January Devotionsw

Walking Humbly

Micah 6:8

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Reflection:

As we step into a new month, the pressure to make big resolutions can feel overwhelming. Micah reminds us that God’s ways are simple yet profound: justice, mercy, and humility. Walking gently into February doesn’t require grand gestures—it calls for small, faithful steps guided by God.

Rather than setting lofty resolutions, we are invited to set a single, simple intention with God. Perhaps it’s a moment of daily prayer, an act of kindness, or a commitment to listen more carefully. The key is intentionality, not perfection. By walking gently, we allow God to lead us, shaping our hearts and habits one day at a time.

Illustration:

Think of February as a quiet path through a winter garden. Instead of rushing to reach the other side, notice the small signs of life: the first buds of spring, the gentle sound of wind, the footprints of those who walked before you. Walking gently lets you appreciate the journey while trusting God to guide each step.

Thought for the day:

• What one small intention can I set with God for February?
• How can I walk more gently, showing justice, mercy, and humility in my daily life?

Prayer:

Lord, as I enter this new month, help me walk gently with You. Teach me to act justly, love mercy, and live humbly, taking one faithful step at a time. Guide my intentions so that even small actions reflect Your love. Amen.

Action step:

Choose one simple intention for February. Write it down and ask God to guide you in it daily—small, steady steps are more powerful than overwhelming resolutions.

January Devotions

Pressing On

Scripture: Philippians 3:13-14

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Reflection:

Moving on in faith often begins with a conscious choice to release the past. Paul reminds us that our journey is not measured by mistakes, regrets, or old successes—but by our eyes fixed on the future God has for us. Every step forward is an act of trust: trusting God’s guidance, trusting His timing, and trusting His promises.

Faith isn’t passive; it’s active. To “press on toward the goal” means taking intentional steps—sometimes small, sometimes bold—toward God’s calling in our lives. As we move forward, God equips us with strength, wisdom, and courage.

Illustration:

Imagine trying to run a race carrying a backpack full of stones. Each stone represents a regret, a hurt, or a mistake from the past. With each step, it weighs you down, slowing your progress. Faith asks us to lay the stones down, trusting God to carry the weight we cannot. Only then can we run freely toward the finish line, keeping our eyes fixed on the prize ahead.

Thought for the day:

• What “stones” am I carrying that keep me from pressing forward in faith?
• What step can I take today to move toward God’s purpose for me?

Prayer:

Lord, help me to release the past and step confidently into the future You have planned. Strengthen my faith, guide my steps, and fill me with courage to press on toward the goal You have set before me. Amen.

Action step:

Write down one thing from your past that is holding you back. Pray over it, and commit to letting it go—then take one concrete action that moves you closer to God’s calling today.

January Devotions

Walking Together in Unity

Scripture: 1 Peter 3:8

“Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.”

Reflection:

Peter’s words are simple, yet deeply challenging. In a world that often values independence over community, his call to unity can feel countercultural. To “be like-minded” doesn’t mean we must agree on every detail or have identical personalities. Rather, it invites us to align our hearts toward God’s purposes—seeking His truth, His love, and His justice above our personal preferences.

Being sympathetic means listening deeply, trying to understand others’ experiences without judgment. Love one another is more than a warm feeling—it’s action: forgiving when it’s hard, serving when it’s inconvenient, and encouraging when no one else does. Compassion and humility go hand in hand; to be compassionate, we must first see our own need for God’s grace, which softens pride and opens the way to serve others with gentle hearts.

Peter calls us to a unity that is both intentional and practical. It’s built on empathy, service, and humility—not uniformity. This is a radical way to live, especially when our instinct is often to defend ourselves, elevate our own opinions, or prioritize personal comfort.

Thought for the day:

• In my relationships today, am I seeking unity or simply agreement?
• How can I show sympathy, love, and compassion in a tangible way?
• Where does humility need to shape my words and actions?

