Jesus First for Men E-Book

BroadStreet Publishing Group LLC

• Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 396

Beschreibung

When do you find time to connect with God? Even if we try to be intentional about it, everyday activities and responsibilities often find a way to take priority over our time with Jesus. Prayer can happen at any time, and of course it does, but there is value in setting aside a specific time to communicate with the Lord. The notion of getting alone with God to start the day was an example set by Jesus himself! He got up before daylight to pray in a solitary place. We don't know what about or who for, we just know it was his way of connecting with the Father before doing anything else. As you quiet yourself before him and meditate on these Scriptures, devotions, and prayers, experience the goodness of his presence, and be refreshed with his perfect peace. When you prioritize Jesus above everything, other concerns fade. Hope dawns with the new day. Tender mercies fall fresh. Boundless joy springs up from a well within. And you find the strength to walk through each day with grace for others and for yourself.   Features: - High-grade faux leather provides durability and exquisite tactile appeal. - Heat debossing on faux leather darkens its color, giving the cover a two-tone appearance and creating indentation which shows off the intricate design and varied texture. - Metallic and matte foil finishing touches are elegantly placed to enhance certain features, capturing attention and adding class for an aesthetic appeal. - Sturdy Smyth-sewn binding stitches book signatures together creating durability and allowing pages to lay flat when open. Decorative head and foot bands are also added to further complement the overall design. - Matte art high quality paper with a smooth satin touch provides long-lasting vivid coloration and durability. - A beautiful satin ribbon marker conveniently keeps your place so you can quickly pick up where you left off.

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Jesus First for Men

© 2023 by BroadStreet Publishing®

9781424566464

9781424566471 (eBook)

Devotional entries composed by Eoghan Holdahl.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Scripture quotations marked niv are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™ Scripture quotations marked nlt are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. 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 quotations marked csb are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers. Scripture quotations marked nasb are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked nkjv are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ncv are taken from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked tpt are taken from The Passion Translation® of the Holy Bible. Copyright © 2020 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission of BroadStreet Publishing®. All rights reserved.

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Seek first God’s kingdom and what God wants.

Then all your other needs will be met as well.

