Daily Archives: October 27, 2026

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – As Good as Done

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Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them—the children of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
Joshua 1:2-3

Recommended Reading: Joshua 6:1-5

If someone includes you in their will, your inheritance is as good as done even though it may be years before you receive it. Words spoken with authority before the fact ensure that what is spoken will take place.

That was the case when Joshua prepared to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. Before Joshua and the people crossed the Jordan River and entered into the land, God said He was giving the land to them. Even though God said it before it happened, it ultimately took place just as He said it would. It happened again before the Israelites captured Jericho: “I have given Jericho into your hand” (Joshua 6:2). When God makes a promise about something in the future, His promise removes all fear. We can be certain that what He has said or what He has called us to do, will be accomplished.

What has God called you to do? His calling removes any reason to fear the future.

Nothing is more offensive to God than disbelief of His promise.
Matthew Henry

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – A Rich Life of Gratitude

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[God] has saved us and called us to a holy life . . . because of his own purpose and grace. 2 Timothy 1:9

Today’s Scripture

2 Timothy 1:1-3, 6-10

Listen to Today’s Devotion

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Today’s Devotion

In a letter dated September 13, 1943—five months after his imprisonment for opposing the Nazi regime—Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote his parents. He asked for books and paper. He thanked them for the ways they’d helped him, and said, “It’s a strange feeling to be so completely dependent on other people; but at least it teaches one to be grateful, and I hope I shall never forget that. In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich.”

In 2 Timothy, writing while “being chained like a criminal” (2:9), the apostle Paul too expressed his deep gratitude to those who’d loved and cared for him (1:3-4, 16). He asked for Timothy to bring his “scrolls, especially the parchments” (4:13).

And he lifted up the greatest gift God has given—“He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we’ve done but because of his own purpose and grace” (1:9). The grace revealed through Christ—who “destroyed death” and “brought life and immortality to light” (v. 10)—brought Paul peace and purpose even in his suffering.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer was never freed from Nazi imprisonment. He was executed on April 9, 1945. It’s believed Paul was executed not long after writing 2 Timothy. Yet both could testify to the goodness of a God who always gives immeasurably more than we could ever give in return.

Reflect & Pray

In what ways have you experienced others’ care? How has gratitude changed you?

Gracious God, thank You for all You are.

Today’s Insights

Paul’s invitation to Timothy to “join with [him] in suffering for the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:8) is one that most would rather take a pass on. When we experience suffering and discomfort because of our faith in Jesus, we often resist it rather than welcome it. The consolation and hope that strengthens us, however, is found in the words in the remainder of the verse: “by the power of God.” Believers in Christ have resources that more than match the challenges they encounter. Those assets include God’s “power” (v. 7)—His might and strength. Furthermore, God’s Spirit resides in us: “Guard the good deposit . . . with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (v. 14; see v. 7). Finally, in our suffering, God’s grace strengthens us: “Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (2:1).

For further study, read: Does Gratitude Help Our Mental Health?

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Store clerk jumps inside moving school bus to save children

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A Minnesota store clerk named Ebro Ahmed noticed a school bus driving by with the doors open. When he looked inside, he saw the driver having what appeared to be a seizure. He then ran toward the bus, jumped inside, and pulled the emergency brake, saving nearly twenty children.

The students were transferred to another bus and sent home; the driver was later released from the hospital. Ahmed explained his actions to reporters: “I really felt like it was my duty. Also, too, it’s kids we’re talking about, you know. Even if I were to die, it would still be worth it.”

“God” appears nowhere in the Constitution

Don’t you wish such news were all the news in the news? So do I. But we both know it’s not so. You don’t need me to comment on the manhunt still ongoing for a murderer who escaped from a Tennessee prison, or the fifteen-year-old boy who allegedly staged a mass shooting in Florida, or the Baltimore mass shooting that paralyzed a three-year-old boy, or the NYPD detective who was stabbed ten times during a robbery in the Bronx.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Store clerk jumps inside moving school bus to save children →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Twenty-First-Century Idol Worship

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 Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. . . . And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them. 

—Psalm 115:4, 8

Scripture:

Psalm 115:4 

Psalm 115:8 

In today’s devotion, we’re going to talk about the hot-button issue of the cult of personality—that is, the temptation to place people on pedestals and give them too much influence or power over us.

To frame the discussion properly, we need to go back to Moses’ encounter with God on Mount Sinai. God gave Moses the Ten Commandments for His people to obey. Those commandments still play a large role in the lives of God’s people, although some may seem to play a larger role than others.

At first glance, the Second Commandment might seem like the least necessary of the ten today. You’ll find the second Commandment in Exodus 20:4–5: “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me” (NLT).

Some people might argue that golden calves and other graven images aren’t twenty-first-century problems. And while it’s true that most believers today aren’t tempted to smelt gold to create pagan tchotchkes, the second Commandment is still extremely relevant.

The reality is that idols come in all shapes and sizes because people come in all shapes and sizes. Many well-meaning believers fall into the trap of making idols out of people they admire.

Have you ever heard of a sports hero? How about American Idol? We use the phrases somewhat jokingly: “That person is a sports god” or “I idolize that person. He’s a guitar god.” But the way some people look at certain individuals, it could be that they have made a person their god.

