Verse of the Day 4/19

Verse of the Day 4/19    

1 Samuel 10:26

English Standard Version

26 Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched.

Our Monday Men's Bible Study has been going through the miracles of Jesus.  On multiple times when Jesus was healing someone He would tell them "take heart!".  I love that short statement, especially coming from Jesus.  It is a word of comfort and a word of encouragement.

Today's verse comes from  1 Samuel 10 where Saul had just been made Israel's first king and Samuel was dismissing everyyone to go to their own homes and spread the word and also think about what had been done and what it would mean.  God surrouneded Saul with men whose "hearts had been touched" by God.  As I read that verse the other day I couldn't help but relate it to Mark's statement from Jesus "take heart".  God touches the hearts of those who take Him at His Word and take heart.

John Piper writes, "The valiant men were not just spoken to. They were not just swayed by a divine influence. They were not just seen and known. God, with infinite condescension, touched their heart. God was that close. And they were not consumed.....I love that touch. I want it more and more. For myself and for all of you. I pray that God would touch me anew with his glory and for this glory. I pray that he would touch us all.....Oh, for the touch of God! If it comes with fire, so be it. If it comes with water, so be it. If it comes with wind, let it come, O God. If it comes with thunder and lightning, let us bow before it......O Lord, come. Come that close. Burn and soak and blow and crash. Or still and small, come. Come all the way. Touch our hearts. "

Think of those who received healing from Jesus.  He said "take heart" and Jesus saw to it that their hearts and their bodies were touched.

1 Savior, like a shepherd lead us,
Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,
For our use Thy folds prepare:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

2 We are Thine, do Thou befriend us,
Be the guardian of our way;
Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us,
Seek us when we go astray:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Hear, O hear us when we pray;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Hear, O hear us when we pray.

3 Thou hast promised to receive us,
Poor and sinful though we be;
Thou hast mercy to relieve us,
Grace to cleanse, and pow'r to free:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Early let us turn to Thee;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Early let us turn to Thee.

4 Early let us seek Thy favor,
Early let us do Thy will;
Blessed Lord and only Savior,
With Thy love our bosoms fill:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast loved us, love us still;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast loved us, love us still.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

1 Samuel 10:17-27

English Standard Version

Saul Proclaimed King

17 Now Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah. 18 And he said to the people of Israel, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.' 19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, 'Set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands."

20 Then Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, and the tribe of Benjamin was taken by lot. 21 He brought the tribe of Benjamin near by its clans, and the clan of the Matrites was taken by lot;

and Saul the son of Kish was taken by lot. But when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 So they inquired again of the Lord, "Is there a man still to come?" and the Lord said, "Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage." 23 Then they ran and took him from there. And when he stood among the people, he was taller than any of the people from his shoulders upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people." And all the people shouted, "Long live the king!"

25 Then Samuel told the people the rights and duties of the kingship, and he wrote them in a book and laid it up before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each one to his home. 26 Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. 27 But some worthless fellows said, "How can this man save us?" And they despised him and brought him no present. But he held his peace.

Verse of the Day 4/17

Verse of the Day 4/17

Psalm 1:3-4

English Standard Version

3 He is like a tree

    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

As I read today's verses in my devotions this morning, I looked out from our back porch and saw the red bud trees sprouting purple leaves, the trees and lawn were vibrant shades of green, the birds were singing, the squirels were scurrying.  Spring is in full swing. As beautiful as it all is we know that the "dog days" of August will be coming and lawns will get burnt out, trees will drop there leaves and fields will change from green to brown.  The things that remain green and flourish will be those that have deep roots or are tapped into a steady supply of water.

So it is for us as Christians,  We appreciate the good times, the times of abundance but we know there will be challenges ahead and we needed to be tapped in to our source of power and strength through His Word, prayer and praise.

Greg Laurie writes, "The blessings are there. You can live a blessed life—not a carefree life, a problem-free life, or even an easy life. But you can live a blessed life. Blessings don't mean that everything will go perfectly in our lives. But it's a matter of knowing that God goes with us through life, no matter what."

As you go out into a beautiful spring day, sing a song of praise.

1. All creatures of our God and King,
   Lift up your voice and with us sing,
   Alleluia! Alleluia!
   Thou burning sun with golden beam,
   Thou silver moon with softer gleam!
   • Refrain:
     O praise Him! O praise Him!
     Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
2. Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
   Ye clouds that sail in heav'n along,
   O praise Him! Alleluia!
   Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice,
   Ye lights of evening, find a voice!
3. Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
   Make music for thy Lord to hear,
   O praise Him! Alleluia!
   Thou fire so masterful and bright,
   That givest man both warmth and light.
4. And all ye men of tender heart,
   Forgiving others, take your part,
   O praise Him! Alleluia!
   Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
   Praise God and on Him cast your care!
5. Let all things their Creator bless,
   And worship Him in humbleness,
   O praise Him! Alleluia!
   Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
   And praise the Spirit, Three in One!

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Psalm 1

English Standard Version

Book One

The Way of the Righteous and the Wicked

1 Blessed is the man[a]
    who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
    nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law

 of the Lord,
    and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree
    planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
    and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
    but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked will perish.

Verse of the Day 4/16

Verse of the Day 4/16

Lamentations 3:24-25

English Standard Version

24 "The Lord is my portion," says my soul,

    "therefore I will hope in him."

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

    to the soul who seeks him.

In yesterday's post from Matthew 6:34 we were considereing how we are told "do not be anxious about tomorrow... sufficient for the day is it's own trouble".  One of the reasons that we can avoid being anxious is knowing that God's mercies are new every morning.  As we know there will be troubles we know that Hie mercy abounds enabling us to overcome.

