a 14-day sample - harpercollins christian · jordan; marilyn turk photo by sarah clauson; marion...

9780310346432_DailyGuideposts2017_int.pdf 1 8/10/16 11:25 AM

A 14-Day Sample

ZONDERVAN

Daily Guideposts 2017Copyright © 2016 by Guideposts. All rights reserved.

Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

ISBN 978-0-310-34643-2 (hardcover); ISBN 978-0-310-34645-6 (leather edition); ISBN 978-0-310-3644-9 (large print); ISBN 978-0-310-34646-3 (ebook)

This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

Acknowledgments: Every attempt has been made to credit the sources of copyrighted material used in this book. If any such acknowledgment has been inadvertently omitted or miscredited, receipt of such information would be appreciated.

Scripture quotations marked (CEB) are taken from the Common English Bible. Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible. Scripture quotations marked (CEV) are taken from Holy Bible: Contemporary English Version. Copyright © 1995 American Bible Society. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (GNT) are taken from the Holy Bible, Good News Translation. Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Scripture quotations marked (ISV) are taken from the Holy Bible, International Standard Version. Copyright © 1995–2014 by ISV Foundation. All rights reserved internationally. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC. Scripture quotations marked (JPS) are taken from Tanakh: A New Translation of the Holy Scriptures according to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Copyright © 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Scripture quotations marked (NAS) are taken from the New American Standard Bible, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (NCV) are taken from The Holy Bible, New Century Version. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Scripture quotations marked (NIrV) are taken from New International Reader’s Version. Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible. Copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (RSV) are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971 by Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from The Living Bible. Copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Fellowship Corner photos: Lisa Bogart photo by Lisa Vosper; Mark Collins photo by Kathryn Hyslop; Brian Doyle photo by Jerry Hart; Katie Ganshert photo by Kinsey Christin; Julie Garmon photo by Brad Newton; Edward Grinnan photo by Amy Etra; Rick Hamlin photo by Julie Brown; Jim Hinch photo by Martin Klimek; Debbie Macomber photo by Deborah Feingold; Erin MacPherson photo by Bloom Austin; Roberta Messner photo by Craig Cunningham; Rebecca Ondov photo by Deborah K. Hamilton; Natalie Perkins photo by Kris Rogers Photography; Ginger Rue photo by Patrick Jacks; Daniel Schantz photo by Sherry Wallis; Gail Thorell Schilling photo by Doug Schwarz; Melody Bonnette Swang photo by Crystal Logiudice; Jon Sweeney photo by Pamela Jordan; Marilyn Turk photo by Sarah Clauson; Marion Bond West photo by Michael Schwarz.

Monthly page opener photos: January by Anastacia-azzzya/Shutterstock.com; February by StevenRussell Smith Photos/Shutterstock.com; March by VICUSCHKA/Shutterstock.com; April by Sailorr/Shutterstock .com; May by aceshot1/Shutterstock.com; June by Gelner Tivadar/Shutterstock.com; July by Sandra Cunningham/ Shutterstock .com; August by LittleStocker/Shutterstock.com; September by Sunny studio/Shutter stock.com; October by iravgustin/Shutterstock.com; November by Maya Kruchankova/Shutterstock .com; December by fotohunter/Shutterstock.com

Cover and interior design by Müllerhaus; Cover photo of Neerijse, Belgium, by Lars van de Goor/Trevillion Images; Indexed by Patricia Woodruff; Typeset by Aptara

First printing August 2016 / Printed in the United States of America


D A I LY G U I D E P O S TS i i i

Hello, friend.

Welcome to a new year for experiencing God’s great love in personal ways. If you are already a part of the Daily Guideposts family, then you know that these devotions—365 vibrant and honest reflections on living with faith—will deepen your understanding of being a cherished child of God. If you are new to the community, we’re glad you’ve joined us. You’ll find that through the weeks and months and year, you’ll develop a bond with our writers and other readers, who are praying along with you each day.