We can make idols out of people in the church, too. We can make an idol out of a man or woman of God, someone whom the Lord has used to bless us. We can start to admire them too much. But here’s what we need to remind ourselves: Those people are human just like us. They will be wrong. They will fail us. They will disappoint us. They will give in to temptation. They will struggle in certain areas of their lives.

The problem is that people become like the gods they worship. Psalm 115 warns, “Their idols are merely things of silver and gold, shaped by human hands. . . . And those who make idols are just like them, as are all who trust in them” (verses 4, 8 NLT).

The only person who deserves that position in our lives is the Lord. He alone is deserving of our worship.

Reflection question: How can you keep from elevating people too much in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Unceasing Prayer

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

This is, no doubt, the shortest commandment in the Bible, and seemingly the most difficult to obey. How could anyone possibly pray without ceasing? What about sleeping, or working, or other necessary pursuits?

Paul himself claimed to pray without ceasing. For example, he wrote to the Roman church: “For God is my witness . . . that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers” (Romans 1:9). To the Thessalonians he wrote, “We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; remembering without ceasing your work of faith” (1 Thessalonians 1:2–3). In his very last epistle he wrote, “I thank God . . . that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day” (2 Timothy 1:3).

It is obvious from such references that Paul did not mean we should be uttering prayers continually but rather to be continually in a prayerful attitude and never to stop the regular practice of prayer. In like fashion, the Lord Jesus said, “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). In the parable following this command, He spoke of God’s “own elect, which cry day and night unto him” (Luke 18:7). This would further imply that our prayerful attitude and regular practice of specific prayer should be taking place every day and every night. We should never “faint”—that is, lose heart—if the answer isn’t what or when we hope, but keep on praying anyway. When it’s the right time, He will, indeed, answer “speedily,” and in the right way (Luke 18:8).

To pray without ceasing means simply to be free to communicate quickly with Him, night and day, always in an attitude of prayer. “If ye abide in me,” He said, “and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:7). HMM

 

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – A Heart of Obedience

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But thank God, though you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed.

Romans 6:17 (AMPC)

Paul wrote that the believers in Rome were obedient with all their heart. This was important because it is possible to have halfhearted obedience—to be reluctantly obedient in behavior but not be joyfully obedient with all your heart.

Obeying what God says is not just a matter of putting on a show, but a matter of having the right attitude. When you really want to please the Lord, you can’t wait to follow His direction and instructions for your life.

I want to encourage you to come up higher in your obedience. Be quick to obey, radical and joyful in your obedience. Don’t be the kind of person God has to deal with for weeks just to get you to do the simplest little thing. Gladly do what God asks of you.

Obedience is more than a spiritual obligation—it is a spiritual opportunity! Your obedience to God will ultimately be rewarded. Obedience sows the seed necessary to bring another blessing into your life. You can never outgive God; He will always reward your seeds of obedience.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me obey You quickly and joyfully, with all my heart, not reluctantly. I trust that my obedience to You will always be rewarded.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Jesus Sees Every Person 

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As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth. No one else saw him. The disciples saw only a theological case study. “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  They didn’t see a human being. They saw a topic of discussion.

Jesus, by contrast, saw a man who was blind from birth. A man who had never seen a sunrise, who couldn’t distinguish purple from pink. He dwelled in a dark world. Others had reason to hope. He had reason to despair.  But then Jesus saw him and he sees you.

The first lesson of this miracle is a welcome one. You and I aren’t invisible. We aren’t overlooked. Jesus spots us on the side of the road and he makes the first move. Remember my friend, you are never alone.

 

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – The Sovereign Farmer

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Read Isaiah 28:23–29

George Washington, America’s first president, said of farming: “Agriculture is the most healthy, the most useful, and the most noble employment of man.” Today’s reading is an Old Testament poetic parable about the kingdom of God and the accomplishment of His plans. In Isaiah 28, God is pictured as a farmer. When farmers do their tasks, they don’t do them mindlessly or repeat them continually for no reason (vv. 24–25). For example, a farmer finishes plowing, then moves on to sowing seeds. Similarly, farmers deal with different types of seeds in the right ways (vv. 27–28). Cumin and caraway seeds are small and delicate and must be threshed differently than other kinds.

The spiritual lesson here is that God knows and does everything in the right way at the right time (v. 29). His plans and actions are “wonderful” and “magnificent.” If farmers know the right way to do their work—by paying attention to God’s created order, we infer from verse 26—then surely we can trust God to know the right way to do His work. Furthermore, if farmers know to vary their processes according to the type of seed and crop, understanding that one size doesn’t fit all, then surely we can trust God to know and do the right thing in the right way at the right time. This includes His warnings earlier in this chapter to the leaders of Ephraim and Judah.

The picture of cumin and caraway seeds being threshed instead of crushed implies that God might judge or punish His people, but He won’t destroy them (v. 27). His faithful covenant love can be trusted, even when His people are doing wrong. The title “LORD Almighty” is a bit generic (v. 29). Other translations render this “Lord of hosts” or “Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” The focus is on His sovereign and mighty power.

Go Deeper

Where have you seen God “threshing the seeds” in your life? In what ways do you need to strengthen your faith that He is the wise Farmer cultivating your life?

Pray with Us

Lord of hosts, we praise You, for we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Ps. 139:14). Thank You for creating each one of us as a unique individual.

All this also comes from the LORD Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent.Isaiah 28:29

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/