Prayer:

Lord, help me to live in unity with those around me. Teach me to be sympathetic, to love genuinely, to act with compassion, and to walk humbly with You. May my heart reflect Your grace, so that my relationships point others toward You. Amen.

Practical step:

Reach out to someone you find difficult to get along with, and do one small act of kindness or encouragement for them today. It could be a note, a smile, or a listening ear. Let humility and love guide your action.

January Devotional

Where You Are Planted

Scripture: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” — Jeremiah 17:7–8

Life can feel uncertain, and sometimes we long to be somewhere “better”—a different job, a different town, or a different season. But Jeremiah reminds us that blessing doesn’t come from perfect circumstances; it comes from trusting God and rooting ourselves where we are. Like a tree planted by a stream, we grow strong, flourish, and bear fruit when we draw life from God, even in places that feel ordinary or challenging.

Illustration:

Think of a tree in a city park. Its roots wind around concrete, yet it still grows tall and bears fruit. It adapts, stretches, and leans into the water it can find. In the same way, God calls us to grow where we are planted—not waiting for ideal conditions, but trusting Him to nourish us. Even in “hard soil,” His presence can sustain and transform us.

Reflection:

Where you are planted right now—your home, your workplace, your community—is where God wants to grow something in you. It might be patience, kindness, courage, or faithfulness. Instead of wishing to be somewhere else, ask God: “How can I grow here? How can I bear fruit in this place?”

Practice: Ask God: “How can I grow here?”

• Look at your daily routines and relationships.
• Identify one small way to invest in your “soil”—your current situation.
• Pray for strength, insight, and perseverance to flourish where God has planted you.

Prayer:

Lord, help me to trust You where I am planted. Show me how to grow, to bear fruit, and to thrive even when life feels challenging or ordinary. May my roots go deep in Your love, and may my life bring blessing to those around me. Amen.

Thought for the Day:

Growth doesn’t always happen where we expect it. It happens where God has planted us—and with Him as our stream, there is always life, resilience, and fruitfulness.

January Devotions

God’s New Thing

Scripture: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” — Isaiah 43:19

As the early excitement of a new year fades, it’s easy to feel like the “new” has passed. The resolutions, the fresh energy, the sense of promise—they can start to feel routine. But God’s “new thing” isn’t bound by the calendar. Isaiah reminds us that God is always at work, making a way where there seems to be none and bringing life to places we thought were dry and barren.

Illustration:

Imagine a gardener walking through a neglected garden. The weeds have taken over, and the soil looks hard and lifeless. But as the gardener turns over the soil, plants begin to sprout—tiny shoots that signal growth and life. Even in a garden that looked beyond hope, life is emerging in new ways. God’s new thing works in a similar way. What looks dry or ordinary in our lives—our routines, our struggles, or even our doubts—can become the soil where God is doing something fresh, something unexpected, something life-giving.

Reflection:

What if the new thing God is doing in your life isn’t something dramatic, but a small shift—a chance to see things differently, to reconnect with someone, or to explore a new possibility you hadn’t noticed? Sometimes the “new thing” is as simple as being more present, more compassionate, or more daring in faith.

Practice: Notice one “new” possibility today.

• It could be an idea that has been lingering in your mind.
• A conversation you’ve been avoiding.
• A creative impulse, a call to serve, or even a new habit.

Pause and ask God to open your eyes. Where is the new thing springing up around you? Where is God making a way in your wilderness, or bringing streams to your dry places?

Prayer:

Lord, thank You that You are always doing a new thing. Help me to see the opportunities You place before me each day, even when life feels routine. Give me eyes to notice, courage to step, and faith to follow where You lead. Amen.

Thought for the Day:

God’s new thing may not be a grand gesture—it may be a quiet invitation to live differently, to love more fully, or to trust more deeply. Look for it. You might be surprised at where it’s already beginning.

January Devotions

In a Similar way to yesterday’s revision exercise of engaging with the discipleship skill of waiting, we turn to that essential focus of finding rest in our crazy world. 

