Today’s Verse – 1 John 4:7
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. —1 John 4:7 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… The old song from the musical “Oliver” asks, “Where, oh where, is love?” This is an excellent question! Where does love come from? How is love defined and truly known? Love is with God. Love comes from God. Love is the key attribute of God. Love is from God. Love is of God. Do you want to be more loving? Do you want to find greater intensity in your love? Do you want to know how to love others who are hard to love? Look to God. And where do we see God’s love most clearly? Jesus! Look at how God demonstrates his love for us through Jesus. Over and over in the past and now even in our lives today. Once we notice how God loves, we can commit to loving others as God has loved us! My Prayer… Holy God, I want to show that you are my Father by loving others more perfectly. Please bless me as I seek to follow Jesus’ example in treating others with love. In the name of the LORD Jesus I ask for your grace to be loving like you, my 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 – Psalm 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. —Psalm 84:11 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Isn’t it wonderful that God doesn’t hold back on his goodness? The Father loves to give his children gifts. These gifts are all-encompassing. These gifts are gladly given. How do I know? Three ways: God has repeatedly blessed us. We can see what God has done to bless his people throughout the centuries. God’s Scriptures promise this to be true. God does not withhold from us! But what happens if we are not blameless? None of us are blameless on our own, yet in Christ, God sees us as his blameless children if we keep pursuing Jesus. As we do, the LORD blesses us with grace upon grace (John 1:16) Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Father, thank you for the many blessings you have poured into my life. I want to list several that are on my heart today. (Make a list of things you are thankful for and share them with God as we pray.) Most of all, Father, thank you for the gift of your Son and my Savior who allows me to come before you “holy in [your] sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”* I get to come before you confidently, knowing I will receive your gracious gifts and loving promises. In Jesus’ name, I rejoice as I pray to you. Amen. * Colossians 1:22-23.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 19:21
Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. —Proverbs 19:21 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… What are your plans for today? If you are like me, you prayerfully plan your day. You make appointments with people for the future to address their needs, hear their concerns, or discuss issues and projects involving them or you. But we must always live humbly, recognizing that none of our plans will be valuable unless they come from the Father! My Prayer… Holy God and righteous Father, please bless me as I seek to discern your will for my plans and decisions. I recognize that each breath I take is a gift and that each success I enjoy is because of your grace. Please use me to bring you glory and help me find your path for my life. In the name of Jesus, 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 22:5
They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. —Psalm 22:5 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… This Psalm that begins with despair and is referred to by Jesus from the Cross, is also a Psalm of hope and faith. The history of God’s faithfulness with his people, Israel, is an ongoing reminder that we can trust him to deliver us despite the worst circumstances. In our human reckoning of time, God’s answer may seem slow in coming, yet God’s track record through history reminds us that the LORD will answer, deliver, and bless his people in heaven’s time. Nevertheless, in our worst nightmares, we can be reminded that God is faithful and attentive to our cries of despair, lament, grief, agony, and fear. What happened to Jesus on the cross didn’t end with the feelings of despair and abandonment of Psalm 22:1, but with the triumph of Psalm 22:23-24: You who fear the LORD, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honor him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. My Prayer… I ask, dear Father, that you bless your people everywhere who find themselves in difficult situations, whether persecution, oppression, violence, or martyrdom. Please empower them with your Spirit and bless them with a change for the better in their dire situations. Please hear the cries of your people and act swiftly for their protection, preservation, and vindication. In Jesus’ name, our conquering Savior, 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 1:4
Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. —Psalm 1:4 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… We have spent time in Psalm 1 for the last several days. We looked at those whose delight is in the LORD. Today, we focus on the end of those who resist the will and way of God and choose the way of evil. No matter the temporary apparent benefits of wicked schemes and the power of evil, all their efforts are marred by a hellish influence that ends at the grave. All their efforts are blown away, leaving each of the wicked with nothing to show for their life except the rot of wasted time on earth as they stand before the righteousness and justice of God. Only finding our delight in the way, will, and words of God will lead us to life everlasting and unending joy! My Prayer… Dear Father, please help me resist the temptation to idolize and exalt those who succeed through evil devices, schemes, methods, and plans. I ask the Holy Spirit to guide my heart as I seek your Kingdom and righteousness above all other things. 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 1:3
He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. —Psalm 1:3 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Some kinds of earthly delight can feed our hearts briefly, but when difficulties come, our hearts will wither in the drought of life’s most challenging times. However, delighting in the LORD and in his will for us provides us with ongoing and ever-fresh joy that bubbles up within us and gives us life through the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39). Out of this lifestyle and grace from God’s Spirit — a life centered on God and his word while trusting his Spirit to supply our hearts with his truth — we can prosper in the short term and discover refreshment, strength, and resiliency to not wither in life’s worst droughts. My Prayer… Dear God, Holy One of heaven, I delight in you and your truths. I find refreshment in your abiding Spirit. I choose the truth of your promise for refreshment and strength for the challenging passages in life and for bearing fruit in the seasons that you seek it from me. In Jesus’ name, I trust, and I pray this in faith. 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 1:1-2
