Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

Ephesians 1:3

El Shaddai, the Hebrew word for God Almighty, signifies that He is the God Who is all-sufficient. He is more than enough.

Jesus Christ nailed your sin to the Cross. He nailed your past to the Cross. You are not a patched-up, somewhat-improved version of your old self. All the old things passed away, and He made all things brand new. You are a new creation!

He made a public spectacle of rejection at the Cross. The enemy attempts to use the past to bring guilt and condemnation. He sticks his finger in old wounds to resurrect the pain and shame. But El Shaddai is more than enough! The Cross represents our total triumph!

Satan believed that the Cross was the end, but Jesus was just getting started. When He declared, “It is finished,” Satan soon discovered that those words of finality ushered in a new beginning for us.

Shackles fell powerless. Addictions were broken. Ruined lives were redeemed. Shattered hearts were restored. Broken dreams were revived.

Every promise that He made, He has kept. Through every trial, He has been a Friend Who sticks close. He has never abandoned us in the difficult hours. He has met every deficiency. No need to ever wonder…He is more than enough.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. Jesus has liberated you from your past. Your future is in the hands of God – full of joy and honor and reward. He has set you free!

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Joshua 19:1-20:9

New Testament

Luke 19:28-48

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 88:1-18

Proverbs 13:12-14

https://www.jhm.org

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.

2 Corinthians 1:20

There are more than 3,000 promises found within the Word of God. Your daily provision comes directly from these promises, which hold the golden key to open the gates of heaven and close the gates of hell.

When you are needing a spiritual breakthrough in your life, call on the mighty name of Jesus Christ. He will give you a promise within the Scripture that will bring you out to rich fulfillment. When God gives you a promise, hold onto it. Rest on it, knowing that in due season this prophetic word for life will be fulfilled. It will probably not be done on your schedule, but when God deems the time is right, your promise will be completed.

It isn’t difficult to have faith in a God who never fails. What is faith? It is reaching out in the darkness and knowing that you will feel the hand of God reaching back on the other side.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May you see the breakthrough that God has for you in your immediate future. In Jesus’ mighty name!

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Joshua 5:1-7:15

New Testament

Luke 15:1-32

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 81:1-16

Proverbs 13:1

https://www.jhm.org

I will go before you and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron.

Isaiah 45:2

Prayer doesn’t need proof, it needs practice. God is as close as your next breath. He has promised to never leave you nor forsake you. This means that when the dearest on earth have turned their backs on you, God sees. He knows your pain. And He wants to set things straight.

If you want to make a difference in your day, begin each morning with prayer. As soon as you start to pray, God releases His angels to meet your every need. Then get ready! Great and mighty things are about to happen!

Prayer is the weapon that God has given His children to wage war in the heavenlies. Put on the full armor of God and make it a great day. Satan is a defeated foe who has no power over you as a child of God. He cannot stop you when God is on your side. Run to the One who calmed the raging seas with three simple words: “Peace, be still.”

If you feel like you’ve hit more bumps than usual on the road of life, look to the face of God! He has promised to lead you down a path that will grant you the greatest possible success. If you need Him to make crooked places straight, call on His name, then leave the driving to Him!

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. Though you have prayed for the answer and it has not come, please know that God’s delays are not God’s denials. The answer will come. Now rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for everything your heart desires is just before you. In Jesus’ name, amen!

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Joshua 3:1-4:24

New Testament

Luke 14:7-35

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 80:1-19

Proverbs 12:27-28

https://www.jhm.org

…having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

Colossians 2:14

Jesus Christ nailed them to the Cross – every charge that was stacked against you. Every sin, He covered with His Blood. He became the propitiation for you.

Jesus’ action at Calvary made peace between humankind and a holy God. He took our place and became the payment for a debt He did not owe. His act of obedience repaired the breach between us; He broke down the wall that separated us (Ephesians 2:14).

