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Overview
Daily Gifts of Hope is designed specifically for women, with a stunning hardbound case, colorful interior design, and a magnetic closure. Weekly reflection days contain lyrics to classic hymns and space to write personal thoughts or prayers. Readers will enjoy getting their daily dose of hope each morning or evening as they sit down for some quiet time with God.
Contributors include Sheila Walsh, Patsy Clairmont, Lisa Harper, Marilyn Meberg, and Sandi Patty.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781400204281 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Nelson, Thomas, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 12/03/2012 |
| Sold by: | HarperCollins Publishing |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 384 |
| Sales rank: | 974,424 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Daily Gifts of Hope
Devotions for Each Day of Your YearThomas Nelson
Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc.All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4002-0428-1
Chapter One
January 1Counting on the Heart of God
About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God as the other prisoners listened. Suddenly, there was a strong earthquake that shook the foundation of the jail. Then all the doors of the jail broke open, and all the prisoners were freed from their chains. —Acts 16:25–26 NCV
Prayer is the closest we get to life back in Eden. It is the place where we can be most known, the most naked and vulnerable before God.
One of the most powerful examples of trust in God's unwavering love is found in the book of Acts where Paul and Silas were beaten and thrown into a jail cell in Philippi. They set out for a successful mission trip and within a day of being in the city were stripped naked, beaten, and thrown into a cell with their feet held down by blocks of wood.
What's remarkable about this story is that Paul and Silas were at the darkest point of the night in the darkest circumstances they had ever been in, and yet they were singing. Why? Because Paul and Silas looked at the one thing that had not changed in their situation—God. Everything else around them had gone wrong. They were in pain and their lives were threatened, but they fixed their eyes on what they knew to be true in the invisible world no matter what seemed true in the visible. They stood on the truth that God is good all the time and was watching over them. And even though the angel released Paul and Silas from their chains, they waited and were able to lead the jailer and his entire family to faith in Christ.
We can't always predict the behavior of others, but we can always count on the heart of God.
Lord, thank you for being a constant in my life. Help me to remember that I can always count on your love. Amen.
January 2
A Clear Mind
But you should keep a clear mind in every situation. Don't be afraid of suffering for the Lord. Work at telling others the Good News, and fully carry out the ministry God has given you. —2 Timothy 4:5 NLT
Sometimes our minds are terribly crowded, aren't they? When they are full of tasks and worries and joys and agendas, we forget how important focus and a clear mind can be. What kind of clear mind does the apostle Paul refer to here?
He instructs Timothy to be passionate about the ministry God has given him, to tell others about the good news of Jesus. When Timothy keeps this as his primary focus, the natural result is a clear mind.
How about you? Look back on your life and find the times when you took time and focus to pursue your ministry. How was your mind in those moments? How single-minded were you? In this era of rush and change and busyness, we forget how needed a clear mind is.
Spend some time asking God to refresh your mind, to show you his ministry that he's created for you to walk in. Then reorient your thoughts toward that goal. Choose to think clearly about the gospel in every situation. The kingdom will expand before your eyes.
Jesus, I want to have a clear mind. I want to have a focused life, pursuing the ministry you've allotted to me. Help me figure it out. Help me know my next steps. Amen.
January 3
Presuming
Through presumption comes nothing but strife, but with those who receive counsel is wisdom. —Proverbs 13:10 NASB
When we think we have a situation figured out and we've detected what will happen, we are guilty of presuming. The truth is we don't know what tomorrow will bring. We have no assurance that the money will be in the bank or that the deal we're working on will be successful. We cannot predict our relationships. Nor can we act as if we know the future.
When we presume, the result is strife. When we presume a person is going to do something and then doesn't, relationship strife erupts. When God doesn't do what we think he should, spiritual strife grows.
The cure for presumption is humble dependence on God and tenderness toward the opinions of wise people in our lives. God will guide us. He already knows the future. He already sees the bend in the road.
But sometimes it's hard to discern what God is up to. In those instances, it's important we consult godly friends who know how to counsel from the outside with detached objectivity. While it's not always easy to ask for advice, if we do, we'll be less likely to be guilty of presumption.
Jesus, I don't want to run ahead of you or presume on the future. I want to make wise decisions. Would you send me some wise folks this week to help me discern what I need to do next? Amen.
