Daily Archives: July 4, 2026

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – The Solid Rock

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He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.
Psalm 62:2

Recommended Reading: Psalm 89:26

“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name. On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; all other ground is sinking sand; all other ground is sinking sand.”1

It is no wonder that the Prudential Insurance Company of America chose the famous Rock of Gibraltar as its symbol. This massive limestone mountain, standing guard over the western entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, is part of the British territory of Gibraltar. As a fortress it presents an image of permanence and unassailability. Nor is it any wonder that the psalmist David pictured God as his “rock”—an impenetrable fortress of protection and security against any attack, physical or spiritual: “I will never be shaken” (Psalm 62:2, NIV). As Moses said, “He is the Rock, His work is perfect” (Deuteronomy 32:4). Just as massive rocks don’t change, so God’s ways and works don’t change: “His work is perfect.”

Take shelter in the protection of the God who is a solid Rock rather than on the sinking sands of this world.

The sea ebbs and flows, but the rock remains unmoved.
Robert Murray M’Cheyne

  1. Edward Mote, “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less,” 1834.

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – A Shepherd’s Heart

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I myself will tend my sheep. Ezekiel 34:15

Today’s Scripture

Ezekiel 34:1-2, 11-16

Listen to Today’s Devotion

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Today’s Devotion

“A baby deer is caught in our fence!” Heather called to her husband, Tim. He gently set it free, but its mother was nowhere to be seen.

That afternoon Tim saw a herd of deer emerge from the woods and graze nearby. One doe seemed especially alert. Wondering if she was the fawn’s mother, Tim looked up a recording of a fawn’s distress cry on his mobile phone and played it loudly over the speaker. The doe began to follow him, and he led her to where the fawn was nestled away. The fawn immediately began to nurse; freedom had been obtained, mother and baby were reunited—all thanks to Tim’s gentle shepherding.

God is even more intentional in caring for His people and providing the freedom we need. The people of Israel had stumbled in their sin and were trapped in exile in Babylon. Yet God promised, “I myself will search for my sheep and look after them” (Ezekiel 34:11). Because Israel’s leaders had allowed them to be “scattered” (v. 12), God said, “I will search for the lost and bring back the strays” (v. 16).

Believers in Jesus see God’s ultimate care in His search and rescue mission for us. “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep,” Jesus said (John 10:11). When we were lost in our sins and captive to them, He chose to rescue us at great cost. On this day and all days, freedom is precious. Let’s celebrate the Good Shepherd, who has set us free!

Reflect & Pray

What does God’s shepherding heart mean to you? How might you thank Him for His care today?

Good Shepherd, thank You for loving me and setting me free.

Today’s Insights

Like the prophet Ezekiel, Isaiah also depicts God as a shepherd: “He tends his flock like a shepherd” (Isaiah 40:11). In Jesus, God appeared in the flesh as both a shepherd and a lamb. John says, He’s “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) and “the good shepherd” (10:14) who laid down His life for us. Revelation 7:17 beautifully pictures Him as both a lamb and a shepherd: “The Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’ ” Today, Jesus, as our Great Shepherd, offers us salvation and living water that will last.

Visit go.odb.org/070426 to learn more about the Good Shepherd.

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Iran targets Christians as fear of US fades

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Did our Founding Fathers sin by rebelling against the king?

Iran has ranked among the top ten on the Open Doors “World Watch List” every year since the list began in 1993. Their ranking has fluctuated over that time, peaking at number two as recently as 2011, but they’ve been toward the back half of the top ten in recent years. While that could be seen as a sign of progress, it’s important to note that their fall in the rankings has more to do with the destabilization and increase in persecution among many of their neighbors than anything actually improving in Iran.

And, if the latest news is any indication, their position on that list could rise soon.