One letter we received recently from a woman in Texas, who gives Daily Guideposts to her sister in California, summed up what so many folks tell us: “This book keeps us close.”

This year marks the forty-first edition of Daily Guideposts ! It is pub-lished by Guideposts, the organization that shares true stories of hope and inspiration and is home to OurPrayer ministry. These strengths are what make this annual devotional so meaningful. Each day’s read-ing includes a Scripture verse, a story of finding God in the everyday moments of life, a prayer, and Bible references for “Digging Deeper.” At the end of each month, you’ll find space to write down your thoughts about what you’ve read. This year’s overarching theme is “In God’s Hands”: “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10, NLT).

It’s been our pleasure to work alongside the writers of Daily Guideposts, each one imparting discoveries on how to joyfully remain in God’s hands. This year, you’ll catch up with longtime friends Patricia Lorenz, Roberta Messner, Elizabeth Sherrill, Brian Doyle, Daniel Schantz, and Scott Walker. You’ll connect with younger folks like Natalie Perkins and Logan Eliasen. And you’ll embrace newcomer John Dilworth.

Daily Guideposts 2017 includes seven special series. Enjoy learning the rewards of giving something away with Erin MacPherson in “An Outward Lent.” During Advent, revel with Rick Hamlin in “The Word among Us.” Every month, find out how Rhoda Blecker deals with grief in “Overcoming Loss.” Journey throughout the year with Julie Garmon in “Beauty from Ashes,” with Carol Knapp in “Lessons


i v D A I LY G U I D E P O S TS

in Stones,” and with Marilyn Turk in “Parenting Anew.” For one week in August, join Marion Bond West in “Prodigal Homecoming.”

Many more encouraging, heartfelt moments such as these await you in Daily Guideposts 2017, where you’ll experience love in God’s hands.

Faithfully yours,Editors of Guideposts

P.S. We love hearing from you! Let us know what Daily Guideposts means to you by e-mailing [email protected] or writing to Guideposts Books & Inspirational Media, 110 William Street, New York, New York 10038. You can also keep up with your Daily Guideposts friends on Facebook.com/dailyguideposts.

Especially for You!Get one-year instant access to the digital edition of Daily Guideposts delivered straight to your e-mail. You’ll enjoy its daily inspiration and Scripture anytime, anywhere, on your computer, phone, or tablet. Visit DailyGuideposts.org/DG2017 and enter this code: hope.


January“Do not fear, for I am with you;

do not be dismayed, for I am your God. . . .”

—Isaiah 41:10 (niv)


2 D A I LY G U I D E P O S TS

Sunday, January 1

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. —Proverbs 16:24 (NRSV)

W hat could this be? I pulled the padded envelope from the mail-box. A surprise from Wanda! Even though I hadn’t seen my friend

in years, we often e-mailed.Each year we shared our resolutions, prayed for their achievement,

and checked in regularly to assess each other’s progress. On January 2, I’d typed out last year’s goals: “Lost the weight, but gained a few pounds back over the holidays. Removed clutter from my home, but still have more to do. Speak encouraging words of love and kindness; still falling short.”

I’d had the “kind words goal” on my list since 2010. I’d even taped “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul (Proverbs 16:24)” to my computer monitor as a reminder. But I was deeply dissatisfied by the lack of headway I’d made.

I ripped open the package. Inside was a book, Silver Boxes: The Gift of Encouragement by Florence Littauer. “Think of your words as gifts to others wrapped up as little silver boxes,” Wanda had written.

Deeper inside was another package: a small silver box on a chain. Perfect! I could wear it around my neck as a tangible reminder to speak love.

I picked up the telephone to thank my sweet friend. “Did you look inside the necklace?” asked Wanda.

I pulled back the tiny clasp and a scroll fell out. It was the verse from Proverbs 16:24.

