God's Promises Devotional Journal: 365 Days of Experiencing the Lord's Blessings

By Jack Countryman

A guided journal to lead you through the promises God has for every believer.

More than 20 of our leading Christian authors bring inspiration and encouragement every day of the year. Guided questions and commentary gently lead the way for personal meditation and reflection on God’s promises for your life. Journaling space is provided for recording your thoughts and prayers, and for promoting quality quiet time alone with the Lord.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Mar 21, 2011
• ISBN: 9781400317622

Jack Countryman

Jack Countryman is the founder of JCountryman gift books, a division of Thomas Nelson, and is the recipient of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association's Kip Jordan Lifetime Achievement Award. Over the past 30 years, he has developed bestselling gift books such as God's Promises for Your Every Need, God's Promises for Men, God's Promises for Women, God Listens, and Red Letter Words of Jesus. Countryman's books have sold more than 27 million units. His graduation books alone have sold nearly 2 million units.

Book preview

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GOD’S

PROMISES®

DEVOTIONAL

JOURNAL

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God’s Promises® Devotional Journal

© 2011 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson®. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Cover design by Koechel Peterson & Associates, Inc., Minneapolis, MN.

Thomas Nelson, Inc. titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please email [e-mail]

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION®. © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked MSG are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved. KJV from KING JAMES VERSION. NASB from NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®. © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. NCV from New Century Version®. © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. NEB from THE NEW ENGLISH BIBLE. © 1961, 1970 by The Delegates of the Oxford University Press and the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press. Reprinted by permission. NIV from HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. NLT from Holy Bible, New Living Translation. © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. NRSV from NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION of the Bible. © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved. TLB from The Living Bible. © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

