Download 00-01_Hope for Each Day.indd

January 1 – Morning
New Year, New Ways
“Consider your ways.”
Haggai 1:5
M
aking New Year’s resolutions and not keeping
them is a universal experience. We may be sincere when we make them, but then we find them too
hard to keep, or perhaps we forget all about them.
Let me give you two reasons why it can be good to
make resolutions at the beginning of a new year. First,
it forces us to look at ourselves—to be honest about our
failures and our need to change. Many New Year’s resolutions are unrealistic or only wishful thinking, but the
exercise of examining ourselves—with God’s help—and
seeing where we fall short is important.
Second, making a list of resolutions can turn us to
God. If we are honest, we know we fall far short of being
what we ought to be—and because of that, we need God’s
forgiveness. We’ll also realize that we can’t live the way
we should in our own strength. We need God’s help.
Begin this year by making resolutions—especially
the resolution to open your heart and life to Jesus Christ
more than you ever have before.
4 00-01_Hope for Each Day.indd 4
1/13/12 5:08 PM
January 1 – Evening
In Tune with the Master
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 32:7
O
ut West an old sheepherder had a violin, but it
was out of tune. He had no way of tuning it, so
in desperation he wrote to one of the radio stations and
asked them at a certain hour on a certain day to strike
the tone A. The officials of the station decided they
would accommodate the old fellow, and on that particular day the true tone of A was broadcast. His fiddle was
thus tuned, and once more his cabin echoed with joyful
music.
When we live apart from God, our lives get out of
tune—out of harmony with others and with God. But if
we live in tune with the Master, we, too, will find ourselves surrounded by His beautiful music.
As this new year begins, ask God to help you tune
your life every day to His Word, so you can bring harmony and joy to those around you.
5 00-01_Hope for Each Day.indd 5
1/13/12 5:08 PM
January 2 – Morning
Hope for the Future
If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things
have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17
A
s we start a new year, the Bible tells us there can
be hope for the future.
First, there is hope of a changed person. No matter
how hard we try, we are incapable of ridding ourselves
of the selfishness and greed that cause conflict and
strife and war. Our only hope is a changed heart—and
Jesus is in the business of changing hearts.
Second, there is hope of a changed world. When we
know Christ, He gives us by His Spirit a new love and
concern for others. We can no longer be indifferent to
their sufferings, and we’ll want to do something about
them. Changed by Christ, we can begin to change our
world.
Third, there is hope of an unchanging eternity in
Heaven. This world is not all there is. Someday all its pain
and heartache will come to an end for those who know
Christ (Revelation 21:4). Evil and death will be abolished,
and we will be safely in God’s presence forever.
As you read the headlines or look at your own life,
you may be wondering if there is any hope. The answer
from the Bible is a resounding yes.
6 00-01_Hope for Each Day.indd 6
1/13/12 5:08 PM
January 2 – Evening
The Sun Still Shining
They looked . . . and behold, the glory of the
LORD appeared in the cloud.
Exodus 16:10
W
ithout the clouds we would not be shielded from
the burning sun. Without the clouds there would
be no lavish sunsets, no beneficial rain, no beautiful
landscapes.
The same is true with life’s clouds. When hard times
come, we easily get discouraged. But behind the clouds
God is still present, and can even use them to water
our souls with unexpected blessings. Longfellow once
wrote: “Be still, sad heart, and cease repining; behind
the clouds is the sun still shining.” As God’s people
wandered in the wilderness, He declared, “Behold, I
come to you in the thick cloud” (Exodus 19:9).
Each of us experiences clouds in life—sometimes
slight, but sometimes dark and frightening. Whatever
clouds you face today, ask Jesus, the Light of the World,
to help you look behind the cloud to see His glory and
His plans for you.
7 00-01_Hope for Each Day.indd 7
1/13/12 5:08 PM
January 3 – Morning
Your Purpose in Life
Teach me Your way, O LORD,
And lead me in a smooth path.
Psalm 27:11
G
od has a plan or purpose for every person, although
many people go through life without ever thinking about it. But their lack of awareness doesn’t change
the fact that God put each of us here for a purpose.
We aren’t here by accident. We are here because
God put us here. And He put us here for a reason: so we
could come to know Him in a personal way and then
live in a way that brings glory to His name.
