But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.

Luke 5:38

A certain satisfaction exists in closing the chapter on one year and turning a page to the new. Our ever-creating God has extraordinary plans for each of us in the coming 365 days!

Jesus once shared a parable with the religious leaders. He pointed out that no one pours new wine into old wineskins; the wine would spill out, and the wineskins would be ruined. New wine requires new wineskins.

Wineskins were goatskins sewn around the edges to create a watertight vessel. As new wine ferments, it emits gasses that cause the wineskin to expand. An old, rigid wineskin cannot withstand this process and will burst.

Jesus’ new teaching was so different from their old ways of thinking that it required a changed heart and a transformed mind. The new wine of the Holy Spirit could not be contained in their archaic system of laws.

As you anticipate what God has for you in 2024, prepare your heart: Is there anything rigid in me that would prevent the work God will do? Where am I resistant to His touch? Am I pliable to His direction?

Open yourself to His possibilities in 2024. Listen for the fresh truths He will whisper. Expand your boundaries for the opportunities He will bring. Get ready! God has great aspirations for you in the coming year.

Blessing

Heavenly Father, create in me a clean heart, tender towards You. Renew a right spirit within me, open and obedient to Your plans. Tear down anything that rises in opposition to You. Fill me to overflowing with the new wine of the Holy Spirit. I anticipate Your goodness. In Jesus’ name…amen.

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Zechariah 12:1-13:9

New Testament 

Revelation 19:1-21

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 147:1-20

Proverbs 31:1-7

https://www.jhm.org

…forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

Here at the end of the year, many of us may look back on a year marred by grief and disappointment.

Jesus understands the longing and necessity for new beginnings. For every person that comes to Him in brokenness, He washes away the old and makes a brand-new creation. He continues to mold us into vessels He can use.

Consider the man lying by the Pool of Bethesda who had been ill for 38 years. When Jesus asked if he wanted to be healed, his despair was evident. 

Jesus gave three commands: Rise, take up your bed, and walk! If the man had remained on the mat, it could have tied him to his pessimistic state. He needed to get up and get moving forward.

Perhaps, this year’s events have left you hurting and longing for relief. Hope, help, and healing are found in Jesus alone. His mercies flow anew every morning.

Leave your burdens at the feet of Jesus. Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you. Let go of the things that weigh you down and prevent you from running your race well. Forget those things behind and walk into the new year with head held high.

Blessing

Heavenly Father, You know the wounds this year has left on my spirit. I bring these burdens to You. Heal me. Help me to shake off the shackles of the past. Let me walk into the new year free and full of hope. I press towards the prize by the power of Jesus…amen.

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Zechariah 10:1-11:17

New Testament 

Revelation 18:1-24

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 146:1-10

Proverbs 30:33

https://www.jhm.org

I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your works; I muse on the work of Your hands.

Psalm 143:5

As the year draws to a close, a wonderful opportunity exists to ponder the events of the past year and prepare for the promise of a new year.

Set aside some time to remember God’s faithfulness. Look for the places where His hand has been at work, where you have experienced breakthrough and abundance.

It is easy to see Him there in the marriages, births, promotions, and celebrations. How amazing to find His love shining brightly – maybe more so – in the disappointments, death, or divorce!

The Israelites insisted on remembering God’s enduring compassion and undying faithfulness. They established memorials to remind themselves and their children. They sang songs, designed dances, and penned poetry. They assembled altars, designated days of celebration, wrote in their record books, and offered oblations to God.

For them and the following generations, those memorials pointed to how the Lord delivered them from enemies, brought them through deep waters, and provided for every need.

Today, revisit the yesterdays of this year. Meditate and wonder at the work of His hands. Find a way to memorialize His goodness:  write it in your journal, sing a new song of worship, capture it in a photo. When your family or friends ask, tell them: “This is how God revealed Himself to me this year.”

Blessing

Heavenly Father, I look back at a year where You walked beside me every step in every season. You never left me undefended or alone. I pause to remember how You sustained me through every heartache and delighted in every celebration. I see You there. With humble gratitude, and in Jesus’ name, I thank You.

