Ponder it prayerfully: There are times in life where God desires to guide us with specific instructions, giving us a blueprint of sorts. We see this in action in the life of Noah, who was called by God to build an ark that would enable him and his family live out their days fully on this earth. At this point in history, God was about to flood the earth due to the depravity of mankind, and Noah was the only man that honored God with his life, thus God chose to honor him by sparing his life and that of his family. Noah had a huge part to play, though, and that required great listening skills, and an obedient heart. He had to follow God’s instructions to the T. Any error and the ark would not have made it through the storm.

God’s blueprint for your life is hardly random. God is a very specific and intentional God and there is always a purpose to His instructions. Therefore, it is very important for us to continually sharpen our spiritual ears, so we can do exactly as the Lord has instructed us to do, to His exact specifications. If we fail to follow His specific blueprint, we may miss out on God’s best, which can prevent us from entering our promised land. Just ask Moses, who, after doing everything exactly as God instructed him in leading the Israelites out of Egypt, got frustrated with the Israelites complaints and neglected to do what God had instructed him to do: “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water.” Moses, in frustration struck the rock instead of speaking to it (Numbers 20:7-12). His disobedience caused him to miss out entering the Promised Land with the rest of the Israelites.

Be a doer (James 1:22): It’s important that we, as Christians and ambassadors of the gospel of grace, incline our ears always to the voice of God, listening intently to what He tells us to do, and obeying promptly. It’s been said that delayed obedience is disobedience.  Listen intently for God’s voice and as He speaks to you, do as He says, the way He tells it to do it. Quick obedience sharpens our hearing skills, thus the more we respond with obedience, the clearer His voice becomes in our lives.

There are specific instructions God wants to give you for your life, for the situations and circumstances you might find yourself in. Don’t allow the frustrations of your circumstances weigh on you so heavily, that it prevents you from following God’s specific instructions. Incline your ear to His voice today, and when you hear His instructions, like Noah, be quick to respond and obedient to those instructions. Are you listening?

Hide it in your heart (Psalm 119:11): My son, give attention to my words; incline your ears to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your heart; for they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh. (Proverbs 4:20-23)

Pray it personally:  Heavenly Father, I come before Your throne of Grace, thanking you for the privilege of being able to hear Your voice and be lead by the Holy Spirit according to Your will. I declare by faith that I am able to hear Your voice clearly, and I thank You for the grace to hear and obey Your instructions exactly as you instruct me to do. Forgive me for the times when I’ve been presumptuous and haven’t followed Your instructions your way. Thank You Lord for hearing the cry of my heart, and enabling me be all You have called me to be. By Your grace, I will accomplish my purpose on this earth and bring glory to Your Name, in Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Ponder It Prayerfully: Hearing the voice of God is something most of us as Christians want to be able to do in our daily walk with God. You’ve heard some ministers or people you look up to spiritually say, “I heard God say…” or “God told me…”, and you wonder, “Will I ever be able to hear God like they can?” This used to be my number one concern and I remember confiding my fears to a friend of mine. I told him that I didn’t think I was one of the people God will ever speak to. I remember being at prophetic conferences and it seemed like everyone but me would get a rhema word from the Lord. I realize now that I was looking for God to speak to me the way I wanted or expected. I expected God to speak to be with a booming voice, just like in the movies. It frustrated me when that did not seem to happen. Then I remembered what my friend told me. He said, “It’s not like God has a speech impediment or something”. That statement set me free, and helped me realize that I certainly could hear the voice of God – I just needed to listen.

We often make the voice of God so grandiose and inaccessible; resolving in our own minds that hearing His voice is reserved only for the “elite” Christians, whatever that means. Truth is, God is always speaking but are you always listening? Or are you so distracted by the frantic pace and busyness of everyday life? The fact is sometimes, we forget to turn the dial and tune into God’s voice. Or sometimes, we are tuned into the wrong frequency (our thoughts, emotions, feelings, people’s opinions) and not the right one (God’s voice). Like a radio, until you tune into the right frequency, the voice of God will always be unclear to you. Furthermore, like I did, we expect God to speak a certain way but as we can see in the scripture above, God does not always speak in the way we would expect. We’ve got now train our ears to hear clearly the voice of our Heavenly Father, and let our hearts be open to the ways God would choose to speak to us.

