Verse of the Day 4/30

 

James 1:17  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  New King James Version (NKJV)

 

Today's verse is one of my favorite verses for many reasons.  It is a reminder that all good, perfect gifts come from God. Take a pause, think about your life and the perfect gifts which you have received.  You may start with your spouse, kids, grandchildren, your vocation or any number of things.

I recently heard this verse quoted in a sermon and the quote stopped after "coming down from God the Father".  It was not wrong, but what was omitted, is very important to me, especially as written in the NKJV, "with whom there is no shadow of turning".

 

When you think about a shadow, you may think of it as something fleeting and changeable.  The longer the shadow the easier it is to detect movement.  If God's light is shining on us our slightest movement away from Him is easily noticed.  But the source of the light doesn't change.  There is no variation, not even a hint of it with God.  He is faithful.  The verse always reminds me of one of the greatest hymns, "Great is They Faithfulness".

 

"Great is Thy faithfulness," O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

 

"Great is Thy faithfulness!" "Great is Thy faithfulness!"
  Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
    "Great is Thy faithfulness," Lord, unto me!

 

Take a few moments this morning to think about those "perfect gifts" in your life, praise God for them, and be looking for the new mercies the new gifts that He has for you today.

Blessings,
Mike
Follow the verse of the day at www.mikesvotd.blogspot.com

James 1:17

The Message (MSG)

^16-18 So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.

Verse of the Day 4/29

 

Hebrews 13:14-15  For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.  ¹⁵ Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name.  New Living Translation (NLT)

 

 

Early on in the Bible we are taught to recognize that it is God who provides for our needs and gives us the ability not only to survive but to be successful and prosper.  (Deut. 8:18)  But our prosperity, physical and spiritual is not something that is that is to be stockpiled, held among insiders, in our holy huddles.  It is to be shared as a spiritual act of praise.

 

In his Day by Day devotional Billy Graham quotes Emerson who said "What you are speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say."  It is a sobering statement, and one that should causes us to take a step back and look at ourselves in the mirror of God's Word.  We've often heard that our actions speak louder than words. These thoughts can be looked at from two ways.  Yes, our lives should back up what we profess, at the same time our actions should be backed up by what they are founded on.  Both are required if we are to give glory to God in and through our lives.

 

If we do good things anything that comes back to us should be turned over to God in praise. The things that we say should be backed up by and confirmed by our actions.  In this way God can be given the glory, the praise for what we say and do.

 

Read the verses from The Message below.  May we take our lives, in word and deed, out into the world to where the action is in allegiance and praise.

 

 

Blessings,
Mike
Follow the verse of the day at www.mikesvotd.blogspot.com

 

Hebrews 13:15

The Message (MSG)

^13-15 So let's go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is—not trying to be privileged insiders, but taking our share in the abuse of Jesus. This "insider world" is not our home. We have our eyes peeled for the City about to come. Let's take our place outside with Jesus, no longer pouring out the sacrificial blood of animals but pouring out sacrificial praises from our lips to God in Jesus' name.

Verse of the Day 4/26

 

 Colossians 2:6-7  As you have therefore received Christ, [even] Jesus the Lord, [so] walk (regulate your lives and conduct yourselves) in union with and conformity to Him.

⁷ Have the roots [of your being] firmly and deeply planted [in Him, fixed and founded in Him], being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.  Amplified Bible (AMP)

 

Yesterday we considered how we can overcome our anxieties, remove the furrows from our brows, by calling on God and then allowing Him to lead and guide you in faith.  In today's verses the apostle Paul picks up on that theme.  If you are a Christ follower, having received Him you are to regulate your lives according to Him.  In doing so you will have deep and firm roots to your faith, you will be built up in His Word to strengthen your faith, and as this faith increases you will be established, have a firm footing and it will show in your life, and you will be thankful for it.