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Zechariah 9:1-17

New Testament 

Revelation 17:1-18

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 145:1-21

Proverbs 30:32

https://www.jhm.org

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…

John 3:16

From the beginning of time, God planned and prepared a place for us to receive everything that we need for life now and eternally. He so loved us!

God always knew that He would do this for us. First Peter 1:20 assures us that, before God even laid the foundations of the world, His divine plan included Jesus. This was no afterthought.

Before He said, “Let there be light,” He understood that Adam would succumb to temptation and fall into sin. He knew that we would need a Savior.

Our sin would require a cleansing sacrifice, and the only remedy would be the blood spilled by His precious Son. He spoke all things into existence anyway.

At the right time, He revealed His plan in the sleepy village where the Treasure of Heaven came to earth. God did not send Him because we deserved it. He sent Him because He loved us so.

Through a tiny babe born in Bethlehem, God demonstrated how absolutely, unconditionally, limitlessly, and incomprehensibly He loves us. Never doubt the depth of His love.

Whatever burdens have buried the beauty of Bethlehem in your life, roll them back to remember God has provided all you need. Never allow these words to fall on deaf ears: For God so loved…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 you never lose the wonder of the unspeakable love that sent God’s Son from heaven to earth. Allow that Gift to transform your life as you live loved in this blessed season!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Zechariah 1:1-21

New Testament 

Revelation 12:1-17

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 140:1-13

Proverbs 30:17

https://www.jhm.org

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:15

With Christmas only days away, we are caught up in the holiday scramble! Halls to be decked. Carols to be sung. Presents to be bought. Boxes to be wrapped. Cookies to be baked. The list is long!

Over 2000 years ago, under Bethlehem stars, the greatest Gift ever bestowed was born of a virgin, wrapped in swaddling clothes, and nestled into a manger.

Angels illuminated the sky to announce His birth to humble shepherds tending their flocks in the open fields. A Savior was born! A world shackled in sin and condemned to die welcomed Emmanuel. God came to be with us.

The shepherds hastened to the crude stable where they found the promised Child. And when they discovered Him, they “made widely known” (Luke 2:17) all that they had experienced that glorious night. They could not keep it to themselves!

Be careful not to bury the greatest Gift beneath the twinkle lights and tinsel, the stockings and sleds, the elves and evergreens. Find a silent night to kneel before the Savior – the Babe of Bethlehem who became the Champion of Calvary. Make Him the center of every celebration this holy season. 

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. Thanks be to God for the greatest gift of His Son. Be blessed with His presence, power, and prosperity as a child of the Heavenly Father. Glory to God in the highest!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Zephaniah 1:1-3:20

New Testament 

Revelation 10:1-11

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 138:1-8

Proverbs 30:11-14

https://www.jhm.org

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing

James 1:4

How easy it is to become impatient in the maturing process! We want to hurry things along to the harvest, but growth requires time and patience.

God has a plan for carrying you to completion. He sends the sunshine and pours out the rain. He lifts up and prunes to produce much fruit. He plans to make every barren area abundant. His intention is not to harm, but to prosper.

Do not resent the growth process as some sort of intrusion in your life. Do not try to cut it off prematurely. Allow patience to do its work in you until you fully bloom and produce the fruit that God seeks.

Endure the season of sorrow because joy comes in the morning. Trust through the time of need because the righteous have never been forsaken; His children do not beg for bread. In the middle of the tempest, be assured that God rides on the wings of the storm. In the day of battle, find defense in our Shield and Defender. Even in the fiery furnace, He walks beside us through the flames.

Trust Him as you allow patience to perform its refining work. Like those plump, purple grapes, your life will be a perfect thing of beauty in His hands.

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. He who began a good work in you will continue to develop it until Jesus returns. May His perfect will be accomplished in you through the power of Jesus’ name…amen.

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Habakkuk 1:1-3:19

New Testament 

Revelation 9:1-21

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 137:1-9

Proverbs 30:10

https://www.jhm.org

And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

John 10:28

If you are connected to Christ, you are in the hand of God. Whether you are the least productive or the most productive branch, He holds you securely.

No matter what burdens you carry or what blessings you walk in, God has His hand on you. No matter where you come from or where you are going to, God has His hand on you.

You can be in no better place. The same hands that fashioned man from the dust at creation hold you. The same hands that pushed back the Red Sea for Moses are making a way for you. The hands that defended Daniel in the lion’s den are protecting you.

