Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You made it! Now what?   Our Bible verse for today: “Don’t rebuke a mocker, or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.” Proverbs 9:8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Don’t stay wrong”   So, 2025 is over. You made it through it. 2026 is a whole new year filled with opportunities for growth and achievement. What will you do with it? If you aren’t intentional and focused, you will just wander through the days of the year without purpose and probably not achieving much that matters.   In this month of daily devotional messages, I’m encouraging all of us to consider ways in which we can change and be better; ways in which we can grow and improve. But often we’re blind to our own faults. Too often we can’t see about ourselves that which is obvious to others. In such cases are you open to being corrected?   It’s a good question. Are you spiritually mature enough to admit when you are wrong and to accept correction? Many people aren’t. It takes a good measure of humility. Spiritually immature people often let their pride get in the way and they refuse to admit they are wrong and they resent words of correction.   The fact is that nobody is infallible. We are all wrong sometimes. The question isn’t if you will be wrong about some things sometimes, the question is are you a big enough person to admit you were wrong and to be grateful that someone cared enough to talk to you about it?   In Proverbs 9:8 King Solomon observed that a small-minded and spiritually immature person will resent the implication that they are wrong and they will be angry at you for attempting to correct them. But a wise person will immediately recognize their error, admit it, and be grateful to you for caring and for having the courage to talk to them about it.   There is no shame in being wrong. But there is shame in staying wrong. And the longer you stay wrong the more damage your error is likely to cause. Arguments drag on when they could have been resolved; relationships remain broken when they could have been healed; jobs are lost, ministries are harmed, resentment and bitterness take root; and all because stubborn people don’t have the spiritual maturity and strength of character to admit they are wrong. Additionally, bad habits and destructive behaviors that need to be corrected are often not.     One of the greatest things that can happen to any of us is to grow in spiritual maturity to the point that we are able to admit when we are wrong and to gracefully accept correction. Perhaps one of your goals for 2026 should be to ask God to help you become more open to allowing others to speak truth into your life.   There is no shame in being wrong. But there is shame in staying wrong.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You made it! Now what?”   Our Bible verse for today: ““Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable – if there is any praise – dwell on these things.” Philippians 4:8 (HCSB)   Our thought for today: “Don’t stop talking to yourself”   Thank you for your patience over these last ten days while I have been on a mission trip to Moldova. And thank you for your faithful prayers for our team. It was a very successful mission trip. If you would like to hear about it, I will be preaching about the trip and showing some pictures next Sunday at Oak Hill Baptist Church. Join us in-person or online at www.youtube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville.     This month we are still thankfully rejoicing that we made it to 2026, and we are considering the question, now that we have made it, what are we going to do with it? As I taught in my New Years sermon (available on our YouTube channel), time is a gift from God, and we only have so much of it. We must be good stewards of the time He has granted us, and we must be intentional about using it well. The devotionals this month consist of suggestions about how we can make the most of the time and opportunities the Lord will give us this year, and today I want to discuss the very important subject of self-talk and the impact it has on how we think and act.   Do you talk to yourself? Of course you do. We all do. Some of the best conversations I have are the ones I have with myself. So, the question isn’t if you talk to yourself, but rather what do you talk to yourself about? In our minds we often have a tape playing of thoughts and ideas – many of which play over-and-over again in your head. They end up penetrating deeply into your subconscious mind thereby becoming key factors in determining who you are and what kind of personality you have. A negative soundtrack will produce negative results, and a positive one will produce positive results.   Self-talk is one of the most important determining factors regarding our sense of self-worth. It also goes a long way in determining what your attitude about life in general will be. That being the case, self-talk can help us or it can hurt us; it can build us up and help us to be happy and successful, or it can tear us down, keeping us depressed and discouraged.   One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received in this regard was “Talk to yourself like a coach.” What does that mean? Consider the relationship between an athlete in training and his or her coach. The coach is constantly talking to the athlete – guiding, correcting, encouraging, exhorting, but always in a way that’s designed to help the athlete to keep getting better. We need to talk to ourselves like that. We need to make the voice in our head the coach we need who will help us stay positive and uplifted, moving in the right direction. We do that by following Paul’s advice in Philippians 4:8. We fill our mind with good, positive, uplifting, and encouraging thoughts and then we play that tape over-and-over again.   