In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. – John 1:1 (NIV)

Do you ever feel like you don’t fit in? I know many times I’ve felt that way in my life. I never quite fit in at school, and I never quite fit in at church. As a result, I always felt a bit of an outsider. More than anything, I wanted to feel like I belonged.

When I read the book of John, I feel encouraged. I know that regardless of what I experience from humans here on earth, that with Jesus, I find love and belonging. That is much of the message of the book of John.

John is a unique book. When we read it, we see a very interesting picture of Jesus. John is showing us that Jesus was the son of God and the son of man. By reading John, we can get a really good idea of what makes the Christian faith special.

One of the first things we see is that Jesus is eternal, and was not created. Jesus existed from the beginning. And in the beginning there was fellowship between the trinity. We see that God the father, God the son, and God the Holy Spirit were all active in the beginning.

Out of their relationship, the world was made. The world that we know came into existence through Jesus.

Many other religions in the world today have an account of creation. However, where Christianity differs from them is that Jesus as the creator is a relational god. He had relationship with the members of the trinity at the beginning . It was from that relationship the world was created. In that relationship, we find our value, as we were created from a God who loves us. And from that love, we see the rest of the account in John unfold.

What excitement and meaning that should bring into our relationship with Jesus. We get to know the creator who is loving, knowable, and who created from a heart of love.

Today’s Truth: Jesus existed from the beginning and is a relational God.

If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. – Daniel 3:17-18 (NIV)

“Even if….” Those two words say a lot. They suggest a situation that the speaker considers to be unlikely. They say that even in this unlikely scenario, nothing would change. They show the strength of conviction of the speaker.
Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego were faced with a difficult situation. King Nebuchadnezzar had set up a large golden statue in Babylon and ordered all people of every nation to bow down to it every time they heard the sound of music. If anyone refused, they were to be thrown into a blazing furnace. The three friends knew that bowing down to an idol was against God’s laws, but if they refused the king’s order, they would be put to death. Their situation was even more complicated because they had been put in a position of authority. The people of Babylon were watching everything they did, and the Israelites in the area would have been looking to them as an example of what to do.

These men chose to put their trust in God, confident that He would deliver them from the king’s punishment. When they were questioned about their refusal to serve the king’s gods or worship his image of gold, they told the king they didn’t need to defend themselves to him. They knew that only God’s judgement mattered, and they made sure the king knew their conviction was strong. “Even if he does not (deliver us from your hand), we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

As a result of their conviction, all three men emerged from the furnace completely unharmed. Even their clothes and hair were untouched, and there was no smell of fire on them- as if they had never been in there at all! King Nebuchadnezzar then recognized the power of God and promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to hold even more authority in Babylon!

Today’s Truth: Make sure your convictions reflect a complete surrender to God’s will.

Today’s devotion was written by Danni Manning. Danni grew up in a small, country church, where the members were like an extended family, and she helped her brother lead Sunday morning services in the local nursing home. As an adult, she works part time at a salon, and works as a freelance makeup artist. Danni is a craft-loving, book-reading, homeschooling mom of two, and is dedicated to raising a family who knows and loves God.

Teach us to number our days,
    that we may gain a heart of wisdom. – Psalm 90:12 (NIV)

Have you ever wished that you were more productive? Maybe that you did a better job with getting all the things done that need to be done each day? I know I have more than once.

There’s usually lots of homework, your job, your friends, your chores, your sports and other activities that keep your head spinning and you wondering how you will fit it all in.

One thing that God has recently been showing me is that even in the busiest of days, we can go to Him and ask for His wisdom in numbering and ordering our days. Many times, I’ve wondered how to fit in all the things I need to do each day. When I’ve gone to God and prayer and asked for His help, He has always been so faithful. Time after time, He has given me an idea of what to do and how to move things around in my life so that I have the time for Him.

The same is true for you. Yes, you’re probably busy. There are the demands of life, but God can help you with those things. If you’ll ask Him for wisdom, He will show you how you can count your days and get all the things that need to be done, done in your life. So today, don’t be afraid to ask Him. He is faithful and will always help you with the wisdom that you need to get those things in life done.

