January

I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me.

Matthew 25:35

January 1

Come to the Water

All of you who are thirsty, come to the water!

—Isaiah 55:1

As you celebrate the beginning of a brand new year, it feels like time is back on your side. With a new burst of energy, you're able to reassess your priorities, look at where you've been and where you want to go, and you're invited once again to drink from the well of living water. Slip away then from the muddy shores of the past and step into today where you can make a clean start. You may still be parched from yesterday, or a bit thirsty from all that you have left undone, but you're not going on alone from here.

Thomas Fuller once said, "We never know the worth of water till the well is dry."

Let us seek to understand the "worth" of living water this year for we have a fountain of joy to drink from, a well that is everlasting. We only need to come and take a daily dip into this pool to be refreshed and renewed continually.

As you change the date on your calendar to reflect a new year, clear the dryness in your throat by refreshing yourself with God's living Word and his everlasting waters. Allow him to wash over you with the goodness and love he has already prepared. It's a New Year and a new chance for you to quench your thirst. Come to the water!

In the Flow

Dear Lord, as I start another year, remind me that you are with me every step of the way. Wash away the things in my past that I no longer need and renew my life and my Spirit in your precious Name. Amen.

January 2

How to Be Happy

Even if the forest falls and the humbled city is laid low, those who sow beside any stream will be happy, sending out ox and donkey to graze.

—Isaiah 32:19-20

What does it take for you to feel happy? Isaiah offers a little insight into raising your happiness quotient when he says, "sow beside any stream and you will be happy." Sowing beside a stream puts you in the flow and connects you to the Source of all that brings life and sustains you. It means you have chosen to plant your values and your dreams, your hopes and aspirations in a place where they can be nurtured and grown. It is a place that fills your spirit with expectant joy.

St. Augustine reflected on happiness in this way. He said, "Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; where your treasure is, there is your heart; where your heart is, there is your happiness." When your heart is connected to the One who can wash you anew, cause you to come clean and to start again with honest effort and joy, you have every ingredient for happiness.

The New Year has just begun. Happiness is ready to embrace you, ready to reveal its secrets as you walk into the waters of the Living Savior. He will guard your heart and mind and keep you steadily on the path of true joy. Be happy today.

In the Flow

Father in Heaven, help me plant my hopes and dreams firmly in your care this year. As I seek to find greater happiness through you and the treasures you place in my heart, hold me close. Amen.

January 3

Go Ahead, Take A Chance!

Send your bread out on the water because, in the course of time, you may find it again.

—Ecclesiastes 11:1

It's not easy to figure out when to take a risk or when to start something new. Even making an effort can seem overwhelming, and yet, something nags at you, insisting that it's time, that today is a new day and even if you didn't make it work before, you can now. Think of the Nike slogan that implores you to "just do it!"

Procrastination may make sense in terms of giving your new ideas thoughtful consideration. Weighing the odds is a worthwhile use of your time. Getting uncomfortable, though, is a challenge, but the writer of Ecclesiastes doesn't really care. He says get it done. With a little due diligence, in the course of time, you may reap a reward, and you may win the day.

If you don't cast your bread on the waters, you know that nothing can return to you. If you simply cast the bread and walk away, you won't be expectant. You won't recognize the opportunity or be ready for the win. So go ahead. Take a chance on becoming all that God meant you to become and show him and the rest of the world what you've got. It will renew your spirit and you'll be in a refreshing stream of opportunity.

In the Flow

Lord, I let things pass me by over and over again. This year, help me take a chance and step up to the plate to get things done. Amen.

January 4

The Drink that Refreshes

Both fresh water and salt water don't come from the same spring, do they?

—James 3:11

About this time of year, we love the idea of sandy beaches and warm salty water. We imagine the sounds of seagulls and ocean waves and shells along the shore. We love it until we need a nice cool drink. Hmmm ... imagine being surrounded by blissful breezes and burning sands, but no cold refreshing drink. Everything is saltwater. It looks like water, sounds like water, but it can't refresh you from the inside. It only leaves you feeling drier and thirstier.

Life can be like that. We don't notice whether we're being nourished because for the moment we're being satisfied. Once the illusion fades, we catch the reality like we just walked on a jellyfish. We are almost startled to realize we need a taste of something that will truly sustain us, something more.

Your current faith may sustain you very well, or it may just keep you afloat on an endless sea of uncertainty. It may be time to drink more deeply and receive greater refreshment.

There is a beautiful beach, a place where you can play and hang out in the sun. All you have to do is ask and you'll be there, filled forever after with the cool, refreshing Spirit that will never leave you thirsty again.

In the Flow

Lord, thank you for being the only living water that quenches the thirst of your children. Thank you for giving us all we need. Amen.

January 5

God Gave You Today

This is the day the LORD acted; we will rejoice and celebrate in it!

—Psalm 118:24

Do you ever get so caught up in your routine that you forget what day it is? You have to remind yourself whether you're going to work, or maybe sleeping in because it's Saturday? Some of us may even forget that we didn't "invent" today. In fact, we wouldn't be here at all if God had not acted on our behalf a very long time ago. The psalmist is right to point this out to us. God made this day. Now what will we do to show him how glad we are that he did?

Since it's the beginning of the year, let's be more mindful of what God has done each morning when we rise. We can begin the day, even before we put a foot on the floor, saying "Thank you, Lord." We can put a smile on our faces and celebrate the fact that we are surrounded by the abundance he provided.

Every action causes some kind of reaction. God acted. Now it's your turn. This is the day the Lord made so that you could ... what? What can you do to cause God to celebrate a little? What can you give back today that will connect your heart more closely to his?

Take a moment and give God a very intentional response....