MATTHEW 6:33 NCV

CONTENTS

Introduction

January

January 1: Do the Work

January 2: Broken Strength

January 3: Our Thoughts

January 4: Unshakeable Foundations

January 5: Praise

January 6: Planned

January 7: Lavish Goodness

January 8: Being a Blessing

January 9: One Third

January 10: Exalted

January 11: Sober Judgment

January 12: Proclaiming Power

January 13: Complex

January 14: Solitary

January 15: Faithful

January 16: A Consuming Peace

January 17: Waiting

January 18: Meek Strength

January 19: Hearts in Tune

January 20: Resting at Last

January 21: Working and Desiring

January 22: The Greatest Gift

January 23: From the Grave

January 24: Hidden in Faithfulness

January 25: Enthusiastic Work

January 26: Practicing and Preaching

January 27: Living for Self

January 28: Child of God

January 29: Watching over Us

January 30: Thankful in Love

January 31: Fear and Serve

February

February 1: False Hope

February 2: Rooting Down

February 3: Knowledge’s Excellence

February 4: Stony Hearts

February 5: Tempted Every Way

February 6: Exalt and Praise

February 7: Unkillable

February 8: Transcendent

February 9: Greatest Confidence

February 10: Your Treasure

February 11: God of Rest

February 12: Heart Wisdom

February 13: Wrapped in God

February 14: Helpless

February 15: Needless Anger

February 16: Celebration

February 17: Delighted in Righteousness

February 18: Better One Day

February 19: God’s Ultimate Plan

February 20: Worry Enters

February 21: Untroubled and Unafraid

February 22: Drawn by Kindness

February 23: Untold Blessings

February 24: Gentle and Lowly

February 25: Slowed Down

February 26: Achieving Stability

February 27: Brotherly Care

February 28: Dwelling in Faith

March

March 1: Before All

March 2: Gift of Virtue

March 3: Creator and Revealer

March 4: Empowered through Wisdom

March 5: New Life

March 6: In His Presence

March 7: Craving

March 8: Purest Faithfulness

March 9: Mindset

March 10: Strengthened

March 11: Broken Walls

March 12: Slaves and Heirs

March 13: Never Passed Over

March 14: Joyful Heart

March 15: Man’s Purpose

March 16: Brotherly Affection

March 17: Passing Shadows

March 18: Became Human

March 19: Favor of God

March 20: In Return

March 21: Hiding God’s Presence

March 22: What We Know

March 23: A Selfless Life

March 24: Sweet Rest

March 25: Understand and Express

March 26: Reliable Defender

March 27: Pursuing What Matters

March 28: God of Light

March 29: As We Are

March 30: Glorious Splendor

March 31: Finally Healed

April

April 1: Tender Leader

April 2: Love’s Worth

April 3: False Hopes

April 4: Idle Lives

April 5: Living with Faith

April 6: Eventual Rest

April 7: Admitted Weakness

April 8: Brotherly Friendship

April 9: Thankful for Everything

April 10: Softened through Wisdom

April 11: Walking Alongside

April 12: Suffering Patiently

April 13: Weight of Glory

April 14: Humility Hiding

April 15: Fearing the Situation

April 16: Newness

April 17: Fountain of Good

April 18: Covered by Love

April 19: Nothing Rejected

April 20: Perfect Provider

April 21: True Competence

April 22: Faithfully Strengthened

April 23: Captured by Ignorance

April 24: Steadfast Rock

April 25: The Human Problem

April 26: Free of Bondage

April 27: Magnificent Destiny

April 28: Fruitless Pain

April 29: Crushed by Sin

April 30: Alive and Active

May

May 1: Called to Peace

May 2: Peace and Right-Living

May 3: Divided Heart

May 4: Holy Caregiver

May 5: Proof

May 6: Dirty Secrets

May 7: Constant Faith

May 8: Identity

May 9: Waiting and Ready

May 10: Wisdom and Work

May 11: Filled with Joy

May 12: No Excuses

May 13: Dangerous Love

May 14: Rest in Adversity

May 15: Promise

May 16: Actions Speak Volumes

May 17: Lovable

May 18: Be Lifted Up

May 19: River from God

May 20: Passionate Love

May 21: By Our Side

May 22: Purposeful Peace

May 23: Evidence

May 24: Different Wealth

May 25: Whole Being

May 26: One Answer

May 27: Strong in Weakness

May 28: Wealth in Waiting

May 29: Back to Life

May 30: Immovable and Gentle

May 31: Marked by Jesus

June

June 1: Spirit and Body

June 2: Power Beyond Measure

June 3: Letting Go

June 4: Families

June 5: Holy Rest

June 6: Law of Love

June 7: Getting Stuck

June 8: Only the Patient

June 9: Draw Near

June 10: Confidence

June 11: Left Wanting

June 12: The Lord Is Always

June 13: Endless Grace

June 14: Highest Standard

June 15: Teachable Nature

June 16: Always Filled

June 17: Fix Your Gaze

June 18: Refuge

June 19: Well Planned

June 20: Our Pride

June 21: Constant in Prayer

June 22: Purpose

June 23: Difficult Progress

June 24: Feeble Existence

June 25: His Blessed Presence

June 26: God’s Passionate Love

June 27: Labor in Vain

June 28: What’s Within

June 29: Overcoming Demons

June 30: Just Call Him

July

July 1: Our Power

July 2: Immortal Inheritance

July 3: Eternal Comfort

July 4: Faith in the Good

July 5: Men Who Fall

July 6: Everything

July 7: Very Good

July 8: Approach Boldly

July 9: Run without Breaks

July 10: Good Wisdom

July 11: Unoffended

July 12: Men of Confidence

July 13: In All Things

July 14: Protection and Courage

July 15: Lives of Strength

July 16: True Witness

July 17: Steadfast

July 18: Man of Motivation

July 19: Free to Succeed

July 20: Given a Gift

July 21: Change All Around

July 22: Boasting in Weakness

July 23: Becoming a Man

July 24: God Replies

July 25: Looking Back

July 26: Eyes on Heaven

July 27: Heart of Worship

July 28: Independent in Virtue

July 29: Singing Truth

July 30: Living Empowered

July 31: Forgiving One Another

August

August 1: Ultimate Accountability

August 2: Work and Rest

August 3: Holy Calling

August 4: Open Testimonies

August 5: Set for Success

August 6: Drink Deeply

August 7: Dark Times

August 8: Beyond the Visible

August 9: Responding Likewise

August 10: Study His Thoughts

August 11: Confident Patience

August 12: God of Power

August 13: Prudent Words

August 14: He Has Told

August 15: Track Record

August 16: Mindful of God

August 17: One Way

