Today’s Verse – 1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on [God] because he cares for you. —1 Peter 5:7 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Isn’t it absolutely wonderful that the God who made the universe cares about us and our needs, hurts, anxieties, and fears?! So let’s trust that he will do what is best for us and show that trust by living for him, loving him, and seeking to live out his purpose in our life (Romans 8:28-29). My Prayer… Loving Father and Almighty God, I consciously place all my anxieties, worries, cares, and frustrations into your hands. I will need the Holy Spirit’s help as I do my best not to dwell on them and seek to trust that you will do what is best for me and for those I love. In Jesus’ name, I thank you for this promise and ask for your help in receiving 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.
Hold These Promises in Your Heart
Note from Jesus Dear Child of God, Beginning today and for the next several days, I will remind you of things I shared with My closest disciples on the night I was betrayed. The beloved disciple, known to you as John, wrote these things down for you. They contain a series of comforting words and empowering promises about what I can do and will do for you because I have returned to the Father. Many of these promises focus upon My sending of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit’s intercession for you as your advocate at the Father’s side. Today I want you to recognize My promises that you will find in the verses below. These promises are yours because of My resurrection from the dead and My ascension to the right hand of the Father. These are great promises for you to memorize as a source of encouragement on days that are not so great, so I encourage you to hold these promises in your heart: My Father’s home is designed to accommodate all of you. I am going to make arrangements for your arrival. I will be there to greet you personally and welcome you home, where we will be together. If you know Me, you know the Father. If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. …whoever believes in Me will be able to do what I have done, but they will do even greater things, because I will return to be with the Father. Whatever you ask for in My name, I will do it so that the Father will get glory from the Son. My returning to the Father is so important for My disciples — including you, but My first disciples could not anticipate how My leaving them would be to their advantage. However, I wanted them to know — and yes, I want you to know this as well — My role at the Father’s side as your intercessor, advocate, and gift-giver is to your great advantage. So remember My promises and don’t forget to ask of Me. I AM at the Father’s side for you until you come home to Us! Verses to Live Home is such an important place. I want you to know that I am preparing your new home with Me. This assurance is just one of several incredible promises you will find in the verses below as I speak the truth about My love for you, My preparation for you, My presence in you, and the coming of the Holy Spirit — the Spirit will be more of our focus tomorrow. Be blessed! Jesus: Don’t get lost in despair; believe in God, and keep on believing in Me. My Father’s home is designed to accommodate all of you. If there were not room for everyone, I would have told you that. I am going to make arrangements for your arrival. I will be there to greet you personally and welcome you home, where we will be together. You know where I am going and how to get there. Thomas: Lord, we don’t know where You are going, so how can we know the path? Jesus: I am the path, the truth, and the energy of life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you know Me, you know the Father. Rest assured now; you know Him and have seen Him. Philip: Lord, all I am asking is that You show us the Father. Jesus (to Philip): I have lived with you all this time, and you still don’t know Who I am? If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. How can you keep asking to see the Father? Don’t you believe Me when I say I abide in the Father and the Father dwells in Me? I’m not making this up as I go along. The Father has given Me these truths that I have been speaking to you, and He empowers all My actions. Accept these truths: I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me. If you have trouble believing based on My words, believe because of the things I have done. I tell you the truth: whoever believes in Me will be able to do what I have done, but they will do even greater things, because I will return to be with the Father. Whatever you ask for in My name, I will do it so that the Father will get glory from the Son. Let Me say it again: if you ask for anything in My name, I will do it. (John 14:1-14) Response in Prayer O Father, these precious promises give me great hope and will sustain me through my darkest days and longest nights as I await the reunion of all who belong to You on the day Jesus returns. Until then, I will pray in Jesus’ name and rejoice in the blessings that are mine because Jesus rose from the dead, ascended to Your right hand, and lives to make intercession for me and others like me who love You and long for Jesus’ return. I praise and thank You. 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.
07 May 2024
Our desire for more resources may be fed by the amount of need all around us. There is so much need, it can be overwhelming. Time, money and our skills cannot be adequate to sort out all those around us who need help. May we turn to the Lord daily and hand over those burdens, because only He can minister adequately all those in need. May we also follow His lead on where to plug in. Psalm 68:19-20.
