Turning Points with God: 365 Daily Devotions

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January 1

THE YEAR GOD HAS MADE

All the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

2 CORINTHIANS 1:20

Today’s a day like any other—the sun comes up and goes down, and time clicks along at its usual speed. But with our calendars and in our minds, today marks a new beginning, a chance to press the restart button of life. In His grace, God gives us a new day every twenty-four hours and a new year every 365 days. He’s the Lord of new beginnings and the King of fresh hope.

Think of it this way. Without Christ, we’re like passengers on a doomed ship, sailing into the night, fearing the storms ahead and hoping there’s enough entertainment on board to distract us from our forebodings. But with Him in our hearts, we’re sailing under a heavenly flag with the Captain of our salvation at the helm. We know this will be a good voyage—a great year—even if there are choppy waters along the way.

We can face the future without fear, for all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God. This is the year that the Lord has made! We will rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).

To Thee our prayers addressing, still ask Thee for Thy blessing: Grant us a joyful year.

PAUL EBER, THE LUTHERAN HYMNAL

January 2

THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT

The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things.

JOHN 14:26

It has become increasingly difficult in this day and age for us to hear our own thoughts and feelings. In order to keep up with life, it seems we must travel at the speed of society, never stopping to take a deep breath and listen to the Holy Spirit’s leading. As frustrating as this may be, it is not a new challenge.

When Jesus walked the earth, He was constantly surrounded by a multitude of people; but He knew that the most important relationship He could invest in was with His Father, for it was His Father’s voice that would lead and guide Him. Therefore, He spent a large amount of time in prayer and conversation with God.

A woman was once asked how she knew the voice of the Spirit. She answered, How do you know your husband’s step and your child’s cry from the steps and cries of all others? For her, the voice of the Spirit was as familiar as the unique sounds of her husband and child.

In order for us to be sensitive to the Spirit’s leading, we must spend time getting to know His voice, because the more intimately we know Him, the easier it will be to hear His voice above all others.

Father, quiet my heart and mind so I may hear the leading of Your Spirit in my life.

January 3

WHO’S SERVING WHOM?

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

MATTHEW 6:24

Pretend you are given a bank account that receives a fresh deposit of $86,400 every day. You are free to spend the money any way you want, but the unspent balance is not carried forward to the next day. Regardless of what you’ve spent by the end of the day, the balance is reset daily at $86,400. What would you do with such a bank account?

Now consider the fact that each dollar represents the number of seconds in one day: 24 hours per day x 60 minutes per hour x 60 seconds per minute = 86,400 seconds. Once they are spent, they disappear, and the balance is reset at 12:00:01 a.m. every day. Some people become slaves of what they have; they live frantic lives, trying to spend time, talent, and treasure before they lose those things. In so doing, they become servants of things that are supposed to serve them. Jesus said we cannot serve both God and money (things of this world). And the only way to keep our priorities straight is to have a wise, godly plan: today I’m going to glorify God this way with my time, talent, and treasure. Do you have such a plan?

To have a plan and not follow it is the same as having no plan at all.

We view all of life as a sacred trust to be used wisely.

MORAVIAN COVENANT FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING

January 4

IT TAKES A LIFETIME

Solid food belongs to those who are of full age . . . those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

HEBREWS 5:14

It has been said that the new birth takes but a moment; spiritual maturity takes a lifetime.

Nowhere is this more clearly demonstrated than in the Parable of the Sower, in which Jesus warns His disciples about the many different ways God’s Word will be received. He says that when some people receive the Word, it is snatched away by the devil as soon as it enters their hearts. Others receive the Word with joy but fall away during a time of temptation. Still others hear the Word yet remain entangled in the cares of the world, making it impossible for them to bring any spiritual fruit to maturity. Finally, Jesus tells of the ones who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience (Luke 8:11-15).

Spiritual maturity is the result of a continual process of growth that takes time and patience. If we remain rooted in the Word and nourished through prayer and fellowship with the Lord, we will surely see our faith grow as never before.

Christians should move on to spiritual maturity. We must feast on the meat of God’s Word and put into practice the lessons we have learned. It’s the only way to grow up.

HADDON W. ROBINSON

January 5

REMEMBERING AND RESPONDING

I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.

PSALM 119:16

Which is easier—to make your bed in the morning or leave it unmade? To volunteer for a community project or to watch TV all weekend? To vacuum, wash, and wax your car or to leave it dirty? The easiest choices reflect the Second Law of Thermodynamics: all work processes tend toward a greater state of disorder over time without fresh injections of new energy.

This law applies both physically and spiritually. Leave your car parked in a field, and it will rust and fall apart. The same will happen in your spiritual life. Forget to maintain the spiritual disciplines you have learned, and in time, your life will take on increasing signs of disorder. That’s what happened to the Israelites when they returned to Jerusalem from captivity. They started out obeying God, but in time they lost their energy. They stopped giving Him the first and best from their lives, and the prophet Malachi called them to account (Malachi 3:7-9). If you can see disorder creeping into your life, make sure you are still giving your first and best to God.