When you accepted His invitation and welcomed Him into your heart, every accusation against you was covered in His Blood. Satan – the accuser of all believers – points his finger at us day and night, attempting to bring up all those old allegations, to drown us in shame and condemnation.

But when you enter the throne room of His grace and approach the Righteous Judge, and He demands the charges against you, an Advocate will defend you. He will announce that all of your sins are covered with His Blood, plunged into the depths of the ocean to never be remembered again. Though your sins were as scarlet, He washed them white as snow (Isaiah 1:18). There are no longer any charges. He nailed them to the Cross.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. Jesus has liberated you from your past. Your future is in the hands of God – full of joy and honor and reward. He has set you free!

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Deuteronomy 33:1-29

New Testament

Luke 13:1-22

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 78:59-72

Proverbs 12:25

https://www.jhm.org

Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

Colossians 2:15

When a Roman general marched an army off to war, he was bent on triumph. He was determined to decimate the enemy.

Only when his adversaries were soundly defeated did he return to Rome. On that day, cheering citizens lined the streets as the conquering general, astride a white horse, rode into the city through the Arch of Triumph.

The city celebrated wildly as the general was preceded by wagonloads of treasure plundered from the enemy. Following the wagons, the prisoners of war paraded in shame as the citizens looked on their defeated foes – the captured soldiers who dared to defy the Roman Empire.

Behind this sad procession came the king of the vanquished land. All of Rome looked on this defeated royal, bound in chains, destined for slavery in the emperor’s palace. What a public spectacle!

For those of us whose citizenship is in heaven, we have a conquering King! He marched out to battle against Satan at Calvary. He disarmed every principality and power, stripped away their ability to steal, kill, and destroy; He publicly exposed them as powerless. Like those long-ago citizens of Rome, let us lift up our voices to wildly celebrate our conquering Lord of lords and King of kings!

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. One day soon, the Conqueror of Calvary will split the eastern sky, riding a milky-white stallion, and returning in clouds of glory! Oh, how we will celebrate His appearing! Ours is the victory through Jesus Christ, our Lord!

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Deuteronomy 32:30-52

New Testament

Luke 12:35-59

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 78:46-58

Proverbs 12:24

https://www.jhm.org

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world

Galatians 6:14

At the top of Mount Moriah, God used a tree as a tool of redemption for Isaac. At the final instant, as Abraham raised his knife in obedience to the Lord, God provided a sacrifice instead of Isaac – a ram caught in the thicket.

Centuries later, Jesus became the substitute for us all on the tree at Mount Calvary. The only begotten Son of God was nailed to the Cross. This tree is why He knows us, why we are united in the family of God, that we can create a habitation of praise for our Father, that we can go boldly before the throne of grace to receive mercy. Jesus Christ paid the price on that cursed tree.

His blood reached us in our faraway, desperate state and pulled us near. Without the Cross, no grace or mercy is extended, no salvation is available. Without the Cross, we cannot be called sons and daughters of the Most High. Without the Cross, we have no reason to rejoice.

Because of that cruel tree, we are grafted into every promise and covenant, sins washed away, lives made whole. We have a glorious future with the One Who loved us to the death. That cruel Cross became our tree of triumph!

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. Declare your triumph through the tree of Calvary. Rejoice that you are more than a conqueror through Him Who loves you!

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Deuteronomy 28:1-68

New Testament

Luke 11:14-36

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 77:1-20

Proverbs 12:18

https://www.jhm.org

You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?

Psalm 56:8

How amazing to think of God bending low to collect the tears that slide down our cheeks!

In biblical times, mourners often caught their tears in small, glass bottles before placing them in burial tombs as a sign of their grief. In Civil War times, women collected their tears in bottles until their men returned from battle.

Not only does God collect our tears in His bottle, He also records them in His book. Think about the tears that you have cried: when failure disappointed, death shattered your heart, loss uprooted your life, your child deserted his faith, malicious words wounded. All those tears of grief, frustration, and distress trickled into God’s bottle, and He recorded each shimmering droplet.

