Jan 1st
God Is Everywhere
If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there Your hand will guide me, and Your strength will support me. Psalm 139:9-10
If we could actually do what the psalmist suggests and ride the wings of the morning to the farthest oceans, we might end up in Fiji. Situated directly east of the north coast of Australia, Fiji is made up of about 300 beautiful islands.
Because the International Date Line passes between some of these islands, Fiji is one of the first countries in the world to welcome each new day.
Most of us won't have the opportunity to visit these islands, but if we did, God would be every bit as present there as He is anywhere else in the world. We can experience the love of God and the comfort of His presence no matter we are. He is present everywhere.
Father,
We're grateful that Your strenght and guidance are always available, ready to refresh us wherever we may be. Amen.
Jan 2nd
All of It
All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The apostle Paul began these verses with the little word all. "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful." The Bible tells one story from start to finish. It opens in a garden, closes in a city, and all the way through points to Jesus. We learn about God, ourselves, sin, how God reaches out to us, and how He provided His Son, Jesus, as the way for us to know Him.
The Bible equips us to deal with our struggles. It helps us to gain new perspective, because we see heaven ahead of us. What a rich experience it is to immerse ourselves in the Bible-all of it!
Father, The gift of Your Word makes us rich. May we value all of it. Amen
Jan 3rd
Walk with God
Noah found favor with the LORD. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at this time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. Genesis 6:8-9
Noah wasn't perfect. The Bible makes that clear. Nonetheless, he was righteous and he walked with God. All throughout the Bible, walking is much more than physically putting one foot in front of the other. Walking signifies relationship. Where a person was headed and who they chose to walk with made all the difference in the world.
Over the long years (it took 120 years to build the ark), Noah walked closely with God and was commended for his faith, obedience, and righteousness (Herb. 11:7). How delightful it would be if, at the end of our lives, others could say about us, "She walked with God."
Father, We long to be close to You and to sense Your favor, Just like Noah. Help us to walk with You each day. Amen
Jan 4th
A Mansion Beyond
"There is more than enough room in My Father's home. When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with Me where I am." John 14:2-3
Situated on 17 acres in Provence, France, is a stately mansion that rents for $50,000 a week. With 16 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms, there's plenty of space for the whole family! Situated in heaven, with more than enough room, are large and stately mansions for us to live in forever. Jesus paid the price for us to stay there. He paid with His blood because He wants us to be able to live with Him for eternity. Our entrance is secured by our faith in Him.
While we may eagerly look forward to our earthly vacations - be they camping or luxury resorts - nothing can be compared to the lavish wonders of our heavenly home. Our holidays may seem to end too quickly but heaven will be our new home, and it will be a place of unending rest and delight!
Lord, Thank You that I have so much to look forward to. Help me not to lose sight of the beautiful future You have for me. Amen.
Jan 5th
Greater Than....
You belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. 1 John 4:4
Do you remember the greater than (>) less than (<) mathematical symbols we learned back in school? None of us would ever argue that five is not greater than three, or that one is not less than four. That's obvious. Sometimes, though, the 'greater than, less than' principle looks more obvious to us in the mathematical realm than it does in the spiritual realm.
Lest we as God's children forget, the apostle John reminds us that God's Spirit is greater than any fears or temptations we could ever face. No matter what challenges or difficulties we are dealing with today, the Spirit who lives in us is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.
Father, Even at times when it doesn't seem obvious to us, help us to believe that Your Spirit is greater than the spirit of the world. Amen.
Jan 6th
Free Food
"Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink-even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk-it's all free! Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Listen to Me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food." Isaiah 55:1-2
If you travel to Austria and order Wiener schnitzel for dinner, take some euros to pay for the meal. If you visit India and opt for Chicken Tandori, make sure that you put some rupee in your wallet. Regardless of where we eat, food costs money.
When Jesus invites everyone in the whole world to enjoy His gospel feast, He tells us that we don't need any money. All He asks is that we come to Him with a sense of our need - with thirsty hearts.
In return for our longing, He blesses us with the free gift of His grace and lasting nourishment from His presence and His Word.
Gracious Father, How kind of You to make the finest food available to us all - with no money required. Amen.
Jan 7th
God Satisfies
He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since He is Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn't live in man-made temples, and human hands can't serve His needs - for He has no needs. He Himself gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need. Acts 17:24-25
Imagine if we were completely satisfied and did not have any needs. No need for food...sleep...water...money...forgiveness. With no needs of our own, we would be entirely free to concentrate on other people's needs. Actually, that is what God is doing right now. He is taking care of our needs.
The One who created food at the beginning of the world still provides it today. The One who sent His Son to provide forgiveness of sins still provides it today. God didn't bring us into existence only to leave us on our own. Instead, He demonstrates His love continually by caring for our needs.
Gracious Father, We are grateful for the many ways You show Your care for us. Amen.
Jan 8th
God Hears and Helps
As for me, I look to the LORD for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me. Micah 7:7
Great faith isn't just limited to the prophets. The faith of the Old testament prophet, Micah, can be ours as well. Look to the Lord for help. More than taking a peek or a glance at God, we make Him the center of our attention. He becomes our Pole Star as we read His Word, think about Him, and talk to Him.
I wait confidently for God to save me. Sometimes we think of waiting in terms of standing in line, but waiting can be more purposeful than that. We can pray, linger in God's Word, and watch for His goodness. Our faith will grow as we look at our challenges in the light of God's power instead of looking at God in the shadow of our challenges. He will help us.
Father, What would we do without You? Thank You for hearing us, helping us, and saving us. Amen.
Jan 9th
Precious Wisdom
Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. Proverbs 3:15
Just how precious are rubies? Along with diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires, they are considered one of the four precious gems and are exceptionally rare. Not found just anywhere, rubies are unearthed most often in Burma, Sri-Lanka, Kenya, Madagascar and Cambodia. If we were to purchase one of these gems to be set in a ring or hung on a necklace, we might pay anywhere from $500 to $5,000 for the piece of jewelry.
Wisdom is even more valuable than rubies, and we don't need to ravel to Asia, Africa, or our local jeweler to find it. Wisdom is unearthed in God's Word, with the help of His Holy Spirit. The only tools we need to acquire it are a Bible and a receptive heart.
Father, We're thankful that we have constant access to Your wisdom. Amen.
Jan 10th
A Staggering Debt
"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. The servant fell on his knee before him. 'Be patient with me', he begged, 'and I will pay back everything'. The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go." Matthew 18:23-24
Jesus' parable about forgiveness means significantly more to us when we understand the amounts of money being discussed. The servant is this parable owed the master 10,000 talents.
In the first century, one talent was equivalent to a worker's wages for about 15 years. This meant that the servant owed his master 150,000 years worth of wages! This was a sum no one could ever repay.
So it is with our sin. God has forgiven us far more than we could repay. Because we have been forgiven much, He calls us to forgive others.
Lord, You have forgiven us so much. Give us forgiving spirits so that - like you - we will forgive those who have offended us. In Jesus' name, Amen.One Minute Devotions ~ Simply Refreshing ~ A Life Worth Living ~ Ellen Banks Elwell
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