Tag Archives: church

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – A Good Thing

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He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.
Proverbs 18:22

Recommended Reading: Proverbs 31:10-29

The Bible was not written primarily as a marriage manual, but if you study the Word of God carefully, you’ll find invaluable principles that will help you build a strong family. The book of Proverbs is filled with wisdom for choosing a spouse, establishing a marriage, building a home, and safeguarding one’s relationships.

Proverbs tells us that one of the building blocks of marriage is spiritual. If you are married or if you are considering marriage, it’s important to make sure the Lord is in the equation. The man who finds a godly wife—and the wife who finds a godly husband—finds something priceless.

If you are asking God for someone to marry, read through the book of Proverbs and notice how involved the Lord can be in the process. Proverbs 19:14 says, “Houses and riches are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.” Proverbs 31:10 asks the question, “Who can find a virtuous wife?” Or husband? The implied answer is—the Lord!

As someone once said, “We can do more than pray after we’ve prayed, but we can’t do more than pray before we’ve prayed.”

A good marriage isn’t something you find; it’s something you make.
Gary L. Thomas

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – What My Rental Car Taught Me

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You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Today’s Scripture

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

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Today’s Devotion

I recently traveled to Los Angeles and had to rent a car. Soon, I was driving through narrow downtown lanes, full of traffic and people. I found myself driving very carefully, slower than normal. Why? Well, I didn’t want to have an accident. But I really didn’t want to damage my rental car. It wasn’t mine, after all. I was just, well, borrowing it.

Most of the time, we’d rather be owners than renters. But as I drove, I couldn’t help but think that renting that car illustrated something important about my relationship to God.

Scripture teaches that even our bodies—which we might think we own—don’t belong to us. In a larger conversation about sexual sin in 1 Corinthians 6, Paul concludes, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies” (vv. 19-20).

I’ll admit, it’s hard to completely comprehend that my body isn’t my own. Still, God calls us to honor Him with it. To care for our bodies. To realize that we’re stewards—renters, if you will—of these vessels He’s given us, that we might use them to honor and serve the one whose own broken body and blood saves us.

Reflect & Pray

How do you respond to the idea that God wants us to honor Him with our bodies? How could this truth change how you live?

Dear Father, thank You for the amazing gift of my body. Please help me to honor You by using it to love and serve others today.   

Today’s Insights

Some scholars believe that people in Corinth may have viewed Christianity as a means of advancing through society (see 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). Slaves and nobles stood equal before Jesus (Galatians 3:28), so perhaps they thought they could also move up through the social ranks. In his first letter to the misguided church in Corinth, Paul challenged many of the wrong beliefs about what it means to be a servant of Christ. Following the risen Messiah doesn’t mean pride in social status (1 Corinthians 1:26-31), abusing food (ch. 8), or indulging in all kinds of licentious behavior (ch. 5; 6:12-20). Instead, God calls us to honor Him with every part of our lives, including our bodies.

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – From the Depths of Gambling into the Love of Christ

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My Story (in Four Verses)

The weight of a double life

On January 19, 2015, I boarded a plane headed home from West Palm Beach. I boarded that plane a dead man. What I professed with my mouth was in direct contradiction to how I was living. I was lying and deceiving everyone in my life.

For the previous seven years, I had willfully given my heart over to gambling. No one in my life knew anything. And worse still, in order to fund my gambling habit, I stole money from my company.

I was a fraud – in every sense of the word. It was the activity that I was perpetuating at my company. I am a thief. I am a white-collar criminal.

Yet, even in a larger sense, my entire life had become a sham. I was stuck in a Psalm 40 pit of miry clay. I had gotten to where I couldn’t stand to hear anyone praise me, for I knew the real truth about myself. I struggled to accept relational intimacy with my wife, for I was an unworthy husband. I couldn’t even accept the hugs of my four young children (at the time), for I knew who their daddy truly was.

Continue reading Denison Forum – From the Depths of Gambling into the Love of Christ →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – No Compromise

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 How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings. 