Daily Prayer for May 7
We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. l John 4:13, NIV Dear Father in heaven, we thank you with all our hearts because we know you are holding us by your hand and leading us on all our ways, in spite of all contradiction, strife, distress, and confusion within ourselves. What are all these compared to your love, which does not let us go but watches over us and finally brings us to what is good? Release us from our many burdens. Free our spirits and our souls more and more until we can do nothing but give praise and thanks with heart, soul, and strength for all you are to us. Amen. Recent articles on Plough The Sparrow Jane Tyson Clement In this short story, a drunken husband finds he is not beyond redemption. Read now Are You a Tree? Joy Marie Clarkson Or are you a potted plant? Read now Intentional Community: The Fantasy and the Reality Ben Cribbin I hoped to find meaning, purpose, and relationship in an intentional community. The strongest impediment, I discovered, was myself. Read now Get Ready to Be Changed Dietrich von Hildebrand Saint or sinner, all of us must be changed by Christ. Read now Watching the Geminids Maureen Swinger Sky-watchers have a chance to think about time differently. Read now
Today’s Verse – Deuteronomy 5:6-7
[The LORD said to Israel,] “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me.” —Deuteronomy 5:6-7 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… God had delivered his people from Egypt through the Red Sea, the ten plagues, and led them to this mountain, where he came down to give Moses and his people his Ten Commandments. They didn’t earn God’s presence, deserve his deliverance, and certainly had not earned his affection. However, God had blessed them with deliverance because of his grace and to honor his promises to Abraham. As God, the LORD, is Sovereign, all-powerful, and without rival. Amazingly, throughout the Scriptures, God follows this same pattern. He repeatedly blesses his people with grace; only then does he call his people to worship and obedience. The gods of other religions demanded adherence, sacrifice, and obedience BEFORE they would bless people with their favor. As the LORD, the great “I Am,” revealed to Moses (Exodus 3:4-13), he is worthy of being recognized as God. Having demonstrated his grace, love, mercy, and incomparable glory to Israel, he now calls on them to have no other gods; he alone is to be worshiped! My Prayer… Almighty God, you alone ARE worthy of all honor, worship, and praise. I want my heart always to revere you, respect your glory, and appreciate your grace. Please don’t let me outlive my love and allegiance to you. I pray this in Jesus’ name with all my love and respect. 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.
The Third Time
Note from Jesus Dear Beloved, The last few days I’ve visited with you about Peter’s restoration and several important principles regarding confession, forgiveness, grace, cleansing, and restoration. In today’s verses, you get to read how I lovingly confronted Peter concerning his bold claims about not failing Me even if the other apostles did and concerning his subsequent denial of Me on the night Judas betrayed Me. On Peter’s third denial, the rooster crowed, he realized his failure, and he went out and wept bitterly (Luke 22:59-62). The verses below continue the account of My third appearance to the apostles. I asked Peter three times if he loved Me. He was hurt when I asked him a third time. Don’t miss the symmetry — third denial, third appearance, third time I asked the question. This is no mere coincidence. This is the delicate art of loving confrontation — the parallels of things involving the “third” time, the careful wording, the loving but clear confrontation of Peter about his bold claims about being faithful when I washed his feet (John 13:1-38). I asked Peter three times about his love for Me. On that third time, let’s just say that he heard that rooster crow figuratively once again. Three denials. Three times I asked on our third visit after the resurrection about his three denials. The point was clearly there for Peter and everyone else around the fire with Me to understand. I likewise made clear to Peter in front of the other disciples that I was calling him back to ministry: “Take care of My lambs. … Shepherd My sheep. … Look after My sheep.” With each question about his love for Me, Peter also received an affirmation of My call for him to be a pastor. The original meaning of “pastor” was “shepherd.” I was calling Peter to shepherd My people. For those keeping up with each of the “thirds,” let’s go over them: Peter heard the rooster crow on his third denial. This is My third visit with the disciples after My resurrection. Peter was hurt when I asked him the third time if he loved Me. Peter heard My call for him to be a shepherd of My sheep a third time. Why was this loving, yet clear, confrontation so important? It was important because Peter’s fellow apostles knew about his denials. Peter needed to be reclaimed and restored to leadership. He would never have been if he hadn’t been lovingly confronted with his failure and if he hadn’t received My call in front of those he disappointed — a call for him to come back to leadership. I let him know serving Me as a leader wouldn’t be easy, but that is what I was calling him to do. Eventually, he was going to follow Me into a death like I endured as a martyr. He would follow Me. He would reach out to people as a shepherd. He would be a great leader among My people. He would give his life in the process. In the end, he would live up to the brash promises