Now I was sure of it! This would be the year I made kind words a habit, thanks to God, Wanda, and a little silver box.

Lord, help me to speak words of kindness and love—once and for all! —Stephanie Thompson

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 31:26, Ephesians 4:29


D A I LY G U I D E P O S TS 3

Monday, January 2

“For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him.” —Acts 2:39 (RSV)

When my friends John and Sarah welcomed a new baby into their family, they named him Christopher, after a grandfather. My

friends Luis and Martina had a baby on the same day; they named him Jésus, also after a grandfather. Two beautiful new children, both won-ders from God’s hand and born into loving families.

“Will Jésus be a doctor, an athlete, an accountant?” I asked Luis the first time I visited. Thinking about young children’s futures—what they’ll be interested in and good at and grow up to be—is mostly an exercise in fanciful imagination, but all of us have done it. It’s fun. Which is why I was surprised at Luis’s hesitation.

“I just want him to have a chance,” he said. When I looked puzzled, Luis began a sobering recitation of studies about the challenges for people with less traditional names like Jésus: 50 percent less likely to get an interview, for instance, in blind résumé tests.

“I didn’t know,” I replied. “What can we do?”“Just be aware,” Luis said. “Pay attention. We have a long way to go,

but who better to work toward equality than those who believe that every child is of God.”

Will you pray for me in this commitment and maybe join me too?

How might the world be different today, God, because I was important in the life of a child? Guide me to that place.

—Jeff Japinga

Digging Deeper: Mark 10:13–16



Tuesday, January 3

OVERCOMING LOSS: Seeing Beauty“I will continue to instruct you in the practice of what is good and right.” —1 Samuel 12:23 (JPS)

We noticed the ramshackle shed every time traffic on Alabama Street prompted my husband to take a cutoff, and each time

we saw it, Keith would remark, “Why doesn’t someone take care of that old shed? It’s falling down.” Its sideboards were warping and splinter-ing. The roof was crooked and sagging. It was an eyesore.

I didn’t have occasion to take the cutoff for almost two years after Keith’s death. I was still missing him very much—even more, it some-times seemed, than in the immediate aftermath when I had to deal with the hundreds of details involved when a spouse dies. I hadn’t had any time to fall apart because I had to be competent, so everyone would think I was doing fine. There were times when I almost thought so too.

I had believed it would get easier, but I was wrong. It got harder. Some days seemed longer and emptier. I felt damaged when I wasn’t busy and as if I were just spinning my wheels.

Then, one day, I encountered traffic and turned on to the cutoff. The shed was gone and the field was covered with wildflowers. For a moment, I wondered what had happened. Then it occurred to me that it hadn’t been the damaged, dilapidated shed that Keith and I were supposed to be looking at; it was the beautiful field in which that shed stood. We had concentrated on the wrong thing.

Perhaps, I thought now, I’m doing the same.

Please help me, Lord, to see the beauty that still exists in my life, rather than looking at what has fallen away.

—Rhoda Blecker

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 4:2



Wednesday, January 4

He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. —Titus 3:5 (NKJV)

A t the beginning of the long holiday weekend, I resolved to tackle the household clutter that I perceived to be the source of my

underlying unease: feeling pressed in and crowded. Upstairs and down, I’d been walking through a path flanked by books, papers, Christmas boxes, winter clothes, shoes, and more. The kitchen counters were stacked with food containers and small appliances that needed to be tucked away in their rightful place.

Without a clear plan, I sorted a pile of junk mail, uncovering a small throw rug that suddenly looked embarrassingly ragged and dingy. After trashing it, I happened to glance upward. I cringed at the sight of silky cobwebs strung along the top of a curtain no longer white. Into the laundry!—along with several nearby dresser scarves skimming with dust.

Moving from room to room, I opened a kitchen drawer I’d been trying to ignore. Are those mouse tracks? Get to the bottom of it! I emptied the drawer, scoured the utensils, replaced the liner, and installed repellant devices.