You see, much of Iran’s persecution over the last decade has focused on the underground church and attempts to limit the freedom of Muslims to convert to Christianity. In 2009, the government began pressuring churches in Tehran to cancel their Persian-language services, with the largest of those churches—St. Peter Evangelical Church—forced to ban Persian-speaking Christians in 2014.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Iran targets Christians as fear of US fades →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – It Only Takes a Spark

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Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – It Only Takes a Spark

 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 

—Acts 1:8

Scripture:

Years ago, I was staying at a friend’s cabin in Virginia. He informed me that the cabin was heated by a fireplace and a stove. That meant I had to build a fire in each one using kindling and wood, and then keep the fires stoked. I asked him where I could buy kindling.

In the very nicest way possible, he asked, “What’s wrong with you? You don’t buy kindling. You just pick it up off the ground.” (I should point out that I’m from California and he’s from North Carolina.)

After he showed me how to find kindling, he explained that I would need to empty the ashes from the stove and fireplace using a metal bucket that he kept on a concrete surface. When the embers cooled, I would need to throw them out so I could reuse the bucket. I told him I understood.

Hours later, after he was gone, I got up in the middle of the night to put more wood on the fire. I needed to clean out some of the ashes, but the bucket was full. I assumed that the embers had cooled because they’d been sitting in the bucket for a long time.

So, I went outside where it was very dark and very cold and threw the ashes off the porch into the yard. But along with the ashes came some still-burning embers. And each one started a small fire when it hit the grass and leaves. I almost had a heart attack. I ran out into the yard and started picking up the embers and throwing them up onto the gravel driveway. Then I found a bucket—an extremely small bucket—and started filling it with water to put out the little fires. I was terrified that I’d started a wildfire that was going to burn down the entire area. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. But that’s the nature of fire. A single spark can ignite something massive.

It’s only fitting that on this momentous day we point out that this is the nature of revolution as well. The “shot heard ’round the world” that began the Battles of Lexington and Concord started a revolution that changed the world as we know it.

And it’s also the nature of revival. As Jesus’ words in Acts 1:8 make clear, spiritual revival starts local and spreads, like a fire. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (NLT).

So, start local. Feed the flames of revival in yourself. Ask God to intervene in your life in a powerful way. Ask Him to reboot your spiritual system, to refresh and reenergize you. And then let that spiritual fire spread to those around you. You’ll be amazed at what God can do with a single spark.

 

Reflection question: In what area of your spiritual life do you most need a spark? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – When the Boughs Break

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off: the women come, and set them on fire: for it is a people of no understanding: therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them, and he that formed them will shew them no favor.” (Isaiah 27:11)

Like a mighty tree towering over the forest, God raises up a mighty nation from time to time with a great leader to accomplish some purpose in the divine plan. He “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation” (Acts 17:26).

But when that nation and its leaders become proud, and its people become lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, it becomes like a tree whose branches wither and whose core becomes riddled with decay. Finally, the boughs break, the kingdom will fall, and down will come that nation, its leaders and all!

That happened even to God’s chosen nation, Israel, though only for a time, since God’s promises cannot fail. One after another, the mighty nations that God used to chastise His wayward people—Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Rome, etc.—have in turn been judged for their own rebellion against the God who “made them” and “formed them.” God has warned that “the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God” (Psalm 9:17).

Is that about to happen to our beloved U.S.A. as well? The signs of self-seeking power and pride among our leaders and moral decay and spiritual rebellion among our people are widespread and growing worse. Our prayer should be that of the ancient prophet. “O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years . . . in wrath remember mercy” (Habakkuk 3:2). “Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?” (Psalm 85:6). HMM

 

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Generosity Changes Your Heart

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. . . . Be mindful to be a blessing, especially to those of the household of faith . . .

Galatians 6:10 (AMPC)

Our old nature is greedy, but our new nature as children of God craves to be generous. Each day we must decide which desire we will pursue and follow. Greed steals our lives, according to Proverbs 1:19, so we need to actively resist it. We can never defeat any sin by fighting with it or merely using self-will to resist, but we can overcome it by turning away from it and to something else.

