A Prayer for Godly Wisdom

By Tracie Miles

“Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.” Proverbs 19:20-21 (NLT)

Over several months of dealing with a difficult circumstance, I received a lot of godly counsel from beloved friends and family. Yet I found it hard to heed their good suggestions at times, because my feelings seemed to be in control of my thoughts.

Recognizing this struggle within, I bowed my head and prayed: “Lord, please help me see with eyes that are wise, not eyes blurred with overwhelming emotions. Help me act out of a heart that follows You, not a heart heavy with worry. Help me think with a holy perspective, not a mindset based on my own opinions or feelings. Give me wisdom and discernment, and the ability to recognize and follow wise instruction when I receive it.”

I opened my eyes and reached for my Bible, and immediately came across today’s key verses, Proverbs 19:20-21 ... “Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the LORD’s purpose will prevail.”

My heart quickened at the thought of God whispering the comforting answer I had just prayed for. I sensed His assurance that it was okay to accept and trust wise advice that aligned with Scripture, because His plans and purposes would always prevail even if my decisions weren’t perfect.

Obviously my first place for wisdom and guidance is God’s Word and prayer, and I had been anxiously seeking His direction for weeks. But as I read this verse, I felt prompted to ponder all the people who’d offered me loving wisdom. With grateful humility, I bowed my head again to pray, intentionally thanking God for all the people who continually poured wise instruction into my heart and seeking discernment about the best advice to follow.

God sends people into our lives for many reasons, and in many cases, it is in response to a need we have -- whether it’s now, or yet to come. No relationship happens in the Kingdom of God by circumstance or without reason, whether it’s to provide friendship, help us through a season of difficulty, provide wisdom or inspire us to stand strong in our faith when we feel weak and unsure.

Throughout Scripture we are instructed to choose our friends wisely, because with godly friends comes godly wisdom -- just when we need it most.

Lord, thank You for the people You have divinely placed in my life who speak holy truth, love and words of wisdom. Give me a heart of discernment to know when You are using someone to speak instruction into my heart and my circumstances, and give me the strength and courage to follow through with that advice, even when it’s hard. Fill me with peace in knowing that even if I take a wrong turn, Your purpose will prevail. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Editor’s Note: Content taken from the Encouragement for Today devotional, “Godly Friends, Godly Wisdom,” written by Tracie Miles. 

Today's Bible Verse...
 

Do not say, "Why were the old days better than these?" For it is not wise to ask such questions. —Ecclesiastes 7:10

 

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

The only thing we get by spending our time looking in the rear view mirror is a big disaster in our front windshield! Our best days as Christians are always ahead. Jesus has promised to return and take us home to God — what better future could there be. So let's not get distracted with nostalgic cynicism. We can thank God for his past blessings, but let's not waste the present with pessimism. Let's make a commitment to redeem our time and trust that the same God who raised Jesus from the dead also holds our future in his hands.

 

My Prayer...
Holy God, give me a sense of purpose in each day that you give me life and give me an optimistic outlook on the future and on my Lord who will meet me there. Please help me have a sense of genuine joy knowing that no matter where the road leads me today, I will journey with you. In Jesus' name I thank you for being my loving God and eternal Father. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

Today's Verse Illustrated...

 

Assigning Tough Preaching Topics

by Erik and Vicki Johnson

 

 

Set Free

by David Jeremiah



From Sanctuary by David Jeremiah

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. –2 Corinthians 5:21

I once heard someone say that of all men who ever lived, Barabbas should have the best understanding of vicarious substitution. Somebody died in his place. This murderer and thief walked out a free man, the crowds cheering his release. At the same time, an innocent Jesus was sentenced to die.

But Barabbas isn’t the only one who can say that Jesus died in his place. We can all say that Jesus Christ died on that cross for us, just as He did for Barabbas. In the words of 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Jesus died that we might live. He was bound that we who are in bondage to sin might be set free.

When word of his freedom came, he had to walk out of that cell to be truly free. Through Christ, the cell door has sprung open. All we have to do is say, “I accept what Christ did for me, and I will now live in the light of that truth.”

Today's Bible Verse...

Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.  —1 Timothy 4:14

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Life seems so busy, so full of distractions and "to do" lists. Let's not let our "busyness" keep us from our Father's "business." Let's find the ways God has gifted us to serve him and his people; then let's dedicate ourselves to that with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

My Prayer...

