Today’s Verse – Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. —Hebrews 4:12 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… What is the greatest tool to repair the human heart? …by-pass surgery? …angioplasty? …artificial heart? …transplant? How about the word/Word of God? You see, while these other techniques can be of great aid to the physical hearts of people, God’s tool for spiritual heart surgery is his word (the Scriptures) and his Word (his Son). This sharp scalpel of the Scriptures can reach the soul and spirit as well as being a physical blessing. The tender touch of the Son can heal our deepest wounds. So how much of your heart are you offering to God? How frequently are you offering him your inner self to receive his powerful heart-healing touch? As you open God’s Scripture and hear the message of God preached, ask for the Holy Spirit to help you understand, apply, and put into practice what is being taught. As you deal with life’s heart-battering realities, invite God’s Word, the Son, to minister to your inner being. Let’s offer ourselves to God so that his word (the Scriptures), and his Word (the Son), can do their work in us and adjust our thoughts and attitudes to align with our Father’s. My Prayer… Holy God, I ask that as I open your Scriptures and hear your Word preached and taught, the Holy Spirit penetrate my heart and convict me of sin, discomfort me in areas where I need growth, and stir me in areas where I need motivation to be more like Jesus. I also ask that I commit to honor your Word, the Son, minister to the tender places of my heart with grace and mercy. In the name of the LORD Jesus Christ. 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 107:9
For he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. —Psalm 107:9 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… The Bible cries out with an essential and recurring truth: God quenches the thirst and satisfies the hunger of those who genuinely seek him. Jesus even said in his Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:6) We try to soothe the ache in our souls and fill the emptiness in our hearts with what is only a temporary satisfaction – an ache and emptiness that only God’s presence can fill. Let’s refuse every false satisfaction and tempting distraction and truly seek the LORD who alone can satisfy our spiritual thirst and fill the emptiness and hunger of our hearts. There IS a God-shaped hole in all of us that only he can fill! My Prayer… Forgive us, dear Father, for trying to find the satisfaction for our souls’ hunger in what is not truly sustaining or satiating. We confess the areas of temptation that most often leads us to stumble into false satisfaction – sex, status, possessions, economic security, chemical dependency, busyness, abusing food, buying new stuff, body identity, or a host of other possible vulnerabilities – are all too true in us. As we seek you, dear LORD, please make your presence known as you satisfy our spiritual thirst and satiate our souls’ deep hunger. In the name of Jesus, our LORD, 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.
Today’s Verse – Psalm 23:2-3
He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. —Psalm 23:2-3 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Some of us won’t slow down for anything! Sadly, when we become overly self-assured and get too caught up in our plans, we tend to press on until we crash from exhaustion, make mistakes due to weariness, or sin because we are spiritually vulnerable. The LORD, our good Shepherd, slows us down, has us lie down, and brings restoration to our souls. Our Shepherd knows we need rest, nourishment, and refreshment. He helps us, and even makes us lie down in “green pastures” and walk beside “still waters.” Once our Shepherd restores our souls, he leads us in the paths of his righteousness. Part of God’s grace to us is his leading and guidance, enabling us to find rest, be restored, and walk in the right paths for our lives. Jesus, as our good Shepherd, did the same with his disciples when he said to them: “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31) My Prayer… Thank you, dear Father, for slowing down my frantic life and leading me to times of refreshment, rest, and nourishment. Please forgive me for the times I have been too busy to hear your voice or respond to your call to rest. I trust that you will lead me to what I need as you mature me to have more and more of your righteous character. To do that, I know that I need to rest in you and with you in “green pastures” and “quiet waters.” O, God, I need your tender but firm guiding hand in my life as my Shepherd. In Jesus’ name, I confess and 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.