I believe that generosity is the antidote for greed. If we purpose to be generous and live each day looking for ways to be a blessing to others, then we won’t be greedy because there will be no place for it in our lives. Start each day by asking God to show you what you can do for Him that day. Ask Him whom you can bless. The world is filled with sad and needy people who crave a kind word or some encouragement, or who have a need that we could easily meet.

The more we do for others, the happier we will be. Instead of being greedy and going through the day trying to get more and more for ourselves, we have another option. We can be generous, and our generosity will give hope and send up cries of thanksgiving to God from those who are blessed.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I want to learn more about the beauty and power of generosity. Show me people who are needy today and grant me the grace to help them.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Salt and Light

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Read Matthew 5:13–16

Salt adds flavor to our food, but it is such a flavorful additive that we tend to overindulge. A high percentage of Americans consume more than the recommended daily amount of sodium. If we could cut salt intake by even 10 percent, we could prevent hundreds of thousands of heart attacks and strokes over time. But salt doesn’t just add flavor, it acts as a preservative. Jesus may have had both these meanings in mind when He called His followers “the salt of the earth” (v. 13).

A second metaphor Jesus used for His followers was “the light of the world” (vv. 14–16). This image emphasizes the need for light to see by; we help others “see” by doing good deeds and bringing glory to God (see Eph. 2:10). This makes sense since Christ is the original Light of the World (John 8:12). Our light depends on His light.

Both salt and light are transformative by nature. Adding salt to a dish changes the taste of the food. When we light a lamp, the look and feel of a room are changed. Both metaphors also highlight qualities that can be lost, or purposes that can fail to be fulfilled. Good deeds, for example, can be done for our own glory (Matt. 6:1). Salt can lose its flavor; light can be hidden. Moral and spiritual uselessness is tragic.

We don’t need to try to become salt or light. Jesus simply said that we are salt and light. One implication is that we became salt and light when we trusted Christ for salvation. Another is that we have a responsibility to remain salt and light and not become useless. How can we do so? By faithfully following Christ. In a dark and sinful world, such a person will stand out!

Go Deeper

What are practical ways we can be salt and light? How can we “let our light shine” and at the same time give God glory and remain humble?

Pray with Us

King Jesus, when You walked the earth, You were salt and light in the darkness. Thank You for being our example. Please show us ways we can transform our surroundings with Your light.

You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.Matthew 5:13–14

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Read Matthew 5:13–16

Salt adds flavor to our food, but it is such a flavorful additive that we tend to overindulge. A high percentage of Americans consume more than the recommended daily amount of sodium. If we could cut salt intake by even 10 percent, we could prevent hundreds of thousands of heart attacks and strokes over time. But salt doesn’t just add flavor, it acts as a preservative. Jesus may have had both these meanings in mind when He called His followers “the salt of the earth” (v. 13).

A second metaphor Jesus used for His followers was “the light of the world” (vv. 14–16). This image emphasizes the need for light to see by; we help others “see” by doing good deeds and bringing glory to God (see Eph. 2:10). This makes sense since Christ is the original Light of the World (John 8:12). Our light depends on His light.

Both salt and light are transformative by nature. Adding salt to a dish changes the taste of the food. When we light a lamp, the look and feel of a room are changed. Both metaphors also highlight qualities that can be lost, or purposes that can fail to be fulfilled. Good deeds, for example, can be done for our own glory (Matt. 6:1). Salt can lose its flavor; light can be hidden. Moral and spiritual uselessness is tragic.

We don’t need to try to become salt or light. Jesus simply said that we are salt and light. One implication is that we became salt and light when we trusted Christ for salvation. Another is that we have a responsibility to remain salt and light and not become useless. How can we do so? By faithfully following Christ. In a dark and sinful world, such a person will stand out!

Go Deeper

What are practical ways we can be salt and light? How can we “let our light shine” and at the same time give God glory and remain humble?

Pray with Us

King Jesus, when You walked the earth, You were salt and light in the darkness. Thank You for being our example. Please show us ways we can transform our surroundings with Your light.

You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world.Matthew 5:13–14

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/