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- Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
- Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
Overcome stress and dwell in God's abundant peace. Stress can be relentless, overwhelming our thoughts and emotions—but God has a better plan for his children. It's possible to experience so much peace and joy that they overflow to those around you. In Count Your Blessings and Stop Stressing, Ray Comfort shares devotions that empower readers to replace anxiety, fear, and worry with assurance, gratitude, and strength. Steeped in Scripture and filled with wise counsel and encouragement, this book will · soothe your heart with God's promises, · lift you above daily stressors, · renew the power of your faith, and · comfort you with the depths of God's great love. Rejoice in the knowledge that every blessing comes from God.
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BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC
Savage, Minnesota, USA
BroadStreetPublishing.com
Count Your Blessings and Stop Stressing: 365 Daily Devotions
Copyright © 2024 Ray Comfort
9781424566556 (faux)
9781424566563 (ebook)
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture marked KJV is taken from the King James Version of the Bible, public domain. Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked AMP are taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org. Scripture quotations marked NASB95 are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org.
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Cover and interior by Garborg Design Works | garborgdesign.com
Printed in China
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Contents
Foreword
January
January 1: The Goodness of God
January 2: Prepare His Way
January 3: We Are Never Alone
January 4: Who Has Warned You?
January 5: Worthy of Repentance
January 6: Unquenchable Fire
January 7: Pleasing the Father
January 8: Faith’s Key
January 9: Spiritual Muscle
January 10: The Present Reality
January 11: Fit for Use
January 12: Hope-Filled Faith
January 13: A Tossed Sea
January 14: Without Faith
January 15: Seeing God
January 16: I Shall Not Want
January 17: The Testing of Our Faith
January 18: Whom Having Not Seen
January 19: The Glorious Hope
January 20: This Is Our Victory
January 21: He Who Is Weak
January 22: Running from Sin
January 23: Go Your Way
January 24: There’s No Confusion
January 25: Bruise His Heel
January 26: The Beautiful Reminder
January 27: The Promise to Abraham
January 28: God Came Down
January 29: The Headwind
January 30: The Little Big Word
January 31: On Eagles’ Wings
February
February 1: Commandment with Promise
February 2: God Is Love
February 3: Use Your Stress
February 4: Lord, I Believe
February 5: Abiding Satisfied
February 6: We Are No Longer Slaves
February 7: We Can Say “Never”
February 8: They Know His Voice
February 9: The Only Door
February 10: Our Blessed Assurance
February 11: Seeking the Honor of God
February 12: Safe in Jesus
February 13: The Spotless Lamb
February 14: God’s Will
February 15: What We Can Do
February 16: The Word of Christ
February 17: Joy That Remains
February 18: All Who Live Godly
February 19: Commanded to Rest
February 20: The Work of the Spirit
February 21: Life’s Continual Trials
February 22: The Search for Eternal Life
February 23: Seeing Isn’t Believing
February 24: Your Adversary, the Devil
February 25: The Life to Come
February 26: God’s Presence
February 27: Set It on a Pole
February 28: The Blessing of Work
February 29: The Coming Law
March
March 1: Love that Gives
March 2: The Lord Your God
March 3: What the Proud Know
March 4: Hold On to What You Have
March 5: We Carry Nothing Out
March 6: Don’t Set Yourself Up to Fall
March 7: Fleeing to a Destination
March 8: Fight the Good Fight
March 9: In the Sight of God
March 10: The Good Confession
March 11: In His Own Time
March 12: He Alone Has Immortality
March 13: Who Will See God?
March 14: The Kindness of God
March 15: Oppositions of Science
March 16: Guard Truth
March 17: Life and Good
March 18: Be of Good Courage
March 19: He Will Testify of Me
March 20: Things to Come
March 21: You Will Receive
March 22: This Present Evil Age
March 23: No One Shall Be Justified by the Law
March 24: A Brand-New Person
March 25: Adopted by God
March 26: They Were Finished
March 27: The Beginning
March 28: Sealed Forever
March 29: By Grace Alone
March 30: Our Advocate
March 31: Water Divided from Water
April
April 1: Sure and Steadfast Hope
April 2: Majestic Power
April 3: It Was Very Good
April 4: The Tree in the Garden
April 5: The Promise to Israel
April 6: No Longer Strangers
April 7: Saved from Our Sins
April 8: Handling Hand Grenades
April 9: Knowing This Truth
April 10: The Virtue of Wisdom
April 11: A Guide in the Dark
April 12: Sin and Death
April 13: In Those Days
April 14: To the Jew First
April 15: Swift to Hear
April 16: Give Thanks
April 17: The Obedient Heart
April 18: The Bridled Tongue
April 19: The Foolishness of the Cross
April 20: The New Birth
April 21: Sin’s Fearful Wages
April 22: He Ought to Think
April 23: He Ran and Worshiped Him
April 24: Do You Not Know?
April 25: Go Home to Your Friends
April 26: Only Believe
April 27: Not Self-willed
April 28: Unclean Spirits
April 29: Things That Matter
April 30: Greatly Afraid
May
May 1: They Didn’t Answer
May 2: Speaking to Grown Men
May 3: He Cried Out the More
May 4: What Belongs to God?
