20 Aug 2025
May the Lord allow us to see what He is doing and to hear what He is saying. Desiring to hear God is one thing. Him enabling us to hear Him and see what He is doing is another. May He have mercy on us and reveal His will concerning our circumstances. Luke 8:10.
19 Aug 2025
Hearing what God says would help us not to worry. Whatever we are going through would not unsettle us if we heard God concerning that situation. May that be our portion. May the Lord reach out to us and reassure us. Psalm 23:4, 86:5-11.
18 Aug 2025
I was reminded that I have to keep casting all my cares on the Lord. 1 Peter 5:7. As I try to surrender all to Him, I should also give up my worries. What is bothering you today? Remember that the Lord cares for you and that He is able to do all things. He was present at the beginning, and nothing is too difficult for Him. Genesis 1:2. Worrying makes one anxious.
Today’s Verse – John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit — fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. —John 15:16 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Were you ever the last one chosen at recess when kids were dividing up teams? Were you ever the one no one wanted on your team? Ouch. That hurts deeply. So, isn’t it remarkable that God, the Creator of the universe, chose us in Jesus Christ, even before the beginning of the world (Ephesians 1:4)? Isn’t it amazing that we are loved and desired by the King of the Ages and his Son, Jesus Christ! Not only that, we weren’t chosen out of pity, but chosen to make a difference for the Kingdom of God by bearing fruit that will endure. To help ensure our fruitfulness, Jesus promised that we can ask for God’s blessing on our work for His Kingdom, and God will bless us with it. Incredible! My Prayer… Give me a heart, O God, that is open to your work and a vision that is as expansive as your grace. May my prayers ask for things that bring you glory, expand the borders of your kingdom, and reach beyond the limited things that so often distract me. I invite you to do great things for your Kingdom through me as I remain connected wholeheartedly to Jesus, to your glory. 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 – Psalm 31:16
Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. —Psalm 31:16 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Can your faith remain strong during trying times? I hope mine can! This is a Psalm written during trying times. However, no matter how difficult the situation seemed, the Psalmist still knew who God is and believed what God can do when he decides to do it. Even in trial, the psalmist doesn’t lose sight of the blessings that come from the LORD being present. So, he says that the LORD’s presence and love will be with him and save him. Let’s choose to pray that same prayer: Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your unfailing love. My Prayer… Father, please make your presence known in my life. I am confident you are there; I just need to experience your presence in a tangible way and receive your salvation in all of its fullness, with confidence. So in Jesus’ name, I expectantly pray that you will grant the prayer of the psalmist, which is also my prayer, today. 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 – Romans 8:15-16
For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. —Romans 8:15-16 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Ab-ba. Listen to a baby and you will hear these basic early sounds. Incredibly, Jesus showed us, and the Spirit enables us, to speak to God with these basic-to-a-baby syllables of familiarity, trust, vulnerability, dependency, and intimacy. The Spirit is our guarantee that we don’t have to be afraid of God. We must revere him and hold him in awe, but we can also approach him as our loving and tender Father who always listens to our hearts and seeks to bless our lives. Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Abba Father, you are glorious and majestic. Your deeds are marvelous. Your power, O LORD, is unfathomable. Your grace, Almighty God, is incomparable. Thank you for allowing me to approach you as my always near and ever-present Abba. I seek your nearness in my life today through the help of the Holy Spirit. I pray that I will live for your glory and honor through the strength and in the name of Jesus, my 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.
15 Aug 2025
There is also the benefit of intercession. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us in accordance with God’s will, for He knows the mind of God. May we purpose to allow Him room to operate in us. May we nurture our relationship with Him. Romans 8:26-27.
Courage! I AM! Quit Fearing!
