Verse of the Day 2/28

Verse of the Day 2/28

Psalm 112:8-9  Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;

    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
⁹ They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,
    their righteousness endures forever;
    their horn will be lifted high in honor.    New International Version (NIV)

What word would you use to describe the condition of your heart today?  This psalm has to do with the "righteous", those who are in right standing before God.  It applies to God followers, Christ followers throughout the ages.  No matter what situation they found themselves in they were secure in their faith. 

As I read this verse this morning I was reminded of Joseph in Genesis, who definitely went through ups and downs, trials and tribulations, but through it all his heart and his trust remained sure in God.  You may think of David and others in the Old Testament or possibly the apostles Paul and Peter in the New Testament.  Whether shipwrecked, in prison and facing possible execution, their hearts were secure.

Skimming through other translations of this same verse, instead of secure you will find "established", "upheld", "maintained", "steady", and "confident" to name a few.  And when you consider those of faith in Hebrews 11 for example, you will find that they were lifted in honor and they looked to that end which has no end, an eternity with the God of their hearts who had adopted them and redeemed them and paid the price for them.  Their hearts were content in Him.

If you have some time in the coming days, take some time to read through the story of Joseph in Genesis 39 -45.  See how he faced ups and downs but see how he had faith and was encouraged by knowing that he was in right standing before God and that when it came down to it "the Lord was with him; and whatever he did,the Lord made it prosper." Genesis 39:23.

Joseph, Paul and Peter were all jailed at one time  or another.  All knew what it was like to be redeemed, to be ransomed to have the price paid.  I'm reminded of the old chorus that we used to sing when I was a child.  The line that came to my mind was "and the transaction so quickly was made, when as a sinner I came."  Jesus won't delay, He'll meet you where you are and set you free.

Heaven came down and glory filled my soul,  (filled my soul)
When at the cross the Savior made me whole;  (made me whole)
My sins were washed away and my night was turned to day,
Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!  (filled my soul)

Born of the Spirit with life from above into God's family divine,
Justified fully thru Calvary's love, O what a standing is mine!
And the transaction so quickly was made, when as a sinner I came,
Took of the offer, of grace He did proffer, He saved me, O praise His dear name!

May your heart be so secure today that you would have no fears, that you would be:

Unfazed by rumor and gossip,
Heart ready, trusting in God,
Spirit firm, unperturbed,
Ever blessed, relaxed among enemies,  The Message

--   In Christ,  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 112:8-10The Message (MSG)

112 ^1-10 Hallelujah!
Blessed man, blessed woman, who fear God,
Who cherish and relish his commandments,
Their children robust on the earth,
And the homes of the upright—how blessed!
Their houses brim with wealth
And a generosity that never runs dry.
Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people—
God's grace and mercy and justice!
The good person is generous and lends lavishly;
No shuffling or stumbling around for this one,
But a sterling and solid and lasting reputation.
Unfazed by rumor and gossip,
Heart ready, trusting in God,
Spirit firm, unperturbed,
Ever blessed, relaxed among enemies,
They lavish gifts on the poor—
A generosity that goes on, and on, and on.
An honored life! A beautiful life!
Someone wicked takes one look and rages,
Blusters away but ends up speechless.
There's nothing to the dreams of the wicked. Nothing.

Verse of the Day 2/26

Joshua 3:5  Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you."  English Standard Version (ESV)

I read today's verse in a devotional I read the other day.  Joshua, one of Israel's greatest leaders called for the people to sanctify themselves, to set themselves aside, to dedicate themselves to God's purposes.  This took place before they miraculously crossed the Jordan river.  In calling others to sanctify themselves he had to do this first.  When you read through the Bible you see example after example of people who dedicated themselves to the Lord's work, to follow Him in obedience.  Miraculous things followed.

