Team Daily Devotions for January 2025
316Judith
Posts: 9,747 Member
Wednesday, January 1
The Guiding Light
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105
We have a heavy-duty flashlight to light up each day of the coming year.
It’s God’s Word, a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
When our way is especially dark, it’s a floodlight.
When we need God’s comforting presence, it’s a lamp on the table.
When we have a dreary day, it’s our sunshine.
When we need guidance, it’s a beacon.
When we need courage, it’s a torch.
When we share it with others, it’s a lighthouse.
When we spend time with it, we ourselves become radiant.
Bible Reading:
Psalm 119:105-112
Proverbs 6:23 says, “For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light.”
Just as the Israelites gathered manna each day, we need the nourishment of the daily bread of the soul.
What a privilege to have the very words of God Himself spread out before us in a book small enough to hold in our hands.
From its 31,102 verses, you’ll find illumination for every moment of the new year.
Don’t miss a day—and start today by thanking God for the joy of walking in the light of His Word.
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our
way! John H. Sammis
The Guiding Light
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105
We have a heavy-duty flashlight to light up each day of the coming year.
It’s God’s Word, a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.
When our way is especially dark, it’s a floodlight.
When we need God’s comforting presence, it’s a lamp on the table.
When we have a dreary day, it’s our sunshine.
When we need guidance, it’s a beacon.
When we need courage, it’s a torch.
When we share it with others, it’s a lighthouse.
When we spend time with it, we ourselves become radiant.
Bible Reading:
Psalm 119:105-112
Proverbs 6:23 says, “For the commandment is a lamp, and the law a light.”
Just as the Israelites gathered manna each day, we need the nourishment of the daily bread of the soul.
What a privilege to have the very words of God Himself spread out before us in a book small enough to hold in our hands.
From its 31,102 verses, you’ll find illumination for every moment of the new year.
Don’t miss a day—and start today by thanking God for the joy of walking in the light of His Word.
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, what a glory He sheds on our
way! John H. Sammis
2
Replies
-
Thursday, January 2
The Book That Works
For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. 1 Thessalonians 2:13
Bible Reading:
1 Thessalonians 2:13-20
When we welcome the Word into our lives, it goes to work. It effectively works inside of us—inside our brains and bodies, inside our souls and spirits, inside our personalities and homes.
It’s a living book, and when we receive it, it rolls up its sleeves.
The Bible works on our attitudes, giving us less bitterness and impatience, more love and happiness.
It works on our conversation, helping us speak more wisely and confidently.
It works on our minds, removing the filth and focusing our thoughts on what is true and noble.
It works on our habits, forming us increasingly into the image of Christ.
The Bible does a supernatural work in our hearts.
That’s why in addition to reading it daily, we want to memorize its verses, meditate on its truths, and share its message with others.
Let the Bible go to work within you!
Never live on memories; let the Word of God always be living and active in you. Oswald Chambers1 -
Friday, January 3
The Word of Grace
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16
One day the late actor Walter Matthau read a book entitled The Secret in the Daisy. It had a profound impact on him, turning him “from a miserable, unhappy wretch to a joy-full, glad-to-be-alive human.” He searched out the author, Carol Grace, fell in love with her, and married her!1
Bible Reading:
Colossians 3:12-17
There’s a better book, and it can change anyone’s life when they fall in love with its Author, the God of grace.
When we take God’s Word seriously and let it become part of every stage in life, we become complete and mature as God’s people.
We’ll not be perfect until heaven, but we can grow proficient and productive in our walk with Him.
As we read His Word, we fall in love with Him who gave it to us, and as our personal relationship grows, we grow.
Allow God’s Word to be your guide so your walk with Him will be complete. Fall in love with the Bible and its divine Author, and you’ll live in abundant daily grace this year.
Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian. A. W. Tozer1 -
Psalm 25 for 2025: Trust in Him
Oh my God, I trust in You; let me not be ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me. Psalm 25:2
Bible Reading:
Philippians 4:6-7
January is the month of new beginnings. Instead of (or in addition to) making resolutions for the new year, consider the challenges, obstacles, or opportunities you foresee that could arise in the next twelve months.
It might be a financial challenge, a job relocation, a family situation, addressing a health issue, or some other “opportunity.”
