Giving Grace
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, Part of the challenge of being in a multi-cultural fellowship, is that people who are different from you are… different! Their background experiences are different. Their cultures are different. Their customs are different. Their foods are different. Their manners and matters of courtesy are different. Their language can be different. Some things that you may have been trained from the crib to reject as crude or unsavory may be common practice and treasured by another culture. So in a multi-cultural congregation, learn to appreciate your differences as long as I AM Lord, the Father is exalted, and the Holy Spirit lives in you. Also, remember this “two-sided” principle: In light of this, we must resolve never to judge others and never to place an obstacle or impediment in their paths that could cause them to trip and fall. It is your responsibility not to judge your fellow brother or sister on cultural issues. This duty is true even if those issues are offensive to your sense of what is proper. On the other hand, just because you are free to practice something in your culture because you have an understanding of grace, doesn’t mean you should use that freedom. You do not want to cause a brother or sister to stumble so that you can celebrate your freedom (1 Corinthians 8:9; Galatians 5:13-14). In other words, on cultural issues, go out of your way to make sure there are no unnecessary barriers and no stumbling blocks to interfere with your fellowship with others. Why is this two-sided principle so important? It is important because you will stand before the Father in judgment. Either He will use the grace with which you have treated, accepted, and lived for others to judge you, or He will use the harsh and condemning standard you have used on others (Matthew 7:1-2). I don’t think I have to tell you which one of those you will need! But even more than just trying to avoid the Father’s harsh judgment if you have judged others harshly, I want you to follow My example of grace. I want you to follow My example of giving grace regarding cultural differences. I also want you to follow My example of giving grace in all interactions with others. Treat people in your day in the way I treated them in my day (Luke 7:1-50; John 8:1-11; John 4:1-26; Philippians 2:5-11; Romans 5:6-11). Recognize how I welcomed all sorts of different people. Remind yourself of who you were before I welcomed you. And finally, remember what Paul taught in the verses below about not judging others and not causing others to sin. The theme of today’s verses will continue into tomorrow when you will read these words: So accept one another in the same way the Anointed has accepted you so that God will get the praise He is due. (Romans 15:7) That’s the point! Verses to Live Your goal in multi-cultural settings must not be to prove yourself right. You are called to welcome others as I have welcomed you. In My family, the overriding issue is whether or not you treat your Christian brothers and sisters who are different from you in the same way that I treated people. Will you welcome them, differences and all, into My fellowship as I did? Paul was emphatic about this point: [I]f God has accepted them, you have no reason to reject them. How could you think for a moment that you have the right to judge another person’s servant? That, My dear disciple, is very clear! So carefully read what Paul has to say about all this and I know you will be blessed and challenged. It’s high time that you welcome all people weak in the faith without debating and disputing their opinions. Here’s the issue: One person believes that nothing’s off the menu; he’ll eat any food put before him. But there’s another believer — we’ll call him the weaker — who eats only vegetables because the meat is tainted through contact with an idol. If you are an eater of all things, do not be condescending to your vegetarian brother or sister. In turn, those who abstain from certain foods on religious principles should not judge your brothers and sisters who eat meat — if God has accepted them, you have no reason to reject them. How could you think for a moment that you have the right to judge another person’s servant? Each servant answers to his own Master, and he will either stand or fall in His presence. The good news is that he will stand because the Master is able to make it so. There may be a believer who regards one day as more sacred than any other, while another views every day as sacred as the next. In these matters, all must reach their own conclusions and satisfy their own minds. If someone observes a day as holy, he observes it in honor of the Lord. If another eats a particular diet, he eats in honor of the Lord since he begins by giving thanks! If yet another abstains from that same food, he abstains out of respect for the Lord and begins his meal by thanking God too. The truth is that none of us live for ourselves, and none die for ourselves. For if we live, we live for the Lord. If we die, we die for the Lord. So in both life and death, we belong to the Lord. The Anointed One, the Liberating King, died and returned to life to make this a reality: through His death and resurrection, He became Lord of the living and the dead. So how is it that you continue to judge your brother? How is it possible for you to look down on a sister? We will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, “As I live, so I promise,” says the
Today’s Verse – 1 Corinthians 9:14
In the same way [as God commanded farm animals to be fed for their work], the LORD has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. —1 Corinthians 9:14 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… One of the great tragedies of our modern world is that while some who preach and teach the gospel are charlatans and cheats, the vast majority of God’s servants work hard and barely scrape by financially. Why not find some underpaid and forgotten Kingdom servant and share some blessings God has given you? A note of kindness, a specific comment of praise and thanksgiving, or a surprising financial gift can do amazing things to lift one of God’s servants and empower them to ever greater service. My Prayer… Holy Father, I thank you for your servants who share the message of Jesus wherever they are. Father, I want to especially thank you for these people: ______ Please bless them with good health, a faithful and loving family, and the proper support to do your work in a way worthy of your cause and their commitment. Please use me to bless and encourage your ministers of grace. 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.
