Verse of the Day 7/31

 

2 Timothy 4:22  The Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace (God's favor and blessing) be with you. Amen (so be it).  Amplified Bible (AMP)

 

We've spent a lot of time recently on the subject of God's grace and His being gracious to us.  His grace comes to us in the forms we looked at yesterday - mercy, comfort, strength, and wisdom, when we come to Him.  Today's verse is Paul's closing remark, the closing benediction of his letter to Timothy.  It is a prayer personally for Timothy, the your is singular, and the "be with you" is for those whom Timothy will share it with, his congregation on down through us.

 

He prays that the Lord Jesus be with his spirit.  We are all spiritual beings, each with our own different spirit.  Early on you can see this in children, they may be high spirited, strong willed or any number of things.  But God can work through all of those, by His grace, His favor and blessing to achieve His purposes in our lives.  And that is my prayer for all of you... so be it.

 

The following quote is from J.R. Miller in "Family Prayers".  It is a prayer that Jesus would come into our hearts personally and into our homes.  May it be so today.

 

"Father, (I'll add be gracious to us) let Your face shine upon our home today. We thank You for it. May it be . . .
a shelter to us from the world's storms,
a nest of love,
a school where we may learn love's lessons, and
where we may grow into the beauty of Christlikeness.
We pray continually that our home may become more and more like Heaven. Teach all of us how to live, so as to add to its sweetness.

Come and be a guest in our home. Then its love will become sweeter, and more and more holy. For Your presence gives light, blessing, and joy. Make our home, Your home. Dwell with us. Then we shall be happy. Then we shall live beautifully together."

 

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

2 Timothy 4:21-22

English Standard Version (ESV)

²¹ Do your best to come before winter. Eubulus sends greetings to you, as do Pudens and Linus and Claudia and all the brothers.^[a]

²² The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.

Verse of the Day 7/30

 

John 7:37-38  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. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."   New King James Version (NKJV)

 

Last week in the Psalms we considered the calls and results of calling on God to be gracious to us.  In today's verse at the conclusion of the celebration of the "Feast of the Tabernacles", Jesus calls for His followers "come to me and drink".  It is as if to say, in this celebration "you ain't seen nothing yet", greater things than these will occur if you will come and follow me.

 

J. R. Miller writes, "Almighty God, our heavenly Father, look upon us graciously as we wait at Your feet. You have given us many invitations to come to You. You have invited us . . .
to come with our sins,
to come with our troubles,
to come with our mistakes,
to come with our cares,
to come with our sorrows.
You have told us to come at all times, that we shall . . .
never be unwelcome,
never be turned away, and
never find You too busy to hear us.
You have promised us . . .
mercy for our sins,
comfort for our sorrows,
strength for our duties, and
wisdom for our ignorance,
when we come to You. We thank You for all these precious invitations and assurances.

As we come to Him like this, His grace will flow like a river, through us, so why won't we come to Him, abide with Him, and follow Him?

 

1. How I praise Thee, precious Savior,
   That Thy love laid hold of me;
   Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me
   That I might Thy channel be.
   • Refrain:
     Channels only, blessed Master,
     But with all Thy wondrous pow'r
     Flowing through us, Thou canst use us
     Every day and every hour.

 

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

John 7:37-38

New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus Promises Living Water

³⁷ On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! ³⁸ Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'"

Verse of the Day 7/29

 

Mark 14:8-9  She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. ⁹ And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

Our Pastor Fil spoke from this passage yesterday and focused on the first words of the passage.  The NLV condenses it to 5 words "she did what she could".  He went in depth into the passage and then related it people in recent generations from Mother Teresa to Billy Graham.  All of them showed humility but with a willingness to do what God had called them to do.

 

I don't think that Mary had calculated the cost of what she did, nor do I think that she knew of the ramifications or significance of what she did.  She was simply doing what she was prompted and led to do from her heart.

 

I know I've shared this before, but hearing this message and the reference to Billy Graham led me to think of Edward Kimble, someone else who "did what he could" and who was a link in the chain to Billy Graham's salvation experience.

 

Who was Edward Kimble?  "He was a Sunday School teacher and shoe salesman who was deeply concern for a coworker named Dwight. One day, he mustered up the courage to talk to Dwight about his faith in Jesus Christ, and Dwight converted to Christianity on the spot. Dwight later became known as D. L. Moody, the greatest evangelist of his time. We don't know much about Edward Kimble, but we have heard quite a bit about D. L. Moody.