May 5: Now Is the Time
May 6: The Power of God
May 7: The Lord Knows
May 8: Stronger through Pressure
May 9: Feeling Awful
May 10: Greater Gladness
May 11: The Consuming Fire
May 12: Praise the Lord
May 13: Too Busy
May 14: As for Me
May 15: God’s Ears
May 16: If They Knew
May 17: The Food That Lasts
May 18: The Declaration
May 19: The Perfect Law
May 20: The Merciful Attitude
May 21: The Simple Made Wise
May 22: The Rightness of the Law
May 23: Eye-Opening
May 24: Who Can Understand?
May 25: His Amazing Grace
May 26: He Gave Us Light
May 27: The Way Out
May 28: What Abraham Found
May 29: We Will Rise Again
May 30: In a Moment of Time
May 31: Be Confident
June
June 1: The Tempter
June 2: You Shall Receive Power
June 3: Stubborn Beasts
June 4: By the Word of God
June 5: Do Not Neglect This
June 6: Always Be Ready
June 7: He Subjected Himself
June 8: This Is a Warning
June 9: The Reason for Gentleness
June 10: He Comforts Us
June 11: Loaded with Benefits
June 12: He Must Be Delivered
June 13: The Fear of God
June 14: The Shadow of His Wings
June 15: They Recognized Him
June 16: Wait Patiently
June 17: The Example the Disciples Gave
June 18: The Continuous Battle
June 19: That Which Was Lost
June 20: Ultimate Justice
June 21: The Necessary Letter
June 22: Stir It Up
June 23: All Things Were Made by Him
June 24: Fleeing Temptation
June 25: Learning from the Ant
June 26: Those Precious Eyes
June 27: Woe unto You
June 28: Glorified by All
June 29: Keep Curiosity
June 30: Emboldened in Sin
July
July 1: They Worshiped Jesus
July 2: The Brilliant Savior
July 3: A Good Man
July 4: Why We Should Pray
July 5: The Status of Man
July 6: They Carried the Sick
July 7: The Handle of Faith
July 8: Insight into the Divine
July 9: Hear Him
July 10: Drifting Away
July 11: Looking to Jesus
July 12: Worthy of Note
July 13: Loose the Donkey
July 14: Make a Difference
July 15: Effective Prayer
July 16: Count It a Great Joy
July 17: The Angry Man
July 18: That Noble Name
July 19: Always Ask Questions
July 20: Eternal Perspective
July 21: What to Do
July 22: We Can Question
July 23: Faith and Fear Motivate
July 24: The Antidote
July 25: In the Way of Righteousness
July 26: Natural Consequences
July 27: Go Tell That Fox
July 28: A Friend of Sinners
July 29: Infinitely Higher
July 30: Where Is God?
July 31: The Sin of Ingratitude
August
August 1: Don’t Give Up
August 2: Take Heed to the Law
August 3: Vengeance Is Mine
August 4: Gaining Jews
August 5: The Standard of Men
August 6: Death Has Been Destroyed
August 7: Heart Humility
August 8: Our Wages
August 9: Bearing False Witness
August 10: Selfish Desire
August 11: Eternal Love
August 12: Liar, Liar
August 13: The Specifics
August 14: I Trust in Your Word
August 15: Times of Affliction
August 16: My Choice
August 17: The Christian Life
August 18: Reproduction of Our Own Kind
August 19: Dividing the Word
August 20: The Common Salvation
August 21: Eternal Righteousness
August 22: The Heavenly Party
August 23: A Rock of Stumbling and Refuge
August 24: Godly Wisdom
August 25: Walking in Light
August 26: Clever Talk
August 27: The Sweetest of Foods
August 28: Shining for Jesus
August 29: Ready to Preach
August 30: Sun and Shield
August 31: Beware of Covetousness
September
September 1: When to Take No Notice
September 2: Stubborn Pride
September 3: The Better Way
September 4: No Longer Rare
September 5: Little Did He Know
September 6: His Lovingkindness Is Everlasting
September 7: Manaen’s Testimony
September 8: The God of All Comfort
September 9: They So Spoke
September 10: Many Tribulations
September 11: He Gives Rain
September 12: Saved by Grace
September 13: Sudden Hope
September 14: Preaching Jesus
September 15: They Searched the Scriptures
September 16: The Example
September 17: Prisons
September 18: The Pulpit Lesson
September 19: Clearly Seen
September 20: The Covered Head
September 21: Total Surrender
September 22: The Enriched Faith
September 23: Our Brother
September 24: Power of Unity
September 25: Confident in God’s Work
September 26: Many Rooms
September 27: The Scarlet Thread
September 28: Is It I, Lord?
