Today’s Verse – Proverbs 3:3-4
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. —Proverbs 3:3-4 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Character is measured by the love and faithfulness we genuinely display in our daily lives. These are not simple virtues that we can fake. Merciful love is shown when we have power over another but choose to treat them with kindness, forgiveness, and genuine concern. Faithfulness is being a person of truth – genuine and trustworthy in word and deed – regardless of what others do or circumstances present to us. These virtues need to be a part of our everyday lives and permeate our very identities. When they do, others will notice, we will have a good reputation, and God will notice and be pleased. My Prayer… Holy God – faithful and compassionate, full of mercy and steadfast love – I praise you for your example of strength and mercy, holiness and compassion, love and faithfulness. Carve this kind of character on my heart as I submit myself to your will, as I seek to honor Jesus, and as I open my life to your Spirit’s transformational power. In the name of Jesus my LORD, 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 – John 8:31-32
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” —John 8:31-32 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… At least three times in the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us how we can identify a true disciple of the LORD (John 8:31-32, 13:35, 15:8). This verse is one of those essential verses that tell us who a disciple is. Truth is not just something we know, it is also something we must live. Jesus reminds us that we must not only know his teaching, but obey it, “hold to” it, and live it in our lives. Obedience is one of the proofs of our discipleship and our doorway to freedom and truth. Doing life Jesus’ way, holding to his teaching and obeying him, sets us free to live life, and life to the full (John 10:10)! My Prayer… Father, forgive us for taking obedience to Jesus’ will too lightly. Sometimes his way seems restrictive, challenging, and even impossible to us. However, dear Father, deep in our hearts, we genuinely believe that Jesus’ will is a blessing and not a hindrance – it sets us free rather than limits us, and something in our souls resonates with his truth. So please, dear Father, use me to help others find joy in obeying Jesus, too. It is in the Lord 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.
Today’s Verse – Proverbs 16:19
Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. —Proverbs 16:19 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… What is your source of significance? This proverb challenges us to view the world upside down compared to the rest of our culture. It’s similar to how Jesus taught us to live in the Sermon on the Mount – to not live for the here and now, but to live for the Kingdom of God here and now because we know our Father in heaven sees us and values what we do (Matthew 6:1-4, 6, 17-18). God values humility and our willingness to be identified with the lowly and oppressed – again, similar to how Jesus lived. Abusive power and arrogance are not pleasing to God. God didn’t just give us this proverb; he sent us his Son to demonstrate it (Philippians 2:5-11). Now, if we will only choose to live this truth. And Jesus challenges us to display it when he says, “Follow me!” For… Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. My Prayer… Father, I do recognize my weakness and vulnerability to temptation, to the lure of my culture’s facades, and to the pressure to be like the “popular crowd.” Thank you for Jesus: You had power but displayed humility, and you had position but identified with the abandoned, forgotten, and rejected. Please use me to be a difference-maker in my world by including those who are left out, forgotten, and disenfranchised. In Jesus’ name. 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 August 23
Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:10–11, NIV Lord our God, we thank you that you have given us an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We thank you that you have already begun to give us new vision, that already many things are being transformed, so that we may go gladly and confidently on our way with hope for whatever is still unsolved. May all this live in our hearts and fill us with thanks to you. We want to be courageous and keep in sight what still needs to be changed. Then we can take part as workers in your vineyard. May the light you have given us continue to shine in us and burn ever more brightly, as you have promised. Amen. Recent articles on Plough Simone Weil Encounters Jesus Simone Weil Perhaps, in spite of everything, he does love me. Read now Breaking Free of Revenge Antoine E. Davis A father attempts to break the cycle of gun violence – and fatherlessness – from a prison payphone. Read now Soviet Kindergarten Eugene Vodolazkin Kindergarten was a miniature model of real life, where days of glory and success intertwined with periods of failure and bad luck. Read now If My Moon Was Your Sun Andreas Steinhöfel and Nele Palmtag An author and illustrator explain how music inspired a children’s book about dementia. Read now The Absolute Absurdity of a Christian Nation Jason G. Edwards What would it look like if a country made Jesus’ teachings its constitution? Read now
Today’s Verse – Ephesians 6:22
I am sending him [Tychicus] to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage you. —Ephesians 6:22 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… As Paul faced the difficulties of imprisonment, he was more concerned about the people in Ephesus than he was about himself. Rather than keeping Tychicus close at hand for his personal benefit, Paul sent him back to bless the people in Asia Minor. Even in his times of difficulty and danger, Paul was more concerned to bless than he was to be blessed. Isn’t that a great example to us today? We often get upset about minor inconveniences, and let our being upset ruin our attitude toward everyone around us. Paul’s example should convict us and lead us to be a blessing to others regardless of our circumstances. Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Father, please forgive me for letting my difficulties ruin my attitude. I want to be a blessing to others regardless of my personal circumstances. Convict me with your Spirit when I begin to focus too much on myself and my personal situations. Expand my heart with your grace so that I can use my inconveniences, problems, struggles, and challenges to be opportunities to share and display 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.