But the story doesn't end there. Years later, when Moody was preaching, a pastor named Frederick Meyer was deeply stirred. As a result of hearing Moody preach, he went into preaching himself. A college student named Wilbur Chapman became a follower of Christ as a result of listening to Meyer's preaching, and he later employed a young ball player to help him with his outreaches. That young boy's name was Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday, who became one of the most well-known evangelists of his day, went to Charlotte, North Carolina and preached. Afterward a group of businessmen asked Sunday if he would return, but when he was unable to, they found another lesser-known evangelist named Mordecai Hamm. On one of the last nights of Mordecai Hamm's evangelistic crusade, a tall, lanky dairy farmer came walking up the aisle. Most people just knew him as Billy Frank. Today we know him as Billy Graham.

Kimble reached Moody, who touched Meyer, who reached Chapman, who helped Sunday, who reached the businessmen in Charlotte, who invited Mordecai Hamm, who then reached Billy Graham. It all started with the simple witness of Edward Kimble, an unsung hero.'   -  Greg Laurie

Are we willing to do what we can when the Spirit prompts us?  We may not know the significance now, but who knows what God may accomplish through a humble faithful act of obedience.

 

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

Mark 14:3-9

English Standard Version (ESV)

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

³ And while he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,^[a] as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. ⁴ There were some who said to themselves indignantly, "Why was the ointment wasted like that? ⁵ For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii^[b] and given to the poor." And they scolded her. ⁶ But Jesus said, "Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷ For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you will not always have me. ⁸ She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for burial. ⁹ And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."

Verse of the Day 7/28

  

1 Corinthians 11:24 And when He had given thanks, He broke [it] and said, Take, eat. This is My body, which is broken for you. Do this to call Me [affectionately] to remembrance.   Amplified Bible (AMP)

Last week as part of our worship service we celebrated communion.  Today's verse is often quoted when partaking of communion.  It is a time of reflection and a time to call to memory all that He has done for us.  After a week of looking at the examples of how God is gracious to us it is fitting that we should consider how we should remember Him.

 

Relating to today's verse, Charles Spurgeon writes, "It appears almost impossible that those who have been redeemed by the blood of the dying Lamb, and loved with an everlasting love by the eternal Son of God--could forget their gracious Savior! But if startling to the ear, sadly, it is too apparent to the eye to allow us to deny the crime.

Can we forget Him--who never forgot us!
Can we forget Him--who poured His blood out for our sins!
Can we forget Him--who loved us even to death!
Can it be possible?

Yes, it is not only possible--but conscience confesses that is is too sadly a fault with all of us. Instead of Him being a permanent resident in our memories--we treat Him as a visitor. The cross--where one would expect that memory would linger--is desecrated by the feet of forgetfulness."

We don't need a communion service to remember Him.  It is something we should do every day, needing Him every day "as the deer pants for water" (Psalm 42:1).  May the Lord be a permanent resident in our lives.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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1 Corinthians 11:23-25

English Standard Version (ESV)

²³ For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, ²⁴ and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, "This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." ²⁵ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."

Verse of the Day 7/26

 

Psalm 67:1-2  May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
² that your way may be known on earth,
    your saving power among all nations.   English Standard Version (ESV)

 

We'll conclude our look at the call, the prayer throughout the psalms for God to be gracious to us with today's verse from Psalm 67.  The others that we've looked had have been personal calls for God's help, mercy, healing, forgiveness and strength. Here we have something a little different.  The prayer is for us.  Just as we need God personally in each of our lives, this is a prayer that can be offered for our families, our churches, our communities and our nation.

 

The word Selah at the end of verse one means to stop, to think calmly and thoughtfully about what you've just read before moving on.  It is a good practice to get into as we read the scriptures.  What would it mean to you, to your family, church, community and nation for God to be gracious to us today?  How would we react, how would we live?  It should have an influence, no, more than that, it should direct us in the way we should live.  If we do, God's grace will be seen in the lives of "us".

 

I just happened to read Jeremiah 29 in my devotions today.  The following verses made me stop and think about them.

 

Jeremiah 29:5-7 Build yourselves houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat the fruit of them.

⁶ Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not be diminished.

