Verse of the Day 1/30

Verse of the Day 1/30

Psalm 73:25-26

English Standard Version

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?

    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

The beginning of trhe passage posted below begins with "I was brutish and ignorant, I was like a beast towards you." Can you think of times in your life when you acted towards God that way, like a child throwing a tantrum? But when they need something they know that their parent is there for them.  They won't go to their best friend, or brother or sister, only their parents will do. As Christlan adults we too realize that there is ultimately no one besides God that can deliver us, give us strength, give us hope.

We all realize that at some point our hears will fail, we will die, but verse 26 tells us that even then God will be our strenth, here and then into eternity.  John Piper writes, "In essence, he says, "In myself I feel very weak and helpless and unable to cope. My body is shot and my heart is almost dead. But whatever the reason for this despondency, I will not yield. I will trust God and not myself. He is my strength and my portion."

We need strength for today and hope for tomorrow.  Only God can provide this to us, great is His faithfulness.

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

 

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

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!

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 73:22-28

English Standard Version

22 I was brutish and ignorant;

    I was like a beast toward you.

23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
    you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength[a] of my heart and my portion forever.

27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
    you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God;
    I have made the Lord God my refuge,
    that I may tell of all your works.

Verse of the Day 1/29

Verse of the Day 1/29

Isaiah 26:3-4

English Standard Version

3 You keep him in perfect peace

    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.

Today's verses came up in my Old Testament reading in which I'm currently going through the book of Isaiah.  As I approaced this chapter I knew that these verses were coming up and they came at a good time when we've been in another phase of Jeans battle and trials with cancer.  She's been doing better the last few days and we've been able to prasie God for His timing in all of it which has given us peace, that only faith in Him can bring, during these times.  

The challenge for any of us, as Christians, is to look at life and ask what and not why.  Okay God, what are you trying to show and teach us.  Where are you leading us?  Not why is this happening to us? We'll have an eternity to get a better grasp on that, but we have what He's done in the past to understand that He has His purposes in His perfect will.

Charles Spurgeon writes, "We have been in many trials, but we have never yet been cast where we could not find in our God all that we needed. Let us then be encouraged to trust in the Lord forever, assured that his ever lasting strength will be, as it has been, our succour and stay."

A couple of hymns came to mind but I chose to go with this one because He is an everlasting rock; our hope and stay.

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus Christ, my righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus' name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,

Support me in the whelming flood;

When all around my soul gives way,

He then is all my hope and stay.

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 26:1-9

English Standard Version

You Keep Him in Perfect Peace

26 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah:

"We have a strong city;
    he sets up salvation
    as walls and bulwarks.
2 Open the gates,
    that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in.
3 You keep him in perfect peace
    whose mind is stayed on you,
    because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
    for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
5 For he has humbled
    the inhabitants of the height,
    the lofty city.
He lays it low, lays it low to the ground,
    casts it to the dust.
6 The foot tramples it,
    the feet of the poor,
    the steps of the needy."

7 The path of the righteous is level;
    you make level the way of the righteous.
8 In the path of your judgments,
    O Lord, we wait for you;
your name and remembrance
    are the desire of our soul.
9 My soul yearns for you in the night;
    my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
For when your judgments are in the earth,
    the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

Verse of the Day 1/28

Verse of the Day 1/28

Psalm 71:20-21

English Standard Version

20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities

    will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
    you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my greatness
    and comfort me again.

Today's verses came up in my daily reading in the Psalms.  They were fitting for the day.  As I write this my wife Jean is sitting across from me having her devotions. She has been battling cancer for going on 7 years.  When first diagnaosed she was rated at stage four grade three cancer. We've seen other "calamities and troubles" in our lives but we're in the throws of this one. Two days ago I was worrying about what these next few days would bring. She was very disoriented,( not even capable of reading )and I was wondering if things would turn around this time.