This is the greatest discovery you will ever make:
you were created to know God and to be His friend forever. When I was young, my mother taught me from our
church’s catechism that “the chief end [or purpose] of
man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”
But God not only has a general purpose for each of
us; He also has a specific plan for each of our lives. Don’t
wander through life without any purpose or direction,
but pray and seek God’s will, and learn to follow Him.
8 00-01_Hope for Each Day.indd 8
1/13/12 5:08 PM
January 3 – Evening
A Spring for the Soul
For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light we see light.
Psalm 36:9
S
adly, many people get their happiness only from
outward circumstances. As long as their lives are
untroubled, they feel happy. But when illness strikes,
a relationship breaks down, or any other unexpected
troubles engulfs them, then happiness flees.
Near my home is a spring that never varies its flow.
Floods may rage, but its output doesn’t increase. A long
summer’s drought may come, but it won’t decrease. Its
flow is steady, reliable, and unending.
Such is the peace we all yearn for—and such is the
peace Jesus promises to all who trust in Him: “The
water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. . . . My
peace I give to you” (John 4:14; 14:27).
Have you come to that unending spring—which is
Christ? Are you coming to Him each day?
9 00-01_Hope for Each Day.indd 9
1/13/12 5:08 PM
January 4 – Morning
Revival Begins with You
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Matthew 4:17
I
f Christianity is important at all, then it is all-important.
If it is anything at all, then it is everything. It is either
the most vital thing in your life, or it isn’t worth bothering with.
So don’t give the lie to the Christian faith by professing Christ without possessing Him. Don’t lock the
church door with the key of inconsistency and keep the
lost from coming to Christ. Don’t hinder revival by your
unbelief and prayerlessness. Don’t cheat yourself out of
spiritual victory by allowing sin to imprison you. Seek
God’s face and turn from your wicked ways. Then you
will hear from Heaven and true revival will begin—
starting with you.
The Church holds the key to revival. It is within
our grasp. Will we rise to the challenge? Will we dare
pay the price? The supply of Heaven is adequate for the
demands of our spiritually starved world. Will we offer
that supply to the hungry masses?
May the revival that the world needs begin in you—
starting today.
10 00-01_Hope for Each Day.indd 10
1/13/12 5:08 PM
January 4 – Evening
The Promise Is Ours
“I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20
W
hen David Livingstone returned to his native
Scotland after sixteen difficult years as a missionary and explorer in Africa, his body was emaciated
by the ravages of some twenty-seven fevers that had
coursed through his veins during the years of his service. His left arm hung useless at his side, the result of
his being mangled by a lion.
Speaking to the students at Glasgow University, he
said, “Shall I tell you what sustained me during the hardship and loneliness of my exile? It was Christ’s promise,
‘Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ ”
That promise is ours as well. No matter what trials
we face, Christ never leaves us. He is with us every step
of the way! Keep that promise before you today—and
always.
11 00-01_Hope for Each Day.indd 11
1/13/12 5:08 PM
January 5 – Morning
He Is Here to Help
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Romans 8:35
A
fter His resurrection Jesus came to His disciples,
meeting them between the garden with its empty
tomb and the city with its mob still passionate with
hate. He said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My
brethren” (Matthew 28:10).
In the midst of a world filled with danger, hatred,
and war, the words of our Lord Jesus Christ are just as
relevant as when He spoke them. He still says to all who
love Him, “Do not be afraid.”
He comes to you in the hospital room or in the midst
of a family tragedy. He comes to you in the midst of an
unexpected business reversal or health crisis. And He
says, “Don’t be afraid. I’m alive, and I’m here to help
you. The cross shows the depth of My love, and the resurrection shows the extent of My power. Nothing can
ever separate you from Me!”
12 00-01_Hope for Each Day.indd 12
1/13/12 5:08 PM
January 5 – Evening
Tending to Our Earthly Tent
We know that if our earthly house, this tent, is
destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not
made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
2 Corinthians 5:1
H
er uncle had some very bad health habits that
would kill him if he didn’t stop them. But when
she shared her concern, he laughed and said he’d rather
enjoy his life, even if it shortened his days. Why, she
asked me, would anyone act like this?