They suffered blisters and splinters and carpenter calluses. They touched the leper. They held the little children. They were stretched out on a cross. They were impaled at Calvary. Those nail-pierced hands still reach out today in invitation: “Come unto me.”

His hands will never push you away nor leave you unattended or undefended. They move mountains of impossibility. They prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies.

Nothing and no one have the power to pluck you out of this safe and loving haven. You are loved, and you are held. You are in His hand.

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. Rest in the safety of your loving Father’s hand. May the goodness, mercy, peace, and blessings of God overtake you. In the name of Jesus…amen.

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Micah 1:1-4:13

New Testament 

Revelation 6:1-17

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 134:1-3

Proverbs 30:1-4

https://www.jhm.org

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Galatians 6:9

Every believer lives in one of two states. We are either being lifted up or we are being pruned. Why? Because God wants us to bear much fruit!

Our Vinedresser continually inspects the fruit that we produce. He is looking for love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). When He cannot find evidence of those fruits, He pays special attention to those branches.

God begins with a tender touch to gain our attention – the pastor will speak a word, a song will quicken our heart, or a friend will share a gentle rebuke. If we fail to respond to His tenderness, He will take tougher measures.

He will begin to cut away all of the things that do not bring forth good fruit. He will pull out all the debris that we accumulate until we are forced to put our trust exclusively in Him. We will find that when He is the only One left, He is all that we need.

When He lifts us up, He does so with love. When He wields the pruning shears, He does so with great patience. No need to lose heart! We will reap a harvest of much fruit if we continue to trust in 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. As you submit to the Lord’s pruning, rejoice that He is working all things to your good and for His glory. Take heart! Your harvest will be great!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Jonah 1:1-4:11

New Testament 

Revelation 5:1-14

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 133:1-3

Proverbs 29:26-27

https://www.jhm.org

But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'”

Matthew 4:4

After Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness where He fasted for 40 days. At the end of that time, Satan appeared to tempt Him.

Satan waited for the fortieth day when Jesus was hungry and exhausted. Our greatest temptations come when we are emotionally, physically, and spiritually spent.  

Satan tempted Him first by opening the door of doubt: “If you are the Son of God….” Sound familiar? “If you are really saved….” “If God really loves you….”

Secondly, Satan tempted Jesus by demanding: “Turn these stones into bread.” He pushes us to accomplish things in our own strength.

Jesus did not argue with him. He did not point out His ability to destroy Satan and his works. He simply declared, “It is written.” He did something that we can do – even when we are at our weakest.

We run to the source that declares us triumphant. Whether we are in a battle for our life, our business, or our family…it is written.

When we speak the promises of God, they become the Living Word to bring us victory over the evil one’s intention to defeat and destroy. God has placed him under our feet. It is written.

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. I declare the blessings of God and His overcoming power in your life today. It is written that you are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus Who loves you!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Obadiah 1:1-21

New Testament 

Revelation 4:1-11

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 132:1-18

Proverbs 29:24-25

https://www.jhm.org

…as newborn babies, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

1 Peter 2:2-3

Before we sit down to eat, we must wash our hands. No filth from the outside should go inside. Once we are clean, we are free to enjoy the tasty dishes.

God desires to feed us with good things, but if we have unclean hands, we cannot receive the blessings that He has stored up for us. Our hands are cleaned by the washing of the water of the Word.

Peter encouraged the New Testament believers to desire the pure milk of the word so that they could grow in their faith. When we bring new babies home from the hospital, we feed them milk for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That is the only food they can digest.

As new believers, the only food we should desire and digest is the Word of God. It will cleanse and cause us to develop. Expect growing pains. When it reminds us to repent and change, we will be required to make choices. Will we decrease so that He might increase? Will we deny ourselves to follow Him?

As we are washed, we can lift up holy hands without fear or doubt. He will pour good things into those clean hands. Taste and see that the Lord is gracious!

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 nourished by the milk and meat of His Word to grow strong and healthy in Christ. Taste of His goodness and tell of His glory!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Amos 7:1-9:15

New Testament 

Revelation 3:7-22

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 131:1-3

Proverbs 29:23

https://www.jhm.org

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Romans 5:3-4

Being grafted into the Vine does not guarantee eternal sunshine and storm-free days. On the other side of salvation, we often endure seasons of struggle.