Gracious God, you have blessed me in so many different ways. Thank you for all these touches of your grace. But Father, I need your help to more clearly see how you have gifted me to serve you and to more passionately make that service a key priority in my life each day. Thank you for always hearing my prayers. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

Today's Verse Illustrated...

Pushing People into Ministry by Ed Koehler

 

 

Join the Unburdened Overcomers

I sometimes just say “Lord Jesus, lovely Lord Jesus” over and over slowly, there is nothing better or more healing... There hath not fail one word of all His good promises. All the promises of God are “yea” and “amen,” and that’s enough right there to go on. -- Dottie, my mother-in-law

Life on this planet can be tough. Jesus never promised otherwise:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

John recorded that in his gospel, but he doesn’t leave it there. In his first letter, John puts it in perspective for those who are born again:

In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. (1 John 5:3-5)

The core commandments to love, to trust, to live in Him, and to rest in Him--these give us a victory over the world that is so obvious that John says it is one of the “signs” that we are born of God. Personally, I know of no one whose life speaks as loudly to these truths as my mother-in-law. If you remember, when my wife was born, Dottie’s life was a complete mess, ravaged by brokenness. Now some forty-odd years later, her body is starting to break down. Yet listen to some of the words she wrote in a letter to us:

• “It all about His business, I take care of His business, HE takes care of my business.”
• “LORD, it’s your body, if this is what you want for your body, be my guest!”
• “Jesus is the only true reality in my life. Every word that comes out of the mouth of God matters, just like He said. The rest is just a bunch of scrambling around and babbling.”
• “He is alive and real in me. How much closer can He get than ‘in’? Mercifully, He and I are inseparable. No thanks to me, He did it all. If so, I can trust Him, He doeth all things well!”

Yes, MY mother-in-law. (And NO, you can’t have her.) She is an “unburdened overcomer” of the world. That characteristic of overcoming the world is one of the signs that we have been born again.

Jesus, be the only true reality in my life. I release my worldly burdens to You. I take on Your commands which are not burdensome at all when I allow You to live them through me in Your strength. Amen.

Today's Bible Verse...

Be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."—1 Peter 5:5 

 

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

 

The word "submissive" is often positive or negative based on its relationship to us personally. It's nice having someone serve us submissively, but serving someone else submissively is hard work. Unfortunately, we are selfish way too much of the time. But God is at work in direct opposition to anyone who is full of pride and unwilling to serve others, especially if those "others" are older believers! Whether it's easy to wear the clothes our Father demands or not, we are to intentionally clothe ourselves with humility!

My Prayer...

Father, thank you so much for the great heroes of faith listed in Scripture. Thank you for those other heroes of faith who have shared their examples and lives with me. Bless them with strength and health. And Father, please use me to bless and to serve all of your children, especially those who have lived many years in faithful service to you and your Kingdom. Because of the grace of Jesus, and in his name I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

Today's Verse Illustrated...

 

Leviticus for Little Ones by Doug Hall

The Signs of Drifting

These Verses Issue A Warning to Pay Attention

1 We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2 For since the message spoken through angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 3 how shall we escape if we ignore so great a salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. Hebrews 2:1-3 NIV

Regularly gathering in the house of the Lord with brothers and sisters in Christ provides an "anchor" of support and accountability. But skipping church in order to pursue other interests is an obvious sign that a believer has begun to drift away from God. Less apparent are the men and women who mentally skip the worship service. The act of attending means nothing unless we make a deliberate decision to receive God's Word and apply it to our life. As the writer of Hebrews warned, if we do not pay attention to what we have heard, we will drift away from it (2:1).

However, Sunday morning is not the only time for receiving a steady diet of nourishing principles and encouragement from the Bible. We should be in its pages every day, reading and meditating for ourselves. When our interest in what God has to say decreases, we're already slipping out into troublesome waters. The only way to keep our way pure is by following His Word (Ps. 119:9).

If Bible reading is neglected, a prayer life has usually faded as well. Prayer is the way believers communicate with the Navigator. If we stop talking with Him, the God who once seemed so close soon feels far away. That chasm in our spirit is one more sign that we're far from shore and safety.

I've watched many a captain guide his cruise ship through a narrow channel. The crew members are intensely focused on their tasks because drifting means disaster. Life is full of narrow channels to navigate. We cannot afford to drift away from God and His Word. Only He can bring us safely through.

Today's Bible Verse...

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.—Isaiah 40:29 

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Even the most pumped up and positive ones of us find ourselves broken and weary at some point in our life. It isn't so hard to believe and follow Jesus when we are soaring on the wings of eagles or running and not getting weary in our walk with God. Often the toughest time to keep our faith vibrant is when we are trying to keep putting one foot in front of the other while not fainting. In those moments of absolute powerlessness, weakness, and brokenness the Lord is often most real, most powerful, and most present. 

