Passage of the Day:
I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. 20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. 21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: 22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him,” Lamentations 3:19-24.
Reflection:
You can’t change previous actions, behaviors or words spoken in the past. However, the weeping prophet, Jeremiah, has a refreshing message as you begin 2024. Despite the current consequences of previous errors, mistakes or transgressions, the Lord offers every morning as a chance for a fresh start. While human minds are full of ungodly beliefs such as “God will never forgive me, I’ll never be good enough and nobody cares about me,” each new sunrise serves as an opportunity for change.
Prayerful Action:
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective, James 5:16.
Renewing Your Mind:
All minds are programmed differently. However, as individuals seek to seize each day of a new year, there will be spiritual growing pains. Minds are sponges that absorb everything you listen to, read and watch. If minds are not fed daily words from the Bible, Hebrews 4:12, spiritual transformation will not occur. On the flip side, reading the Bible doesn’t guarantee change either. As Jesus stresses at the end of the Sermon of the Mount, “put my words into practice,” Matthew 7:24. Don’t just study God’s Word, renew your mind by meditating on the Bible, Joshua 1:8.
Song of the Day:
Final Thoughts:
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. Set a smooth and steady pace in 2024.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, Hebrews 12:1.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 