Why is God so interested in our tears? In Revelation 21:4, He makes a promise He intends to keep. When we are united in the New Jerusalem, God Himself will wipe every sorrowful tear from our eyes. Because He has kept count, every tear will be wiped away.

In the darkest hour, when no one else sees, your Creator draws near to gently collect and count each tear. One day, He will remember and wipe away every one. Those who sow in tears will reap in joy (Psalm 126:5).

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. Take comfort that God will one day wipe all the tears from your eyes. Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning!

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Deuteronomy 26:1-27:26

New Testament

Luke 10:38-11:13

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 76:1-11

Proverbs 12:15-17

https://www.jhm.org

Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness

Psalm 143:10

As believers, we are enrolled in a continuing education program. We become lifelong learners as God opens His Word and speaks His truth.

We keep learning, growing, and maturing – making ourselves ready for the work that God has for us to do. The Lord will enroll us in classes that challenge and stretch us.

He will teach us to pray. Through problems that we are unable to solve, burdens that we are unable to bear, He will instruct us how to call upon Him so He can show us great and mighty things that we did not know before (Jeremiah 33:3).

He will teach us to give. Every perfect gift that we have in our lives comes from the Father of Lights above (James 1:17). Giving is not extraordinary; it is expected. When we recognize the abundance of His blessings, it will prompt us to give cheerfully and generously.

He will teach us to praise. He will take us to school about the power in praise – how it brings heaven down into the circumstances of earth. When God invades the atmosphere, mountains move, yokes break, and chains fall.

When we choose to listen and learn, He will teach us to do His will. Because He is good, the Spirit will lead us into all righteousness and truth.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May you grow in the grace and wisdom of our Lord Jesus Christ! May He lead you from glory to glory!

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Deuteronomy 23:1-25:19

New Testament

Luke 10:13-37

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 75:1-10

Proverbs 12:12-14

https://www.jhm.org

He who is slothful in his work is a brother to him who is a great destroyer

Proverbs 18:9

If we believe in something, we will bleed for it. We will sweat to succeed. Sweat demonstrates effort and hard work. Only in the dictionary does success precede work!

In Luke 22:44, Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, and His sweat poured out like huge drops of blood. Why? He believed in us, and He was working for us. Jesus bore the burden of our humanity, and in that moment, He struggled mightily.

He accepted a weight with which we are too familiar. Jesus, Who had never known sin, became sin, so that we could be made right with God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our sin and shame rolled onto His shoulders, and He was separated from the Father – an agony that He had never experienced.

Hours before, He prayed of the beautiful unity that He and the Father shared. Hours later, He cried from the Cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34). He poured out His blood and sweat. He completed the work to pay a debt that He did not owe.

Where are you investing your sweat? Are you about the Father’s business? We must energetically undertake the work that Jesus commanded: to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. Sweat comes before success.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May you commit to the Father’s business – to go and preach the Gospel and make disciples. May He bless the work of your hands and sweat of your brow!

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Deuteronomy 21:1-22:30

New Testament

Luke 9:51-10:12

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 74:1-23

Proverbs 12:11

https://www.jhm.org

Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?

2 Corinthians 13:5

Paul encouraged the Corinthian Believers to test themselves. Then, he gave them a one-question examination: “Do you not know that Jesus Christ is in you?”

It was not a matter of faith; it was a matter of acknowledging that Jesus was alive in them. Today, many of us struggle with the same dilemma! We easily believe in the free gift of salvation, but we disregard the power of a Risen Savior that takes up residence in our lives.

Christ is in us! The One Who walked out of the grave with the keys of victory in His hand lives in us. The One Who quiets the wind and waves with a simple command lives in us. Along with John, we can say, “…He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world!” (1 John 4:4).