Sometimes we dedicate our lives to Christ at a rally or a retreat and other times it is after a mountaintop experience in our lives.  The birth of a child, a miraculous healing,or sometimes it is His "still small voice" that speaks to us through a passage when we've taken the time to read His Word.  Many will keep a diary or journal following these times.  All too often the busyness of life and all of its demands, attractions and trials can give us the opportunity to drift away.  It's times like these , when we realize how far we've drifted, that should lead us to go back to those diaries and journals and look back and see what the Lord has done.  Perhaps we can rededicate ourselves and pick up that journal or a new one and write new pages and chapters of our lives.

In his devotional, Mark Batterson writes of Jonathan Edwards and his dedication and how it impacted his family, church and even our nation.  "Edwards was the author of dozens of volumes, both theological and inspirational. His biography of David Brainerd has inspired countless missionaries to go all in with God. And it was Jonathan Edwards who sparked America's First Great Awakening with his sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." But his greatest legacy may be his progeny, which include more than 300 ministers and missionaries, 120 university professors, 60 authors, 30 judges, 14 college presidents, 3 members of Congress, and 1 vice president."    Edwards left quite a legacy.  He was another leader who "consecrated" himself to God.  Known most often for his "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" message, he actually wrote a lot about love, God's love.  One of his books "Charity and it's Fruit" is all about 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter.    Most of us want to leave a legacy.  The one that will impact generations the most will be a legacy that comes out of dedicating oneself to following Jesus and His Word.    I want to leave a legacy  How will they remember me?  Did I choose to love?  Did I point to You enough  To make a mark on things  I want to leave an offering  A child of mercy and grace  Who blessed Your name unapologetically  And leave that kind of legacy                      Nicole Nordeman  

"Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." 

--   In Christ,  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    

Joshua 3English Standard Version (ESV)

Israel Crosses the Jordan

3 Then Joshua rose early in the morning and they set out from Shittim. And they came to the Jordan, he and all the people of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over. ² At the end of three days the officers went through the camp ³ and commanded the people, "As soon as you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the Levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place and follow it.⁴ Yet there shall be a distance between you and it, about 2,000 cubits^[a]in length. Do not come near it, in order that you may know the way you shall go, for you have not passed this way before." ⁵ Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you." ⁶ And Joshua said to the priests, "Take up the ark of the covenant and pass on before the people." So they took up the ark of the covenant and went before the people.

⁷ The Lord said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with you.

Verse of the Day 2/25

Ephesians 6:16  In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one;   English Standard Version (ESV)

I read today's verse this morning and was reminded of how important it is for us to daily "put on the full armor of God" as we are called to do in Ephesians 6:10-18.  In today's society Christians will have all kinds of darts hurled or fired at them.   The flaming darts can clearly be seen, but in seeing them they can take our focus off of other things.  There are also "unseen" things that are hurled at us and come our way, things that come up unexpectedly and have to be dealt with.

The Bible is full of examples of what this full armor looks like and in particular what the shield of faith looks like.  Both Old and New Testaments provide examples.  Abraham, David, Elijah are some examples that come to mind.  This full armor is not something that is automatic, it has to be put on, to be applied.  So it is with the shield of faith.  One of the things that faith tells us in the circumstances of life, as flaming arrows fly is that we are loved.

The following three verses from Daniel chapters 9 and 10 were quoted in John Piper's devotional for the day.  The angel encouraged him 3 times that "you are greatly loved."  We have the Holy Spirit telling us the same thing as we read God's Word.  Think of the situations that Daniel and his friends faced in the book of Daniel, from being thrown into the fiery furnace (his friends) to Daniel's being thrown into the lion's den for not backing down from what he believed.  Daniel prayed, he had had confidence in God, he had faith.  Daniel and his friends used the shield of faith regularly.

• "At the beginning of your pleas for mercy a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved."Daniel 9:23)
• "O Daniel, man greatly loved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for now I have been sent to you" (Daniel 10:11)
• "And he said, 'O man greatly loved, fear not, peace be with you; be strong and of good courage" (Daniel 10:19).

