The One Year Mini for Women

January 1

Happy New Year

It’s a brand-new year. Is it really possible for me to get a fresh start?

God’s Response

Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each day.   Lamentations 3:23

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the

LORD rejoices to see the work begin.   Zechariah 4:10

blue Today begins a brand-new year, and God rejoices when you are able to see today—and every day—as a new beginning. Each new day gives you new opportunities to know God better. God renews his mercies to you every single day. Don’t be burdened by yesterday’s (or last year’s!) failures or regrets. Instead, let today be a fresh new beginning to a fresh new year.

God’s Promise

I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.   PHILIPPIANS 1:6

January 2

New Beginnings

The year is new, but I still feel like the same woman I was yesterday. How do I get a new start?

God’s Response

Those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!   2 Corinthians 5:17

blue Where are you in your spiritual life? Is Jesus your Savior? If so, then you are already a new person, and your new life has begun. Perhaps you’re not sure about this, or maybe Jesus was once part of your life but has not been so recently. To really get a new start, commit or recommit to a relationship with Jesus. Look forward to this new year of walking with the Lord.

God’s Promise

The one sitting on the throne said, Look, I am making all things new!   REVELATION 21:5

January 3

Forgiveness and Cleansing

I want to start life anew by being forgiven and cleansed. Will God truly do that?

God’s Response

I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart.   Ezekiel 36:26

blue Ask Jesus to forgive your sins and to cleanse you from the inside out. With a clean new heart, you will also enjoy a new relationship with God. Will God truly do that? Yes! That’s why he allowed his Son, Jesus, to die—so that you could be cleansed and forgiven. He’s just waiting for you to ask.

God’s Promise

Come now, let us argue this out, says the

LORD. No matter how deep the stain of your sins, I can remove it. I can make you as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if you are stained as red as crimson, I can make you as white as wool.   ISAIAH 1:18

January 4

Setting Goals

Everyone makes New Year’s resolutions. What are some goals I should set for the coming year?

God’s Response

If we are faithful to the end, trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed, we will share in all that belongs to Christ.   Hebrews 3:14

Live in such a way that God’s love can bless you.   Jude 1:21

blue As you think about goals for the year, a good place to begin is with a commitment to apply your faith to your life and become more confident in what you believe. When you make these goals, you’ll find that many other issues in your life will fall in line.

God’s Promise

Take delight in the

LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.   PSALM 37:4

January 5

The Importance of Goals

Why are goals important?

God’s Response

I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step.   1 Corinthians 9:26

Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you. Mark out a straight path for your feet; then stick to the path and stay safe. Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.   Proverbs 4:25-27

blue Goals give us direction. You may have a lot of goals for different areas of life (including those New Year’s resolutions you made), but make following God your primary, overarching goal. You do not know what the year ahead will bring, so setting that goal will give you purpose and keep you from straying away from God regardless of what life throws at you.

God’s Promise

We can make our plans, but the

LORD determines our steps.   PROVERBS 16:9

January 6

More like Jesus

One of my goals is to be more like Jesus. What kinds of goals did Jesus have?

God’s Response

Even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.   Mark 10:45

I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do.   John 17:4

blue Jesus sought to please and give glory to his Father in everything he did. That goal shaped the way he lived every day and helped him to serve others in every interaction. As you face each day of this new year, ask yourself two questions: Will my plans for today please God? Will I be serving others today? This will help you decide how to spend your time and make you more like Jesus.

God’s Promise

He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.   PSALM 23:3

January 7

Right Choices

This new year is bringing some new choices and options. How can I make the right decisions?

God’s Response

Oh, that you would choose life, that you and your descendants might live! Choose to love the

LORD your God and to obey him and commit yourself to him, for he is your life.   Deuteronomy 30:19-20

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.   Psalm 119:11

With many counselors, there is safety.   Proverbs 11:14

blue Love and obey the Lord in your choices. Listen continually to God’s voice in his Word to help you discern the right direction for your life. Weigh carefully the advice of reliable counselors.

God’s Promise

You will keep on guiding me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.   PSALM 73:24

January 8

God’s Guidance

How does God guide my decision making?