Remembering and responding to God’s will takes new energy every day. That’s just the way it is this side of heaven.

People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.

SAMUEL JOHNSON

January 6

$5.50

Take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the L

ORD

your God.

JOSHUA 23:11

When James E. Carter was pastor of University Baptist Church of Fort Worth, he shared an experience from younger days that he called the greatest tithing testimony I ever observed. He said that one day as he waited to see the manager of a grocery store, a widow came in to cash her old-age-assistance check for $55. The grocer asked how the woman wanted it, and she replied, It doesn’t make any difference, just so I have a five-dollar bill and a fifty-cent piece.

As the owner gave her the money, Carter noticed that she tucked the coin into the bill, folded it up, and placed it in a corner of her purse. This is my tithe, she explained. I put it separate so I won’t spend it. It was a scene Carter never forgot, and it later influenced his own faithfulness in the area of tithes and offerings.

That elderly woman didn’t have much, yet she honored God with her substance and with the first part of all her income. Stewardship is not merely a matter of obligation; it’s a matter of love. When you love someone, you want to express your gratitude and affection.

Our stewardship should be faithfully accomplished and lovingly practiced. Are we as wise as that wise, old widow?

You have to start tithing when you have little if you are going to tithe when you have much.

JAMES E. CARTER

January 7

VERSES OR CHAPTERS?

Your word I have hidden in my heart.

PSALM 119:11

Michael Billester visited eastern Poland during the late 1930s and gave a Bible to one of the villagers while there. The villager read it, was converted, and passed the book to two hundred others, who were all saved by reading it. When Billester returned in 1940, the group gathered for a worship service, and he suggested they all recite a few Bible verses they had memorized. A man stood up and said, Perhaps we have misunderstood. Did you mean verses or chapters? Billester was astonished to learn that the people had memorized whole chapters of the Bible. In fact, together, the two hundred villagers knew almost the entire Bible by heart.

We need to view committing Scripture to memory to be as important as the Polish villagers did. Value its power and effectiveness in our lives as much as Jesus did when He used it to defend Himself against Satan’s temptations.

Remember the true purpose for memorizing Scripture—that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil (Ephesians 6:11)—and make it a priority to spend some time etching the Word of God into your heart and mind.

Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the Book widens and deepens with our years.

CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON

January 8

EYES ON THE PLATE

Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury.

MARK 12:41

How would you feel if your pastor followed the ushers down the aisle one Sunday, inspecting what you put into the offering plate? In a sense, that’s exactly what Jesus did in Mark 12. He watched carefully as the people brought their money to the Temple and offered it to the Lord. After all, it was His Father’s house, and He had good reason to inspect what was taking place.

We think that what we do with our money is our business; but it’s God’s business, and He doesn’t apologize for watching with intense interest to see what we do with our income.

Notice, however, that Jesus wasn’t impressed with the amounts given that day but rather with the heart attitudes of the givers. The least giver of all, the widow who had only two mites, was the largest giver in Jesus’ book, for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty (Mark 12:44).

Remember, Jesus is watching, and the Lord is interested in how we manage our money. After all, we’re simply His stewards.

The most obvious lesson in Christ’s teaching is that there is no happiness in having or getting anything, but only in giving.

HENRY DRUMMOND

January 9

GOD’S GREAT SECRET

This is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 JOHN 5:4

The British preacher Charles Spurgeon had a magazine entitled The Sword and the Trowel that was popular throughout England in the late 1800s. In one issue, Spurgeon wrote an editorial in which he compared life with a maze, indicating that life is confusing, but there is a key. Spurgeon wrote, God himself has spoken the great secret. It is one word, ‘FAITH’—faith in Jesus for pardon, faith in the Father for providential provision, faith in the Holy Spirit for all grace. In ordinary pathways men walk by sight; but in the way of life, if we would prosper, we must walk by faith. God is unseen, but He is ever near to those who trust Him. His promises are sure, and He is ever ready to fulfill them. He hears and answers the prayers of believing souls. There is reality in His presence, and true support in His comforts.

If you’ve entrusted God with your eternal soul, don’t you think you should trust Him with your daily needs and burdens? Shouldn’t you trust Him enough to give your offerings? Enough to claim the daily strength He offers?

Yes, yes, and yes again! Faith is God’s secret for the Christian, and you can trust Him today.

Follow the clue of faith without leaning to your own understanding, and you shall thread the maze of life.

CHARLES HADDON SPURGEON

January 10

WHO AM I?

[John the Baptist] said: I am ‘the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the L

ORD

,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.

