JANUARY 12.

BLESSED TO BLESS.

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

NUMBERS 6:24-26.

EVERYBODY LOVES TO FEEL BLESSED. When G.o.d was in the process of transforming a nation of slaves into a culture of strength and joy, He gave Moses words of blessing to repeat over and over again for the people. They needed the blessing of G.o.d's protection, presence, and kindness-just as we need His blessing today. To bless is to grant favor, and we trust G.o.d to give us His favor. We don't just roll through our lives with no thought of G.o.d. Instead, we look to Him to give us wisdom in all we do, to guide us, and to give us success in our relationships and our work.

This prayer for blessing, though, doesn't guarantee a worry-free life. G.o.d's hand of protection keeps out countless calamities, but He allows enough difficulties to remind us that we need to trust Him. Problems show us again that G.o.d is faithful to provide for us. He is present with us every second of every day, and we can experience His peace because He understands our situations-even when we don't. When we trust G.o.d this way, we shine light on everyone around us. As we experience G.o.d's blessing, we bless others.

Does this prayer for blessing express the desire of your heart today? If it does, pray it for yourself and those you love.

What would it mean for you to be blessed and become a blessing for others today?

"My business is not to remake myself, but make the absolute best of what G.o.d made."-ROBERT BROWNING

JANUARY 13.

OUR NEED FOR AWE.

Listen to this, O Job; stand still and consider the wondrous works of G.o.d.

JOB 37:14.

JOB HAD EVERY REASON, humanly speaking, to doubt G.o.d's goodness and power. His life had been turned upside down, and his friends blamed him for his problems. But into his pain G.o.d spoke. G.o.d said, in effect, "Hey, Job, pay attention. I know you're hurting, but your faith can be refreshed by looking at the wonders of all I've made." When our faith is shaken, we, too, can look at the awesome creation G.o.d has made, and our faith can be rekindled.

In More than Meets the Eye, Dr. Richard Swenson describes in vivid detail the macro- and micro-wonders of G.o.d's creation. The size of the universe is beyond comprehension. Light we see tonight from the nearest star has been in transit over four years . . . at 186,000 miles per second! And the universe contains hundreds of billions of galaxies, each containing one hundred to two hundred billion stars. But G.o.d's creation isn't only vast. The intricacies of DNA and the complexity of the nervous system and all the other parts of our bodies tell us that G.o.d is concerned about the minutiae as well as the big picture.

To notice G.o.d's power and delicate hand in Creation, we have to "stand still" and look. If we're rushing around in a panic trying to fix everything, we'll be focused only on our problems. Even in the most difficult times in our lives, faith is built by stopping and looking at the wonder of G.o.d's power and grace in the expanse and intricacies of nature.

When was the last time you were overwhelmed with a sense of wonder?

What's the connection between wonder and daily faith?

"The size of your success is determined by the size of your belief."-LUCIUS ANNAEUS SENECA

JANUARY 14.

PRISON OR CLa.s.sROOM.

We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of G.o.d has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

ROMANS 5:3-5.

LIFE IS ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE. If we see difficult people and painful situations as threats, they become prisons for our souls. Like inmates in medieval dungeons, we languish away for days and weeks, wishing the problems would just go away, or we try frantically to get out any way we can.

Whether our problems are caused by our own dumb mistakes, the sins of others, natural disasters, or anything else, our difficulties can, instead of dungeons, become cla.s.srooms where we learn life's greatest lessons-if we'll pay attention to them.

In some circles today, Christian leaders teach that G.o.d wants everybody to have peace and plenty, lots of money, and all the happiness in the world. That may sell books, but it doesn't help much when G.o.d allows difficulties to take us deeper into a relationship of trusting Him. In his letter to the Romans, Paul recommends a different perspective, one that sees problems not as prisons but as cla.s.srooms where G.o.d gets our attention, transforms our character, and gives us strong hope in the things that are most valuable-His will and His ways. Eventually, the lessons take us to the heart of G.o.d, where we experience His kindness and love more deeply than ever before.

We all experience difficulties. Will we see them as prisons or as cla.s.srooms?

What are some difficulties in your life right now?

How would it change your response to them if you could see them as G.o.d's cla.s.sroom?

"There is nothing that touches my life that has not been filtered through the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."-ALAN REDPATH

JANUARY 15.

A LAST RESORT?.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to G.o.d.

PHILIPPIANS 4:6.

