We will bear fruit in our lives based on what we commit ourselves to. Bible Reading: 1 Chr. 6-10 Verse of the day: 1 Chronicles 10:13, "So Saul died for his trespass which he committed against the LORD, for his failure to keep the word of the LORD; and also because he consulted a medium [regarding a spirit of the dead], to inquire of her." Word of the day: Committed. It is the Hebrew word: מָעַל (maw-al').
Complaining about our provision or our circumstances is more than just disliking something. It is disliking and distrusting our Provider and LORD. Bible Reading: Num. 9-12 Verse of the day: Numbers 11:1, "Soon the people began to complain about their hardship, and the LORD heard everything they said. Then the LORD’s anger blazed against them, and he sent a fire to rage among them, and he destroyed some of the people in the outskirts of the camp." Word of the day: Complain. It is the Hebrew word:...
Perseverance is not easy. It seems easier to give up when life is hard, but it isn’t. Adherence to perseverance will eventually help us to overcome. Bible Reading: 2 Thessalonians Verse of the day: 2 Thessalonians 1:4, "Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring." Word of the day: Perseverance. It is the Greek word: ὑπομονή (hoop-om-on-ay').
A disciple of Jesus is not merely a disciple in name. A disciple is made by the belief in his mind, the professions of his mouth, and by how closely he follows Jesus. Bible Reading: John 9-10 Verse of the day: John 9:28, "They spoke abusively to him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are disciples of Moses." Word of the day: Disciple. It is the Greek word: μαθητής (math-ay-tes').
Overcommitting comes from a place of wanting to establish ourselves or our work temporarily, but when we commit everything to the LORD, we aren’t striving, but trusting our work to His capable hands. Bible Reading: Proverbs 16 Verse of the day: Proverbs 16:3, "Commit your works to the LORD, And your thoughts will be established." Word of the day: Commit. It is the Hebrew word: גָּלַל (gaw-lal').
A place is not our dwelling if we do not live there. For God to be our dwelling, we need to live in His presence. Bible Reading: Psalms 90-92 Verse of the day: Psalm 90:1, "A prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations." Word of the day: Dwelling. It is the Hebrew word: מָעוֹן (maw-ohn').
It is the goodness of our God that enables us to come into His presence. Our God is great, and He is good, completely righteous, and holy, merciful and kind. Bible Reading: Hosea 1-7 Verse of the day: Hosea 3:5, "Afterward, the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They will come with awe to the LORD and to his goodness in the last days." Word of the day: Goodness. It is the Hebrew word: טוּב (toob)....
Sometimes we can put confidence in prayers rather than in the One we are praying to. It isn’t the content of our prayer that matters as much as the content of our character as we pray. Bible Reading: 1 Chr. 1-5 Verse of the day: 1 Chronicles 4:10, "He was the one who prayed to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and expand my territory! Please be with me in all that I do, and keep me from all trouble and pain!” And God granted him his request." Word of the day: Pain. It is the Hebrew...
Biblical Confession today is not just between a person and a priest. It is foremost between God and man. And it is also to other believers as we confess to one another our shortcomings so we can pray for one another and be accountable. Bible Reading: Num. 5-8 Verse of the day: Numbers 5:7, "He shall confess his sin that he has committed. And he shall make full restitution for his wrong, adding a fifth to it and giving it to him to whom he did the wrong." Word of the day: Confess. It is the Hebre...
From the moment we were saved, our sanctification process has been in motion. One decision to believe in Jesus secured our eternal fate, but the work of God in our lives is both complete and yet not finished. God makes us more like Him as we yield to Him and not the flesh in our daily lives. Bible Reading: 1 Thes. 4-5 Verse of the day: 1 Thessalonians 4:7, "For God has not called us for impurity, but in sanctification." Word of the day: Sanctification. It is the Greek word: ἁγιασμός (hag-ee-as-m...
We are all teaching someone by our life—our actions and our words, or intentionally imparting instruction to others. But the content of our instruction is meaningless if it is not based on Christ’s instruction. Bible Reading: John 7-8 Verse of the day: John 7:16, “Jesus answered, ‘My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me.’” Word of the day: Teaching. It is the Greek word: διδαχή (did-akh-ay').
White lies and exaggeration are just as much of a lie as a bold-faced one. A lie is a lie, plain and simple. Bible Reading: Proverbs 14-15 Verse of the day: Proverbs 14:5, "A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness breathes out lies." Word of the day: Lie. It is the Hebrew word: כָּזַב (kaw-zab').
When we face troubles in this life, there is no bigger support we can have than the Lord God of hosts. Bible Reading: Psalms 87-89 Verse of the day: Psalm 89:8, "O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?" Word of the day: Hosts. It is the Hebrew word: צָבָא (tsaw-baw').
Confessing our sins and admitting our need invites the compassion of God to cover our sins. Bible Reading: Dan. 7-12 Verse of the day: Daniel 9:9, "To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against Him." Word of the day: Compassion. It is the Hebrew word: רַחַם (rakh'-am).
It is easy to become hardened in a postmodern culture. But being tender to God’s word helps us to repent and avoid the traps of our culture so we can be pleasing in God’s eyes. Bible Reading: 2 Kings 21-25 Verse of the day: 2 Kings 22:19, "Because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard...