22 Aug 2025
Let us then do what God says. Once we establish it is Him speaking to us, the next step is to do what He says. When we look back retrospectively, we sometimes realise that we did something that backfired, yet we had felt inclined to do something else that would have worked. May we keep practicing listening to the Lord and may He keep blessing us. James 1:22-25.
A Charcoal Fire & the Smell of Redemption
Why make someone relive his or her sin, why not just ignore it? I’ve just got to have some steak!” I surprised myself when I said this out loud while sweeping my back porch. But my stomach was growling, and I couldn’t think of anything else but a charcoal-grilled steak to fix that growing ache in my belly. So I went inside and told my wife, “I’ve got to have some steak!” After a pause, I continued, “I don’t care if we go to Outback, Beehive, or even if I grill it myself, but I’ve got to have some steak.” Donna laughed and said, “And you know why you’re wanting steak?” “Not really,” I replied. “You’re smelling our neighbors grilling outside, and now you want what they’re cooking!” BINGO! She was right. I opened the back door, and our yard was filled with the aroma and smoke of someone nearby grilling steak. That aroma had awakened something deep inside me that triggered my “I’ve got to have some steak!” response. Two significant events in Jesus’ preparation of the apostles occurred around the smell of a charcoal fire. The term “charcoal fire” (in Greek, anthrakia) occurs in the New Testament in two places, both in the gospel of John. The first involves Peter’s three denials of the Lord (John 18:15-27; esp. John 18:18 ESV). The second involves Jesus’ restoration of Peter to ministry after a miraculous catch of fish (John 21:1-22; esp. John 21:9 ESV). This little detail of personal memory is rooted in the sensory experience of the distinct aroma of a charcoal fire. It links these two events both in terms of a visceral response for both John and Peter as well as functions as a key connection between the two events in John’s gospel. In cornbread English, John is telling us that the smell of a charcoal fire evoked the memory of Peter’s three denials until it was supplanted by the memory of Peter’s restoration by the Lord in front of a charcoal fire. The bottom line: At a charcoal fire, Peter had betrayed the Lord! At a charcoal fire, the Lord restored Peter! At the post-resurrection appearance of Jesus by the Sea of Galilee, Jesus does the important work of calling Peter back to ministry and then restoring Peter to his leadership position among the apostles (John 21:1-22). Jesus does this in a situation that echoes Peter’s original call to follow the Lord (Luke 5:1-11). Interestingly and importantly, Jesus does not let Peter off the hook. Jesus didn’t look the other way and simply ignore Peter’s sinful failures. Peter hadn’t just denied the Lord that night, but he did so after claiming superiority to his fellow apostles. Peter had shown a desire to be first before he failed miserably at being faithful. Both sins would have sabotaged his leadership in the early church and among the apostles. When Jesus had originally warned Peter of his impending denials, it was in the context of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. At first, Peter did not want the Lord to wash his feet, even though the Lord washed the feet of the other disciples. Then after the Lord’s rebuke, in typical Peter fashion, Peter wanted to be washed all over (John 13:1-11). Jesus then warned his apostles that one would betray him, and all the rest would abandon him. The Lord specifically warned Peter that he would deny him three times that very night. Still not recognizing his own vulnerability, Peter claimed that no matter what others did, he would remain faithful even if it meant dying for the Lord (John 13:21-38). Peter failed despite his brash promises. Peter failed despite claiming to love the Lord more than the others and being more faithful to the Lord than his fellow disciples. Peter’s denial of the Lord was the complete failure of Peter to live up to his word and his brash promises. Peter’s denial of the Lord was the complete failure of Peter to be loyal to the Lord he claimed to love. After the Lord’s resurrection, Peter still had influence as a natural leader. “I’m going out to fish”, Peter said to some of his apostle buddies. Despite Peter’s failures and arrogance, the other apostles followed Peter into the boat and went fishing (John 21:1-3). Peter may still have been a brash natural leader, but