My Prayer...

Thank you, God, for sustaining me and keeping my faith alive when I have been under attack from the Evil One and have grown weary with the challenges and hardships of life. Please give those I love, and mention now by name, the strength to press on even though they are weary and weak. Please be real in their lives and let them know that you are coming with grace to help and redeem as their Great Deliverer. In Jesus' name I ask it. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

Today's Verse Illustrated...

Drill Sergeant Teacher by Andy Robertson

 

The Reason You’re Tested

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. - James 1:2-3

Valuable things are often tested to prove that they’re genuine. When you go to a bank and give a $100 bill to the teller, she holds it up to the light. Why? Because she’s looking for a watermark of authenticity – testing it to make sure it’s genuine.

One pastor shares that when he visited The Philippines years ago, the government didn’t yet have the technology to add watermarks to the currency. So instead, the bank tellers would hold the money close to the light and then examine the pictures that were printed on them.

This pastor was curious, so he got up the nerve to ask one of the bank tellers how to know that the money is genuine by just looking at it. The teller told him that if the hair of the man pictured on the currency is not combed perfectly, then the dollar is counterfeit.

Things that have value need to be tested – and that includes your faith. When God allows challenges to come your way – whether it’s your health, a struggle with grief, or tough financial times – He’s holding you up to the light to show the world your faith is genuine.

The faith that is not tested is the faith that can’t be trusted. So when you’re being tested, let the light of God shine through you so the world can see His mark on your life!

Prayer Challenge:

Ask God to give you a rock-solid, genuine faith that will withstand any test that comes your way.

Armed for Teaching Sunday School by Doug Hall

Today's Bible Verse... 

Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them."  —Ecclesiastes 12:1

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

When we are young and have so many things to do, many things can distract us from what is important. We must let the Lord gather our passions under his grace in those early days of excitement and frenetic joy so we can be used for God's greater good. For most of us, age brings a crescendo of limitations of one kind or another. This doesn't mean life has to be bad, just that we had better put our priorities in order. Hopefully we learned the lessons of faith in our youth so that we have the maturity and wisdom to be mentors, examples, and counselors for those who come after us on the path.

My Prayer...

Holy God, I pray for the youth of your Church. Give them passion and joy as they find you and follow Jesus. May their faith be real, vibrant, joyous, and triumphant! Give them a sense of your glory. Sustain them through their later years with a deep assurance of your presence, victory, and grace. In Jesus' name. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

Water for Your Soul

by Max Lucado

Where do you find water for the soul? Jesus gave an answer one October day in Jerusalem. People had packed the streets for the annual reenactment of the rock-giving-water miracle of Moses. Each morning a priest filled a golden pitcher with water from the Gihon spring and carried it down a people-lined path to the temple. He did this every day, once a day, for seven days. “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’ ” (John 7:37-38).

He “stood and shouted” (NLT). The traditional rabbinic teaching posture was sitting and speaking. But Jesus stood up and shouted out. Forget a kind clearing of the throat. God was pounding his gavel on heaven’s bench. Christ demanded attention.

He shouted because his time was short. The sand in the neck of his hourglass was down to measurable grains. In six months he'd be dragging a cross through these streets. And the people? The people thirsted. They needed water, not for their throats, but for their hearts. So Jesus invited: Are your insides starting to shrivel? Drink me.

Internalize him. Ingest him. Welcome him into the inner workings of your life. Let Christ be the water of your soul.

Toward this end, I give you this tool: a prayer for the thirsty heart. Carry it just as a cyclist carries a water bottle. The prayer outlines four essential fluids for soul hydration: God’s work, God’s energy, his lordship, and his love. You’ll find the prayer easy to remember. Just think of the word W-E-L-L.

Lord, I come thirsty. I come to drink, to receive. I receive your work on the cross and in your resurrection. My sins are pardoned, and my death is defeated. I receive your energy. Empowered by your Holy Spirit, I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. I receive your lordship. I belong to you. Nothing comes to me that hasn’t passed through you. And I receive your love. Nothing can separate me from your love.

Don’t you need regular sips from God’s reservoir? I do. I’ve offered this prayer in countless situations: stressful meetings, dull days, long drives, demanding trips, character-testing decisions. Many times a day I step to the underground spring of God and receive anew his work for my sin and death, the energy of his Spirit, his lordship, and his love.

