Verse of the Day 9/30

Verse of the Day 9/30

Ephesians 2:4-5

English Standard Version

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

Today's verses came up in the read through the New Testament plan that I follow. They come from a favoirite New Testamanet passage on "grace through faith".  The verses beging with "but God"and we have to go back a few verses to see what the "but" is in reference to.  It is to the fact that without Christ, we are dead in our trespasses and sins.  We all had crossed the line, missed the mark  and failed to live up to God's standards and deserved punishment.  That's where today's verses pick it up, but God, because of His great love, rich in mercy, made us alive and gave us new life.

We've considered David in the Old Testament and Paul in the New Testament over the last couple of days.  God gave them each new life.  For Paul, it was a dramatic event when God blinded him on the road to Damascus.  He would never be the same because Jesus revealed Himself to him and gave him new life and gave him a purpose, works that he should do (verse 10 below).  If you've been saved, it is through God making you alive through faith in Christ.  Instead of punishment deserving of death we have found new life.

I'm reminded of the John W. Peterson hymn "New Life in Christ", may you be able to sing it today.

Gone is the guilt of my sin,
Peace is now reigning within;
Since I believed, pardon received,
Happy, so happy I've been!

Chorus
New Life in Christ! Abundant and free!
What glories shine, what joys are mine,
What wondrous blessings I see!
My past with its sin,
The searching and strife,
Forever gone, there's a bright new dawn!
For in Christ I have found New Life!

Brighter the journey each day,
Tho there is much to dismay;
Heaven awaits - Bright pearly gates,
There at the end of the way.

Come with your sin-burdened heart,
Christ will his cleansing impart;
He will forgive - in him you'll live,
O how the joy bells will start.

If you have not received Him, perhaps today is the day that He is calling out to you to give you new life.

John 10:10

English Standard Version

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

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

Ephesians 2

English Standard Version

By Grace Through Faith

2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a] and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.[b] 4 But[c] God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Verse of the Day 9/29

Verse of the Day 9/29

Psalm 143:8-10

English Standard Version

8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,

    for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
    for to you I lift up my soul.

9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
    I have fled to you for refuge.[a]
10 Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
    on level ground!

Today's verses came up in my daily reading in the Psalms. The first word of verse 6 reminded me of Paul's call in Colossians 3:16 to "let the Word of Christ dwll richly."  These verses are an Old Testament example from David living this out. In verse 6 (below) we see David stretching out his hands upwards to God, seeking Him, submitting to Him and praising Him in the verses that follow.

David wants to hear, to be reminded of God's "steadfast", immoveable, unchangeable, love.  He seeks His guidance and relief from troubles, He seeks direction through God's teaching.  He seeks the Spirit to dwell in him on level ground, much like the "narrwo way' that Jesus spoke about.  

What would our days look like if we sought the Lrod like this daily. When we do, He will lead us all the way,.

1 All the way my Savior leads me–
What have I to ask beside?
Can I doubt His tender mercy,
Who through life has been my guide?
Heav'nly peace, divinest comfort,
Here by faith in Him to dwell!
For I know, whate'er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well;
For I know, whate'er befall me,
Jesus doeth all things well.

2 All the way my Savior leads me–
Cheers each winding path I tread,
Gives me grace for ev'ry trial,
Feeds me with the living bread.
Though my weary steps may falter
And my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the rock before me,
Lo! a spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the rock before me,
Lo! A spring of joy I see.

3 All the way my Savior leads me–
Oh, the fullness of His love!
Perfect rest to me is promised
In my Father's house above.
When my spirit, clothed immortal,
Wings its flight to realms of day,
This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way;
This my song through endless ages:
Jesus led me all the way.

May it be our song through endless ages, "Jesus led me all the way".

Blessings,

Mike

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

Psalm 143:6-12

English Standard Version

6 I stretch out my hands to you;
    my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah

7 Answer me quickly, O Lord!
    My spirit fails!
Hide not your face from me,
    lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
    for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
    for to you I lift up my soul.

