Happy New Year! 

Thank you for joining us on this journey through the Bible this year. The reading plan I have chosen for myself, and invite you to participate in, is the BibleProject: One Story That Leads to Jesus. You can find this in the YouVersion Bible app. This reading plan provides daily readings that will take us on a journey through the full text of the Bible. There is a wealth of explainer videos supplied by the BibleProject team.

The Bible translation I am using as my primary source this year is the New International Version (NIV). From time to time, I will compare and contrast other translations along with The Message paraphrase.

Who do you know who would benefit from joining us on this journey? You can forward these emails via the tools in the box at the top of the page. You can invite them to sign up via the form at davidgbowman.com.

As you know, there is no charge for these daily devotionals, and there never will be. There will never be any financial solicitations in this space.

Pray with me now that God would give us ears to hear and willing and obedient hearts to follow his words of truth and life.

With gratitude,
David Bowman

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Genesis 8:15, 16  Then God said to Noah, “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.” (NIV)

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This has to be one of the easiest matters of obedience in history. Or so you would think. But then again . . . 

I wonder how long Noah would have stayed on the boat if God had not told him to get off?

Was this a matter of obedience, waiting on God’s specific commandment? Or, was it a matter of fear due to what Noah and his family had endured over the year they were confined in their rescue boat?

Trauma can trap us and hold us in place for a very long time. The ground feels like it’s still moving when you step off a cruise ship. Imagine a year-long cruise with no port of call. 

Tragedy can take us back to places of deepest darkness without warning. I wonder if Noah had nightmares from the shouts and banging on the boat from those who finally realized he wasn’t joking about God’s impending justice. 

Even the freshest of fresh starts can cause deep anxiety. 

Maybe you hear all those “It’s a whole New Year to become a whole New You!” ads and feel judged or incapable of change. 

Consider this: The most highly-praised man in Genesis failed as quickly as humanly possible after hitting terra firma again. 

Fear and failure are real. They don’t have to be real forever. We’re close enough to the beginning of time in these chapters to remember all the good things God created and how he intends them for our pleasure. This is still true. God wants you to live with confidence and courage, and not because of your amazing weight-loss and muscle-building month of January. 

God gives courage and confidence to those who learn to say Yes to his every invitation. He multiplies it when we turn away from every lesser choice, and every other choice is lesser. 

If you need help with these ideas, talk to a counselor to untie the knots in your stomach. If you need a coach to help you move in the right direction, connect with one today. If you require wise counsel regarding your best next steps, find a mentor. 

It’s okay to get off the boat. Leave the stench of the past behind. Lean into the springtime of your life. 

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I will manage well the challenges that threaten to keep me bound to problems in my past.

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Our Father, please give me a proper perspective on the problems of my past. Please give me courage and confidence to live the life you dreamed for me. Please surround me with the wise guidance I need in this moment in time. Amen.