Drink with me from his bottomless well. You don’t have to live with a dehydrated heart.

Receive Christ’s work on the cross,
the energy of his Spirit,
his lordship over your life,
his unending, unfailing love.
Drink deeply and often. And out of you will flow rivers of living water.

What's Eschatology?  by Doug Hall

 

Today's Bible Verse...

Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone.

—Psalm 71:9

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

 

We live in an age where those who are older are often shoved aside. This is true in the professional world with employees. This is also true in churches which often find themselves pandering to those who are younger or more financially powerful, while forgetting the aging and powerless. Let's remember that God cares what happens to each one of us, no matter status or stature or age.

My Prayer...

Almighty God, I know that you will never leave me or forsake me. I believe the promise that nothing can separate me from your love for me in Christ Jesus. But Father, I see so many who are older and forgotten that I must admit that I am frightened that I, too, will face loneliness and feebleness in those last days. Please give me confidence to cast my anxieties on you and trust in your presence. Most of all, Father, I pray that you will be glorified in my body in life and death, in health and sickness, and in youth and age. In Jesus' glorious name I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware. 

These Things Are Not Supposed to Be

“But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy mountain.” Psalm 3:3-4 (NIV)

They weren’t supposed to attend a country music festival and end up running for their lives.

He wasn’t supposed to take an anniversary trip with his beloved and end up shielding her from a bullet.

She wasn’t supposed to kiss her man in blue goodbye to protect and serve and end up never kissing him again.

She wasn’t supposed to be dancing and laughing with her best friend one minute and end up kneeling next to her lifeless body the next.

These things are not supposed to be.

I don’t have answers. I don't have explanations.

But I know the One who does.

The One who is “a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head” (Psalm 3:3a).

The One who promises that when darkness invades my happy space ... when disaster turns my life upside down ... when evil presses in on every side ... He will never leave me nor forsake me. He is always there.

His name is The Ancient of Days. (Daniel 7:9-10) The One who was, is and forever will be. (Hebrews 13:8)

The One who sent a young shepherd boy named David to speak words of hope we still need today.

"You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head ... and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:45b-46a, 46c-47, NIV).

Our world is a scary place. Shootings. Riots. Explosions. Natural disasters. It feels as if danger and uncertainty lurk around every corner. We don't know what each day will hold. But, friend, we do know the One who holds our days.

We can be fearful and discouraged or we can be confident and encouraged. The choice is ours

.

It matters where we fix our eyes and on whom we fix our hope.

God is our hope ... our only true hope. (Psalm 62:5)

Run to the One who is your strength and your shield. (Psalm 28:7) The One who fights for you. (Exodus 14:14) The One whose presence will never leave you. Who will never forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

The name of the LORD is a strong tower to which we can run and are safe, even in the most desperate of circumstances. (Proverbs 18:10)

Whether He stills the storm or invites us in. Whether He moves the mountain or helps us climb it. He will be with us. 

God is our Rock. (Psalm 18:2) His love is steadfast. (Lamentations 3:22-23)

It’s true. You and I don’t have all the answers. Google doesn’t have all the answers. But, we know the One Who does. 

Pray this prayer with me (based on Psalm 3:2-6):

Thank You, Lord, that You are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to You, Lord, and You answer me from Your holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because You, O Lord, sustain me. I will not fear though tens of thousands assail me on every side.

Lord, I will keep my eyes fixed on You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Solomon's Porcupines by Erik and Vicki Johnson

Today's Bible Verse...

Speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. —Ephesians 4:15

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Our goal as believers is to mature into the full presence of Jesus Christ in the world by being his unified Body of believers. This challenging goal can only be accomplished if we speak the truth — God's Spirit-inspired message — and do so with an attitude of love. How can we expect to convey the message of God's love which sent Jesus if we don't live that love ourselves?

My Prayer...

Almighty and sacrificial God, please help me capture all my impure motives and ungodly attitudes and clothe them in your love. I need the purifying and transforming presence of the Holy Spirit even more powerfully present in my life each day, so please fill me and make the Spirit's fruit more real in my attitudes and actions. In the name of the Lord Jesus I pray. Amen.

Hardwired for Triumph

By Steve McVey

Biotechnology teaches us that our DNA is a blueprint of who we are as physical beings. All of your physical features are nothing less than an expression of the programming that existed in your DNA from the moment you were conceived. DNA defines your physical nature.