How we talk to ourselves is simply a matter of habit. And like any other habit, a bad one can be stopped, and a good one can be learned. It just takes time, effort, and disciplined practice. That’s true whether you’re training yourself to run a marathon, bench press 300 pounds, chew with your mouth closed, or stop leaving the toilet seat up. Through effort and practice you can change. Bad habits can be broken, and they can be replaced by new good habits – and that includes how we talk to ourselves.   So, don’t stop talking to yourself, just change what you’re saying.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good evening everyone,   I am sending this daily devotional to you on Tuesday evening for Wednesday morning because I must leave very early Wednesday morning on a mission trip to Moldova. I will tell you more about it below.   Our theme for this month: “You made it! Now what?”   Our Bible verse for today: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23   Our thought for today: “Be Faithful (please pray for us)”   When we think about the character trait of faithfulness probably the first thing most of us think of is our determination to be faithful to God. We resolve to believe in Him and to trust in Him no matter what. For those of us who are married the concept of faithfulness also reminds us of our commitment to remain faithful to our spouse.   But the practice of faithfulness should extend to all of life. It should be a character trait we want to develop and nurture. Therefore, as we continue to consider how we are going to live in 2026, let’s think about the important virtue of faithfulness.   When we are a faithful person, we will be faithful to God and to our spouse, but also to others and to ourselves. We will be a man or woman of our word. We will say what we mean, mean what we say, and then do what we promise we will do. Therefore, other people can count on us to be dependable. Beyond that, we can count on ourselves to be dependable. Not only can others count on you, but you can count on you.   Faithfulness is such an important character trait that Paul includes it as part of the “Fruit of the Spirit” which God develops in the life of a committed follower of Jesus Christ. The more spiritually mature a person is, the more faithful that person will be – in all areas of life.   I have intentionally addressed this issue of faithfulness today because it’s directly connected to the issue addressed in the devotional from yesterday regarding the bad practice of excuse-making and procrastination. Faithful people don’t make excuses and procrastinate. They just get things done. They make a commitment (to God or to others or to themselves), and then they just start walking it out until the commitment is fulfilled.   Recently I have been presented with the opportunity to travel and serve with a group of exceptionally faithful and dedicated men. Each January since the war in Ukraine started, these six men have gone to the refugee camps along the Ukrainian border to bring relief supplies, medical care, and the gospel to displaced refuges. At great personal expense of time, effort, and money, and while incurring some risk, this small group of men have been faithful in their dedication to serve the innocent refugees of this unjust war. This year they have invited me to go with them.   This morning, I will fly to Washington D.C. to meet up with the rest of the group. We will then fly together to Eastern Europe, and on to Moldova. We will then be driven to the region where many refugees have congregated, and we will spend a week providing humanitarian relief and spiritual nurture.   I am personally challenged by the faithfulness my brothers have shown for this task year after year, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to join them this year. Therefore, this will be the last daily devotional message you will receive from me until I am back in the USA on Monday January 19th. Until then, I ask you to pray for our team. Please pray for safe travel, no missed flights, and no lost luggage. Please also pray for our safety and for the effectiveness of our ministry. Finally, please also pray for the innocent victims of this war and that the war will end soon and the people will be able to return to their homes.   Thank you in advance for your faithful prayers for our mission. I encourage all of us to resolve to make faithfulness a key component of our walk with Jesus throughout the coming year.   God bless, Pastor Jim     (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You made it! Now what?   Our Bible verse for today: ““Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 1:13 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “Just do it”     As we continue to think about bringing a better attitude with us into this New Year, I’m reminded of the words of Yoda who famously told Luke Skywalker, “There is no try, there is only do.” The emphasis is on the doing. Talking about doing something isn’t good enough. Even “trying” is only okay if that’s just the starting point. What matters is to keep trying until you do it. Years ago, the clothing and shoe company Nike had a slogan “Just do it!”  That’s good advice.   Many of us talk a good game. We have the best of intentions, and we fully intend to accomplish the thing someday – just not today. Unfortunately, if we’re in the habit of making excuses and procrastinating, then there will always be an excuse and “someday” will never come. And so, we need to “Just do it!”   