Verse of the Day 8/31

Verse of the Day 8/31

Psalm 139:3-4

English Standard Version

3 You search out my path and my lying down

    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

People spend a lot of times, somtimes a lifetime, trying to figure out just who they are.  They may never truly find the answer until they acknowledge and understand "whose" they are.  They were created by God, the creator of the universe who knows them intimately, down to the hairs on their head (or lack thereof) and even the thoughts in their minds down to their very souls.

When we begin to realize this and the fact that this God cares for us and is for us, it changes everything.  He is our Shepherd, He will lead us and guide us and help us to realize who we are and what we have in Christ.

Max Lucado in his devotional for today writes, "You don't need to carry the burden of a lesser god—a god on a shelf, a god in a box, or a god in a bottle. No, you need a God who can place 100 billion stars in our galaxy and 100 billion galaxies in the universe. A God who can shape two fists of flesh into 75 to 100 billion nerve cells, each with as many as 10,000 connections to other nerve cells, place it in a skull, and call it a brain. And you have one. He is your Shepherd."

I'm reminded of the old hymn "At Calvary", it speaks of wandering in vanity and pride, but then finding yourself in the risen Savior.

1. Years I spent in vanity and pride,
   Caring not my Lord was crucified,
   Knowing not it was for me He died
   On Calvary.
   • Refrain:
     Mercy there was great, and grace was free;
     Pardon there was multiplied to me;
     There my burdened soul found liberty
     At Calvary.
2. By God's Word at last my sin I learned;
   Then I trembled at the law I'd spurned,
   Till my guilty soul imploring turned
   To Calvary.
3. Now I've giv'n to Jesus everything,
   Now I gladly own Him as my King,
   Now my raptured soul can only sing
   Of Calvary!
4. Oh, the love that drew salvation's plan!
   Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
   Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span
   At Calvary!

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 139:1-12

English Standard Version

Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

139 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,"
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

Verse of the Day 8/27

Verse of the Day 8/27

1 Corinthians 8:6

English Standard Version

6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

Today's verse came up in the read through the New Testament plan that I follow.  In it, Paul gives us a reminder that there is one God, theiri is one Savior who created all there is and has given us life.  Reading the verse brought me back to the Doxology that we often sang in chruch when I was growing up.  I wish we'd still sing it often.  We need to be reminded that all things flow from and through Him.

1. Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
   Praise Him, all creatures here below;
   Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
   Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

The words are simple and serve as a reminder to praise God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit for everything we have.

The verse also brings me back to Paul's writings in Romans 8 and at the end of chapter 11 where he expounds on the "all things" that we have in Christ.

As you worship today, think about all that you have in God, in Christ, in the Spirit living in us and praise Him, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

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

Romans 11:33-36

English Standard Version

33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?"
35 "Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?"

36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

Verse of the Day 8/23

Verse of the Day 8/23

Lamentations 3:22-23

English Standard Version

 

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

    his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

Yesterday, we considered from the book of Malachi how God is unchanging,He is the same - yesterday, today and forever.  This mornings verses describe a way in which God doesn't change.  His love, His loyal, steadfast love for us doesn't change.  Seasons in life may change but God's love for us does not waver.  When we call on Him, seek Him and draw upon His power we will realize that He gives us strength for the day and hope for tomorrow.

1. 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.
   • Refrain:
     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!
2. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
   Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
   Join with all nature in manifold witness
   To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.
3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
   Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,
   Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow—
   Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

It doesn't matter if you are watching the sunrise over the mountains or sitting in a jail cell, He is there, His mercies are new. We used to sing "Great is Thy Faithfulness" every month when I worked in the jail ministry from our church in Illinois. It was the county jail, most of those who would come to the Sunday night service were there awaiting trial.  Most of them would only be at one of our services.  But in singing the hymn and preaching from God's Word, we were challenging the men to seek Him, experience His steadfast loyal love, and to change the course of their lives.

Blessings,

Mike

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

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

Lamentations 3:19-26

English Standard Version

19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings,

    the wormwood and the gall!
20 My soul continually remembers it
    and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind,
    and therefore I have hope:

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

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

Verse of the Day 8/22

Verse of the Day 8/22

Malachi 3:6-7

New King James Version

6 "For I am the Lord, I do not change;

Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
7 Yet from the days of your fathers
You have gone away from My ordinances
And have not kept them.
Return to Me, and I will return to you,"
Says the Lord of hosts.
"But you said,
'In what way shall we return?'

I read today's verses in a devotional the other day and they have been on my mind since then,  When was the last time you stepped back and thought about God being the same, unchanging, day after day, year after year?  What are the remaifications of that for us.

We live in a world of change and it seems like things are changing at "warp speed".  But God knows of all these changes, He knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts.  He knows what we are thinking, He knows our plans before we put them into motion.  He is not waiting for us new ways of finding Him, He is always there.  If we truly are interested in finding Him, we don't have to create new ways.  He says "return to me and I will return to you".