Take heart. If you have faith in Jesus, God himself says to you, "You are greatly loved."   And if you are greatly loved you should be encouraged, to be strong, be of good courage, have God's peace" for He is with us.

Before we go out and face the circumstances of the day, the darts and the arrows, put the full armor, take up the shield of  faith and be strong and of good courage and  "Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out." The Message

--   In Christ,  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 6:10-18The Message (MSG)

A Fight to the Finish

^10-12 And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

^13-18 Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out.

Verse of the Day 2/23

Verse of  the Day 2/23

1 Corinthians 15:3-4  For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,  English Standard Version (ESV)

Is there a certain verse or a certain passage that was instrumental in leading you to faith in Christ?  Do you often go back to that verse or passage?  Has your view of it changed?  In this passage Paul is reminding the Corinthian believers of the Gospel message as spelled out in these verses.  Saving faith is not just saying the sinners prayer or from regular church attendance, but it comes from a change in our hearts that will lead to changed lives and a changed perspective on life.

The notes in my devotional Bible read, "The church in Corinth had lost touch with it's roots.  Dependence on Christ's work at Calvary is not a temporary stage in our spiritual development.  We begin the Christian life with the gospel, and  that same message is what provides ongoing power for living the Christian life.  The truth about "Jesus Christ and Him crucified" is therefore not a basic teaching to be left behind as we mature, but a lens through which we should view all of scripture and all of life."

Does the Word of God "provide ongoing power" in living your life?  It should, if it is not, you need to get back to it.  We need to remember, to go back to those "first things", the good news of the gospel, "that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, that He was buried, that he was raised on the third day" and that He is alive forevermore.  May they be the lens through which we view all of scripture and all of life.

--   In Christ,  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 Corinthians 15:1-9The Message (MSG)

Resurrection

15 ^1-2 Friends, let me go over the Message with you one final time— this Message that I proclaimed and that you made your own; this Message on which you took your stand and by which your life has been saved. (I'm assuming, now, that your belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy, that you're in this for good and holding fast.)

^3-9 The first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me: that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as Scripture tells it; that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says; that he presented himself alive to Peter, then to his closest followers, and later to more than five hundred of his followers all at the same time, most of them still around (although a few have since died); that he then spent time with James and the rest of those he commissioned to represent him; and that he finally presented himself alive to me. It was fitting that I bring up the rear. I don't deserve to be included in that inner circle, as you well know, having spent all those early years trying my best to stamp God's church right out of existence.

Verse of the Day 2/19

Acts 12:5     So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.   English Standard Version (ESV)

I've recently referred to some of the trials in our family's life and how God answered prayer and brought us through.  It is in those time that being part of a local congregation, a part of the family of God is so important.  I don't know exactly how prayer works, whether or not the prayers of a whole congregation and beyond are more effective than an individual's prayers are, we'll have to wait until after this life to find that out, but one thing I do know it encouraged us knowing that others had our backs, and  were supporting us daily in prayer.  Beyond that, their lives and actions of support were a testimony to those around us.

In his daily devotional today Greg Laurie quoted Martin Lloyd Jones who said, "Of all of the blessings of a Christian's salvation, none is greater than this. We have access to God in prayer."  He continues, " Think about the daunting challenge the church of the first century faced. They had no political base, no voting block in the Roman Senate, and no emperor of Rome who was sympathetic toward them. The first Christians did not outargue the pagans; they outlived them. Christianity made no attempts to conquer paganism and dead Judaism blow by blow. Instead, the Christians of the first century outfought, outlived, and outprayed the nonbelievers."

The last line caught my attention, those persecuted Christians outfought, outlived and outprayed the nonbelievers.  We should realize that praying is not only done by believers, many pray to various gods but their prayers never get past the ceiling.  But the "strenuous prayers" (The Message) of the church, of believers opened up chains, cell doors and allowed Peter to walk out of that jail to the surprise and joy to those who were praying for him.