Daily Prayer for September 6
When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:14–15, NIV Dear Father in heaven, how shall we thank you for all you give to us, your children, for the great wisdom and power you hold in readiness for us if we are childlike? We want to be glad in your presence. We do not want to weep and complain, though tears often threaten to come. We simply want to ask you to protect us, your children. Protect all your children on earth. Let the pain that breaks over them be taken away, for the sake of the whole world. Even when we must follow a hard road, let all the suffering we endure become part of the fight that brings in the kingdom of heaven, bringing your purpose to the earth and great mercy to the peoples, bringing to all the world the wonderful forgiveness that enables men to be reborn, until at last all are called your children. Sustain us. Help us. Bless us. May the Savior always live among us, reviving and strengthening us in body and soul. Amen. Recent articles on Plough The Gospel of Grace Brennan Manning We believe that we can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps – until they are cut. Read now Poor Men West of Richmond Maureen Swinger What I found at an Oliver Anthony concert. Read now Superdoctors From Saint Roch to The Pitt Ellie Rose Mattoon Saint Roch forced me to grapple with how far I might be willing to go for the patients in my care. Read now Sandpile Parenting Johann Christoph Arnold As children we had a big sandpile where our imaginations could run wild. Read now The One Who Promises King-Ho Leung The making and keeping of promises and vows seems to be something close to Taylor Swift’s heart. What can we learn from her songs? Read now
Today’s Verse – Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. —Psalm 119:105 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… So often, those of us who have received the blessings of faith and the guidelines of the word of God don’t fully appreciate them. Can you imagine what it would be like to try to define your worth, clarify your values, or establish your sense of purpose without a standard of truth? Imagine what it would be like to be lost without a map, without a compass, or without GPS? Remember what it was like to wake up in an unfamiliar place as a child in the pitch black darkness, totally disoriented? We don’t have to worry about that now, do we? God’s word – both the Scriptures and the Son – light our dark paths and show us the way home! Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… O LORD, my Abba Father, thank you for not leaving me in darkness. Your Word, the Scriptures, lights my path, and your Word, the Son, is the Light of the World and enlightens my life. Thank you for not leaving me alone in darkness to try and find my way through life. In Jesus’ name, I thank you for your Word in the Scriptures and your Word, the Son who lights my way. 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.
05 Sep 2025
The benefits of walking with the Lord or being in His presence are the things wellness experts and health professionals are telling us to pursue in order to enjoy a long life. Let us always desire to be in His presence. Psalm 16:8 & 11; Psalm 32:7-8.
No Longer Any Sea
The glorious future when the sea is no more! The images in today’s post are tough to see.* [See Note] Viewing them is tough because they are too true to our world right now. They are bitter reminders of the religious hatred, political instability, and the personal viciousness that lie in the hearts of fallen humanity. We live in the world with “the hurt” and it is a force we cannot manage. Our world is in bondage to decay, and it cries out for liberation (Romans 8:18-25). In the worst of times, the problems of our world’s brokenness overwhelm us. They not only overwhelm us individually, but they can overwhelm us as nations and as a world-wide community. Our impotence in dealing with this current hurt is a reminder that we can be overwhelmed at every human level with “the hurt” at almost any time! We don’t need theology to tell us something’s broken with our world. We see the results of this brokenness all around us. The picture of tiny Aidan, an innocent child, caught up in the rip tides of politics, economics, religion, hatred, ethnicity, and race, reminds us powerfully of the brokenness of our world. His lifeless body pushes us to see “the hurt” in human terms We know that “the hurt” is real. I know it personally. I was not allowed the immunity of childhood to protect me from “the hurt.” Daddy Gordon, my grandfather on my mother’s side, died without warning when I was 5. We had been fishing in the Gulf of Mexico the day before. The next night he was gone. I had to face “the hurt” with no tools through the emotional mist of a kid’s confusion. Gary, a friend with whom I had tried to share Jesus in ninth grade, was killed riding on a motorcycle going to buy drugs. The guy driving the motorcycle was supposed to be a Christian. I had to face “the hurt” again when I was 15, still in the angst of being a teenager. My father, Daddy Al, died when I was 25 after a lengthy illness. Once again, now in the earliest stages of marriage and fatherhood, I had to face “the hurt.” Only this time, I was more fully aware of the finality and all that is lost to “the hurt” even when that loss is framed by faith. The first three decades of my life were marked by life-shattering losses to “the hurt.” However, compared to what many in our world face, I lived a blessed life! The brokenness of our world – dealing with the overwhelming nature of “the hurt” – is our inescapable reality as mere mortals. We must have an answer for life’s biggest inescapable, “the hurt,” or all of our other answers pale in