Hebrews 4:9–10 —

“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their own work, just as God did from his.”

It’s easy to feel that life is all about doing: achieving, fixing, planning, managing. Yet Scripture invites us into something radically countercultural — resting in God.

God doesn’t ask us to abandon responsibility; He asks us to stop trying to carry the weight alone. Entering His rest is a spiritual posture: a quiet trust that He holds everything — our worries, our plans, our fears — and that we can step out of the frantic striving to lean on Him.

Hebrews 4 reminds us that rest is more than sleep. It is an act of faith, a deliberate choice to hand over what we cannot control and to trust that God’s power and care are sufficient. When we rest in God, we are not passive. We are participating in His sustaining work, acknowledging that life unfolds under His loving hands.

A child once watched her father carrying a heavy basket of groceries. She insisted on helping, straining with all her might. Finally, he knelt down and said, “I’ve got it. You can walk beside me and enjoy the sunshine.”

The child relaxed, laughed, and noticed the world around her in a way she hadn’t while struggling under the load.

God invites us to a similar experience: He is carrying the weight; our task is to walk in His presence, resting and trusting.

Prayer

Sovereign God,

Thank You that You hold all things — my life, my worries, and my plans.

Teach me to enter Your rest, to release my striving, and to trust Your care.

Help me see rest not as laziness, but as a faithful response to Your love.

May I walk each day leaning on You, finding strength and peace in Your hands.

Amen.

Practice for Today: Rest as an Act of Trust

• Choose a short period today — even 10–15 minutes — to stop what you are doing.
• Sit, lie down, or take a gentle walk.
• Quiet your mind and focus on the truth: God holds everything.
• Let this rest be a deliberate act of trust, acknowledging that His power is enough.

Small moments of rest remind us that we do not have to carry the world alone.

January Devotions

Waiting in Hope

We explored the spiritual practice of waiting during Advent, but this characteristic of discipleship is such an essential skill that, as we move into 2026, a gentle reminder may be helpful.”

Psalm 27:14 —

“Wait for the Lord;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the Lord.”

Waiting is one of the places where trust is most deeply formed.

Yet waiting rarely feels spiritual or heroic — most of the time it feels slow, uncomfortable, and uncertain. Still, Scripture repeatedly invites us to wait with hope, not because the delay is pleasant, but because the One we wait for is faithful.

David’s words in Psalm 27 were written from a place of fear and pressure, not ease. Even there he discovered that waiting is not passive. It is an act of courage. It means choosing to believe that God is working even when we cannot see it, choosing to trust that His timing is wiser than ours, choosing to prepare our hearts for what He will reveal in due season.

Waiting with hope is holding steady in the gap between the promise and the fulfilment.

It is sitting with God in the tension, rather than trying to run ahead of Him.

And in the stillness, strength grows.

A violinist once explained why a rest — a moment of silence — is essential in a piece of music. Without the rest, the music becomes frantic, crowded, and exhausting to hear. But with the rest, the notes breathe. The melody finds shape. The listener has space to take it in.

“Silence,” he said, “is what gives meaning to the sound.”

Our lives need rests too.

If everything moved at full speed, we would never hear God’s whisper.

The pauses — the waiting — are not wasted time.

They are where God shapes the next movement of the melody.

Waiting with hope is trusting that God is composing something meaningful, even in the quiet bars of life.

Prayer

Lord of all seasons,

Teach me to wait for You with courage and peace.

Quiet my restless heart and help me trust

that You are working in ways I cannot yet see.

Strengthen me in the stillness

and fill my waiting with hope.

I place this day — and its timing — in Your hands.

Amen.

Practice for Today: Sit in Silence for Two Minutes

Find a quiet place. - Set a gentle timer if it helps.

• Sit still.
• Breathe slowly.
• Let your mind settle.
• Whisper a simple prayer: “I wait for You, Lord.”

Let those two minutes become a small sanctuary — a reminder that even in stillness, God is near and at work.