Know What Time It Is!
Note from Jesus Dear Follower, Wake up. It’s nearly dawn. Put on your clothes. It’s time for living in the daylight. Paul chose powerful images for today’s passage from his letter to the Roman Christians. It’s as if someone is trying to rouse a sleeping friend who can’t quite “come awake” at the beginning of the day. But it’s time to wake up, get up, and get dressed because the new day is starting. Paul’s message was written about My return and the sense of urgency needed by the Christians in Rome. This verse captures Paul’s sentiment well: The darkness of night is dissolving as dawn’s light draws near, so walk out on your old dark life and put on the armor of light. Also, notice this glorious promise in another truth Paul wrote for those early Christians: [S]alvation is nearer to us than when we first believed. Here’s the point: if you are truly My disciple, you must live like it. Walk your talk. Practice what you preach. Reach for what you pray. Remember that life is fragile and transient. Expect that I could return at any moment. My return will be joyous for those who are Mine and already living in eager expectation of My return. For those who are not, this passage is a wake-up call, a sounding alarm clock, and a powerful reminder that I AM coming. You want to be ready when I arrive. Be a living sacrifice offering yourself to God (Romans 12:1-2). Live as a person whose heart and mind have been remade by your conversion. Live as a person whose heart is captured by the amazing grace of the Father. Stay away from “dark living” and do not fuel your “sinful imagination” with thoughts of depraved rebellion. Wrap yourself in Me! Verses to Live In the section in his Roman letter on practical Christian living, Paul used various metaphors. He began this last section of his letter urging the Roman Christians and you to live as sacrifices and to be transformed (Romans 12:1-2). He then talked about you Christians being My body (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:27). In today’s verses, he used the familiar images of darkness representing evil while light represents things that are good and holy. The call is to wake up and live in the light. And now consider this. You know well the times you are living in. It is time for you to wake up and see what is right before your eyes: for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The darkness of night is dissolving as dawn’s light draws near, so walk out on your old dark life and put on the armor of light. May we all act as good and respectable people, living today the same way as we will in the day of His coming. Do not fall into patterns of dark living: wild partying, drunkenness, sexual depravity, decadent gratification, quarreling, and jealousy. Instead, wrap yourselves in the Lord Jesus, God’s Anointed, and do not fuel your sinful imagination by indulging your self-seeking desire for the pleasures of the flesh. (Romans 13:11-14) Response in Prayer Almighty God, forgive me for piddling around with my life of faith and procrastinating about living with holy devotion. I commit to living with urgency and anticipation of Jesus’ return and pray for Your forgiveness for the times when I have not done so. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – Luke 9:13
[When his disciples wondered how to feed the huge crowd who had been with them several days and were famished, Jesus] replied, “You give them something to eat.” They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish — unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” —Luke 9:13 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… I love the way Jesus got his disciples’ attention in this situation. He challenged them “to do immeasurably more than all [they] ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20-21). Basically, Jesus told them, “You feed them, boys!” Of course, they knew that they couldn’t! Yet Jesus showed them they could do amazing things if they brought their meager resources to him. When the big picnic was over, each of those limited disciples got to pick up a basket full of leftovers from the table of Jesus’ grace (Luke 9:17). Let’s remember our challenge is the limited resources we see but our unwillingness to bring what we have to Jesus and trust that he will do something with us, and those resources, to bless others in ways we couldn’t have dreamed! Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… All praise to you, Abba Father, for your extravagant help and mercy in times of need, your loving and generous provision in times of want, and your surprising and exciting use of my limited resources as I seek to do your will. I know that you have entrusted me with what I have to accomplish the work you have called me to do as I serve to bless others. Forgive me, Father, for not trusting you to make what I think are my meager resources more than enough to do your work in my world! In Jesus’ name, I ask for your grace fully confident and praising you for your sufficiency. 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.