significance. When the surging waves of our mortality overwhelm us, we have to have an answer for “the hurt” or the surging seas will swallow us in death and the winds of hell will rip apart all that we hold dear. But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! I love that phrase from the apostle Paul (Romans 7:25). Only now it is my exclamation of anticipated joy as I look at our passage today from Jesus’ Revelation to John (Revelation 22:1). Notice what is said at the end of the first verse: …and there was no longer any sea! How is that good news? Why is this reason to rejoice? I love the sea. There is some primal connection with me to waters of our creation. Why is this good? In the book of Revelation and much of the Bible, the sea is the source of the monsters of hell (Revelation 13:1). In the Old Testament, the sea was symbolic of the monsters of chaos we cannot control: our primal fear of weather, oceans, fire, winds, and all the disasters of our fallen world (Isaiah 27:1-5). The time is coming when all the chaos and monsters from hell and all that sea symbolize are gone! But what does that mean for you and me? Jesus’ promise to us through John means that “the hurt” will be ended! John describes it in these ways. There will be a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 22:1). We will have connection with the best of God’s original creative intention, but we will now be able to enjoy it in perfection, forever. The apostle Paul illustrated this contrast by telling us that in this life we see the seed of God’s life for us, but then we will enjoy it in full bloom (1 Corinthians 15:35-49). Jesus’ promise to us through John means that God’s people will become the Son’s bride-the Church in all its imperfections, now perfected and beautified in the presence of her Savior (Revelation 22:2). All that is good and joyous and eternal about heaven’s hope will become present with God’s people as they participate in the greatest wedding celebration of all time. Jesus’ promise to us through John means that there will be no longer any separation between us and the Father (Revelation 21:3). The Father will be present with us face to face. We will be like and will be able to see him as he is (1 John 3:1-3). Jesus’ promise to us through John means God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. One of God’s first acts is to acknowledge our pain and then remove it forever (Revelation 21:4): Death is gone – so no mourning Pain is gone – so no more crying and hurting. Evil is gone. So what we can’t control, the impact of evil people and a broken world – Gone. These are gone… but not just gone, banished… not just banished, but completely removed with even the residue and reminders of them taken from us and absorbed in the grace, glory, and holiness of God’s presence with us. All things will be made new by their Creator (Revelation 1:5).
Today’s Verse – Psalm 92:4
For you make me glad by your deeds, O LORD; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. —Psalm 92:4 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Gaze into the heavens on a dark night away from the lights of the city. Then gaze at the innumerable wonders and starry hosts in the vastness of God’s cosmos. Think of the incredible diversity of Earth’s wonders. Look at your own life and see the fingerprints of God’s work in your own experience (Romans 8:28). As Jesus said, our Father is working still (John 5:17). To this very day, your Father is at work in you, our world, and his people. Yes, it does make us glad to know that we are not alone in working our own lives (Psalm 139:1-24; Philippians 2:13). There is a deep-seated joy in trusting that the LORD, Creator of the universe, is at work in us and for us. No wonder singing praise is such a natural response for many of us! My Prayer… Dear Heavenly Father, I praise you for your power and glory revealed in the majesty of your creation. I thank you for your work in transforming and recreating me, as well. Please, dear Father, continue your transforming work in me through the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:18). Fashion me into a useful life of praise that brings you glory. In Jesus’ name, “I sing for joy at the works of your hands.” 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.
04 Sep 2025
Surrounding ourselves with like-minded people cannot be overstated. It encourages one to remain true to godly values. It strengthens our resolve to do what pleases God. His presence then enables us to have positive impact on those we interact with. 2 Timothy 2:22-26.
Today’s Verse – Psalm 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. —Psalm 23:1 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… A sheep is only as good as its shepherd. We are incredibly blessed because God is our Shepherd. Our God shepherded his people through the times of the Old Testament. Jesus came and he cared for people because they were like sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36; Mark 6:34). Then, as LORD and Messiah, he identified himself as the good Shepherd of Psalm 23:1-6, and promised even more attentive care as our Shepherd (John 10:11, 14-16). With even deeper emotion and promise, we can say as disciples of Jesus, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” My Prayer… O good Shepherd, please carry me like a lamb. Let me tenderly rest in your arms and close to your heart. My life, my future, and my strength depend upon you being my Shepherd. I rely upon you, as my Shepherd, for your correction, leading, and care. Please help me hear your voice above the confusing distractions around me. Under your care, I have no fears. Thank you for being my Shepherd through this life. 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.