Daily Archives: March 17, 2026

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – The Grace We’ve Received

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Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
Romans 3:24

Recommended Reading: Romans 3:21-26

In his mid-teens John Stott was aware of two things about himself. “First, if there was a God, I was estranged from Him…. Secondly, I was defeated…. I fell far short of the person I wanted to be.” A friend invited him to a Bible study taught by Eric Nash, who explained the Gospel to him. That evening in his dormitory, John knelt and prayed, opening his heart to the Lord.

Years later John Stott wrote a book on the message of Romans, in which he said, “Faith is the eye that looks to Him, the hand that reaches out to receive His gift, the mouth that drinks the living water. Faith is nothing but the means by which we receive Christ.”

In order to walk in the light, we must remember the grace we’ve received. It’s truly amazing! Keep your salvation experience in mind, and remember that but for the grace of God you would be in darkness. Give thanks each day for God’s saving grace.

To encounter Christ is to touch reality and experience transcendence…. He assures us of God’s love for us. He sets us free from guilt … and from paralyzing fear because He reigns.
John Stott

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Jesus—Food for the Soul

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I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. John 6:35 nlt

Today’s Scripture

John 6:35, 41-51

Listen to Today’s Devotion

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Today’s Devotion

In the African American home I was raised in, meals often included scrumptious “soul food.” The term originated in the mid-1960s when “soul” was a common term used to describe African American culture. Soul food menu items included fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, greens, sweet potatoes, corn bread, and more. Desserts were a bonus; the “tastebud-tickling” peach cobbler was the most satisfying to me. What a feast!

Feasting in different cultures looks different, but because food is essential for life, Jesus’ words in John 6:35 are significant for all people: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Such claims as these would be outrageous if they were made by a mere human being. But Jesus, the Christ, could make such astounding claims because He’s the very Son of God. He told “sign-seekers”—those seeking immediate, short-term benefit (see vv. 2, 14, 26, 30)—that satisfaction of physical hunger wasn’t enough. As the Son of God, Jesus is the source of true life (14:6) and the sustainer of life. All those who believe in Him for the forgiveness of sins through His death and resurrection (11:25-26) share His life. Jesus is the essential food for the soul. Life, nourishment, and true satisfaction are found in Him alone.

Reflect & Pray

How does Jesus nourish and satisfy you? What’s keeping you from seeking the one who says, “I am the bread of life”?

 

Dear Jesus, You’re the giver and sustainer of life. May I find satisfaction in You.

 

Today’s Insights

The events in John 6:35-51 occur the day after Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand with only five loaves of bread and two small fish (vv. 5-14). Because of this astonishing miracle, the crowd “intended to come and make him king by force,” but Christ eluded them (v. 15). When the crowd caught up with Him the next day (v. 25), Jesus knew they were there because of the multiplied loaves of bread. He said, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you” (v. 27). True satisfaction and spiritual nourishment are found only in Christ.

 

Learn more about having a personal relationship with God.

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – How could the Iran war go global?

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The law of unintended consequences and the wisdom of St. Patrick

Israel’s defense minister announced this morning that its military killed top Iranian security official Ali Larijani in an overnight strike. In other news, the US embassy in Baghdad has been targeted by explosive drones, British Airways says it is suspending some flights to the Middle East until the end of May, and US gas prices are continuing to rise as a result of the war.

However, much of the focus today is on a narrow waterway that is central to the global economy.

A quarter of the world’s liquified natural gas and seaborne trade passes through the Strait of Hormuz from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. Iran has effectively closed it by attacking ships and reportedly laying mines in the strait. More than a thousand cargo ships have been blocked so far.

According to Stanford and Harvard historian Niall Ferguson, however, the Strait of Hormuz is potentially less significant to the world than the Strait of Taiwan. He notes that more than 90 percent of the world’s most advanced semiconductors and 99 percent of the chips used for cutting-edge AI training are manufactured in Taiwan. The island also imports 97 percent of its energy supply in the form of oil, LNG, and coal.

Continue reading Denison Forum – How could the Iran war go global? →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – A Foundation in the Word

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 Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. 

—Matthew 24:35

Scripture:

Matthew 24:35 

One reason believers may start to feel shaky in their relationship with God is that they haven’t built a solid foundation for their lives. So, when circumstances threaten their well-being, they don’t always know where to turn. And that leaves them feeling distant from the Lord.

Where will you turn in a time of crisis? When tragedy hits? When disaster strikes? Will it be your favorite website? The morning newspaper? The evening news? You’ll need something to give you strength and direction in your time of despair. Here’s a tip: You won’t find a better resource than the Word of God.

As one pastor said, “One gem from that ocean is worth all the pebbles of earthly streams.” Just a single gem from the ocean of God’s Word can make all the difference when tragedy or hardship strikes. How many people in their affliction have found comfort from Scripture?

Trusting in what God has said in His Word can sustain us and give us direction, hope, and comfort when we need them most. Inspirational platitudes or clever sayings won’t help—at least, not for very long—but the Word of God always will. It’s been said that those who reject the Bible have nothing to live by. Neither do they have anything to die by.

Ideas and philosophies go in and out of style with the passing of years, but the Word of God never goes out of style. It never goes out of date, unlike this morning’s news. The Word of God will always be relevant.

That’s why C. S. Lewis said, “All that is not eternal is eternally out of date.” And it’s why Jesus Himself said, “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear” (Matthew 24:35 NLT).

Jesus emphasized the importance of having a solid foundation grounded in God’s truth in His parable of the wise and foolish builders in Matthew 7:24–27. The wise man built his house on the rock. When the rains came, when the storms of life threatened his well-being, it did not fall. The structure may have been shaken to its core, but it withstood everything that was thrown at it. Because it had a strong foundation.

