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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

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Fives: The Pentateuch

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Surely I have taught you statutes and judgments, just as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should act according to them in the land which you go to possess.
Deuteronomy 4:5

Recommended Reading: Psalm 1

The Pentagon, a five-sided building constructed during World War II, was designed for an irregular plot of land bounded by roads that formed a rough five-sided shape. The Latin word for five is pent, and that’s also why the first five books of the Bible are called the Pentateuch.

The Jews called these books the Law or the Torah, and they contain core teachings foundational to biblical truth. When an observant Jew reads Psalm 1, for example, this is the way he reads it: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly … but his delight is in the [Torah] of the Lord. And in His [Torah] he meditates day and night” (verses 1-2).

Most of us like to read familiar biblical passages. But it all goes back to the Torah, and we would be wise to read it more often. Deuteronomy is especially rich. Read it, and you’ll find the Lord’s statutes and judgments that show us how to act in the land we are possessing with our souls.

Moses makes it clear that blessings come when the heart is right.
Warren Wiersbe

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – Impacting Generations

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Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Deuteronomy 4:9

Today’s Scripture

Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-10

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Today’s Devotion

During basketball practice, Enrique’s dad asked him and his friend to show the team how to pass the ball correctly. Enrique had practiced for weeks but feared messing up. He prayed, completed the drill, and said, “Thank You, God!” Later his dad said, “I’m proud of you for working hard, son. But I’m prouder that you prayed and praised God.” Enrique shrugged and said, “I just did what you do.”

Throughout history, God has worked through healthy, cross-generational relationships. Sharing His decrees and laws with the Israelites, He said not to add to them nor subtract from them (Deuteronomy 4:1-2). “Observe them carefully,” God said, “for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations” (v. 6). But God wasn’t only interested in how others perceived His people. He said, “Teach them to your children and to their children after them” (v. 9). Why? So that they “may learn to revere” God and teach “their children” about Him (v. 10).

We don’t have to be parents or serve in children’s ministry to share our Spirit-empowered faith with younger people. Whether we’re praying for a younger person or a young family, providing resources to nurture spiritual growth, or offering encouragement, God uses our healthy, cross-generational relationships to impact generations to come.

Reflect & Pray

How has God used older people to nurture you spiritually? How can you invest in the spiritual lives of a younger person or a young family?

Father God, please help me value, serve, and share You with people from all generations.

Today’s Insights

The Israelites were to pass on God’s truth to the next generation (Deuteronomy 4:9). In the New Testament, the apostle Paul writes to Timothy, who’d been impacted by women of faith from two different generations: “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also” (2 Timothy 1:5). The apostle also noted how God’s truth had contributed to Timothy’s development: “From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (3:15). Today, we can ask God to help us nurture the spiritual lives of future generations.

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Inside the CIA’s new task force targeting Cuba

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Why the fate of the Cuban people will not match the fate of their government

Shortly after US forces removed former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from power, many began looking closer to Cuba as the Trump administration’s next target for a change in leadership. President Trump even said as much back in March. And while the war with Iran has delayed such a move, recent reports indicate that Cuba’s time may be coming soon.

Earlier this week, news broke that the CIA has established a task force in Cuba in an attempt to pressure the government into accepting a number of political, economic, and social reforms. Should Raúl Castro and others decline, their secondary purpose is to lay the groundwork for a more forceful change in leadership. Coupled with the Justice Department bringing formal charges against Castro back in May, it’s an eerily similar playbook to the one used in the buildup to January’s assault in Venezuela.

A timeline for any such move remains unclear, with conflicting reports on whether the war in Iran would need to be wrapped up first. While fighting on two fronts would be far from ideal, President Trump is said to be “running out of patience with Cuba’s regime,” while the island remains a “huge priority” for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose family came from Cuba.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Inside the CIA’s new task force targeting Cuba →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – A Second Chance

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 Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! 

—Psalm 32:1

Scripture:

Psalm 32:1 

Without a doubt, one of the greatest blessings of the Christian life is that our God gives second chances. The apostle Paul wrote, “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” (Romans 3:23 NLT). But even if we’ve failed miserably, God gives us the opportunity to put it behind us. He can dramatically turn things around on our behalf. He can forgive us.

We have a choice in the course our lives take. We can either confess our sin and turn from it and know the happiness of being forgiven, or we can try to conceal our sin and then reap what we’ve sown. The Bible tells us that God will not bless people who try to hide their sin. Isaiah 3:9 says of such people, “They are doomed! They have brought destruction upon themselves” (NLT).

On the other hand, Psalm 32:1 says, “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!” (NLT). Doesn’t that sound better? David, the writer of the psalm, understood this well.

