The One Year EVERY DAY DEVOTIONS

Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Chapter One

Today is the start of something big. It's the first day of a new year, another step into the twenty-first century, a bold leap into your future. Isn't that great!?! Aren't you totally excited?!?

Well, maybe you're not excited. Maybe you feel it's a little scary. And you're right. Getting ready for the first day of a new school year, moving to a different house, getting a new haircut, having a new baby brother or sister, trying a new food-any new beginning can be a bit frightening. You don't know what to expect. Your mind can race with questions. Is this the year I make first chair in the band? Is this the year I have to get braces? Is this the year I grow six inches? Is this the year I score big in soccer?

Only time will answer all of your questions. But you can answer one question today: Will you drift into the next 365 days timid and afraid about what's going to happen, or will you enter this year with a smile on your face expecting great things?

Check out 2 Timothy 1:7:

In this verse the apostle Paul encourages his friend Timothy to rely on God's Spirit to make him powerful. As a believer in Jesus Christ, you have that same Spirit inside of you to help you be strong instead of afraid.

* * *

Did you know you were born with only two fears? The fear of falling and the fear of loud noises are all that scare babies. But as you grow, other fears enter your mind. Will you fit in at school? Will you be the best? What will happen tomorrow? A popular saying goes, "Let go and let God." It means don't worry about it. Trust God with your future. He wants to give you a life filled with his joy, power, and love. Will you step out in boldness and live for him?

Here are a couple of things I'm trusting God for boldness to accomplish this year:

1. _______________________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________________

Pray: ask God to fill you with his Spirit and make you bold as you begin a new year

I BELIEVE ... God wants me to be bold.

January 2

Creak! Crack! BANG!

You just heard a loud noise that woke you up in the middle of the night. You peek around the room but don't see anything. You strain your ears, but the sound is gone. What should you do next?

a. Pull the covers over your head, curl up in a little ball, and try to sleep as scary thoughts race through your mind.

b. Jump out of bed and shout, "I've got a baseball bat in here. Don't mess with me!"

c. Sit up and holler for your mom or dad.

d. Calm down, start thinking straight, and ask God to help you fall back to sleep and have good dreams.

Creaks and squeaks in the night can be freaky. But those things can seem like no big deal compared to bigger scares such as threats of terrorism or wondering if your parents will ever get divorced. Life is full of uncertainties. But the Bible says over and over that there's no need to be afraid because God is always near. He's the most wonderful protector and friend you could ever find. The answer is d.

Check out Psalm 91:1-2:

Although we don't know who wrote this psalm, it's obvious that person had figured out that trusting God equals safety. Whether this writer fought lions, braved stormy seas, led armies into battle, or simply faced questions about the future, he recognized that God kept him safe when he ran to him.

* * *

Have you ever had to run to God for safety? Maybe a bully was trying to pick a fight. Maybe you heard some noises at night. Maybe you were caught in a bad storm. God can comfort you in any situation-and better yet, he wants to. All you have to do is curl up in his loving arms. He will be a shelter in all of life's stormy situations.

Because I believe God keeps me safe, I'll memorize a couple of these verses so I can bring them to mind the next time I feel scared: Psalm 31:24, Psalm 56:11, and John 14:27.

Pray: Thank God for being a safe place during scary times.

I BELIEVE ... God keeps me safe.

3 January 3

You have a lot of important decisions to make every day. What clothes will you wear? Will you practice the piano? What will you eat for breakfast? Should you take a shower? Will you be nice to your brother? Do you have to clean up after the dog?

The answers to those questions determine what kind of day you'll have. Then when the next morning comes, you have to make all the same choices again.

But can you guess what is the most important decision you'll make during your lifetime? Should you wear purple and orange socks to school? No, that's not it. Should you eat that hamburger in the back of the fridge with green stuff growing on it? Uh-uh. The most important decision you'll ever make is the decision to believe that Jesus is God's Son, who died for your sins, and to accept him as your personal Savior. It will bring a joy and peace to your life that will start now and last forever. Have you made the decision to let Jesus take control of your life?

Check out 1 John 1:8-9:

In these verses, one of Jesus' best friends, John, writes that every body messes up. But the good news is if we ask Jesus to forgive us, he does. Plus he cleans us up and makes us right with God like he is.