In the same way, the Bible teaches that you have a spiritual nature. When you received the life of Jesus Christ, your nature was transformed. The Bible says that you became "a partaker of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4). You might say that you received a GNA, with the G standing for  "God."  His life became yours. That makes you different from most people.

Your life pulsates with divine power because of the presence of Jesus Christ within you. At the core of your being, you are hard-wired for triumph because God "always causes (you) to triumph in Christ Jesus" (2 Corinthians 2:14). Christ is in you and will live His life through you. What greater assurance of victory can a person have?

The Apostle Paul affirmed, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). Jesus Christ is your strength, your wisdom (see 1 Corinthians 1:30), and your assurance of victory in life. (See 1 Corinthians 15:57) You don't have to go through life with a defeated attitude. When you recognize and rest in who you really are, things can change!

Christians aren't who we used to be. It is important for us to understand that or we will be held back by the debilitating mind set of our old life. The person you were before you met Christ  died. (See Galatians 2:20) You are now a brand new person (see 2 Corinthians 5:17) who is capable of dreaming new dreams and living a life you could have never lived without Christ.

"According to your faith be it unto you," Jesus told one man who desperately needed to see his circumstances change. (See Matthew 9:29) Christ wanted to do something wonderful in this blind man's life, but it was necessary for the man to trust Him.

The foundation for your optimism is Jesus Christ. Faith in Him is the conduit through which He is able to pour out into your life all the good He has planned for you to be, to have and to do. It all bolls down to one simple question: Do you believe that God wants you to experience and enjoy His blessings or not?

As you look down the path that lies ahead for you, do you anticipate good things from God? Do you expect things to become better or worse?  Make no mistake about it - what we believe about God's working in our lives in this arena has an inestimable effect on how we move ahead and what we will experience and enjoy in the coming days.

Israel wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, when the journey from Egypt to Canaan should have taken only 11 days. Why did it take them so long to enter into the Promised Land? The Bible says, "they were not able to enter because of unbelief' (Hebrews 3:19). With paradise only 11 days away, they lived in self-imposed misery for 40 years, all because they refused to believe God.

How long have you wandered in circles? Maybe, like Israel, you've been in the wilderness for many years. God says through Isaiah that it's time for you to accept and appropriate good news. Get ready, good news has arrived. Your Father is bringing you out of the wilderness.

Will you believe God? You aren't like those in the world, out-side of Christ. You have an anointing by the enabling grace of Christ within you to live a supernatural life. Will you accept and appropriate the good news? Will you lay hold on the hope of fulfilling the God given dreams of your heart? Trust Him and watch the great things He will accomplish!

Original Sin Evident from Birth by Doug Hall

 

Today's Bible Verse...

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.—Acts 2:17 

 

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

 

As those living in the last days, each believer — young and old, male and female — must be Spirit-led and Spirit-empowered to give his or her personal testimony to the grace of God given us in Jesus Christ. As Jesus prayed for us before his death (John 17:20-23), we must be united across the gender barriers and across the age barriers and across the racial barriers if the world is to truly know that God sent his Son as Savior of the world!

My Prayer...

God of all nations, please break down the barriers that divide us and that blunt the wonderful message of your grace. Pour out your Spirit upon us and convict us of our prejudice and selfishness, and replace it with your transcending love. Forgive us, forgive me, when my own shortsightedness and selfishness interferes with the world seeing a united Church proclaiming Jesus as Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD

By H. Steinbron

"All Scripture is given by inspiration of God".... It is so good to have this clear and absolute statement of what every redeemed one knows, namely, that we have all the Scripture, and all of the Scripture is breathed out to us from the creative breath of God. We must never come under the influence of any unbeliever who casts doubt upon the extent, content, or origin of the Holy Scriptures.

True believers do not corrupt the Word of God because they know God has given His Word by inspiration.  This word "inspiration" means that God controlled the human writer of Scripture in such a way that the WORDS were put down exactly as God wanted man to have them. These inspired words are therefore infallible and inerrant, which is another way of saying that they are perfect and have no errors connected with them whatsoever. The Bible may deal with numbers, history, science, chronology, the knowledge of God, or man's salvation; and we should be sure that there is no mistake in the words.

True believers reverence the Word of God for many reasons. (I) "...man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God" (Luke 4:4). (2) The Bible is the RECORD that God gave concerning His Son (I John 5:9-11). (3) God has magnified His Word above all His name (Psalm 138:2).