One of the best strategies for just doing it is called “segmenting”. Segmenting is when we break down a goal or objective into smaller, easily managed pieces. Then we simply focus on accomplishing the smaller and easier part that we have before us right now, rather than focusing on the end objective. I once read a great illustration of segmenting in the book “Resilience” by Eric Greitens. He used the example of a deeply depressed person trying to get out of bed:   “A person with severe depression might find it overwhelming to get out of bed in the morning. So, don’t do it. You don’t have to. You don’t have to get out of bed if it’s overwhelming. But you do have to ask yourself, Can I move my toes? Yes. Then do it. Can I move my fingers? Yes. Then do it. Can I open my eyes? Yes. Can I take a deep breath? Yes. Can I put one leg over the side of the bed? Yes. Can I put another leg over the side of the bed? Can I put some weight on my heels? You’re out of bed.”   Segmenting works! Whether you’re simply trying to get out of bed, lose 50 pounds, or earn a college degree, break it down into smaller easily managed parts and then go forward one easy step at a time. Do enough of that and before long you will find yourself out of bed, or 50 pounds lighter, or crossing the stage to receive your diploma. Simple tasks offer fewer excuses. The more complicated you make something the more excuses you can create for not doing it. So, make it simple and then just do that – one easy step at a time.   So, don’t procrastinate. Don’t make excuses. Do something! Like Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:13 – ready your mind for action. Decide that you are going to do something and then do it. Excuses and procrastination are killers. They hold us back from ever achieving our dreams or making meaningful progress in life. The truth is that there is always something you can do to make your situation a little bit better than it is. So, just do it.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You made it! Now what?   Our Bible verse for today: “On a snowy day, he chased a lion into a pit and killed it.” 2 Samuel 23:20 (NLT)   Our thought for today: “Chase the lion”   This morning, I want to build on the devotional thought we have been developing over the last several days about starting this new year with the right attitude. Yesterday we considered the importance of approaching all of life with a spirit of boldness, confidence, and courage. That reminded me of a book written by Mark Batterson entitled, “Chase the Lion”.   The book is based on the passage from 2 Samuel 23:20 where we read about the man Benaiah, who was one of King David’s mighty men. Benaiah was known primarily for the fact that he chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day and then killed it. The way the story reads however, is that he didn’t just do battle with a lion and kill it, but instead he chased after the lion, drove it into a pit, then jumped into the pit after it, fought it, and then killed it. It was a very impressive act of bravery and skill.   Mark’s book is all about leading a life of boldness and courage. The lessons in it are inspired by the example of Benaiah. Let me share a quote from the book that will help you to gain a glimpse of the kind of lessons we can learn from Benaiah’s example. In the introduction Mark writes:   “Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-sized passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Stop pointing out problems. Become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past. Start creating the future. Face your fears. Fight for your dreams!” It’s a great little book and I recommend it to you.   As we learned in yesterday’s devotional message based on Paul’s words in 2 Timothy 1:7, we are not to approach any situation in life with a spirit of fear or timidity. Instead, we are to embrace the spirit of courage and boldness provided to us by God. That then must be our mindset as we go forward to engage the issues of life.   Far too often we let fear and doubt hold us back. We run away from challenges instead of towards them; we sacrifice our dreams – and even our destiny, on the altar of fear and doubt; we make excuses and we procrastinate. That simply should not be. That’s not the life God has called us to.   I encourage you to be bold rather than timid, courageous rather than fearful. Chase that lion rather than running away from it. It’s a well-proven truth that our problems and challenges become smaller when we do something about them.     God bless, Pastor Jim     (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You made it! Now what?”   Our Bible verse for today: ““For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but (He has given us a spirit) of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7 (Amplified Bible)   Our thought for today: “Be bold”   The Amplified Bible is a unique translation of the Bible which is especially helpful in assisting us English speakers in grasping the full meaning of the original Biblical languages. Hebrew and Greek are rich languages filled with words that have deep, nuanced, and multi-layered meanings. The challenge for Bible translators attempting to translate the original language into English is to find comparable English words which accurately communicate the meaning intended in the original language.   Towards that end, the translators of the Amplified Bible include all the English words and phrases needed to convey the full meaning of the original Hebrew or Greek. Sometimes that makes for elongated and cumbersome sentences in English, but it does provide us with all the words and phrases needed to grasp the full meaning intended by the original writer. That’s why 2 Timothy 1:7 reads a bit differently in the Amplified Bible than it probably does in whatever translation you normally use.   So, reading that verse in the Amplified translation we understand very clearly that God wants His people to be bold. We are not to approach any situation in life with a spirit of timidity or cowardice or cringing or with fawning fear, but instead He gives us a spirit of power and love, a calm and well-balanced mind, discipline and self-control. That’s what the Holy Spirit offers us. The other mindset comes from Satan.   