August 18: Mercy and Compassion

August 19: Good Leadership

August 20: Holy Desires

August 21: Living in Fear

August 22: Our First Goal

August 23: Acceptance

August 24: Sacrificial Love

August 25: Letting Go

August 26: Continuing

August 27: Hope in Trials

August 28: Already Perfect

August 29: Surrendered

August 30: Uncontrolled Spirit

August 31: Our Final Triumph

September

September 1: Men of Vigilance

September 2: Holy Guard

September 3: Men of Wisdom

September 4: Victorious

September 5: Perfection Mindset

September 6: Cost of Sin

September 7: Being Conscious

September 8: Not Forever

September 9: The Greatest Man

September 10: Sustained in Christ

September 11: Without Shame

September 12: Remembrance

September 13: Mere People

September 14: Making Allowance

September 15: Every Sorrow

September 16: Living in Darkness

September 17: Ever-Waking Friend

September 18: Outside Opinions

September 19: Promise of Discipline

September 20: Surrounded in Victory

September 21: Work Has Meaning

September 22: Untold Glories

September 23: God of Empathy

September 24: Unfathomable Depths

September 25: God of Goodness

September 26: Giving in Poverty

September 27: Leave Them

September 28: Our Purest Faith

September 29: True Work

September 30: Shining Fragility

October

October 1: To Know God

October 2: Sole Desire

October 3: Chained Down

October 4: Fullness of Joy

October 5: Joy Hope Patience

October 6: Burdened beyond Measure

October 7: Following Jesus

October 8: Apart from Christ

October 9: Displaying Wisdom

October 10: Fearless Glory

October 11: Choose the Unseen

October 12: Men of Care

October 13: Empty Darkness

October 14: In and Out

October 15: Eyes of Faith

October 16: Be Still

October 17: Praying Openly

October 18: Each of Us

October 19: Tireless Heart

October 20: Path of the Lord

October 21: Fear

October 22: Almighty Help

October 23: Flesh or Spirit

October 24: Love Incomprehensible

October 25: Beyond Falsehood

October 26: Running Forever

October 27: Why Try

October 28: Fleeing and Fighting

October 29: It Makes Sense

October 30: Sincere Love

October 31: Beautiful Prayer

November

November 1: Private Conduct

November 2: Fighting Surrender

November 3: Brothers and Sisters

November 4: Protected in War

November 5: Good as Done

November 6: It Is Done

November 7: Incomparable Life

November 8: Little While

November 9: Meaningful Work

November 10: Common Need

November 11: Steadfast in the Storm

November 12: His Mind for Us

November 13: Unshakeable Faith

November 14: Strength and Shield

November 15: Brotherly Accountability

November 16: Faith and Boldness

November 17: Strong and Brave

November 18: Equal Measures

November 19: Generosity and Faith

November 20: Priests of Light

November 21: Inner Drive

November 22: Once and Forever

November 23: Are We Willing

November 24: Without Compulsion

November 25: Men of Confidence

November 26: Out of Sight

November 27: Willingly Foolish

November 28: Heart Contents

November 29: Surrounded by Power

November 30: Better than Living

December

December 1: Anchored

December 2: Without Fatigue

December 3: Hidden Person

December 4: True Overseer

December 5: Continuing

December 6: Belong to Him

December 7: Belief Struggle

December 8: Hope In

December 9: Conflicting Desires

December 10: Clothed in Love

December 11: Holy Desire

December 12: Convicted Life

December 13: Strong Peace

December 14: Reconciling Life

December 15: Man’s Good Prayer

December 16: Manly Gentleness

December 17: Always an Escape

December 18: Crushed in God

December 19: Uniquely Equipped

December 20: Glory to His Name

December 21: God of Deliverance

December 22: In His Time

December 23: Our Greatest Satisfaction

December 24: Counterfeit Love

December 25: Christ Is Heralded

December 26: Harmony and Peace

December 27: Longing for Deliverance

December 28: Approved Worker

December 29: Mimicking Christ’s Kingdom

December 30: Our Differences

December 31: Always

INTRODUCTION

When do you find time to connect with God? Even if we try to be intentional about it, everyday activities and responsibilities often find a way to take priority over our time with Jesus. Prayer can happen at any time, and of course it does, but there is value in setting aside a specific time to communicate with the Lord. The notion of getting alone with God to start the day was an example set by Jesus himself! He got up before daylight to pray in a solitary place. We don’t know what about or who for, we just know it was his way of connecting with the Father before doing anything else.

As you quiet yourself before him and meditate on these Scriptures, devotions, and prayers, experience the goodness of his presence, and be refreshed with his perfect peace. When you prioritize Jesus above everything, other concerns fade. Hope dawns with the new day. Tender mercies fall fresh. Boundless joy springs up from a well within. And you find the strength to walk through each day with grace for others and for yourself.

JANUARY

With the loving mercy of our God, a new day from heaven will dawn upon us.

LUKE 1:78 NCV

JANUARY 1

DO THE WORK

“Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don’t be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the LORD is

finished.”

1 CHRONICLES 28:20 NLT

Having courage and taking action often go hand in hand. In today’s verse, David tells Solomon to “do the work.” He has to live the virtues of strength and courage in order to gain them. The greater the measure of possible failure, the greater the measure of courage required. This is why David promises his son, “He will not fail you or forsake you.” We need not fear failure as long as God is doing the work through us; he will uplift us if we fail.

All God asks is that we do the work. We take initiative, listen for the Lord’s plan, and do what he asks. As long as we have his strength, we need not fear being crushed by our failures. God’s plan remains in place. He planned to build the temple, and he did. He plans to work mightily in our lives, and he will.