Increasingly intolerant—not of clutter as much as of grime—I soaked and removed the gunk stuck to the bottom refrigerator shelf, under the crisper, hidden from view. As I scrubbed—behind the scenes, below the surface—I found myself praying, allowing the Spirit to wash hid-den layers from my encrusted heart. Resentments, rejections, unhealthy reactions—soap them away.

By the end of the weekend, I hadn’t significantly widened the path-ways through my rooms. Yet I no longer felt so pressed in. A cleaner foundation gave my new year a fresh start.

God, show me areas of my life that need to be deeply cleansed.—Evelyn Bence

Digging Deeper: Psalm 51:1–6, Jeremiah 33:6–11, Titus 3:1–8



Thursday, January 5

PARENTING ANEW: An Unexpected Answer to PrayerMany are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. —Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

Iwas worried about my grandson Logan’s unstable situation at home and expressed my concern to my husband, Chuck.

“We have to keep praying for him. That’s all we can do,” he said. Then, trying to lift my spirits, he offered, “Maybe this summer we can get a travel trailer.” Chuck had been planning this purchase since we got married as empty nesters a few years earlier. It was one of the things on our bucket list.

“Really?” We had done a lot of talking about plans, but to put a date on one was a surprise. Immediately, my mood brightened as I envisioned trips we’d take.

“Sure. We’re both retired now, so we can start traveling.” Then the phone rang and everything changed. Family Services told

us that Logan couldn’t live with his mother anymore. His father, my son, single and working day and night, wasn’t an option. We were the only choice. Otherwise, Logan would go into foster care.

The very next day, we became guardians of a three-year-old and our plans took a backseat to his welfare and schedule. It wasn’t what we’d had in mind. We weren’t happy about the inconvenience, nor did we like the uncertain length of Logan’s stay. But we knew we were the best choice for him. We were the people who could provide the healthy environment he needed. The trailer would have to wait, our priorities newly rearranged.

Chuck turned to me. “Well, our prayers were answered. We just didn’t know we were the answer.”

Lord, thank You for answering our prayers. Help me to be willing to do my part.

—Marilyn Turk

Digging Deeper: Jeremiah 29:11



Friday, January 6

The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. —Psalm 103:8 (NLT)

A s soon as I unfolded the check, I cupped my hand over my mouth and fought back tears. The amount blew me away. I slid it across

the table to my husband. Our eyes met, and I know he felt it too: humbled, awed, repentant.

You would think, as two people who have seen God show up as often as we have, that we would have learned our lesson by now. He’s proven that He will provide, over and over again.

Apparently, my default setting for worrying is strong. God has brought me a remarkably long way over the past couple of years, but sometimes when stress is exceptionally high, I fall into old patterns. Bills were mounting. Adoption expenses were growing. My husband was in the process of losing a big account. Worry started to creep in; it was beginning to fester. I didn’t see how we were going to make it this time.

And then my mom and stepdad gave us a late Christmas present. It was more than generous. As I sat at their table in the wake of the gift, I was overcome by their abundant love and graciousness. They were reflecting God, blessing me in the midst of my weakness, in the midst of my inadequacy and failure.

I hope, someday, my default setting will change. God’s definitely not finished with me. Until then, I’m so grateful that He and my family are exceedingly patient with me.

Lord, You are so good!—Katie Ganshert

Digging Deeper: Psalm 86:5, Matthew 6:25–34



Saturday, January 7

“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.” —Matthew 10:29 (NIV)

The sun lit the branches of the bare trees as I took our dog Soda for his morning walk. In the distance, the caps of the Catskill

Mountains were white with snow. Our neighbor’s front door and win-dows were wide open—strange on such a cold day. So I stood in front of their house, trying to make sense of things.

My neighbor came out from the front door, holding a small blanket. “A bird,” he explained. “Got in the chimney and was in our stove. I think it’s injured.”

