New Year Daily Devotions

316Judith

We are beginning a new journey of Devotions for the New Year staring December 30th to the First Three Weeks of January. Check back every day for a new devotional reflection about fresh starts, growth and change, featuring the God who makes all things new.

Happy New Year!


Strong into the Night - New Year Devotional - December 30, 2021

He who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. PROVERBS 29:25

In September 1939, Great Britain allied with France and several other alarmed countries in declaring war on Hitler's Germany, which had invaded Poland in its intended march toward global domination. By the end of the year, anxieties throughout England remained on high alert; everyone was fearful of bombing and invasion.

When King George VI sat down before two large microphones to make his Christmas Day speech to the nation, he was dressed in his official uniform as Admiral of the Fleet. With so many parts of the world facing an uncertain future, his goal was to reassure the people that their nation was prepared and able and their cause right and just.

"A new year is at hand," the king said. "We cannot tell what it will bring. If it brings peace, how thankful we shall all be. If it brings us continued struggle, we shall remain undaunted."

Then, turning to some lines of poetry his wife had recently shared with him, he concluded his speech with these words, which are a fitting close to our year together. They offer a word of encouragement that—we hope—will settle your hearts amid the troubles of our own era in history.

These lines are from "The Gate of the Year," a poem written in 1908 by Minnie Louise Haskins:
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year "Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown."

And he replied, "Go into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way!"

DISCUSS

As you make the turn to a new year, what are you facing that needs you to sink your hand more deeply into God's hand?

PRAY

Pray for one another that as you embark upon a new year, God will grant you and your family His favor.

316Judith

The Simple Secret to a Great New Year - New Year Devotional - December 31, 2021

By Pastor Jeff Schreve,

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.
Matthew 6:33

I have never been good at being a handyman. Things that are a piece of cake to a handyman are like climbing Mt. Everest to me.

One time Debbie asked me to put in a doggie door. She said, "You can do it, Jeff. The box says, "Simple installation." "Simple is good," I responded as I opened the box with gusto.

The very first instruction was to get out my electric drill. That is when I knew their definition of "simple" and mine were quite different. With "simple" instructions, I would have been told to get out my hammer. Now that is simple! (Note: the doggie door installation was so NOT simple that I had to call my friend Gene over to help me before I completely lost my salvation).

DO YOU LIKE SIMPLE?

If you like simple, you are going to love my simple secret to a great new year. First, get out your electric drill (just kidding).

The simple secret is this: To experience a great year, just do what Jesus said, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things [the things you and I worry about] shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). If you will seek Him first, He promises to meet all your needs.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SEEK HIM FIRST?

1. It means that you spend time with Him at the first of each day, praying and reading His Word, asking Him for direction, guidance, help and insight ... confessing your sins when you blow it, and seeking His grace to help in your time of need.

2. It means you put His agenda above your agenda. You pray, “Not my will, but Thine be done” (Luke 22:42). You live your life to please Jesus, not to please yourself.

3. It means you obey Him and do what He says in the power He supplies. You don't let your fleshly desires control you; you let Jesus control you.

4. It means you invest your time, talent and resources in the kingdom of God, not the kingdom of self.

5. It means you recognize that He is everything, and in Christ “are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge”( Colossians 2:3). The true treasures of life—love, joy, peace, fulfillment, true success—are only found in Jesus ... so you spend your time seeking Him.

SIMPLE STARTS NOW!

Don't wait for the ball to drop in Times Square before seeking first the kingdom of God. Start now! Put Jesus first every day you are blessed to live... and He will bless your life abundantly in return.

One of my favorite Scriptures says, “For those who honor Me, I will honor” (1 Samuel 2:30).

If you want God to honor you, honor Him in all you do. The best is yet to be... and the ball is in your court.

316Judith

Your Strategy for This New Year - New Year Devotional - January 1, 2022

“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”
John 15:11

Do you depend upon Jesus Christ? I mean totally depend upon Him? Here’s the way you can tell—are you resting in Him today?

You see, when you are totally committed to Jesus Christ, you rest in Him. You realize that for your every need, it is necessary for Him to supply it.