January is a good time to make this resolution: I am going to begin today to lay these challenges before the Lord and resolve to trust Him to help me meet them.
We could adjust David’s words in Psalm 25 to read, “Let not my challenges triumph over me.”
Our challenges may not be enemy soldiers coming at us with swords and spears, but they can seem life-threatening, nonetheless.
We can also echo David’s words, “Let me not be ashamed.”
What would cause us to be ashamed? Being overcome and consumed by our “enemies.”
Think about the months ahead—what do you see on the horizon? Bring those matters before the Lord and resolve to trust in Him.
Putting our faith in Christ is not about trying harder; it means transferring our trust away from ourselves and resting in him. Tim Keller1 -
January 5, 2025
Wisdom from the Psalms
January 5
Psalms 2:11
Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
The fire licked up the outside walls and cascaded up into the night. All around the building, fire fighters scampered, trundling huge hoses into position to battle the blaze. Jerry stood with sweat pouring down his face and the spray from the hose soaking his body. He loved his work and felt he really served well. He knew the dangers that were involved, but he fought fires anyway. His job was one of the greatest joys of his life.
Not all things that inspire fear should be avoided. A wise person knows his limits and knows what situations he can handle and what ones he cannot. A little fear is healthy. It gives us respect and appreciation. It causes us to not get careless. Fear of the Lord should not drive us from Him, but should help us to understand Him and deal with Him reverently and respectfully. When we encounter our Lord with both joy and trembling, we know Him in a special and meaningful way.
Prayer: Lord, help me to never forget Your awesome power, as well as Your awesome love. Allow me to
feel a healthy fear, but never let that fear separate me from You. Amen.1 -
Monday, January 6
A Training Manual for Life
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
When a soldier is in training, field manuals explain how to carry out assigned duties. The same could be true for a person training to enter another profession. Books and manuals represent the learned experience and knowledge of those who have come before; they save us time and mistakes in our own endeavours.
Bible Reading:
2 Timothy 2:21
From a practical point of view, we can think of the Bible as a field manual for the Christian life—and even for life in general in terms of relationships, finances, morals, family, and more.
Paul summarized for his young pastoral protégé Timothy the benefits of the Bible and the results.
The benefits are that the Bible contains doctrine, guidance, correction, and instructions in righteousness. The results are that we become “complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The goal of any training manual is to equip one to do the work—whatever the profession.
Are you becoming better at good works? Read your Bible daily with a view toward becoming more mature as a follower of Christ.
The quest for excellence is a mark of maturity. Max Lucado1 -
Tuesday, January 7
The Living Word
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
Perhaps you have purchased a self-help book but haven’t opened it because you don’t want to receive what it will say. Some people can be hesitant when it comes to reading the Bible or praying to God for direction for the same reason. We’re not ready for the answer we might get.
Bible Reading:
Matthew 24:35
The Bible is not like any other book. It is not just a collection of words and pages, like a self-help book, but is a book that is “living and powerful.”
When we open the Bible, the Holy Spirit uses the words of Scripture to reveal things to and about us that can change our life. It can reveal (discern) “the thoughts and intents of [our] heart.”
The question is, are we ready to see and know what the Spirit may show us about our life?
When you open the Bible, pray: “Lord, open the eyes of my heart that I may see and receive what Your Word will reveal to me.”
The written Word of God has the seal of the living Word of God. John H. Gerstner0 -
Wednesday, January 8
The Word Is the Sword
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17
There are two Greek words in the New Testament that are translated into English as “word.” One is logos—“word, message, speech, argument, book.” The other is rhema—“word, saying, thing, remark.” Generally speaking, we might think of logos as the Bible and rhema as a verse in the Bible. Both are the Word of God—one the whole, the other a specific part of the whole.
Bible Reading:
Matthew 4:1-11
When Paul describes the Christian’s spiritual armor and notes the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” the Greek word he uses for “word of God” is rhema, not logos. In other words, he pictures going on the offensive in spiritual warfare by using specific parts of the Bible: promises, teachings, sayings.
Think of how Jesus defended Himself against Satan’s temptations in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).
Three times Satan tempted Him, and three times Jesus rebuffed the temptation by quoting a verse from Deuteronomy. That’s the way to use the sword of the Spirit, the rhema of God.
Take the sword of the Spirit everywhere you go by committing the promises and teachings of Scripture to memory.