My Disciples Are Good Citizens
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, You are reading from a letter the apostle Paul wrote to believers in Rome. They lived in the seat of the Roman Empire’s government and power. A period of about two hundred years became known as the Pax Romana. It was relatively peaceful and included the early New Testament times. The Roman government offered great blessings: a stable legal system, relatively safe travel on highways and the seas, mail service, oversight of regional and city governments, and stability for commerce to thrive. The Father had worked in history to bring about this time so that history was ready for My coming (Galatians 4:4-7). The things that Paul wrote in today’s passage about honoring the government spoke to their political situation in a time of a relatively stable government. As you read the New Testament, you will also find very good teaching about how to live as My disciple when the government is growing more hostile. (Both the early chapters of Acts and the whole letter of 1 Peter reflect this kind of situation.) You will also learn how to live faithfully when the government becomes aggressively hostile to your faith (the Revelation to John). During the last years of Paul’s life and ministry, he used all the legal tools available to him to protect himself and his ministry from an increasingly hostile government that would eventually execute him (Philippians 1:19-23; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; In addition, don’t forget the Old Testament resources of Daniel and Esther as examples of faith when faced with hostile government officials!). I promised My disciples the Holy Spirit as their Comforter, Advocate, and Helper. Chapters 14-16 of the gospel of John record this extended conversation with My closest disciples. The Holy Spirit was sent both to them and to you to help “guide you in all truth” (John 16:13). As Paul told the Corinthians, the Holy Spirit will help you understand both the times and My will for you in these times (1 Corinthians 2:6-16). I share this with you so that you will understand that the things Paul said here are principles of how My disciples are to live in submission to government. The context was a government that was not openly hostile to the Roman Christians, but this context would soon change. Even as a government grows more hostile, I want you to realize that there are other resources in the Scriptures to help you know how to live faithfully. And by living faithfully, you will be able to honor your commitments to love the Father with all that you are and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:36-40). The specifics of honoring the government for each changing circumstance addressed in scripture can be a little different. However, basic underlying themes are found throughout the New Testament such as: Be a good citizen. Do not be a person of violence. Make sure any suffering you face is not because of your own bad behavior. Be a person of peace. Live at peace with all people. Be a peacemaker. Be a blessing to others. In addition to these themes, the Holy Spirit within you, My example lived before you, and your brothers and sisters of faith around you can help you know the best way to follow Me faithfully through all kinds of different political climates. Paul’s words today focus on honoring a political government. Your Father in heaven is the God of order and peace, not chaos and lawlessness. So governments are put into place with the divine intention to help and to bless people. When the governments become ruthless and tyrannical, the Father will work behind the scenes of history to bring them down (Psalm 2:1-12; the Revelation to John), although there is no way for you to know the Father’s timing. You must honor the government and obey its laws as a good citizen when these laws do not contradict My calling to you. “Do the right thing” and “live with a clear conscience.” “Pay your taxes” and don’t “owe anyone anything” as you show “love to one another.” Once again, what Paul wrote the Romans brings you back to My second great love command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” This principle will make you a good citizen, because when you live this principle, “love achieves everything the law requires.” Verses to Live In the last third of Romans (chapters 12-16), Paul repeatedly gives practical applications on how to love your neighbor as you love yourself and especially how to love your brothers and sisters in faith. Today’s verses focus on this responsibility as a good citizen. It is important that all of us submit to the authorities who have charge over us because God establishes all authority in heaven and on the earth. Therefore, a person who rebels against authority rebels against the order He established, and people like that can expect to face certain judgment. You see, if you do the right thing, you have nothing to be worried about from the rulers; but if you do what you know is wrong, the rulers will make sure you pay a price. Would you not rather live with a clear conscience than always have to be looking over your shoulder? Then keep doing what you know to be good and right, and they will publicly honor you. Look at it this way: The ruler is a servant of God called to serve and benefit you. But he is also a servant of God executing wrath upon those who practice evil. If you do what is wrong, then you’d better be afraid because he wields the power of the sword and doesn’t make empty threats. So submission is not optional; it’s required. But don’t just submit for the sake of avoiding punishment; submit and abide by the laws because your conscience leads you to do the right thing. Pay your taxes for the same reason because the authorities are servants of God, giving their full
Today’s Verse – Matthew 9:12
On hearing [people complaining he associated with sinful people], Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” —Matthew 9:12 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Why did Jesus associate with sinners? Because we need him to associate with us! What’s the most crucial part of that truth: Jesus’ desire to love and save us or our recognition of our need for him in our sinfulness? Of course, the most crucial truth is Jesus’ desire to love and save us. Without him, recognizing our sinfulness would only lead us to despair. At the same time, however, if we don’t acknowledge our need for Jesus’ love and grace, the LORD’s sacrifice for us is lost to us. So, let’s praise Jesus as our loving and sacrificial Savior as we acknowledge our need for his merciful love and mighty grace! My Prayer… Gracious Father, I praise you from the bottom of my heart for providing Jesus as my Savior. At the same time, dear Father, I confess I struggle with sin. I want sin entirely out of my life, yet I find that I cannot rid myself of its constant shadow and its penetrating stain. Without your grace and the love and mercy of Jesus, I know I could not stand before you as your pure child. So, please forgive me for the sins I confess to you now… As I have received your love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness, please receive my praise for your gracious forgiveness. 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.