His wife appeared behind him. “We don’t know what to do,” she said. Her brow strained, and she wrapped her arms around herself. “We put it under the tree. We opened all the doors and windows, hoping it’d fly out. It didn’t. I think it has a broken wing.”

They walked over to the tree, and I stayed away because I thought Soda would only make things worse. I wished them well and continued on down the road. With every step, I prayed for the bird—that it wasn’t afraid, that it would make it.

On the way back, my neighbor sat on the front step, looking over at the tree. “Still alive,” he said.

“What kind of bird is it?” I asked. “A sparrow. Just a sparrow.” I was struck by his words. Just seemed so wrongly placed for all his

concern. I thought of the Bible verse about God caring for the spar-rows, so certainly He cares for us. I looked up at the sky and thought, The same is true for us. No creature is unworthy of our love, and by caring for God’s creation, we show our love for Him.

Dear Lord, when we open our hearts to “just” sparrows, we reflect Your love on earth.

—Sabra Ciancanelli

Digging Deeper: Psalm 121:3, Matthew 6:31



Sunday, January 8

Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight. . . . —Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV)

My church, Hillsboro Presbyterian, had formed a relationship with a local African-American church, Spruce Street Baptist,

years ago. The initial goal was to bring groups reflecting different demographics within Nashville, Tennessee, to worship together. But as time passed, the exchange became something more, a gathering of family and a reunion with people we had grown to love.

As the designated Sunday approached, it was beginning to look as though the decades-old tradition might not happen. The week had brought one of the worst ice storms that our hometown had ever seen, plus I was in a mood and wanted to avoid people, stay dry, and read the newspaper without interruption. But at the last minute, Corinne and I bundled up the girls and headed for church.

The service started with an old spiritual hymn sung by Spruce Street’s choir. There was something about the warmth of their smiles that began to thaw my grumpiness. Next, one of the members reported on the past week’s activities. In spite of record cold and treacherous roads, the churchwomen had managed to serve 150 meals to people who were stranded. “With Jesus there with us, the weather didn’t slow us down and we fed our hungry neighbors,” the member said.

The ice around my heart cracked. I’d seen the bad weather as a per-sonal inconvenience; these women had seized on it as an opportunity to help. Their spirit was contagious, and it was with anticipation that I pledged to put their lesson to work.

God, let me see my own discomfort as a reminder to comfort others.—Brock Kidd

Digging Deeper: Matthew 5:16, 6:22



Monday, January 9

LESSONS IN STONES: A Solid Foundation“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock.” —Matthew 7:24 (NAS)

On Christmas night, 1970, a young man pulled his car onto a rock outcrop along the river, a few miles upstream from a small north

Idaho town and proposed to his “steady girl.” I said yes. We hoped for happily ever after, but thirty years later we nearly called it quits.

I went to California to care for my aunt, but Terry and I kept in touch. During this time, we each earnestly sought God. We prayed. Others prayed for us. We read God’s Word. We made behavioral changes: Terry let go of anger patterns; I let go of disrespect. Eventually, we got back together and began a better version of ourselves.

Jesus gave His analogy of a house built either on rock or sand at the tail end of His Sermon on the Mount while sitting on a hill outside the town of Capernaum along the Sea of Galilee. Within view would have been basalt rock common to the area and sand along the seashore. He spoke of a storm assaulting each house: “The winds blew and slammed against that house” (Matthew 7:25). In Jesus’s story, the house founded on the rock—His teachings—did not fall, but the house on the sand collapsed.

Terry and I moved back to our small north Idaho town along the river. We can look out of our picture window across the valley to the same rock outcrop where we agreed to marry, only there has been a change. Someone built a house there.