September 29: A New Day
September 30: God Remembers
October
October 1: Holiness and Love
October 2: Seek First the Kingdom
October 3: Without Spot
October 4: Never Yield
October 5: The Frailty of Old Age
October 6: Our Choice
October 7: Not Forsaken
October 8: Always Ready
October 9: Assembling Together
October 10: Blessed beyond Words
October 11: Comfort from Jesus
October 12: Better than Gold
October 13: Soul Restoration
October 14: Trust in God
October 15: The Enemy’s Bow
October 16: The Blessing of Family
October 17: Pity Party
October 18: His Marvelous Lovingkindness
October 19: The Reservation
October 20: Everyday Blessing
October 21: The Long Wait for God
October 22: A New Song
October 23: The Mind of God
October 24: Consider the Poor
October 25: Irrational Depression
October 26: Our Present Help
October 27: Bring Them to Jesus
October 28: Lowly Beasts
October 29: God Gave His Son
October 30: The Blessing of a Curse
October 31: By Night
November
November 1: Peace with God
November 2: Giving All
November 3: Good Health
November 4: Things Change
November 5: Divine Direction
November 6: The Power
November 7: Living Water
November 8: Why We Won’t Want
November 9: It Starts with Jealousy
November 10: Joy in Service
November 11: Lift Right
November 12: The Shadow
November 13: Only One Thing
November 14: Good versus Evil
November 15: The Good Thing
November 16: The Joyful Sound
November 17: Sending the Crowds Away
November 18: Object of Delight
November 19: Draw Near
November 20: Small Stuff
November 21: Those Who Hunger
November 22: The Blessing of the Word
November 23: Let It Shine
November 24: The Same Message
November 25: Do It Heartily
November 26: Silencing the Alarm
November 27: Heaven’s Reality
November 28: A Good Sleep
November 29: Faithful Prayer
November 30: Your Voice
December
December 1: Blessed Patience
December 2: The Light of the Bible
December 3: He Knows His Own
December 4: Godless Traditions
December 5: Boldness
December 6: How We Know
December 7: The Truth
December 8: God First
December 9: Blessings from Trials
December 10: Unity
December 11: The Way of Escape
December 12: Discouragement’s Antidote
December 13: The Great Shout
December 14: Confess and Believe
December 15: More than Conquerors
December 16: The Cause of Growth
December 17: God Will Answer
December 18: Never Forsaken
December 19: Fly, Walk, or Crawl
December 20: Timely Encouragement
December 21: Follower of Christ
December 22: The Unspeakable Gift
December 23: Your Sleepless Keeper
December 24: New Every Morning
December 25: By Our Love
December 26: The Cause of Legalism
December 27: In His Image
December 28: Care for Bruised Reeds
December 29: Feel the Pain
December 30: Exalting Jesus
December 31: Today’s Stress
About the Author
Foreword
Stress has become part of contemporary life—from fluctuating gas prices to sickness, pressures at work, and financial problems that only add to tensions in the home. We are tempted to stress every day. But circumstances or feelings should not sway our joy. Childlike trust in God as our Father is the antidote to stress. This means trusting in his comforting promises and trusting that his commandments are perfect, right, and good. The old hymn had it right: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.” Here are three proactive actions that help us stress less:
•Believe God’s Word. Trusting in the exceedingly great and precious promises of God can give us a refuge from the storm.
•Battle sin. Jesus calls us to lay down our lives, follow him, and imitate him. When we obey his commandments and pursue righteousness, there is less and less room for doubt and fear to cling.
•Help others. It’s hard to be worried about yourself when your thoughts are occupied with how you can bless someone else. And the most important help we can provide is that which we offer to unbelievers when we share the good news and snatch them from death.
That’s why this devotional has three elements: comfort to soothe anxiety, encouragement to fight your sin, and exhortation to bless those around you. Devotions with these topics are mixed throughout the year. I pray that this cycle of personal growth and blessing others helps you see another perspective—life in the light of eternity.
Kind regards,
September 2022
January
JANUARY 1
The Goodness of God
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.
JAMES 1:17
Familiarity certainly breeds contempt. When we become accustomed to something, we tend to take it for granted. Nobody appreciates the “gift” of lungs until they struggle to breathe. We don’t truly appreciate eyesight until we start losing it. We don’t recognize the blessing of having enough food until we suffer from hunger. We take for granted the blueness of the sky, the sound of the birds in the morning, the cool breeze, the warm sun, the wonderful taste of food, and the joy of love and laughter. We rarely stop and smell the roses or thank the one whose hand created them. We take for granted the clouds that carry the rain that waters the earth and gives us life. The old hymn carries such a wonderful truth: “Count your blessings, name them one by one; count your blessings, see what God hath done.”
Every good gift comes from the hand of our benevolent Creator, who graciously gave us life. Having such an attitude of appreciation will produce joy in our hearts—even in the middle of our daily trials. We can count our blessings because God will always lead us into that which is good and never into evil. And knowledge of his blessings will keep us from stressing.
Father, today I will stop and count my blessings and name them one by one.
JANUARY 2
Prepare His Way
“Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.”
MATTHEW 3:3 ESV
John’s message was for sinners to prepare the way of the Lord. He told them to make the Lord’s paths straight. Perhaps the greatest gift God has given to humanity is the gift of free will. We can choose to sin, or we can choose to serve. We can stay in the pigsty, or we can return to the Father like the Prodigal Son and ask to be made a hired servant. Nothing is impossible for God. He could prepare the way for himself and make his own path straight. But he’s left that up to you and me.
Today we have a choice. It can be a day when God has access to our thoughts and the choices we make. We can allow him to have his way in our lives by doing that which is pleasing in his sight. This will be much easier for us if we have already obeyed the admonition of Scripture: “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:1–2 KJV).
Father, today I affirm that I am no longer my own. I have removed every hinderance. I am yours.