Christians today are being persecuted and need our prayers.  Others are in chains in their situations with health issues, relationships, finances and any number of things.  If you know of people in your church that are facing challenging times, pray for them.  Find out the specifics and pray about them.  Such praying creates awareness and opportunities for God people to "outfight, outlive, and outpray" the nonbelievers and the scoffers to the glory of God.

At the end of Acts 12 we read, "  Meanwhile, the ministry of God's Word grew by leaps and bounds." (v.24 THE MESSAGE).  If we apply this to our lives and in our church we will see the ministry of His Word grow by leaps and bounds.

Blessings,

Mike

Acts 12:1-5The Message (MSG)

Peter Under Heavy Guard

12 1-4 That's when King Herod got it into his head to go after some of the church members. He murdered James, John's brother. When he saw how much it raised his popularity ratings with the Jews, he arrested Peter—all this during Passover Week, mind you—and had him thrown in jail, putting four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. He was planning a public lynching after Passover.

5 All the time that Peter was under heavy guard in the jailhouse, the church prayed for him most strenuously.

 

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Verse of the Day 2/18

Psalm 57:7-8   My heart is steadfast, O God,
    my heart is steadfast!
I will sing and make melody!
⁸     Awake, my glory!^a
Awake, O harp and lyre!
    I will awake the dawn!  English Standard Version (ESV)

Today's verses from Psalm 57, along with verses 5 and 11 which read "be exalted, O God, above the heavens!  Let your glory be over all the earth" are some of the most glorious words of praise that we'll find in the Bible.  What it remarkable about them are the circumstances in which they are uttered.  David at the time is running (and hiding) from King Saul who is out to kill him.  At the beginning of the psalm he indicates that he feels as if he is being trampled on (v.3), that he is in the midst of lions and fiery beast with sharp teeth and sharper tongues,  that are out to get him.  Traps have been set for him, pits have been dug.  What is he to do, what does he do?  He gives praise, shouts praise, sings praise.

By the wording it appears that he may be approaching the end of a sleepless night and is now ready to face the dawn with a daunting day in front of him, but he chooses to offer praise.  How can a person, how does a future king, face the situation.  He turns it over to God, "seeks shelter in the shadow of His wings".  He draws near, and stays near to God through the night and faces the morning with courage, faith and hope.

Just prior to reading this I "just happened" to read a devotional from James MacDonald that had the heading "When It's Hard to Hope" from John chapter 5 with the story of a man who had been waiting and hoping for healing, for a miracle by the pool of Bethesda.  The crippled man had had many emotional ups and downs when the waters and his heart were stirred with hope only to be let down.  Now his time for healing had come, his hope had arrived in the person of Jesus.

MacDonald writes, "As Christians, we know that no matter how many peaks and valleys we go through in life, this whole thing is heading fast toward a massive, forever celebration. We're fired up about that, and we look forward to it!  The world sees only a hopeless end; Christ-followers see an endless hope. And this hope lives not just in eternity, but here and now as God meets needs, answers prayer, carries burdens, forgives sin, changes lives, and increases joy as we journey to that endless hope.

That one small sentence describes what Jesus brings and what David had seen back in the cave.  Both situations seemed hopeless by the world's standards.  "The world sees only a hopeless end; Christ-followers see an endless hope."

What are you facing today that may have caused you to lose sleep?  Turn it over to the Lord, offer prayers, but also offer praise in hope, in faith.  "Be ready head to toe"  (The Message) to waken the dawn with it, and keep that endless hope.

Blessings,

Mike

Psalm 57:6-11The Message (MSG)

⁶ They booby-trapped my path;
    I thought I was dead and done for.
They dug a mantrap to catch me,
    and fell in headlong themselves.

^7-8 I'm ready, God, so ready,
    ready from head to toe,
Ready to sing, ready to raise a tune:
    "Wake up, soul!
Wake up, harp! wake up, lute!
    Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!"

^9-10 I'm thanking you, God, out loud in the streets,
    singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
    every cloud is a flag to your faithfulness.

¹¹ Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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