David Jeremiah writes, "We're like twigs caught in an ever-rolling stream of change. Every moment is different than the previous one. Our bodies change, our children change, our work changes, our health and wealth change; our culture and world are constantly in flux. But at the core of the universe is an unchanging God—immutable, enduring, abiding, changeless, the same yesterday, today, and forever. In Him we have "an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast" (Hebrews 6:19)."

We may struggle with change, but the best way to cope, the best way to overcome and not be overcome is to return to the One who is unchanging.

A line from an old hymn comes to mind, "He is faithful changing never" .  Read the rest of the words of "Praise the Savior Ye Who Know Him, 

1 Praise the Savior, ye who know Him!
Who can tell how much we owe Him?
Gladly let us render to Him
all we are and have.

2 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.

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

4 Keep us, Lord, O keep us cleaving
to Thyself, and still believing,
till the hour of our receiving
promised joys with Thee.

May that 4st stanza be our prayer 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

Malachi 3:1-7

New King James Version

The Coming Messenger

3 "Behold, I send My messenger,
And he will prepare the way before Me.
And the Lord, whom you seek,
Will suddenly come to His temple,
Even the Messenger of the covenant,
In whom you delight.
Behold, He is coming,"
Says the Lord of hosts.

2 "But who can endure the day of His coming?
And who can stand when He appears?
For He is like a refiner's fire
And like launderers' soap.
3 He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
He will purify the sons of Levi,
And [a]purge them as gold and silver,
That they may offer to the Lord
An offering in righteousness.

4 "Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem
Will be [b]pleasant to the Lord,
As in the days of old,
As in former years.
5 And I will come near you for judgment;
I will be a swift witness
Against sorcerers,
Against adulterers,
Against perjurers,
Against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans,
And against those who turn away an alien—
Because they do not fear Me,"
Says the Lord of hosts.

6 "For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
7 Yet from the days of your fathers
You have gone away from My ordinances
And have not kept them.
Return to Me, and I will return to you,"
Says the Lord of hosts.
"But you said,
'In what way shall we return?'

Verse of the Day 8/16

Verse of the Day 8/16

Romans 15:13

New King James Version

13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Today's verse came up in the read through the New Testament plan that I follow, it is a favorite for many reasons, but most significantly because it reminds me of my wife Jean, who has this hope "through the power of the Holy Spirit."  I'd say it does abound in her as if overflows.

The chapter ends in verse 33 by saying "may the God of peace be with you all. Amen."  When we think of our God, how do we think of Him?  When these verses say "the God of hope" and "the God of peace" they reveal the character of God, the character of Jesus.  We also know that He is a God of love becasue "for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son".  

Charles Spurgeon writes, "Hope itself is like a star--not to be seen in the sunshine of prosperity, but only to be discovered in the night of adversity."  Think about that for a moment.  Where does hope shine the brightest?  It shines through those who have it, who hold onto it through the darkest hours; through the most challenging times.

I'm reminded of the song from Hillsong United, "Oceans".  Whle the word "hope" isn't in the lyrics, hope is found in the One whom the song is about.

Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now

[Chorus]
So I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine, 

Hebrews 6:19

New King James Version

19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil,

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

Verse of the Day 8/11

Verse of the Day 8/11

Isaiah 49:8-9

New Living Translation

8 This is what the Lord says:

"At just the right time, I will respond to you.

On the day of salvation I will help you.

I will protect you and give you to the people
    as my covenant with them.
Through you I will reestablish the land of Israel
    and assign it to its own people again.
9 I will say to the prisoners, 'Come out in freedom,'
    and to those in darkness, 'Come into the light.'
They will be my sheep, grazing in green pastures
    and on hills that were previously bare.

We're all familiar with the saying "in the nick of time", meaning that at the last seccond something or someone was rescued from peril of some kind.  It is what we see in movies all the time, the clock is ticking and just as the time is running out a crisis (often a bomb going off in a movie) is averted.  I don't know where it originated but in reading the Bible there are many examples of this in both testaments.

Today's verses deal with Isreal's restoration but we see other examples in Galatians 4:4 and 2 Corinthians 6:2 which speaks of receiving God's grace. The verses speak of deliverance, release, freedom, light and green pastures all of which coming in God's timing, at just the right time.

Perhaps you are in need of deliverance from something today.  Seek Him, wait on Him, call on Him.  At just the right time He will provide the answer.

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 every 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 

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 49:8-13

New King James Version

8 Thus says the Lord:

"In an acceptable[a] time I have heard You,
And in the day of salvation I have helped You;
I will [b]preserve You and give You
As a covenant to the people,
To restore the earth,
To cause them to inherit the desolate [c]

heritages;

9 That You may say to the prisoners, 'Go forth,'
To those who are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.'

"They shall feed along the roads,
And their pastures shall be on all desolate heights.
10 They shall neither hunger nor thirst,
Neither heat nor sun shall strike them;
For He who has mercy on them will lead them,
Even by the springs of water He will guide them.
11 I will make each of My mountains a road,
And My highways shall be elevated.
12 Surely these shall come from afar;
Look! Those from the north and the west,
And these from the land of Sinim."

13 Sing, O heavens!
Be joyful, O earth!
And break out in singing, O mountains!
For the Lord has comforted His people,
And will have mercy on His afflicted.