The Bible is a disturbing book, a hammer, a fire, and a sword. Vance Havner1 -
Thursday, January 9
Our Help in Ages Past
Remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness.
Deuteronomy 8:2
In an old devotional book, this comment appears under Deuteronomy 8:2: “When anxieties disturb or troubles depress, do I remember God’s goodness in the past and how thus far He has brought me through every difficulty? And does the remembrance fill me with thankfulness for the past and courage for the future? When a new mercy meets me, do I see a Father’s love in it? And do I follow cheerfully where His providence leads?”
Bible Reading:
Hebrews 13:5-8
While our faith may be weak and our eyes dimmed by illness or discouragement, there is no missing what God has done for us in the past. We should look back and remember that He who was our help in ages past is our hope for years to come. He has led us all the way.
If you’re struggling today, take a moment to look back at a specific time when the Lord helped you. Then remind yourself that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever!
Could we look upon our entire life and take in all its changes by a single glance, every step would be seen to have been guided by God’s mercy. Tyron Edwards1 -
Friday, January 10
Letters to God
My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
Psalm 45:1
British writer Julia McGuinness said, “Writing prayers down rather than speaking them out loud or voicing them in your head can be a powerful, patient act of worship…. The very act of writing may make you more mindful and attentive to what it is you want to pray.”1
Bible Reading:
Psalm 45:1-6
If writing your prayers seems strange, remember the prayers we read in the Bible were written down, which is why we can still use them as our own. Also, many of our hymns are actually prayers, such as the lyrics, “Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee.”
As we take time to write out some of our prayers, we discover areas of weakness that need to be strengthened and patterns of life that need to be corrected. We have a record of our prayers. When our minds feel unfocused, a pen and paper can help us concentrate in God’s presence.
Try writing out some of your prayers and think of them as letters to God. He knows how to read—and listen!
Written prayer brings a substance to our communications with God and is still totally portable. You can write prayers on whatever material is [at] hand…. wherever you happen to be. Julia McGuinness0 -
JANUARY 11, 2025
Psalm 25 for 2025: Show Me Your Paths
Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. Psalm 25:4-5
Bible Reading:
Isaiah 55:8-9
Imagine going to your mailbox on January 1 and finding a large envelope. You open the envelope and discover a 2025 calendar. In the space allocated for each day you find the details of what will happen in your life that day.
Sound impossible? Even though you won’t receive such a calendar from God, you have a promise from Him that can put to rest your fears and doubts about the direction your life will take this year.
Psalm 139:16 says, “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (NLT). That’s why we can pray, with the psalmist that God will show us how to walk in His ways and His paths—because He already knows what we need to do.
If you want to walk in God’s ways, in God’s truth this year, then ask Him to show you the steps you should take—beginning today!
God’s ways are behind the scenes, but He moves all the scenes which He is behind. John Nelson Darby0 -
January 12
Psalms 5:8
Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
Barry hated to be left out of the good times his friends had, but he hated it even worse when they went out drinking and cruising. He didn't like to drink, and his friends always mocked him because of it. Thank goodness for Jean. She had come along and given him an excuse not to go out. She really disapproved of drinking and driving, so Barry could do for Jean what he had never been able to do for himself: say no!
God gives us the reason to say no. In those areas of our life where we are too weak to say no to our friends, we can learn to say no because we know that God wants us to. So many people would lead us from path of God, many of them unintentionally. Ask the Lord for guidance. In the face of our strongest temptations, God will give us the strength and the reason to resist.
Prayer: O God, I find myself in some terrible situations that I don't want to be in. Help me to free myself from those things I know displease You. Guide me, strengthen me, liberate me, I pray. Amen.0 -
Monday, January 13
Proof of Hope
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
If anyone questions whether you are the true owner of your house, one document erases all doubt: the title deed.
Likewise, faith is the title deed of our hope. If someone has hope, it is because they have faith that God is working things out—faith is “the evidence of things not seen.”
When someone says they have “lost all hope,” it means they have lost their faith, their assurance.
Bible Reading:
Romans 8:24
As Romans 8:24 says, “Hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?”
That is, if we can see the future or see what we desire, we have no need for hope.
And nothing happens when we exercise hope; we still do not suddenly see what we are hoping for.