If the Mountain Mover is in us, those obstacles will be removed. If the Commander of Angel Armies is in us, no weapon formed against us will prosper. If our Rock and Defense is in us, we will not be moved.

Take the one-question examination today: Do you know that Jesus is alive in you? Square your shoulders. Lift your chin. You are a child of the King. If you know it, live out that truth.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. Jesus is your Salvation and Strength, your Rock and Redeemer, your Deliverer and Defender. When He is in you, nothing is impossible!

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Deuteronomy 18:1-20:20

New Testament

Luke 9:28-50

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 73:1-28

Proverbs 12:10

https://www.jhm.org

Yes, again and again, they tempted God and limited the Holy One of Israel.

Psalm 78:41

We can hinder the potential of God in our lives. We can actually limit the work that He desires to accomplish through us.

Two groups of people exist: those who make good and those who make excuses. When we blame someone else for our failure, we empower that person to control us. If we do not take control of our lives, someone else will.

Do you think you are too young? Jesus taught the rabbis when he was nine years old. Too old? Abraham fathered a child at 100. Not educated? A handful of unlearned fishermen changed the world. Not well-connected? You do know the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Another way to destroy our potential is to demand instant gratification. We must submit to the plans of the Master Potter and allow Him to shape us into His image. It is a painstaking, time-consuming process, but He promises to be with us through the very end.

We can also forfeit our God-given potential by expecting His benefits without assuming responsibility. When we fail to pick up our crosses and follow Him, we limit His work in us. We forget that if we lose our lives for His sake, we can reach the fullness of our potential. He will make us beautiful in His time!

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May you shake off every excuse to take up your cross and follow Jesus. May your tomorrows be rich with the blessings of God as you grow into your full potential.

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Numbers 32:1-33:39

New Testament

Luke 4:31-5:11

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 64:1-10

Proverbs 11:22

https://www.jhm.org

Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Mark 11:24

Our potential is activated by faith. It is not an option; it is a requirement for the child of God. Faith is the victory that overcomes the world (I John 5:4).

In Genesis, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). The Hebrew word for likeness means “to operate like” – not to look like. How does God operate? He operates with faith. If we are not functioning like God in faith, we are malfunctioning.

For the believer, hope is based on the evidence found in the Word of God. Hope is based on the substance of what God has done in the past – knowing that if He has done it before, He can do it again in our lives.

Faith is not mystical; it is rock solid. It does not demand miracles; it creates miracles. Faith takes the first step before we know the outcome. It is not a leap in the dark; it is a walk in the light. Faith believes because of the proof in God’s Word.

Because Jesus healed, the potential to heal is inside of us. Because Jesus worked miracles, the potential to work miracles is inside of us. Faith is fact – not fiction. As children of God, we have the potential to receive whatever we ask.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. Be bold and courageous in your prayers! Ask, in faith believing, that His answer is on the way!

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Numbers 28:15-29:40

New Testament

Luke 3:23-38

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 62:1-12

Proverbs 11:18-19

https://www.jhm.org

For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.

Jeremiah 31:34

Jesus taught us to love and forgive one another, and He taught us the pattern for doing both.

He instructs us to forgive immediately. If we are standing at the altar, and we remember that someone has an offense against us, we are to leave immediately to seek out that person. Stop praying! Do not sing another chorus! Do not conceal unforgiveness with religious ritual. Get forgiveness. Go, offer forgiveness.

He instructs us to be reconciled to the one from whom we are estranged. We must take the first step to reach out and set things right. With all humility and gentleness, with patience and love, we must strive to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:2-3). We are united as one.

He instructs us to forgive absolutely and completely. In the same way that Jesus is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9), we are to openhandedly forgive the one who offends, betrays or lies about us.

When we take the step of faith to offer forgiveness and to seek reconciliation, we never go alone. The Prince of Peace walks beside us and gives us the strength to do all things.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May the spirit of forgiveness be released in your life so that you are liberated from the burden that you have carried. May the Lord Jesus Christ fill you with His grace and peace. Amen.