There are certain things that can mute the voice of God in our lives, and some of them include busyness, the presence of sin in our lives, and distraction. Someone once said the word “BUSY” is really an acronym for this statement: Bound Under Satan’s Yoke.  It does seem that way sometimes, doesn’t it? Satan, the enemy of your heart, likes it that way. He wants you confused and in a foggy state, because this can prevent you from fulfilling your God-given destiny. But that will never be so, in Jesus’ Name!

Be a Doer (James 1:22): How can we hear God’s voice more clearly? For one, recognize that God is always speaking, and it is up to us to listen. De-clutter your life, spend more time in God’s presence by praying, and seek His face first thing in the morning. I know it’s hard sometimes, but spending time in God’s presence is something you cannot afford to miss out on. I mean, how can you get to learn to recognize someone’s voice without spending an amount of time in their presence? Spending time in His presence can involve reading the His word, listening to praise and worship music, or just simply listening in silence. It doesn’t have to be complicated or even a certain length. Be open to the way God will reveal Himself to you…it could be through His word, a word from someone else, or a nudge deep down in your spirit. Either way, God knows how to get your attention and He is always speaking. Finally, make sure that there no unconfessed sins in your life. Like David did in Psalm 139:23-24, ask God to examine your thoughts and reveal any hidden sins in your life…He will. When He does reveal those sins, confess them and repent.

Someone once said that God gave us a clue concerning listening to Him…He put the word “ear” in the word “heart”; thus, with the “ear” in the center of our heart, we are now able to heart His voice. God is always listening, so like Elijah did, take time to listen!

Hide It In Your Heart (Psalm 119:11): My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. [John 10:27-28]

Pray it personally:  Almighty and everlasting Father, I thank You for Your grace and Your mercy, and the fact that You are always speaking, guiding and directing me as I go on this journey of life. I admit that sometimes it is hard for me to hear Your voice due to the clutter and noise in my life. Forgive me for allowing the distractions of everyday life prevent me abiding in Your presence. I pray that you would reveal any hidden sin lurking in my past and give me the grace to confess and repent from those sins. I know You are always speaking and I will incline the ears of my heart to your voice, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Ponder It Prayerfully: God tells us in His word that we as Christians have been given “exceeding great and precious promises” (2 Peter 1:4). This is an exciting thought. As such, we wait… and wait… and wait…  in expectancy for these great promises. It’s sometimes tempting to feel betrayed because you see everyone around you receiving exactly what they’ve been praying and believing for, and there you are… still waiting patiently after X amount of years.

But let me ask you…how have you been waiting? Do you still believe God can do what He has promised you, or that He is willing to fulfill that promise? Have you considered the character of God, knowing that He is not a man that He should lie, and that what He promised He will fulfill? Have you gotten so tired of waiting that like Sarah, you begin to laugh the laugh of unbelief (Genesis 18:12)?

There is a set time for God to bring about His promises in your life, but you have to trust His timing. Disappointment and bitterness often ensue when we begin to confuse our timing with God’s set time. Furthermore, confusing God’s set date with our own self-imposed due date makes us do foolish things. Just ask Sarah (Genesis 16). Sarah’s laugh of unbelief was an indication to God that she wasn’t yet ready to receive the promise. God knew that her womb of faith was not mature to carry to term the promise He had given her. It wasn’t until she was able to judge God “reliable, trustworthy and true to His word (Hebrews 11:11) that she received the promise… at the right time (Genesis 21:2).

Be a Doer (James 1:22): Likewise, until we are able to consider God who made that promise to you faithful, reliable and true to His word; until our womb of faith matures enough to carry the promise without aborting it, we will not receive the promise. Things are usually birthed in the spiritual before they manifest in the physical, so the moment you prayed about your situation, God heard and answered, and at the set time, it will manifest in this physical realm.