True believers should be taught that the Word cannot be lost or changed. Listen to the testimony of I Peter 1:25. " ... the Word of the Lord endureth for ever." Is this Word in heaven or some far away place where man cannot get all of the Scripture? No, it is "the Word" which is preached unto you! The inspired Word of God! 

No Time for the Needy by Jonny Hawkins

 

Today's Bible Verse...

The people served the LORD throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had seen all the great things the LORD had done for Israel.  —Judges 2:7

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Each generation must have its own first-hand faith. Transforming faith takes more than receiving a godly heritage and stories of the past deeds of God. It requires a fresh experience of God's mighty presence!

My Prayer...

Holy God, help me pass down my faith in you, and my love for you, to my children and to other young believers. More than that, Abba Father, help them experience your mighty power and great deeds personally through ministry and sacrificial service. I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus! Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.

 

What Difference Does He Make?

by Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever--the Spirit of truth (John 14:16-17 NIV).

Friend to Friend

If you were going off to war, and knew you’d be put on the front lines and probably wouldn’t be coming back home to your family, what would you tell them? Think of the final instructions you’d give your children, the affirmation of your love you’d whisper to your spouse, and the words of endearment you’d share with your friends.

Jesus was in that very situation as He shared His last meal with the disciples in the upper room. All along, He had given them clues about how His earthly life would end and the purpose for His brief life here on earth. But they didn’t understand. They refused to believe their king would be anything other than worshiped as He had been when He rode into town on the back of a donkey and was hailed with palm branches and praise.

I imagine during their last meal together, Jesus went through a mental list of what He needed to tell His friends before He went to the cross. John records those precious moments in John 13–17. Those words are some of the most endearing of Scripture and ones I read time and time again. I encourage you to read those chapters and place yourself in that room with Jesus, for you, dear one, are one of His disciples, and the words Jesus shared with the Twelve are meant for you as well.

Let’s look at one word of comfort and instruction regarding a special parting gift Jesus was leaving His trusted friends. He said:

If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them (John 14:15-21).

Did you catch that the Holy Spirit had been with them, but now He was going to be in them? What difference do you think that would make in someone’s life? What difference has that made in your life?
After Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples and transformed a bunch of bungling cowards into powerful, prophesying preachers. They commanded the lame to walk, cast out demons, preached to the masses, confronted angry crowds, and laughed in the face of death.
They changed the world.
On that glorious day at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit fell on the worshiping believers, a new day was unleashed for the church. The Holy Spirit now resides in every person who has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior (Romans 8:9). The Spirit of the living God has empowered us with the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (Ephesians 1:19-22).
Then why don’t we exercise that power? Because we don’t believe.

In developing countries, it is not unusual to hear of miraculous healings, signs, and wonders, and even the raising of the dead. No one told them those things don’t happen anymore. Praise God for that! They believe in the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives and expect God to show up when they call on His name. Oh that we would put our sophisticated, over-educated minds aside and go to God as children who believe He is who He says He is and does what He says He will do.

When we come to Christ, we are given the Holy Spirit as a deposit of our heavenly inheritance (Ephesians 1:14), as a seal upon our hearts (Ephesians 1:13), and as a permanent resident within us (Hebrews 13:5). But we have the choice to stumble about in our own strength, saying “I can’t,” or embrace the power of the Holy Spirit and say, “I can.”
Today, I’m choosing to access the power that is already mine. What about you?

Let’s Pray
Lord, I’ll be honest, sometimes I forget that I even have the power of the Holy Spirit in me. I stumble about like I’m spiritually blind rather than walk surefooted like an empowered child of the King. Help me to access the power that You have already given me. Help me to understand what that power looks like. Help me to understand the person of the Holy Spirit better.
In Jesus’ Name.

Amen.

Counseling a Man and His Dog by David W. Harbaugh

 

Today's Bible Verse...

Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.  —1 Timothy 5:3

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Practical loving concern for those who are powerless and forgotten is rooted in the heart of God and championed in Old Testament Law. One of the first internal problems the early church urgently and positively dealt with was prejudice and neglect of the Greek speaking widows in Jerusalem. It was important to God and to them! Paul further reminds us that we better have the same concern for widows today! (Notice that James extends that same concern for both widows and orphans! James 1:27)

My Prayer...

Forgive me, loving Father, for I sometimes get so lost in my own opportunities and problems that I don't look around and check on those in my church family who need my help much less those in need who are not Christians. Touch me with your Spirit so that I may better hear, see, and respond to their needs. Thank you for your concern for all people, and please use me as one of your tools of concern to bless those in need. In the precious name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today's Verse are written by Phil Ware.