WORRY CAN EAT OUR LUNCH. During the day, we worry that we cannot do enough, and at night, we worry that everything we've done will fall apart. We replay conversations to find something we've said that could be misunderstood, and we beat ourselves up for being so stupid. We worry about our marriage or, if we aren't married, about never finding a spouse; we worry about money, s.e.x, in-laws, and our kids. When we're at work, we're haunted about things at home, and when we're at home, we can't stop thinking about all the things that could go wrong at work.

Into this cesspool of destructive thinking Paul says, "Be anxious for nothing." "Yeah, right," we are tempted to say. "He doesn't understand what I'm going through." Well, actually he does. Paul had plenty to worry about, but he learned to fix his thoughts on the goodness and greatness of G.o.d (see Philippians 4:8), and he practiced the habit of prayer. Prayer can't coexist for long in the same mental s.p.a.ce with worry; one will crowd the other out.

Many times we forget to pray, but when we fail to pray, we miss out on the source of peace, hope, and joy. When we pray about everything, thank G.o.d for His wisdom, and trust Him for His will to be done in His timing, we can experience G.o.d's amazing peace even in the most difficult circ.u.mstances. G.o.d will listen to every request.

What are some things you tend to worry about?

Take some time right now to pray about them, thank G.o.d for His wisdom and strength, and trust Him for His timing.

"You may give out, but never give up."-MARY CROWLEY "As your positive confessions come forth, you will discover more blessings you will have to thank G.o.d for."-ZIG ZIGLAR

JANUARY 16.

ONE NATION UNDER G.o.d.

Blessed is the nation whose G.o.d is the LORD, the people He has chosen as His own inheritance.

PSALM 33:12.

HAS THERE EVER BEEN A NATION as blessed by G.o.d as the United States? Historians and pastors may argue about the intentions and beliefs of our founding fathers, but one thing is certain: G.o.d has given us incredible wealth, freedom, and protection throughout our history.

The question we must consider is, What are we doing with it? Far too often, we enjoy the benefits of G.o.d's blessings by spending them on today instead of investing them in the future. In biblical history, G.o.d blessed Israel so that they would be a blessing to the nations of the world. When Israel welcomed foreigners and supported widows and orphans, G.o.d continued to shower them with riches and freedom.

Today, Christians in our land have an unprecedented opportunity to rise up and make a difference. Some of us may choose to invest our freedom by getting active in the political process, or perhaps we choose issues of social justice or missions or global warming as the target of our attention. However G.o.d leads each of us, we can be sure of this: G.o.d always leads the rich to help the poor, directs the free to reach out to the oppressed, and empowers the wise to give hope to those who are confused.

We have phenomenal riches in this country, riches that come from the hand of G.o.d. We need to recognize the source of all our blessings and commit ourselves to use every resource to make a difference for Christ's sake.

What are some blessings we enjoy that other nations don't?

What are some specific ways you can invest your riches and freedom to make a difference in others' lives?

"On our National Day of Prayer, then, we join together as people of many faiths to pet.i.tion G.o.d to show us His mercy and His love, to heal our weariness and uphold our hope, that we might live ever mindful of His justice and thankful for His blessings."-RONALD REAGAN

JANUARY 17.

MODELING THE RIGHT STUFF.

Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.

1 TIMOTHY 4:15.

WHEN PEOPLE FOLLOW US, what are they looking for? The answer to that question may be as varied as the individuals themselves. Some want a parent figure, some want a big brother or sister, some want only to learn a few specific skills, and some want specific help in developing a new business plan. Most followers, though, want to follow leaders who know where they're going and have genuine pa.s.sion about getting there. Those two traits aren't that complicated, but the combination is surprisingly rare.

In his letter, Paul had given Timothy a raft of instructions and the rationale to implement a strategy of leadership. However, he didn't want his young friend to just go through the motions. He gave him sound advice: Think long and hard about all that I've written to you so that it sinks deep below the surface and becomes an integral part of your life. And that's not all. Don't just think about these things; pour your life into them, everything you've got-body, mind, and soul! When people see that, they'll sit up and notice, and then they'll follow you.

Paul understood that leadership doesn't come from a manual. It comes from the heart. We may move bodies by our directions in staff meetings, but we move hearts only when they are convinced that we really understand the ins and outs of what we're talking about and only when we show them that we are devoted to the mission. Insight and pa.s.sion-that's modeling the right stuff.

Describe the level of your understanding of your role and cause and your pa.s.sion to accomplish your purpose.

What would "modeling the right stuff" look like in your life?

"My prayers seem to be more of an att.i.tude than anything else. I indulge in no lip service but ask the great G.o.d, silently, daily and throughout the day to permit me to speak to Him. I ask for wisdom, understanding, and strength to carry out His will. As a result, I am asking and receiving all the time."-GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER

JANUARY 18.