Have you ever looked at a branch? It has no other source of life than the vine. If you asked that branch, “What’s your secret for your healthy leaves and fruit?” the branch would answer, “My secret is that I’m resting in the vine.”

“But what about your needs?” you ask.

“I know I have needs, but that’s not my responsibility. My response is to rest in the vine’s ability to provide. I don’t produce the fruit. I just bear it.”

Are you resting in the Lord today? Will you choose to rest in Him for the next 365?

316Judith

The Key to a Happy New Year - New Year Devotional - January 2, 2022

For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?
Ecclesiastes 2:25

Let me be the first to wish you a Happy New Year! Happy New Year is an often-heard, post-Christmas statement of encouragement and well-wishing.

To be sure, everyone desires a happy new year
… but how does a person actually experience a happy new year?

What is the key to having 2022 really be a happy one for you?

THE HAPPINESS CONFUSION

Many people equate happiness with money and materialism. To them, happiness is a million dollars.

Others equate happiness with good physical health. To them, happiness is an in-shape body hitting on all eight cylinders.

Still others equate happiness with personal achievement. To them, happiness is a big promotion, or graduation, or a milestone achievement.

Years ago, I read a true story about tennis star, Boris Becker. He was the youngest man to ever win Wimbledon, achieving victory in 1985 at the tender age of seventeen. In the late 1980s, Becker was on the mountain top of fame, fortune, and personal achievement.

Yet, he was so unhappy and on the brink of suicide. Becker was quoted as saying, “I had won Wimbledon twice before, once as the youngest player. I was rich. I had all the material possessions I needed. It’s the old song of movie stars and pop stars who commit suicide.

They have everything, and yet they are so unhappy. I had no inner peace. I was a puppet on a string.”

Isn’t that amazing? Becker had all the things the world says will make for happiness, yet he was so incredibly unhappy.

Could it be that true happiness is not found in health, wealth, and achievement?

TRUE HAPPINESS

The Bible makes it clear that true happiness comes when you and I are right with God. When we are yielded to Christ and His will, then we can experience true happiness—inner peace and unspeakable joy.

Are you right with God today? Are your sins confessed to Him? Are you living surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ?

Blaise Pascal, the seventeenth century mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer, and philosopher astutely said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”

Let me encourage you to take sober inventory of your life today. Are you trying to fill the inner vacuum with health, wealth, achievement, or the like?

Those things will never make you truly happy; they will never satisfy the deep longings of your soul. The only One who can do that is Jesus.

Start your year off right by bowing your knee and your life to King Jesus. Give Him first place in everything … for that is the key to true happiness.

316Judith

Setting Goals for Fruitful Living - New Year Devotional - January 3, 2022

By In Touch Ministries

2 Samuel 7:18-22

In the 70s, I experienced a turning point in my walk with Christ. It started with 2 Samuel 7, which inspired me to follow in King David’s footsteps. He spent time alone with God, offering praise and thanksgiving. He would also listen as the Lord revealed truth and offered insight about the future. Because of what he learned, David was able to set goals and stay aligned with them.

Desiring that kind of solitude, I spent several days alone in a camper at Georgia’s Stone Mountain. Most of the time, I was silent, listening intently for God’s voice. I asked Him to speak to me regarding my future, and He answered. Using a journal, I recorded the goals He inspired. The things He communicated so impacted my choices and so greatly blessed me that I continued the discipline every couple of months.

Let’s discuss how to establish aims in this manner. First, come before the throne of Almighty God with a repentant heart, praise, and thanksgiving. Then, ask Him for direction in areas such as spiritual life, career, and family. In silence, wait patiently and attentively—as you read and meditate upon God’s Word, He will speak. Most often, His guidance is experienced as a prodding or conviction in the heart. When that happens, be sure to write down what you’re “hearing” so you can review it later.

In order to stay on the path God intends for our lives, we should plan times to stop, ask, and listen for guidance. The world throws confusing messages at us all day long, and we need to check our course frequently. These conversations with the Lord are vital for a thriving life of godly impact.

316Judith

More Than a New Year’s Resolution - New Year Devotional - January 4, 2022

By Wendy Speake Girlfriend's in God Ministry

Today’s Truth

But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me” (2 Corinthians 12:9, NIV).