God, please give me strength and courage to meet this day. Give me the heart to do the work with great faith in what you can do.

JANUARY 2

BROKEN STRENGTH

In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength.

ISAIAH 30:15 NIV

The road to Christ is a narrow, steep one. It is a path of humility that crafts into us the qualities of our Savior. It teaches us to acknowledge God through repentance of our sins and to trust in his plans. We can’t repent if we believe ourselves to be right, and we can’t rest if we rely on ourselves to provide. Repentance, rest, quietness, and trust teach us dependance on Christ.

These virtues teach us to acknowledge God as our source of strength instead of ourselves. According to Isaiah, these meek virtues are our salvation as well; God rejects a proud heart but exalts the humble (James 6:4). Culture pushes men to desire posterity, strength, and respect. These are good things to desire, but God wants us to desire them as gifts from him for his glory.

Dear Lord, give me your strength for this day. Teach me to depend on you for my provision, salvation, and peace.

JANUARY 3

OUR THOUGHTS

On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

PSALM 145:5 NLT

This psalm is a beautiful picture of devotion. The psalmist’s mind is where God desires it to be: centered on him. He gives his Lord glory through adoration and meditation. What our minds focus on often dictates our spiritual health. If we focus on God’s “glorious splendor” and all we can be thankful for, our souls and hearts fill with light. If we focus on sexual satisfaction, earthly gratification, or anything that is not God, our minds and spirits darken.

We might drift away from the image of God and his purpose for us. We are made for heaven, but the distractions of this life try to convince us that our focus should be on earth. However, the things around us only find their significance in Christ. Our career goals, physical health, relationships, and everything in between are fruitless if not seen through the eyes of heaven. Even while on earth, our meditation is on the eternal.

God, focus my mind on your glory and wondrous works. Remind me why I breathe; give me your perspective for the day.

JANUARY 4

UNSHAKEABLE FOUNDATIONS

Let us be thankful, because we have a kingdom that cannot be shaken. We should worship God in a way that pleases him with respect and fear.

HEBREWS 12:28 NCV

How often do we truly consider the omnipotence of God? Can any fear, anxiety, or failure stand in the face of God’s unshakeable nature? We meet disappointments every day and sometimes every hour. God has planned it. We confront difficulties and heartbreak; we are pushed beyond our limits. God has planned it.

No experience can shake the kingdom of God. We are members of this kingdom, and as members, we have access to the promise of security. With this in mind, the writer of Hebrews cries out, “Let us be thankful.” Those who control earthly kingdoms and nations question whether they will live to fight another year, but it is not so with God. Out of this deep well of security, this appreciation for an unshakeable kingdom, we have no other recourse but to worship God with respect and reverence.

Lord, you stand strong in the heavens, and you founded a kingdom to last beyond every generation. Give me a heart of praise for what you have done.

JANUARY 5

PRAISE

Praise him for his mighty works;

praise his unequaled greatness!

PSALM 150:2 NLT

As men, we often catch ourselves comparing our “greatness” and “mighty works” to others’ deeds and stature. The moment we achieve something, we are tempted to compare our success. Two traps present themselves. One, we might compare to those below us and consider ourselves greater than we are. Two, we can compare ourselves to those greater than us and be filled with unneeded shame and frustration. There is always the possibility of meeting someone greater. There will always be someone smarter, stronger, or further along in life.

God is the answer to the temptation of comparison. Unequaled is the word the psalmist uses to describe God’s greatness. He is the greatest one, and his mighty works are the mightiest. There is no use doing anything for the sake of comparison; God will always have unequaled greatness. For this, we praise him. It is his right.

Dear Lord, I praise you because you are the greatest in all you do. You are the humblest and the most righteous. You have removed my temptation to compare because you are unequaled.

JANUARY 6

PLANNED

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

before you were born I set you apart.”

JEREMIAH 1:5 NIV

God desires his children to be prudent and wise, but he also wants them to remember he is the one planning. His plans have existed longer than us and will continue after our time on earth is done. In this passage, God says through the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” He knows us better than we know ourselves. He sees us without the blinding effects of human emotion, bias, and idealization.

God also says he “set you apart.” He decided our purpose far before we could think. Rather than including God in our plans, we have the honor of being included in God’s plans. In light of God’s surpassing knowledge and foresight, what is our anxiety? How can we worry in light of his steadfast purpose for us? Even if we question it, God still has a plan for our lives that transcends our ability to understand it.

Lord, may my every care and worry be banished by the thought of your knowledge and purpose for me. Help me trust in the plan you have founded.

JANUARY 7

LAVISH GOODNESS

How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you.

You lavish it on those who come to you for protection, blessing them before the watching world.