 

Does that sound like your life, I can ask myself, does that sound like my life? A lot will depend on the next step.  James MacDonald writes, "If you are ever going to be the person God intended you to be, your focus must be on the next step.  Just that step and nothing else.  When you strain to see the future or fear you won't have the energy or strength for tomorrow, the enemy will have succeeded in intimidating you- and you'll have missed the opportunity to live for Christ in this moment."

 

Our Christian life is a walk and there will be ups and downs.  We shouldn't focus too much on what is behind and we shouldn't focus too much on what is in the distant future.  What we should be focusing on is that next step and that it be done in faith, to live for Christ in this moment.

 

Blessings,
Mike
Follow the verse of the day at www.mikesvotd.blogspot.com

 

Colossians 2:6-7

The Message (MSG)

From the Shadows to the Substance

^6-7 My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you've been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You're deeply rooted in him. You're well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you've been taught. School's out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

Verse of the Day 4/25

Verse of the Day 4/25

 

Psalm 31:2-3  Bow down Your ear to me, deliver me speedily! Be my Rock of refuge, a strong Fortress to save me!

³ Yes, You are my Rock and my Fortress; therefore for Your name's sake lead me and guide me.   Amplified Bible (AMP)

 

Yesterday I read the following quote in Billy Graham's "Day by Day" devotional.  "Historians will probably call our era "the age of anxiety." Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us. When we make anything else our goal, frustration and defeat are inevitable. Though we have less to worry about than previous generations, we have more worry. Though we have it easier than our forefathers, we have more uneasiness. Though we have less real cause for anxiety than our predecessors, we are inwardly more anxious. Calloused hands were the badge of the pioneer, but a furrowed brow is the insignia of modern man." 

 

Would you agree with him that our era could easily be called "the age of anxiety"?  We are anxious about, worry about things in just about every aspect of our lives.  We don't need anti aging creams to get rid of our "furrowed brow", we need the peace of God in our lives.  Only He can bring us the peace we need to replace our anxiety.

 

In today's verse David calls on God to "incline His ear" or as the Amplified Bible states "bow down your ear to me".  I don't know if it is part of growing older and my hearing isn't what it used to be, but at times, especially in a noisy room I will have to bend over, bow my head and turn my ear closer to the person who is talking in order to understand them.  That is the picture that I get from David here.  Amid all of the tumult, the noise, he wants to be sure that God is hearing his prayer, his prayer fro relief from the anxiety.  In the chapter he goes on to recall the past blessings, answers to previous prayers for relief and deliverance.

 

If we are full of anxiety today, may we stop, call upon Him, ask Him to "bow His ear" to me, with the attitude of David:

 

¹⁵ 

Psalm 31:14-15 But I trust in you, O Lord;    I say, "You are my God."

My times are in your hand;  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

¹⁵ 

Blessings,
Mike
Follow the verse of the day at www.mikesvotd.blogspot.com

 

Psalm 31:2-5

The Message (MSG)

A David Psalm

31 ^1-2 I run to you, God; I run for dear life.
    Don't let me down!
    Take me seriously this time!
Get down on my level and listen,
    and please—no procrastination!
Your granite cave a hiding place,
    your high cliff aerie a place of safety.

^3-5 You're my cave to hide in,
    my cliff to climb.
Be my safe leader,
    be my true mountain guide.
Free me from hidden traps;
    I want to hide in you.
I've put my life in your hands.
    You won't drop me,
    you'll never let me down.

Verse of the Day 4/24

Luke 19:47-48 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him, 48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words. English Standard Version (ESV)

Oftentimes when I'm reading through a passage in the Bible I'll come across a word or a phrase that I've read many times before that now catches my attention. I don't know if it is particular circumstances or perhaps the Spirit doing a work, but it will cause me to stop and think about it. Such was the case today when a I read in verse 48 (above) "all the people were hanging on his words".

Can you think of a time when you were "hanging" on someones words? We may feel that way when we are listening to a good story waiting for the outcome to be told. You can picture a child listening to a story for the first time as I've seen with my grandchildren. But more than that I can relate to times when you have a meeting with a doctor and you are waiting for a diagnosis, a prognosis, hoping for good news, focusing on what the doctor has to say and following through on his recommended course of action, whether it be medication or perhaps surgery.