* * *

Do you know without a doubt that you'll go to heaven when you die? You can be sure of that. Jesus allows only perfect people in heaven with him. And since nobody is perfect, we all have a big problem. You, like every body else, have messed up, whether it's been by lying, cheating, wanting your friends' stuff, disobeying your parents, or treating your friends badly. God calls those actions sin. God sees all of your sins, but he will forgive your sins through Jesus Christ. All you have to do is pray and ask Jesus into your life.

Pray: "Dear God, please forgive me. I know I'm a sinner. I believe Jesus died and rose from the dead so I could be forgiven of my sins and live forever in heaven. Thank you for loving me and allowing me to have a personal relationship with you. Amen."

(If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, tell somebody-your parents, a children's pastor, the person who gave you this book. You just made the most important decision you'll ever make!)

I BELIEVE ... God forgives my sins.

January 4

Imagine yourself standing at the starting line of a long race. You've trained hard and decided to run this race to the end. As you look at the runners around you, you notice you're in pretty good company. These athletes are fit and prepared to run. You do a couple of quick stretches to make sure you're ready. Right before the starter's pistol goes off, the kid next to you taps your shoulder.

You look over at him and see that he's wearing a bathrobe instead of shorts like every body else. Not only that, he's wearing slippers instead of running shoes!

"I'm sure glad that's over," he says.

Over?!? you think. It's not over. The race hasn't even begun!

"Are you nutty?" you ask. "Don't you know the starter hasn't fired the gun yet?"

"Yeah, I don't care," the kid replies. "I decided to show up for the race, and that's enough for me. Boy, I'm tired. I think I'm going back to bed."

Just then the starter raises his hand. BANG!

You take off with the rest of the runners, leaving that kid in the dust.

He was a little confused, you think, as you race to the front.

Check out Hebrews 12:1:

This verse tells you a lot about what it means to be a Christian. It says to get rid of the things that hold you back from living for God, learn from the actions of other Christians around you, and never give up as you run the race for Christ.

* * *

Many people think that once they make the decision to accept Christ into their hearts that's it. They've reached the end. They've done all they can do. And that's kind of true. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus, you're guaranteed to live with him forever in heaven.

But praying to accept Christ is not the end of your Christian life. It's just the beginning. God has amazing plans for you. If you sit around instead of running the race, you will miss some incredible things.

Here are some ideas that will help me run a good race for God. (Hint: What about reading the Bible and going to church? Anything else?)

1. _______________________________________________________________________________

2. _______________________________________________________________________________

3. _______________________________________________________________________________

Pray: Ask God to help you in the training of becoming a great runner for him.

I BELIEVE ... Living for God is a long, exciting race.

January 5

Sarah was a solid student. Her grades didn't all look like the first letter in the alphabet, but she paid attention in class, did her homework, studied hard, and tried her best. She had just one problem. Her grades didn't all look like the second letter in the alphabet, either. In fact, most of her marks were pretty average-could have been worse, but could have been much better.

Sarah's parents were disappointed because they knew she was smart enough to get better grades. Sarah was frustrated because she worked so hard. And Sarah's teachers didn't know what to do for her. Sarah couldn't figure out how to defeat her problem. Every time she got a test, her palms would start to sweat, her heart would beat faster, her eyes would get big, and her mind would go blank. She could barely remember her name, let alone the chief of the Incas. And asking her to multiply 10 by 12 was like telling her to figure out how many hamburgers McDonald's sells in a day-it was impossible. Sarah's test anxiety brought her brain to a halt.

Check out Psalm 118:6-7:

These verses remind you that you have nothing to fear because you have the Lord with you. God will help you triumph over your enemies, whether those enemies are people, circumstances, or tests.

* * *

Most test anxiety comes from one thing: the fear of failure. Think about this question: Who is disappointed in you if you fail? God isn't. Your worth in his eyes doesn't depend on good grades or how much you succeed in sports or music or anything else. But he does want you to do your best. And worrying only holds you back from doing your best.

Next time I'm worried about failing, I'll remember these three Rs:

1. Remember God loves me no matter what.

2. Relax.

3. Get ready to do my best.

Pray: Tell God you're glad he loves you, no matter how you do in school.

I BELIEVE ... God helps me overcome my fears.