—Psalm 36:7

Scripture:

Psalm 36:7 

First Kings 18 tells the story of the prophet Elijah’s epic showdown with the prophets of Baal and Asherah. But before that decisive contest occurs in the chapter, we find a brief encounter between two of God’s servants that illustrates what real, difference-making servanthood looks like.

The chapter begins with these words: “Later on, in the third year of the drought, the Lord said to Elijah, ‘Go and present yourself to King Ahab. Tell him that I will soon send rain!’ So Elijah went to appear before Ahab” (1 Kings 18:1–2 NLT). Ahab and his wife Jezebel were two of the evilest characters in Israel’s history. Not only did they oppose the God of Israel, but they also ordered the execution of His prophets. And Elijah was at the top of their hit list.

Even so, when God told Elijah to confront Ahab, the prophet didn’t hesitate to obey. On his way to find Ahab, Elijah encountered Obadiah, “a devoted follower of the Lord” (verse 3 NLT), who was also in charge of Ahab’s palace.

Obadiah had remained faithful to God in a difficult and dangerous environment. In fact, when Jezebel sought to kill the Lord’s prophets, Obadiah hid one hundred of them in caves and supplied them with food and water (see verses 3–4). His actions required courage and helped preserve the lives of God’s servants.

Yet Obadiah and Elijah represent two different ways of serving God during a time of spiritual crisis. Obadiah faithfully served the Lord from within Ahab’s administration, while Elijah openly confronted the king and called the nation back to God. Both men were devoted to the Lord, but Elijah’s assignment required a public stand.

As believers, there are times when our faith is expressed through quiet faithfulness and courageous service behind the scenes. But there are also moments when God calls us to speak openly and stand firmly for what is right. If we remain silent when He calls us to speak, others may mistake our silence for approval.

Look again at how Elijah instantly obeyed and firmly declared God’s will. We need the courage of Elijah, who stood openly and boldly for the Lord. It is possible to believe quietly, as Obadiah did, but there are moments when God calls His people to speak and stand without compromise.

Elijah realized that he stood in the presence of the most powerful King of all: God Himself. Elijah understood what David, the writer of Psalm 36, meant when he wrote, “How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings” (verse 7 NLT).

Have you ever tried to stand in someone’s shadow? You must stay very close to the person. If they move, you must mirror their actions. Elijah stood in the shadow of God no matter where he was. Sometimes we forget that. We think that when we leave church, we somehow leave God’s presence. The truth is, wherever we go, God is with us.

When we stand in the presence of God, we will not bow before any person. Proverbs 28:1 says, “The godly are as bold as lions” (NLT). There is no room for spiritual compromise in the lives of God’s people.

 

Reflection question: What would a refusal to compromise, spiritually speaking, look like in your life? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – True Prosperity

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (3 John 2)

This text has been misused by many who promote the modern false gospel of health and wealth—teachers who promise healing and financial success to every believer whose “soul prospereth.” The negative implication of such teaching, of course, is that Christians who are not in robust physical health and enjoying material affluence are somehow lacking in faith and are not in the will of God.

This pernicious notion is disproved, of course, merely by the example of Paul the apostle. He was a far more exemplary Christian than any of these latter-day false teachers, yet his earnest prayer for healing from his “thorn in the flesh” was denied, and he died in poverty and martyrdom in a Roman dungeon (2 Corinthians 12:7). There are numerous modern examples as well: Fanny Crosby was blind but wrote many wonderful hymns, for example, or many have given their lives in sacrificial service on a thousand mission fields.

Note that our text is not a promise but a prayer. Furthermore, that prayer will be answered in great fullness, but not necessarily now! “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. . . . He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son” (Revelation 21:4,7).

In the meantime, we should remember that this coming time of true prosperity will be measured in accordance with the health and prosperity of our souls, exactly as John had prayed for his spiritual children, for Jesus said, “My reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12). HMM

 

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Staying Peaceful Under Pressure

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Blessed [with wisdom and prosperity] is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and whom You teach from Your law, that You may grant him [power to calm himself and find] peace in the days of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked and ungodly.