Believers need to be “all in” in their walk with God. Partial obedience is not really obedience at all. Bible Reading: Num. 1-4 Verse of the day: Numbers 1:54, "So the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses." Word of the day: All. It is the Hebrew word: כֹּל (kole).
Well, y’all, it is my birthday today! What a fitting word for today – “thanks”. We cannot offer thanks sufficient for what Christ has done – giving us life then giving us new life, saving our souls, but when we give thanks, God is glorified and we are doing what we were made to do. Bible Reading: 1 Thes. 1-3 Verse of the day: 1 Thessalonians 1:2, "We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers." Word of the day: Thanks. It is the Greek word: εὐχαριστέω (yoo...
No one likes to be judged and our culture is big into saying “don’t judge me”. But there will be no escaping the coming judgment of God . . . except for those who have believed in Jesus. Bible Reading: John 5-6 Verse of the day: John 5:24, "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." Word of the day: Judgment. It is the Greek word: κρίσις (kree'-sis)....
“Discipline is great” said no one ever. But discipline is a gift to those willing to receive it and allow it to shape their character. Bible Reading: Proverbs 12-13 Verse of the day: Proverbs 12:1, "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid." Word of the day: Discipline. It is the Hebrew word: מוּסָר (moo-sawr').
It is hard to not have a divided heart in a distracting culture that pulls on us 24/7. But if we allow our hearts to be divided, we will struggle to be faithful to God. Bible Reading: Psalms 84-86 Verse of the day: Psalm 86:11, "Teach me your way, LORD, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." Word of the day: Undivided. It is the Hebrew word: יָחַד (yaw-khad').
The grand reveal can sometimes be a letdown when we have our hopes up about something. It might not be all that we were hoping for. But there is no greater revelation than when God reveals. Bible Reading: Daniel 1-6 Verse of the day: Daniel 2:22, "He reveals deep and mysterious things and knows what lies hidden in darkness, though he is surrounded by light." Word of the day: Reveals. It is the Hebrew word: גְּלָה (ghel-aw').
As a child, secrets were prized information. Everyone wanted to be in on the inside scoop. But secrets are sometimes lies. And any thing we try to keep secret is known completely by God. Bible Reading: 2 Kings 16-20 Verse of the day: 2 Kings 17:9, "The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns." Word of the day: Secretly. It is the Hebrew word: חָפָא (khaw-faw')....
Rejection was a feeling I struggled with for much of my life. It still tries to pull me down because let’s face it, the culture we live in does not embrace forgiveness and acceptance, rather toxic rejection. But knowing that God never rejects us can change our approach to rejection. Bible Reading: Lev. 25-28 Verse of the day: Leviticus 26:44, "But despite all this, I will not utterly reject or despise them while they are in exile in the land of their enemies. I will not cancel my covenant with t...
It is easy to go through life in such a way that time and life dictate to us our level of devotion. Life is hard and full of distractions. But those who are devoted to God must be intentional in their devotion, or they will miss God’s best for them. Bible Reading: Col. 3-4 Verse of the day: Colossians 4:2, "Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving." Word of the day: Devote. It is the Greek word: προσκαρτερέω (pros-kar-ter-e...
I remember when I first heard the words, “born again” and mocked them. Oh, how grateful I am that God pursued me and gave me understanding. What sounds like a strange concept is the most wonderful life. Bible Reading: John 3-4 Verse of the day: John 3:7, "You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’" Word of the day: Born Again. It is the Greek word: γεννάω ἄνωθεν (ghen-nah'-o an'-o-then).
We tend to grade ourselves on the curve. But something does not have to be extreme in our eyes to be an abomination in God’s. Bible Reading: Proverbs 11 Verse of the day: Proverbs 11:1, "A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight." Word of the day: Abomination. It is the Hebrew word: תּוֹעֵבָה (to-ay-baw').
God and God alone can satisfy the people He made. But we can miss that satisfaction by trying to fill ourselves with substitute counterfeit gods that leave us on empty. Bible Reading: Psalms 81-83 Verse of the day: Psalm 83:18, "Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD— that you alone are the Most High over all the earth." Word of the day: Alone. It is the Hebrew word: בַּד (bad).
A church is not a building. It is a people. God’s people. When God’s people are filled with the Holy Spirit, people can see Christ in us. Bible Reading: Ezekiel 43-48 Verse of the day: Ezekiel 43:5, "The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the temple." Word of the day: Filled. It is the Hebrew word: מָלָא (maw-lay').
Making something a right in man’s eyes or in our laws does not make it right. When we do what is right in God’s eyes, we will be blessed. Bible Reading: 2 Kings 11-15 Verse of the day: 2 Kings 12:2, "And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him." Word of the day: Right. It is the Hebrew word: יָשָׁר (yaw-shawr').
In a post-modern culture anything goes according to one’s truth. Profane behavior is endorsed and accepted in an environment that has lost its center. Bible Reading: Lev. 21-24 Verse of the day: Leviticus 21:6(a), "They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God." Word of the day: Profane. It is the Hebrew word: חָלַל (khaw-lal').
