Daily Archives: November 7, 2026

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – A Life of Gratitude: For the Present

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Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content.
Philippians 4:11

Recommended Reading: 1 Timothy 6:6-8

In a materialistic world one of the hardest character traits to acquire is contentment—being satisfied and patient with the way things are while trusting God for changes to be made. We can take some comfort from the fact that the apostle Paul said that he had to learn contentment, that it didn’t come naturally or easily to him. In fact, when he wrote about learning contentment, he was in jail!

Being discontent often manifests as an insistence on change. We are not happy with our possessions or our position in life, and we attempt to change our status by our own efforts. But rather than being achieved through change, contentment is frequently learned by waiting on the Lord: “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31). Waiting on the Lord is not passive; it is the active pursuit of God and His will through prayerful, patient seeking.

Gratitude is a sign of contentment and can be learned while waiting on the Lord.

Contentment with what we have is absolutely vital to our spiritual health.
Jerry Bridges

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – What God Requires

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What does the Lord require of you? Micah 6:8

Today’s Scripture

Micah 6:6-9

Listen to Today’s Devotion

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Today’s Devotion

You’ve probably seen the signs: No Shirt. No Shoes. No Service. Or if expressed in the positive: Shirt and Shoes Required. Such signs came to widespread prominence in the West in opposition to the counterculture movement of the 1960s. Business owners were looking for ways to keep long-haired and often shoeless hippies out of their establishments. They were (usually) willing to serve anyone, but there were two absolutes to get in the door: shirt and shoes—required attire.

The words from Micah 6 are well-known: “Act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (v. 8). Much has been written and preached on these points. Yet there’s a tendency to skip past a crucial word that precedes those phrases, a word that sets the tone for all that follows: “What does the Lord require of you?” (v. 8). If you’re serious about living a Christ-honoring life, this is what is essential. Sacrifices may seem impressive, but that’s not what God requires. If there’s no justice, no mercy, and no humility, then God says, “That’s no good.”

This doesn’t mean that the reason God accepts us is based on what we do. He accepts us out of His great love. But it has everything to do with how we live if we’re serious about pleasing Him. We serve and honor Him when we do what He requires.

Reflect & Pray

When you hear the word required, what thoughts or emotions come to mind? How have you read Micah 6:8—as suggestions for better living or as required?

Dear Father, I know what’s required. Please give me the courage to do it.

Today’s Insights

Micah, whose name means “Who is like Yahweh?” was a contemporary of prophets Isaiah and Hosea. He prophesied to the nations of Israel and Judah, who were guilty of covenantal unfaithfulness—idolatry, corruption, injustice, exploitation, and oppression of the poor. Micah prophesied judgment and punishment (1:6; 3:12) but also promised redemption and restoration (2:12-13; 4:1-8; 5:2-15; 7:7-20). To encourage repentance with the hope of averting impending judgment, Micah asked “the Lord” on behalf of His people how they might do what was right and honor Him (6:6-8). The prophet warned that God isn’t pleased with our external piety and lavish sacrifices while we, at the same, time neglect the weightier issues of justice, mercy, compassion, and humility (v. 8). Other prophets dispensed the same exhortation: “Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed” (Isaiah 1:16-17 nlt; see Zechariah 7:9-10). We honor God when we “act justly . . . love mercy and . . . walk humbly” (Micah 6:8).

For further study, read: God’s Expectations

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – How tech is reshaping Christian media

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When my father began his career in Christian radio in 1970, the media world was relatively simple: There were radio stations, television stations, newspapers, and magazines. If you wanted to reach a large audience, you needed access to one of them.

For Christian ministries, radio and television became extraordinarily effective ways to extend their reach beyond the walls of a church. The catch was, broadcast time was finite, so someone at the radio station decided what was aired. The Christian Radio and Christian Television industries emerged, assets accumulated, and established players thrived.

Then, technology came along to upend it all—as if someone knocked over the Monopoly board at 2 a.m., sending all the little hotels and houses flying across the living room (just because I refused to sell him Park Place). The game changed.

Continue reading Denison Forum – How tech is reshaping Christian media →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – The Myth of an Absent God

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 The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. 

—Psalm 37:23

Scripture:

Psalm 37:23 

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, national or local tragedy, or personal dark night of the soul, these questions often arise: Where was God when this happened? Why does He seem absent?

The problem lies not with God Himself. He is, after all, omnipresent—He exists everywhere, all the time. Nothing will ever change that. The problem lies with our perception of Him—or, more specifically, our expectations of Him. When the Lord isn’t as predictable or as obvious as we want Him to be, we assume the worst.