David’s story is a classic rags-to-riches tale. David was a shepherd and a musician. He was overlooked even in his own family. When his brothers went off to war, David was given the role of delivery boy. When Samuel the prophet told Jesse, David’s father, that God had sent him to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as the next king of Israel, Jesse didn’t even include David in the lineup.

Yet David thrived in the role of underdog. He killed the giant Goliath. He succeeded Saul as the king of Israel. God gave David the chance of a lifetime, and David rose to the occasion.

Gradually, though, his attention wandered. His priorities shifted. According to 2 Samuel 11:1, King David sent his men to battle the Ammonites while he “stayed behind in Jerusalem” (NLT). While he was idling in Jerusalem, he saw a woman named Bathsheba taking a bath. David sent for her and slept with her, even though she was the wife of Uriah, one of his most faithful soldiers.

When he learned that Bathsheba was pregnant, David called Uriah back from battle, hoping that he would sleep with his wife. That way, people would assume that he was the father of her child. But Uriah refused to enjoy the comforts of home while his fellow soldiers were still camped on the battlefield. In desperation, David arranged for Uriah to be killed in battle so that he could marry the widow Bathsheba in time to make the baby’s birth seem legitimate.

David failed God spectacularly. He committed adultery and murder. And after he was confronted by the prophet Nathan, he felt the weight of his sin. He wrote, “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin” (Psalm 51:1–2 NLT). God heard his prayer, forgave his sins, and gave him a second chance.

And God will do the same for you, no matter what you’ve done, if you repent and ask for forgiveness.

 

Reflection question: How does knowing that God offers forgiveness and second chances change the way you respond when you fail? Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – Rejoice in the Lord

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by John D. Morris, Ph.D.

“Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” (Philippians 4:4)

The Christian has a compelling duty to rejoice. Paul stresses the Christian need to rejoice by using the tense in the Greek that specifies a continuing and habitual action. This instruction follows his mention of otherwise faithful believers in the church who were unfortunately pursuing disharmony and dissension. Believers are reminded to restore broken relationships, follow after harmony, and rejoice.

Perhaps the best reason to rejoice is that all our names are written in the “book of life” (v. 3). This precious book was mentioned from old times as “a book of remembrance . . . written before him for them that feared the LORD” (Malachi 3:16). Christ mentioned this book as a cause to “rejoice, because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20). Our rejoicing will continue throughout eternity, for only “they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Revelation 21:27) will be permitted into the Lamb’s presence. Our love for the brethren and our hope for eternity are reasons to rejoice, indeed.

Paul told the Philippian church they were among the reasons for his joy. “I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace” (Philippians 1:7). Those who had a heart for the things of God were important to him. Therefore, “fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind” (2:2). “For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me” (2:18).

Their joy of fellowship was rooted in the love and service of Christ, as well as His sufferings, “that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (3:10). So, rejoice! JDM

 

 

 

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

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – Why Obedience Beats Emotion Every Time

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He who watches the wind [waiting for all conditions to be perfect] will not sow [seed], and he who looks at the clouds will not reap [a harvest].

Ecclesiastes 11:4 (AMP)

Aren’t you thankful that you and I don’t have to be led by our emotions? We can be led by God’s Spirit. All we need to do is be obedient to Him. When the Lord asks us to do something, any of us can be tempted to wait for a convenient season, a time when all conditions are perfect, as today’s scripture mentions. Human nature causes us to hold back sometimes as we walk with God, wanting to wait until following Him won’t be so difficult. Our emotions find all kinds of ways to delay doing what we know we should do.

I encourage you to be unafraid of facing challenges or taking on responsibilities, so that you won’t procrastinate when God speaks. If you only do what is easy and what your emotions want to do, you will remain weak and shallow as a Christian. But as you meet resistance and overcome it, you will build your strength and grow in your faith.

God expects us to be responsible and take care of what He gives us. He wants us to use all He’s given us to bear good fruit (John 15:16). If we do not use the gifts and talents He has given us when He directs us to, then we are not being responsible over what He has entrusted to us.

If you are a procrastinator, I urge you to heed the instruction of Ecclesiastes 11:4. You don’t have to wait until everything seems perfect and your emotions are excited to obey God. Do what He says to do when He says to do it, and you will reap the blessings of obedience.

Prayer of the Day: Help me, Lord, to follow You immediately instead waiting for more convenient timing. Help me to obey You promptly when You lead me to do something.

 

 

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Today in the Word

Today in the Word – Moody Bible Institute – The Heavens Declare

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Read Psalm 19:1–14

As I am writing, it is December in Illinois. All week long, the sunsets have been a particularly vibrant pink and orange, and people in our neighborhood chat have been posting photos of the flaming sky. While they might not give glory to God, I think of today’s psalm every time.