While you are patiently waiting, trust Him. Pursue with passion the Promise-Giver and not the promise. Know that nothing is impossible with the Lord and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). This is not the time to waver in unbelief, but to trust God and allow Him to mature you so you will be able to handle all He has for you. Know that with each day you are one step closer to receiving that promise, and at the set time, it will come to pass.

Hide It In Your Heart (Psalm 119:11): And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.(Galatians 6:9.)

Pray It Personally:  Heavenly Father, I come before Your throne of Grace excited about the great future You have planned for me. You are well able to do all that You have promised me and so I will wait patiently for the promise, trusting in Your faithfulness, for all Your promises are YES and AMEN! Forgive me for laughing in unbelief, when I should be laughing in faith. I trust You, and I know that at the set time, the promise will come to pass. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Ponder It Prayerfully: We all have those moments when we’re busy going on our merry way, enjoying our new beginning, and a spanner is thrown into the works – a misunderstanding, a fight with a friend, a contract not being approved, or just having one of those long days that begins with being stuck in traffic and ends with a cut from the Saran-wrap box.

When we’re trying to start over, the enemy does his best to distract us and convince us that it is impossible for us to change or move forward. It is in his best interests, after all, that we remain stagnated. We might begin to feel like it is impossible to break a habit, it’s pointless to start fresh, or that we have not done as wonderfully as we should and God is not pleased with us. All these are lies, of course, but it is very easy for us, and particularly for women, who have the capability to find the emotive in even the most mathematical issues, to internalize these lies and begin to do what many call playing the tape over and over.

For many people, one experience that comes with the new year is loneliness. Surprising, isn’t it? For the student, it’s back to school. For the single woman, January is that month that lies between Christmas and Valentine’s Day. For the worker, it may be that dry financial month after all the spending. People try to start over, but many have to ‘rebuild the altars’ (1 Kings 18:32) and recover from all that went on during the previous month or even year.

And that’s where the verse at the beginning of this devotion comes in. One wonderful way to combat depression and loneliness is to find people to love (another way is praise! – Isaiah 61). As children of God, we always have something to give and someone to share it with, even if it is just a smile, or a cup of coffee. One guaranteed way of helping ourselves enjoy starting over is by using our free time to do kind things for other people. Jesus said that people will know we are His disciples if we love not ourselves, or our jobs, or our ministries, but one another. What does love do?

Be A Doer: We demonstrate our love for others by putting them first and by giving them that royal treatment we might wish someone would shower on us. We love people by praying for them, and by sharing not just food, shelter, clothing, money, but also our time, our space, our laughs, their tears, our hugs. We love by listening – not judging people on sight, but being willing to hear their stories, because it is impossible to convince a person that you are interested in their eternal destiny if you have not even bothered to ask them how their day has been. Everybody wants to feel significant, and one reason God gave us to each other is so that we would know that we matter – we are significant – to Him.

Jesus is always available and approachable. He is attentive to our needs and our stories. See Him passing through Samaria and speaking with the woman at the well in John 4. Hear Him say to a hated tax-collector, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry – I’m having dinner at your place today.’ (Luke 19:5.) Watch Him listen to and speak with Mary in Luke 10. And He is the same today. He keeps our secrets, forgives our sins, and tells it to us like it is. While He was on earth, He demonstrated love by giving of Himself, and finally giving Himself as a ransom for our sakes. He told us to love one another as He has loved us (John 13:34). And how did He love us? With the greatest love:

Hide It In Your Heart: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).

Pray It Personally: Heavenly Father, this new beginning, this new year, is not about me, but about You. Every single aspect of my life exists to glorify You. When I am curled up in a corner, pitying myself, I am not honoring You. Forgive me for the times when I have forgotten the big picture and focused on the minor inconveniences of this realm. Help me to remember that You are closer than my thoughts, and that the end to loneliness is often as simple as asking You to give me somebody to love. Help me to be so busy loving others that I have no time to worry about problems that You have promised to solve. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Ponder It Prayerfully: I am an avid outdoor runner and sometime last year, I began training for a half-marathon, an incredible feat, I know. Contemplating running a half-marathon was very overwhelming at first, especially when I realized how many miles I would be running (a whopping 13.1 miles), but I decided to take it one day at a time (or in my case, one mile at a time). A week before the big race, I decided to practice running the full 13.1 miles, just to see if I could do it. I did run it all without passing out, praise God. When the big day came, I thought to myself, “No biggie, I can do this!” At mile 6, I wasn’t so sure but decided to keep taking it one mile at a time. At mile 10, I was about ready to quit but I remembered I had done this before…I had completed the run a week before during my practice run. Once I realized that I had it in me to complete it, I got my second wind back and completed that race, and in good time too.