We experience dry deserts and devastating storms. We endure the long winters and silence of delays. Be assured that hard times will bring a harvest!

If our life in Christ will mature, we must be willing to experience growing pains. Struggle is synonymous with growth! In the vineyard, every branch that produces clusters of glowing grapes has suffered pain to mature.

The seed planted in the soil has struggled to break ground. The plant has struggled to dig deep roots, to push out leaves, to blossom and bear fruit. We celebrate the harvest, but pain accompanies production.

By nature, we resist struggle. We prefer pain-free days. We long for the easy route, the results without the cost of growth. But we will not have the strength to sustain growth if we do not work for the outcome.

Where is our character developed? The good days do not make us emotionally strong, expand our confidence, or establish our fortitude. Struggle makes us strong. We can glory in tribulations knowing that our perseverance produces much fruit.

Blessing

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May God root and establish your faith. Through every dry season and every storm, may you persevere until His character is developed in you, and you lack nothing through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Hosea 10:1-14:9

New Testament 

Jude 1:1-25

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 127:1-5

Proverbs 29:15-17

https://www.jhm.org

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

John 15:9

As Jesus spent final, precious moments with His disciples, He spoke of abiding and how their point of contact determined their potential.

Vinedressers can attest that the point of contact – where the branch meets the vine – is where healthy, flourishing life begins. At that juncture, life-giving sap flows through to be delivered to the fruit growing on the branch.

If the branch has a large, unobstructed connection to the vine, the potential is great for a bumper crop – plentiful, luscious grapes. If the connection is poor, the fruit will be withered and sparse.

To abide means to remain, to stay closely connected, to settle in for the long term. Ongoing vital connection with Jesus directly determines the flow of His supernatural power at work in our lives.

In John 15, Jesus uses “abide (remain or dwell)” eleven times. John uses it 40 times in his gospel. To be productive, we must join with Him. 

A branch, severed from the vine and lying in the dust, will not produce one leaf, one flower, one grape. Our connection to Jesus must be our singular priority. 

To remain in Him, we must set apart devoted time with Jesus. We must deepen our relationship by talking and listening to Him. Savor His words. Be attentive to His presence every moment. Abide in 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. May you abide in the Lord and He abide in you. May your joy be full and your life overflow with much fruit. All glory to Him!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Hosea 6:1-9:17

New Testament 

3 John 1:1-15

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 126:1-6

Proverbs 29:12-14

https://www.jhm.org

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

John 15:2

Today’s verse sounds quite ominous to the “branch” that is not bearing fruit. However, when we examine it in the original text, a beautiful picture emerges.

Instead of “take away,” the Greek word “airo” can be translated “lift up.” John the Baptist exclaimed, “Behold! The Lamb of God Who takes away (airo) the sin of the world!” Jesus took away our sins and “lifted” them to the Father. Jesus said, “And I, if I be lifted up (airo) from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

In a vineyard, grapevines grow upwards along a trellis, so the clusters of fruit hang freely. If branches grow along the ground, the fruit splits or grows moldy. They are never intended to exist there.

We cannot flourish where we were never intended to live. If we are connected to old behaviors or old ways of thinking, our ability to produce good fruit is severely limited. We cannot grow in the dark.

Our tender Vinekeeper will come to “lift up” the branch that has fallen in the dirt. He will “take away” the dead foliage, prune it for optimum growth. He will wash it with the water of the Word to make it clean. With gentle hands, He will do everything He can to ensure that we produce much good fruit.

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 for His tender mercies and compassionate care. May this be a day of new beginnings.

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Hosea 4:1-5:15

New Testament 

2 John 1:1-13

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 125:1-5

Proverbs 29:9-11

https://www.jhm.org

By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

John 15:8

God’s will for each of His children is that we bear fruit – and not just somefruit, but much fruit! God is a productive and producing God, and He desires the same attributes in us.

When do we start? Immediately! Fruit production is possible for every believer. From the moment we are grafted into the True Vine, His potential and power flow through us.