⁷ And seek (inquire for, require, and request) the peace and welfare of the city to which I have caused you to be carried away captive; and pray to the Lord for it, for in the welfare of [the city in which you live] you will have welfare.Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare^[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

 

We may feel that we've been away from God, in exile in our own lives.  Wherever we find ourselves, God knows where we are and will meet us there.  Start seeking Him in the place where you are.  There is no pilgrimage required except for the pilgrimage of the heart, back to God.

 

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

Psalm 67

English Standard Version (ESV)

Make Your Face Shine upon Us

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.

May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
² that your way may be known on earth,
    your saving power among all nations.
³ Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!

⁴ Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
    for you judge the peoples with equity
    and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
⁵ Let the peoples praise you, O God;
    let all the peoples praise you!

⁶ The earth has yielded its increase;
    God, our God, shall bless us.
⁷ God shall bless us;
    let all the ends of the earth fear him!

Verse of the Day 7/25

Verse of the Day 7/25

 

Psalm 41:4 As for me, I said, "O Lord, be gracious to me;
    heal me,  for I have sinned against you!"  English Standard Version (ESV)

According to most dictionaries, a gracious person would be characterized by being kind, courteous and compassionate.  One of the adjectives often left out in such definitions is being forgiving.  That is one of the things that we need and depend upon most in seeking and asking for God's grace.

 

In today's verse David is asking for healing from the Lord and in many psalms he relates it to his sin.  David was known for being a man after God's own heart.  He desired a right relationship with Him.  Sin, willful, disobedient, rebellious sin gets in the way and can strain or break a relationship.  David wants the relationship and is willing to seek God for forgiveness which will bring the healing.  Read Psalm 51 or Psalm 32 for a deeper look at David's heart, his awareness of his sin, and his desire for a clean heart.

 

If you have a strained relationship with someone or perhaps with God.  Seek forgiveness, offer forgiveness to others, count on God's grace for both.

 

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary's mount outpoured,
there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.
Refrain:
Grace, grace, God's grace,
grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
grace, grace, God's grace,
grace that is greater than all our sin!

Blessings,
Mike
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Psalm 41:1-4

English Standard Version (ESV)

O Lord, Be Gracious to Me

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

41 Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
    In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
² the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
    he is called blessed in the land;
    you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
³ The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
    in his illness you restore him to full health.

⁴ As for me, I said, "O Lord, be gracious to me;
    heal me, for I have sinned against you!"

Verse of the Day 7/24

 

Psalm 31:9   Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
    my eye is wasted from grief;
    my soul and my body also.  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

In yesterday's verses from Psalm 25 David asked God to relieve the troubles of his heart and to free him from anguish.  In today's verse his heart is in a similar position.

In yesterday's verses from Psalm 25, David asked God to relieve the troubles of his heart and to free him from anguish.  In today's verse he is in a similar position, this time being "in distress" over grief, to the point where his eyes are bleary and he aches in his body and soul.  David knew what it was like to grieve for the loss of a son and also over strained relationships.  His relationship with Absalom later in life comes to mind.

 

There may be periods in our lives where we will grieve in the same way and to the same point where we feel it in our gut and in our bones and our eyes are sore from tears that have been shed.  David's best course of action in these situations was still to call on his God to rescue him, that he David would trust in Him, confident for better days and a future hope. A few verses later in the passage we see the roots of David's faith.

 

Psalm 31:14-16  But I trust in you, O Lord;
    I say, "You are my God."
¹⁵ My times are in your hand;
    rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
¹⁶ Make your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your steadfast love!  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

If you or a loved one are in a seemingly hopeless situation call on God today, that His face would "shine upon His servant".

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Psalm 31:9-16

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁹ Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
    my eye is wasted from grief;
    my soul and my body also.
¹⁰ For my life is spent with sorrow,
    and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my iniquity,
    and my bones waste away.

 

 

¹⁴ But I trust in you, O Lord;
    I say, "You are my God."
¹⁵ My times are in your hand;
    rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
¹⁶ Make your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your steadfast love!

Verse of the Day 7/23

 

Psalm 25:16-17  Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷ Relieve the troubles of my heart
    and free me from my anguish. New International Version (NIV)

 

Neil Diamond sang of the "Solitary Man", a person who felt that he was destined to be lonely.  There are times when, even when among hundreds of people, including friends and relatives, we can feel like we're alone in the world.  Often, these times come upon us when we are afflicted in one way or another as David was here.  It is in these times that we need Him most and we call for God to be gracious to us.