The setting here in Luke 19 shows the chief priests, scribes and lay leaders hearing Jesus' words and cringing, trying to find a way to bring him down or actually do away with him, something eventually accomplished by hanging him, having him nailed to a cross. For those who truly heard what he had to say it was quite different. He offered healing, hope, forgiveness, all things that the leaders failed to deliver.

It is still the same today. Many are trying to minimize Jesus', trying to squash the gospel and it's message of hope, healing and forgiveness. Others, the true followers, still hang on His Word. May we "hang on His words as we read and study the Bible and listen to those who preach the gospel of healing, hope and forgiveness in our churches.

Blessings,
Mike
Follow the verse of the day at www.mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Luke 19:45-48
The Message (MSG)

45-46 Going into the Temple he began to throw out everyone who had set up shop, selling everything and anything. He said, "It's written in Scripture,

My house is a house of prayer;
You have turned it into a religious bazaar."

From then on he taught each day in the Temple. The high priests, religion scholars, and the leaders of the people were trying their best to find a way to get rid of him. But with the people hanging on every word he spoke, they couldn't come up with anything.

Verse of the Day 4/23

 

1 Corinthians 15:58  Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.  New International Version (NIV)

 

Today's passage is another one that is a good follow up for Easter.  It is a reminder of Jesus conquering death and in doing so giving us a hope and a confidence for today and our future.  Paul knew that we would all face times of trouble and he reminds, encourages and challenges us to "let nothing move you".

 

I'm reminded again of the words of the old hymn, "Praise the Savior Ye Who Know Him" and in relation to today's verse the line "nothing moves and nothing harms us while we trust in Him."

 

Jesus is the Name that charms us,
He for conflict fits and arms us;
Nothing moves and nothing harms us
While we trust in Him.

Trust in Him, ye saints, forever,
He is faithful, changing never;
Neither force nor guile can sever
Those He loves from Him.

Keep us, Lord, O keep us cleaving
To Thyself, and still believing,
Till the hour of our receiving
Promised joys with Thee.

This standing firm is not done on our own, it is not about being stoic.  It is about trusting, holding on, "cleaving" and looking forward to the day, to "the hour of our receiving".  Jesus overcame, in placing our faith and trust in Him and by His grace we too are and will be overcomers.  Think of that time when sin, guilt and death will be gone by the power of that resurrected life.

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

Follow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 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 Corinthians 15:57-58

The Message (MSG)

^51-57 But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I'll probably never fully understand. We're not all going to die—but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes—it's over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we'll all be changed. In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal. Then the saying will come true:

Death swallowed by triumphant Life!
Who got the last word, oh, Death?
Oh, Death, who's afraid of you now?

It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!

⁵⁸ With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.

Verse of the Day 4/22

 

1 Peter 1:3-4 Praised (honored, blessed) be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)! By His boundless mercy we have been born again to an ever-living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

⁴ [Born anew] into an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay [imperishable], unsullied and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,  Amplified Bible (AMP)

 

I read today's verses in a devotional this morning and thought that they are a perfect description of what we should be feeling and saying after celebrating Easter and Jesus' resurrection.  I love the way that The Message puts it (see below) "what a God we have, and how fortunate we are to have Him".  Is that  the attitude of your heart and mind.

 

I think of Peter writing this, perhaps himself looking back to that first Easter morning.  Peter, the one that had denied Jesus three times.  Peter, one who had seen the empty tomb and later would see the resurrected Jesus.  Peter the one that then stood before those who had crucified Jesus boldly preached the Gospel message.

 

Think about what it means for you to have an "inheritance" a place for you (John 14:1-3) in  body that is "beyond the reach of change or decay".

 

We may be facing difficult circumstances today but let the words of Peter ring true in your hearts today "you have everything to live for, including a future in heaven - and the future starts now."