ISBN-13: 978-1-4041-8964-5

Printed in China

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Contents

January

January 1

January 2

January 3

January 4

January 5

January 6

January 7

January 8

January 9

January 10

January 11

January 12

January 13

January 14

January 15

January 16

January 17

January 18

January 19

January 20

January 21

January 22

January 23

January 24

January 25

January 26

January 27

January 28

January 29

January 30

January 31

February

February 1

February 2

February 3

February 4

February 5

February 6

February 7

February 8

February 9

February 10

February 11

February 12

February 13

February 14

February 15

February 16

February 17

February 18

February 19

February 20

February 21

February 22

February 23

February 24

February 25

February 26

February 27

February 28

March

March 1

March 2

March 3

March 4

March 5

March 6

March 7

March 8

March 9

March 10

March 11

March 12

March 13

March 14

March 15

March 16

March 17

March 18

March 19

March 20

March 21

March 22

March 23

March 24

March 25

March 26

March 27

March 28

March 29

March 30

March 31

April

April 1

April 2

April 3

April 4

April 5

April 6

April 7

April 8

April 9

April 10

April 11

April 12

April 13

April 14

April 15

April 16

April 17

April 18

April 19

April 20

April 21

April 22

April 23

April 24

April 25

April 26

April 27

April 28

April 29

April 30

May

May 1

May 2

May 3

May 4

May 5

May 6

May 7

May 8

May 9

May 10

May 11

May 12

May 13

May 14

May 15

May 16

May 17

May 18

May 19

May 20

May 21

May 22

May 23

May 24

May 25

May 26

May 27

May 28

May 29

May 30

May 31

June

June 1

June 2

June 3

June 4

June 5

June 6

June 7

June 8

June 9

June 10

June 11

June 12

June 13

June 14

June 15

June 16

June 17

June 18

June 19

June 20

June 21

June 22

June 23

June 24

June 25

June 26

June 27

June 28

June 29

June 30

July

July 1

July 2

July 3

July 4

July 5

July 6

July 7

July 8

July 9

July 10

July 11

July 12

July 13

July 14

July 15

July 16

July 17

July 18

July 19

July 20

July 21

July 22

July 23

July 24

July 25

July 26

July 27

July 28

July 29

July 30

July 31

August

August 1

August 2

August 3

August 4

August 5

August 6

August 7

August 8

August 9

August 10

August 11

August 12

August 13

August 14

August 15

August 16

August 17

August 18

August 19

August 20

August 21

August 22

August 23

August 24

August 25

August 26

August 27

August 28

August 29

August 30

August 31

September

September 1

September 2

September 3

September 4

September 5

September 6

September 7

September 8

September 9

September 10

September 11

September 12

September 13

September 14

September 15

September 16

September 17

September 18

September 19

September 20

September 21

September 22

September 23

September 24

September 25

September 26

September 27

September 28

September 29

September 30

October

October 1

October 2

October 3

October 4

October 5

October 6

October 7

October 8

October 9

October 10

October 11

October 12

October 13

October 14

October 15

October 16

October 17

October 18

October 19

October 20

October 21

October 22

October 23

October 24

October 25

October 26

October 27

October 28

October 29

October 30

October 31

November

November 1

November 2

November 3

November 4

November 5

November 6

November 7

November 8

November 9

November 10

November 11

November 12

November 13

November 14

November 15

November 16

November 17

November 18

November 19

November 20

November 21

November 22

November 23

November 24

November 25

November 26

November 27

November 28

November 29

November 30

December

December 1

December 2

December 3

December 4

December 5

December 6

December 7

December 8

December 9

December 10

December 11

December 12

December 13

December 14

December 15

December 16

December 17

December 18

December 19

December 20

December 21

December 22

December 23

December 24

December 25

December 26

December 27

December 28

December 29

December 30

December 31

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January

The promises of God are dependable.

WARREN W. WIERSBE

January 1

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The LORD is slow to anger and great in power.

NAHUM 1:3

God’s power, one of His primary attributes, is often on display for our good. It supports us in our troubles and strengthens our spiritual life.

In His parting words to the disciples, just prior to His ascension, Jesus promised, ‘But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’ (Acts 1:8).

Whether our outward circumstances are favorable or unfavorable, these and other divine promises about God’s power are there for us to claim.

—JOHN MACARTHUR

Truth for Today

What is one way God has recently displayed His power in your life?

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January 2

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He who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him.

1 JOHN 3:24

Many things in your life will change over time. But thankfully, by God’s grace, when the Holy Spirit enters the life of a believer, He’s there to stay.

We learn from Jesus Himself (1 Corinthians 6:19) that God makes a believer’s life a temple in which He dwells through His Spirit. That truth has profound implications for how we live. We are, for instance, to be good stewards of our body, which is the temple of God’s Holy Spirit.

Even as God abides in a believer’s life, we are to abide in Him. To abide in God is to live in His presence and, as a result, to take on His characteristics. His life becomes our life as our life is hidden in Him.

We are therefore to face every situation and relate to every person with the distinct awareness that Jesus is always with us and within us.

—HENRY AND RICHARD BLACKABY

Discovering God’s Daily Agenda

How does knowing the truth that Jesus’ Spirit dwells within you affect how you will live out your day today? and tomorrow?

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January 3

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In Your hand is power and might;

In Your hand it is to make great

And to give strength to all.

1 CHRONICLES 29:12

The crowning jewel of Creation was man himself. He was created for a distinct purpose. If the purpose is lived out, life is fulfilling. If the purpose is rejected or ignored, life will never be what it was meant to be.

Apart from the Creator’s purpose, you and I are like a light bulb lying in a meaningless, useless state. We need to fit into the Creator’s original design, plugging into the power source—our relationship with Him—if our lives are to be what they were meant to be.

—ANNE GRAHAM LOTZ

God’s Story

Have you found your purpose in life? If so, what are you doing with it?

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January 4

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You cannot add any time

to your life by worrying about it.

MATTHEW 6:27 NCV

Anxiety is an expensive habit. Of course, it might be worth the cost if it worked. But it doesn’t. Our frets are futile.

Worry has never brightened a day, solved a problem, or cured a disease.

God leads us. God will do the right thing at the right time. And what a difference that makes.

—MAX LUCADO

Traveling Light

What are three things that worry you the most? What can you do to help yourself become worry free?

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January 5

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If the Son makes you free,

you shall be free indeed.

JOHN 8:36

This freeing of the self is the real purpose of righteousness: the rightness that God asks of His children. Yet all too often we have thought that righteousness means the end of all our fun and freedom. Nothing could be further from the truth. God’s love means sheer goodwill for us. Each of us can find the truth for ourselves only as we, step by step, walk the Faith Road, for God sees to it that sight never precedes faith.

