Each day comes with its own challenges—endless opportunities for worry, stress, guilt, regret, heartache. But sometimes a change of perspective, a moment of reflection, turns those worries into platforms for blessings and joys as they push us closer to the heart of God and his plan for our future.
That transformation—from fear to confidence, from despair to hope—is a daily gift of grace. Available to us constantly: new every morning, fresh every evening, present every moment of the day as we reconnect with the loving Savior whose sacrifice made the gift possible.
Our 2012 devotional, Daily Gifts of Grace, is a collection of daily readings about that very thing. It expresses in 366 ways—it’s Leap Year, you know—that daily gift of grace has played out in the lives of the women whose words are shared here: in a kind comment from a stranger, a sunbeam streaking through storm clouds, a child’s innocent insight, a revelation birthed in a moment of heartache, a laugh-out-loud moment that transformed pain to pleasure.
With entries from our speakers and friends old and new, you’ll find a new gift to ‘unwrap’ every day of the year in Daily Gifts of Grace.
Daily Gifts of Grace Authors
Our speakers and writers have touched thousands of hearts over the years. But in these pages they share, with poignancy, experience, and humor, how God’s grace has touched them personally. We hope their stories and lessons will help you see that same gift in every moment of your day as well.
| Lana Bateman | Jenna Lucado Bishop | Patsy Clairmont |
| Mary Graham | Natalie Grant | Lisa Harper |
| Barbara Johnson | Marilyn Meberg | Luci Swindoll |
| Sandi Patty | Lori Robertson | Carol Kent |
| Kim Cash Tate | Joni Eareckson Tada | Donna VanLiere |
| Sheila Walsh | Lisa Whelchel |
True Success
They love the Lord’s teachings, and they think about those teachings day and night. . . . Everything they do will succeed. —Psalm 1:2–3 NCV
At first glance the words “everything they do will succeed” at the end of Psalm 1:3 seems about as truthful as the weight listed on my driver’s license until our government chose to omit that data (maybe because most people fudged on the number).
How can the psalmist label broken relationships or rebellious children or infertility or crippling depression a success?
How can he sincerely sing, “Everything they do will succeed,” when all of God’s children experience failure of some kind or another? Has he been guzzling cough syrup, or is he just wearing overly optimistic blinders?
Neither. Because this promise of prosperity is preceded by the context “everything they do”—which in this passage is defined by spiritual obedience—“succeed” in verse 3 is in reference to walking closely with God. It’s essentially an Old Testament version of Romans 8:28: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose.”
It doesn’t mean we’ll get everything we want exactly how and when we want it. And it sure doesn’t mean everything we do will be judged successful by human standards. What it means is that ultimately our sovereign Redeemer will work everything out for our good and his glory because we are his people and he loves us. It means that being in a real, redemptive relationship with the Creator of the universe is the true measure of success.
—Lisa Harper
Excerpted from Daily Gifts of Grace © 2012 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Comments
Thank you, for this i needed ever word of it. anyway thanks for praying for david haywood he call me today to tell me that he want to change so i told him that he have to ask for God in his life he lost his job, his family his home he cryed to me i think that him and the girl that he dated please pray that he ask forGod in his heart God bless you!!
This is a wonderful devotional and a beautiful book. Not only are the writings helpful and inspiring but the presentation is perfect. Thank you for such a quality product