Psalm 19 describes the communicative nature of our God. Verses 1–6 celebrate His revelation through creation while verses 7–11 proclaim His revelation through His Word. As a whole, the psalm testifies to a God who makes Himself known in a myriad of ways.

The first half of the psalm focuses on the heavens as a primary mouthpiece. All of humanity merely has to look up to observe the “glory of God” and to appreciate “the work of his hands” (v. 1). This revelation is continuous and uninterrupted (v. 2), and it transcends the limitations of language. Without speech or sound, the intricate innerworkings of the world give nonverbal testimony throughout all the earth (vv. 3–4).

Then, verses 4–6 focus on the sun. Many ancient cultures worshiped the sun itself. But here the psalmist describes the Hebrew God as providing a home for the sun, which is depicted as a “bridegroom” or a “champion.” With joy, vitality, and strength, the sun crosses the sky, making known its Creator.

The second half of the psalm focuses on God’s revelation through His law—and the desired human response to it. His law is “perfect,” “refreshing,” and “trustworthy” (v. 7). It is a source of wisdom, righteousness, and joy (vv. 7–8). It enlightens our minds (v. 8) and demands our reverence and respect (v. 9). God’s law is to be cherished and savored (v. 10), heeded and obeyed (vv. 11–13).

Go Deeper

What does this psalm tell us about the ways in which God communicates? Where do you enjoy God’s revelation through creation? Why not share a photo of the beauty of God’s creation in our Facebook group?

Pray with Us

Heavenly Father, all creation sings Your praise! Give us eyes to see the beauty in everything You have made, and lips that are eager to join with creation in worship. There is none like You.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.Psalm 19:1–2

 

 

 

https://www.moodybible.org/

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Consequences

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NEW!Listen Now

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly and suffers the consequences.
Proverbs 22:3, NLT

Recommended Reading: Proverbs 27:12-17

The high school student was an actor, and the blood was fake. But the emergency teams were real, and the trauma felt real too. Students listened as the intensive care doctors, nurses, and organ donor specialists tried to deal with the consequences of one fictional student’s risky behavior. The coordinator said, “We don’t want to stop young people from enjoying their independence, but we also want to give them a different perspective on the real-world consequences that can follow a rash decision.”1

Proverbs 22:3 also warns us of real-world consequences for risky behavior, and the message is so important the verse is repeated word for word in Proverbs 27:12.

When we sin, there is a spiritual price tag. God forgives, but He doesn’t take away the consequences. That’s why we have to think ahead, foresee danger, and take precautions. One of the precautions is to fill your heart with verses from God’s Word so that you can make good decisions on a daily basis.

As we search the Scriptures, we must allow them to search us, to sit in judgment upon our character and conduct.
Jerry Bridges

  1. “A Lesson in Consequences of Risky Behavior,” Coast Community News, March 31, 2026.

 

 

 

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread – God Is Greater

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Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8

Today’s Scripture

1 Peter 5:6-11

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Today’s Devotion

Before he became famous, the Mongolian warlord Genghis Khan (ca. ad 1162-1227) killed his own half brother to advance his position in the family. As he solidified his power, he began to build an empire more expansive than Alexander the Great’s, stretching from Asia’s Pacific coast to Eastern Europe. Ruthless in his tactics, the khan and his army left a trail of death and destruction everywhere they advanced. His devastating military forays are unparalleled in recorded history.

Today we face a vicious foe even more intimidating than a marauding army—an enemy who wants to conquer and devastate our souls. The apostle Peter cautioned, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). This enemy is cunning and dangerous like a great warrior and is much more than we can handle on our own. But we have great reason for hope. The apostle John wrote, “The one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). This “one who is in you” is the Holy Spirit Himself. We need not fear the enemy of our souls.

As we rely on the Holy Spirit, we gain confidence that our lives are guarded from the one who’s trying to conquer our souls. Our God is greater. We can trust Him to be with us in everything.

Reflect & Pray

When have you sensed the enemy’s opposition? How did you respond?

Loving God, thank You that You’re greater than my enemy and have already defeated him. Please help me rely on Your Spirit.

Today’s Insights

What does the New Testament tell us about our “enemy the devil” (1 Peter 5:8)? First, it gives him a variety of names: “Satan,” which means “accuser” or “adversary” (Revelation 12:9-10); “Beelzebul, the prince of demons” (Matthew 12:24); “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4); “the ruler of the kingdom of the air” (Ephesians 2:2); “the evil one” (2 Thessalonians 3:3); “the great dragon” (Revelation 12:9); and the “ancient serpent” (20:2; see 2 Corinthians 11:3).