What Love Looks Like!
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, In the first part of Paul’s letter to the Roman believers, he gave his great explanation of how all people have sinned and fallen short of the Father’s standards for holy character (Romans chapters 1-3). Next, he explained how all people, both Jews and non-Jews, are invited into the Father’s family by grace that they receive through faith in My death, burial, and resurrection (Romans chapters 4-6). He then explained that will-power and works of the law cannot make anyone, or keep anyone, righteous. Everyone needs the power of the Holy Spirit living in them to be the kind of people they want to be as the Father’s children (Romans chapters 7-8). Paul finished his great explanation of grace by writing about the place of both Jews and Gentiles in God’s plan of salvation (Romans chapters 9-11). Yesterday’s note focused on Paul’s great outburst of praise (Romans 11:33-36). This burst of praise finished the first section of Romans (chapters 1-11). Paul then began his challenging call for holy behavior. In My family of faith, all disciples need to offer themselves as living sacrifices to the Father (Romans 12:1-2) because of all He has done for them to bring them grace. Today’s verses focus upon some of the principles for living this kind of life to bless others. If you recall, I have told you that loving your neighbor as you love yourself is second only to loving God. These two love principles form the foundation for all of God’s demands for right living in relationship with Him and with others (Matthew 22:36-40). In today’s verses, Paul laid down principle after principle, all of which find their foundation in loving your neighbor as yourself. If you want to know what loving your neighbor looks like, read these verses very carefully. These are not laws to be obeyed but principles that must be adopted and which show what the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) looks like in everyday living. Not only is this behavior your goal in loving others, but this behavior is also “Spirit-natural;” it is the expected result of the Spirit’s work to transform you into having the character and compassion of Christ. When you make the effort to live this way, the Holy Spirit will furnish the power to produce this holy fruit as the Father pours His love into your heart through the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5). Verses to Live The phrase that best summarizes Paul’s principles in the verses below is “Live in true devotion to one another…” This dedication is the kind of behavior and the kind of love that I am calling you to incorporate into your life as My disciple! Love others well, and don’t hide behind a mask; love authentically. Despise evil; pursue what is good as if your life depends on it. Live in true devotion to one another, loving each other as sisters and brothers. Be first to honor others by putting them first. Do not slack in your faithfulness and hard work. Let your spirit be on fire, bubbling up and boiling over, as you serve the Lord. Do not forget to rejoice, for hope is always just around the corner. Hold up through the hard times that are coming, and devote yourselves to prayer. Share what you have with the saints, so they lack nothing; take every opportunity to open your life and home to others. If people mistreat or malign you, bless them. Always speak blessings, not curses. If some have cause to celebrate, join in the celebration. And if others are weeping, join in that as well. Work toward unity, and live in harmony with one another. Avoid thinking you are better than others or wiser than the rest; instead, embrace common people and ordinary tasks. Do not retaliate with evil, regardless of the evil brought against you. Try to do what is good and right and honorable as agreed upon by all people. If it is within your power, make peace with all people. Again, my loved ones, do not seek revenge; instead, allow God’s wrath to make sure justice is served. Turn it over to Him. For the Scriptures say, “Revenge is Mine. I will settle all scores.” But consider this bit of wisdom: “If your enemy is hungry, give him something to eat. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink; because if you treat him kindly, it will be like heaping hot coals on top of his head.” Never let evil get the best of you; instead, overpower evil with the good. (Romans 12:9-21) Response in Prayer O Father, I so desperately want my life to be full of the character, conduct, and compassion that Paul calls on these early Roman disciples to have in their lives. Empower me by the power of Your Holy Spirit to be transformed to be ever more like Christ in all these qualities as I live in relationship with those around me as Your child. Please help me to hold onto the passion I feel right now as I long to love others in Jesus’ name and follow His example. Amen. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – 2 Corinthians 9:11
You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. —2 Corinthians 9:11 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… An old saying says, “You can’t outgive God!” And this saying is true. The more we give to bless others and honor God, the more we have to give. Why does God bless us with riches? So we can share those riches generously with those in need, bring joy to those in despair, and give thanksgiving from all of these hearts to God. My Prayer… Father, thank you for providing me with so many blessings. May my use of your riches bring you glory and bring others a true and genuine blessing that will touch their hearts with your grace. 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.