Think of what this means to you, "the Lord is my portion", therefore "I will hope in Him".  He is what we need, He is all we need.  Think of God's provision in the past, in the Bible and in your life.  Think of the 40 years of God providing manna in the desert.  Each day enough manna for the day,

John Piper writes:

God's mercies are new every morning because each day only has enough mercy in it for that day. God appoints every day's troubles. And God appoints every day's mercies. In the life of his children, they are perfectly appointed. Jesus said, "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:34). Every day has its own trouble. Every day has its own mercies. Each is new every morning.

But we often tend to despair when we think that we may have to bear tomorrow's load on today's resources. God wants us to know: We won't. Today's mercies are for today's troubles. Tomorrow's mercies are for tomorrow's troubles.

What is our call?  Only trust Him.

1. Come, every soul by sin oppressed,
   There's mercy with the Lord,
   And He will surely give you rest
   By trusting in His Word.
   • Refrain:
     Only trust Him, only trust Him,
     Only trust Him now;
     He will save you, He will save you,
     He will save you now.
2. For Jesus shed His precious blood
   Rich blessings to bestow;
   Plunge now into the crimson flood
   That washes white as snow.
3. Yes, Jesus is the truth, the way,
   That leads you into rest;
   Believe in Him without delay
   And you are fully blest.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Lamentations 3:21-26

English Standard Version

21 But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope:

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
    his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 "The Lord is my portion," says my soul,
    "therefore I will hope in him."

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
    to the soul who seeks him.
26 It is good that one should wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.

Verse of the Day 4/15

Verse of the Day 4/15

Matthew 6:33-34

English Standard Version

33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Our Monday Men's Bible Study went through the parable of the "rich fool" in Luke chapter 12 this morning where we find a similar statement of "seek first the kingdom of God and these things will be added to you".  The parable in Luke has several interesting aspects.  A man from the crowd comes to Jesus about his inheritance and Jesus uses it as a teaching moment to show him that covetousness and riches are not to be the top priority iin our lives.

Not to covet is one of the 10 commandments.  If we were to rewrite the constitution and our laws I doubt that coveting would be listed there., but think of what covetiing leads to.  Think back to David and Bathsheba and what David did.  Think of how people lie, cheat, steal and kill to attain what others have.

Another aspect is anxieyt.  Coveting can lead to anxiety and worrying about. how you are going to get what is coveted.  As today's verse tells us, seek first what God wants for us and God will provide for your needs.

Read the passage below and if there is anything that is causing you to be anxious, turn it over to the Lord.

1	What a Friend we have in Jesus,   All our sins and griefs to bear! What a privilege to carry   Everything to God in prayer! O what peace we often forfeit,   O what needless pain we bear, All because we do not carry   Everything to God in prayer!
2	Have we trials and temptations?   Is there trouble anywhere? We should never be discouraged,   Take it to the Lord in prayer. Can we find a friend so faithful   Who will all our sorrows share? Jesus knows our every weakness,   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3	Are we weak and heavy-laden,   Cumbered with a load of care? Precious Savior, still our refuge—   Take it to the Lord in prayer; Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?   Take it to the Lord in prayer; In His arms He'll take and shield thee,   Thou wilt find a solace there.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Matthew 6:25-34

English Standard Version

Do Not Be Anxious

25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Verse of the Day 4/14

Verse of the Day 4/14

Proverbs 3:5-6

English Standard Version

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

    and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.

In yesterday's post from Proverbs 2, we were called upon to "incline" our ears, listen to God, lean into Him for wisdom and understanding.  Today's verses follow along with that, telling us "not to lean" on our own understanding.

This morning I was reading in Luke 12 in my read through the New Testament plan where we find the parable of the "rich fool".  He had amassed a good fortune and asked himself what he should do.  In leaning on his own understanding he decided that he needed more space more barns to store what he had accumulated.  His thoughts were not towards God or anyone else.  He did not consider the long term in spiritual matters.

Jesus confronted him with a grim scenario.  Tonight your sould will be required of you, what will happen then to what you have stored up?  It will go to others and he would face the consequences of being rich toward himself but "not rich" to God.

Today's verses encourage us to "trust in the Lord with all our hearts", to acknowledge Him in all of our ways and He will make straight our path.  We can avoid the pitfalls and tragedies of the "rich fool".  We are to acknowledge Him, submit to Him, follow Him, prasie Him and tell of Him.  When we do, we won't have to worry about when about tomorrow or building new barns to store all of our stuff.

Lean in and lean on Jesus.

1. What a fellowship, what a joy divine,
   Leaning on the everlasting arms;
   What a blessedness, what a peace is mine,
   Leaning on the everlasting arms.
   • Refrain:
     Leaning, leaning,
     Safe and secure from all alarms;
     Leaning, leaning,
     Leaning on the everlasting arms.
2. Oh, how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way,
   Leaning on the everlasting arms;
   Oh, how bright the path grows from day to day,
   Leaning on the everlasting arms.
3. What have I to dread, what have I to fear,
   Leaning on the everlasting arms?
   I have blessed peace with my Lord so near,
   Leaning on the everlasting arms.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Proverbs 3:1-8

English Standard Version

Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart

3 My son, do not forget my teaching,
    but let your heart keep my commandments,
2 for length of days and years of life
    and peace they will add to you.

3 Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;
    bind them around your neck;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 So you will find favor and good success[a]
    in the sight of God and man.

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
7 Be not wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
8 It will be healing to your flesh[b]
    and refreshment[c]

Proverbs 3:1-8 ESV - - Bible Gateway

 to your bones.