Guideposts - Daily Guideposts 2018: A Spirit-Lifting Devotional

CONTENTS

ZONDERVAN

Daily Guideposts 2018

Copyright 2017 by Guideposts. All rights reserved.

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Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

Epub Edition August 2017 ISBN 9780310350286

ISBN 978-0-310-34647-0 (hardcover); ISBN 978-0-310-34652-4 (leather edition); ISBN 978-0-310-34648-7 (large print);

ISBN 978-0-310-62925-2 (special edition); ISBN 978-0-310-35028-6 (ebook)

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Scripture quotations marked CEB are taken from the Common English Bible. Copyright 2011 Common English Bible. Scripture quotations marked CEV are taken from the Contemporary English Version. Copyright 1991, 1992, 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission. Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version ). Copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked GNT are taken from the Good News Translation in Todays English VersionSecond Edition. Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. 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. 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 KJV are taken from the King James Version. Public domain. Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. Scripture quotations marked NAS 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. (www.Lockman.org). Scripture quotations marked NCV are taken from the New Century Version. 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NIrV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Readers Version, NIrV. Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIrV and New International Readers Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. The Scripture quotations marked NRSV are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible. Copyright 1989 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, and 1971 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible. Copyright 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Fellowship Corner photos: Lisa Bogart photo by Lisa Vosper; Mark Collins photo by Kathryn Hyslop; Brian Doyle photo by Jerry Hart; Julie Garmon photo by Brad Newton; Edward Grinnan photo by Amy Etra; Rick Hamlin photo by Julie Brown; Jim Hinch photo by Martin Klimek; Debbie Macomber photo by Deborah Feingold; Erin MacPherson photo by Bloom Austin; Roberta Messner photo by Craig Cunningham; Rebecca Ondov photo by Deborah K. Hamilton; Natalie Perkins photo by Kris Rogers Photography; GingerRue photo by Patrick Jacks; Daniel Schantz photo by Sherry Wallis; Gail Thorell Schilling photo by Doug Schwarz; Melody Bonnette Swang photo by Crystal Logiudice; Jon Sweeney photo by Pamela Jordan; Marilyn Turk photo by Sarah Clauson; Marion Bond West photo by Michael Schwarz.

Cover and interior design by Mllerhaus

Cover photos by Shutterstock and iStock

Monthly page opener photos by Shutterstock

Indexed by Patricia Woodruff

Typeset by Aptara

First printing July 2017 / Printed in the United States of America

Hello, friends.

Welcome to Daily Guideposts 2018. Were so pleased that you are joining us this year on a journey of inspiration and connection, as our writers share from the heart and reflect on all the waysbig and smallthat God is at work in their lives.

This was a year when many of our contributors felt Gods unfailing love: they felt it in joyous moments, such as when they were reunited with family, or when a beloved friend bestowed forgiveness, or in the closeness of a spouse, the companionship of a furry friend, a rising sun enjoyed on a back porch. God has been present for our community in bleaker times too: when a good friend passed away, when a family crisis could not be solved easily, when brokenness remained. In all times, Gods love was steadfast.

This years theme is Unfailing Love: May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you (Psalm 33:22, NIV). As we read this Psalm, we see how hope in God is closely linked to belief in His love. We pray that you will experience Gods love in new ways as you spend daily time with Him. And we are very happy to welcome two new writers: Amy Eddings from Ada, Ohio, and Vicki Kuyper from Phoenix, Arizona. We also said farewell to some friends this year: Sam Adriance, Karen Barber, Katie Ganshert, and Jeff Japinga. Also, this is the last Daily Guideposts that Brian Doyle will appear in; he passed away on May 28, 2017, when we were going to press. We will miss his humor, wit, and ability to point us back to Gods mercy and love with such grace and beauty.

Our Daily Guideposts writers welcomed God into all the details of their livesfrom trusting His timing, to delighting in His gifts, to believing in His unfailing love in all circumstances. Youll hear how Rhoda Blecker continues to heal and grow after the death of her husband, Keith; how Logan Eliasen transitions to the demands of full-time law school; how Marion Bond West loves her two sons, even from afar, and welcomes someone new into her church community; how Ashley Kappel exults in the joy of her two young children.