JOHN 1:23

God said, I AM WHO I AM (Exodus 3:14). Abraham said, in effect, I am old (Genesis 17:17). Jacob said, I am Esau your firstborn (Genesis 27:19). Moses said, I am not eloquent (Exodus 4:10). Gideon said, I am the least in my father’s house (Judges 6:15). Ruth said, I am a foreigner (Ruth 2:10). Nehemiah said, I am doing a great work (Nehemiah 6:3). Jesus said, I am the door, the light, the bread, the good shepherd (John 10:9; 8:12; 6:35; 10:14). Paul said he was the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15).

How would you answer the question Who are you? When John the Baptist was asked that question, he spoke without hesitation: I am the voice. John was not confused, and he did not stutter. He knew exactly who he was and what he was called to do. He was called to be the voice—to announce the coming of the Kingdom of God and of the Messiah of Israel. It didn’t bother John that he wasn’t the Messiah. The only thing that would have bothered him was not to speak clearly. John was a satisfied man, confident and content in his knowledge of himself.

Can you say the same about yourself? Take a moment and fill in the blank: I am _____. Then decide, How happy am I with my answer? If you’re not sure about either, ask God for His insight.

Self is the opaque veil that hides the face of God from us.

A. W. TOZER

January 11

AN UNNATURAL CHOICE

You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.

PSALM 45:7

People who live exclusively in one culture live much of their lives subconsciously. That is, they are so used to the ways and traditions of their homeland that they don’t have to think before acting. But when they go to another culture to visit or to live, every choice is a conscious one, because everything is new. They have left their natural state and are living in an unnatural one.

Jesus’ culture was one of intimate fellowship with the Holy Spirit. From eternity past He had lived with the Father and the Spirit in heaven, and when He came to earth, that relationship continued. He was human and had to submit to the Spirit, but He had no sinful nature that battled against the Spirit. Not so with us. Our sinful, fleshly nature is not naturally at home with the Spirit. So, moment by moment, we have to choose to obey Paul’s command to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Jesus is our example, but the choice is ours.

Choose today to be filled with the Spirit. It is a humanly unnatural choice, but one that your new, Christlike nature will gladly agree with.

God commands us to be filled with the Spirit; and if we are not filled, it is because we are living beneath our privileges.

D. L. MOODY

January 12

THE KOHINOOR DIAMOND

When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these? He said to Him, Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.

JOHN 21:15

Queen Victoria received the stunning Kohinoor diamond as a gift from a maharajah when he was a boy. Later, as a grown man, this maharajah visited Queen Victoria again and asked for the stone. Taking the diamond and kneeling, the maharajah gave it to the queen again, saying, Your Majesty, I gave you this jewel when I was a child, too young to know what I was doing. I want to give it to you again in the fullness of my strength, with all my heart and affection and gratitude, now and forever, fully realizing all that I do.

Many Christians gave their hearts to Jesus as children, but how wonderful to come with greater knowledge and maturity and to say, I know I’m Yours, but I want to be Yours with all my heart and affection, fully realizing all that I do.

Sometimes we need to renew our vows to Him, just as Peter did following the Resurrection. Sacrificing for God is worth it, and a renewed commitment is like a fresh start with a tried-and-true Friend.

Are you His in the totality of your life?

Ah, yield Him all; in Him confide

Where but with Him doth peace abide?

GERHARD TERSTEEGEN

January 13

WHAT I WOULDN’T GIVE

A day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.

PSALM 84:10

You know it when it happens. It might be someone you feel could mentor you in your vocation. Or it might be a new friend with whom you establish an immediate connection. Or it might be the love of your life. Regardless of when and how, there are times when you think, I’d give up next week for the chance to spend one more day with this person!

The author of Psalm 84 felt that way, only he was ready to give up more than a week: he was ready to give up a thousand days for one day in God’s presence. A young Jewish man, Andrew, and his friend followed Jesus as soon as they met Him, and they spent the rest of the day hanging out with Him (John 1:35-40). That’s how most people today feel when they meet Jesus—they just can’t get enough of Him. A lot of people who are not followers of Christ would probably become Christians if they could just make contact with His irresistible presence. Many have given up a lot to spend as much time with Him as they can.

It’s also easy to take His presence for granted, to forget what a pure pleasure Jesus can be, one-on-one. If it’s been awhile since you gave up something to be with Him, consider doing so soon.

The Christian tastes God in all his or her pleasures.

J. I. PACKER

January 14

THE FOUR LEPERS

We are not doing right. This day is a day of good news, and we remain silent.

2 KINGS 7:9

The lepers in 2 Kings 7 were trapped between the Syrian army and the town of Samaria, which was under siege and slowly starving. During the night, the Lord created a cacophony of sounds, like the onrush of a mighty army. Jolted awake, the Syrians fled in confusion, leaving their plunder behind.