Psalm 94:12–13 (AMP)

We sometimes reach a tipping point in our lives when we recognize we are under so much pressure that we are on the verge of losing our peace and are about to start behaving badly. In today’s scriptures, the psalmist writes of the Lord granting a person [power to calm himself and find] peace in the days of adversity (Ps. 94:13 AMP).

Here are some steps that will hopefully help the process:

  • Step 1: Slow down (or stop), take a deep breath, and regroup.
  • Step 2: Regain your perspective. Be realistic about what is really happening.
  • Step 3: Resist the devil at his onset, when you first realize he is pressuring you.
  • Step 4: Cast your care on God and let Him show you what He can do. Keep saying, “God, I let this go. I trust You!” until you feel yourself calming down.
  • Step 5: Think about what you are thinking about concerning the things that frustrate you and stop thinking about it. Instead, think about something good and positive.
  • Step 6: Exercise self-control and manage your emotions instead of letting them control you.
  • Step 7: Ask yourself if you can delay or delegate any of the things that are causing you stress, and make a plan to do so.

Prayer of the Day: I thank You, God, for the peace You give and for granting me the ability to calm myself and find peace in the midst of troubling situations.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Savor the Stillness 

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Do you feel isolated from family and friends? Perhaps your isolation is less geographical and more ideological. Do you feel alone in your opinions and concerns? When we follow the crowd, we feel safe.  When we swim against the tide, we need strength.

Turn to God as your best friend. Find what it means to walk in the Spirit, to lean on and lean into him as your comforter. Meditate on Scripture. Read inspirational books. Enjoy times of worship. Lay claim to a quiet spot where you can hear God’s voice. Speak less when you are in his presence.

“Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NKJV). Learn to savor the stillness. Trust God’s stops as well as God’s steps.

 

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Power of Life and Death

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Read Proverbs 18:1–24

We’ve all heard the children’s rhyme: “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” The irony, of course, is that this much-recited ditty about brushing off wounding words is itself a lie. Words can hurt—and often do—even more than stones.

The power of words—both harmful and healing—is highlighted throughout the book of Proverbs. There are 915 proverbs in the entire biblical book, and approximately 150 address our speech. Proverbs 18 is another key chapter that focuses on this theme.

Verse 1 warns against social isolation and antagonistic communication. A fool selfishly holds himself aloof from community and spurns connection by starting arguments. The fool rushes to share opinions before taking the time to learn relevant information (v. 2). In verse 4, the “deep waters” are likely the deeper thoughts and feelings from which the bubbling “fountain of wisdom” will flow (v. 4). Our external communication reflects our interior world.

Verses 6–8 hammer home the devastating effects of the “lips of fools.” They initiate and intensify conflict. The fool’s words not only destroy other people; they also bring devastation upon oneself. Gossip is a particularly damaging use of language, which tastes deceptively sweet in the mouth. It spreads fast because we like how it tastes. But then, it penetrates our hearts and minds and soul, damaging our character.

The fool also jumps in prematurely, bringing shame upon himself (v. 13). In contrast, the wise man listens well and pursues knowledge (v. 15). Our words have consequences—both for the hearer and for us (vv. 20–21). They can hasten death or foster life.

Go Deeper

Proverbs 18 is convicting for all of us! What lesson struck home to you? How will you apply it?

Pray with Us

In the beginning You spoke life into existence, God. Teach us how to foster life through our words. May we have the self-control to not use words that will damage.

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.Proverbs 18:21

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Don’t Even Think About It!

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August 10, 2026

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Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers. Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way. Turn away and keep moving.
Proverbs 4:14-15, NLT

Recommended Reading: Proverbs 4:14-18

One of the most recent studies in marital issues found that 20 percent of married men and 13 percent of married women admit to sexual infidelity—to cheating. But not all infidelity involves sex. More than 90 percent of women and nearly 80 percent of men admit to having had an emotional affair at some point. Where do affairs start? The study shows 37 percent begin in friendship groups, 31 percent in the workplace, and 25 percent begin with social media and online.1

We are all vulnerable! But we can also run. We can flee. We can do as Proverbs 4 says—don’t follow that path. Don’t even think about it. Don’t go that way. Turn away, and keep moving.

