Monday, August 28, 2023

Monday, August 28, 2023
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

The Bible is important, and that should go without saying. Everything we know about God, His son Jesus, the meaning of life, and the life that awaits can all be found within. It’s the Word of God, the most-read book of all time, and it has changed more lives than any other writing on the planet. The Bible is full of truth, and no matter what you’re going through, I guarantee that the Lord has something for you in its pages. The Word of God is alive, sharper than any blade, piercing the conscience, dividing right from wrong, and preserving not only the Lord’s commands, but the story of what He did for you, and what you must do to be saved.

Friday, August 25, 2023

Friday, August 25, 2023
Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Sometimes, I don’t even know what to pray for. I can know what I want, but often I don’t know what’s best. None of us know what the Lord’s plan is, or how He’s going to move… but when you pray, the Holy Spirit prays with you. God hears all of your prayers, and the Word says He delights in answering them, even if it’s not the way you expected. When you don’t know what to pray for, or even how to pray, simply humble yourself before the God who can do anything. The Holy Spirit lives inside you and knows all that you ask for.

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Thursday, August 24, 2023
Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.

Jesus was fully human and fully the Son of God. It’s safe to say that in His lifetime, He experienced all the hard things we do. Exhaustion, pain, loss, and betrayal are not foreign concepts to our Lord, and neither is paralyzing fear, bitter sadness, and difficult temptation… Jesus was even tempted by Satan himself. Though Christ lived a sinless life, He sympathizes with our humanity, and He knows our pain. Remember when you experience suffering, temptation, and grief that the Son of God felt all of these things and more. And He did it so that one day, you won’t have to experience any of it ever again.

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Wednesday, August 23, 2023
Isaiah 40:29
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.

If God wants you to accomplish something through you, He will equip you for it. It’s often the most unlikely people that God uses for big things. A shepherd with a sling would kill a giant; a boy with two fish and five loaves would feed five thousand; bickering fishermen would become the disciples of Jesus himself, and the man who persecuted Christ’s people would become His apostle. None of these people were powerful on their own, but they trusted that the Lord would and could make them strong. When the odds are against you, and you have no might, do you have that kind of faith?

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Luke 5:31-32
And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

If God’s people were all perfectly behaved, there would be no need for a Savior. But because you’re human, you’re doomed to fail; your sin nature keeps you from entering into God’s kingdom when this life is over, because in His perfect justice, God can’t allow sin to go unpunished. That’s why the punishment for the sins of the world was poured out on Jesus. It wasn’t to pay for righteousness, but for sins. It wasn’t for the perfect, but the imperfect. It’s only when you realize the depths of your imperfection that you can understand what Christ has done for you. Accept His gift, put your hand in His, and live a life that is no longer bound by chains.

Monday, August 21, 2023

Monday, August 21, 2023
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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

In the Bible we are told that Paul, as he was now called, was tormented by a “thorn” in his flesh. We’re never told what this “thorn” was, whether it was temptation, disease, fear, or something else, but we know that Paul begged God three times to take it away. But in His wisdom, the Lord allowed the thorn to persist, because it was Paul’s weakness that magnified his spiritual strength. God’s power was made more apparent, both to Paul and to others, because when he reached his human limits, it was the Lord who carried him further. Recognize your weaknesses and remember that God can and will work through you despite your shortcomings… so long as you keep your eyes on Him.