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January 1 You were created in God’s own image. What does it mean to be created in His image? For starters, you have imagination, intellect, and most importantly, a soul—the deepest part of your being, where you long to feel whole, loved, cherished, and understood. God made you so that He might have an ongoing relationship with you. He’s promised to always be there for you. Isn’t He the kind of life companion you’ve searched for?
January 2 There is a psalm to match every emotion and mood experienced by human beings: joy, anger, frustration, discouragement, loneliness, doubt. Thousands of years after they were written, they still speak to our needs and desires. These ancient prayers remind us that nothing can shock God’s ears. We can tell Him anything and everything. He won’t forsake us—His love for us endures forever.
January 3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalm 5:3 kjv
January 4 How grand God is! He knows how dependent we are on Him for the everyday joy we need to carry on. And every day, He provides us with beauty all around to help and cheer us—it might come through a child’s smile or the snowy beauty of a winter wonderland. Each day, the Lord has a special gift to remind us of whose we are and to generate the joy we need to succeed.
January 5 Have you ever speculated as to what you might do in heaven? None of us are just going to occupy space there, because our God is always productive. Don’t worry; it’s not going to be anything like what you’ve done on earth. Your “boss,” after all, will be perfect. And the tasks you perform will be custom-tailored to you. “Job satisfaction” will finally fit into our vernacular!
January 6 The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17Â esv
January 7 The hymn writer Frances Ridley Havergal’s life was riddled with pain and sickness, yet she sought the Lord through it all. In her hymn “Like a River Glorious,” she depicts the peace and rest God offers as a mighty river, growing fuller and deeper each day. The refrain summarizes God’s promise to each of us: “Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest; finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.”
January 8 Lord, surround me with friends who know You and Your Word. Surround me in a crisis so I can still hear Your voice of wisdom and reason.
January 9 Friendships that have Christ as their center are wonderful relationships blessed by the Father. Through the timely, godly advice these friends offer, God speaks to us, showering us with comfort that’s as sweet as perfume and incense. So what are you waiting for? Make a date with a friend and share the sweet aroma of Jesus!
January 10 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6 niv
January 11 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10 niv
January 12 We all experience moments of hopelessness in our earthly journeys—the death of our dreams, the crashing down of our hopes. But, thankfully, we can always trust the words of our Lord. He knows the plans He has for us, and He has the power to see them through. Hope and a future, prosperity and peace—we can trust that even when things seem hopeless, God is still at work, carrying out His promises.
January 13 Is there a hurt so deep inside that you’ve never shared it with another human being? Perhaps someone in your own family has rejected or betrayed you. Remember the pain Joseph suffered at his brothers’ hands; remember the anguish of Jesus Christ, who was betrayed by one as close as a brother, Judas Iscariot. God knows your pain, and He is strong enough to remove any burden.
January 14 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3 John 1:2 kjv
January 15 Lord, help me to still myself before You and be willing to examine my ways. Speak to me through Your Holy Spirit about what is wrong in my life. Give me the gift of repentance and allow me to enjoy the sweetness of Your forgiveness.
January 16 Are you in Christ? Then you are a new creation—regardless of your past or any circumstances you’ve faced. While we may live with the consequences of past choices, all the guilt is gone—vanished, obliterated! Jesus has replaced your old with His new: new peace, new joy, new love, new strength. If you are “in Christ,” be glad! Give thanks and live each day as the new creation you have become through Jesus.
January 17 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Psalm 61:1– 4 niv
January 18 Some days are full of joy and peace; others are definitely not. We must choose how we respond to life’s inevitable dark days. Knowing that Christ is at the center of our battles—and that we can trust Him— lends peace and stills the weakest of hearts. Turn your face to Jesus. Rely on your Refuge and Strength to lead you through the darkest days.
January 19 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 niv
January 20 Does not wisdom call, and understanding lift up her voice? On top of the heights beside the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand; beside the gates, at the opening to the city, at the entrance of the doors, she cries out: “To you, O men, I call. . . . For wisdom is better than jewels; and all desirable things cannot compare with her.” Proverbs 8:1– 4, 11 nasb
January 21 Do you struggle with fear? Do you feel it binding you with its invisible chains? If so, then there’s good news. Through Jesus, you have received the Spirit of sonship. A son (or daughter) of the most-high God has nothing to fear. Today, acknowledge your fears to the Lord. He will loose your chains and set you free.