JANUARY 1

TRUE AND UNCHANGING

God, you are near me always, so close to me; every one of your commands reveals truth. I’ve known all along how true and unchanging is every word you speak, established forever!

PSALM 119:151-152 TPT

Fix your thoughts on the nearness of God today. Make it a priority to bring your attention back to his presence throughout your day. As you do, reflect on the fruit of his presence in your life. Where is there love, joy, peace, kindness, and graciousness? Where is there room to both rest and grow in who you are?

The commands of the Lord are not meant to burden us but to liberate us. There is wisdom in the Word of the Lord. There is encouragement, direction, and acceptance. There is belonging, challenges, and an invitation to experience the steadfast mercy of God at every turn. Practice slowing down your responses when you feel yourself getting caught up in worry, irritation, or fear. Turn your attention to the nearness of your God and meditate on his faithfulness. He is forever good, and he is a ready help in every season of the soul.

Faithful One, thank you for being ever so near at all times. I lean on your faithfulness today. As I bring my attention and focus back to your presence throughout the day, release your peace, wisdom, and truth into my heart.

JANUARY 2

DELIGHTED IN

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.

ZEPHANIAH 3:17 ESV

If we are not proactive in our relationship with God, drawing near to his heart, we may miss out on the freedom of his love. God does not love us because he has to, but because he is compelled to. He delights over us with gladness. He rejoices over us with singing.

God’s heart is tender toward us. It is to our detriment when we resist the graciousness of his affection. When we focus on the parts of us that feel “not enough” we allow the voice of shame to drown out the Father’s delight. We are not accepted because of what we do, but because the Lord loves us as we are. His liberating mercy allows us to bloom in the light of his love. As we readily receive his delight as children of a good and attentive Father, we are free to live, move, and love others well.

Lord God, there is no one like you in love. You are pure hearted and true. I won’t close my heart off from your love, especially the areas that need your mercy. Thank you, Father!

JANUARY 3

COMPLETELY LOVED

“The Father himself loves you.”

JOHN 16:27 NIV

If we were to spend every day of our lives meditating on the truth that Jesus revealed in this verse, we would never reach the end of its impact. Love is the basis of the kingdom of God. It is who God is.

Instead of letting the idea of God’s love become trite, let’s press in to know God and his heart in a deeper way. The Holy Spirit reveals the wisdom of God, and we can trust him to show us new aspects of his love and how it plays out in our lives. As we are loved, so can we also love others. There isn’t a part of us that is not reached or covered by the love of Christ. We are fully immersed in the mercy of God, and that is no small thing. It is the foundation of our faith, of our relationships, and of our identity.

Good Father, I admit that I need a fresh revelation of your love today. As I focus on your love, reveal what I could not perceive before. I want to know the power, the length, and the breadth of your mercy-kindness. Open my eyes even as I feel your love expand my heart.

JANUARY 4

HIGHER PERSPECTIVE

Raise your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who brings out their multitude by number, he calls them all by name; because of the greatness of his might and the strength of his power, not one of them is missing.

ISAIAH 40:26 NASB

When life is overwhelming, it can feel as if the walls of this world are closing in on us. This is the perfect time to expand our perspective, and there are practical ways we can ground our bodies, minds, and hearts in this way.

Take today’s verse, for instance. When we physically stand in a space that reminds us of our smallness, it can bring great comfort to know that God is much larger than we can imagine, and so is his wisdom. Whether you go to the ocean and stare over the great waters, stand under the dark sky and look up into the heavens and see the twinkling of stars, or hike a mountain to gain higher perspective, take some time to physically get into a space that reminds you of the Creator and his vast power. As you do, remind yourself that even the great trials of your life do not overwhelm your God.

Creator, thank you for the cues of your greatness in creation. As I step outside and consider your handiwork, bring rest, peace, and perspective to my heart and life.

JANUARY 5

SUREFOOTED AND STRONG

The Sovereign LORD is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.

HABAKKUK 3:19 NLT

When we are overtired and worn-down, it can be difficult to focus on anything else. Yet, the Scriptures say over and over again that the Lord is our strength. In our weakness, he makes us strong. When we run out of our own vigor, we lean on him, and he carries us. He steadies our feet in troubled times.

It is good to recognize our limits. When we are weary, we should rest. When we are hungry, we should eat. God does not want us to neglect ourselves so that we burnout. Rest is holy. Still, there are things that we cannot rest ourselves out of. In times and seasons when life keeps going and we have little to give on our own, the Lord offers us his own grace-strength. Let’s look to him in our times of need, for he is faithful to offer all that he has and is to us. What a glorious hope!

Lord, make my feet sure and my resolve strong. When I have nothing more of my own to give, you always have an abundance of what I need: peace, joy, strength, hope, and love. Fill me afresh today.

JANUARY 6

GOOD NEWS

“The LORD, the LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love and truth.”

EXODUS 34:6 CSB

Where we can be quick to judge, God is thoughtful and gracious. He sees what we cannot—the full picture, as well as the intentions of every heart. The Lord is not quick to silence us when we assert our needs. He is kind, merciful, and abounding in faithfulness.

When you feel yourself jumping to conclusions about others and their motives today, bring it under the canopy of God’s grace. It is not your job to judge others, but to love them. And what does God’s love look like? It is slow to anger, abounding in grace and kindness. May you find yourself enveloped in the mercy of God today, and from that place give out of the abundance of his pure love to others.

Gracious God, you see my heart in all of its stages. You are so much better than this world that pins people down with judgment. You are so merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. I want to reflect you in the way I move in this world. Help me, Lord.

JANUARY 7

SO MUCH MORE

With God’s power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine.

EPHESIANS 3:20 NCV

If we put our minds to something, it is very likely that we can accomplish it. There is value in hard work and focus. Even so, there are limits to our abilities, and we cannot account for unforeseen obstacles in life. We cannot control what the world will do, accidents that will happen, or how loss will affect us. When our plans go off-track, we are not without hope. God is faithful, and his mercy will hold us together in ways we could never have anticipated.

God is able to do immeasurably more than anything we can imagine or ask him to do. His power is fueled by love, it doesn’t miss a detail, and it can resurrect and redeem what we could not on our own. His ways are better, his thoughts are better, and his intentions are better for us than we have for ourselves. Let’s trust him to do what only he can do, even as we ask him to intervene in our lives.

Mighty God, I know that you are able to do more than I can even venture to imagine. Even so, I will stretch my imagination to partner with your love and power. Have your way in my life. I trust you.

JANUARY 8

GIVE THANKS

Oh, give thanks to the LORD! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!

1 CHRONICLES 16:8 NKJV

The practice of gratitude is a powerful tool in directing our attention to the good things of this life—the good gifts God has given us. We don’t have to ignore our needs or the very real pressures we are under. We can bring those to God in prayer, knowing he hears us. But let’s not stop there.

Today, take the time to make a gratitude list. What are the things you are thankful for? Who are the people in your life that you are grateful for? Nothing is too small if...