Where do we start? Here! Our mission field exists right where we live. We have great impact in the place where we are known the most.

How do we start? The Holy Spirit produces fruit in us as we submit to the Father. His good fruit grows in us, and we produce works as evidence.

When the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, they received power to become His witnesses in Judea – that was home. In Samaria – those were their neighbors. And to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Let’s produce good fruit at home – with our spouses and children. Let’s be productive in our witness to our neighbors. In the places where we are employed, let’s work with God-honoring integrity. Those who know us best must know how we love Him most.

Start here. Start now. As you are nourished by the Father, may you flourish. Abound in every good work to produce more and more fruit!

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 be the planting of the Lord, pruned to produce. May your fruitfulness ever increase to glorify your Father.

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Hosea 1:1-3:5

New Testament 

1 John 5:1-21

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 124:1-8

Proverbs 29:5-8

https://www.jhm.org

…and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree…

Romans 11:17

Many people claim a deep affiliation with religion, but they have no relationship with Jesus. Until they are grafted into the True Vine, they face death and the fire of judgment.

To graft a branch into a vine, the vinedresser cuts open the well-rooted, mature vine. In the fresh cut, he places the branch. He then ties the vine and the branch together.

As the vine begins to heal, the sap and nutrients from the root will feed the branch through the wound of the vine. This life-giving flow unites the branch and vine. Eventually, no one will be able to tell that the branch was once separate from the vine.

Before Calvary, we were outside of the covenant of God – a wild olive tree. When Jesus went to the cross, He was wounded for our wrongs, crushed for our evil. The judgment for our sin was placed on Him. He was pierced and broken for us.

But when He cried, “It is finished,” His crucifixion pulled us into the covenant! Because we are grafted into Jesus, the spiritual DNA of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob now flows through us. We are His chosen and redeemed, fed by the richness of the True Vine!

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. Thanks be to God for grafting you into the True Vine! You are an heir of God and joint heir with Jesus. Praise your Root and Redeemer!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Daniel 11:35-12:13

New Testament 

1 John 4:1-21

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 123:1-4

Proverbs 29:2-4

https://www.jhm.org

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

Jesus knew what was coming as He gazed into the circle of dear, familiar faces glowing in the lamplight. These were the final words He would share before He was betrayed.

What a ragtag group they were – men with callouses on their hands and hearts, cheaters, liars, betrayers, and doubters! Jesus saw what others could not. His heart was tender towards these vagabonds who would undertake His earthly ministry to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

The words that He spoke into their ears that fateful evening are the same ones He whispers to us today: “…apart from Me you can do nothing.” He wanted them to understand that if they chose to go it alone – to work hard to generate results on their own – all of their efforts would be in vain. No matter how well-intentioned, they would produce nothing of enduring worth.

How freeing to realize that it is not up to us! Only He is the Prince of Peace. Only in His presence can we find the fullness of joy. When the enemy rushes in like a flood, only He can raise a standard against him.

Outside of Jesus is barrenness and brokenness. With Him, our lives blossom and bloom in the beauty of God.

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 abide in the True Vine. Apart from Him, you can do nothing. With Him, all things are possible for you!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Daniel 8:1-27

New Testament 

1 John 2:1-17

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 120:1-7

Proverbs 28:25-26

https://www.jhm.org

Just as he crossed over Penuel the sun rose on him, and he limped on his hip.

Genesis 32:31

As Jacob wrestled with God, the sky began to lighten. God saw that He did not prevail against Jacob, so He touched his hip and threw it out of joint.

Jacob was forever changed. For the rest of his life, he leaned on God. When he escaped with Esau’s stolen birthright, he was proud and pompous. His shoulders were square; his chin was held high. His scheming deception had earned him what he wanted.

But after he wrestled with God, he was humble in heart. He carried himself slowly.  With each faltering step, he recognized that his blessing came from God. His limp reminded him of his new name and destiny. He called that place Penuel, face of God.

Have you ever been through a trial so traumatic that you were changed forever? The person you were before the crisis no longer exists. Yet, the new you recognizes that it is good that you were afflicted (Psalm 119:71). Your prayers prevailed; His Word has settled in your bones like never before.