PSALM 31:19 NLT

It is within God’s rights to withhold comfort and blessing from us. Many of God’s children experience lives of continuous hardship and persecution, but to them, lavish goodness is no foreign concept. We are blessed “before the watching world” and not just in the ways people assume. We are given eternal blessings. We rest in the spiritual protection of the Lord knowing he will guard us from all evil and earthly destruction as long as he has something left for us to do. The greatest blessing is looking forward to eternity with God. No one can earn a fraction of such a blessing.

We can truly say to God, “How great is the goodness you have stored up for those who fear you.” Upon our devotion and faith, God gives us peace while on earth and peace for eternity. He gives us the fruit of the Spirit to set us apart from the watching world, and he transforms us into our best selves.

Lord, thank you for your great goodness. Thank you for all the blessings, both eternal and temporary, you have given me. I praise your name!

JANUARY 8

BEING A BLESSING

Take advantage of every opportunity to be a blessing to others, especially to our brothers and sisters in the family of faith!

GALATIANS 6:10 TPT

The difficulty in following Paul’s advice in this verse has less to do with willingness and more to do with creativity. Between working and sleeping, it’s difficult to find time and ways to bless others. We may be willing, but we don’t always see the opportunities around us. We have to be creative like the people who delivered the paraplegic to Jesus through the roof.

Being a blessing is more than giving; it’s serving. Letting others go before us in line, sharing our meals, mowing lawns, and doing things we would not do by default are all manifestations of being a blessing. According to Paul, these opportunities are especially valuable when they bless our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our fellow Christians understand the meaning of our actions and are often persecuted by the world.

Lord, make me a blessing today. Open my eyes to the needs around me and especially within your church.

JANUARY 9

ONE THIRD

Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.

PSALM 112:5 NLT

For most people, the work week is forty hours long. One third of each day, Monday through Friday, is spent working. Since this takes up such a large percentage of our existence, how we conduct ourselves at work is important. Is our moral life at home in contrast to our moral life at work?

Fairness and generosity are touchy subjects in today’s culture. Most people feel they deserve more from the world than what they are getting; everybody would agree that the world is unfair in many ways. Godly satisfaction does not come from receiving but giving. Today’s psalm says, “Good comes to those who lend money generously.” If we find ourselves wanting what we think we deserve, we should instead search for the generosity to give others what they need. Then we will have the greatest satisfaction.

Lord, give me a generous heart today. Teach me to conduct my business fairly and to show your light through my actions.

JANUARY 10

EXALTED

He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

SONG OF SOLOMON 2:4 ESV

In this picture painted by the bride of Solomon, Solomon blesses his most beloved by personally bringing her to a place of food and relaxation. He gives her a place of honor and heralds her with a banner of love. This picture also depicts Christ’s relationship to us. While we were still sinners, Christ took us from our lowly station and brought us to his table. He gave us honor when we deserved shame and blessed us when we deserved curses.

The greatest way we can experience God’s favor for us is by showing godly favor to others. When we open up our hearts in generosity, exalting those dismissed by society, we experience the feelings Christ has toward us. This is a great blessing. May we, like Solomon, raise the lowly up. May we bring them to a place of feasting and hold our banner of love over them proudly for all to see.

Lord, please give me grace for the world. May I treat the lowly as Solomon treated his bride: with love and generosity.

JANUARY 11

SOBER JUDGMENT

By the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

ROMANS 12:3 ESV

Pride is dangerous. When we evaluate our worth as higher than it is, we can ruin our relationships by exalting ourselves to a place we don’t deserve. People are our equals. Their judgment matters just as much, their opinions are equally valid, and they are just as likely to be right. Once we sever our identity from our strength, achievements, and stature, we can do the work Jesus expects of us.

Paul asks us to consider ourselves with “sober judgment.” This doesn’t mean we should think of ourselves as worthless and terrible at anything we try; that’s an inaccurate and dangerous picture of who we are. Christ wants us to think of ourselves accurately and sparingly. Our judgment should not be impaired by pride or desire but accurate with the facts. Simultaneously, our spiritual health depends on us not thinking about ourselves too often and instead giving our focus to those around us.

Lord, please make me a man of humility. Give me the sober judgment of Christ and help me view others with respect and kindness.

JANUARY 12

PROCLAIMING POWER

Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;

let them proclaim your power.

PSALM 145:4 NLT

How we live is a proclamation of what we believe. When we live with passion, we proclaim a source of that passion. When we live with weakness, we do the same. We can’t live lives of weakness and expect people to believe our gospel of power. Our words and actions must proclaim the God of passion, life, and hope. This testimony has been carried by every generation of Christ’s church, and now it’s our turn to carry it.

The apostle Paul echoes the psalmist when he tells his understudy, Timothy, “God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power” (2 Tim 1:7, NASB). God wants our pride and selfishness broken so we can be perfected in his power. He wants us to put on him and take off our identity so we may be equipped to proclaim to each generation the source of our strength and new identity.