The Gospel of Luke gives us a snapshot of this phenomenon. After Jesus’ crucifixion, two of His followers were walking the road to Emmaus. Both were devastated because the One to whom they had given their lives was gone, from all earthly appearances. God in human form was absent.

Until He joined them on their journey.

The two followers didn’t recognize Jesus at first. Here’s a loose paraphrase of the encounter.

Jesus asked, “Guys, why the long faces? What’s the problem?”

The two men were stunned by the question. “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days,” they replied.

“What things?”

They explained, “The things concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death and crucified Him. But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened” (Luke 24:19–21 NKJV).

Jesus said, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” (Luke 24:25–26 NLT). He led the followers “through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27 NLT).

Shortly thereafter, the two followers recognized Jesus (see Luke 24:30–31).

The reality for believers is that there are times when we sense the presence of the Lord. Then there are times when we don’t feel God’s presence and don’t see Him at work. We wonder whether God has abandoned us. The answer is: Absolutely not. He never has and never will. He said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you” (Hebrews 13:5 NLT).

The Bible says, “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives” (Psalm 37:23 NLT).

There are times in life when God seems absent, but He never is. God is always at work in the life of the believer, every hour of every day.

Reflection question: What can you do when God feels absent in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – God Does Not Author Evil

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by Henry M. Morris III, D.Min.

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.” (James 1:13–14)

One of the often-used excuses for rejecting the God of the Bible is if God is omnipotent (as the Bible teaches), and since evil exists in the world (as everyone can see), then God must be the author of evil or incapable of preventing it. Either way, such reasoning insists, that kind of God is not worthy of worship.

If that logic were accurate, then most of the foundational truths of Scripture should be rejected. The Bible insists that the whole of reality was initially “very good” (Genesis 1:31) but was quickly marred by Lucifer’s lie and Adam’s rebellion (Genesis 3:14–17). The thrice-holy God (Isaiah 6:3) has no pleasure in wickedness (Psalm 5:4), does not tempt any man with evil (James 1:13), and loves righteousness and hates wickedness (Psalm 45:7).

God does not cause evil. The archenemy, Satan, is the father of untruth (John 8:44) and was the source of the deception of Eve (2 Corinthians 11:3) and the rebellion of Adam that brought sin and death into the creation (Romans 5:12).

The most precise description of the all-consuming character of the Creator God is that “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). There can be no impurity or inconsistency within the nature of the Godhead. The holy separateness of the Creator is such that no thing, no concept, no act, no thought can ever cause a break within the absolute light of our eternal God. HMM III

 

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Character in an Age of Image

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Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh.

Romans 13:14 (NIV)

We would be wise to learn to be more concerned with what God thinks of us than what people think of us. We live in times when people are obsessed with their image, but God’s Word tells us we are to be transformed into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

God sees our heart, but people merely see the outer man. No matter how attractive we try to make ourselves look, or what our level of success is in this world, the only thing that really matters is for us to develop godly character so we may glorify Him.

Prayer of the Day: Father, help me always know what is really important! Help me strive to develop good character more than I strive for an image that will impress people.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Growing Pains

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Read Acts 6:1–7

The church of Jesus Christ was growing. People were being saved. The gospel was spreading. People were sharing. The Spirit of God was moving. But in Acts 6, we read that the Hellenistic Jews were complaining.

The early church was experiencing growth pains (v. 1). While this was no doubt an exciting time to be a part of the community of faith, it was not without its problems. Acts 6 gives an example of one problem facing that group of believers. During the daily distribution of food one group had been overlooked. The widows of the Greek-speaking Jews were being neglected. This issue had the potential to disturb the unity of the newly formed church. Fortunately, the apostles were wise enough to address the controversy head-on.

First, they established their role in the church. As apostles they were to minister the word of God and spend time in prayer. Second, they challenged the Hellenistic Jews to find seven men full of the Spirit and wisdom to oversee the distribution of food to the widows. The wisdom in this decision was that Hellenistic Jews chose Hellenistic (i.e., not Hebraic) Jewish men to oversee the distribution of food to the Hellenistic Jewish widows. All seven men in the list have Greek names. In fact, one of the men, Nicolas, is described as “from Antioch, a convert to Judaism” (v. 6:5b).

Wisely resolving this issue opened the door for more outreach and ministry (v. 7). The trouble was eradicated and unity was restored. “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).

Go Deeper

What problems can threaten to derail the purpose of the church? Have you seen your church body address problems directly? Why is that approach important to the growth and health of the community?

Pray with Us

Lord, sometimes we let our own opinions and desires get in the way of unity with other believers. Please help us remember what is truly important: seeking You with those around us.

The word of God spread.Acts 6:7

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/