Often times, when we think of our future or the potential wait time in receiving the breakthrough we’ve been hoping for, it can get overwhelming. We think to ourselves, “If this doesn’t happen for me this year, there’s no way I can keep on keeping on.”  We get bogged down, weary, no wind in our sails, and just plain old tired: Tired of believing; Tired of hoping; Tired of praying; Tired, tired, TIRED.

Don’t give up just yet, though. Yes you can wait a little bit longer; you can keep believing, hoping, and praying for that breakthrough. Why? Because God has already seen you do this; He has already seen you grab a hold of what He has for you. Things are usually birthed in the spiritual before they manifest in the physical. Giving up now will do you no good.

Be A Doer (James 1:22): How does one avert the temptation to quit? How does one keep pressing forward when one feels a cramp in their spiritual muscles? Glad you asked!  For one, take it one step at a time; one day at a time. In Matthew 6, Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things (vs. 34). It’s been said that a majority of the things we worry about never actually happen so what sense does it make to worry? Can you keep pressing forward for one more day?

Secondly, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus. He is already at the finish line cheering you on. If you keep your gaze fixed on Him, and not how far you have to go, you will make it to the finish line.

Finally, remember, your Heavenly Father will never give you more than you can handle. The fact that you are in this place, waiting, is actually a compliment to you because it shows that God knows you have what it takes to make it to the finish line. He especially picked you for this “mission”. You might say you can’t; He says you can!

Now is certainly not the time to quit. Don’t lose steam now. Keep pressing forward, and you will grab a hold of all that Almighty God has in store for you.

Hide It In Your Heart (Psalm 119:11): I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of God in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13, NKJV.)

Pray It Personally:  Heavenly Father, I thank You for giving me the grace to keep waiting and believing for the breakthrough You promised me.  I have wavered in unbelief from time to time because it seems like nothing was happening. I am sorry for my lack of belief; please help my unbelief. I know You are working behind the scenes in my life and You will bring the promise to pass, so like Sarah, I will consider You reliable, and trustworthy, and true to Your word. I will not lose heart, but will keep on keeping on. Thank You Father for the great things You have for me this year and by faith, I grab a hold of all of them, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Ponder It Prayerfully: Many times in life, we face disappointments. The dictionary defines the word disappointment as “the feeling of sadness or displeasure caused by the non-fulfillment of one’s hopes or expectations”.

2011 could have been a huge disappointment for you, with a plethora of dashed hopes and dreams, broken relationships, lost opportunities, loss of loved ones, and the like. It’s so easy to have a dim view of the future when you’ve just had a year that has left a bad taste in your mouth. BUT, as long as God is still on the throne, your disappointment can become your greatest appointment! With God, your test can become your greatest testimony. I realize that this statement has been used quite a few times in Christendom and can become more of a meaningless platitude than anything but I will say it again: your greatest test can become your greatest testimony.

Remember David, who at a young age was appointed to become king of all Israel. Saul, previously king but rejected by the Lord due to his disobedience, became increasingly jealous of David’s rising popularity and relentlessly sought to kill him. It would take David a number of years before he became king of all Israel (1 Samuel 17:18-31).

Remember Joseph, Jacob’s beloved son who at a young age had dreams which revealed that he would become an influential leader. The dreams appeared to have been cut short when he was sold into slavery by his brothers. It would be fourteen years before Joseph’s dream would be realized (Genesis 37; 39-41).

Both David and Joseph must have been disappointed and discouraged. But the story did not end at disappointment. God did something big in their lives… and He can do the same for you!

