Daily Archives: August 20, 2026

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Be Thankful

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In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Recommended Reading: Philippians 4:4-6

When Jesus gathered His disciples for the Passover meal on the night before His death, “He took the cup, and gave thanks” (Matthew 26:27). While giving thanks was normal, what the cup represented was not normal: “For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (verse 28). Jesus was giving thanks for what was about to happen—the shedding of His blood.

This illustrates what Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:18: “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Giving thanks for the impending experience of one’s own death is certainly an example of giving thanks in everything. Both Jesus and Paul used the same Greek word for giving thanks: eucharisteo. But Paul used the imperative form of the word, making it a command. It is God’s will for us to give thanks in everything; not to be thankful is to be disobedient to His will.

Begin the practice of giving thanks in those circumstances where you might not be inclined to do so—remembering that it is God’s will.

The measure of our spirituality is the amount of praise and thanksgiving in our prayer.
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Shine Christ’s Light

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Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Today’s Scripture

Matthew 5:13-16

Listen to Today’s Devotion

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Today’s Devotion

In the dimly lit restaurant, our waitress quietly took our orders with a solemn expression. But then a customer kindly gave her a writing pen that had a little flashlight built into it. He told her it was so she could “see in the dark.”

Her face lit up, and her demeanor changed to reflect joy. It was evident that she was delighted by the gift—clicking the light off and on. When she left our table, the man smiled as he whispered to me, “I think she brightened up when I gave her the pen. It made her day!”

The God-given gift of light certainly brightens our days. Jesus is the ultimate gift of light—“light . . . come into the world” to save the world (John 3:16-19). God provided this gift because He loves us and wants to be in relationship with us. When we receive Christ as our Savior, our sins are forgiven, and we experience fellowship with Him. Jesus brightens our lives for all eternity. He said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (8:12).

As believers in Jesus, we’re “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). When we receive the gift God gave us through Christ, we can walk in His light and “let [our] light shine before others” (v. 16). With Him as our source, let’s shine for Him today!

Reflect & Pray

How are you revealing the light of Christ? How can you brighten someone’s life this day?

Heavenly Father, please help me shine Your love and light to others today.

Today’s Insights

When we receive God’s gift of salvation, He begins His work of transformation in us. He does this through the Bible, God’s wisdom to us: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). As we read and meditate on the Scriptures, we learn about Him and what it means to be “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Through prayer, we come to Him for strength and guidance. And, as believers in Jesus, the Holy Spirit living inside us “will guide us into all the truth” (John 16:13). The Spirit helps us to understand and live out the gospel and to “shine” in this dark world by our words and actions, drawing others to Christ, the source of Light.

Learn more about having a personal relationship with God.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – What comes after postmodernism? A Review of “Based on a True Story” by Paul Anleitner

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Why are Eastern Orthodox and other “high church” denominations seeing a surge in attendance? Why has the growth of atheism and secularism plateaued in the West? Why do some films coming out feel so sincere and nostalgic?

These and many other cultural signs, says Paul Anleitner, point to a new wave of cultural change, something beyond the cynicism of postmodernism: Metamodernism. And this shift has massive consequences for faith, America, and culture moving forward.

Cultural Theology 

Paul Anleitner, like Dr. Jim Denison, is a cultural theologian. At first glance, this is a strange label; what does it mean to be a cultural theologian? Cultural theology is less about engaging in academic debate or biblical scholarship and more about integrating theological insight into contemporary cultural commentary. It’s a shift in focus that, while relying on the biblical, focuses on its application and relevance to the trends of modern society.

Continue reading Denison Forum – What comes after postmodernism? A Review of “Based on a True Story” by Paul Anleitner →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Don’t Forget to Say Thank You

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 Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them. 

—Psalm 107:8

Scripture:

Psalm 107:8 

In the Old Testament we find an interesting story of how King Jehoshaphat took an uncommon approach when his enemies waged war against him. “After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: ‘Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!’” (2 Chronicles 20:21 NLT).

Imagine the scene: “All right, guys, here’s the plan today. The enemy soldiers are out there, armed to the teeth. So, our first wave of attack will be musical. We’re sending out the choir.” If I’d been one of those choir members, I might have wondered whether the king liked our music. But God had directed Jehoshaphat in this unusual battle tactic.

The result was nothing short of amazing. “At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped” (verses 22–24 NLT).

Good things happen when God’s people prioritize thanking and praising the Lord. It’s a simple lesson, but one that’s shockingly easy to forget.

Luke 17:11–19 tells the story of Jesus’ encounter with ten men who had leprosy. When the men saw Jesus approaching their village, they cried out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (verse 13 NLT). And with a single instruction from Him, the men were healed. Their leprosy disappeared. Their lives were changed forever.

Verse 15 says, “One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, ‘Praise God!’” (NLT). One out of ten thanked Jesus. That percentage surprised even the Lord Himself.

“Jesus asked, ‘Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?’” (verses 17–18 NLT).