JANUARY 3
We Are Never Alone
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness…”
MATTHEW 3:3 ESV
Sometimes we can feel as though we’re a mere voice crying in the wilderness when we share the gospel. We are nobody special, and nobody is listening; we are just a voice crying out to this world—wanting every man and woman to know that God is deadly serious about sin and that he has appointed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness. We sow in tears and complain with Isaiah, “Who has believed our report?” (Isaiah 53:1). However, even though Scripture calls John the Baptist a voice in the wilderness, his labor wasn’t in vain. His voice was certainly heard. The crowds came to the wilderness: “Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him” (Matthew 3:5 ESV).
Never believe the lie that you are ever alone. If you are trusting in Jesus Christ, you have his promise that he will never leave you nor forsake you. Ever. We truly have a friend in Jesus, and that friendship will be as rich as we make it. Enrich your prayer life with gratitude, appreciation, thankfulness, praise, worship, and love, and this will flow if you never lose sight of the cross. It will keep your joy full and your cup running over—into this world.
Father, thank you for always being with me as I share the good news with others.
JANUARY 4
Who Has Warned You?
“You brood of vipers!
Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”
MATTHEW 3:7 ESV
John the Baptist and Jesus both aimed messages at the religious leaders because of the leaders’ hypocrisy. The leaders couldn’t be trusted. Never trust a viper. Don’t even get close to it because it has a deadly bite. Jesus told the disciples to leave the Pharisees alone because they were the blind leading the blind. There is something wonderful about the scathing words of God against religious hypocrisy. It is such a stumbling block for so many. The hypocrisy of professed Christians emboldens some to sin. And how grievous it is to see robed men and women professing to speak to God and perverting the Scriptures and deceiving the hearts of the simple.
John also asked who warned them to flee from the wrath to come. But although we may also have a history of hypocrisy, if we are trusting in Jesus, we don’t need to fear that wrath and can take comfort in the Scriptures. This is why we should regularly pray: “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24 KJV).
Father, thank you for seeing the depth of my sin yet still forgiving me through Jesus and leading me to eternity by your side.
JANUARY 5
Worthy of Repentance
“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”
MATTHEW 3:8 ESV
John the Baptist told his listeners to mean business with God. He told them that they should have evidence that they had truly repented. The evidence that we have an apple tree in our garden is the apples. If the tree does not bear fruit, we will likely cut down the tree. And if we profess faith in Jesus—if we have truly repented of our sins—there should be evidence. This evidence was clearly seen in the repentance of Zacchaeus: “Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord: Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham” (Luke 19:8–9 KJV).
If we are saved, we, too, should bear the fruit of repentance—along with fruit in keeping with righteousness, praise, thanksgiving, and the Spirit. This is the biblical way to examine ourselves and see if we are in the faith. Part of that fruit is to have the peace of God, which passes all understanding, and that peace guards our minds in the midst of daily stress (see Philippians 4:7).
Father, may I be a fruit-bearing Christian, and with my life, may I bring glory to your name.
JANUARY 6
Unquenchable Fire
“The chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
MATTHEW 3:12 ESV
John the Baptist was not afraid to talk about hell. Neither was Jesus. Neither should we be. However, we live in a day and age when it’s not politically correct to say anything that would offend. But I would far rather that someone be offended by hearing about hell than feel its flames. If pastors and preachers spoke of the reality of hell with tears in their eyes rather than a holier-than-thou finger in the face of sinners, more people would come to the Savior.
God is the judge of the universe, and he has set aside a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness. If we are true and faithful witnesses, we will not hesitate to warn every man about the reality of that terrible and most terrifying place. Hell makes no sense when we do not precede the sharing of the gospel with the law to show sin to be exceedingly wicked. There is a hidden blessing here. The more we see our sin, the more we will see God’s mercy, and that increases the joy of our salvation and our love for God. He who is forgiven much, the same loves much (see Luke 7:47).
Father, never let me compromise the gospel because I fear man.
JANUARY 7
Pleasing the Father
“This is my beloved Son,
with whom I am well pleased.”
MATTHEW 3:17 ESV
What son isn’t moved to tears by the commendation of his father? It’s also common to see a grown man tear up when he talks about how his father never praised him when he was a child. But here we have the ultimate commendation. God himself says that Jesus is his beloved Son, and in him, God was well pleased. Jesus, in thought, word, and deed, caused the heart of his Father to rejoice.
But once a sinner is born again, God says, “This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased.” Not because of the sinner’s own righteousness but because of the righteousness of God in Christ. What a wonderful consolation it is to think of the Prodigal Son coming back to his joyful father. There is a type of God’s love for us—when we come to him with a contrite heart. We think of the prodigal’s father calling for a robe to clothe his son and a ring for his finger and commanding a great celebration because his son was once dead but was made alive. What comfort it is for us to think that God has rejoiced in our salvation, covered us with a robe of righteousness, giving us an inheritance in Jesus Christ. Such comfort and joy sustain us through the trials of each day.
Father, keep me in the palm of your loving hand.
JANUARY 8
Faith’s Key
“Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you
pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
MARK 11:24
The context of this promise is that Jesus had just cursed the fig tree, which then withered. After that, he spoke of believers removing mountains and casting them into the sea. He then said “therefore” and told his disciples to make sure they mix faith with their prayers. When we pray, we should always mix our prayers with faith. In other words, we should trust our heavenly Father to supply our every need. Here is the qualifier: “Let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:6–8).