Your words, Your ways, Lord, are a rock I can build my life upon.—Carol Knapp

Digging Deeper: Psalm 127:1, Matthew 5–8, Luke 6:46–49



Tuesday, January 10

Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. . . . —Matthew 28:20 (KJV)

When I was a kid, I thought God was a huge noun, an epic He, a vast Him, an unthinkably immense and mysterious Whom. I

understood the idea well enough to realize that God probably did not look like old Walt Whitman, cool as the poet was. But I did think God was an entity, a being of some unimaginable sort—the Dreamer, the Imagineer, the Speaker of the Word.

Later, I began to think of God as a verb, a relentless unquenchable energy, a force, a drive, a whisper that can be heard anywhere and any-time, if you made yourself available and attentive. So for years I tried most assiduously to see and hear and savor the divine music in which we swim.

Now, I begin to realize that God comes to me most and clearest and loudest through all things that are alive. Daughters and deer and dor-mice, sons and swallows and sunfish. Consider the bright red shout of a salmon headed home, the blue chord of a jay, the divine I am here, I am with you that is my wife’s hand stealing out to find mine as we wait at the hospital for news of our child. Look for God at the flutter in the ferns, at your mother; consider the birds of the air, those shards of joy flung into the vault of heaven, they who are given of God. God is love and joy and hope and grace; God is Who we sing when we are our best and truest and deepest selves.

Dear Merciful Inventor, let me be a decent, if slightly battered and cracked, vessel for delivering Your grace and love. Let me see and hear You always, even when I am deaf and selfish and blinkered. Let me do

the best I can to share the song of You in my own mumbled mutter.—Brian Doyle

Digging Deeper: Genesis 1:20–24



Wednesday, January 11

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. —Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV)

There is a mother with four kids getting on the escalator—none of the children older than eight or younger than five. I happen to fall

in line just behind them. As the family steps on to the escalator, the littlest one hesitates while they begin the descent. He sticks out one foot and both arms, wavering. His mother looks back and says to him, “Just step. It’s okay. Go ahead.” This all happens in a matter of seconds as the line continues to move behind us.

I find myself right next to the boy, who promptly grabs my coat and takes his leap of faith. I hold him just under his arm and step with him. Okay, I guess we’re doing this together, Little One. After he is safely on, he lets go of my coat and reaches for the rail instead, attempting to close the gap between his family and him.

“No, no, just wait there,” his mother says after he has descended one unsure step. She smiles at me, says thank you, and turns back toward the bottom of the escalator.

I am left to marvel at the complete trust of this little one. Not once did he look up. Not once was he curious about who had grabbed him under his arm. He trusted that whatever he needed would be right there. Ah, to trust like that! In New York City where we adults trust no one, where we are holding our bags ever closer and constantly checking to see if our phones are suddenly missing, this boy reminded me very clearly about what faith is supposed to be.

God, thank You for visual reminders of Your living Word.—Natalie Perkins

Digging Deeper: Matthew 18:1–4



Thursday, January 12

But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles. . . . —Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)

Yesterday, I sorted prayer concerns from a small basket on a book-shelf in the room where I pray. When a difficult problem keeps me

from sleeping, I write it down. I place the concern into this basket for God’s attention and ask Him to guide me in handling it. Then I wait for His response.

I started this routine a few years ago as I struggled to apply one of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale’s teachings from Ephesians 6:13 (NIV) that “after you have done everything, to stand.” My shortcoming was not so much in giving up problems but in letting God keep them. My trust was not strong enough “to stand” firm—I regularly took back problems.

However, through this symbolic act of letting go of worries, I can pic-ture the requests in God’s “in basket” and out of mine. The most sig-nificant change I’ve noticed since using this practice is that I’ve become content in waiting for God. I have found that with His response also comes renewal, bringing fresh insight, energy, and confidence all in perfect timing to deal with the issue.

As I moved my concerns from the basket into a folder of answered prayers, the practice of reading the old problems that I had taken to God and reflecting with gratitude on His solutions brought a powerful realization of why my trust has grown.