Friend to Friend

My Christmas guests have left. My husband and our sons are celebrating the New Year with a camping trip in the desert. I am home, undressing the tree and packaging our nativity set away for the next 11 months. These are my first quiet moments in weeks, with only the familiar sound of tissue paper crinkling as the soundtrack to my thoughts. During the hustle and bustle of guests and going, little space remained for this sort of pondering. But today, here in the quiet, I have a new year on my mind.

Resolution.

I was thinking of sitting down and writing down a few resolutions today. However, I’m afraid that resolution is too small a word for all that’s on my heart. It lacks power, because resolutions are rooted in my resolve to do better. And I often fail at better. No matter how hard I try to read the Bible more consistently and drink more water and say no to sweets and limit the amount of time I spend on Facebook and increase the amount of time I spend on the treadmill… I rarely make it past January 10th transformed. Though I am desperate to be transformed. No, I don't need another New Year's resolution that will leave me unchanged. What I need is a revolution. That’s the word.

Revolution.

It came to me clearly as the Christmas bell I was carefully wrapping and laying in a box. I don't need another resolution... and I don’t need more resolve. What I need is more of Jesus. Not a resolution that I make, but a revolution that He makes… in me. Christ in me, revolting against me in this world. His power revolutionizing my weakness. His transforming purpose prevailing over all my plans in the new year.

What I need in 2022 is a total Jesus-revolution, way down deep in my fibers. Down in my habits too; my eating and my drinking and my shopping and the time I spend on social media. I need Jesus’ strength revolting against all of the areas of my life where I’ve been too weak for far too long!

My weakness stops me from turning resolutions into a reformed life. But the revolution power of Christ reforms and transforms me day-by-day-by-day, for 365 days as I learn to seek Him first.

I’m reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:9: “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me”.

That’s what I’m doing at the start of 2022 and I’m inviting you to do the same. Boast in the One who has the power to completely revolutionize your life this year.

Do you struggle with sugar addiction and food fixation? Resolving again to eat more veggies and less cookies won’t do it! We need a Jesus-revolution in our lives to transform our eating (and drinking too). We need more whole foods, yes. But what we really need is to ingest more of Him and His Word. We need to turn to Him more than we turn into the Starbucks drive-through. We need to run to Jesus, more than we run into our pantries. We need Jesus to crowd out all of the habits and all of our addictions that we’ve resolved to stop for years and years.

Here at the start of 2022 let’s revolt against all of the things we’ve been running to for comfort, when we could have been (should have been) running to the Comforter. Let’s revolt against our tendency to self-medicate with online shopping and run instead to the Great Physician.

Do you see what I’m saying? We can make resolutions to stop spending and stop eating and start working out, but we’re simply too weak and lack the resolve to make it work. We don’t need another resolution, we need a revolution of Christ’s power in us as we begin a new year, eagerly anticipating radical transformation!

Let’s Pray

Dear Lord, More of You is what I need… more of You and less of me muscling through this life of faith another year. I am weak, but You are strong. That’s why I don’t need more resolve this new year, I simply need more of You.

In Jesus’s revolutionizing Name, Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

What do you struggle with most? Do you struggle with sugar addiction? Year after year, do you make the same old resolutions to get to the gym and eat healthier? Or maybe you’re addicted to your phone, always scrolling through social media. Or maybe it’s shopping, retail therapy. Are you tired of the conviction and ready for transformation?

A Jesus-revolution is just what you need this year!

316Judith

How to Prioritize Prayer in Your Crazy Busy Life - New Year Devotional - January, 2022

by Amy Carroll

“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Colossians 4:2 (NIV)

Although I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions, I’ve come to adore adopting a single word each year to guide me toward spiritual growth.

Last January as I sought God for my new word, I sensed Him leading me to the word “pray.” Terror is too mild a word to describe the way I felt about that particular directive.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve made daily prayer a practice for decades, but I knew it was still a weak link in my spiritual life. Bible study is one of my great loves, and I adore getting out to serve. But during my prayer times, my mind wanders, my faith wavers and I never feel as if I cover all the needs. Guilt and a sense of falling short typically describe my prayer life.

