Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.  4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.  Psalm 1:1-6

Well, here we are—already across the threshold and into the doorway of 2014.  As we look through the door of the year and beyond, what do we see?  Do we see a man or a woman living a more spiritual and Christ-like life than ever before? 

What do we see?  Where do we go?  What will 2014 bring as if it has power in and of itself to bring anything!  What will the Lord bring and how will He work out His plan in 2014?  What is the year ahead, but a gathering together of 12 months or 52 weeks or 365 days or 8,760 hours, or 525,600 minutes.

We face many, if not monumental uncertainties in 2014.  But I’m not just talking ‘bout the political, economic, meteorological (global warming–ha!), international uncertainties . . . but the uncertainty of life itself!

Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.  James 4:13-15

Life, like riches—here today, gone tomorrow: “ Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.  Prov 23:5

The rich man who thought he was set for life, heard these bone chilling words from heaven: “Thou fool; this night thy soul shall be required of thee.  Then whose shall those things be, which thou has provided?”  Lk. 12:20

So, “Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.” Amos 4:12     We then ought to say, “If the Lord will, we shall (have) and do this or that.”

A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps. Prov 16:9

There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. Prov 19:21

Or “Man proposes, God disposes.”

If the Lord wills!  We go about planning to do this or that, all in the Lord’s will.

In the midst of uncertainty is this certainty:  God will do his will—“The counsel of the Lord that shall stand” (above) and  “ In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: Eph 1:11

God will do all His good pleasure—whatever pleases Him!  So I ought to then strive to do and try to be what pleases God.  God is going this way, and I must get on the right track with God and go with Him.  To do anything less is to go against Him!

Does my life make a difference?  Am I living in such a way as to bring glory to God and blessings to others?  Yes, my life is a vapor, but in this vaporous time, can I not be fruitful, count, make a difference?   Yes I can be “like a tree by the rivers of water . . .”      

So let’s get fit for the New Year!  Let’s be faithful!  And we can then be fruitful!  Fit-Faithful-Fruitful.

The Exercise plan is this:

   1.    STOP

Sometimes before we start something we just need to stop and think don’t we?  Many times I enjoy listening to the radio program, “Unshackled—true stories of people who were lost and bound in sin . . . who turned to the Lord and found freedom and thus their lives became “Unshackled, the program that makes you face yourself and think!”

You and I need to face ourselves and think!  Stop and evaluate what you’re doing with your life—which is not yours after all.  You see, we will face God, the Great Evaluator, the Great Examiner, the Judge of All.

I Cor 11:28  “ . . . But let a man examine himself . . .”

2 Cor 13:5  “Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith, prove your own selves . . .” (Gal. 6:4; Acts 4:9; 12:19; 20:24)

Lam. 3:40 “Let us search and try our ways and turn again to the Lord.  Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.  We have transgressed and have rebelled . . .”

Where are your priorities?  In the Lord’s Work or in your own selfish pursuits?

Ps 90:9, 12 “ . . . We spend our years as a tale that is told . . . So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” 

About 9,000 hrs . . . 6,000 waking hours.  How will we spend?  Will we grow or slip away and see another year given by God lost?

Jer. 8:20 “The harvest is past, the summer is ended and we are not saved.”

1. Stop —Consider, Examine, evaluate.  Look at your life—not how you do compared to others, but how you line up with the Word of God.  Look into the mirror of God’s Word and be not a forgetful hearer.

1.  Walk 

When in danger Stop/Drop & Walk . . . with the Lord.  Drop what you’re doing and walk!

Adam walked with God in the Garden

“Enoch walked with God and he was not for God took Him.

Abrahan walked as a pilgrim in the Land of Promise

“Blessed is the man that walketh not. . . .”

WALK—a deliberate way of life that pleases the Lord.  It taken one step at a time.

We live in danger . . . and there is One walking with us there.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow . . .”

 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Dan 3:23-25

When we walk with another person, we are in step, we are going in the same direction, we have the same purpose, same goal—Is it so with our God?

Walking is a way of life, our conduct.   Is it becoming of the Lord?  Is it reflecting the glory of the Lord?  Wherever I go . . . God walks with me there.  For example, if I go to the bar, God goes in with me! Or if I bring the bar to my house, Jesus is my guest.   The things I watch on TV, online—whether it be computer, smart phone, tablet . . . God watches it with me!

How’s your walk today?  What about where we don’t go and should be going?  To worship the Lord as often as we can, to read His Word, to share his word and share his comfort and encouragement with others—ministry……using my gifts to serve others and thus serve God and walk with Him.

1. STOP
2. WALK
3. RUN

When I was in track in Sr. High School, we had a track coach that worshipped at the idol of running.  He had us run and run and run!  I hated it, but it paid off, for we had a track team that won a lot of meets.  On some days, usually the nasty weather days when you figured that we wouldn’t have to work out, we either went in the gym or the coach would have written on the chalk board in the locker room these letters:  WJR = Walk, Jog, Run.  That meant you were continually moving, you would walk for part of a lap, jog for part and of course, run–for a long time too.  But the emphasis was on the running.  This all built our endurance.  

Now that we’ve “Stopped” and faced ourselves and made things right, and are “Walking” with the Lord . . . Time is of the essence—We must run to serve God and His people.

(I’ve seen people who serve others in their job leterally run—UPS drivers running to doorsteps to deliver the pkg on time and not get fired for not meeting a quota.  I’ve seen waitresses running with their arms full of plates.)

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.  Isaiah 40:31

Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? Gal 5:7

When you run it often is because you have a sense of urgency, a “Must” about it!  “I must get there!  I must deliver this message!  I must win this race!”

Do you have a muster?  Can you “muster” the ‘want to’ in serving Christ?  Will you indeed be so earnest, so urgent, so constrained that you will run for the Lord?

Let us then run with perseverance the race that is set before us looking unto Jesus . . .!  Don’t piddle or dilly dally, don’t delay, but run for God as if your life depended upon it, for it does!

But Wait!

1. STOP
2. WALK
3. RUN
4. WAIT

Don’t run ahead, don’t run behind—run with the Lord by waiting, watching for Him, Meditating on His Word, reflecting on His grace, contemplating his love, Considering His power & glory!

Ps 25:21 “For I (trust in), wait on thee.” As preservation is a continued creation, so is waiting a continued trusting; for, what trust believes by faith, it waits for by hope—Treasury of David, The

1. STOP
2. WALK
3. RUN
4. WAIT
5. STAND

 “Give to us clear vision that we may know where to stand and what to stand for—because unless we stand for something, we shall fall for anything.”
~~Peter Marshall (1902–67) Senate chaplain, prayer offered at the opening of the session, April 18, 1947.—Prayers Offered by the Chaplain, the Rev. Peter Marshall … 1947–1948, p. 20 (1949). Senate Doc. 80–170.

If we don’t stand for anything, we’ll fall for anything and everything—everything that comes our way and tempts us to not be everything we can and must be for Christ!

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.  4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.  Psalm 1:1-6 

Let’s start exercising and getting fit in 2014!  By God’s Grace we can, we must, we will!