 

A hand written note was given to me by a friend during our dark hours after our son Jeff's accident, it was from this psalm and went through it verse by verse pointing out God's promises, faithfulness, and being our place of refuge.  I still have the note tucked in my Bible

 

If you are in one of those times call out to God.  May He be gracious to you, be your strength, your Helper, your Guide and may He bring along such a friend for you.  If you know of someone in that solitary place, be that friend to them.

 

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10  Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
¹⁰ If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.   New International Version (NIV)

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Psalm 25:16-22

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
¹⁷ Relieve the troubles of my heart
    and free me from my anguish.
¹⁸ Look on my affliction and my distress
    and take away all my sins.
¹⁹ See how numerous are my enemies
    and how fiercely they hate me!

²⁰ Guard my life and rescue me;
    do not let me be put to shame,
    for I take refuge in you.
²¹ May integrity and uprightness protect me,
    because my hope, Lord, is in you.

²² Deliver Israel, O God,
    from all their troubles!

Verse of the Day 7/22

 

Psalm 6:2  Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
    heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.    English Standard Version (ESV)

Over the past couple of days we've seen where we need God's grace in the form of His help and His strength.  Today's verse is a call for His grace when we are in need of healing.

 

The ESV uses the word "languishing" it is one we may not use on a regular basis but it forms a picture in our minds.  It's a picture of a boat at sea without power "languishing" against the waves, being tossed about without any influence as to the direction is heading.  Sometimes we are in need of physical, emotional, or spiritual healing and we feel the same way, especially when dealing with chronic pain or long term illness.

 

The call is a call of desperation to the only one who has the power to help you through the situation.  Later in the psalm, the David acknowledges that he knows that the Lord has heard his prayer, has faith that God will answer him to the shame of the naysayers and to the glory of God.

 

If you are "languishing" today, turn to Him, call to Him, may He be merciful and gracious to you.  David had his share of dark hours, he learned to trust, to depend upon the Lord, He did not let him down.

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Psalm 6

English Standard Version (ESV)

O Lord, Deliver My Life

To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments; according to The Sheminith.  A Psalm of David.

6 O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger,
    nor discipline me in your wrath.
² Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
    heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled.
³ My soul also is greatly troubled.
    But you, O Lord—how long?

⁴ Turn, O Lord, deliver my life;
    save me for the sake of your steadfast love.
⁵ For in death there is no remembrance of you;
    in Sheol who will give you praise?

⁶ I am weary with my moaning;
    every night I flood my bed with tears;
    I drench my couch with my weeping.
⁷ My eye wastes away because of grief;
    it grows weak because of all my foes.

⁸ Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
    for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.
⁹ The Lord has heard my plea;
    the Lord accepts my prayer.
1⁰ All my enemies shall be ashamed and greatly troubled;
    they shall turn back and be put to shame in a moment.

Verse of the Day 7/21

Verse of the Day 7/21

 

Psalm 86:16 Turn to me and be gracious to me;
    give your strength to your servant,
    and save the son of your maidservant.  English Standard Version (ESV)

 

In reading yesterday's verse, Psalm 30:10 which called on God to be our helper and today's verse calling on God to give us strength, two old hymns came to mind.  Regarding 30:16 it was "A Mighty Fortress is Our God", and in particular the line "our helper amid the flood".  Sometimes our troubles come upon us like a flood or deluge.  When we call on Him, He helps us to not only to withstand but to prevail.

 

A mighty fortress is our God,   	a bulwark never failing;   	our helper he amid the flood   	of mortal ills prevailing.    	For still our ancient foe   	doth seek to work us woe;   	his craft and power are great,   	and armed with cruel hate,   	on earth is not his equal.

In today's verse, Psalm 86:16, the psalmist not only asks for strength in general but specifically His strength.  The hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" came to mind.  Not only is it strength today in the time of need, but it yields future rewards in hope for tomorrow, a blessing indeed.

 

 

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

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!

Spend some time in these psalms and these hymns today.  May He be your helper and give you strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) today and for the week ahead.

 

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

Psalm 86:15-17

Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁵ But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness and truth.

¹⁶ O turn to me and have mercy and be gracious to me; grant strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) to Your servant and save the son of Your handmaiden.

¹⁷ Show me a sign of [Your evident] goodwill and favor, that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame, because You, Lord, [will show Your approval of me when You] help and comfort me.

Verse of the Day 7/20

 

Psalm 30:10  Hear, O Lord, have mercy and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!  Amplified Bible (AMP)

 

Yesterday I had to do some work repairing a graphics machine.  I knew the job that I had to do, but there were some things involved in the work that required another set of hands and sometimes another set of eyes to complete the work.  I was thankful for the assistance provided by others.