The foolish man, on the other hand, built his house on sand. He didn’t prioritize a strong foundation. When the rains came, his house collapsed with a great crash.

I urge you to get a good foundation in God’s Word because it’s only a matter of time until the storms of life rain down on you and hardship strikes. It happens in every life, without exception. But if you have a good foundation in the Word of God, then you’ll be ready for difficulty when it comes. Don’t wait until then to try to catch up.

Get that foundation now.

Reflection Question: What are some of the biblical truths, promises, priorities, and commands that make up a solid foundation for life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – No Fear in the Days of Evil

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?” (Psalm 49:5)

This enigmatic question should be a real concern to elderly unbelievers—or of unbelievers of any age, for that matter. The “days of evil” seem specifically to refer to old age, as in Ecclesiastes 12:1, which exhorted young people to “remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them.”

Those who have not “remembered their Creator” while young may one day come to realize that the iniquities that had been accumulating against their record day by day through a long lifetime had actually involved the venom of that old serpent, which God long ago had warned would bruise the heels of Eve’s children (see Genesis 3:15). Their sins, which will eventually become so numerous as to “compass them about,” might even destroy them both now and eternally. After all, the devil will have “the power of death” (Hebrews 2:14) until that day when the true seed of the woman, the Lord Jesus Christ (even though His own “heel” has been viciously “bruised” by Satan when the sins of the whole world were placed upon Him), will “crush the head” of that wicked one forever.

But because of Christ’s great victory over Satan—when He both died for our sins and then defeated death by His resurrection—we need no longer fear death, even when the evil days draw nigh.

Though it is far better to accept His gift of salvation from sin and death while we are young, it is never too late as long as we live. So, “wherefore should I fear in the days of evil?” “We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and . . . perfect love casteth out fear” (1 John 4:16, 18). HMM

 

 

https://www.icr.org/articles/type/6

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Strength in Meekness

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Now the man Moses was very meek (gentle, kind, and humble) or above all the men on the face of the earth.

Numbers 12:3 (AMPC)

Meekness often gets mistaken for weakness, but they are not the same. I believe that a meek person is one who can maintain balance between emotional extremes and manage emotions appropriately. This requires strength, not weakness. Meekness is not weakness; it is strength under control.

Today’s scripture says that Moses was the meekest man on earth, yet people do not think of him as weak. He was a strong person and a strong leader. When we think of him, we think of a man who personally encountered God in the burning bush and of a man who led the Israelites through the Red Sea on dry land. He certainly wasn’t perfect, and the Bible clearly shows his imperfections.

At times, anger got the best of him—such as when he killed an Egyptian and when he smashed the tablets with the Ten Commandments written on them because the people were worshipping an idol (Exodus 2:11–12; 32:19). He did make mistakes, but not habitually.

If Moses, in spite of his mistakes, can be known as meek, you and I can become meek too. God created all of us with emotions, and we can use them in healthy ways or in unhealthy ways. Meekness manages emotions wisely.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me to manage my emotions wisely, understanding that meekness is not a sign of weakness but of strength, amen.

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – We Have a Sin Problem 

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Can you live without sin for one day? No. How about one hour? Can you do it? No…nor can I. And if we can’t live without sin, we have a problem. Proverbs 10:16 says, we’re evil and “evil people are paid with punishment.” What can we do?

Well, observe what Jesus does with our filth. He carries it to the Cross. God speaks to Isaiah in chapter 50:6, “I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.” You see, mingled with his blood and sweat was the essence of our sin. Angels were a prayer away. Couldn’t they have taken the spittle away? They could have, but Jesus never commanded them to. Why? The sinless One took on the face of a sinner, so that we sinners could take on the face of a saint.

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Beast from the Sea

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Read Revelation 13:1–10

Pastor Justin Dillehay has pointed out that the beast in Revelation 13 bears a striking resemblance to the beasts in Daniel 7. Daniel saw four different beasts, while John saw only one, but “it reads like a mashup of Daniel’s four.” Since the beasts in Daniel’s dream are explicitly identified as kings or nations (Dan. 7:15–28; 11:36–39), it seems best to interpret the beast in Revelation 13 in a similar way, especially the “ten horns and seven heads” (v. 1).

Though he’s doomed to lose, the enraged dragon (Rev. 12:17) is waging war against God. To do this, he summons a beast from the sea (vv. 1–4). The imagery indicates some combination of demonic forces and human political or military forces. People worship the beast, in part because of an apparently “fatal wound” that had been healed, and they worship the dragon, as the one empowering the beast. The question “Who is like the beast?” echoes biblical language (for example, Ex. 15:11) and is a direct challenge to God’s glory.

This beast, whom we also call the Antichrist, is given temporary authority to speak and act blasphemously and pridefully for 42 months, that is, the second half of the Tribulation (vv. 5–8). God’s people are specially targeted and suffer greatly. For those living at this time, it becomes increasingly apparent that nothing is neutral. There are only two paths to follow, with two very different eternal destinies. One is worship of the beast and the dragon, leading to hell. The other is worship of God and of “the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world,” leading to heaven.

The proper Christian response is “patient endurance and faithfulness” (vv. 9–10). John quotes Jeremiah 15:2, indicating that God’s plan is inexorable and inevitable. He remains in control during the most difficult of times!

Go Deeper

Who is like the Lord? None! He is beyond compare. In this spirit, pray to God, using Psalm 89 as part of your devotions today.

Pray with Us

Lord, as we reflect on future events, remind us to continue on Your path for us. We long for Your glory and praise above all else. Who can compare with you (Ps. 89:6)?

All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life.Revelation 13:8

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/