—CATHERINE MARSHALL

Moments that Matter

Freedom is a gift from God. What are you doing to protect that freedom?

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January 6

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The LORD will open up his heavenly storehouse so that the skies send rain on your land at the right time, and he will bless everything you do.

DEUTERONOMY 28:12 NCV

The first belongs to God, and the principle of the firstfruits is very, very powerful. I have heard it said that any first thing given is never lost, and any first thing not given is always lost. In other words, what we give to God we don’t lose because God redeems it for us. But what we withhold from God, we will lose. Jesus echoed this principle when He said, For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it (Matthew 16:25 NIV).

Coming to church at the first of the week is a way of giving the Lord the first of your time. As God’s people, we need to give the first part of our week to Jesus. The reason the New Testament church met on Sunday was because they were celebrating the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. They gave the first of their time to God in worship.

—ROBERT MORRIS

The Blessed Life

Think of an example of how applying this principle would change how you prioritize your time.

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January 7

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A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

ISAIAH 42:3 NIV

Your weakness and brokenness draw Me ever so near you. You can open up to Me because I understand you perfectly. My compassion for you is overflowing. As you open yourself to My healing Presence, I fill you with Peace that transcends understanding. So stop trying to figure everything out. Instead, lean on Me, letting your head rest on My chest. While you rest, I will be watching over you and all that concerns you.

Trust Me in the depths of your being, where I live in union with you. My healing work in you is most effective when you are actively trusting Me. Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet My unfailing Love for you will not be shaken. This is the essence of My compassion for you: No matter how desperate your circumstances, the one thing you can always count on is My unfailing Love.

—SARAH YOUNG

Jesus Lives

What are some of the daily occurrences you count on? (Examples: The sun rising. The chair supporting your weight. Taking your next breath.) Knowing that all these things are possible because of the Lord, how can you cultivate a more active trust in His unfailing love?

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January 8

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As He who called you is holy,

you also be holy in all your conduct.

1 PETER 1:15

No human is holy in himself. Holiness is foreign to us. It is alien. That is why we require the righteousness of Another to cover our moral nakedness. The Holy One has given us the holiness we need in the cloak of Christ’s righteousness.

—R. C. SPROUL

In the Presence of God

On a scale of 1–10, where are you in your Christian life? What do you have to change to be holy in all your conduct?

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January 9

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We can enter through a new and living way that Jesus opened for us. It leads through the curtain—Christ’s body.

HEBREWS 10:20 NCV

To the original readers, those last four words were explosive: the curtain— Christ’s body. According to the writer, the curtain equals Jesus. Hence, whatever happened to the flesh of Jesus happened to the curtain. What happened to His flesh? It was torn. Torn by the whips, torn by the thorns. Torn by the weight of the cross and the point of the nails. But in the horror of His torn flesh, we find the splendor of the open door. . . .

We are welcome to enter into God’s presence—any day, any time.

—MAX LUCADO

He Chose the Nails

How can you make each promise God has given a part of your everyday life?

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January 10

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You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,

a holy nation, His own special people,

that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called

you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

1 PETER 2:9

Who are we in Jesus? Better yet, who are you in Jesus? Read the following truths slowly so that you hear them with your heart and not just your ears! In fact, trade every you for I and let the truth penetrate your heart anew! You are cleansed and forgiven (1 John 1:9); you are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). You are loved by your heavenly Father and have been adopted as his child (1 John 3:1). You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and God delights in you (Psalm 147:11). You are God’s chosen (1 Peter 2:9); you are the apple of his eye (Psalm 17:8).

—SHEILA WALSH

Good Morning, Lord

What, if anything, keeps you from living with absolute confidence that God loves you and from remembering who you are in Christ?

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January 11

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Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way

which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

MATTHEW 7:14

God makes it clear that the road to life is rough. You will begin every new adventure in life with naïve hope and excitement. Every wedding will begin with passion then move into problems. Every decorated nursery will receive a baby that will present unanticipated challenges. Everything you do, no matter how well organized and well intentioned, will run into trouble.

He also makes it clear that there isn’t a better, more satisfying, less bumpy road through your life that will lead to real joy. The road to life will expose you to terrible failure and crushing conflict. But only that road leads to the life you want, the life that God gives.

—DR. LARRY CRABB

66 Love Letters

List some of the difficulties you are currently facing in life. Challenge