Be a doer (James 1:22): Sometimes, the disappointments of life can make us jaded in our outlook. One might figure, “Well… this always happens to me, I never get any good breaks so I might as well get used to it.” That is a dangerous thinking pattern and has to be broken. It can be interrupted by adhering to the truths and promises of God over your life. If He says He has a great future planned for you (Jeremiah 29:11), then believe and grab a hold of that. If He says your latter days will be greater than your past (Haggai 2:9; Romans 8:18), embrace that. As long as you belong to God, every disappointment that comes your way has to go through His hands.

So, what disappointments have come your way lately? Realize that that closed door is probably closed for a reason. Quit griping about what could have been and instead grab a hold of the promises of God over your life. His appointment will be greater than any disappointment you’ve ever faced.

Hide it in your heart (Psalm 119:11): And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Pray it Personally: Heavenly Father, I come before Your Throne of Grace thanking You for being God over my life, and over every disappointment that I have faced, I’m currently facing, and will face in the future. I know that I know You have a great plan for my life, and this disappointment I am facing is not due to anything I have done. But Lord, search my heart and my intentions; see if there’s any wicked way within me, and lead me in the way everlasting. You have closed this door of opportunity for a reason and I am disappointed, but I know that you have another door… a bigger and better one that will bring You glory, and ultimately benefit the Kingdom, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Read It Aloud:

Ponder It Prayerfully: Waiting is not something many of us like to do. But it is a necessary part of our walk with God. In Matthew 7:7, we are told, “Knock, and the door will be opened to you.” As a friend was kind enough to remind me, after you knock on a door, you don’t run away, as though it were a prank. No; instead, you wait patiently for the person to answer/open it. God says to us in Isaiah that there will be times when He answers before we call. Sometimes the answer comes before we even formulate the question or know the need. Sometimes it comes as soon as the thought comes to our minds. And sometimes, there is a period between the knocking and the opening, the asking and the receiving, the seeking and the finding.

As we start this year, let’s remember people like David, who persevered in prayer until they heard from God. Let’s remember stories like the widow before the judge in Luke 18 and Elijah praying for rain 1 Kings 18. We are told the Lord inclined to David – that is, He leaned forward to listen to David. This does not show that the Lord was distant or needed to move closer so He could hear; rather, it demonstrates His love and His willingness to hear our petitions.

Just like God heard David’s cry, He hears mine and yours today. No prayer goes unanswered. Someone dear to me once encouraged me by saying something profound and powerful: “If you have prayed, God is moving.”

Be a Doer (James 1:22): We may have many hopes and dreams. Some of them might seem unattainable. But have we prayed about them? For many things, it’s as simple as just asking God. If we have prayed, are we waiting patiently? To say that one has waited patiently implies that it is possible to wait impatiently. A person who waits impatiently for the Lord does so while murmuring, sulking, speaking rash, unwholesome words, or trying to “help” God by seeking man-made solutions.

But as we see today, God hears us, which means the answer must come. We are told that those who look to God are not covered with shame (Psalm 34:5). While we wait, He comforts, encourages, inspires us, and He lightens our load. As we believe God for big things in our lives today and always, let’s wait patiently, not impatiently. While we wait for Him, let’s also wait on him – by serving Him and ‘catering’ to Him. After all, we don’t serve Him for what we can get out of Him. Let it not be said that our answer came and found us long gone, or that the door was opened and there was nobody there.

Hide It In Your Heart (Psalm 119:11): Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD (Psalm 27:14).

Pray It Personally: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word today. Sometimes I’d rather not wait, but Your Word tells me that patience is better than pride, a fruit of the Spirit, a sign of love, and a developer of character. Help me to trust You as I wait on Your answers for me. Let me not forget Your mercies to me and the many times You have come through for me when I waited. As I prepare to hear from You on ______, help me to take comfort in the fact that You are with me always, You hear my prayers, You strengthen my heart, and You love me. Let my life truly testify that nobody who waits on You will be weakened or ashamed, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Ponder It Prayerfully: There are times in this life when we will go through seasons of deep sadness due to a loss, a disappointment, or the like. In these moments, it can be quite tempting to continue mourning, even when the season of mourning is over. Yes, there is a set time for mourning, and when that time is over, moving on is the next step. Now, I realize that some of you may be experiencing a deep loss right now and as such, the phrase “move on” may seem a bit harsh. That’s certainly not my intention. But like the Apostle Paul reminds us in his letter to the Thessalonians, if we believe that Jesus Christ died and rose again, then we ought not sorrow as others who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14).