You wrestled with God until the sun rose over you, and He gave His blessing. And because you contended through the long night, you are familiar with His face. You know Him in a way that defies explanation. You will never be the same.

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. Rejoice that God has brought you  safely through the fire and the flood. No one can snatch you from His hand. Give thanks for His faithfulness!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Daniel 7:1-28

New Testament 

1 John 1:1-10

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 119:156-176

Proverbs 28:23-24

https://www.jhm.org

You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD will name.

Isaiah 62:2

Jacob stubbornly wrestled with God. He would not let go until God gave him what he wanted more than anything.

God blessed him with a new name; He would now be called Israel. Jacob had struggled with God and man, but he had prevailed. His desperation for the blessing won out.

In an instant, he received a new name, a new character, and a new outcome. No longer was he known as Jacob – the heel catcher, deceiver, and trickster. God called him Israel, a Prince with God.

He had lived up to his previous name and fulfilled the expectations of that label. But when His Creator – the One Who formed and ordained – called him by name, he became the man God had designed. When his Maker told him what He saw and called out his true identity, Israel was born.

Many of us wrestle with who we once were. We are exhausted by the expectations and diminished by the doubters around us. Our Creator will struggle with us – just like he wrestled with Jacob – until we are in a position to receive the blessing.

In a moment, He will call out the person He designed you to be. He will give you a new name, new character, and new destiny. One touch will change everything.

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. The old things have passed away, and everything has become new. He has raised you to walk in newness of life. Give thanks to your Creator!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Daniel 6:1-28

New Testament 

2 Peter 3:1-18

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 119:132-155

Proverbs 28:21-22

https://www.jhm.org

Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He commanded and they were created.

Psalm 148:5

From the highest heaven to the lowest valley, all of creation praises our Father. He commanded, they were created, and they commend His efforts.

From above, the psalmist calls for the sun, moon, stars, and clouds to praise Him. From earth below, he calls for a response from the oceans, mountains, and forests. He commands the cattle, sea creatures, and birds to give thanks to their Creator.

At this beautiful time of year, all creation joins to magnify His name. The trees burst forth their riotous robes of color and clap their hands for joy as the wind teases their leaves. The mountains and hills sing in tones of aspen yellow and dancing goldenrod. The geese honk of His greatness as they wing their way south under a high, cloudless, autumn sky. The bountiful harvest extols His goodness in a cornucopia of pumpkins and produce.

All around us, creation reminds us to praise the Lord! The earth and His creatures know that they are created by Him and for Him – to point to and praise His majesty.

The psalmist rallies us to praise, too. From the tiniest babe in arms to the gray-headed elder, he summons us to exalt our God Who reigns over all. Join in the symphony of praise with all God’s creatures today. Praise the name of the Lord!

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. Let all of the earth – all of His creation – worship and praise His name! Make His praise glorious!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Daniel 5:1-31

New Testament 

2 Peter 2:1-22

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 119:113-131

Proverbs 28:19-20

https://www.jhm.org

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!

Psalm 150:6

Praise the Lord! Psalm 146 through Psalm 150 all begin with that resounding encouragement, and it echoes throughout the verses of these chapters.

These psalms tell us who should praise the Lord – everything that has breath. What should extol His goodness? Every creation above and below. When? Every single day forever and ever. Where? From the sanctuary to the quiet of our beds in the midnight hour. Oh, how these verses tell us why we should give thanksgiving to our most worthy Father!

Psalm 150 explodes in a symphony of praise! Blast the trumpets, crash the cymbals, shake the tambourines! That worship is also exhibited in the stillness where we know that He is God, in the soft strumming of stringed instruments, in the tears of gratitude in the comfortable silence between us. In every way we know how, every single being that has breath should praise His name!

How extraordinary that this continual outpouring of praise would bless God and would produce extraordinary results in us, too! Science has proven that this attitude of gratitude creates pathways of positivity in our brains that benefit our health in every way.

These thoughts of thankfulness center our very beings on the One Who continues to gift us with spiritual blessings in a beautiful cycle of generosity. If you have breath, praise the Lord!

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. Give thanks for every good and perfect gift that flows from the Father of Lights. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Daniel 4:1-37

New Testament 

2 Peter 1:1-21

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 119:96-112

Proverbs 28:17-18

https://www.jhm.org