Today’s Verse – 2 Timothy 1:13-14
What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you — guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. —2 Timothy 1:13-14 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… We live in a world of keys, locks, alarms, passwords, passkeys, and security systems. Paul’s words shouldn’t surprise us. We protect the things that are most valuable to us. So ask yourself, “What is more precious to me than the truth of God’s saving grace in the Gospel, in faith?” Nothing. So thankfully, God has pre-wired each of us with a security system to help protect that incredibly precious hope. This security system lives in us and has given us God’s Scriptures by inspiration. This security system is the Holy Spirit, given to us when we were born into God’s family through the Spirit’s work. So, let’s value the Spirit’s presence more. Let’s ask for the Spirit’s help more proactively as we pray and open the Scriptures. Let’s listen and watch for the Spirit’s gentle leading and nudges to help us find our way. And let’s ask for the Holy Spirit’s help in safeguarding what God has entrusted to us. Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Please help me, O God, not to compromise your truth. I don’t want to stray into legalism or license. I want to live, and show others how to live, a holy life while trusting in the Holy Spirit’s help to guide me, reveal your truth in Scripture, produce fruit consistent with your character, transform me to become more like Jesus, and open my eyes to your will. Please empower me by your Spirit to see through falsehood and error so I can safeguard, share, and live your truth. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Isaiah 48:17
This is what the LORD says — your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I AM the LORD your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” —Isaiah 48:17 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Don’t you sometimes long for the pillar of fire at night and the cloud by day to guide us as we make our way through life? God gave these blessings to the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings (Exodus 13:21-22; Nehemiah 9:19-21). They never had to doubt God’s presence was with them and his care was over them. Then I remember God’s promised and abiding presence with us as followers of Jesus. This abiding presence is the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39; Romans 8:14). The Spirit’s presence is coupled with the promise that God will never leave or forsake us (Romans 8:38-39; Hebrews 13:5-6). As we seek God’s presence and honor his character, he will get us where we need to be to do his will. We can be assured that he will work in our lives what is most beneficial for us in this life and the next (Romans 8:28). Yes, the LORD is our God and Redeemer, and he directs us in the way we should go! My Prayer… O heavenly Father, please guide each of us to the places you want us to be, to the ministries in which you want us to serve, and to the people you most want us to touch and influence. Please, dear Father, capture each of our hearts to do your work and help us never lose sight of your abiding presence now, and the future we have with Jesus when he comes in glory.* In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen. * Colossians 3:2-3 & 1 John 3:1-2. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Psalm 119:64
The earth is filled with your love, O LORD; teach me your decrees. —Psalm 119:64 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Sometimes we get so caught up in the loving wonders of God’s creation and the marvelous blessings of “the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1, 111:7) that we forget to ask him to teach us his truths, help us understand his will, and give us the grace to live out his word in our daily lives. Let’s not only worship God in awe for his majestic creation; let’s also worship him by learning his will and living it in our daily lives (Romans 12:1-2). My Prayer… Holy and Precious Father, please teach me your truth. Lead me to your will. Guide me in your wisdom. I want my life and my choices to reflect your plan for me when you made me in my mother’s womb.* I desire for my life to display your righteous character, gracious compassion, and faithful lovingkindness. In the name of Jesus I ask these things. Amen. * Psalm 139:13-16. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. —Proverbs 22:6 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Children don’t just need to be taught facts, truth, and school subjects; they need to be trained and prepared for life in the grace of God, the way of Jesus, and the leading of the Holy Spirit. This training should come from their parents and other faithful adults in their lives. Deep down, we know that life is not just about intellectual lessons and information. Authentic life and productive living are about integrating God’s truth into the fabric of our daily lives as we teach them and model them before our children and the children God places under our influence. Our Father in heaven calls us to move our children and their training to the top of our list of priorities. Our children are forever; other things we invest our time in are temporary. So, let’s recommit to training up children and living as examples before them so that they will follow the way of God their whole lives. My Prayer… Great and holy Counselor, please help me as I seek to know the best way to share your love and truth with my children and the children you have placed into my circle of influence. I want them to know and love you, respect you, honor you, and live for you. Please, dear Father, bless me with the wisdom and courage I need to make wise decisions on how to lead and discipline these children. I need your help to display tenderness toward these precious children as I seek to demonstrate your righteous character, gracious compassion, and faithful love and justice in my daily life. In Jesus’ name, I pray for your help. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Psalm 95:6-7
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. —Psalm 95:6-7 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Worship is more than our hearts, souls, and words offered to God. It also necessarily involves our physical bodies, our strength, and our posture (Mark 12:29-30). When we understand the grace God has given us to be called his children, what else can we do but bow down or kneel before him in his majesty and loving grace? We come to him, a conquering ruler, offering ourselves in full submission. God chooses, however, to treat us tenderly like a loving shepherd who longs to care for us, and our Abba Father who is full of tender love for us. We must not forget the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:3-7) and the lost sons (Luke 15:11-32) as we pray this truth! Such grace leads us to bow and kneel in heartfelt worship before the LORD, our maker. My Prayer… Shepherd of my soul, my loving Abba Father, I come to you seeking your protection and rest as one of your sheep. I often find myself harried and driven by life’s pressures and temptations. I come to you submitting myself to be used for your glory – not just today, but for the remainder of our lives because we want others to find their rest in Jesus. So we kneel, we bow, and we humble ourselves. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Ephesians 2:19