This is not a new Biblical principle first introduced by Paul in 2 Timothy. Instead, it’s a lesson God has been speaking to His people from the earliest days. Almost fifteen hundred years before the time of Paul God spoke these words to Joshua:   “Have I not commanded you? Be strong, vigorous, and very courageous. Be not afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (AMP)   Although I haven’t counted them myself, I have heard it said that there are 365 instances in the Bible where God has commanded us to “fear not”, or some variation of that statement. That would be one “fear not” for every day of the year.   As we begin the New Year and consider the attitude we will bring with us into it (as we thought about in yesterday’s devotional), I want to encourage you to reject the spirits of fear and doubt. That’s of Satan. Instead, make it a point to embrace the spirit of boldness and confidence that is rightfully yours as a child of God.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You made it! Now what?”   Our Bible verse for today: “Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:5 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “A New Year, A New Attitude”   Perhaps the most important thing we can bring with us into the New Year is a new attitude. Pessimism is poison. Optimism is like magic juice that fuels you to go out and be successful in life. Optimism is an energy drink for your attitude.   I entered the full-time workforce at the age of only seventeen. In 2026 I will turn seventy-two and so that means I’ve been in the full-time workforce for more almost fifty-five years now. More than fifty of those years have been in positions of leadership.   In those capacities of leadership, I’ve had many hundreds of people work for me over the years and if there is one lesson that stands out in my mind above all others it’s that “attitude is everything.” It’s true. Almost always a good attitude is more important than intelligence or training. I would rather have one worker with an average IQ but a good attitude and a great work ethic, than ten workers with above average IQs but bad attitudes and lazy work habits.   In the long run the person with a good attitude and a great work ethic will not only be more productive and more pleasant to have around, but they will be more successful too. The world is filled with very smart and highly educated failures who despite their high IQs and college degrees, haven’t gotten far in life because they have bad attitudes and nobody likes them. And conversely, there are many success stories of average people who are very nice, who work very hard, and who then go on to own the company.   Attitude is everything, and not just in the workforce but in all of life. Studies of human behavior have proven over-and-over again that optimists do better, live longer, and are happier than pessimists.   In Philippians 2:5 the Apostle Paul told us that as Christians we are to strive to emulate the attitude of Christ. Did Jesus have a good attitude? (It’s a rhetorical question. Of course He did). What was the attitude of Christ like? A study of the Gospels reveals that He was humble and faithful; He was also full of love and kindness and compassion and mercy; but also, He was bold, confident, and passionate about His life and His mission. Jesus had a good attitude and that should describe us too.   In life attitude is everything. As we begin the New Year this would be a good time to check your attitude and maybe make a few adjustments in how you think about things and how you approach them. A good attitude will go a long, long way towards helping you to achieve the kind of life you really want to have.   God bless, Pastor Jim

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “You made it. Now what?”   Our Bible verse for today: “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Isaiah 46:4 (NIV)   Our thought for today: “You made it!”   Congratulations! You made it to 2026. As I write this it is New Years Day 2026. 2025 is in the history books. Was it a good year for you? A tough year? A mixed bag? For most of us, it was probably a little bit of all of that. There were good times and bad, successes and failures, smiles and tears.  But we made it! Here we are, it’s the first day of a New Year filled with possibility and promise. That’s something to celebrate. Being the optimist that I am, I choose to approach it with the expectation that 2026 is going to be even better than 2025. Last year was good. I believe this new year will be even better. I’m looking forward to it and I hope you are too.   Isaiah 46:4 is one of my personal life verses and it’s one that brings me great comfort. It speaks of how God guides us and carries us through the days of our lives, leading us to all the tomorrows He has for us. And when we get to tomorrow, He will already be there waiting for us, and He will guide, protect, and provide then just as He has in the past. I’ve rewritten that verse to make it more personal for me. In the Bible “according to Jim” that verse reads: “Even to your old age and gray hairs, Jim, I am He. I am He who will sustain you. I will sustain you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.   There’s another verse I love which is also very appropriate as we approach the New Year, and it goes hand-in-hand with the truth expressed in Isaiah 46:4. It comes from the pen of the Apostle Paul and is found in Philippians 3:13-14, “… one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.”   The reason we can leave the past in the past and stride forward into the future with confidence and boldness (as Philippians 3:13-14 describes), is precisely because Isaiah 46:4 is true. God watches over us, He cares for us, He protects us, and He provides for us. That has been true in the past and it will continue to be true in the future.   