Dear Lord, when my trust starts to waver, remind me again to “stand awhile.” Amen.

—John Dilworth

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 16:3, 2 Corinthians 12:9



Friday, January 13

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. —Proverbs 3:27 (KJV)

I t was late one Friday night, but I wasn’t spending the evening par-tying like most college students. I sat at the small table in my friend

Buck’s kitchen while he made a pot of coffee. Buck and I are old souls, so it isn’t uncommon for us to chat the night away about novels, good times, and God.

Buck slid a mug of coffee across the table. I thanked him, and our conversation picked up again. I lifted my mug, but before I took a sip, I noticed a dark brown ring around the inside. In fact, there were several. The rings weren’t fresh and new. They were old, caked on, like the mug hadn’t had a good clean scrub for far too long.

I lowered the mug back to the table and hoped that Buck hadn’t seen the look on my face. One of his best qualities is hospitality. He loves to share what he has with others and would have been mortified if I’d mentioned the dirty mug. I had planned to pour my coffee down the drain the next time he left the room.

“Logan, is the coffee okay?” Buck asked. I grimaced. He must have noticed how I’d abandoned it. I geared up

to tell him why but then did something unexpected instead. I took a big gulp. “It’s great!” I said.

Buck smiled, and I knew his small act of hospitality had brought him much joy.

Lord, thank You for good friends, warm coffee, and giving hearts.—Logan Eliasen

Digging Deeper: Galatians 6:10, Hebrews 13:16



Saturday, January 14

“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” —Isaiah 41:13 (NIV)

What are you afraid of?” the emergency room doctor asked me, her face close to mine as my tears came, tears I’d tried so hard

to hold back.It was a few minutes after midnight, and I’d gone to the ER with

a painful intestinal blockage, a periodic result of my ovarian cancer surgery years ago. The doctor had ordered some tests and she’d just returned to tell my husband, daughter, and me that I was being admit-ted and would be taken by ambulance to the other hospital across town as soon as a bed opened up.

All I wanted to do was to go home . . . to my own bed . . . with my own husband.

“What are you afraid of ?” she asked again, but I couldn’t find words. So she continued talking about details and then left. I insisted that my husband and daughter go home, which they did. Soon I was alone with God, so I talked with Him.

What am I afraid of ? Words came slowly. Being alone in the middle of a dark night, in a hospital that brings back painful memories of sur-geries and facing so many unknowns.

Naming those fears in conversation with God took some of the power out of them, especially as I remembered His faithfulness within those painful memories. By 2:00 a.m., when I was wheeled into an ambulance, I felt less alone and less afraid.

Lord, I know that when I name my fears and lift them up to You, You reshape them and replace them with Your promises and peace.

—Carol Kuykendall

Digging Deeper: Psalm 46:1–3, 2 Th essalonians 3:16


Daily Guideposts 2017 A Spirit-Lifting Devotional By Guideposts Daily Guideposts, America’s bestselling annual devotional, is a 365-day devotional from the Editors of Guideposts that will help you grow in your faith every day of the year. In the past 40 years, it has sold more than 20 million copies. Daily Guideposts 2017 centers on the theme “In God’s Hands” from Isaiah 41:10, and is filled with brand-new devotions from 49 writers. Each day you’ll enjoy a Scripture verse, a true first-person story told in an informal, conversational style, which shares the ways God speaks to us in the ordinary events of life, and a brief prayer to help focus you to apply the day’s message. For those who wish for more scriptural depth, “Digging Deeper” provides additional Bible references that relate to the day’s reading.

Get Your Copy of Daily Guideposts 2017 Today! Save 20% at

FaithGateway when you use coupon code ZN20

(One use per customer. Not valid with any other coupon offers or discounts.)

Learn More

http://store.faithgateway.com/daily-guideposts-2017

a 14-day sample - harpercollins christian · jordan; marilyn turk photo by sarah clauson; marion...

Documents