It seems the day after Christmas people are talking about the New Year. All of sudden hope for the new year springs eternal. How things are going to be better, resolutions being made from weight loss to retirement plans to better relationships!

Why? Why days before the new year is this gush of optimism and hope? I believe it’s because we choose to believe! It seems we have made a tradition of believing at this time of year. And because it’s a “once a year” type of believing, most of us have lost that belief by the middle of January!

I think we lose that belief because it wasn’t really belief, it was hope. It was hope because it wasn’t based on the Word of God, God’s promises.

What if we were to believe one promise of God on a weekly basis or even a daily basis, year a round! What if we were to make this habit a daily routine?

What does your belief do? For sure a couple of things and maybe more:

1) what you believe causes you to take action, to do something.

2) Your belief is like a magnet that draws that which you are believing for to you! Either good or bad.

“And He said to him,

“Arise, go your way. Your Faith has made you well.” Luke 17:19 Good.

or we say,

“For the thing I greatly feared (belief, negative faith) has come upon me, And, what I dreaded has happened to me.” Job3:25 Bad.

In effect, we become like a lightning rod for God to hit us with His goodness or the enemy to “zap us” with his stealing, killing or destroying.

Why not make everyday a day that allows our good, good Father to pour out His passion on us? We need to see that our faith is the key that opens heaven unto us. At this time of year, it’s time for us to take inventory on what we are actually believing.

Let’s replace fear (negative faith), with the positive faith that is believing for the promises of God. But, how can I believe if I don’t know what promises He has in store for me, just like wrapped presents under the Christmas tree? I need to do my spiritual work to discover in His Word what those promises are. I need to declare them. As I declare them, faith begins to arise in my heart. And at some point, I believe.

“Faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God.” Romans 10:17

“while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

I am convinced that our Father in heaven wants His goodness poured out on us more than we do.

Let’s understand that we play a small yet important part in experiencing His goodness. For He has chosen to co-labor with us to see His kingdom come. Our work is to believe.

Jesus answered and said to them, “this is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” John 6:29

Do we really believe that Jesus came to give us life, and life more abundantly? He is hoping you will in this new year. If we do, I’m convinced this new year will be:

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in the church (His body) by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20