GGPBK899_Book_MP.inddPBK899_Book_MP.indd i 111/07/191/07/19 44:15:15 PPMM Daily Guideposts 2020 Published by Guideposts Books & Inspirational Media 110 William Street New York, New York 10038 Guideposts.org Copyright © 2019 by Guideposts. All rights reserved. Th is book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, elec- tronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. Daily Guideposts is a registered trademark of Guideposts. Acknowledgments Every attempt has been made to credit the sources of copyrighted material used in this book. If any such acknowledgment has been inadvertently omitted or miscredited, receipt of such information would be appreciated. Scripture quotations marked (AMP) are taken from the Amplifi ed Bible. Copyright © 2015 by Th e Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (CEB) are taken from the Common English Bible. Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible. Scripture quotations marked (CEV) are taken from Holy Bible: Contemporary English Version. Copyright © 1995 American Bible Society. Scripture quotations marked (CSB) are taken from Th e Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (GNT) are taken from the Holy Bible, Good News Translation. Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Scripture quotations marked (GW) are taken from GOD’S WORD Translation. Copyright © 1995 by God’s Word to the Nations. Used by permission of Baker Publishing Group. Scripture qu otations marked (HCSB) are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (JPS) are taken from Tanakh: A New Translation of the Holy Scriptures according to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Copyright © 1985 by the Jewish Publication Society. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (ICB) are taken from Th e Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible®. Copyright © 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Tommy Nelson™, a division of Th omas Nelson. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (ISV) are taken from the Holy Bible, International Standard Version. Copyright © 1995–2014 by ISV Foundation. All rights reserved internationally. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC. Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the King James Version of the Bible. Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are taken from Th e Message. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (NCV) are taken from Th e Holy Bible, New Century Version. Copyright © 2005 by Th omas Nelson, Inc. Scripture quotations marked (NET) are taken from the NET Bible®. Copyright ©1996–2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from Th e Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from Th e Holy Bible, New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Th omas Nelson, Inc. Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible. Copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (RSV) are taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971 by Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked (TLB) are taken from Th e Living Bible. Copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois 60187. All rights reserved. Cover and interior design by Müllerhaus Cover photo by Shutterstock Monthly page opener photos by Shutterstock Indexed by Frances Lennie Typeset by Aptara, Inc. Printed and bound in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 GGPBK899_Book_MP.inddPBK899_Book_MP.indd iiii 111/07/191/07/19 44:15:15 PPMM Dear Friends, This year Guideposts celebrates our 75th anniversary! While we remain grounded in our dynamic history, we are most excited to continue to spread the message that anything is possible with hope, faith, and prayer. Welcome to Daily Guideposts 2020. Whether you’re a longtime reader of this devotional or are discovering it for the first time, we welcome you with love and the expectation of great things to come. The theme for this year is “He Performs Wonders” based on Job 5:9: “He per- forms wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.” (NIV) In 2019 we debuted the alternate title Walking in Grace, for those readers who prefer that name, and we are using it again in 2020. Whichever name they appear under, these devotions are sure to uplift and inspire you throughout the year. What a marvelous reminder of God’s majesty, power, and faithfulness! Despite life’s ups and downs, it’s important to remember that every day God is still making miracles and causing wonderful things to happen. As we leap into 2020 and a new decade, our contributors continue to share what’s in their hearts—from daily lessons and blessings to disappointments fol- lowed by moments of grace. Shawnelle Eliasen recalls an ocean-side encounter with her son that prompts her to leave her cares in God’s hands. Scott Walker muses about the meaning of retirement, but realizes that there’s always work to be done in God’s kingdom. Jacqueline Wheelock reminds us of the importance of taking time out to pause and praise, and Julie Garmon learns about hope and God’s miraculous timing when her daughter finally gets pregnant after years of infertility. We’re delighted to share several new series this year. Elizabeth Sherrill leads with a marvelous series titled “Firsts,” which was inspired by the loss of John, her beloved husband of seven decades. As a new chapter unfolded and she faced the challenges of the first days of widowhood, she thought about other first times in her life and wondered, “What if I could maintain the thrill of discovery, the heightened awareness that comes with first-times?” Kim Taylor Henry takes us on a “Journey to the Holy Land” and shares the sights, sounds, and revelations of walking where Jesus walked. Debbie Macomber invites us along on her adventures in “Packing Light.” In “Praying in Public,” Marci Alborghetti writes about the wonders and miracles she encountered when DAILY GUIDEPOSTS iii GGPBK899_Book_MP.inddPBK899_Book_MP.indd iiiiii 111/07/191/07/19 44:15:15 PPMM she stepped out in faith, and out of her comfort zone, and met prayer needs of friends, family, neighbors, and yes, even strangers. In “The Friendship of Women,” Roberta Messner prompts us to reflect on the blessed connections in our lives, and Sabra Ciancanelli’s “Sundays of Advent” series warms our hearts and joyfully prepares us for Christmas. We’re happy to welcome new writers Tia McCollors, Kenneth Sampson, Jolynda Strandberg, and Gayle T. Williams. And we say farewell, thank you, and blessings to our friends Natalie Perkins, Melody Swang, and Marion Bond West. This year, as we move forward in faith, we’ll face joys and sorrows, celebra- tions and stormy days, but if we look and listen, we’ll also experience His won- ders and miracles. Get ready to meet God each day and as you do, think about Job 5:9. Allow His wonder and miracles to light your path this year, and remain encouraged for all that is to come. Never forget: God still “performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.” Faithfully yours, The Editors of Guideposts P.S. We love hearing from you! Let us know what Daily Guideposts means to you by e-mailing [email protected] or by writing to Guideposts Books & Inspirational Media, 39 Old Ridgebury Road #27, Danbury, CT 06810. You can also keep up with your Daily Guideposts friends on Facebook.com/ dailyguideposts. Going Digital? Especially for You! Get one-year instant access to the digital edition of Daily Guideposts delivered straight to your e-mail. You’ll be able to enjoy its daily inspiration and Scripture anytime, anywhere, on your computer, phone, or tablet. Visit DailyGuideposts. org/DG2020 and enter this code: wonder. iv DAILY GUIDEPOSTS GGPBK899_Book_MP.inddPBK899_Book_MP.indd iivv 111/07/191/07/19 44:15:15 PPMM New Year’s Day, Wednesday, January 1 FIRSTS: Day One “Behold, I make all things new.” — Revelation 21:5 (RSV) anuary first! The first day of a brand-new year, the first day of a brand- Jnew decade. It’s started me thinking about all the first-days in my life. The big ones. Joyful—the birth of our first child. Challenging—my first days of widowhood. I’m thinking about the small firsts too. My first pair of high heels. My first airplane trip. What if I could maintain the thrill of discovery, the heightened awareness, that comes with first-times? My father did—with oranges.