 

Later in the passage Peter shares another reason for his joy.  He had seen Jesus the risen One and believed, he also praised God for Christ followers then and through the ages because  " You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy." 1 Peter 1:8  New Living Translation (NLT)

 

May you experience this "inexpressible joy".

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

Follow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 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 Peter 1:3

The Message (MSG)

A New Life

^3-5 What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we've been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you'll have it all—life healed and whole.

Verse of the Day 4/17

 

Romans 8:33-34 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect [when it is] God Who justifies [that is, Who puts us in right relation to Himself? Who shall come forward and accuse or impeach those whom God has chosen? Will God, Who acquits us?]

³⁴ Who is there to condemn [us]? Will Christ Jesus (the Messiah), Who died, or rather Who was raised from the dead, Who is at the right hand of God actually pleading as He intercedes for us? Amplified Bible (AMP)

 

Yesterday we considered the prodigal son and how after he "came to himself", came to his senses of how he had fallen, turned and returned to his father and his father was willing to forgive him and accept him back "into the family".

 

In today's verses we see how Satan, the Accuser and his minions work. They would have us believe that we are all prodigals to some extent, and because of how we''ve sinned, how we've turned, stumble, fell, however you'd want to call it, that we are no good, that God would never take us back, forgive or restore us into His family. It couldn't be further from the truth. We will be celebrating Good Friday and Easter in the coming days, compelling evidence of how far God will go to bring us back into the fold or perhaps bring us there for the first time.

 

Derek Thomas in "How the Gospel Brings us All the Way Home" writes, "When Paul says, "who shall bring any charge against God's elect?" he does not intend to deny God's work of discipline in our lives. But the charge that Satan makes is more than that; he insinuates that our failures imply that we are no longer adopted children..... There is a subtlety here that may elude us: Satan is suggesting that unless we maintain a certain level of productivity, our status as adopted children is in jeopardy." He would have us believe that God loves us when our works and efforts are at a certain level, but doesn't love us when sin has a foot hold in our lives, and in order to remain in His love we have to meet certain criteria. Thankfully, today's verses remind us that it is God who justifies and puts us in right relationship with Himself, much like the father did in the prodigal son parable yesterday.

 

If we've wandered, Paul and Luke remind us that our Father will receive us back. Don't turn away, turn towards Him.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Romans 8:32-34

New Living Translation (NLT)

³² Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won't he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.³⁴ Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us.

Verse of the Day 4/16

 

Luke 15:11-12  He also said: "A man had two sons. ¹² The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.' So he distributed the assets to them.  Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

 

Today, the read through the Bible plan that I'm following brought me to Luke 15 and the parable commonly referred to as the Prodigal Son.  In actuality it is a parable of the two sons.  I look forward to reading this passage, reading devotionals of this passage and hearing messages from this passage year after year.  It is remarkable how, still, after all these years something else will still strike me every time that I read it.  So it is with today's verses.

 

What struck me today was reading of the younger son wanting "what's coming to me".  I like the way it is stated in The Message "I want right now".  It is like those commercials on TV where you here person after person saying "it's my money and I want it now."  In this instance the son had in mind his inheritance, but in his stubbornness, lack of respect or regard for his father and desire to live as he pleased, his father allowed him to truly get what was coming to him.  It was a downward spiral caused by wreckless living.

 

Perhaps as a child you may have said to your parents, or perhaps your children have said to you - "mom or dad, I have to learn from my own mistakes".  The statement was true, but the attitude is that while they knew the decisions they were making were wrong, were against the parents will, they wanted to do them anyway.  They were willing to take the hit for experience.

 

I've always enjoyed listening to financial advisor Dave Ramsey and hearing him respond to a caller who asks him "how are you doing" with "better than I deserve".  He feels blessed and has realized that he is glad that he truly doesn't get what he, a sinner, has coming to him.  I've always admired that response and would like to say it myself at times but have lacked the boldness and perhaps the honesty to say it.  It may have been that the prodigal son may have responded the same way after he experienced his father's forgiveness and love.