It’s not so much that Jesus was offended by the inconsiderate reactions of the other nine; it was more of a concern that they were going to miss out on the blessings that come when people express their thanks to God.

Of course, few of us would dare shake our heads at the lack of response from the inconsiderate nine. If we could do an inventory of the number of times God has answered our prayers and then compare that to the number of times we’ve thanked Him, we probably would cringe at the results.

The psalmist wrote, “Let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things he has done for them” (Psalm 107:8 NLT).

Let that be our daily priority.

 

Reflection question: How can you be more proactive in giving thanks to God for His blessings in your life?

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Lord Jehovah

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by John D. Morris, Ph.D.

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2)

The English name usually written LORD in English Bibles stems from the Hebrew word Yahweh, the meaning of which cannot be fully put into words. Although scholars differ (some even claiming there is no real meaning to the word at all), the consensus is that it seems to be a compound of the three tenses of the Hebrew verb “to be,” implying the ever-living nature of God to which Christ was referring when He said, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8). Note also the similar implications in God’s announcement of Himself to Moses: “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14).

On 49 special occasions (seven times seven), the name Jehovah is contracted to Jah. Many consider this to be an abbreviation of Jehovah, but no satisfactory explanation as to why it is so used has been offered. Perhaps a better suggestion is that this name is the present tense of the verb “to be,” and therefore the name Jah emphasizes the present activity of the Lord. In nearly all occurrences, the passages are strengthened by noting the present work of God. The first usage of the term Jah is found in Miriam’s song upon deliverance from Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea. “The LORD [Jah] is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation” (Exodus 15:2).

On several occasions, such as in our text, we see that the two names are combined, celebrating both the present and future deliveries of Jah Jehovah. “Trust ye in the LORD [Jehovah] for ever: for in the LORD [Jah] JEHOVAH is everlasting strength” (Isaiah 26:4). JDM

 

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Always Constant

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Jesus Christ (the Messiah) is [always] the same, yesterday, today, [yes] and forever (to the ages).

Hebrews 13:8 (AMPC)

What is the main thing you love so much about Jesus? There are many answers to that question, of course, such as the fact He died for you on the cross so you wouldn’t have to be punished for your sins; then He rose again on the third day. But in your daily relationship with Him, one of the things you will appreciate most about Him is the fact you can count on Him not to change.

You love Jesus and are able to trust Him because He is never changing. He has said in His Word, “This is the way I was, and this is the way I’m always going to be.” If you can count on anything, you can count on Jesus never changing. He can change anything else that needs to be changed, but He always remains constant.

Prayer of the Day: Lord Jesus, thank You for always being the same and for always sticking with me. When life feels uncertain, You remain constant and faithful. Help me rest in the truth that I can always count on You, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Faithful Obedience 

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We’d prefer to fill a storehouse with a lifetime’s worth of courage, cash, and convictions. Yet God wants us to trust him day by day. Elijah’s word to the widow is God’s word to us: “The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry” (1 Kings 17:14 NIV). Elijah spoke to her with faith; she responded in faith. She turned and obeyed.

In order to swim upstream in a downstream culture, we, like the widow, have to make a choice. Will we obey God? When you are weary, God is your strength. Lonely, God is your friend. Weak, God is your provider. Fortitude follows faithful obedience. Do what the widow did. Go to the kitchen, empty the jar of oil and flour, trust. The God who filled it today will fill it again tomorrow.

 

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – My Witnesses

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Read Acts 1:1–11

The role of a courtroom witness is to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Witnesses are to share the facts of what they saw and experienced (not opinions or speculation), and these facts become evidence for the judge and jury.

In the book of Acts, Luke addressed his same audience—Theophilus—linking this book to the Gospel of Luke. He reminded Theophilus of the Gospel’s content: “I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach” (v. 1). Providing thorough documentation was a high priority for Luke. In verses 2–3, Luke explained that Jesus spent forty days with His followers after His suffering. During that time, Jesus provided “many convincing proofs” to these witnesses, His disciples, showing that He had truly risen from the dead. “Many convincing proofs” indicates evidence that was credible enough to be used in a court of law. Because the resurrection is central to the gospel, Jesus’ followers certainly had no doubt on this point.

During those forty days, Jesus also spoke to His followers about the “kingdom of God” (v. 3)—but His teaching apparently left them with some ambiguity, because they asked about the timeline (v. 6). Jesus would not give them a specific day or time. But in verses 4–5, He instructed the apostles to stay in Jerusalem, even though the city was volatile and even dangerous. They were waiting for the Holy Spirit, who would give them power and embolden their communication.

Jesus was clear on what they should do next: “And you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (v. 8). We too are His witnesses, called upon to communicate the truth of the gospel.

Go Deeper

Imagine the experience of those disciples in the days following Jesus’ resurrection. How did this cement their role as witnesses? Today, how are you a witness of the gospel?

Pray with Us

Lord, the position of witness is an important role, and we do not wish to take it lightly. When we are afraid, give us courage. When we are uncertain, give us the words to say.

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses.Acts 1:8

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/