Blessed is the one… whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. —Psalm 1:1-2 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Delight! Ah, what a wonderful word and an even more meaningful experience. But do you find delight in the truth and law of the LORD? What holy things of the Father in heaven hold your thoughts throughout the day? Why not join me in putting more of God’s word into your head through memorization and hiding it in your heart through prayerful Bible contemplation? During those sleepless moments in the night, those restless concerns during traffic jams or lines, and those anxious moments waiting to see someone special or deal with something important, we can meditate on the words and truth of God. With the Holy Spirit’s help, we can even find delight in what can be troublesome times! My Prayer… Father in heaven, you are holy and righteous in all of your ways. I confess, dear LORD, that I do not always make the most of my thought time. I often let my mind drift away into areas I shouldn’t explore. I will occasionally get too focused on inconsequential things. I allow my thoughts to drift into anxious worries about things I cannot control. I want my mind and heart to be tuned by the Holy Spirit to your truth by using your Word to help me know your will and find your way to your peace. Give me true wisdom, enlightened by your Spirit, to see, know, absorb, and contemplate the things closest to your heart and found in your holy Scriptures. In Jesus’ name, I ask this. 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 1:1
Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers. —Psalm 1:1 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Too often, sin and ungodly living are portrayed as glamorous. These are marketed through previews in the media and championed on social media. The way to true blessings, however, is the way of God. His will is for our good, his commands spring from his mercy and protection, and his way is the path of true life. When we look beneath the thin veneer of those lauded in pop culture, we can see the mess they have made of life for themselves and others. However, we can be blessed to walk with God, do his will, and keep our sights set on our blessings when we go home to the Father in heaven, who sees what we do and appreciates our hearts’ desire for him! My Prayer… Forgive me, please, Father, for believing the lies of the world trying to deceive and entice me with the lies and temptations of Satan. I know that sin brings heartaches, complications, problems, and, ultimately, spiritual death. I also know that choosing the right things, standing up for truth, and living faithfully for you are often difficult. Please use the Holy Spirit to speak to my heart so I can recognize your truth and trust that walking in your will brings me true life — life both now and forevermore. In Jesus’ name, I ask for grace to walk in your way, not the ways of this world. 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 29:2
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. —Psalm 29:2 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Giving glory, ascribing the glory God is due, is not easy for us with our mortal limitations and self-focused ambitions. Let’s admit it: We are self-focused and limited compared to God’s glorious limitlessness! We’re much more accustomed to asking for things for ourselves from God that we think we need than we are focused on praising and thanking God while inviting others to join us in adoring him. Let’s use the rest of this week to pray with thanksgiving and praise, glorifying God’s holy name while not asking for things for ourselves. Let’s try it together! We can choose a day this week and spend an hour praising, adoring, reverencing, and thanking God for who he is, what he has done, and his promises to us. We won’t ask for anything from God during this time. We want this hour to focus on God and what He has done, ascribing to him the glory due him while worshiping him in the splendor of his holiness! Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Father, we praise you. You are marvelous and magnificent beyond the power of my earthbound words to describe and praise. Despite my human limitations, you have loved me as I am and are transforming with increasing likeness to be like your Son.* Thank you for sending him to help me glimpse your glory and anticipate seeing you face to face in eternal glory. Thank you for living inside me through your Holy Spirit and doing your work in me. I praise you for sustaining me and those I love with your grace. I thank you, dear LORD, in Jesus’ name. Amen. * 2 Corinthians 3:17-18.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 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. —2 Corinthians 12:9 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… While other preachers in Paul’s day were parading and bragging about their credentials, Paul refused to get into such self-centered contests to prove he was the most impressive of Jesus’ disciples. Even though he had the religious education and Jewish pedigree to silence his rivals, he preferred to acknowledge the areas of his weakness where God triumphed over his limitations. God had taught Paul that heaven’s power was most on display in Paul’s weakness, like Jesus’ power over the evil one, which he demonstrated through the cross — the ultimate sign of weakness (Colossians 2:12-15). God demonstrated his power through what Paul did in his weakness so the glory could go to God! Let’s be careful about determining someone’s ministryworthiness based on his or her resume or reputation. Instead, let’s honor people in whom God’s grace has triumphed through their weakness! My Prayer… Almighty and loving Father, thank you for sustaining and enabling me to serve you in ways I would never have dreamed of doing. Please help me serve you faithfully as I depend upon your grace in my weakness. 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.