January 29, 2017 

READ: Zephaniah 3:14-17 

The Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior (v.17).

Friends often remind me, “You’re not alone.” “God is with you,” they say. “Yes,” I answer. “He is.” Yet there are times—mostly when I’m pressed to accomplish a daunting task without anyone physically present to help me, or when I’m alone for extended periods of time—that I wonder, “Is God here with me?” And, if so, “What does His presence truly mean?”

How do we know that, “God is with you,” isn’t a manmade statement conjured up to make people feel better? Is it a motivational quote to spur people on when they’re struggling? A way to politely say, “God is with you, so you don’t need my help”?

We know God is with us, because Scripture promises He’s there. “The Lord your God is living among you,” we read in Zephaniah 3:17. “He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

We don’t need to linger in discouragement or doubt, for God says, “I am with you.” He told His people, “Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

In Isaiah 43:1-3, and throughout Scripture, God offers us truth that can change our lives and give us hope when we truly embrace it. He promises us that when we’re redeemed we’re also summoned by name; we are His. Compassionately, He says, “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. . . . I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior” (vv.2-3).

May we cling to this infinite, unwavering truth: God goes before us and He is with us. Just as He promised Zephaniah, He’s a loving God who “will live among [us]!” (3:15).

—Roxanne Robbins

365-day plan: Genesis 45:1-28

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

January 28, 2017 

READ: John 4:3-15 

Those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life (v.14).

The elixir of life is a mythical potion that enables those who drink it to live forever. Russian scientists claim to have made a breakthrough in developing an “elixir of life” after discovering bacteria that survived from ancient times in Siberian permafrost. They injected the bacteria into themselves, and claim they no longer get the flu and feel much more healthy and alive.

Designed to live in the paradise God provided, Adam and Eve were permitted by Him to eat from almost every tree in Eden, including the tree of eternal life (Genesis 2:8,16-17). But they willfully ate from the fruit of the one tree they were to avoid (v.17, 3:1-7). Because God didn’t want them “to live forever” in their rebellious sinful state, He lovingly prevented them from eating from the tree of life. And all human beings from that time forward were banished from dwelling with Him (vv.22-24).

The good news is that God still desires that we be with Him. And “by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13-14), we can live with Him forever (Revelation 21:3). “Anyone who believes [in Jesus] has eternal life” (John 6:47).

Eternal life isn’t simply endless existence. It’s quality of life: the adventure of “[knowing] the only true God, and Jesus Christ” (17:3). It’s not simply about future existence, but also something we enjoy today (5:39, 6:47-51; Revelation 22:14). The Jewish idea of knowing someone was all about real relationship and complete intimacy (Jeremiah 31:33-34; 1 John 5:20). That’s what we can experience—a life of knowing, loving, and obeying God, both now and forever.

Jesus offers the elixir of life to all who will drink it (John 4:10). Come, drink, and enjoy eternal life with Him! (v.14).

—K. T. Sim

365-day plan: Genesis 44:1-34

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)

January 27, 2017 

READ: Psalm 84:1-12 

The swallow builds her nest and raises her young . . . near your altar (v.3).

A mother bird began a construction project on top of an outdoor light near our garage. During the building process, she dropped bits of debris everywhere. She also dive-bombed our children as they played in the driveway. When we realized she would need to find another place to live, my husband gently moved her nest into the grass. She tried to rebuild twice in the same spot before finally relocating. Despite the bird’s tenacity, she was no match for a couple who didn’t want to share an address!

A psalmist described a similar situation with a more satisfying ending—at least for the bird. He said, “The swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near your altar, O Lord of Heaven’s Armies” (84:3). This poetic picture of a bird building a home near God’s holy place reminds me that He allows fragile beings to get close to Him (v.2).

The Bible says that human life is as delicate as grass and as transient as passing shadows (102:11). Although we’re mortal, frail creatures, God doesn’t find us annoying or tiresome. He doesn’t roll His eyes and sigh at the thought of us. He wants us to come close and relate with Him (84:11; James 4:8). We know this because He created us in a way that allows our spirits to communicate directly with Him (1 Corinthians 2:10-12). He receives our praise and responds to our prayers. He hears the songs we sing. The closer we approach Him, the better He likes it.

While God’s holiness and power are overwhelming, we don’t have to fear His anger or vengeance if we’ve received salvation in Jesus. “Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can . . . come boldly and confidently into God’s presence” (Ephesians 3:12).

—Jennifer Benson Schuldt

365-day plan: Genesis 43:1-34

(Check out Our Daily Journey website!)