Lord, please give me the faith to take each day with optimism. Give me words to proclaim your power and actions to agree with my words.

JANUARY 13

COMPLEX

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

PSALM 139:14 NLT

Every man is a complex being. God created us at the intersection of the physical and the spiritual, so figuring out who we are is confusing even to ourselves. Add our unique experiences and the forces that act on us, and we truly are “wonderfully complex.” God delights in this complexity. He is the architect of it, and he purposefully made us unique. Nothing about who we are and what we have gone through is random.

When misunderstood, our God-given complexity can be a burden. We wonder why we are the way we are, and we wish we could be anyone but ourselves. This is not the perspective of the psalmist. “Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it,” he says. Despite the flaws and the trouble of pride, our identity is God’s workmanship, and every day we live for him, we grow closer to the men he created us to be.

Lord, please give me faith in who you have made me to be. Remind me that my struggles and my identity have a purpose, and you will use them.

JANUARY 14

SOLITARY

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

MARK 1:35 NIV

Jesus set us the greatest precedent for how Christians should walk through life. In this passage, even the perfect son of God went off to pray and be alone. There are different terms for this, but at its heart, it is communion with God. It is a repeated renewal of relationship, so the child of God stays close to the heart and presence of the Father. This can take dedication and planning as Jesus showed by rising “very early in the morning.”

Beyond requests, praying means listening to God and reshaping our minds and hearts. Praying is the most active way we can listen for God’s will in our lives; praying in solitude as Jesus did reshapes our focus and gives us peace. It is a way for us to slow down and regain control of ourselves lest the world take control of us through our desires and physical needs.

Lord, give me the passion to rise early in the morning to be with you. Give me an overwhelming desire for your presence that reshapes my habits.

JANUARY 15

FAITHFUL

I will not break my agreement nor change what I have said.

PSALM 89:34 NCV

Our faithfulness to God flows from his faithfulness to us. Faithfulness is a key aspect of who God is, and throughout Scripture, we see God affirming his faithfulness through numerous covenants. In this psalm, the writer records God affirming his faithfulness to David. This faithfulness was not reciprocated perfectly. David betrayed the Lord on multiple occasions with murder and adultery, yet the Lord remained faithful to him.

As men, are we willing to be bigger than our pain? The pain of betrayal cuts deeper than many physical wounds. Are we willing to continue in faithfulness and commitment when situations and people don’t live up to our expectations? Are we willing to show the love of God to those who don’t deserve it? We didn’t deserve it either, yet God chose to love us anyway. Our calling is to act as he acted in loving faithfulness to a faithless and adulterous world that continually lets us down.

Lord, give me the wisdom and strength to know when to continue in faithfulness. Show me how to be loving when unloved by those around me.

JANUARY 16

A CONSUMING PEACE

Perfect, absolute peace surrounds those whose imaginations are consumed with you; they confidently trust in you.

ISAIAH 26:3 TPT

The imagery used by Isaiah is intense. He describes a people “whose imaginations are consumed with you.” When was the last time we could accurately describe our imaginations as being “consumed” by another in a way that wasn’t sexual? When was the last time we tasted such pure and holy fire? May our minds again know the absolute peace of being consumed by the thought of the Lord. A “perfect, absolute peace” floods our minds when we yield to the Lord.

The last line says, “they confidently trust in you.” The mind consumed by the Lord has known the troubles and the cares of this world but is nevertheless impervious to them. This mind trusts the Lord because the Lord holds the whole world in his hand and has never seen an event he didn’t plan. Why would we not confidently trust such a God of consuming peace?

Lord, let the thought of you be my holy obsession. Let my mind continually dwell on you and thus dwell in peace.

JANUARY 17

WAITING

Wait for the LORD;

be strong, and let your heart be courageous.

Wait for the LORD.

PSALM 27:14 CSB

Waiting is not easy. It is a soul-refining task created to grow our patience and sabotage our pride. In pride, we want to act. We want to see our actions accomplish things, but God would have us wait in patience. We are small-minded to think we can do anything apart from the hand of the Almighty. The psalmist says, “Be strong, and let your heart take courage.” Our hearts should not be weakened through waiting; they should grow strong in holy dependence on the Lord.

Twice the psalmist demands, “Wait for the Lord.” This is no passive task but an active watching and waiting for the plan God has set to unfold. This doesn’t mean we should forget about God’s working. We are tasked with a difficult job which requires our full attention. Yes, wait for the Lord!

God, give me patience when I would rather act apart from you. Remind me of your power and your plan held since the foundations of the world.

JANUARY 18

MEEK STRENGTH

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

COLOSSIANS 3:12 ESV

Jesus is both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb who was slain. He is perfect because he has virtues that seem to be opposites but are consummated in him. He is meek but mighty. He is compassionate and also strong in his judgment. Jesus wants us to be the same. He wants us to grow as beautiful image bearers of both mightiness and meekness.