he had made earlier on the night he denied even knowing Me — but he would live up to his promises only after being humbled, lovingly confronted, and called back into ministry. That is what it means to be forgiven, cleansed, reclaimed, and restored! One last time, you see Peter being Peter: After I confronted him and then told him about the nature of his death, he wanted to know what was going to happen to the beloved disciple. It was like he was saying, “OK Lord, I know I’m going to die for you, but what about him?” Before Peter could go very far down that road of comparison of worth, value, and life span, I reminded him of the only issue that mattered: “… what difference will this make to you? You follow Me!” That, My beloved friend, is the issue for you today. Don’t let failure, pride, embarrassment, overstatement, rivalry, jealousy, envy, or any other sin stand in the way of your following Me. Just as surely as you must face your failure, you have to know that even more I want to reclaim, remake, and restore you to useful service in My kingdom. So, follow Me! Verses to Live Today’s verses continue the story from yesterday — the time after My resurrection when Peter took six other disciples fishing with him. Not only does this story parallel closely the time I originally called Peter, Andrew, James and John from their lives as fishermen, but there are those “third-time” parallels that run throughout this event. All of that is important to notice, however, only if you get the message: When you have failed Me and failed other disciples, I don’t want you to give up and quit. I don’t want you living your life in guilt and suspicion because you have not addressed your sinful failures. I want to recall you to ministry. Notice how I do this with Peter. Jesus took the bread and gave it to each of them, and then He did the same with the fish. This was the third time the disciples had seen Jesus since His death and resurrection. They finished eating breakfast. Jesus: Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these other things? Simon Peter: Yes, Lord. You know that I love You. Jesus: Take care of My lambs. Jesus asked him a second time… Jesus: Simon, son of John, do you love Me? Simon Peter: Yes, Lord. You must surely know that I love You. Jesus: Shepherd My sheep. Jesus (for the third time): Simon, son of John, do you love Me? Peter was hurt because He asked him the same question a third time, “Do you love Me?” Simon Peter: Lord, You know everything! You know that I love You. Jesus: Look after My sheep. I tell you the truth: when you were younger, you would
06 May 2024
May we have the right focus when it comes to material things. May godliness with contentment be our portion. And where the Lord blesses us materially, may He makes us glad. Ecclesiastes 5:10-20.
Daily Prayer for May 6
I heard a loud voice proclaiming from the throne: “Now at last God has his dwelling among men! He will dwell among them and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes; there shall be an end to death, and to mourning and crying and pain; for the old order has passed away!” Revelation 21:3–4, NEB Lord our God, we look to you and to Jesus Christ our Savior. Continually renew your grace and your power in our lives, we pray. Renew your grace and power, that we may have light even in dark and distressing times and through the Savior may overcome as we wait faithfully for your kingdom. Help us to be ready to take anything upon ourselves, to serve you with body and soul, with all we have and are. May we belong to the hosts of those who go to meet you, who wait for your coming kingdom, which will bring comfort to the world and to all people who now suffer and grieve. O Lord our God, have mercy on our times and on our world. Grant that with thanks and praise we may soon see the signs of the fulfillment of your promises. Amen. Recent articles on Plough Are You a Tree? Joy Marie Clarkson Or are you a potted plant? Read now Intentional Community: The Fantasy and the Reality Ben Cribbin I hoped to find meaning, purpose, and relationship in an intentional community. The strongest impediment, I discovered, was myself. Read now Get Ready to Be Changed Dietrich von Hildebrand Saint or sinner, all of us must be changed by Christ. Read now Watching the Geminids Maureen Swinger Sky-watchers have a chance to think about time differently. Read now In Defense of Chastity Erik Varden Is the church’s teaching on sex unnatural? Read now
Today’s Verse – Romans 5:5
And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. —Romans 5:5 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… The source of our hope is not just in Jesus’ prior work on the Cross and in the empty tomb as he “who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). Our hope isn’t dependent upon our own will-power and commitment to hang on to hope — although, at times, we need these virtues. No, God made sure the burning fire of vibrant hope would never run out of fuel in our hearts. He did this by filling us with his Holy Spirit and pouring his love into our hearts. That same Spirit Holy Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will also raise us up and give us life when Jesus returns (Romans 8:11). My Prayer… Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for the gift of your Holy Spirit who keeps my hope alive, fills me with a sense of your loving presence, empowers me to live for Jesus, and is interceding for me now as I pray. May my life consistently display my confidence in your love by sharing your kindness with others because of my hope in Jesus, in whose 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.
