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CHAPTER 1
January
Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.
Deuteronomy 7:9
January 1
He Watches
The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
Proverbs 15:3
As we welcome a new year, Proverbs 15 is a very helpful chapter to turn to. Every verse is applicable to our daily life. It begins with the ever-relevant advice: "A soft answer turns away wrath." Verse 2 counsels us to speak wisely about the state of our lives and the world. Verse 3 reminds us that the Lord observes all our actions and reactions. His eyes are always open, watching both the good and the evil.
Those who don't know the Lord never pause to think that God is observing them like bees in a glass hive, aware of all they say, think, do, and plan. Those of us who do know and love Him are grateful we have someone watching over us.
In 1926, George and Ira Gershwin wrote a popular song entitled "Someone to Watch over Me." How wonderful to know we have someone watching over us every moment of the year. As Psalm 145:20 says, "The Lord watches over all who love him" (NIV). Great is His faithfulness to us!
January 2
Success-God's Way
"I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do."
John 17:4
Success," said General George S. Patton, "is how high you bounce when you hit bottom." That's not a bad definition, but here's a better one: Success is faithfully tackling and accomplishing the work God gives us day by day. In biblical terms, success has nothing to do with wealth, position, power, respect, or awards. God promises to grant us success in life, but He views success as finishing the work He has assigned us. Colossians 4:17 says, "Say to Archippus, 'Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.'"
The Bible tells us to persevere in obedience: "Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you ... that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book ... meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful" (Joshua 1:7-8 NIV).
Don't worry about failure; just be faithful in your Christian walk and work. That's SUCCESS in capital letters.
January 3
True to the Word
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
John 8:32
Christians are often questioned about their faith. It happened in the first century as well as in our day, which is why the apostle Peter encouraged believers to "be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you" (1 Peter 3:15). But what if you aren't sure? What if you don't know an answer to a question? You will never go wrong by simply saying what the Word says — the living and written Word of God.
Jesus called Himself "the truth" (John 14:6) and "He who is true" (Revelation 3:7). Therefore, saying what Jesus said is to say what is true. A Christian will never go wrong by agreeing with Jesus. But Jesus also called God's Word "the truth." He knew that the psalmist had written, "The entirety of Your word is truth" (Psalm 119:160), and he borrowed those words in His prayer to the Father: "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth" (John 17:17). So Jesus called Himself the truth and He called the Word of God the truth. Jesus was the human embodiment of the eternal truth of God.
If you want to speak the truth, quoting Jesus and the Bible is the best place to begin. If what we say departs from those two sources, we have departed from the truth.
January 4
Something to Look Forward To
Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him.
Revelation 1:7
What are you looking forward to? An upcoming trip? The end of a medical treatment? A visit with your children? A new car? The birth of a child?
A sense of anticipation is vital for mental health, and that's why the Bible ends with the book of Revelation. Without Revelation, the Bible would have no ending. Or rather, it would end with the book of Jude, which is a wonderful book about contending for the faith. But it's not a book that heralds God's future. It doesn't leave us with descriptions of the new heavens and new earth. It doesn't end with the city whose builder and maker is God.
In times like these, the swift return of Christ fuels our anticipation of coming events — and we're living in days when we need all the reassurance we can find. Peter said, "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent" (2 Peter 3:14).
Don't live in the past, and don't become so bogged down with present burdens that you forget your future glory. Things are going to get better — much better! Jesus is coming! Let's look forward to that day!
January 5
Lifting Up Christ
"And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself John 12:32
Preachers stand on platforms; flags are raised to the top of poles; signs are put high up on billboards. Raising something high makes it visible to more people and gives it a sense of importance. That's why God told Moses to make a serpent out of bronze, set it on a pole, and raise it up so the Israelites could see it. God had punished their sin by allowing serpents into their camp, and Moses' bronze serpent became a source of deliverance for them when they gazed on it and believed (Numbers 21:4-9).
Knowing the Jews would grasp the metaphor immediately, Jesus said that He would be "lifted up" and become a source of salvation to all who looked to Him (John 3:14-15; 12:32). By "lifted up," He was referring to the Roman cross that lay ahead of Him. His words were prophetic — His death on a cross has drawn millions to Him for two thousand years. We continue to lift up Christ today in the Lord's Supper, "[proclaiming] the Lord's death till He comes" (1 Corinthians 11:26). We also lift Him up as we praise Him for His blessings in our lives.
Our lives should continually point the world to Jesus Christ — lifting Him up for all to see and be saved.
January 6
Bragging Rights
"But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth."
Jeremiah 9:24
As Christians, we have bragging rights. We have something to boast about. We have something to be proud of, to be thankful for, and to glory in. We may never be music superstars or cultural icons. Fame and fortune may not come our way. But we are sons and daughters of God, and we can boast of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
The New Living Translation renders Jeremiah 9:23-24 like this: "Don't let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord."
The apostle Paul said something similar in Galatians 6:14: "But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Lasting inner satisfaction doesn't come from the externals of life — education, wealth, and power. It comes from a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, and with the kind of wonderful lifestyle we develop as He reforms, remolds, and renovates our lives for His glory.
Boast today — of Him!
January 7
Be Still
"In returning and rest you shall he saved; in quietness and confidence shall he your strength."
Isaiah 30:15
Psychologists are warning we're losing some basic skills of life by our reliance on mobile devices. People no longer add or subtract; they use the calculators on their phones. We no longer type or use keyboards; we punch icons with our thumbs. We don't worry about memorizing anything; our devices have become our brains. We don't even think as much because we plug in our earphones and listen to podcasts and music.