Instead, we maintain constant faith in God that He is working things out.
The theme of Hebrews 11 is that the people cited were hoping for what they could not see. And they often died in faith, never having seen the thing they were hoping for (verse 13).
If you have hope, you have faith. Faith is the proof that your hope is alive and well.
Let thy hope of heaven master thy fear of death. William Gurnall0 -
Tuesday, January 14
Anchored on Hope
This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil. Hebrews 6:19
To keep a ship from drifting, you need an anchor. If it’s heavy enough, its weight will help keep the vessel in place. It may also dig into the sandy bottom, and often it hooks onto a rock on the seabed. In Mark 6:53, the disciples anchored their boat in the Sea of Galilee, and in Acts 27:29 the sailors threw four anchors into the sea and prayed for daylight.
Bible Reading:
Hebrews 6:13-20
We also have an anchor, but ours flies upward into heaven, behind the symbolic torn veil of the temple, and into the very presence of Jesus Christ. It grips the sure and certain hope that we have in Him: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul.”
When we’re anchored in eternity, we can weather the storms of time. Whatever happens to us, we know our future. The Lord is already there, and He is preparing a place for us. That makes us sanctified optimists. Today, anchor your personality on the hope Christ offers. Let that stabilize your emotions and sustain your spirits.
When the waves of life threaten to overwhelm us, we need an anchor that will hold up in the strongest storm. Ray Pritchard0 -
Wednesday, January 15
Get Your Hopes Up!
The hope of the righteous will be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.
Proverbs 10:28
Charles Swindoll wrote, “When we are overworked and exhausted, hope gives us fresh energy. When we are discouraged, hope lifts our spirits. When we are tempted to quit, hope keeps us going…. When we fear the worst, hope brings reminders that God is still in control.”1
Bible Reading:
1 Thessalonians 5:9-11
Proverbs 10:28 says that hope brings gladness into our minds and hearts. That’s true even when the present circumstances are not what we’d wish. Hope is a solid expectation of certain future events, which include the fulfillment of all God’s promises for us in this life and in the one to come.
We must hold to our biblical hope when everything else feels hopeless. Hope often becomes most precious to us when our personal resources have been exhausted and we realize that amid our problems God is present. When you’re going through difficulties, be thankful in the knowledge that you can put your trust in Him. Look to Jesus, and get your hopes up!
With God life is an endless hope. Without God life is a hopeless end. Bill Bright0 -
Thursday, January 16
Foundation of Faith
Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.
Psalm 42:5
Today, most people don’t find themselves besieged by “an ungodly nation” (Psalm 43:1) or an actual “enemy” (Psalm 42:9).
But that happened often in the Old Testament era and was probably the occasion for the writing of Psalms 42 and 43 (likely originally one psalm).
Such an attack from one’s enemies led to the author admonishing himself to “hope in God,” instead of being downcast and disquieted over his situation.
Bible Reading:
Psalm 42:5-8
We may not face attacks from actual enemies, but we do find ourselves downcast and disquieted at times. The danger is that such emotions can move us from a foundation of faith to a feeling of fear.
What we need in such moments is what the author of Hebrews called an “anchor of the soul” that keeps us moored in place.
And what is that anchor? Hope: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast” (Hebrews 6:19).
When you feel God has forgotten you (Psalm 42:9), put your “hope in God.”
Let hope keep you anchored in Him by faith.
Hope is the foundation of patience. John Calvin0 -
Friday, January 17
Living Hope
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3
Though the phrase “born again” does not occur in the Old Testament, the idea of rebirth does in various ways.
Humanity was “reborn” after the Flood.
Abraham figuratively received his son Isaac back from the dead.
Jacob was given a new life after wrestling with God.
But none of these many figurative examples are the same as the way Jesus used the phrase.
Bible Reading:
John 3:3-6
Jesus said we must be spiritually born again in order to enter God’s Kingdom (John 3:3). Peter said that God has “begotten us [given us a new birth] again to a living hope.” Why a living hope?
Because our new birth to eternal life is based in the “resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
What hope does a person have who dies outside of Christ? None.
But faith in the resurrected Christ—the Christ who conquered death—gives us “living hope.”
The Christian’s hope extends beyond the grave.
Give thanks to God today that you have been born again to a living hope.