“You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household.” —Ephesians 2:19 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Those of us who have been Christians a long time sometimes forget that we have no claim or right to the grace that we have received. God offered his grace freely to all people who are willing to call on Jesus as LORD and Savior, then live for him wholeheartedly (Titus 2:11; Acts 2:21, 41, 16:22; Romans 10:13). When we feel we deserve our place in “God’s household”, that it is ours by right, we are no longer living under grace. To be a part of God’s family is a gift. The Holy One who spoke into existence the universe – and we are a submicroscopic speck in comparison – has given us grace to be adopted into his family. Being part of God’s people, God’s household, is simply and magnificently a gift from the One who knows how to share grace in ways we can’t even imagine. My Prayer… For the incredible and boundless love you have given to your other children and me, born anew, born from above, born of you, O God, we fall to our knees and thank you. Your power is beyond our comprehension. Your awesome holiness is beyond our understanding. Yet your infinite grace is ours because of your costly love and boundless grace through Jesus. Thank you. A million times over we say it, “Thank you!” In the name of Jesus, our LORD. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. —Galatians 3:28 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Wouldn’t it be great if we could tear down all the walls that divide us – racial, social, economic, gender, and political. The apostle Paul spent his entire life trying to do just that: to tear down the walls that divided people by bringing them to Jesus and the cross. In fact, Paul emphatically proclaimed that Christ “has made us … one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:13-14 ESV). There are no positions of superiority or inferiority at the foot of the cross; only a place for those who discover God’s might displayed in sacrifice and God’s love displayed even when under attack at the hands of human cruelty. While the forces of culture and human selfishness are always trying to divide us, we can remember that in Jesus, and only in Jesus, we can all be truly one. My Prayer… Forgive me, O God, for the times when I have let prejudice and suspicion keep me from fully enjoying fellowship with those whom you have claimed as your children. I pray that my life will be an example of redemption and unity as I seek to love your children as you do. In the name of Jesus, whose dying prayer was for unity among his followers (John 17:20-21), I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. —Isaiah 26:3 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… It is naive, on one hand, to think that trusting in God makes all of our problems go away. Christians have many of the same problems that unbelievers do because they share the same mortal flesh and live in the same broken world (Romans 8:18-21). Some of our brothers and sisters are suffering hardship and persecution because of their faith. However, there is also a sense that trusting in God does make our problems go away – or at least helps us put those problems into perspective. Because we trust in God, our work stands or falls in his hands. Either way, we know that we will share in his victorious and glorious presence forever (Colossians 3:1-2). Our lives are not lived in vain. That’s not just confidence; it’s the foundation of true peace. We can live our lives to their fullest, knowing that every moment matters. We don’t need to be anxious about the results when we rest our lives in the hands of our living and victorious LORD, in whom we trust! My Prayer… Almighty Father of peace, thank you for the assurance that my life will not be lived in vain and will end victoriously in your presence with the return of Jesus (1 Thess. 4:16-18). May I share this sense of peace with others. In the name of Jesus, my Prince of Peace, I pray with confidence and assurance. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Psalm 119:165
Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. —Psalm 119:165 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… My doctor likes to tease me when I come in for a checkup: “What is your problem with gravity?” You see, from an early age, my nickname was “Trip”! I am someone who has had several very clumsy stages of life and taken some pretty nasty stumbles. So, I hope you will join me in hearing this most beautiful promise from today’s Scripture. For me, this promise is almost beyond believing. “Nothing can make them stumble.”When it comes to life, God gives us this promise: as we know, love, and do his will, nothing can make us stumble. There is great peace knowing that the Father loves us and doesn’t want us to stumble. Even when we do begin to stumble, if we go back to God and confess those stumbles and sins, he forgives them and makes us clean. It’s as if they hadn’t happened (1 John 1:9). God no longer sees it as a stumble because he has forgiven it and has empowered us beyond it! Now it is our turn to love God, his truth, and his guidance, obeying with all of our hearts, knowing that we have a power over spiritual gravity: nothing can make us stumble! My Prayer… Thank you, God, for this day. Thank you for all that lies ahead. Thank you that we don’t have to face today or tomorrow with doubts about our basic values and without a sense of your will for our lives. Stir us to live your will and obey your Scriptures so that nothing can make us stumble. Empower us with your Spirit and guide us with your truth so that we may more perfectly reflect your character. In Jesus’ name, we thank you for hearing our prayers. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today’s Verse – Psalm 116:1-2
I love the LORD. He heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. —Psalm 116:1-2 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Understanding the LORD’s love, presence, and nearness should lead us to serve him and to deepen our relationship with him. While we love God for many reasons, we especially want to express our love to him today for his personal concern for us – individually for each of us! In a world where important people refuse to spend time with those they consider “beneath them,” we are truly blessed with an incomparable God who listens to our every cry, recognizes our distinct voice, and tunes his ear to hear every one of our whispers. Yes! I will call on the LORD! I will praise him, thank him, confess to him, and speak of him and his grace as long as I live! My Prayer… Father, you know each hair on my head and every thought in my heart. Thank you for hearing my prayers. Thank you for answering so many of them with the answer I sought from you. Please give me patience when I cannot see your hand in the other answers – those that do not come as soon or do not bear the result I had requested. I believe and trust that you are always near, working for my good even when I can’t see it or understand what is happening. I believe you always answer my prayers to your glory and for my best eternal interests. So please, dear Father, strengthen my faith so that I will never outlive my trust and faith in you. In the name of Jesus, I ask for this grace. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.