January 6

What is the strangest Christmas present you've ever received?

a. A pink, full-body fluffy bunny suit

b. A doll that speaks only French and says, "Maman" and "O est mon croissant?"

c. A football helmet without a face mask

d. _____________________. Other (fill in the blank) ________________________

e. None of the above

The answer's certainly not e. You probably marked d and filled in the blank.

What is it that causes people to buy weird gifts? Their hearts are probably in the right place. They just want to do something nice for you. But the results can be quite odd, because they don't know you well enough to have a clue about the things you like.

Isn't it cool when relatives know what you want and get you the perfect gift? That's a lot more fun. Not only do you like the gift because it's something you wanted and it reflects your interests, but you also feel good because it shows that somebody knows you well.

Check out Matthew 2:11:

The second part of this verse provides a list of what the wise men brought to Jesus. Their treasures included gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

* * *

At first, the wise men's gifts seem like the eight-foot scarf and foot-long mittens your aunt knitted for you last year-they just don't fit. What's a kid supposed to do with gold, incense, and myrrh? But each of the treasures had a special meaning.

Gold stands for wealth. It's a gift fit for a king. And Jesus is the King of kings.

Incense was used in worship services. It's a gift fit for a priest. And nobody knew God's Word or lived according to his rules better than Jesus.

Myrrh was used as a painkiller or to prepare a dead person's body for burial. It's a gift for someone who will experience pain and death.

When I think about the fact that Jesus died for me, this is how I feel:

_______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________

The reason Jesus was born in the first place was to suffer and die for every one's sins.

Pray: Thank Jesus for coming to the earth to suffer and die for you.

I BELIEVE ... the gifts that the wise men gave Jesus tell me a lot about his life.

January 7

Scientists have been trying for years to figure out if aliens exist. Special satellite dishes point upward, listening for noises in outer space. The government has spent millions of dollars without finding a thing.

Hollywood also has a fascination with aliens. Lots of TV shows and movies feature extraterrestrial beings. Some aliens are pictured as friendly. Some of them try to take over the earth. And they all look a little different.

What do you think an alien would look like if one did exist? Do you think it would be green? In old movies most of them are. Maybe it would have a big head. Maybe it'd have several heads and lots of eyes. Cool! How about arms and hands? Perhaps it wouldn't need hands, because it would have big suctionlike tubes on the end of its arms that suck in every thing it wanted. Would it walk on legs? float? fly through the air with a jet pack? The possibilities are endless.

Actually, if you want to figure out what an alien looks like, all you have to do is look in the mirror. It's no joke. The Bible calls you an alien.

Check out 1 Peter 2:11:

In this verse Peter reminds us that as children of God we are aliens living in a strange land. Our true home is heaven. And because of this fact, we need to be careful to keep away from the harmful things of this world.

* * *

Because the devil was cast out of heaven and down to earth, he has a lot of power here. As a believer in Jesus Christ, you know heaven is your final home. So you're really an alien here on earth. You live here, but this isn't your final destination. And with God's power you can overcome the devil and make a difference for God while you're on this planet.

Does that make sense? It's a tricky concept-one you may want to talk about more with a parent or a youth pastor. But know this: Being an alien is exciting. You can help God bring others into his Kingdom. You can set an example for others by living for God on earth.

Pray: Ask God to help you be an effective "alien" on earth.

I BELIEVE ... I'm an alien on earth.

January 8

Whoever invented the drive-through window must've been a genius. You cruise up to it, babble a few words into the microphone, pull forward, and pick up your meal with the secret toy surprise. Anytime you're hungry, you can ask your parents to whip through the drive-through for a quick bite to eat.

It's fast. It's fun. It's easy.

But have you noticed how simple it is to start treating God like a drive-through window with your prayers? You have a test at school-so you pray to do well. You wreck on your bike-so you pray to feel better. Your cat runs away-so you pray it will come home.

Now there's nothing wrong with those prayers. God wants to hear from you and cares about every thing that happens in your life. He's always listening, and you never have to wait to talk to him. But he wants to be much more than a drive-through prayer window. He wants to hear about your good times and bad. Pray to him and thank him just for being him. Pray to him all the time, not just the times that you need something from him.

But just so you know, he probably won't ask, "Do you want fries with that?"

(Continues...)

Excerpted from The One Year EVERY DAY DEVOTIONSby STEPHEN ARTERBURN JESSE FLOREA Copyright © 2003 by Stephen Arterburn and Jesse Florea. Excerpted by permission.
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