If you’re in a tempting situation, do everything you can to get out of it, and ask the Lord to keep you from temptation. In Genesis 39, Joseph literally ran from Potiphar’s wife, leaving his cloak in her covetous hands. Are your personal defenses weakening? Are you getting careless with your Internet use? Are you becoming too friendly in a platonic relationship? Take corrective steps now!

True love for Christ will mean hatred of sin.
John Benton

  1. Kayla Crane, “Infidelity Statistics 2026: Cheating Rates, Affairs & Research Data,” South Denver Therapy, January 27, 2026.

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Hope in God

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The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him. Lamentations 3:25

Today’s Scripture

Lamentations 3:19-26

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Today’s Devotion

Because of his father’s alcoholism and mistreatment of his mother, Pablo left home when he was a teenager. He moved in with an uncle, graduated high school, married, and had three children. But sadly, Pablo began repeating the same destructive behavior he’d once fled. His own alcohol addiction and behavior began to tear his family apart. Soon, it was all gone—his marriage, family, job, and home. “My life was terrible, and it got worse,” he said.

Finally he turned to a treatment facility for help. “I was in bad shape, and God opened the door for me.” One day after praying, he experienced God through the beauty of nature. Soon his youngest daughter noticed he’d changed, and reconciled with him. Today he’s working to rebuild trust with his other children.

In Lamentations, the prophet Jeremiah grieved over the plight of his people, who had turned from God and were exiled to Babylon: “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall . . . and my soul is downcast within me” (Lamentations 3:19-20). Like the Israelites, Pablo was far from God. And like Jeremiah, he found hope in God: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (vv. 22-23).

Like Pablo, the Israelites got a fresh start. We can turn to God and find hope.

Reflect & Pray

Are you looking for hope? How is God inviting you to hope in Him?

Dear God, thank You for offering me a renewed relationship with You.

Today’s Insights

In the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament), books are usually named for the first word or words in the text. As such, the Hebrew title for Lamentations is “How,” taken from verse 1: “How deserted lies the city.” Those who translated the Old Testament into Greek (the Septuagint) titled the book “Lamentations.” Both titles are apt. In many lament psalms, the psalmist’s cry is rooted in the phrase “How long, Lord?” (see Psalm 13:1). And Jeremiah’s laments in both his prophecies and in the book of Lamentations are so consistent that he’s generally regarded as “the weeping prophet.” In today’s text (Lamentations 3:19-26), he’s grieving over the city of Jerusalem, which was besieged and taken captive by the Babylonians. Now, seeing the city desolated, Jeremiah finds hope in the faithful God whose mercies are “new every morning” (v. 23). Even in our times of deepest despair and loss, we can hope in God.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Todd Blanche’s DOJ confirmation and the rise in abortion

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The Senate voted early Saturday morning to confirm acting Attorney General Todd Blanche to permanently lead the Department of Justice. The decision was controversial and largely along party lines, as expected.

One aspect that has received less attention, however, was Blanche’s recent statement on a private call hosted by the White House Faith Office. Blanche assured faith leaders that the Justice Department is “working hand-in-hand” with federal health agencies and the White House “to get permanent solutions so the Dobbs decision becomes permanent in every single state.”

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, returning abortion legislation to the states, the Biden administration in 2023 permanently ended an in-person dispensing requirement for mifepristone, one of two drugs used for medication abortion. The Trump administration left these regulations in place.

Consequently, mail-in pharmacies have been dispensing abortion medication even in states that have banned or severely limited access to abortion clinics. According to Blanche, the administration is “putting practices and policies in place so that other states and other organizations” cannot send abortion pills to states where they are banned.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Todd Blanche’s DOJ confirmation and the rise in abortion →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Making Sense of God’s Will

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 Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! 

—Psalm 34:8

Scripture:

Psalm 34:8 

We need to remember that God’s will is good. It may not seem like it at times, but it is. His plan for us is good. However, He usually doesn’t give us a detailed blueprint. Usually, God reveals His will to us in bits and pieces. He sees the big picture, while we see just a little at a time.