The virtues in this Colossians verse all have their root in self-control. God did not promise us control of our lives, but he does want us to have control over our hearts and minds. He desires for us, as his “holy and beloved,” to manifest our passion as compassion, our hurt turned into kindness, and our pride brought low to raise humility. If we are bringers of light to a world drenched in darkness, we need the virtues God has stored up for us.

Lord, please grow in me a heart that feels what you feel. Give me compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.

JANUARY 19

HEARTS IN TUNE

O LORD, do good to those who are good,

whose hearts are in tune with you.

PSALM 125:4 NLT

The psalmist leans on his musical knowledge as he prays for those “whose hearts are in tune with” the Lord. He prays for God’s grace and favor to be given to those who act as God acts: in goodness. He prays for people’s actions to mirror the way God treats them and that wickedness would not befall the good. This is a deep and passionate cry to the Lord for justice to be seen on the earth.

Some might assume that in being consumed in goodness and following God, our identities would be lost like droplets in an ocean. Instead, attuning our hearts to the Lord is more like a note finding its place in a symphony. Each of us has a unique goodness from the Lord distinct from anybody else’s though similar in quality. We receive our true selves through attuning our hearts to the Lord’s song.

God, may I see justice done on behalf of the goodhearted. May I see the righteous treated fairly and not persecuted for their virtue.

JANUARY 20

RESTING AT LAST

In peace I will lie down and sleep,

for you alone, O LORD, will keep me safe.

PSALM 4:8 NLT

Without trust in the Lord, our sleep is imperfect. Our minds worry about our safety, what we have not done, and what we should be doing rather than let ourselves rest. With the Lord, we can rest assured in the knowledge that God does the work, and we are his instruments. God keeps us safe, and we can sleep knowing he is the one who watches over our souls and bodies. Whatever may come, he is there to meet it with us.

“You alone, O LORD,” says the psalmist. There is no other source of safety. Even the rich who sleep behind many locked doors owe their ultimate security to God. He gives security, and he can take it away at a moment’s notice. Nothing we can do can assure our safety, but we can work to be better assured of God’s promises of providence and care. He is faithful to his beloved children and has reserved holy and perfect rest for us.

God, give me rest in you.

JANUARY 21

WORKING AND DESIRING

God is working in you, giving you the desire

and the power to do what pleases him.

PHILIPPIANS 2:13 NLT

In our Bible studies, spiritual disciplines, and strategies, God is at work. He crafts and shapes us. He is the one working because he saw us first and decided to take our poor, forgotten souls from the mire and breathe new life into us. However, God doesn’t want soldiers who just follow orders. He wants souls with holy desire. The work of the Lord in us is the perfection of our desire and power for the sake of his pleasure.

As children, we are born powerless and with little influence. We have innocent, unconstrained desires. By growing up and walking with God, our desires are shaped and directed toward what is holy: worship, service, love, good, and relationships with other souls. Often what seems like weakness is actually the perfection of power in us. By breaking us, he makes us desire wholeness all the more, and he gives us the power of will we didn’t have before.

God of glory and desire, sanctify me and make me righteous in you. Give me a holy desire to do your will.

JANUARY 22

THE GREATEST GIFT

“This is how much God loved the world—he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.”

JOHN 3:16 TPT

When God sent his Son to die for us, he gave us a gift beyond comparison. God has only one Son, one person to bear the divine image of God in human flesh. There is none like him, and when God sent him to die for our sins, his life and death brought him great pain. The salvation extended to us through his death, however, was counted by God to be worth the sacrifice.

How this verse starts is important. It says, “This is how much God loved the world.” It was to this measure, to this extent, that God extended his love for all of us. He died for us, so the question now is whether we are willing to die for him. Are we willing to give up our lives as an act of love to God and surrender ourselves to him? This is the measure of devotion that God extended to us and the measure he asks of us.

Lord, I give you my heart and life. Use it as you will and make me rejoice in your love and salvation.

JANUARY 23

FROM THE GRAVE

He saves my life from the grave and loads me with love and mercy.

PSALM 103:4 NCV

Dead people can’t choose anything or make decisions. When the psalmist says, “He saves my life from the grave,” he is speaking into the fact that when Christ saves us, it has nothing to do with our desires or choices. We are enemies of the cross redeemed by a merciful savior who chooses for us what we can’t choose ourselves. He attained this salvation through the grave by dying and becoming the first and only person to die and rise again of their own choice.

Our salvation is at the heart of our relationship to Christ. Every moment of every day is changed by the fact that we are in a relationship with God and no longer opposed to his gospel. We are loaded, as the verse says, with love and mercy like a pack animal ready for a long journey. May this salvation be seen in every facet of our lives.

Lord God, thank you for saving me while I was yet dead. Thank you for redeeming me while I was still your enemy, Your love and your mercy have renewed me.

