A new year has begun and that famous question is already filling the air: Have you broken your New Year's resolutions yet? It's as if we know before we even get started that we don't have a hope of keeping those resolutions. We make them, but we break them almost as quickly. We'd like to lose 20 pounds or quit smoking or a host of other good intentions. And yet it just doesn't seem to happen. So where do we go wrong?

The problem comes from the source of our strength. We tend to rely on ourselves - our willpower, our resources, our strength of character. But remember, it was our character and our lack of willpower that got us into trouble in the first place. So if that's all we're relying on, it's no wonder we're doomed to fail.

Support groups and friends who hold us accountable can be a help. We can gain strength from their encouragement. We know we're not alone in the endeavour. But often that is not enough. We still struggle and we still fail. So where do we turn?

The prophet Isaiah tells us that "those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31). We don't have to rely on our own strength. We can exchange our faint hearts for the unfailing strength of the Lord.

And this is not just any god. This is the Creator of all that is. There is no one who compares to this God or who is His equal. He is great in strength and mighty in power. He does not grow weary and is well aware of our need for Him. This is the God who promises to give us strength, who promises to transform us from our bad habits and our sin into the people He created us to be. All we have to do is let Him!

So when you're feeling low, when you're thinking that you can't possibly make it, know that you can lean on Him. When those resolutions seem too big and too difficult, know that He will give you His strength. And together, you can accomplish mighty things!

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