Need is the key word in interpreting such an open promise from the Scriptures. If we pray that God will supply our greed rather than our need, we are going to be disappointed. But the apostle Paul gave us another great promise: “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
Father, I thank you for knowing my every need today—both small and great—and I trust you to supply them.
JANUARY 9
Spiritual Muscle
I bow my knees to the Father…that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit.
EPHESIANS 3:14, 16
This is Paul’s earnest prayer for every Christian—that God (through the power of the Holy Spirit) would make us strong in Christ—“according to the riches of His glory.” We need strength for the many trials that life brings our way. And the Lord has the ability to do just that—to build up the muscle of godly character so that life doesn’t crush us. The first principle of gaining the strength we need is to believe that he will faithfully keep his word. He will give us strength “with might” exactly when and where we need it: in the inner man. That is the battlefield where we fight the good fight of faith. While the “outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).
He will give us the necessary spiritual muscle to overcome sins that so easily beset us. And sin easily besets us. That’s why we, minute by minute, need his Spirit within us. Without his continuing help, we would be overcome by sin and consequent death. But victory is ours because Jesus dwells in our hearts. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit. We belong to him.
Father, today let everything I do be for your glory and be rooted and grounded in love.
JANUARY 10
The Present Reality
Faith is the substance of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen.
HEBREWS 11:1
The ignorant think that faith is for the weak. But it is for the strong. Faith just is. It is an ever-present reality right now because of where it is directed. It is centered on the moral character of God. It is strong because of what is arguably the most profound truth in the Scriptures. And that immovable rock upon which faith sits is the marvelous fact that it is impossible for God to lie (see Hebrews 6:18; Titus 1:2). God will not and cannot ever deceive. It’s not within his holy nature to do such an evil thing. And so our faith in Jesus sits upon the unchanging integrity of our Creator. If we let that truth permeate our soul, every divine promise becomes an instant and constant light in the darkness of this world. It becomes a deep well from which we draw cool and life-giving water in this dry and barren land. When all else fails, faith stands triumphant because it sees him who is invisible.
However, we must constantly remind ourselves that faith is only ours if we take hold of it. The Scriptures tell us to “take” the shield of faith (see Ephesians 6:16).
Father, today I take the shield of faith and believe every precious promise you have given me in your Word.
JANUARY 11
Fit for Use
We walk by faith, not by sight.
2 CORINTHIANS 5:7
Our eyes can easily fool us. We believe we see water on the road on a hot day. The sun seems to spread as it rises over the horizon. Ask any sleight-of-hand magician if the human eye can be fooled. Their profession rests on our gullibility. That’s why the Christian walks by faith and not by sight.
Few would deny that regular walking is good for our health. It keeps our body fit for use. And it is spiritually healthy to “walk” by faith. We who walk as Christians do so because we want to go somewhere. There is a planned destination that keeps us moving. We walk through this world because it’s not our home. Faith instead sets its gaze on the heavenly home for which we yearn, and the Scriptures help to energize our walk. But we don’t want to go to heaven alone. While we walk through this world, we also reach out to it with the gospel. The book of Psalms begins by promising the blessing of God will be upon those who refuse to walk in the counsel of the ungodly. Our walk is away from this evil world because our destination is a city of God that cannot be moved.
Father, let this day be a day in which I draw closer to you and walk in faith every moment.
JANUARY 12
Hope-Filled Faith
May the God of hope fill you with all joy
and peace in believing.
ROMANS 15:13 ESV
The apostle Paul’s desire was that the God of hope would fill believers with “all” joy and peace as a result of believing. Our joy and our peace shouldn’t be subject to our surroundings. We must hold on to both in the storms because that peace guards our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7) and the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10). But Paul didn’t stop there. He wanted those who believe to then abound in hope. In other words, he desired that their faith would magnify their hope. The word hope in the English language is a weak word, but biblically it is an anchor to the soul. It keeps us steadfast in Christ.
The Bible calls God “the God of hope.” He is the One in whom we put our expectation. Faith is like a great helium balloon that quietly lifts us above our trials so that we can see our destination. It is what we then see that gives us peace and joy in believing. Our faith in Jesus isn’t lifted by our own effort. It is lifted above this life because of the power of the Holy Spirit, who works in and through us.
Thank you, Lord, for giving me the help of the Holy Spirit—to give me power to live in this life and prepare for the next.
JANUARY 13
A Tossed Sea
Let him ask in faith, with no doubting,
for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea
that is driven and tossed by the wind.
JAMES 1:6 ESV
A driven and tossed sea has no form. It is an entirely unpredictable mess. It’s the very opposite of the quiet and still waters promised to those who don’t doubt the promises of God (see Psalm 23:2). Faith rests its head in sleep in the storm while doubt panics in fear. And so it should. If we doubt the integrity of God, our whole faith crumbles in a second. Scripture warns, “He who does not believe God has made Him a liar” (1 John 5:10). In contrast, we are promised “perfect peace” if we keep our mind on God (see Isaiah 26:3).
