Today’s Verse – Romans 8:3-4
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. —Romans 8:3-4 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Thankfully, God gives us two gifts that fulfill the Law’s righteous demands, which the Law itself could never give us. First, he gives us the perfect sin offering — his Son Jesus — to forgive, cleanse, and redeem us from our sin. Second, he gives us his Spirit to empower us to be what he wants us to be. God gives us in the New Covenant what the Law and the Prophets promised was coming. Praise God for his plan, his promises, and his gifts! My Prayer… Thank you, Heavenly Father, for your incomparable kindness and grace in giving me your great and perfect gifts — your precious and perfect Son and the blessed Holy Spirit to empower us. In Jesus’ name, and by the intercession of the Holy Spirit, I praise and thank you, dear Father. 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 8:2
[T]hrough Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. —Romans 8:2 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Praise God! Jesus delivered us from the principle of law-keeping as the way to prove our righteousness and earn our salvation. We are now enabled to live out the will of God in our lives by the power of the Holy Spirit, who conforms us (Romans 8:28-29) and transforms us (2 Corinthians 3:18) to become like Christ, who is the fulfillment of the law (Matthew 5:17). We are saved by grace, through faith, so we can do good deeds out of thankfulness to honor our Savior just as God planned long ago for us to do (Ephesians 2:8-10). Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Thank you, dear Father, for your grace and mercy. I praise you, God Almighty, for your incredible sacrifice to bring my pardon. Glory and honor to you, O Sovereign LORD, for your gift of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide me in your will and transform me into a person of your character, like Jesus Christ. In his name, I thank you. 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 8:1
O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. —Psalm 8:1 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… At first glance, these two concepts — majestic in all the Earth and glory above the heavens — may seem to be contradictory or at least disconnected. On the one hand, God’s name is majestic in this plain ol’ transitory space we call Earth. At the same time, however, God is glorious and above the highest heavens. This collision of different worlds is displayed in the life of Israel. It is made clear in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It will be made glorious clear in us, who will one day share in the glory of the heavens because we have boldly declared the majesty of our LORD God on Earth! My Prayer… Thank you, dear Father, for Jesus’ promise that if I honor you and confess him on this earth, you will gladly honor me and call my name in the presence of your angels when the time comes for me to stand before your throne. In Jesus’ name, I thank and praise you. 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 – 1 Corinthians 7:31
For this world in its present form is passing away. —1 Corinthians 7:31 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… This often repeated theme in the New Testament is from Jesus’s lips and taught again by the apostle Paul. It should be a great reminder to us that we shouldn’t spend our lives working for what is only temporary. We must invest in Jesus and his Kingdom, for all other kingdoms, structures, nations, and powers will ultimately pass away and be gone forever. Only what we invest in Jesus and his Kingdom will endure! My Prayer… LORD God Almighty, the Alpha and the Omega, the Eternal I Am, we thank you for being what everything else in the world cannot be. Please awaken our hearts to things of eternal significance and open our eyes to see through the transitory things that are so often alluring to us. In Jesus’ name, we pray and ask for this help. 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 7:30-31
[When Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, the people rejected his teaching, and] they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come. Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, “When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?” —John 7:30-31 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… The enemies of Jesus tried repeatedly to seize him. Yet the Gospel of John reminds us again and again that no one could seize Jesus until he offered himself to them at the right time according to God’s plan. Jesus followed God’s timetable just as carefully as he obeyed his Father’s will. So, we can know with absolute assurance that when Jesus died, he did so to redeem us and obey his Father’s will. The LORD did not die because he was powerless to defend himself. Jesus’ death was voluntary, a sacrifice, a triumph of his obedience to his Father’s will over his own will for preservation. Yes, wicked people were responsible, but his death was also the plan of God to redeem us! Jesus obeyed, and we are saved! He offered himself as a sacrifice at the right time, God’s time, so we could be adopted into the Father’s family and be freed of our bondage to sin, death, hell, and the evil one! My Prayer… LORD Jesus, I thank you for honoring our Father and being obedient to him and his timing in your life. Thank you for choosing to die for me and redeem me from my sin. Thank you, dear Father, for such an incredible display of love and mercy that cost you so much. Please give me a more profound sense of my worth and significance to you, because I know the great price you paid to redeem and adopt me. In Jesus’ holy 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 – 2 Samuel 7:29
[King David was humbled that God had chosen him, and his “house,” his descendants, to be on the throne forever. So, David responded:] “Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.” —2 Samuel 7:29 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… God had blessed King David incredibly. God had taken him from a despised little brother and shepherd boy who became a great warrior and Israel’s King. David went from an errand boy to a war hero, from a small nowhere town to become the leader of a great empire. David’s concern, however, was that God would remain close to him and his descendants, upholding the promises he had made to David. More than any other discovery in his amazing life, David had learned that the future, that every battle, and that any real hope, lies in the presence of the LORD God of Israel with him and his descendants. When God speaks, he keeps his word. When God acts, he redeems, delivers, and brings victories. So, David asked God to do what God longs to do: bless his people and keep his promises. Which reminds us that he can do the same with us! My Prayer… Trustworthy and honorable God, our Father who has sustained and blessed us, thank you for your presence in our lives and your promises for our future. Bring us into your presence with great joy, just as you promised, so that we can dwell in your house forever. In Jesus’ name, we pray with anticipation. 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 – Matthew 7:28-29