Today’s Truth: Ask God’s wisdom for getting things done each day.

Sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him. – Psalm 98:1 (NIV)

One day, as a fifth grader, I became so worried. I realized that I had checked out an item from the library and thought that I hadn’t returned it and lost it. The item I had checked out was really expensive and I was certain that I was going to owe the library hundreds of dollars. I felt as if I was going to be sick. Nothing that was being taught that day was retained and I was constantly worried.

As soon as I could, I called my mom at home. I asked her if she could bring the item to me so that I could return it. During the call, she reminded me that she had already taken the item back to the library. I realized that I had forgotten that she told me that she had returned the item.

Forgetting what my mom had done led me to worry and to have a really bad day. So often, we do the same with God. We forget the good things He has done for us. As a result, we often live life worried or afraid. How much better off would we be if we simply reminded ourselves of God’s faithfulness?

Today’s verse tells us that God has done marvelous things. We should remember those things and hold onto them. Instead of living full of worry and fear, we should challenge ourselves to recall God’s might, His goodness and all the things He has done for us. In doing so, we can leave worry and fear behind us in this new year.

Today’s Truth: Remember the things God has done.

My mom was always teaching me, sometimes to my utter annoyance. Almost every moment in the car was spent in discussion of the deeper meanings of life or the Bible. At home, it was always, did I ever tell you how to…and she’d proceed to tell me how to cook or clean something. Many times, I wished that I wasn’t learning something else new. My brain wanted a break.

However, as I’ve gotten a little older, I realize that my mom had a lot more wisdom than I gave her credit for. Her lessons however annoying at the time, have in fact come in handy many times in my life.

for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past – Psalm 78:2 (NLT)

God’s word can come in handy too. The lessons contained in the Bible can really help us in our walk with God. By reading about the past, we can learn and grow. And while it can sometimes feel like a lot of work, learning and being open to the Bible’s teaching can help you out in life too.

Instead of being frustrated by a Bible lessons, you can choose to enjoy learning from God’s word. The Bible has practical truths for every part of your life. If you’ll let it, the Bible can help you out in every situation that you face.

So this year, choose to let the Word of God begin to change you. Spend time in God’s word and think about what you read in it. Apply it to your life. Don’t let it become a burden or another thing you have to learn, but determine to enjoy it. As you do, your life will change and you’ll experience the power found in the Bible.

My people, hear my teaching;
    listen to the words of my mouth. – Psalm 78:1 (NIV)

I remember a time I asked my dad if I could go to get some lunch with friends after church. My dad said, “yes”, so I got a ride with a friend’s mom to get lunch. Once lunch was over, my friends and I talked a little bit, and then I got dropped off at home. When I walked into my house, I was met with a very angry dad. He asked me where I had been and asked why I hadn’t told him where I was going after church. I’m sure you can imagine my surprise, as I had asked my dad before leaving if it was okay to go.

When I told my dad what had happened, he and I both realized that even though my dad had said, “yes”, it was to the other person that he was having a conversation with after church and it wasn’t to me. In fact, my dad hadn’t even heard me ask to go have lunch with friends.

My dad not hearing me reminds me of today’s Bible verse. Psalm 78 tells us that we should both hear and listen. That might seem like it’s saying the same thing twice, but I think it’s a little like my dad and my conversation after church. We sort of heard each other, but we weren’t really listening. If my dad had been listening more closely, he would have realized I told him where I was going. If I had listened more carefully, I would have realized that my dad was responding to something someone else had said, not to my request.

The same is true when it comes to the things of God. We can hear a verse or a passage, but not really let it sink in. We’ve heard it, but not listened to it. As this new year comes, let’s take some time to do both. Let’s not just casually hear Bible truths, but let’s also listen to them. Let’s see what they have to speak into our lives and let’s let God’s word transform our lives in this next year!

Today’s Truth: Don’t just hear God’s word, listen too!