JANUARY 24

HIDDEN IN FAITHFULNESS

It is impossible for God to lie for we know that his promise and his vow will never change! And now we have run into his heart to hide ourselves in his faithfulness. This is where we find his strength and comfort, for he empowers us to seize what has already been established ahead of time – an unshakable hope!

HEBREWS 6:18 TPT

We are called to be bold. We are called to push beyond constraints, latch our hope to the glorious future, and let go of the past’s hold on us. We are also called to be bold in the right ways. When it comes to evil, we are told to flee. Yes, to run away! This verse from Hebrews tells us, “Now we have run into his heart to hide ourselves.” Our boldness and strength in the Lord do not extend to impurity and faithlessness. Into these things, we do not go boldly.

Hiding in Christ, we have both comfort and strength. When every earthly comfort is taken away and those we love are lost, we have the privilege of digging deeper into the comfort of the Lord. He is our refuge in every storm and our strength in every moment of weakness. There is no one like him, perfect in faithfulness and a sure hope. We can’t change his character, and in this we rejoice.

Dear God, today I hide myself in you. Fill my soul with the comfort and strength of the Lord and make me trustful in you.

JANUARY 25

ENTHUSIASTIC WORK

Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.

EPHESIANS 6:7 NLT

How many men would say that they “work with enthusiasm?” This is a tall order for anyone to fill. Often, it’s all we can do to keep working let alone do so with great energy and purpose. The lie we lead ourselves to believe is that as long as we show up, it’s enough. As long as we are present, our duty is fulfilled. However, few things are more repulsive to God than a lukewarm believer. He wants passionate men who act with purpose and deep humility. He does not want a kingdom of believers drowning in stagnant apathy.

The solution to apathy is living before the face of God and remembering that every action we take has the potential for eternal impact. Once we remember we are in the presence of the almighty, our work feels more significant. No matter the job, no matter the work, it is all made significant by doing it “for the Lord rather than for people.”

Oh God, remind me today of the importance of my work. Remind me how important it is to work with you rather than drown in apathy.

JANUARY 26

PRACTICING AND PREACHING

Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!

PSALM 119:5 NLT

We have an enormous resource for living righteously. God’s Word is filled to the brim with his decrees, and humans have spent millennia interpreting it, studying it, and trying to grow closer in their understanding of the heart of God. No amount of head knowledge about God, however, translates into action. This is the plight of the psalmist as he cries out, “Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!”

The psalmist is a man with a heart for being righteous. The 119th psalm is the longest, and its theme is one of devout obedience. This writer understands that his actions often fail to live up to what he professes and what God has decreed. Much of faith is a process of God weeding out hypocrisy in our lives that has snuck in through the years. God is a holy God, and he will not be satisfied with a man whose words contradict his actions.

Dear Jesus, search me and know me. As I learn to know you, may you also know every part of me and make my actions consistently reflect your decrees.

JANUARY 27

LIVING FOR SELF

He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

2 CORINTHIANS 5:15 NLT

What wakes us up in the morning? What is the inspiration behind our rising, working, and choosing to rest? When we live for ourselves, we might be generous and kind, but ultimately, we use those things to improve ourselves. We will be these things because we know it is good for us. Even when we do all the right things, the heart can have a selfish outlook.

Christ “died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves.” Even without a reward, we aim for virtue for the love of Christ. We should have deep within us the desire to live for Christ. Any Christian man who lives for himself, even while trying to be virtuous, will find himself burned out and unsatisfied. His virtue has to be built on a foundation of selfless love, otherwise it will not persevere.

Oh Jesus, I am all for you. In my virtue and my life, I live for you. I dedicate this day to your glory and the grace you have shown me.

JANUARY 28

CHILD OF GOD

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

1 JOHN 3:1 NIV

The pains of this life bear testimony to our great inner comfort. No matter the magnitude of mockery, hatred, and persecution, the great love lavished on us by our heavenly Father is even greater. Without him, we are worms in the dust unable to even breathe apart from his blessed providence. For us, he went beyond giving us a life of highs and lows on earth. He stepped down from heaven to bring us up with him.

We are children of God, and that means we are familiar with the blessing of heaven. Earth is a blessing too, and it’s the only blessing the world knows; God has chosen us to know his blessing beyond this place. We have been granted to be like him in spirit, rise above this earth’s limits, and be enraptured with our Savior in eternity. What a blessing it is to know him and be known by him.

Oh Lord, thank you for raising me above this world. Thank you for making me one with you in spirit and giving me the title “Child of God.”

JANUARY 29

WATCHING OVER US

The LORD himself watches over you!

The LORD stands beside you as your protective shade.

PSALM 121:5 NLT

People like to speak of guardian angels watching over them, but God doesn’t delegate his work. No, he thinks we need special attention, so “the LORD