When we doubt the exceeding great and precious promises of God, our hope vanishes, and our joy and peace leave with it and slam the door. May our faith always be like perfectly tranquil water, reflecting the glorious heavens and the shimmering sunlight of the love of God. It is in that calm and quiet that we come before God knowing that he hears our every prayer. This is our example: “Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me’” (John 11:41).
Father, I ask today that you grant me faith and keep my mind peacefully on you.
JANUARY 14
Without Faith
Without faith it is impossible to please Him,
for he who comes to God must believe that He is.
HEBREWS 11:6
Contrary to popular worldly opinion, the Bible tells us that an atheist isn’t wise. It says that he is a fool (see Psalm 14:1). To believe that there’s no God is to believe the scientific impossibility that nothing created everything. It is easy to believe that God “is” because creation is. It is stark evidence of his creative genius. Eyes, not faith, are all we need to know that God exists: “The invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen” (Romans 1:20 KJV).
Without faith it’s impossible to please anyone. Try it sometime. Tell your boss that you have no faith in him or her and see how long you keep your job. Tell your spouse you don’t have any faith in him or her, and you’ve sowed seeds that could end in a divorce. Lose faith in a friend and you will lose that friendship. Faith is the glue that holds jobs, marriages, and friendships together. Telling a friend or associate that you are full of faith at the conclusion of a letter was once standard practice. “Yours faithfully” meant that you wanted their trust. God wrote “Yours faithfully” to us in the blood of his Son.
Father, may I be ever faithful. I live to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
JANUARY 15
Seeing God
Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would
believe you would see the glory of God?”
JOHN 11:40
In today’s verse, Jesus was telling Martha to remember what he had told her. She would see the glory of God. The apostle Paul said that he wanted to stir up his hearers by way of remembrance (see 2 Peter 3:1). Remembering can strengthen our faith in times of trial and relieve us of the stress of worry. The glory of God in this case was the raising of Lazarus from the dead. That was glorious.
The moment any of us truly believes is like seeing the first rays of the early morning sun. The reality of God dawns on us as we look at his handiwork. He opens the eyes of our understanding so that we see the Maker through what he has made. But the most glorious hour will come when the sun fully rises. On that day we will see him face-to-face. The gospel made us pure, and Jesus said that the pure in heart will actually see God (see Matthew 5:8). It is on that day that we will remember his words: “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”
Father, I long for the day when I will see you, but meanwhile, I will joyfully walk by faith knowing that day will come.
JANUARY 16
I Shall Not Want
“If you can believe,
all things are possible to him who believes.”
MARK 9:23
While it certainly is true that all things are possible to those who believe, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we are going to get everything, as some preachers affirm. Jesus spoke these words to the desperate father of a demon-possessed child. Jesus was saying that if we believe, anything is possible, but he was not giving us a blank check—an unconditional promise that whatever we want we can have if we can just muster up enough faith. The Savior puts to death monster of continually wanting more, bigger, and better. It’s crucified with Christ.
The Scriptures warn, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:3 ESV). The key to understanding what seems to be an open promise is that when we come to the Savior, our desires completely change. Our “wants” become the same as what God wants. We whisper, “Not my will but yours be done.” He writes his law upon our hearts and causes us to walk in his statutes. So instead of selfishly wanting things, we now say, “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1 ESV, emphasis added).
Father, you alone are my heart’s desire. I want only you and what you want for me. Help me to be free from greed.
JANUARY 17
The Testing of Our Faith
Knowing that the testing of your faith
produces patience.
JAMES 1:3
The word knowing is very telling. It speaks of an ongoing knowledge that all believers should expect regular problems. In Acts, Paul was “strengthening and establishing the hearts of the disciples; encouraging them to remain firm in the faith, saying, ‘It is through many tribulations and hardships that we must enter the kingdom of God’” (Acts 14:22 AMP). We should always be knowledgeable as to why trials come our way. If we don’t know the reason, it won’t be long until we are discouraged.
The testing of our faith reveals to us the depth of our godly character. If our faith is strong, we will be patient, and we will even be able to rejoice in tribulation. But if our faith is weak, we will become impatient, prone to complaining, frustrated, and stressed. Therefore, we must be careful to remember that negative trials produce a positive end. They produce that which is highly prized in the sight of God and that will give us comfort in our lion’s den. And in that fiery trial, we can rejoice knowing that all things work together for good because we love God and are called according to his purpose (see Romans 8:28).
Father, may I be mentally prepared for today’s trials, small or large, knowing that you allow them because you are the lover of my soul and wish to see my faith grow.
JANUARY 18
Whom Having Not Seen
Though now you do not see Him, yet believing,
you rejoice with joy inexpressible.
1 PETER 1:8
A skeptic could well ask, “How can we love someone we cannot see?” True, we can’t see Jesus with our natural eyes. He dwells in blinding light that is unapproachable (see 1 Timothy 6:16). But we can see the love of the cross. We can see his love expressed in that supreme sacrifice, and we love him because he first loved us.
He first loved us in creating us. He loved us by giving us eyes to see his marvelous creation—the sunlight, the deep blue skies, and big puffy white clouds. He loved us by giving us ears to enjoy good music and the sound of the birds in the morning. He loved us by giving us puppies and kittens, trees and flowers, fruits and an endless array of delicious food, and the stars in the heavens. He made us in his image and gave us the joy-filled ability to reproduce after our own kind. And he loved us by giving us a glorious hope of the future—because of the cross of Calvary. How could we not return that love with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength?