Thankfully, we had a regularly scheduled appointment for a PET scan and visit with the doctor yesterday.  There, we received some encouraging news and some more troubling news. In a nutshell, through our team of doctors; from her GP to her palliative card doctor and her oncologist, it was determined that several things were going on. Some medications were adjusted and other supplements added and she is more like herself once again.

We could see God's hand in the timing of it all and praise God, because we know that we'll both be singing His praises once again for the comfort we have received. Her long term prognosis is still not good, but we've been given a reprieve for now and an opportunity to receive comfort seeing His greatness through it all.

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,
I will sing, I will sing,
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.
With my mouth will I make known
Thy faithfulness, Thy faithfulness,
With my mouth will I make known
Thy faithfulness to all generations,
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.

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 71:19-24

English Standard Version

19 Your righteousness, O God,

    reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
    O God, who is like you?
20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
    will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
    you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my greatness
    and comfort me again.

22 I will also praise you with the harp
    for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
    O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy,
    when I sing praises to you;
    my soul also, which you have redeemed.
24 And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,
for they have been put to shame and disappointed
    who sought to do me hurt.

Verse of the Day 1/26

Verse of the Day 1/26

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 English Standard Version

11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, 12 so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I mentioned the other day how someone may ask youj from time to time "if there's anything I can do for you please let me know?" How many times do we respond please pray for me?  When we ask that prayer may those prayers be along these lines, and when we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ may we pray along these lines as well. Go through the verses slowly think of the emotions behind those words issued by Paul.

Consider the words, "may fulfill every resolve for good", how many times do we resolve to do something but then drop the ball and not do it? It is a prayer for God's grace to enable us to fulfill those promptings.  They will be done in faith through His power working in us. 

Pastor John Piper writes, "That means the giver gets the glory. God gave the power. God gets the glory. We have faith; he gives power. We get the help; he gets the glory. That's the deal that keeps us humble and happy, and keeps him supreme and glorious. Then Paul says that this glorification of Christ is "according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus.....God's answer to Paul's prayer that we rely on God's power to do good works is grace. God's power to enable you to do what you resolve to do is grace.

1 I am resolved no longer to linger,
charmed by the world's delight;
things that are higher, things that are nobler,
these have allured my sight.

Refrain:
I will hasten to Him,
hasten so glad and free;
Jesus, greatest, highest,
I will come to Thee.

2 I am resolved to go to the Savior,
leaving my sin and strife;
He is the true one, He is the just one,
He has the words of life. [Refrain]

3 I am resolved, and who will go with me?
Come, friends, without delay;
taught by the Bible, led by the Spirit,
we'll walk the heavenly way. 

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

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

English Standard Version

The Man of Lawlessness

2 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers,[a] 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness[b] is revealed, the son of destruction,[c] 4 who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? 6 And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, 12 in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Verse of the Day 1/15

Verse of the Day 1/25    

Galatians 5:5-6

English Standard Version

5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

As you go through different seasons and cheallenges in life, verses that you read speak to you differently as the Spirit guides you through His Word.  Today's verses speak of "eagerly waiting" tor the hope of righteousness.  It is eagerly waiting to receive the blessings of what Christ has done for us and we receive these things by faith.

The true gospel revovlves around faith not works, "not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to His mercy He saves us". It is through the power of the Holy Spirit working in us not in our efforts of our own will that He leads us; He is at work in us shaping us, molding us, sanctifying us as we await our future salvation.

If you're weary or troubled today, there is hope and there is light ahead.  We don't passively wait for it, we eargerly wait, looking for His light, in faith working through love.

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There's light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free.

 

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
  In the light of His glory and grace.

2

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
O'er us sin no more hath dominion
For more than conqu'rors we are!

3

His Word shall not fail you, He promised;
Believe Him and all will be well;
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

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

Galatians 5:1-6

English Standard Version

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

2 Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. 3 I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. 4 You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified[a] by the law; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.