If you are never born again, you will wish you had never been born at all. J. C. Ryle1 -
JANUARY 18, 2025
Psalm 25 for 2025:
Keep His Commandments
All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. Psalm 25:10
Bible Reading: Romans 8:28-29
You will no doubt experience something this year that will make you wonder, “Why?” It could be painful or disruptive, or it could be just an unexpected circumstance.
In any case, unplanned events always make us wonder why God has allowed them.
The psalmist David said something about God’s ways that require a second look. He said that God’s plans are mercy and truth to those who are faithful to Him—those who keep His commandments.
We would assume that God’s ways are mercy and truth to everyone, not just to those who follow Him. But there is a difference between how people view God’s ways.
Those who trust in Him find mercy and truth in what God allows; those who don’t trust in Him are more likely to find randomness and arbitrariness in God’s ways.
Those who walk in obedience to God can affirm Romans 8:28: God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him.
Even when we don’t see mercy and truth immediately, in time we will. Prepare your heart now to trust God with what this year holds.
Obedience to God’s will is the secret of spiritual knowledge and insight. Eric Liddell0 -
January 19
Wisdom from the Psalms
Psalms 9:1
I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
Audrey loved the little children, and they dearly loved her. She would walk with them through the gardens and fields, showing them all the wonders of nature. She would sit with them for hours and tell them stories. She would read to them from her Bible, then explain what she had read. She would remind the children of all the good things God could do. For the main part of her life, Audrey taught little children the reality of God.
To be truly in love with God is a consuming passion. We can't wait to tell the world of the wonderful truth we know. The spirit of God enters in, and our lives are never the same again. Praise the Lord with your whole heart, and show forth all His wonderful works.
Prayer: Each new day brings new wonders to my attention. Thank You, O Lord, for creating such a beautiful world with so many miracles to behold. Amen.0 -
Monday, January 20
Eternal Inheritance
You are born again to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you. 1 Peter 1:4
You Can’t Take It with You was a Pulitzer Prize–winning 1936 comedic play by George Kaufman and Moss Hart that became an Academy Award–winning movie in 1938.
It is about a highly eccentric extended family whose curious members involve themselves in any number of complicated situations.
On one occasion, the patriarch of the family tells a younger member to enjoy his wealth while he can since, “You can’t take it with you.”
Bible Reading:
Matthew 6:19-21
Ironically, Jesus suggested there is a way—in a manner of speaking—to “take it with you.” He said that instead of storing up wealth on earth where moth, thieves, and rust can ruin it, we should store up treasures in heaven where their value will never be diminished. (Matthew 6:20).
Perhaps Peter was thinking of these words when he described the Christian’s eternal inheritance as “incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away.”
Because our living hope is in Christ, our eternal inheritance will likewise live forever. It is “reserved in heaven” for us.
An inheritance is not only kept for us, but we are kept for it. Richard Sibbes1 -
Tuesday, January 21
Regaining Hope
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.
Job 7:6
The word hope occurs sixteen times in the book of Job, but most of the references are about how Job lost hope during his multiple tragedies. He said, “What strength do I have, that I should hope?” (Job 6:11) And he said, “He breaks me down on every side, and I am gone; my hope He has uprooted like a tree” (Job 19:10).
Bible Reading:
1 Peter 1:6-13
Any of us can lose hope when we’re having difficulties and not sure what God is doing in our lives. We can lose hope because others have mistreated us or even because of our own mistakes. When we’re feeling sorry for ourselves and sinking into discouragement, we’re letting the biblical quality of hope erode in our minds.
If this is true for you, read in the first chapter of 1 Peter about our “living hope” that comes from God’s abundant mercy (1:3), about the importance of resting our hope fully on God’s grace (1:13), and about projecting our hope forward in anticipation of Christ’s return (1:21).
Where there is no hope in the future, there is no power in the present. John Maxwell0 -
Wednesday, January 22
A Balloon or a Helmet?
But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. 1 Thessalonians 5:8
There’s a new Guinness World Records holder. David Rush appeared on the television show Live with Kelly and Mark and burst six-hundred balloons with his boxing gloves in the allotted time. But there’s someone even better at bursting bubbles and destroying dreams.
It’s our enemy.
He wants to deflate the biblical hope that sustains us. He punches us and takes the wind out of our optimistic faith. He often does it by luring us into some sin.