January 4
Simple Love
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. —1 John 4:7 NIV
With all the talk about leadership and success and careers, we can forget the basics of life. It's not climbing the corporate ladder. It's not finagling a way to pay for our child's college. It's not embracing runaway success. It's not about looking younger than you are.
No, life is love. And love is God.
We are happiest when we measure our lives differently from the world. Not in how much we make, how cool we are, how popular we've become, but in how well we love.
Take an informal inventory of your life right now. Think about the relationships God has given you. How well do you love those people? Are you actively practicing grace and forgiveness? Do you treat them the way you like to be treated? Are you kind? Would the people in your life categorize you as a loving person? Why or why not?
Love is the ultimate measure of your growth. May it be that you love well this week, seeking times to actively show your love.
Jesus, open my eyes to my relationships this week. I want to love my family and friends better. I also want to be kind to strangers. Teach me to love, since love is your primary nature and language. Amen.
January 5
Your Heart's Treasures
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. —Matthew 6:19–21
We can't take our physical treasures with us to heaven. We leave this earth with nothing, not even clothing. So why is it that we obsess over having more things? What benefit in the long run does stuff have on our souls? Jesus reminds us that even now thieves could steal our stuff or decay will eventually have its way. That outfit you're wearing today won't be around in a decade, most likely.
Jesus speaks of treasure in this passage. Those things we prize most show where our hearts are. If we're bent toward success, achieving is our hearts' treasure. If we're interested in provision, accumulating what we perceive as enough fills our hearts. But if our treasure isn't earthly, we exchange stuff for heavenly goods.
And heavenly reward cannot diminish. No one can steal it. Rust can't have its way. May it be that we live and work for eternal things instead of the temporary. May we invest deeply in people's lives, giving freely, sharing Jesus, sacrificing for others. All these endeavors last forever and reveal that our hearts are oriented toward Jesus, not ourselves.
Jesus, I want to store up treasures in heaven, not here. Help me remember the fleeting nature of stuff on earth, and keep me close to you so I can share you often with others. Help me invest in eternity through my relationships with others and my frequent worship of you. Amen.
January 6
A Woman of Excellence
My daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence. —Ruth 3:11 NASB
If you were to gather folks in your town or city and poll them, would the consensus be that you are a woman of excellence? What kind of reputation do you have in your family? neighborhood? church? community? workplace?
Ruth, an honorable woman from the Old Testament, followed her mother-in-law Naomi back to Bethlehem, even though she was a Moabite, a foreigner. She chose not to abandon the mother of her dead husband and in the process caught the attention of Boaz, who ended up marrying her, saving both her life and Naomi's. And here we see her commended as a woman of excellence.
How can we be commended in the same manner? What did Ruth do that stands out?
She dedicated herself to her remaining family. She labored for the sake of another. She let go of her past in order to risk in the present. She placed herself in situations where only God could redeem her.
Look back on that list. Have you loved your family well? Have you worked for the sake of someone else? Let go of your past? Risked even when all seemed lost? Then you are a woman of excellence. And God and the community will commend you.
We live in a world of shame and dishonor, and we often forget that God is doing great, noticeable things in our lives. Rest today in knowing that you are a woman of excellence, silencing the voices in your head that say otherwise.
Jesus, thank you that you are making me a woman of excellence. I do want to sacrifice and risk. I do want to love my family well. Thank you for being the ultimate example of excellence. Amen.
January 7
Day of Reflection
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. —Matthew 28:19
BE THOU MY VISION
Be thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart:
Naught be all else to me, save that thou art;
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise;
Thou mine inheritance, now and always;
Thou and thou only, first in my heart,
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art.
—Irish Hymn, c. 8th Century
January 8
The Right Outfit
Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another ... Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. —Colossians 3:12–14 NIV
As God's dearly loved women, our response to his wild, all-encompassing love is to put on the right clothes—a wardrobe that reflects who he is and who he is causing us to become. We are to get up each day and pull on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Compassion is what's closest to our hearts—our underclothes. We are compassionate not by what we do externally but by what we believe about others. Compassion originates from the heart.
Kindness becomes gloves, as we use our hands throughout the day to touch the people God populates our lives with.
Humility is our bare feet, naked to touch the earth, reminding us that God is God and we are not.
Gentleness is a lambswool sweater, cozy and comforting. It tempers what we say and how we say it.