God’s Response

Who are those who fear the

LORD? He will show them the path they should choose.   Psalm 25:12

Learn to be wise, and develop good judgment. Don’t forget or turn away from my words.   Proverbs 4:5

God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.   Philippians 2:13

blue Pray for the desire to seek God’s guidance and then to follow it. When you do, you will be able to make decisions that please him. God does not play games with you. He wants to give you guidance, not hide his will from you. Ask for his help, and then learn to hear him when he speaks.

God’s Promise

Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.   PROVERBS 3:6

January 9

Tough Decisions

What if the right decision is the hardest one?

God’s Response

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, Your Majesty can be sure that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.   Daniel 3:16-18

blue The right decision may not always be the safest or the easiest one, at least in the short run. God will always do what is eternally right in your life, even though your decision might be a difficult one. Ask him to give you peace and protection as you follow his will.

God’s Challenge

Trust in the

LORD

with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. . . . Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the

LORD and turn your back on evil.   PROVERBS 3:5, 7

January 10

My Worth

Does God really care about me and my life? Why would he pay attention to me?

God’s Response

God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them.   Genesis 1:27

We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.   Ephesians 2:10

blue God made you in his own image, so he must value you highly! You are his treasure, his masterpiece. Your soul is so valuable to God that he sent his Son to die for you. God cares about your life and wants to share every moment of every day with you.

God’s Promise

The

LORD keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.   PSALM 121:8

January 11

The Future

I’m setting goals and planning for my future, but our world is in a lot of turmoil. How can I face such uncertain times?

God’s Response

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.   Hebrews 13:8

Don’t worry about tomorrow.   Matthew 6:34

God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you.   1 Peter 1:4

blue You can face an uncertain future because you have an unchanging God who loves and guides you. Don’t waste time worrying about what-ifs. Take your concerns and uncertainties to God in prayer. No matter what the future of this earth holds, you can be sure that heaven will be perfectly free of problems and worries.

God’s Promise

[Jesus said,] Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.   JOHN 16:33

January 12

Heavenly Riches

What does it mean that God promises heavenly riches? Can I really believe that?

God’s Response

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.   1 Corinthians 2:9

blue You don’t have to fear the future. God’s promises about heaven are as certain as all of his other promises. Being confident in God’s promise of eternal life gives you courage and hope in your life now, and it changes the way you make choices every day. God has an eternal future planned for you that is far better than you can even imagine! Live today as though you truly believe that, and see how your perspective changes.

God’s Promise

[Jesus replied,] In the future you will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God’s right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven.   MATTHEW 26:64

January 13

A Future with God

What other promises has God made about my future with him?

God’s Response

When he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.   1 John 3:2

He will remove all of their sorrows, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. For the old world and its evils are gone forever.   Revelation 21:4

blue You will one day be like Christ. You will not be equal to him in power and authority, but you will be like him in character and perfection, for there will be no sin in those God welcomes into heaven. You will never be in pain or experience sorrow, and evil will be gone forever.

God’s Promise

The seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven: The whole world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever.   REVELATION 11:15

January 14

Tomorrow

I know I can trust God for my eternal future, but what about the future that will be here tomorrow?

God’s Response

I know the plans I have for you, says the

LORD. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.   Jeremiah 29:11

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.   Psalm 139:16

blue God has plans for your life—plans he made before you were born. He knows what tomorrow holds, and he promises to go through it with you, so you can anticipate each new day with joy and hope. Perhaps tomorrow you will see God’s plan for you more clearly than ever before.

God’s Promise

We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.   ROMANS 8:28

January 15

Today

Things in my life aren’t always rosy. How can trusting God’s plan for my future help me live today?

God’s Response

The

LORD says, I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.   Psalm 32:8

Our present troubles are quite small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever!   2 Corinthians 4:17

blue As a heaven-bound follower of Jesus, put heaven and earth in perspective. Here, you will probably live for less than a hundred years. In heaven, 100 million years will still be just the beginning. Amazingly, God has determined that how you live during your short time on earth will prepare you for heaven. Wondering what unique role God has planned for us in eternity gives meaning to our troubles and adversity today.

God’s Promise

For you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.   MALACHI 4:2

January 16

When I’m Afraid

With so much change and instability in the world, I’m afraid. What can help me?