Bible Reading:
2 Thessalonians 3:16-17
When our fellowship with God is strained by sinfulness, we feel hopeless, not hopeful. But we have an Advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ—who can again fill us with His Spirit, with hope, and with joy.
One of the most enduring lessons of faith is knowing how to come back to God in confession, repentance, realignment, and rededication.
Ask God today to give you strength to act decisively in dealing with your sin so you may continue to have a heart filled with hope.
Hope is not a balloon to be punctured but a helmet to be worn.
Hope for the Christian is a confident expectation of a guaranteed result. Paul David Tripp1 -
Friday, January 24
God Sees and Knows
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. Psalm 139:16
Psalm 139 speaks to two of God’s most important attributes: His omniscience and His omnipresence.
Omniscience means God is all-knowing; omnipresence means God is present everywhere at the same time.
The comfort for me in those attributes is that God always knows my thoughts and always knows where I am. He sees me and knows what I am thinking and feeling—all the time.
Bible Reading:
Psalm 146:7-9
But that is not true just for faithful people like David, the author of Psalm 139.
Psalm 146 provides a list of those to whose needs the Lord attends: the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoners, the blind, those who are weighed down by circumstances, the righteous, the strangers, the fatherless, and the widows.
Do any of those categories include you?
If not, into what category would you put yourself?
The psalmist’s list is not comprehensive but representative of humanity—especially those whom the world may have overlooked.
But God doesn’t overlook anyone!
Wherever you are right now and whatever you are thinking, thank God that He sees and knows. You can put your hope in Him.
To know that God knows everything about me and yet loves me is indeed my ultimate consolation. R. C. Sproul0 -
JANUARY 25, 2025
Eyes on the Lord
My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net. Psalm 25:15
Bible Reading:
Psalm 123:2
In the New Testament, nets were used by fishermen to catch fish in the Sea of Galilee (John 21:11).
But in the Old Testament, nets usually had a more sinister reference: the catching of one’s enemies. Their use as a snare for animals is mentioned, but usually such mentions illustrate how a net—a trap, a snare—can be laid for the unsuspecting adversary.
Interestingly, the psalmist says that instead of keeping his eyes on the ground to avoid a net in which he might be snared by his enemy, he will keep his eyes on the Lord—who will “deliver [him] from the snare of the fowler” (Psalm 91:3).
The idea is not that we don’t have to be careful, wary, or wise in life.
Rather, that our first line of defense and protection in life is God.
As servants looked to their masters and maids to their mistress for provision, “so our eyes look to the Lord our God” (Psalm 123:2).
Begin and end your day by affirming that your eyes are on the Lord that He is your shield and protector.
A God wise enough to create me and the world I live in is wise enough to watch out for me. Philip Yancey1 -
January 26
Wisdom from the Psalms
Psalms 11:4
The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
Whenever they went to the ocean, Dave remembered Tim and how he had drowned by swimming out too far. No only did he go too far, but he swam in an area without a lifeguard.
Since that time, Dave always looked for the lifeguard, and he refused to swim if the lifeguard wasn't present.
Once Dave had thought that lifeguards were on the beach to keep people from having too much fun. Now he thought differently.
What comfort there is to know that we are being watched over. This life provides some pretty treacherous waters, and we need to know that there is a divine lifeguard, ready to pull us up at a moment's notice.
The Lord watches over us, not to stifle or oppress us, but to insure us a full, happy, and healthy life.
We can tread life's waters knowing that there is nothing to fear, for the Lord is watching.
Prayer: when I get in over my head, Lord, be there to life me up. I need You to watch over me and care for me. I put all my faith in You. Amen.0 -
Monday, January 27
Where Revival Begins
Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him. 2 Kings 23:25
Josiah was crowned king of Judah at age eight. When he was twenty years old, he began instituting spiritual and religious reforms in Judah. Why? Because workers in the temple found a copy of the Book of the Law which had been ignored (2 Kings 22).
Bible Reading:
Psalm 119:25
Josiah called the people together and read the words of the covenant of God with Israel and called on the people to renew their obedience. He set about to remove all the centers of idol worship in the land and removed the priests who had served false gods (2 Kings 23).