Father, I love you. You are my Lord and Savior, my God and King, the lover of my soul.
JANUARY 19
The Glorious Hope
“I am the resurrection and the life.
He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”
JOHN 11:25
If we believe that Jesus is the Christ and trust him with our eternal salvation, it changes everything. We are made new in Christ. Our faith slams shut the gates of hell and swings open wide the doors of heaven. It means we will live because he lives. We have a glorious hope in Christ, and we don’t sorrow as this world sorrows in the face of death. Scripture says of the believer, “Though he may die, he shall live!” No other religion dares promise any such thing. And what other religion could back such a fantastic claim with power? But Jesus does.
Think of what he said: “I am the resurrection and the life.” That is utterly profound. He is the resurrection. He is the one who will call all humanity from their graves with his voice (see John 5:28). He is the life source. The life we possess is ours because he gave us part of himself. He breathed life into us. “All things were through by Him, and without Him nothing was made” (John 1:3). Such thoughts are mind-boggling but true. If we believe that Jesus is the Christ, it changes everything…in this life and the next.
Father, I believe that Jesus is my only hope of resurrection, and my trust is entirely in him.
JANUARY 20
This Is Our Victory
Whatever is born of God
overcomes the world.
1 JOHN 5:4
This evil world, like a massive tidal wave of filth, seeks to overcome the Christian—to drown every one of us in sin. Soap operas, watched by millions of people, are neither operas nor are they clean. They drip with lust because it sells. It gets attention. The Bible says, “By means of a harlot, a man is reduced to a crust of bread” (Proverbs 6:26). And we see lust everywhere from billboards to social media to television, movies, book covers, and magazines. Add to that the incessant battle we have with the demonic underworld, and we can easily feel overcome by the tidal wave—from without and from within.
But when faith makes its entrance, it lifts us above the world, the flesh, and the devil. The Scriptures tell us that we have “escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:4). A living trust in the living God takes us like Noah’s ark and lifts us high above the ocean of filth, and it will eventually lead us to ultimate victory of a new world wherein dwells righteousness.
Father, I long for the day when the evil that surrounds me comes to an end. Thank you for the hope we have in Jesus.
JANUARY 21
He Who Is Weak
Receive one who is weak in the faith,
but not to disputes over doubtful things.
ROMANS 14:1
Part of being a peacemaker is to know when not to speak. Our mouths are often the cause of unwanted trouble. The Scriptures warn, “Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles” (Proverbs 21:23 KJV).
Godly wisdom is peaceable. It doesn’t push its own pet doctrines that have proven to cause division within the body of Christ. How easy it is to be a spiritual bully when I’m speaking to a new Christian. If I want him to believe as I believe, think as I think, and do as I do, it can lead to disputes over things that aren’t important. A new Christian may have a conviction that God doesn’t want him to eat meat while those of us who are stronger in the faith know that every creature of God is good and that we shouldn’t refuse anything if we receive it with a thankful attitude (see 1 Timothy 4:4). Rather than bully others and push our convictions on them, sometimes it’s best to hold our tongue and be gentle because the new Christian is a babe in Christ who will mature in time.
Father, help me to always have my speech seasoned with salt, especially toward those who are new to the faith.
JANUARY 22
Running from Sin
You, O man of God, flee these things and pursue
righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.
1 TIMOTHY 6:11
Paul has just said, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (v. 10). And now he instructs the Christian to run from the deception of greed. It promises pleasure, but in the long run, it brings pain. Greed is spiritual gluttony, and it comes with special problems.
But as Christians, we are no longer our own. We now belong to God, and so we don’t indulge. We are different from this money-obsessed and evil world. We are fleeing from it and at the same time earnestly looking forward to the next life. Like Lot and his fleeing family, we are quickly leaving Sodom. We have been warned to flee from the wrath that is to come. And God forbid that we should ever turn around and, like Lot’s unwise wife, longingly look back at this sinful world. Instead, we look for a city whose Maker is God (see Hebrews 11:10). And we set our sights on righteousness, godliness, love, patience, and gentleness. We always strive to do that which is right in God’s eyes. These are the good fruits of loving and knowing God.
Father, help me to keep my eyes on you and on the kingdom that cannot be moved.
JANUARY 23
Go Your Way
Jesus said…“Go your way; your faith has made you well.”
And immediately he received his sight.
MARK 10:52
Go your way, dear Christian. You are no longer a prisoner of sin and death. Go your way because in Christ, your Maker has allowed you your freedom to do what you will. You are a unique individual whose faith in Jesus has made you whole. It’s your way, and it’s your life. That’s God’s gift to you because he’s good and kind. It is therefore your choice to sing, dance, love, laugh, work, and play.
But something special happened when Jesus opened your eyes. Although you have the freedom to live out your life as you want, the eyes of your understanding have been enlightened as to what really matters, and you, therefore, don’t want to go your own way. You want to serve the Master. Your desire for legitimate pleasure has been tempered with an overwhelming desire to follow Jesus. The blind man who received his sight could have gone to his house, but he chose not to do so. He wanted to be with Jesus—to follow him and to see what he was going to do next. That’s our choice today. Do we stay home, or do we reach out to the lost and see what God does? Do that and you’ll experience the abundant life.