9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
    I have fled to you for refuge.
10 Teach me to do your will,
    for you are my God!
Let your good Spirit lead me
    on level ground!

11 For your name's sake, O Lord, preserve my life!
    In your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble!
12 And in your steadfast love you will cut off my enemies,
    and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
    for I am your servant.

Verse of the Day 9/28

Verse of the Day 9/28

Isaiah 57:15

New King James Version

15 For thus says the High and Lofty One

Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
"I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

The second half of the book of Isaiah contain some of my favorite passages in the Old Testment.  l'm enjoying my current trip through the book and have always loved today's verse.  As I read them today I was reeminded that God is above all things.  Those of us living on the earth see storms approach and we often go through them but fail to see the overall picture.  God sees it all.  

Yesterday I saw satelite pictures and enhance radar of the approaching hurrican Ian.  It is amazing to see the size of the storm, the waves of rain and storms approaching land.  Enhances radar shows time lapse video of the lighting strikes within the storm.  In our storms of life we cannot see the overall picture.  We don't see it coming and we don't know how long they will last but God does.  We can try to navigate through the storms but we are reminded that we are better off submitting to God, turning to Him and the High and Lofty One, (there is no other).  He's with us through the storm and will lead and guide us once the storm has passed.

I'm reminded of the Steven Curtis Chapman song "Still Listening".  We should never forget that the High and Lofty One is there, He is for us, and He will be listeniing when we call. Sometimes it is the storms in life that bring us back to this realization.

The years can take us far away
From the simple childlike faith
But I am longing to return
To the place where I first learned
That God is great and God is good
So I will speak the words

God our Father, once again
I bow my head to pray
You are my Father and my Friend
And You hear every word I say
A prayer for forgiveness
A desperate cry for help
Or praise flowing from a thankful heart
Like each time before
I come knowing You're still listening

Whether it is a prayer for forgiveness, a cry for help, or praise from a thankful heart, seek Him and submit to Him today.

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

Isaiah 57:14-19

New King James Version

Healing for the Backslider

14 And one shall say,
"Heap it up! Heap it up!
Prepare the way,
Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people."

15 For thus says the High and Lofty One
Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
"I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
16 For I will not contend forever,
Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would fail before Me,
And the souls which I have made.
17 For the iniquity of his covetousness
I was angry and struck him;
I hid and was angry,
And he went on [a]backsliding in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him;
I will also lead him,
And restore comforts to him
And to his mourners.

19 "I create the fruit of the lips:
Peace, peace to him who is far off and to him who is near,"
Says the Lord,
"And I will heal him."

Verse of the Day 9/27

Verse of the Day 9/27

Colossians 3:16-17

English Standard Version

16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

We reviewed today's verses in our Tuesday Men's Bible study this morning.  The passage begins (below) with "put on" or as other translations say "clothe yourselves", it is a conscious effort to put what we have read, heard and learned from Christ into action, applying it in our lives.  We cannot truly do so without knowing, memorizing, commiting it to memory to be drawn upon as we put it on and live it out, day by day.  It is not automatic.

Pastor John Piper writes, "When you get up in the morning and you face the day, what do you say to yourself about your hopes for the day? When you look from the beginning of the day to the end of the day, what do you want to happen because you have lived?.....If you say, "I don't even think like that. I just get up and do what I've got to do," then you are cutting yourself off from a basic means of grace and a source of guidance and strength and fruitfulness and joy. It is crystal clear in the Bible, including these texts, that God means for us to aim consciously at something significant in our days. 

If we are to "let" or "allow" God's word to dwell richly, be lived out abundatntly in our lives it will take effort, it will involve intent and it will accomplish God's purposes.

I'm reminded of the old hymn that is based on these verses, may they serve as another reminder for us.

May the mind of Christ my Savior Live in me from day to day, By His love and pow'r controlling   All I do and say.
2	May the Word of Christ dwell richly In my heart from hour to hour, So that all may see I triumph   Only through His pow'r.
3	May the peace of Christ my Savior Rule my life in every thing, That I may be calm to comfort   Sick and sorrowing.
4	May the love of Jesus fill me, As the waters fill the sea; Him exalting, self abasing,   This is victory.
5	May I run the race before me, Strong and brave to face the foe, Looking only unto Jesus   As I onward go.