When the lepers ambled into the Syrian camp, they were amazed to find it deserted with all the food and treasures there for the taking. But while ransacking the booty, a thought struck them: We are not doing right. This is a day of good news, and we remain silent. Running to the city gates, they shared their message and told the good news—the enemy had been defeated, food was available, and the nightmare had ended in victory.

The lesson is hard to miss. In a desperate world, we have Good News! How can we then remain silent? Today someone needs the gospel that we’ve discovered for ourselves, and now is the time for sharing. Someone today is waiting to see or hear Jesus through you.

The devil loves curing a small fault by giving you a great one.

C. S. LEWIS

January 15

WHEN OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

As we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to . . . the household of faith.

GALATIANS 6:10

Merriam-Webster.com defines opportunity as a favorable combination of circumstances, time, and place. But Thomas Edison said, Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work. Francis Bacon wrote, A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. And writer Thomas Peters warned, If a window of opportunity appears, don’t pull down the shade.

The Bible also talks about opportunities, but with a difference. While the world looks for opportunities for success, the Christian looks for opportunities for servanthood.

We don’t know how much time we have left on earth, so it’s important to do what we can for the Lord at every opportunity. Is there someone you can help today? Is there a friend needing a favor, a call, a note, or a financial gift? Is there a little extra money in your purse that could advance the Kingdom? Is there a neighbor who needs a plate of cookies or a word of counsel?

Unexpected windows of opportunity will appear today, giving you the chance to serve and to give. Look for those occasions, and don’t pull down the shade.

Opportunity rarely knocks on your door. Knock rather on opportunity’s door if you ardently wish to enter.

B. C. FORBES

January 16

TRUST AND OBEY

[Jesus said,] Believe also in Me. . . . Keep my commandments.

JOHN 14:1, 15

One day a struggling Christian visited his minister. I’ve read books on discipleship, said the visitor, taken theology courses by correspondence, and stayed up late doing assignments for my Bible study group. But I’m confused. Can you tell me how to be a victorious Christian?

Pulling a hymnal from its shelf, the pastor opened to these words: Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

That’s it in a nutshell. Sometimes the Christian life isn’t easy, but it’s always simple. We walk by faith and live in obedience. Godliness is the simplicity of taking God at face value, doing what He says, and watching Him bless our lives.

Sometimes in trusting and obeying, we find ourselves wanting to do God’s part as well as our own. Perhaps you have a problem that seems to have no answer—maybe a wayward child. You can do your part to pray, love, and communicate. But then you must trust God to do His part to convict, convert, and change.

Every problem is an opportunity to trust; every situation is an opportunity to obey. And when it comes down to it, every part of our Christian life falls into those two categories: trust and obey!

For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Are for them who will trust and obey.

JOHN H. SAMMIS

January 17

SMOKE SIGNAL

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

HEBREWS 12:11

A story is told of a shipwreck survivor who washed up on a deserted island. After he had been there a few days, he built himself a hut and prayed to God for rescue. Each day he anxiously looked out over the horizon as he waited for God’s deliverance in the form of a passing ship. One day, after returning from a hunt for food, he discovered that his hut had been consumed in flames. He was devastated and believed it to be the worst thing that could have happened to him on the island; everything he had was gone. The next day, however, a ship arrived and the captain said, We saw your smoke signal.

Sometimes, when it seems our whole world is crumbling, it is difficult to believe that God is at work on our behalf. But just when we think all is lost, God unfolds His plan and teaches us that He had it under control the whole time.

Friends, God’s ways are not our ways. His thoughts are unlike our thoughts. His plans are so much bigger than we could ever imagine or dream. Let Him work in His unique way, and watch as His beautiful plan is revealed in your life.

Keep praying, but be thankful that God’s answers are wiser than your prayers!

WILLIAM CULBERTSON

January 18

IN DUE SEASON

Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

GALATIANS 6:9

Seeds can remain dormant for years until conditions are right for growth. For example, while excavating the palace of Herod the Great, archaeologists at Masada found seeds that had hibernated for two thousand years. In 2005, one of the seeds—a Judean date palm—was planted, and it germinated. It’s the creative genius of God that designed this latent potential into such a small seed.

As we go through life, we’re to sow the seeds of the gospel, but it may take a while for them to germinate. William Carey was seven years in India before seeing his first convert. It took seven years in Burma before Adoniram Judson saw his first conversion. Robert Morrison toiled for seven years before the first Chinese national was brought to Christ. Robert Moffat waited seven years to see evidence of the moving of the Holy Spirit on his mission field in Africa.

It might take seven years or seventy—but there’s power in the gospel seed, and our job is to plant. So don’t lose heart. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him (Psalm 126:6).

How rich his reward who has waited patiently till the seed should spring and grow up!

A. J. GORDON

January 19

FAILURE AND FAITH

Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of