans, if we do what He says and trust and delight in Him, will be for others to come to know Him through His Son, Jesus.

If we are seeking Him and His will, then our lives become more about loving God and loving others and less about self-love. I am re-envisioning my New Year goals and trying to align them with God’s economy and His Kingdom agenda.

I guess it’s because I’m on the backside of my 50’s now and most of my goals this year were about getting rid of a lot of the junk I thought I needed. It’s pretty ridiculous the amount of stuff we accumulate.

Yes, we are still to have order and organization. Yes, we are still supposed to be live healthy lives. But, I’m thinking God wants us to turn the focus off of ourselves and turn our focus more toward His Kingdom and His plans.  I guess I should speak for myself after all, I don’t know your plans or goals for this year.

God already knows the plans He has for us and they are pretty awesome ones.

Does that mean stop praying?  Of course not!  We are still to pray without ceasing (I Thes. 5:17).  James 4:2 says, “You do not have because you do not ask God”.  But God’s plans are so much better than our own.

Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” 

Am I talking just to myself? Are there others out there who are re-thinking their goals for 2019?

For some reason this year feels different to me.

Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.  I would love to gain insight from you and what God is saying to you this year.

Have a blessed and prosperous New Year!

Love,

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