 

Oftentimes in today's society independence is something that is praised and even taught to be a virtue.  It starts at an early age.  Who hasn't heard a toddler say "I do myself" attempting to do something that you know full well they cannot and will not be able to do.  Sometimes, they'll ask for help and other times you just jump in and assist.  All too often, I think it is that way in our Christian lives, we want our independence and call upon God to get us out of a tight spot.  We're much better off when we realize that we need His help, from the beginning, from the beginning of each day to the end of it, in order to properly do what He has for us to do.

 

Starting today, and for the next week, Lord willing, we'll spend some time in the Psalms, going through them and taking a look at David and other psalmists requests for God to be gracious to them in various situations.  May they serve as a reminder that we need Him in the same way today in similar situations.

 

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

Psalm 30:9-11

Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁹ What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit (the grave)? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth and faithfulness to men?

¹⁰ Hear, O Lord, have mercy and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!

¹¹ You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,

Verse of the Day 7/19

 

Hebrews 4:16  So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.  New Living Translation (NLT)

 

Today's verse should be an encouragement to us on many fronts.  First of all, if we are a believer, a follower, we are a child of the King, not only having access to Him, but as His child we can come boldly to Him.  We also know our heavenly Father to be gracious and full of mercy.  But the main thing that I'd like to focus on this morning are the last few words of the verse, the NLT puts it "when we need it most".

 

I memorized this verse early in life in the KJV which states "in time of need".  This is true, but the "when I need it most" brings it home.  There are many times when we need Him and He is always there, but its when the chips are down that we need Him most and He is there.  John Piper notes that from the original Greek it could also be translated as "grace for a well timed help".  I'd say when we need it most would be well timed.  Piper continues, "The point is that prayer is the way to find future grace for a well timed help.  This grace always arrives from the throne of grace on time.  The phrase "throne of grace" means that future grace comes from the King of the Universe who sets the times by His own authority."

 

If you are in need of help today, call out to Him when you need Him most.

 

Those words "when I need it most" also reminded me of the old hymn:

 

Just when I need Him, Jesus is near, Just when I falter, just when I fear;
Ready to help me, ready to cheer, Just when I need Him most.

 Chorus

Just when I need Him most, Just when I need Him most,
Jesus is near to comfort and cheer, Just when I need Him most.

 

 Just when I need Him, Jesus is true, Never forsaking, all the way through;
Giving for burdens pleasures anew, Just when I need Him most.

 

 Just when I need Him, Jesus is strong, Bearing my burdens all the day long;
For all my sorrow giving a song, Just when I need Him most.

 

 Just when I need Him, He is my all, Answering when upon Him I call;
Tenderly watching lest I should fall, Just when I need Him most.

Mike
Follow the verse of the day at http://www.mikesvotd.blogspot.com/

 

Hebrews 4:15-16

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁵ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Verse of the Day 7/17

 

Acts 17:11  These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.  New King James Version (NKJV)

While visiting our daughter last weekend we had the privilege to hear a message from Erwin McMannus from Joshua chapter one.  It was about finding our identity in God and in Jesus Christ.  I appreciated how he "dug" into the passage, uncovering, revealing the setting, circumstances and context of the passage.  After the service and the following morning I went back to that passage to read and re-read it.

 

Reading today's verse reminded me of his sermon, not because of my reading or studying but in Erwin's searching the scriptures.  When Paul wrote this book I believe he was primarily referring to the Old Testament as the New Testament as we know it, was not yet written let alone assembled.  I was reminded how much we can learn from the Old Testament, how relevant and applicable it still is, and how tragic it is that much of it is avoided by the modern church.

 

I also read the following quote by Charles Spurgeon, "The person who skims the Book of God will not profit from it.  We must dig and mine until we obtain the treasure!  The door of the Word only opens to the key of diligence.  The scriptures demand to be searched.  These are the writings of God, bearing the divine stamp and imprimatur- who shall dare to treat them casually?  To despise them is to despise the God who wrote them.  God forbid that any of us should allow our Bibles to become witnesses against us in the great day of account."

 

As we hear from God's Word, may we be like the Berean's and go back and examine the Word, the passages to see that these things are so.

 

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

Acts 17:10-12

New King James Version (NKJV)

Ministering at Berea

¹⁰ Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. ¹² Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.