Those may be valid concerns, but they pale beside the danger of losing the basic skill of walking with God. For all our electronics, nothing can replace the simple art of meditation and prayer, of faith and trust, of quietness and confidence. As we contemplate God's law and manifest His holiness, we preserve the character of His creation. We prevent the deterioration of human society, and we preserve our culture from moral collapse.
No matter how modern our world, the time-tested habits of prayer, meditation, faith, trust, and obedience will never be replaced. The twenty-first century needs salt and light as much as the first century did; perhaps even more. So, keep your phone, but unplug it long enough to be still and know that He is God.
January 8
Strength Training
But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
1 Samuel 30:6
If you feel weary or weak, think of these Bible verses on the subject of strength. Choose one to commit to memory, and ask God to use it to impart strength to your fainting heart. "Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; as your days, so shall your strength be" (Deuteronomy 33:25). "Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His face evermore!" (1 Chronicles 16:11). "Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). "The Lord is the strength of my life. ... Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart" (Psalm 27:1, 14). "The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace" (Psalm 29:11). "My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:26). "Be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man" (Ephesians 3:16). "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
When our strength is exhausted, His is undiminished. The supply of His strength will equal the length of your days, and you can lean on His words and fortify yourself in His strength today.
January 9
The Gift of Time
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16
Almost everything in life is "stoppable." Even gravity can be suspended temporarily. But one part of life cannot be stopped by us. And that is TIME. Right now, as you read these words, time is marching on. But it doesn't march without a purpose. Time marches toward the consummation of God's redemptive plan for planet Earth and its inhabitants.
The apostle Paul didn't advise the Ephesians to redeem the time just so they would be busy. It was because he knew that the kingdom of darkness is always at work to stop the advancement of God's kingdom. His words are a reminder that Satan never stops working against God and that we should never stop working for God. But there is another reason: stewardship. Like everything we have — life, breath, material goods, salvation, abilities — time is a gift from God. Our responsibility as stewards (managers) of God is to use time in the way the Owner of time wants it used.
Consider today: The next twenty-four hours belong to God. They have been given to you as a gift. Be sure to use this day in a conscious manner, consistent with God's desires.
January 10
A True Friend
A man of too many friends comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Proverbs 18:24 nasb
Social media has redefined the concept of a "friend." In the early days of the most prominent social media platform, people accumulated "friends" by the hundreds. Often those "friends" were people they barely knew — an acquaintance of an actual friend or a long-lost childhood playmate. Yet they were called "friends." Participants soon realized what psychologists have said: no one can manage more than a half dozen actual friendships.
True friendships take time, part of which is spent recovering from the disappointments that come with all human relationships. Maybe that's why Solomon wrote that having lots of friends is dangerous but having "a friend who sticks closer than a brother" is a good thing. Note, "friend" (singular), not "friends." It's rare to find a friend who is there through thick and thin and who will encourage us in our walk with Christ. That is, a friend like Jesus, who was a friend to His disciples (John 15:14-15).
First, invest in your friendship with Jesus. Second, if you have a friend like Jesus, invest in that friendship as well. The best way to find such a friend is to be that kind of friend yourself.
January 11
A Merry Heart
A merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.
Proverbs 15:13
After Richard Norris was badly disfigured by a gunshot wound in 1997, he remained hidden at his parents' home for years. They covered the mirrors to keep him from glimpsing his face. But a team of doctors changed that by performing a "face transplant." Using medical advancements, the physicians gave Richard a new countenance. In 2014, his transformational story was featured in a major magazine.
While Richard's story is unusually dramatic, there's a sense in which we all need a new countenance. Study the faces of people you meet every day. Steal a quick glance at your own face as you pass a mirror or reflective window. How stressed and grim we look! Our emotions inexorably flash through the forty-three muscles in our face, and we communicate our feelings through our eyes, our brows, and the set of our mouths. One smile can light up a room; one frown can darken a day.
The Bible tells us a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance. Rejoice in the Lord today, and let the joy of Jesus shine through.
January 12
One Light at a Time
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.
Ephesians 5:8
Imagine walking into a pitch-dark room — no windows, no lamps, no shadows, no light of any kind. You light a single candle and hold it over your head. When your eyes adjust, you can see a bit of what's in the room. Now imagine that same room with five people with candles — the overall light is brighter. Then imagine ten people with candles, then twenty-five, then fifty. At some point the darkness is overcome by the light.
Think of that room as this spiritually dark world (Colossians 1:13). Being born into this world is like walking into that dark room. Your candle is lit when you receive and believe the Gospel. Even a tiny bit of light dispels some of the darkness. Then you share the Gospel — the candles of others are lit — and more and more darkness is driven out. Every time the Gospel is shared, Satan's kingdom of darkness is threatened. When the Gospel is embraced, Satan's influence and dominion (1 John 5:19) is weakened.
Paul wrote that we were once darkness but are now light "in the Lord." Our responsibility is to invade Satan's kingdom with the light of the glory of God.
January 13
Hope in the Lord
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
1 Thessalonians 4:16
Anyone standing by the graveside of a departed loved one or friend considers the question that arises: What do I believe about this event called death? Even knowledgeable Christians have to defend themselves against waves of sadness and longing by remembering the promises of Jesus Christ concerning faith and eternal life. Those promises — promises based on the Resurrection — give the Christian renewed hope that is sometimes clouded by grief.
Job asked the same question: "If a man dies, shall he live again?" (Job 14:14). And Jesus answered, straight to the point: "He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live" (John 11:25). But the new, first-century believers living in far-flung places didn't have Jesus' words at hand, so they were often concerned about death. Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica to assure them that when Jesus appears, "the dead in Christ will rise first" (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
Christ was the first fruits from the grave; we are the harvest to follow (1 Corinthians 15:20). The grave of those who die in Christ is a place of hope.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Ever Faithful"
by .
Copyright © 2018 David Jeremiah.
Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson.
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