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Numbers 21:1-22:20

New Testament

Luke 1:26-56

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 57:1-11

Proverbs 11:9-11

https://www.jhm.org

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Matthew 6:12

Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch watchmaker in World War II. Her family helped many Jews escape the Holocaust by hiding them in a secret room in their home. Eventually, they were arrested and sent to a concentration camp.

Under the atrocious conditions, her aged father died. She and her sister, Betsie, were starved and endured dehumanizing abuse. Her sister died, but in a miraculous clerical error, Corrie was released.

Years later, while speaking at a church, a man approached her after the service. It was one of the cruel, vicious guards who had tortured her! He stood before her, hand outstretched, asking for forgiveness.

Coldness clutched her heart, but she later wrote: “Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.” Out loud, she asked, “Jesus, help me.”

Woodenly, she grasped his hand. She recounted that the “current of heaven” raced from her shoulder, down her arm, and into their clutched hands. Flooded with a feeling of warm reconciliation, she heard herself say, “I forgive you, brother.” With clasped hands, the former guard and the former prisoner wept together.

She later said that she had never felt the love of God as intensely as she did in that moment: “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and to discover that the prisoner is you.”

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May God give you the courage and the strength to forgive your enemy. May He spring you from prison to walk in the freedom of His grace and mercy.

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Numbers 19:1-20:29

New Testament

Luke 1:1-25

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 56:1-13

Proverbs 11:8

https://www.jhm.org

He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

Proverbs 28:13

When Jesus forgives our sin, it is a full pardon, a fresh start, and a new beginning. It is the lifting of a heavy burden and the canceling of an enormous debt.

Make no mistake though: forgiveness demands change. God’s forgiveness is filled with compassion, but it demands a change in our conduct. To forgive us without demanding a change in our conduct would make the grace of God an accomplice to evil.

When the Pharisees flung the adulterous woman at Jesus’ feet, they demanded a decision. They knew the Law of Moses called for her death by stoning. But Jesus knew what was in their hearts. After kneeling to write in the dust, He challenged: “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first” (John 8:7).

One by one, they dropped their stones and slunk away. They knew what was in their hearts too. Turning to the relieved woman, Jesus instructed, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). The point is clear. Jesus expected her to change.

Absolute grace that allows people to sin indefinitely and to still be in the favor of God is not a doctrine found in the Bible. When we confess and forsake our sins, we obtain mercy. Christ makes us new creatures, and He expects to see the change.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. As the beloved child of God, imitate Christ. Walk in His love and forgiveness as you become more and more like Him.

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Numbers 16:41-18:32

New Testament

Mark 16:1-20

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 55:1-23

Proverbs 11:7

https://www.jhm.org

Psalm 5

Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies.
Psalm 5:8

Recommended Reading: Psalm 5

Life doesn’t always go our way from the looks of things. Satan attacks us in ways we can hardly discern; problems arise from nowhere; burdens descend in multiples; and sometimes our own emotions work against us, causing layers of sadness, weariness, or discouragement to radiate through us.

That’s when we need Psalm 5! David begins by asking God to hear his voice (verses 1-3). He reminds the Lord of His righteous power (verses 4-6), and offers himself as a worshiper who prays, “Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies” (verses 7-8). David describes his enemies to the Lord, and then he exhorts himself and all of us to rejoice and put our trust in our Almighty God (verses 9-12).

When we find ourselves attacked by the enemies of God, we should remember our Lord is in control. You can do that today by turning Psalm 5 into a personal prayer. Remember God’s character of faithfulness and remind yourself of His constant care. Make up your mind to rejoice today.

In singing these verses, and praying them over, we must engage and stir up ourselves to the duty of prayer, and encourage ourselves in it, because we shall not seek the Lord in vain.
Matthew Henry

https://www.jhm.org

But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.