Be a Living and Holy Sacrifice
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, Paul spent the first two-thirds of his letter to the Roman Christians explaining the principle of salvation by grace through faith. In Romans chapters 9-11, he explained how the Jewish people and the promises of the Father to Abraham fit into that plan for salvation. This explanation was important since many Jews in Paul’s time rejected the Father’s message of grace through Me and many Gentiles accepted this message. As Paul came to the end of this powerful teaching at the end of chapter 11, he finished with a burst of praise. Then in the first verses of chapter 12, he began the next part of his letter with a call to these Roman Christians to offer themselves to God as living sacrifices and to live for Him. Today’s Scripture is one of the most beautiful and cherished passages in your New Testament. First, Paul acknowledged that the Father’s plan is challenging and not easy to understand. It is both glorious and challenging. Paul’s words are an admission in praise that you cannot begin to understand all of the Father’s ways. The finite human mind cannot begin to imagine the plans of mercy and grace of the infinite and almighty Holy One of heaven (1 Corinthians 13:12). Your mortal brain cannot plumb the depths of meaning and heights of grace in the mind of YAHWEH, the Immortal One. So when you reach the point that your ability to understand the Father’s goodness is exhausted, praise Him! When your mind is confused about the ways of the Father and His plan of salvation, but astounded at His grace, then praise Him! No matter what you may not understand completely, know this: your Father in heaven loves you completely and sacrificially! In the last paragraph in the verses below, Paul gave a concise but challenging summary of the response that should be made to the Father’s love and grace. This choice that the Roman Christians were challenged to make is also the choice you need to make today — and each day. My beloved disciple, you — like these first-century believers in Rome — were redeemed at great cost. I did not, and I still do not regret that high price. However, the love behind this sacrifice that brought you mercy should capture your heart. It should convict you not to live like the rest of the world that does not know My love and the Father’s grace and mercy. Offer all that you are to the Father. That is what it means to love Us — Father, Son, and Spirit — with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:28-30). Please notice that Paul pointed out that We will assist you in your efforts to know the Father’s will and to be transformed as you live for Us. Most of the remainder of this letter to the Romans was devoted to helping them and you love the Father with your all and love each other as the Father’s children (Mark 12:31). Verses to Live While the words speak for themselves, I want to ask you to do three things with today’s Scripture. First read the first set of verses down to “Amen“ several times. Read these verses slowly. Read them out loud. Let the beauty of these words wash over you. Next, take a few minutes and pray a prayer of praise. Don’t ask for anything in this prayer. Instead, offer the Father praise for Who He is and what He has done as declared in Scripture to redeem you and adopt you into Our family. Finally, I want to encourage you to memorize the last paragraph. Even if you know it in another translation, put these words to memory and recite them each morning and each evening over the next week. Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! For who can know the Lord’s thoughts? Who knows enough to give him advice? And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back? For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice — the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 11:33-36 NLT; Romans 12:1-2 NLT) Response in Prayer O Father, You are “the highest God above, Who is and always will be, the only One Who is holy”! I am thankful that even though You “live in a high and holy place” You also have chosen to live with people like me — “the low, the weak, and the humble” to “renew [our] vitality and revive [our] strength.” I thank You for both Your awesome ways and Your gracious and merciful love. I offer myself to You because You alone are worth all that my life can be. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Note: Today’s prayer is a response both to Isaiah’s words in Isaiah 57:15 and also to Paul’s words in the Scripture above. ‘A Year with Jesus’ is written by Phil Ware. © 1998-2024, Heartlight, Inc. ‘A Year with Jesus‘ is part of the Heartlight Network.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Voice™. © 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today’s Verse – Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. —Proverbs 9:10 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… There are many noble and beneficial fields of academic pursuit. However, as today’s Scripture reminds us, true wisdom and the greatest understanding can be found in only one place: a reverential knowledge of God and the acknowledgment of his will with our obedience in all of our ways! My Prayer… LORD God, Holy Savior of Israel, and my Abba Father thank you for the grace of prayer and the gift of your truth that leads to wisdom. Thank you for your steadfastness and faithfulness in sharing this truth with us in the holy Scriptures, through our experience of your presence in our lives, and through the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Thank you for your patience as we seek to integrate your truth into our daily lives and seek to live with wisdom. Thank you for your mercy and justice. We place our lives and futures in your hands as we strive to honor you with our obedience and be used for your glory. In Jesus’ name, we 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.