Patience is the glasses we wear when we choose to see the world not through our own agenda and expectations but through his.
What are you wearing today?
Jesus, help me put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Sometimes it's hard to make these fit, as I've grown too full of myself. Help me to be suitable for your clothes today, open to wearing your wardrobe picks. Amen.
January 9
Sing to Him!
Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. —1 Chronicles 16:23 NIV
Did you know sparrows have disappeared from central London? The mystery as to why remains unsolved. Perhaps, as in the nursery rhyme about blackbirds, the European birds were baked into pies? Really. A common offering in Britain even after World War I was sparrow pies (probably tasted like chicken). Sometimes at gala affairs, as many as a hundred songbirds would be huddled in a pie. What a waste of good music!
Now, what about our music? Are we willing to sing in the darkest night, the deepest pit, or on the highest peak? The songs that bring the most comfort seem to be birthed out of a price we would not willingly pay.
Let's not waste one note of the musical score we've been given. There is something about singing, especially when you don't feel like it, that mends your heart's tattered wings. It's not a cure-all, but it's a beginning toward recovery for our souls. We are fragile, and when our hearts are shattered, we can't work up a song on our own. God will have to orchestrate it; then it's up to us to sing, sing, sing. It may be a verse from Scripture, a song you've heard before that suddenly becomes personal, or something God's Spirit whispers into your thoughts. Music can help you find your way home. Every note a lantern. Every phrase a path.
Lord, please put your song in my heart. Help me sing to you, regardless of my situation, knowing that you are in control. Amen.
January 10
Sweet Wisdom
Know also that wisdom is like honey for you: If you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. —Proverbs 24:14 NIV
We are called to become wise, to acquire wisdom. The more we grow, the more we should grow in wisdom. The writer here also reassures us that getting wisdom is sweet. Consider what honey does to the food we eat. It helps medicine taste better. It brings out the flavor of fruit. It seasons our meat. It sweetens our tea.
Without sweetener, we could still live, but we would miss out on flavor. Similarly, we can live reckless lives without wisdom, but we would miss out on God's highest. The end of this proverb adds more to wisdom. When we find wisdom, we find hope.
Why does wisdom bring hope? Because the longer we walk, the more we understand that things will change, that God is big, that problems will pass. The more we live, the more we understand that this life isn't all there is, that we have meaning in our lives beyond our lifespan.
When we find that kind of eternal perspective wisdom, we can live knowing that God sees everything we do and will reward us for our faithfulness—a sweet blessing indeed.
Jesus, help me to acquire wisdom even today. I want to live for your kingdom, for that which doesn't perish. I want to be sweet to those who are bitter, and kind to those who are unkind, knowing that you see me and will reward me. There's hope in that. Amen.
January 11
Lesson from an Ant: Diligence
Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest. How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man. —Proverbs 6:6–11 NIV
Ants have no one to tell them to prepare for the winter, yet they do. No one lords it over them, nagging them to harvest and store away. An ant simply works.
God wants us to discern the future and prepare for it in like manner, not by chasing after get-rich schemes but by working hard and being diligent. Industry is something prized, and working for the sake of your family is a great benefit not only to them but also for you.
Essentially this proverb speaks against laziness and excuses. Slothfulness is not a virtue. And making excuses about why we can't roll up our sleeves and help is lying and disobedience. Not that we should work ourselves to death or spend every waking hour busying ourselves. There must be balance. But if we'd like to be provided for, we have to do our part in the provision.
Jesus, I want to be industrious for your sake. Show me the work you have planned for me today. I want to be wise and prepared for the future. I don't want to deify my work, but I also don't want to be lazy, expecting others to carry my load. Amen.
January 12
All of Us Are Created in God's Image
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. —Genesis 1:27 NIV
Although we are not God, we resemble him, in the same way our children are not us but they resemble us. We are God's offspring, his children. He created us to love him, and he placed in us an insatiable need for relationship with him.
Reading this verse, it's easy to personalize it. As women, we relate to the fact that God made us uniquely in his image. And he made man that way too. The beauty comes when we take it one step further. Every single person on this earth is made in God's image.
That makes us all image bearers of the King of kings. That makes everybody the object of God's affection. That means each person has intrinsic value. That's also why when we hate another person, we walk outside God's laws. It's like slapping him in the face when we despise someone he's made.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Daily Gifts of Hope Copyright © 2012 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
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