Genesis 33:4

Hugging has been dubbed a “miracle drug.” Medical science declares that hugs are a healthy way to boost the immune system.

They cure depression, reduce stress, and induce sleep. They are invigorating and rejuvenating with no unpleasant side effects, all-natural and organic. Hugs are naturally sweet, nothing artificial, and their ingredients are 100% wholesome.

Hugs are the ideal gift – great for any occasion. They show how much we care, are fun to give and receive, come with their own wrapping and, of course, are fully returnable. When we open our hearts and our arms, we encourage others to do the same.

Two decades had separated Jacob from his brother, Esau. Jacob had fled Esau’s murderous anger after he stole his birthright and blessing, but he was coming home. Esau came out to meet him with 400 men, but instead of the anticipated battle, Esau enveloped Jacob in a hug as he wept for joy.

When pain becomes unbearable, words are often futile. Our embrace can convey healing where our words fall short. In times of extreme grief, we cannot say, “I know how you feel,” because we do not. We can only hold others close, cry with them, and allow the healing power of God to touch and minister hope and healing.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. When you draw near to God, He draws near to you. Rest in His embrace and experience His healing. Be held by your loving Father.

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Numbers 4:1-5:31

New Testament

Mark 12:18-37

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 48:1-14

Proverbs 10:26

https://www.jhm.org

To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:27

Christ inside of us brings with Him the hope of all the glorious things to come! Allow that hope to generate enthusiasm and excitement.

Hope produced a song that reverberated in the midnight hour in a Roman prison in Philippi. Paul and Silas had been stripped, beaten, and secured in stocks in an inner cell. Bruised and bleeding, they did not waste their time bemoaning the hardships of ministry. Instead, they began to pray and sing hymns as the other prisoners listened.

Suddenly, the glory of heaven invaded that space, a great earthquake shook the foundations, and all the chains were loosed. When the jailer realized that all the prisoners were inside, he shakily asked Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30).

They walked out of jail with the keys in one hand and converts in the other! In their darkest hour, they reflected the hope of glory, and others were drawn to His light.

Are you facing adversity? Do you feel overwhelmed and overlooked? The Jesus in you is greater than anything in this world. He makes you more than a conqueror. He is the hope of glory.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. Thank God that He has made known the riches of His glory to us! May Jesus fill you to overflowing with the enthusiasm and excitement of His hope so that others come to know Him too.

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Numbers 2:1-3:51

New Testament

Mark 11:26-12:17

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 47:1-9

Proverbs 10:24-25

https://www.jhm.org

You have granted me life and favor, and Your care has preserved my spirit.

Job 10:12

God’s loving favor is better than silver or gold. One day of His favor can undo a lifetime of reversal. Does that sound too optimistic? Consider the story of Joseph.

Joseph was a dreamer – loved by his father and envied by his brothers. One day, they threw him into a pit before selling him to a passing Arab caravan. He became an Egyptian slave in Potiphar’s house. A vicious lie landed him in prison where he continued to hope in God and stay true to the mission before him.

For 12 years, Joseph languished in prison until the Pharaoh summoned him to interpret a dream. In one day, Joseph was promoted from a prisoner to a prince of the most powerful nation on earth.

Joseph’s adversity was the vehicle God used to bless the nation of Israel and to change the course of history. He saved the Gentile world from starvation. After 22 years of separation, he created a home in Goshen for his father and brothers where the nation of Israel was born.

From the pit to Potiphar to prison to the palace – Joseph’s hope was securely placed in God. Remember that the issue you endure may be the instrument God will use to undo a lifetime of reversal for yourself and your family. God’s favor is upon you.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. God will take the evil that the enemy has used against you and work it to your good. May His favor rest upon you!

Today’s Bible Reading:

Old Testament

Leviticus 27:14-Numbers 1:54

New Testament

Mark 11:1-25

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 46:1-11

Proverbs 10:23

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