Father, nothing gives me more joy that belonging to and serving you.
JANUARY 24
There’s No Confusion
As many as received Him, to them He gave the right
to become children of God.
JOHN 1:12
The world wrongly assumes that all human beings are naturally God’s children. While he is our Creator, the Bible tells us that he’s not our Father. We are not his children until we are supernaturally born into his family, and that happens when we are born again through faith in Jesus.
A Christian is someone who has received Jesus Christ. Receiving him isn’t the same as receiving a message or a compliment. Salvation is when we receive him as a person. When that happens, we pass from death to life. The Scriptures speak of salvation being in the person of Jesus. We are told that “Christ…is our life” (Colossians 3:4) and that “He who has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12). The Scriptures say that those have the right to become God’s children “who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). We are all born of the flesh through natural birth, but when we are born again, we are born of God. It is then that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit as one of his own. This experience is the difference between life and death, heaven and hell. Therefore, all of us must make sure that we are one of his.
Father, thank you for sending your Son so that I can be truly born again and sealed by your Holy Spirit.
JANUARY 25
Bruise His Heel
“He shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise His heel.”
GENESIS 3:15
Way back in human history—at the tragic entrance of sin and death—we were given the hope of the gospel. Here is the first promise of our redemption, the promise of the coming Messiah. Jesus would fatally bruise Satan’s head, and Satan would bruise the heel of the Savior through the suffering of the cross. It was because of the consequent resurrection that Jesus then ripped from the devil the keys to death and hell and set the captives free. The Scriptures say, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (Hebrews 2:14–15 ESV).
Look at who now holds the keys: “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death” (Revelation 1:18). Satan was always behind Jesus. When he tempted Jesus, Jesus told the devil to get behind him (see Luke 4:5–8). Satan couldn’t stop Jesus from the mission to bring us salvation. All the devil could do was bruise Jesus’ heel.
Father, I praise you for Jesus’ victory and power over death and the devil. I have no need to fear.
JANUARY 26
The Beautiful Reminder
“I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of
the covenant between Me and the earth.”
GENESIS 9:13
The number seven has special significance in Scripture. It signifies completeness. There are seven continents, seven seas, and red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet make up the seven colors of the rainbow. Think about its amazing design. The same colors, like a curved colorful, seven-lane highway, always manifest in the same order. These seven colors arc across the heavens when there is moisture in the air and remind us of the faithfulness of our Creator. Wherever there is a cloud (if there is sunlight present), we can catch a glimpse of a rainbow because the light reflects off tiny water droplets in the air. This is why rainbows always form directly opposite the position of the sun in the sky.
The rainbow extends from the earth, up to the heavens, and back down to the earth, reminding us that (as the Scriptures say) it is the sign of the covenant between heaven and the earth. May you and I (as tiny parts of the church) be a colorful rainbow in this dark and cloudy world. May we always reflect the character of the one who is light itself—his seven virtues of love, mercy, grace, righteousness, justice, truth, and goodness.
Father, even in the midst of a thunderstorm, the rainbow reminds me of your faithfulness.
JANUARY 27
The Promise to Abraham
“I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you and make your name great.”
GENESIS 12:2
One of the most wonderful and unique properties of the Bible is its incredible continuity. Where it creates a theme, for thousands of years, multiple writers uphold that theme, whether it’s faith, morality, the character of God, righteousness, or the sin of man. The Scriptures from beginning to end also speak of the faithfulness of God to keep his word. Our very salvation rests on this truth—that he cannot lie.
This was God’s steadfast promise to Abraham, but it is just one of thousands of promises that Scripture calls “exceedingly great and precious promises” (2 Peter 1:4) that are open to every believer in Jesus. These are exceedingly great and precious because they are trustworthy. Any promise is only as good as the one making the promise, and God is the promiser. When he gives us a promise of provision in this life—to supply all our needs according to his riches in glory—we can believe it. And when he gives the promise of life in the next, we know it to be true. This is why we preach the gospel with great boldness. We know that God backs up his word with power.
Father, thank you for your powerful, reliable promises. Help me to share the gospel and those promises with others.
JANUARY 28
God Came Down
“I have come down to deliver them
out of the hand of the Egyptians.”
EXODUS 3:8
The Bible makes a big deal out of God delivering Israel from the hands of those who had enslaved them. Their deliverance from the hands of the enemy is repeated throughout the Psalms. There’s good reason for this. What happened to Israel foreshadows our redemption from death. We were once enslaved by sin. It is a hard taskmaster, making us make bricks without straw (the Scriptures say the way of the transgressor is hard [see Proverbs 13:15]).
But in Christ, God came down to deliver us from the hand of the enemy. And he did so in the same way he delivered Israel from Egypt. He sent the Ten Commandments to reveal his glory and to show us our sin (Romans 3:19, 20; 7:7, 13). When we apply his blood (the blood of the Lamb) to our lives, death passes over us. In Jesus, death loses its terrible sting: “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55–57 KJV). And now, we are heading toward the promised land of the coming kingdom.
Father, thank you for coming down to this sinful earth to deliver me from sin and death.