God’s Response

All who listen to me will live in peace and safety, unafraid of harm.   Proverbs 1:33

Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock.   Matthew 7:24

blue When you build your life on God’s truth, you have a solid foundation that will not crack under the world’s pressures. When you are a Christian, your safety and security are based on the assurance that God is with you. Without him, you stand alone. With him, you can face life with great courage.

God’s Promise

He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.   PSALM 40:2

January 17

Security

Can God help me feel secure about the future?

God’s Response

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. . . . If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand.   Philippians 4:6-7

Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God.   Romans 8:39

blue God will help you feel secure about the future if you trust him. Security comes from allowing the peace of God to calm you through prayer. The most powerful security in the world is knowing that nothing can separate you from God’s love.

God’s Promise

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. So no one can take them from me.   JOHN 10:28-29

January 18

Safety

How does God provide security? Can he really make me feel safe?

God’s Response

The

LORD is a shelter for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.   Psalm 9:9

Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection. I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until this violent storm is past.   Psalm 57:1

blue God promises to hold you securely, to be your shelter, refuge, and place of protection. No matter how the storms of life batter you, you are eternally secure with God. Nothing can ever separate you from his eternal presence. To feel safe, run to him.

God’s Promise

God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear, even if earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!   PSALM 46:1-3

January 19

Trust

I am reading the promises from the Bible. How can I trust that God will do what he says?

God’s Response

I am trusting you, O 

LORD, saying, You are my God!   Psalm 31:14

I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.   Ephesians 3:17

blue Trusting God is an ongoing process based on a personal relationship with him. When you know him, you will love him. The more you love him, the more you will trust him. As your roots grow down deeply into him, you will find him to be completely worthy of your trust.

God’s Promise

When you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us everything he promised.   EPHESIANS 1:13-14

January 20

Trustworthiness

What makes God trustworthy?

God’s Response

He passed in front of Moses and said, "I am the

LORD

, I am the

LORD, the merciful and gracious God. I am slow to anger and rich in unfailing love and faithfulness."   Exodus 34:6

This truth gives them the confidence of eternal life, which God promised them before the world began—and he cannot lie.   Titus 1:2

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O 

LORD, have never abandoned anyone who searches for you.   Psalm 9:10

blue You can trust God because he always tells the truth. Nothing he has said in his Word, the Bible, has ever been proven wrong or false. He specifically created you in order to have a relationship with you for all eternity. If God says he loves you—and he always tells the truth—you can rest in the assurance that he is trustworthy.

God’s Promise

Your unfailing love will last forever. Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens.   PSALM 89:2

January 21

Promise Keeper

Does God always keep his promises?

God’s Response

[Joshua said,] "Soon I will die, going the way of all the earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the

LORD your God has come true. Not a single one has failed!   Joshua 23:14

[Solomon] prayed, "O 

LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven and earth. You keep your promises."   2 Chronicles 6:14-15

Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.   Hebrews 10:23

blue God always keeps his promises. Joshua and King Solomon experienced this, and you can too. You can trust God to keep all of his promises to you.

God’s Promise

As for God, his way is perfect. All the

LORD’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.     PSALM 18:30

January 22

Well-placed Trust

I’ve trusted people and been hurt. What makes trusting God different?

God’s Response

It is better to trust the

LORD

than to put confidence in people. It is better to trust the

LORD than to put confidence in princes.   Psalm 118:8-9

Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans and turn their hearts away from the

LORD

. . . . But blessed are those who trust in the

LORD

and have made the

LORD their hope and confidence.   Jeremiah 17:5, 7

blue God is perfect. While it is good and necessary to trust others, God is the only One you can trust completely. You can have complete assurance that what he says is true and that what he does is reliable. People are not perfect and will sometimes let you down, but God will never fail you.

God’s Promise

God will surely do this for you, for he always does just what he says, and he is the one who invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.     1 CORINTHIANS 1:9

January 23

True Trust

How do I know if I am truly trusting God?

God’s Response

Taste and see that the

LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who trust in him!   Psalm 34:8

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the

LORD

always, for the

LORD

 G

OD

is the eternal Rock.   Isaiah 26:3-4

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.