3309-large.jpg”> Can we see the LORD in middle of our storms? 0″ /> Sometimes the most powerful things come in small packages. Last week, we looked at the book of Jonah with four chapters. Today, we look at only twelve verses in the gospel of Matthew and will focus on five specific words: “Courage. I AM. Quit Fearing!” Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” [The five words in Greek here could be literally translated: “Courage! I AM! Quit Fearing!”] “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” Jesus said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down (Matthew 14:22-32) 570″ border=”0” /> This little stick of dynamite made up of these five simple words 8212; “Courage! I AM! Quit fearing!” 8212; lets Jesus speak to us on two different levels as his disciples. In this short event, Matthew gives us a message as individual disciples. This message is given to help us in those times when we are caught in our own personal LIFE-STORMS. Matthew also gives us another message for leaders. Through the lens of the apostle Peter, Jesus reminds us how to lead others as we try to serve others through our shared LIFE-STORMS. Let’s look at each of these in a little more detail. As we do, let’s ask, “What can I do and what should I know as we face our LIFE-STORMS?” We’re all going to have LIFE-STORMS. We live in a broken world where bad things happen to good people. We are regularly confronted with all sorts of unfair challenges that can be caused by health problems, unfairness, world economic issues, unscrupulous people, betrayal by those close to us, natural disasters, and a host of other things. So we need to be prepared for these unwanted storms. We will focus first on Jesus’ message to us as individuals. What is Jesus saying to each of us personally in our own individual LIFE-STORMS? What do Jesus’ five words 8212; “Courage. I AM. Quit fearing!” 8212; really mean for us? 570″ border=”0” /> Jesus’ words powerfully echo God’s words to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-15). God revealed himself to Moses and called him to redeem the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt. The LORD revealed himself through the name “I AM,” the God who is and was and always will be. He also identifies himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then, God reveals himself as the LORD (YHWH) and tells Moses that he is about to act powerfully for his people: “I have indeed seen the misery of my people… I have heard them crying out… I am concerned about their suffering… So I have come down to rescue them…” (Exodus 3:7-8). Jesus is reminding us that he is “I AM.” HE is our God. He is our LORD, who worked through the history of Israel to bring deliverance, redemption, and salvation. This God preserved his people through all sorts of “impossible” challenges over the course of centuries and generation-upon-generation. He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). He will allow nothing to separate us from his love for us (Romans 8:38-39). So in the storm, let’s look for our LORD. Let’s ask him to reveal his presence to us and guide us to where he wants us to be. Let’s trust that Jesus is with us and that Jesus is the great “I AM”! No matter what our circumstances are at the moment, no matter our doubts, no matter what Satan is trying to do to make us ashamed or afraid, we can choose to believe the promises of Jesus as the great “I AM”! He will not abandon us or leave us. He is working in our LIFE-STORM to bring us deliverance. He is there with us in the roiling waves and the fearsome winds and the driving rain. We can choose to believe he is there, but it is hard to do on our own. So we must choose to stay connected to the Lord’s people and not be too proud to admit our fears and our doubts. 570″ border=”0” /> Sometimes, however, we need help remembering that the LORD is tangibly with us. Rather than seeing ourselves as fellow disciples of Jesus caught in a LIFE-STORM with other disciples in the same boat, we often feel alone and vulnerable as we face our LIFE-STORMS. I am reminded of the often-told story about the little boy in a new house who is scared of the lightning and thunder. He repeatedly ran into his mom and dad’s room seeking comfort and reassurance during the storm. Each time the boy hopped in bed with them, they let him stay for a few minutes. Then, his daddy would tuck him back into bed. Finally, as the dad could hear the storm moving off in the other direction, he tucked his son in bed and said, “You know God will take care of you. You don’t
14 Aug 2025
Have you ever been told that you behave differently or well? That is the impact that the Holy Spirit has on us. And people get puzzled because they cannot see Him and do not know Him. May we allow Him to guide us by following His lead. May His voice get clearer as we get older. John 14:15-18.
Today’s Verse – John 15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. —John 15:13 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Words can communicate and explain some of how we feel about others. We can even tell someone we love them. We can explain how precious they are to us. However, our actions will either validate and confirm our love or reveal that our words are false. When we sacrifice ourselves, however, and give up our wishes, our preferences, and our lives for our friends, we give the greatest of all gifts and prove our love beyond any doubt. I had an outstanding professor who loved to say, “We must put our lives where our mouths are.” Jesus did just that for us on the cross: he called us his friends (John 15:14-15), then he showed his love for us. Now, Jesus calls us to love each other as Jesus has loved us – not just with our words but also with our deeds (1 John 3:16,18). My Prayer… Father, thank you for loving me enough to send Jesus as a ransom for my sins. Jesus, thank you for your loving sacrifice that not only saves me, but shows me the full extent of your love. Now I ask the Holy Spirit to pour that love into my heart* so I can love others as Jesus has loved me. In the name of my LORD Jesus, I thank you. Amen. * Romans 5:5.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.