In 1 Samuel 12, King David goes through a season of mourning when he received the news that his son is going to die as a consequence of his sin. The Bible mentions that David pleads with God for his child day and night, neglecting food and his appearance, asking the Lord to spare his child. Alas, the child dies and David immediately gets up, washes himself, and eats. David stopped grieving because it was time to stop: “..But now he is dead; why should I fast/grieve? Can I bring him back again?” (Verse 23).

Be a Doer (James 1:22):  To mourn in Zion is simply to mourn with Jesus at the center. Mount Zion in the word of God denotes where God’s presence dwells (Psalm 68:16). When we focus on Jesus even during a season of mourning, when we mourn in God’s presence, we will not sorrow as those who have no hope, but as those who belong to God Almighty, and as such, are comforted by the God of ALL comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3). It is certainly okay to mourn. Even Jesus wept when Lazarus died (John 11:35), but His weeping was not in hopeless grief, for He would later on raise Lazarus up from the dead. So yes, mourning is not a bad thing, but even in mourning, you can have hope. Why? It is because God Almighty is still on the throne, and He has promised to make everything beautiful in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Are you in a season of mourning? Take heart, for you are not forgotten. Call on the God of ALL comfort, draw from His strength, and when it is time, move on, for great things await you on the other side of this mountain.

Hide It In Your Heart (Psalm 119:11): To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:…a time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn and a time to dance... Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. (Ecclesiastes 3:1&5, Matthew 5:4)

Pray It Personally: Heavenly Father, I come before Your throne of grace thanking You for yet another day of Your grace and favor. I thank You for being the source of ALL comfort and I ask that You would comfort me during this season of mourning. I know that because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross for me, I have hope, even during this period. As such, I will not mourn as if I have no hope. I will mourn in You, knowing that You will give me the grace to walk through this season, and that You will give me beauty for ashes. I trust You, Almighty God, and I thank You for answered prayers. In Jesus’ Name I pray and believe, Amen.

Ponder It Prayerfully: There are times in life where we ought to give up, as in, pick our battles and let go, allowing God to do the work that needs to be done, and trusting Him to fight our battles for us. Then there are other times we need to trust God by fighting, holding on, never giving up, being unreservedly tenacious. Some of the adjectives that describe the word ‘Tenacious’ include, but are not limited to: holding fast; persistent, stubborn, or obstinate; holding together; tough; not easily pulled asunder.

How is the state of your heart when, having gone through a disappointing past, you are now faced with a very uncertain future? How is your heart when a sudden trial comes knocking at your door? How are you when yet another year has come without a breakthrough in your circumstance? Do you say, “You know what? I don’t think this Christian thing is for me”?  Do you decide that what you’re trusting God for is just too big for Him to accomplish? (As if!) Or do you grit your teeth and refuse to give up?

The Word of God is filled with numerous accounts of people that were unreservedly tenacious. One such person was Job. We all know his story. He was faced with everything that could go wrong in a person’s life and yet, he never gave up, even when encouraged to do so by his wife. The Apostle Paul, who penned the scripture above, was yet another tenacious individual. He went through a good number of trails, and yet, his faith and trust in Almighty God never seemed to wane.

Be a Doer (James 1:22): To remain stubbornly tenacious when it comes to our purpose and the dreams God has placed in our hearts, we need not “curse God and die” as Job’s wife would suggest. Instead, learn to trust God…and you’ll live! Resolve in your heart, when faced with trials, that you will never give up on God – because He’ll certainly never give up on you. He has a relentless love for you, despite all your short-comings. Rest in the fact that God will always make a way where there seems to be no way, for nothing is too hard for him.