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

Colossians 3:12-17

English Standard Version

12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Verse of the Day 9/27

Verse of the Day 9/27

Isaiah 55:10-11

English Standard Version

10 "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

I read Isaiah 55 yesterday in my Old Testament reading, the same day I read Psalm 139 where we read yesterday that David called "search me O God, and know my heart"!  David showed that he had a heart after God and the prophet Isaiah showed the same heart when he wrote in verse 6 (below) "seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him when He is near."

A key component in that self searching and seeking after God is reading, meditating on, praying over and putting into practice what we read from God's Word.  We should need it every day as much as we need water to sustain us.  As we walk with the Lord we can be sure that He will accomplish His purposes and cause all things to grow. 1 Corinthians 3:7 tells us it is God that makes things grow, and for us as Christians the water that causes this growth is the Word.

How important is the Word of God in your daily life.  If we take it an and apply it in our lives, there will be growth and God will accomplish His purposes in our lives.

God causes all things to grow
Through every season we know
He will guard the life
That He's planted in our souls
And when we feel the cold winds blow
We'll hold to what we know
God causes all things to grow.   (God Causes All Things to Grow - Steve Green)

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

Isaiah 55:6-11

English Standard Version

6 "Seek the Lord while he may be found;

    call upon him while he is near;
7 let the wicked forsake his way,
    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10 "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
    and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
    giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
    it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
    and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Verse of the Day 9/26

Verse of the Day 9/26

Psalm 139:23-24 English Standard Version

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!

    Try me and know my thoughts![a]

24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,

    and lead me in the way everlasting!

Today's verses came up in my daily reading in the Psalms.. The verses are familiar, songs come to mind when you read the beginning line of the verses. As always, it is important to look at the context and in this case the complete Psalm which begins with "O'Lord, you have searched me and known me."  To me, it seems that David, in closing this psalm acknowledges the fact that God has searched him, searches his heart and David's call is that He will continue to do so, continue to lead him all the days of his life.  It is a realization of God's grace, past present and future grace.

In the psalm David acknowleges God as Lord, Creator, who formed him, knows him intimately inside and out and has a design planned for his life.  So it should be with us.

The philosopher Socrates said, "An unexamined life is not worth living." If a common philosopher could think that, how much more we Christians ought to listen to the Holy Spirit when He says, "Examine yourself." An unexamined Christian lies like an unattended garden. Let your garden go unattended for a few months, and you will not have roses and tomatoes but weeds. An unexamined Christian life is like an unkempt house. Lock your house up as tight as you will and leave it long enough, and when you come back you will not believe the dirt that got in from somewhere. An unexamined Christian is like an untaught child. A child that is not taught will be a little savage. It takes examination, teaching, instruction, discipline, caring, tending, weeding and cultivating to keep the life right. Rut, Rot or Revival: The Condition of the Church,

By asking God to "search him" David shows his heart, his desire to follow God, which means that he realizes that God must do the leading in his life. When was the last time that we asked God to search our hearts?

1. Search me, O God, and know my heart today,
   Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray;
   See if there be some wicked way in me;
   Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free.
2. I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
   Fulfill Thy word and make me pure within;
   Fill me with fire, where once I burned with shame;
   Grant my desire to magnify Thy name.
3. Lord, take my life, and make it wholly Thine;
   Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine;
   Take all my will, my passion, self and pride;
   I now surrender, Lord, in me abide.
4. O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee;
   Send a revival, start the work in me;
   Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need;
   For blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead.   (Search Me O God - James Orr)

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 139:17-24

English Standard Version

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
    I awake, and I am still with you.

19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!
    O men of blood, depart from me!
20 They speak against you with malicious intent;
    your enemies take your name in vain.[a]
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
    And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
    I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
    Try me and know my thoughts!

24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,

    and lead me in the way everlasting!