Second, Satan’s mission is “to devour” (1 Peter 5:8). The devil is opposed to God and seeks to drive a wedge between Him and humans. Satan hopes to tear down our confidence and trust in God and deter us from our mission of spreading the gospel. James says, “Submit yourselves . . . to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). The Holy Spirit will help us resist the devil and stand strong in Christ.

Learn more about spiritual warfare.

 

 

 

http://www.odb.org

Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Are people getting dumber? Are smartphones to blame?

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I hope you’re not reading this article on your smartphone. New research shows conclusively that IQ scores have been declining in recent years. Social scientists focused on nearly four hundred thousand people aged eighteen to ninety who completed questions from an open-source intelligence test. Across the thirteen-year study period, they found that cognitive scores declined over time.

This decline began well before AI was commonly available and prior to the pandemic. But it aligns with the time smartphone use began to rise.

One analyst thinks the switch from reading in print to consuming content on smartphones has led to the degradation of intellect. “Print requires us to make a logical case for a subject,” he noted. “You can’t just assert things in the way you can on TikTok or on YouTube.”

He adds, “Print privileges a whole way of thinking and a whole way of processing the world that is logical, that is more rational, that is more dense information, that is more intellectually challenging.”

“We are God’s fellow workers”

Apart from reading content in print, I’m not sure what we can do about this trend. In fact, much of the day’s news, however we consume it, can make us feel impotent.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Are people getting dumber? Are smartphones to blame? →

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – Just One Thing

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 The one thing I ask of the LORD—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. 

—Psalm 27:4

Scripture:

Psalm 27:4 

It’s been said that the greatest danger in life is to permit the urgent things to crowd out the important things. You see, the rabbit holes in life can cause us to lose sight of the one thing that matters: Jesus Christ.

It’s interesting to follow the phrase one thing through the pages of Scripture. Each time a biblical author uses this phrase, we find insights into the importance of making time for the Lord. For example, remember when Martha became agitated at her sister, Mary, for sitting at Jesus’ feet while Martha did all the work? How did Jesus reply? He said, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41–42 NLT, emphasis mine). Jesus was essentially saying, “Listen, Martha, I appreciate your desire to work. But there is a time to work and there is a time to sit at My feet. Mary has figured out that one thing is needful.”

Are Martha’s actions a good description of your life right now? Are you so busy with work and life’s nonessentials that you’ve forgotten the one thing? Unless we have a sense of priority, we can find ourselves distracted and quickly forget our purpose: to dwell with the Lord.

We must make the time to sit at the Lord’s feet. If we don’t make time for God’s Word, prayer, and church in our daily lives, we will fall apart spiritually. One thing is needful; pray for the strength and diligence to make time for it.

David had a real insight into who God is and set his heart to follow Him. In Psalm 57:7, he wrote, “My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is steadfast and confident!” (AMPC). David’s heart was totally focused on who God was. He was locked into what was right.

Paul made a similar statement in the book of Philippians: “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (3:13–14 NLT).

Everybody is living for something. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing—that is, to live by a clear set of priorities. What’s the one thing for you? What’s your clear focus in life?

God may not give you everything you hope for in life. Then again, He may give you more. You just leave that up to Him and put Him first.

 

Reflection question: How can you prioritize the things of God in your life?Discuss this with believers like you on Harvest Discipleship!

 

 

 

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie

Days of Praise

Days of Praise – He Knows Our Hearts

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by Henry M. Morris, Ph.D.

“Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men).” (2 Chronicles 6:30)

Eight times in Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple, he beseeches God to “hear from heaven” (vv. 21, 23, 25, 27, 30, 33, 35, 39) when His people confess their sins and pray for deliverance. It is marvelous that God, whose “dwelling place” is in heaven (vv. 21, 30, 33, 39), can actually hear the prayers of people here on Earth, but we remember that He is omnipresent.

Even more marvelous, if possible, is the fact that He can hear prayers uttered only in our hearts. But He is also omniscient, so of course He knows the very thoughts of our hearts.

Then, as we read of Jesus’ wrath at the desecration of the temple by those who would commercialize their religion there, it was said that He “needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man” (John 2:25). This is direct confirmation that Jesus is God, for only God knows the thoughts of our hearts.

It is a wonderful day when we realize that God knows our hearts. It can be frightening, of course, if our hearts are not right with God, but it can also be a great comfort and exhilaration—it all depends on the thoughts and motivations of our hearts. As David wrote long ago, “Thou understandest my thought afar off” (Psalm 139:2).

We need, therefore, to guard our thought life just as much as our social life, “for he knoweth the secrets of the heart” (Psalm 44:21). May God help us to be “casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). It is a good thing if our thoughts please Him. HMM

 

 

 

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