 

It started at the point where he approached the father in repentance  by saying  'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.'.  The father forgave and restored him to a right relationship.

 

Before we make such a statement "I want what's coming to me", may we be aware of what we really may have coming to us, and realize, like Dave Ramsey, that what we already have is better than what we deserve.

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

Follow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Luke 15:11-24

The Message (MSG)

The Story of the Lost Son

^11-12 Then he said, "There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, 'Father, I want right now what's coming to me.'

^12-16 "So the father divided the property between them. It wasn't long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any.

^17-20 "That brought him to his senses. He said, 'All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him, Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.' He got right up and went home to his father.

^20-21 "When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: 'Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you; I don't deserve to be called your son ever again.'

^22-24 "But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the servants, 'Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We're going to feast! We're going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!' And they began to have a wonderful time.

Verse of the Day 4/15

 

Romans 4:20-21  Abraham never wavered in believing God's promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. ²¹ He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.   New Living Translation (NLT)

 

What or who is it that you place your trust in today?  Many people depend on the government hoping that a government program may be the solution to their problems.  Politicians have made promises through the ages but all too often the results of those programs fail to achieve the high hopes that were created by the promises.

 

I read the following quote in David Jeremiah's devotional yesterday.  "Several years ago when a particular United States governor was caught breaking an oft-repeated campaign promise, he explained that his prior words were simply "political statements" that had to be adjusted with changing circumstances. He was adopting the philosophy of Machiavelli, the prince of politicians, who said, "The promise given was a necessity of the past; the word broken is the necessity of the present." Promise breaking seems to be standard operating procedure for many of today's politicians. Still, we somehow expect our leaders to keep their promises; and when they break them, it creates a credibility gap with those they govern. "

 

Abraham's long life was a testament to God being faithful to His promises.  From early on in Genesis the promises focused on a coming Redeemer, Savior, and Deliverer of His people.  Jesus is a deliverer in many ways, most of all in fulfilling God's promises.  God's promises will be kept.  They are our hope for the future just as they had been in the past from Abraham forward to those who are willing to put their faith and trust in Him.  Those promises didn't come easy, Jesus Christ came and died to fulfill them, and we will be celebrating Easter because He overcame death and lives forever so that we also live eternally with Him.  That is our hope and it is solid.

 

Read the passage from The Message below, may it encourage us not to "tiptoe around" God's promises, but may we "plunge in" in faith and come up strong.  I couldn't help but post the following hymn "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less"

 

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, and blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When every earthly prop gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

In Christ,
Mike

 

Follow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace  NIV

Romans 4:19-25

The Message (MSG)

^19-25 Abraham didn't focus on his own impotence and say, "It's hopeless. This hundred-year-old body could never father a child." Nor did he survey Sarah's decades of infertility and give up. He didn't tiptoe around God's promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said. That's why it is said, "Abraham was declared fit before God by trusting God to set him right." But it's not just Abraham; it's also us! The same thing gets said about us when we embrace and believe the One who brought Jesus to life when the conditions were equally hopeless. The sacrificed Jesus made us fit for God, set us right with God

Verse of the Day 4/13

 

Psalm 126:5-6  Those who sow with tears
    will reap with songs of joy.
⁶ Those who go out weeping,
    carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
    carrying sheaves with them.  New International Version (NIV)

 

After a long winter, spring has finally arrived.  It reached 80 degrees here in NC yesterday.  As things finally warm up it is time for planting, when we do so it is with a future harvest in mind.  Whether it be in flowers, fruit or vegetables we will be looking for the return.

 

In John Piper's devotional for today, he related today's verses to planting, sewing seeds in the normal everyday things in life, even when our hearts are heavy and we may not want to do the sowing..  He writes, "When there are simple, straightforward jobs to be done, and you are full of sadness, and tears are flowing easily, go ahead and do the jobs with tears. Be realistic. Say to your tears: "Tears, I feel you. You make me want to quit life. But there is a field to be sown (dishes to be washed, car to be fixed, sermon to be written)."