If you had been the father of Joseph, surely, like all parents, you would have prayed for the welfare of your child. But when Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers, you could have easily said, “God, what are You doing? Why did You allow this?” Yet if God had not allowed it to happen, Joseph never would have been put into the position of influence that enabled him to save the country and his own family.

If you had been the mother of Moses, how your heart would have broken when you saw your child being taken into Pharaoh’s court! Yet it was all part of God’s plan to mold Moses into the person who would lead Israel out of Egypt and its bondage.

If you had been the mother of Jesus and watched your own Son hanging on the cross, how easily you could have said, “Lord, why did You let this happen?” But if Jesus had not died on that cross and taken our sins upon Himself, we could not know Him today.

The problem for us is that we have a limited perspective. We are confined by time and space. We can see only the things that are happening in the present and only things that occur in our vicinity. The future is obscured to us. And so is the big picture of God’s work.

The apostle Paul put it this way: “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely” (1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT).

In the meantime, we can look to the past for reassurance. God has an unmatched track record for coming through for His people—not just in Scripture, but probably in your life as well. Think about those instances. Remember how He brought good from situations that seemed anything but good.

God’s history is why the psalmist was able to say with confidence, “Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!” (Psalm 34:8 NLT).

When you look at the will of God in progress, it may not always make sense. But you must believe that God knows what He’s doing. His will is good. Trust Him to finish what He has begun.

 

Reflection question: What unseen good might God be accomplishing in your life right now? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Hand of the Lord

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.” (Ezra 7:6)

Neither Ezra, who was a scribe, nor Nehemiah, who was apparently a butler, had been prepared by either study or experience to supervise the great construction project of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem and the wall of the city. Both had been destroyed many years before by the armies of Babylon. Yet God called them to these ministries and led them and protected them as they carried them out.

They were both careful, then, to give God the credit for what they accomplished. No less than six times in Ezra and twice in Nehemiah they reminded their readers that God’s hand had been upon them as they supervised the work (see Ezra 7:6, 9, 28; 8:18–22, 31; Nehemiah 2:8, 18).

There had been many difficulties and much opposition, but as Paul would later say, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).

We also need to be careful to give God the credit for anything He enables us to accomplish in His service. Even such a great and useful Christian as the apostle Paul had to say: “But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10).

We remember, however, that the hand of the Lord can be a chastening hand as well as a guiding and providing hand. When a certain false prophet tried “to pervert the right ways of the Lord,” Paul said, “The hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind” (Acts 13:10–11). And so it was. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). HMM

 

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Why Taking Care of Yourself Matters

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Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?

1 Corinthians 6:19 (ESV)

It is amazing to think that God makes His home in His children. When we receive Christ as our Savior, He comes to live in us, and our bodies become His temple. It is therefore prudent and wise for each of us to take good care of our bodies.

I am sorry to say that I spent many years pushing myself too hard and not taking care of my body, a temple of God, before I realized how important it is.

I hope to spare you the same mistakes I made. I urge you to respect your body and give it proper rest, sleep, hydration, and nutrition. God wants to not only live in you, but also to work through you. However, if you feel bad all the time because you don’t take care of yourself, He won’t be able to do that.

I encourage you to meditate on how amazing it is that God lives in you. You are the home of God. Prayerfully, this will urge you to keep the house of God—your body— in good condition. We are representatives of God, and He makes His appeal to the world through us (2 Corinthians 5:20). Let’s commit to representing Him well.

Prayer of the Day: Father, forgive me for not taking better care of myself. I want to represent You well, and I ask You to help me work with You to repair any damage done to my body. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Max Lucado

Max Lucado – Step Out of the Traffic 

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God sent Elijah into the rocky, raw, and lonely land of the Kerith Ravine. He had no temple for worship, no faith fraternity for strength. It would be years before he enjoyed fellowship with faithful Jews. Preparation by separation. Purposeful silence and solitude are basic courses in Unbreakable Courage 101.

Jesus found his Kerith in the obscure days of Nazareth and the quiet days in the wilderness. In order to gather strength for the cross, he sought time alone in the Garden of Gethsemane. If Jesus needed Kerith-like solitude, how much more do we? God’s invitation is compelling. From Psalm 46:10 (MSG): “Step out of the traffic! Take a long, loving look at me…” When did you last “step out of the traffic” to be alone with your Father?