So, are you being pressed on every side by trouble? Rest in the fact that the Lord will make sure that trouble doesn’t crush you. Are you perplexed/uncertain about something in your life? Are you unable to find a way out? Trust God…He is The Way out! Are you being persecuted? Trust God…He will never desert you. In fact, NOTHING can separate you from His love for you!

Nothing will be able to destroy you! Like a palm tree that persistently springs back up no matter the damage done to it by monstrous winds, you too will be able to spring back up even after having faced/or  currently facing a trial of monstrous proportions. God is able, and He will make all grace abound towards you. Resolve in your heart now to face this New Year with tenacious tenacity. Quitting is so overrated, so don’t quit!

Hide It In Your Heart (Psalm 119:11): I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His word I do hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning – yes, more than those who watch for the morning… (Psalm 130:5-6.)

Pray It Personally: Father, I thank You for being a God who is attentive to the cries of His children. Today, I come before your throne of grace knowing that You haven’t given me the spirit of fear but of power, love, and a sound mind. Therefore, I can face my future not with fear but with expectation, knowing that whatever comes my way will not destroy me, in Jesus’ Name! I thank You for enabling me to be unyielding, immovable, and tenacious in the face of this trial I am facing. I know that You are mighty to save and deliver, and I know that You will deliver me. Thank You Lord for all You will do in my life. In the mighty name of Jesus I ask and pray, Amen.

Ponder It Prayerfully: Jesus told us in Luke 6:38 that whatever we give to others, we will receive in return. However, this should not be the only motivation for doing good. His command to us to love one another is one wonderful reason for us to plant fresh seeds as we gain momentum in our new beginning this year.

“There is he that scattereth,” we are told in Proverbs, “and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, and it tendeth to poverty.” It sounds like it should be the opposite. How do you scatter, and increase? How is it that hoarding is one way to poverty?

Remember the Israelites, in the wilderness, when they were told to gather just enough manna for the day. A few people gathered more than was necessary, and scripture tells us it bred worms and stank (Exodus 16:11-20). I believe it is the same with us today. Those who choose to love others, share spiritually, materially, and intellectually, and give of their time to the glory of God, tend to be blessed in various aspects of their life, including the ways in which they have blessed others. Those who choose to hold back will usually deny themselves the safety of wise counsel, correction from those more experienced, and possibly even affection from others. There is always somebody to love. There is always somebody to share our blessings with.

As children of God, we are builders of good, not destroyers. We are encouragers of the saints, not slanderers. We are the light of the world, not a candle under a bushel. We sow love, and not hatred; forgiveness, not grudges; peace, not drama and chaos. Every encounter is an opportunity to plant a seed, and there will be a harvest.

Be a Doer (James 1:22): The Bible speaks of two kinds of seed that relate to our devotion today. The first type of seed is children of God. It has been pointed out that just like every seed brings forth of its own kind (Genesis 1:11), we are seeds that Jesus has planted, and we can bring forth of our own kind. God commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28), and I hear Him give the same command to His saints today. In order to leave legacies, we must remember that it is not about us. Twelve men that walked with Jesus have multiplied into billions of souls today. In the same way, those we disciple will disciple others, multiplying further what Jesus already started. We do this by planting the second kind of seed, which is:

The Word of God. This type of seed can be very difficult and even frustrating to plant. It has been rejected by many for generations. But there are many as well who receive it, grow from it, and bring forth plentifully. We may not all be pastors or teachers, but we are all called to obey the Great Commission.

Whatever we plant, it must be done in love, remembering that without Jesus, we can accomplish absolutely nothing.

Hide It In Your Heart (Psalm 119:11): I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing (John 15:5).

Pray It Personally: Father in heaven, thank You for Your Word, and for the enlightenment it brings. Thank You, Lord of the harvest, for the opportunity to be a laborer in Your fields. I ask that You would help me to see things from an eternal perspective, and remember that every encounter is an opportunity to witness. I choose to depend on You for the strength to do it. Forgive me for the times when I have sown malice, chaos, and destruction. Thank You because I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.