Have you struggled with prayer too? If you’re like me, maybe you know prayer is important, but it’s hard to wrap your mind around such a powerful, invisible force. It’s challenging to prioritize time for something so intangible with results that demand waiting.

As I surrendered and embraced “pray” with a trembling heart at the beginning of 2021 I pictured success as reading stacks of books from the 1700s. I imagined developing callouses on my knees from hours on them in the dark of early morning. But those images left me resistant instead of motivated. Truthfully, I couldn’t fathom fitting those assignments into my current schedule.

Surely this was going to be the worst word-of-the-year ever.

I’m excited to report that’s not how God worked at all. Yes, He challenged me to grow in ways that required intention. He asked me to set more time aside for prayer, but He brought some beautiful, simple tools into my life that have allowed me to find peace and even joy in prayer. God directed me to:

Instagram, where I found a pre-prayer journal routine that settles my thoughts and quiets my mind.

A book that led me to pray one God-inspired verse for each of my sons every day.

A calendar with daily out-of-the-box prompts that leads me to pray for areas I wouldn’t have thought to cover.

A friend who encouraged me to set reminders throughout the day on my phone to pray for people I want to intercede for every week.

A group in the First 5 app where I write out my prayers based on that day’s Scripture.

A mentor who modeled on-the-spot prayer for those with a request: the best guarantee for follow-through instead of forgetting. Voila! Guilt free.

In a gentle yet persistent way, God brought Colossians 4:2 alive in my life in 2021 "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” Now my one word “pray” is an invitation for ongoing conversation with God.

As a rule-follower and reforming perfectionist, I used to look for formulas and how-to’s. Now, instead of limiting myself to a set number of minutes of prayer in a prescribed routine, the simple tools above allow prayer to permeate my thoughts. They’ve created a watchfulness in me that lasts throughout the day. I’m constantly looking for opportunities to pray, which leads to true devotion to the practice and thankfulness as I watch God at work. There are so many moments that beg for prayer!

If you long for talk with God that changes things, prayer is not as hard as you might think. Ask Him to send some simple tools your way, and let the dialogue begin.

Lord, I want to develop devotion to prayer because I long for a never-ending conversation with You. Please teach me to pray by showing me truths in Your Word and giving me the determination to use the tools You send my way. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:

Psalm 17:6, “I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.” (NIV)
Romans 12:12, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (NIV)

316Judith

When the Resolutions Fail - New Year Devotional - January 7, 2022

For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity.
Proverbs 24:16

Many people I know make New Year's Resolutions. They vow to exercise more. Eat right. Lose weight. Quit that bad habit. Get out of debt. Put God first. Stay pure, etc.

But what do you do if you fail and falter in your New Year's Resolution and it is only January 7? What then?

I know what lots of people do. They beat themselves up with guilt and shame. They tell themselves what a loser they are. They heap condemnation on their heads and walk around in defeat mode. That is not the thing God wants us to do when we fail.

GOD'S PROGRAM FOR THOSE WHO FAIL

Proverbs 24:16 is a great verse to help you and me when we falter in our well-intentioned resolutions or commitments to God. Look at it again - For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity.

Notice that God says "a righteous man falls seven times." Even the righteous person, even the one who desires to do right and please God, that one falls. And fails. And blows it - not once or twice, but seven times (over and over and over again).

Now the devil will tell you when you fall, "Give up, you bum! Throw in the towel and quit! You will never walk in victory over this anger, this worry, this bitterness, this lust, this greed, this addiction, this whatever. You are a loser and a failure and a major disappointment to God." Have you ever heard those words play in your head? Well, the good news is this: "The devil is a liar and the father of lies."

When we fall, God never says, "Give up," He says, "GET UP! RISE AGAIN! Confess that sin. get it out of your heart and under My blood. Take my hand and let's walk together. Keep looking to Me, and we WILL slay this giant in your life."
WE CAN'T DO IT ALONE. AND WE DON'T HAVE TO

My friend, you and I do not have the power to change our hearts. but He does. He can change your sinful desires. He can give you a heart that beats for Him and His righteousness. He can clean you up and set you on a path of joy and peace and victory. The little poem says, "I can't. He never said I could. He will. He always said He would."