When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. —Matthew 7:28-29 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Unlike the teachers of his day, Jesus didn’t have to shore up his teaching with obscure quotes from past teachers and well-known rabbis. Jesus, the very Word of God (John 1:1-18), spoke the words of God. He did and said what the Father willed. His life and his words had the ring of authenticity. The gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) want to spark an awareness in us of Jesus’ power and authority so that through the ages, they still invite us to embrace his truth and follow him as our LORD. This Jesus, our Teacher and Savior, is so much more than another great teacher, extraordinary prophet, or wise sage. His words are powerful. His teachings are authoritative. His life is breathtaking. His love is beyond compare. So, dear friend of Jesus, his will must be our passion! My Prayer… Holy God, thank you for speaking through your prophets and the holy Scriptures. But, dear Father, I praise you for speaking your most complete and perfect message in Jesus. As I see the character of his life, I am drawn to you. As I hear the authenticity in his words and see them demonstrated in his sacrificial life, I seek to obey him and follow him as his disciple. Thank you for sending Jesus to be my teacher, my guide, my LORD, and my Savior. I pray this in his name, Jesus the Messiah and Son of God. 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 7:27
[Some in the questioning crowd, said the following about Jesus:] “But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from.” —John 7:27 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… God in human flesh is how John described Jesus as he began his gospel (John 1:14-18). Jesus was God’s ultimate message and revelation of God himself in human form (Hebrews 1:1-3). Jesus’ incarnation is a mystery that neither the crowds in his day nor we in our day can fully fathom. This truth is beyond our human experience and limited knowledge of eternal reality. So, we shouldn’t be surprised when Jesus’ critics quickly characterized him as someone who could not be Messiah because they thought they knew where he was from — Nazareth when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He existed as God and with God before time as we know it began. The crowds were wrong about his origin and so many other things. Dear friend in Christ, Jesus exhausts our imagination and overflows our cup of wonder as we seek to understand all he is as our Savior, Christ the LORD! So, come and let’s adore and praise him for all he is, even what we cannot yet understand of his glory! My Prayer… O LORD, forgive me for my limited vision of Jesus’ glory. Please enable my heart’s ability to find wonder, joy, grace, exhilaration, glory, and awe in my Savior’s power, grace, sacrifice, victory, and love. To you, Father, and to the Christ, be all the glory and honor that my heart can muster and my voice can proclaim. Through the intercession of the Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus’ name, I offer you my praise! 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 – Deuteronomy 7:26
Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction. —Deuteronomy 7:26 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… A little corruption, a little poison, and a little rotten are not all that bad, are they? Of course, they are! God has made us pure and perfect in Jesus (Colossians 1:21-23). What a glorious thought! Why would we want to stain his perfection with what is evil, putrid, rotten, and detestable? Our Father wants us to dedicate ourselves to him and to live as his holy people (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 1:13-16). God wanted Israel under Moses to know that they MUST stay away from wicked things that God had slated for destruction. In case we want to dismiss this kind of warning, God had Paul write the first-century Christians: It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit. …reject every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; 5:22). Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Holy and Righteous God, please empower me to resist temptation and to run away from sin. Give me a more passionate desire to cherish and protect the purity you have given me through the sacrifice of Jesus. Please give me a holy revulsion to evil and wickedness. Draw my heart closer to yours, and give me a passion for your holiness. Thank you for making me holy and precious in your sight. In Jesus’ name, I commit my body to honor you. 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 – Acts 7:25
Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. —Acts 7:25 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Timing can be everything. Well, maybe not everything, but an important thing. God’s plan and power provide us with everything. Finding God’s timing and power for his plan is crucial. When Moses took it upon himself to redeem God’s people before God called him to do so, Moses failed. After being humbled in the wilderness for forty years, God then called Moses back to deliver the people of Israel at God’s divine moment and according to the Almighty’s plan. The results led to the Exodus — the redemption and rebirth of God’s holy people from Egyptian bondage. Let’s pray for wisdom to understand God’s timing so we can live out our lives for his purpose, according to his plan, and based on his power. My Prayer… Dear Heavenly Father, I am often impatient and frustrated by having to wait. Please forgive me, dear God, for trying to rush your timetable and assuming my plan is yours. Please give me Spirit-led wisdom to know what to do, where to go, and when to act. In Jesus’ name, I pray for this patience and understanding. 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.