I was first struck by his self-centeredness. Deliberately doing something that will cut short his life revealed
that he was thinking only about himself, and ignoring all
the hurt and sorrow his premature death would bring to
his family. Perhaps, I suggested, she could remind him of
this—as well as urge him to give his life to Christ.
But his situation got me to thinking: In what ways
might we be like him? What health rules are we violating? In what ways are we not taking care of the body
God has given us?
Someday each one of us who follows Jesus as our
Savior and Lord will leave behind our Earthly tent—our
flesh-and-bone body—and join Him in Heaven for eternity. But until that day—as the Bible says—“Glorify God
in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
13 00-01_Hope for Each Day.indd 13
1/13/12 5:08 PM
January 6 – Morning
Vision, Integrity, Presence
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind.
Romans 12:2
I
n many contexts, VIP means “Very Important Person.”
But the acronym also offers us a character test.
The V stands for VISION, for “where there is no
vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18 kjv). Having
a vision means seeing what can be done, what ought to
be done, and how to get it done. The highest vision we
can have is to glorify God by discovering God’s will for
our lives—and then doing it.
The letter I stands for INTEGRITY, meaning that a
person is the same on the inside as he or she appears on
the outside. There must be no discrepancy between what
we say and what we do, between our walk and our talk.
The P stands for PRESENCE—God’s presence in our
lives. Without God’s help we are doomed. Only in Christ
do we find out who we are, why we are here, and where
we are going—and only in Him do we find the power to
fulfill our God-given vision.
So be steadfast in your commitment to Christ, and
be a real VIP—a person with vision, integrity, and God’s
presence.
14 00-01_Hope for Each Day.indd 14
1/13/12 5:08 PM
January 6 – Evening
The Glory of God
“In My Father’s house are many mansions. . . .
I go to prepare a place for you.”
John 14:2
T
here was once a little boy who was riding alone on
a train, and the scenery was not too interesting. A
woman sitting beside him asked, “Are you tired of the
long ride?”
The boy smiled and said, “I’m a little tired, but I
don’t mind it much. You see, my father is going to meet
me when I get there.”
Sometimes we get tired of the burdens of life, but
we know that Jesus Christ will meet us at the end of
our life’s journey—and that makes all the difference.
Paul wrote, “Therefore we do not lose heart. . . . For the
things which are seen are temporary, but the things
which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16, 18).
Knowing we will be with Christ forever far outweighs
our burdens today! Keep your eyes on eternity!
15 00-01_Hope for Each Day.indd 15
1/13/12 5:08 PM
January 7 – Morning
How Will We Learn?
The unfolding of your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.
Psalm 119:130 niv
W
e know we ought to know more about the Bible—
but perhaps you’re like many Christians: it’s so
overwhelming you’ve never really gotten into it.
The first step is to realize what it is: God’s love letter to you.
From one end to the other, it tells of God’s love for
us—a love so great that He sent His Son into the world
to redeem us. You wouldn’t ignore a letter from someone who loved you; don’t ignore God’s love letter either.
Then think of ways you can learn about the Bible
from others—gifted teachers on the radio, your pastor’s sermons, group Bible studies, even books like this.
Some people have a special God-given gift for teaching
His Word, and they can help you learn more about it.
Finally, get acquainted with the Bible on your own.
Set aside a few quiet minutes and begin reading through
one of the gospels (such as John)—perhaps only a paragraph or two at first. Ask God to help you understand it
and apply it to your life every day.
16 00-01_Hope for Each Day.indd 16
1/13/12 5:08 PM
January 7 – Evening
A Spirit of Thankfulness
I have learned the secret of being content in
any and every situation.
Philippians 4:12 niv
S
ome years ago I visited a man who was wealthy and
successful, the envy of all his friends and business
associates. But as we talked, he broke down in tears,
confessing that he was miserable inside. Wealth had not
been able to fill the empty place in his heart.
A few hours later I visited another man who lived
only a few miles away. His cottage was humble, and he
had almost nothing in the way of this world’s possessions. Yet his face was radiant as he told me about the
work he was doing for Christ and how Christ had filled
his life with meaning and purpose.
I went away convinced that the second man was
really the richer man. Although he had very little, he
had learned to be thankful for everything God had given
him. A spirit of thankfulness makes all the difference.
17 00-01_Hope for Each Day.indd 17
1/13/12 5:08 PM