Jesus didn’t want a natural leader. The Lord wanted a restored spiritual leader. Jesus wanted Peter to be a leader with integrity and who knew his own vulnerabilities. Failure wasn’t the issue. Every human leader will fail at some point. The issue for Jesus was that Peter had to own his failures. Peter needed to humble himself before the Lord and before those he let down with his arrogance and denials. Only then could the Lord raise Peter back from failure and restore him to leadership. Only after Peter could acknowledge his failure – an admission that had to come from his heart – would he be ready for leadership. In our experience with leaders who sin today, we often toss them into one ditch of destruction or the other. We either gloat over, gossip about or pour shame out on leaders who sin publicly. We’re used to doing this because of the popularity of gossip magazines and TV shows about entertainers. So we jump in and do the same thing to those among us who fail in our Christian family. We perpetuate and spread the gangrenous poison of one sin through our own sin. Or on the other hand, we try to be nice and say we don’t want to judge them too harshly; so we end up ignoring their sin. Sometimes this means allowing a leader to continue without ever repenting. Other times we quietly ostracize that person by simply ignoring them and putting them on the back shelf of irrelevance and disassociation. Either way, the leader – our Christian brother or sister – is not restored to life and ministry
Today’s Verse – Proverbs 3:21-22
My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. —Proverbs 3:21-22 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… God used his wisdom to create the cosmos and all that is in it. Through his discernment, he appointed to each being and each item its place in his dazzling display of diversity. He has chosen to share that wisdom and discernment with those who reverence him and search for HIS wisdom. If we use that wisdom and discernment, we will possess the greatest of all jewels – “an ornament to grace your neck” – and a blessing that will enrich our lives. My Prayer… Father, I know that you will bless me with wisdom if I ask for it (James 1:5-8). So, dear Father, I am asking for that wisdom in faith. I want to live a holy life that is a clear reflection of your character and brings honor to your holiness, compassion, and faithfulness. Please bless me with wisdom and discernment as I face the day-to-day decisions that I must make that impact my life and the lives of others. In Jesus’ name, 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.
21 Aug 2025
May the word we hear from the Lord be retained in us, may we preserve, and may it produce a good crop. May we learn to hear God despite the “noise” around us. May He help us develop the skill to distinguish His voice from other voices. And may we help others grow in this skill. May we also find favour with the Lord so that He keeps speaking to us. Luke 8:11-15.
Today’s Verse – Ephesians 2:19-20
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. —Ephesians 2:19-20 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… “We belong!” That’s what the apostle Paul is telling those of us who are not biologically children of Abraham but have come to the only true and living God through faith in Jesus. Paul said it this way: But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13). We’re no longer outsiders or second-class citizens or a “Johnny come lately” disciples of Jesus! We are full children of God because Jesus tore down all barriers between us and God (Ephesians 2:14-18). Because of grace, we belong! We are part of God’s household! The foundation of our house of Jesus is made up of the apostles and prophets. The cornerstone of that house is Jesus himself. We are also a part of this holy house of God. Praise God, because of Jesus, we belong as God’s beloved children! My Prayer… El Shaddai, God of the mountains and LORD God Almighty, the covenant God of Israel, from age to age, your steadfast love has blessed your people with your promises, your grace, and your future. Thank you for bringing me into your family, into your people, by grace through faith in Jesus.* Thank you for making me a vital part of your house. Forgive me for the times that I have doubted my importance to your cause and awaken in me the realization that I belong to you and to your household. In Jesus’ name, I thank you. Amen. * Emphasized by Paul earlier in Ephesians 2:1-10. 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.