Then say, on the basis of God's word, "Tears, I know that you will not stay forever. The very fact that I just do my work (tears and all) will in the end bring a harvest of blessing. So go ahead and flow if you must. But I believe (I do not yet see it or feel it fully) — I believe that the simple work of my sowing will bring sheaves of harvest. And your tears will be turned to joy."

When dealing with tragedy, loss, grief or chronic illness, it may be hard to press on.  Life does go on and there are certain things that need to be done.  When they are done in faith they may not produce immediate results, immediate fruit.  But when it comes in, it can be twofold.  We can rejoice in the fruit of our efforts and oftentimes rejoice in what God has produced out of the pain - healing, hope, and restoration.

 

If your heart is heavy today, may He provide the strength to sow, even if it is in tears, and may He also produce the future songs of rejoicing when the future double blessing comes in.

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

Follow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com
Eph 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 126:3-6

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)

³ The Lord had done great things for us;
we were joyful.

⁴ Restore our fortunes,^[a] Lord,
like watercourses in the Negev.
⁵ Those who sow in tears
will reap with shouts of joy.
⁶ Though one goes along weeping,
carrying the bag of seed,
he will surely come back with shouts of joy,
carrying his sheaves.

Verse of the Day 4/1

 

Galatians 5:25   If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.   English Standard Version (ESV)

 

Some translations for today's verse say "walk by the Spirit".  The verb translated as "walk" literally does mean "keep in step with" as in a military march, walking along with  others in step following our leader Jesus Christ.

 

The passage shows this concept as bookends, beginning and ending with this living and walking by the Spirit.  The passage is probably better know for the fruit of the Spirit in verse 22 " But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control;" it is a result of living by the Spirit in step with the Spirit.  The two concepts go hand in hand, step by step with each other.

 

One of my favorite Bible verses is Matthew 7:7 where we are told to "ask, seek, and knock".  It is to be noted that the verbs here are in the perfect tense indicating continuing action, some more modern translations say "keep seeking, keep asking, and keep knocking."  John MacArthur notes that the form of this verb walk in today's verse also "indicates continuous action, or a habitual lifestyle.  Walking also implies progress; as a believer submit's to the Spirit's control - that is responds in obedience to the simple commands of Scripture - he grows in his spiritual life."

 

Are you looking, hoping, praying for a productive day?  Let the Spirit lead you, keep in step, "work out the implications" (The Message) and may He keep producing in us the "fruit of the Spirit."

 

In Christ,
Mike

 

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

Galatians 5:25-26

The Message (MSG)

^25-26 Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.

Verse of the Day 4/10

 

Acts 20:32   "Now I'm turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends.  The Message (MSG)

 

In this passage the apostle Paul is saying goodbye to the Ephesian believers.  He had spent a good deal of time there pouring out his heart to them in ministry.  Today's verse serves as a reminder to us that ultimately it is God's gracious Word the works in us, transforms us into what He wants us to be.  No teacher or earthly leader can take the place of God and His Word.

 

For years the Army's slogan was "be all that you can be".  As a Christian we need to come to realize that no one, apart from God Himself, the work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit dwelling in us can truly make us who we are intended to be in this life.  Paul also tells the Ephesians and us to have confidence that God will provide us with all that we need in the body of Christ, the church, those who He has called and set apart.

 

John 6:63  It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.   English Standard Version (ESV)

 

As we go through this life may we grow into who and what He wants us to be,  we will do so by trusting in Jesus and being dependent on His word.

 

Through it all,
through it all,
I've learned to trust in Jesus,
I've learned to trust in God.

Through it all,
through it all,
I've learned to depend upon His Word.  (Through it All - Andrae Crouch)

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Acts 20:29-32

English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁹ I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; ³⁰ andfrom among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. ³² And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able tobuild you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.