The Prelude: Resolution—"He was with me” (Part 1)
Scripture—Psalm 73:28 (NRSV)
But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
to tell of all your works.
Focus
This year you can have a resolve that, regardless of what may happen in the composition of your year, your song can be like that of the psalmist: It is good to be near to God. It does not matter what may come your way if you can end the year saying, “God was with me.”
Devotion
There are many people who start off their year with resolution; but by early spring most of their well-intended goals have been thwarted. I blame mine on the Midwestern weather. It is hard to get out and cycle when there is ice everywhere and the wind is demoralizing. Whatever your lot may be, perhaps the better approach is a resolve to remember what is true. Perhaps there is a better song to sing as the theme to the rest of the year.
The psalmist gives us a song of the basic themes of life in Psalm 73:1-27: a good God, the frailty of human ankles, the apparent success of those who don’t know God, the struggle of those who do know God, and the anticipation of God making everything right. If there were a music score behind our lives over the next three-hundred and sixty-five days, we would all hear these themes.
Whether in ebb or flow, there are things that we can move forward with hopeful expectation. There are variables in the course of life. There will be major and minor chords, dissonance, resolution, and good moments where we long for fermatas and whole rests. It would be great to only have bright notes and major keys, but our Composer desires our trust. What if a prelude to this year is a better resolve to remember what is true?
This year you can have a resolve that, regardless of what may happen in the composition of your year, your song can be like that of the psalmist: It is good to be near to God. It does not matter what may come your way if you can end the year saying, “God was with me.”
Yes, no matter what else happens this year, no matter the tones of your song, may you know that God is with you. It is good be near God!
Reflect
What thoughts and feelings are evoked when you really trust that God is with you?
How does your approach to the year change when you count God’s presence in your plans?
Act
Create a phrase or lyric that captures your heart and mind about God’s presence. Take this phrase and post it in your car, desk, or doorpost. Find a sabbath-like pause and let those words remind you to consider what it means to know that someone is present and with you.
Prayer
God, you are light and life for us each day. We thank you that as we approach this new year full of glory and joy and struggle and strife you are with us until the end of the age. Give us strength not simply to succeed or to win but to remember over and over again that you really do care about us. And give us grace enabling power to finish the course of this year saying, “God was with me.” In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Commentary on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: The Workplace Consequences of Personal Failings (Psalm 73)
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DeLano Sheffield
Author & Business Resource Specialist
DeLano J. Sheffield is a senior pastor and employer engagement manager for Great Jobs KC (formerly KC Scholars) where he fosters connections between people on the fringes and employers in the Kansas City Metro. He advocates for the hiring of people who would not normally have opportunities. De...