2025 is over and you made it! I encourage you to celebrate that fact and then get ready for a great 2026! To help with that, in the days to come I will offer you some thoughts about how you can do your part to help make 2026 a great year for you.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2026 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A season of celebration”   Our Bible verse for today: “For we are God’s coworkers …” 1 Corinthians 3:9 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “You must do your part too”   Yesterday we thought about the sovereignty of God. We acknowledged and celebrated the truth that as we move forward into and then through the New Year, God will already be there waiting for us. He will be there with full knowledge of what awaits us, and He will be there with complete power and total control over all things.   Today we will think about the fact that when we get there and we discover what awaits us, we will have a role in dealing with it. It’s true that God is sovereign, but it’s also true that He doesn’t work in this world or in our lives in isolation. He doesn’t work in our lives independent of us but with us and through us. He involves us in the things He allows us to be faced with. But He doesn’t have to. He could do it all by Himself and we could just be puppets on a string dancing to His tune. However, that’s not the way it is.   Jeremiah 29:11-13 assures us that God has a plan for each of us that He is in the process of working out in our lives, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord …” But those plans don’t unfold without our involvement and cooperation. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God has prepared ahead of time for us to do.” Psalm 90:17 reads, Let the favor of the Lord our God be on us; establish for us the work of our hands – establish the work of our hands.” In 2026 God intends to do stuff – big stuff – great stuff – and He intends to do it not only in us, but through us and with us. However, it requires us to get involved and to cooperate with Him.   I encourage you to give careful thought to how you plan to approach the New Year. Will you just wander through your days without purpose or vision and without really participating and cooperating with God in any meaningful way? Or will you approach it with a determination to make the most of the days, weeks, and months God will grant to you? Benjamin Franklin once posed the challenging question, “Do you value your life? Then value your time, because time is the stuff that life is made of.”   Don’t waste your time in 2026 on things that don’t really matter. God wants you to be involved in meaningful things. Your life will be fuller, richer, and much more enjoyable as a result.   We’ll think more about this tomorrow. For today, I encourage you to celebrate the fact that God chooses to involve you in what He’s doing in your life and in the world all around you. Celebrate your involvement and be sure to do your part.   God bless, Pastor Jim    (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2025 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571

Good morning everyone,   Our theme for this month: “A season of celebration”   Our Bible verse for today: “The Lord is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8 (CSB)   Our thought for today: “God is already there waiting for you”   In the book of Deuteronomy, the nation of Israel was facing a challenging but exciting time. They were completing forty-years of wandering in the wilderness. They were about to cross over into the Promised Land, which they had longed for and anticipated most of their lives. It was an exciting time, but it was also a moment of anxiety and doubt. Moving forward wasn’t going to be a walk-in-the-park or a tiptoe through the tulips. They knew there were big challenges awaiting them. Their future was promising but they were going to have to work for it; they were going to have to fight for it.   However, in Deuteronomy 31:8 Moses assured them that God would go before them into the Promised Land. When they got there, He would already be there waiting for them. Then, He would be there with them as they faced those challenges, and He would not leave them or abandon them. Therefore, there was no need for them to be afraid or discouraged at the prospect of what was ahead of them as they moved forward into the future.   What Moses was assuring them of is what theologians refer to as “the sovereignty of God”. This means that God is the king and supreme ruler of the universe. He is all-powerful (omnipotent); all-knowing (omniscient); and all-present (omnipresent). He has power over everything, He knows everything, and He is everywhere all the time, always.   What was true for the Israelites and their relationship with God is also true for us in our relationship with God. He is the same God and He is still sovereign. As we move forward into the New Year there are many unknowns, and there will be many challenges. But the good news is that when we get there, God will already be there waiting for us. He will have full knowledge of the situations we will face, and He will be in complete control over them. So, we can and should take comfort in and celebrate the sovereignty of God.   However, there is more to this equation. God is indeed sovereign, and that is something to celebrate. But, just as there were things the Israelites had to do so they could be in the center of God’s will and to be in-sync with Him as they moved forward into their future, that’s true for us as well. We’ll talk more about this tomorrow. But for now, I encourage you to celebrate and take comfort in the sovereignty of God. He is already in 2026, and He will be there waiting for you when you get there.   God bless, Pastor Jim   (If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

Copyright © 2025 Oak Hill Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Oak Hill Baptist Church 3036 Genesis Road Crossville, TN 38571