 

 

 

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Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – A Wise Tongue

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Read Proverbs 15:1–7

A proverb is a golden nugget of wisdom. While Proverbs are concise, “their brevity is dense with meaning and motivation,” said David Finkbeiner in The Moody Bible Commentary. Proverbs repeatedly uses the Hebrew poetical device of parallelism where the second line repeats, contrasts, or enhances the first. In Proverbs 15, we find a series of contrasts, describing the opposite effects of our differing communication decisions.

On the one hand, the tongue of the wise speaks with gentleness (kindness and responsiveness), which can neutralize hostility (v. 1). The wise tongue promotes truth and moral understanding (vv. 2 and 7). It brings healing and life (v. 4). A wise communicator listens well to constructive correction and makes appropriate life changes (v. 5). In contrast, the words of the fool are harsh. The fool uses speech that is unduly blunt, critical, or even cruel, causing mental distress for the receiver (v. 1). The mouth of the fool spews reckless and ill-informed ideas, revealing the state of the heart and inevitably leading to evil behavior (vv. 2 and 7).

Overall, Proverbs highlights that our words are never neutral; they carry the power to harm or to heal, to ignite conflict or foster peace, to destroy relationship or to deepen it. Chapter 15 also highlights the omnipresent nature of the Lord (v. 3). Our daily communication matters to Him, and He is attentive to all of it—the good and the evil. He sees the words we speak in public and whisper in private. He hears the life-giving messages we share with those we love and the harsh language we resort to when someone frustrates us. God’s presence should provide our primary motivation to speak with patience, wisdom, and love.

Go Deeper

When have you spoken with harsh or foolish words? When have you spoken with gentleness and truth? How can God’s presence motivate you to godly speech?

Pray with Us

Forgive us, Lord, for those moments we have spoken harshly out of frustration instead of patiently out of Your love. You are never harsh with us. Help us likewise to always speak kindly to others.

The tongue of the wise adorns knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.Proverbs 15:2

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – Confession and Praise

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Read Psalm 51:1–19

Two of the most healing words we can say are: “I’m sorry.” The Psalms contain many forms of communication with God—praise, supplication, lament. But in Psalm 51, we find a raw and vulnerable confession.

David begins his plea with an appeal to God’s character—namely, His lovingkindness and ability to forgive (v. 1). David used two images to describe the desired redemption—the blotting of ink from a papyrus scroll and the ritual purification before temple worship (vv. 1–2). Only the Lord had the power to make him clean.

In verse 4, David acknowledged the Lord as the ultimate judge. He prayed: “Against you, you only, have I sinned.” Of course, David had sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah by committing adultery and murder. But his primary offense was against the holy God. Following his confession, David asked the Lord to cleanse him with hyssop (v. 7). Hyssop was a fragrant herb used for purification rituals. In preparation for Passover, the Jewish people would dip hyssop in blood and mark the doorposts of their houses (Exod. 12:22). Hyssop was also used in ceremonial cleansing rites for leprosy. In Psalm 51, David longed to be “whiter than snow” (v. 7); cleansing would bring renewed joy (v. 8).

David also asked that God renew a “steadfast spirit” within him (v. 10). He asked for the intimacy and joy he had previously experienced to be restored. David also promised to use this experience to teach others (v. 13). He promised to sing the Lord’s righteousness and declare His praise (vv. 14–15). Finally, he returned to his humble posture of contrition (v. 17). God welcomes true confession from a contrite heart. He meets that confession with mercy and repentance and renewed communion. When our relationship with God is repaired, we are freed to speak truth to others.

Go Deeper

What do you need to bring before the Lord in confession? Spend time before the Lord and seek His cleansing today.

Pray with Us

God, please show us where we have sinned against You. Guide our hearts into true repentance. We long for Your forgiveness and communion with You.

Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.Psalm 51:15

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Costly Faithfulness

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Be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. Psalm 31:2

Today’s Scripture

Psalm 31:1-5, 7-13

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Today’s Devotion

The film A Hidden Life tells the true story of Austrian farmer Franz Jägerstätter during World War II. Sickened by Nazi atrocities and believing only Jesus is Lord, Franz refused to swear allegiance to Hitler and was arrested. The rest of the film shows the anguish this brave stand brought him.

Franz’s village treated him with contempt for opposing Hitler’s agenda. Cellmates ridiculed his faith, and even some priests thought he was being foolish. “God doesn’t care what you say, only what’s in your heart,” one person says in the film, tempting Franz to “hail” Hitler without meaning it to save his life. “My rock, my fortress,” Franz prays, feeling pressure to recant, “give me strength to follow You.”

Psalm 31 is the prayer of a person facing evil powers. “Be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me” (v. 2), David pleads in the face of his own tyrants (vv. 4, 11). His life in anguish and suffering the contempt of his neighbors, David longs to stay faithful under pressure (vv. 3, 10-13). “Into your hands I commit my spirit,” he prays (v. 5), words later echoed by Jesus on the cross (Luke 23:46).

Our God never leaves costly faithfulness unrewarded. Franz Jägerstätter stayed faithful to the end. Like Jesus, this faithfulness cost him his life. But just as Jesus was raised from the grave, so Franz will rise one day too.

Reflect & Pray

What can you learn from history’s martyrs? What can you do today to stay faithful in a time of trial?

My Rock and Fortress, please give me strength to follow You, whatever opposition I face.

Today’s Insights

In his anguish, David turned to God, his “rock of refuge” (Psalm 31:2). God heard his “cry for mercy” (v. 22) and delivered him from his enemies (vv. 8, 15). He hears our cries too and offers us an eternal reward for our faithfulness and perseverance. James 1:12 tells us, “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” Therefore, we’re encouraged to “stand firm . . . always [giving ourselves] fully to the work of the Lord,” because our “labor in the Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – The Life Giver

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by Michael J. Stamp

“I am the resurrection, and the life.” (John 11:25)

In the gospel of John there are seven “I am” statements where Jesus claims to be one with the Father, e.g., “I and my Father are one” (John 10:30). Jesus isn’t just God’s representative; He is God Himself—Immanuel—God with us.

Being such, He is our Creator—our Life Giver. The same Jesus Christ who breathed His last breath on the cross breathed life into the first Adam (Genesis 2:7). “And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit” (1 Corinthians 15:45). A “quickening spirit” is a life-giving spirit. In a great reversal, the last Adam brings forth the life that the first Adam’s fall took away.

During His ministry, Jesus gave physical life. The hands that created the earth, moon, and sun touched Jairus’ dead daughter’s hand and said, “Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose” (Luke 8:54–55). He also “cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth” (John 11:43–44).

The purpose of His ministry was to give spiritual, eternal life to sinners. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (14:6). As “the life,” death could not hold Him after His crucifixion and never held any power over Him. “I lay down my life, that I might take it again” (10:17). Because of His death and resurrection, now anyone can receive the living water “springing up into everlasting life” (4:14), and Jesus “will raise him up at the last day” (6:44).

Jesus is indeed “he that liveth,” but He is far more than that (Revelation 1:18). Resurrection and eternal life reside in the person of Jesus—life-giving is part of His essence. Praise the Lord for sending Jesus to be our Life Giver! MJS

 

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Take What Is Yours

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Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread, that have I given to you, as I promised Moses.

Joshua 1:3 (AMPC)

The Bible teaches us that God has provided everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). He has promised, but we need to take action as the Holy Spirit leads us. It says in 2 Peter 1:5 that we must add our diligence to the promises and exercise our faith. God told Joshua that the land was his, but he needed to step out and take it. If you are expecting the promises of God to manifest in your life while you do absolutely nothing, you are mistaken.

Pray and release your faith to see God’s promises come to pass, and then do anything God shows you that you need to do.

Prayer of the Day: Lord, please help me step out in faith and possess all that You have for me. Give me diligence to act as Your Spirit leads, trusting Your promises will come to pass, amen.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org