When Josiah was 26 years old, he declared that Passover should be celebrated, a feast that had been ignored for years. No king before or after Josiah did as much to revive faithfulness to God in Judah. And it all began with the discovery and application of the Word of God.
Whether a nation or an individual—revival begins with reading and applying the Word of God.
It may be said that revivals thrive on the Word and the Word is exalted in revivals. Arthur Skevington Wood0 -
Tuesday, January 28
Eager to Share
Knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58
When a farmhand named Albert McMakin came to Christ at age 24, he invited friends to go to a revival meeting with him; and one of them, 16-year-old Billy Graham, did so and was converted.
Bible Reading:
1 Corinthians 15:55-58
Isn’t it encouraging to know that God can use us to do great things when we simply obey His Great Commission and do our part in sharing Christ?
One of our tried and true methods is friendship and relational evangelism.
Using our natural networks of friendship and associations, we can often come across a moment to share the Gospel.
Think about inviting someone to church, to a Christian concert, or to an evangelistic event.
Invite them to attend a Bible study with you.
Share a verse of Scripture.
Try initiating a Gospel conversation.
Say things like, “The Lord bless you today,” and, “What a beautiful day God has made!”
See if the other person responds. Plant seeds.
Share Christian books and magazines (like Turning Points).
Remember, our labour in the Lord is not in vain!
No one ever hears the Gospel proclaimed without making some kind of decision.
The Spirit of God will go ahead of us when we witness—preparing the way, giving us words, granting us courage. Billy Graham0 -
Wednesday, January 29
Having Compassion…
Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:8-9
In the church you attend, there are burdened souls staggering under their loads.
In the nearby hospital, the sick and their loved ones are facing difficult moments.
Down the street, inmates in the jail feel lost.
In the nursing homes, lots of lonely people are suffering.
And all around the world, there are millions of people who wonder how to deal with their overwhelming problems.
Bible Reading:
1 Peter 3:8-12
God has called us to minister to a suffering world.
We must make a priority of asking God to show us where people are hurting so we can serve them in whatever way we can.
We don’t have to go looking for those with needs.
They’re all around us. We can’t help everyone, but we can help someone.
Pray today and ask God to lead you to someone you can serve in their time of need.
Jesus teaches that human need must always be helped; that there is no greater task than to relieve someone’s pain and distress and that the Christian’s compassion must be like God’s—unceasing. William Barclay0 -
Thursday, January 30
Supremacy
For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.
Joshua 2:11, NLT
We use the word supreme to indicate someone or some group that serves as final authority. The Supreme Court, for example. Or Supreme Commander. Or Supreme Leader.
But what is the ultimate supreme authority on earth? It is God and His Word. The teachings of the Bible are true and authoritative, and they’re wiser than the rules of men, the laws of congress, the opinions of politicians, or the ideologies of universities.
Bible Reading:
2 Peter 1:16-21
To truly reform our world, we must return to the Word of God as the ultimate authority. If we’re going to return our families to hopefulness and our churches to revival, it will be on the basis of the authority of Scripture.
If we’re going to solve societal problems, it must be through the application of the wisdom of God’s Word.
Tim Chester wrote, “We accept the supremacy of Scripture because we accept the supremacy of its author.”1
It begins with us. Is the Word of God the supreme authority over your life, governing all your attitudes, works, actions, and habits?
To say that Scripture is supreme is to say that the Bible has authority in everything that really matters—time and eternity, earth and heaven, humanity and God. Tim Chester0 -
Friday, January 31
Diligently
And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Deuteronomy 6:6-7, NLT
“Let me show you this Bible verse I found today!”
Bible Reading:
Deuteronomy 6:4-9
That simple statement—or one like it—may be the single most effective tool for training our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. It’s personal, conversational, Scripture-based, and meaningful.
We’re to be personally committed to reading God’s Word, and as we uncover its great truths, we should share them with our children, at home or on the road, when getting up or going to bed.
This doesn’t require a Bible college education or a seminary degree. It’s not just for ministers and missionaries.
It’s the great privilege of every parent and grandparent to share from the overflow of our hearts and minds.
To return to the Scriptures, we must all take responsibility for our family’s spiritual and emotional health and well-being.
Decide today to strengthen your family through the study of God’s Word.
When we help the younger generation to love, serve, and honour God, we…welcome the blessings of God into generations to follow. Pastor Allen Jackson0