If you have fallen, will you quit beating yourself up and start looking up? Will you open your eyes and see a Savior who loves you. Who has a nail-scarred hand stretched out to you. Who says to you, "

“Will you take My hand and walk with Me?"

What is your answer to Him?

316Judith

Setting Goals for Fruitful Living - New Year Devotional - January 9, 2022

By In Touch Ministries

2 Samuel 7:18-22

In the 70s, I experienced a turning point in my walk with Christ. It started with 2 Samuel 7, which inspired me to follow in King David’s footsteps.

He spent time alone with God, offering praise and thanksgiving. He would also listen as the Lord revealed truth and offered insight about the future. Because of what he learned, David was able to set goals and stay aligned with them.

Desiring that kind of solitude, I spent several days alone in a camper at Georgia’s Stone Mountain. Most of the time, I was silent, listening intently for God’s voice. I asked Him to speak to me regarding my future, and He answered.

Using a journal, I recorded the goals He inspired. The things He communicated so impacted my choices and so greatly blessed me that I continued the discipline every couple of months.

Let’s discuss how to establish aims in this manner. First, come before the throne of Almighty God with a repentant heart, praise, and thanksgiving.

Then, ask Him for direction in areas such as spiritual life, career, and family. In silence, wait patiently and attentively—as you read and meditate upon God’s Word, He will speak.

Most often, His guidance is experienced as a prodding or conviction in the heart. When that happens, be sure to write down what you’re “hearing” so you can review it later.

In order to stay on the path God intends for our lives, we should plan times to stop, ask, and listen for guidance. The world throws confusing messages at us all day long, and we need to check our course frequently.

These conversations with the Lord are vital for a thriving life of godly impact.

316Judith

Spiritual Growth for the New Year - New Year Devotional - January 11, 2022

by Skip Heitzig

Christmas is over and the new year is here, and if you're like a lot of people, you might be thinking of resolutions. But let me suggest that you start with your spiritual growth before turning to diets and exercise plans.

Growth—including spiritual growth—is a normal part of healthy living. In these final days of the year, I encourage you to meditate on John 15 as we look at three things that demonstrate your growth—or lack thereof—in the Christian life.

The first demonstration of this growth is being fruitful in life. Reading through John 15, you'll notice the word fruit comes up over and over again. That's because Jesus used the analogy of fruit growing on a vine to describe Christian growth: "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing" (v. 5).

There are a few obvious characteristics of fruit—namely, it's natural, noticeable, and nourishing. You don't have to have an advanced degree in botany to tell that a vine is growing grapes—and the vine doesn't have to sit there straining hard to produce the grapes. It's a natural unfolding of life that brings nourishment to others. And so it is spiritually.

Though each believer's output of fruit will vary, at some point the fruit will show, whether it's the fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-23), people you win to Christ, living a holy lifestyle, your giving, or your praise. All of these things visibly demonstrate that growth is happening in and through you as you abide in Christ and seek Him.

The second demonstration of growth is being powerful in prayer. As John 15:7says, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." With a promise like that, it's a wonder more Christians don't pray! Could it be because we just haven't seen results?
I believe there's a reason for that: there are conditions to this promise. First, you must abide in Christ; second, He must abide in you; and third, His words—Scripture—must also abide in you. It's then that your desires will become His desires, and then "you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."

Here's the third demonstration of spiritual growth: being joyful in spirit. "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full" (vv. 9-11)—turned up to the max, cranked up to ten. True, lasting, authentic joy is one of the things this world craves the most—and it's the very thing Jesus promises you. The question is, are you willing to go God's way to get it, growing and abiding in Him?

In closing, here's the thing about spiritual growth I want you to understand: you can grow as much as you want to. All the resources you need have already been given to you, and you can either employ them or let them lie dormant. As 2 Peter 1:3 says, God's "divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us."

I pray that the truths of John 15 would soak into your heart and flow through your life today, and that in this new year, you would be as verdant as the man described in Psalm 1—"planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper" (v. 3).