Back at the Beginning?
Note from Jesus Dear Disciple, Sometimes things have a way of repeating themselves. The events in the verses below occurred after My resurrection. The apostle Peter and six of My other disciples were back where Peter was when I first called him to follow me (Luke 5:1-11); they were fishing. Once again, they caught no fish during a long night of fishing. Once again, I directed them how to catch fish, and they netted a huge haul of fish. After experiencing the miraculous catch of fish earlier when I was calling My first disciples, Peter fell at My feet and said: I can’t take this, Lord. I’m a sinful man. You shouldn’t be around the likes of me. (Luke 5:8). I then called Peter to leave his life as a fisherman and follow Me to start reaching people with My good news. After over three years of ministry with Me, Peter was back where he began. But I needed him ready to lead My disciples to take the good news to the world. However, Peter’s failure stood in the way. Despite My warning, he denied Me three times on the night I was betrayed. Despite his claims that he would not fail Me even if the other disciples did, he failed to live up to his word. Peter’s failure stood in the way of his leadership. There was that other problem in the verses below: a problem symbolized by Peter’s jumping into the water, swimming ashore, and leaving the other men behind in the boat to take care of the fish. Peter needed to humble himself, do the little things that needed to be done and live faithfully for Me. Most importantly, the confession that he was a sinful man didn’t happen this second time. Enough time had passed for Peter to own the ways he had failed Me on the night I was betrayed. He had not done so. My appearance to Peter and the apostles on the beach — see the verses below — was My third appearance to them after My resurrection. Peter had not yet confessed his failure and asked for forgiveness from the disciples or Me. Bottom line: Peter’s failure and his brash bravado stood in the way of his being a great servant leader in the new church that was about to be born. So I began My ministry of restoration with Peter. I would firmly, but lovingly, help him confront his failure in front the men who knew it best. I seized this opportunity to help Peter remember — to remember his initial call to become a fisherman for people and follow Me and to remember his failure to live up to his brash promises. In tomorrow’s verses, you will join Me as I directly but lovingly confront and restore Peter. Today, however, I want you to think about how your own sin and failure can make you feel as if you have to start all over and as if you have to win My trust and earn your right to My grace. Please know that is not true. I long to forgive and restore you. I do ask that you own your failure, that you trust the sufficiency of My grace, and that you get back to following Me. But don’t let shame destroy you. Don’t let your pride keep you from being honest with Me and others. Don’t let the evil one cloud your heart with doubts about My love for you. I long to restore you. I want to use you to grow My kingdom and share My grace. I will use your failures to help you learn to be gracious and empathetic with others so they can be restored, too. I did it with Peter. I will do it with you! Believe in My love for you. Rely on the grace I have for you. Trust the plans that I have to use you. Follow me! Verses to Live Notice how similar this situation is to the first call of Peter (Luke 5:1-11). Then notice how these two events are different. Why do you think I chose for this to be the scene of My third appearance to the apostles after My resurrection? What do you think would have happened to Peter and his leadership if I had not confronted him about his failure before I returned to the Father? There was one other time when Jesus appeared to the disciples — this time by the Sea of Tiberias. This is how it happened: Simon Peter, Thomas (the Twin), Nathanael (the Galilean from Cana), the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. Simon Peter (to disciples): I am going fishing. Disciples: Then we will come with you. They went out in the boat and caught nothing through the night. As day was breaking, Jesus was standing on the beach; but they did not know it was Jesus. Jesus: My sons, you haven’t caught any fish, have you? Disciples: No. Jesus: Throw your net on the starboard side of the boat, and your net will find the fish. They did what He said, and suddenly they could not lift their net because of the massive weight of the fish that filled it. The disciple loved by Jesus turned to Peter and said: Beloved Disciple: It is the Lord. Immediately, when Simon Peter heard these words, he threw on his shirt (which he would take off while he was working) and dove into the sea. The rest of the disciples followed him, bringing in the boat and dragging in their net full of fish. They were close to the shore, fishing only about 100 yards out. When they arrived on shore, they saw a charcoal fire laid with fish on the grill. He had bread too. Jesus (to disciples): Bring some of the fish you just caught. Simon Peter went back to the boat to unload the fish from the net. He pulled 153 large fish from the