Daily Bible Verse

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Luke 10:27 KJV
And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.


Monstro the Goldfish

Lacey Scott was at her local pet store when a sad fish at the bottom of the tank caught her eye. His scales had turned black and lesions had formed on his body. Lacey rescued the ten-year-old fish, named him “Monstro” after the whale in the fairytale Pinocchio, and placed him in a “hospital” tank, changing his water daily. Slowly, Monstro improved, began to swim, and grew in size. His black scales transformed to gold. Through Lacey’s committed care, Monstro was made new!

In Luke 10, Jesus tells the story of a traveler who was beaten, robbed, and left for dead. Both a priest and a Levite passed by, ignoring the man’s suffering. But a Samaritan—a member of a despised people group—took care of him, even paying for his needs (Luke 10:33–35). Pronouncing the Samaritan as the true “neighbor” in the story, Jesus encouraged His listeners to do the same.

What Lacey did for a dying goldfish, we can do for people in need around us. Homeless, unemployed, disabled, and lonely “neighbors” lie in our path. Let us allow their sadness to catch our eyes and draw us to respond with neighborly care. A kind greeting. A shared meal. A few dollars slipped from palm to palm. How might God use us to offer His love to others, a love which can make all things new?


Reflect & Pray
How can you reach out to others in a neighborly way? What can you do for people in need around you?

Dear God, thank You for making me new! May I be a neighbor to those who desperately need Your care in order to be transformed by You.


Insight
Samaritans, a people group formed from the intermarriage of Israelites and gentiles brought into the land by the Assyrians, only accepted the first five books of Moses as Scripture and rejected other tenets of traditional Jewish faith, such as worship centered in Jerusalem (the Samaritans’ worship was centered at Mount Gerizim).

Tensions between Jews and Samaritans ran high. In choosing a Samaritan as the hero of His now-famous parable (Luke 10:25–37), Jesus brilliantly challenged His listeners on who their neighbors were.
 

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Deuteronomy 31:8 KJV
And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.


Grace for Trials

Annie Johnson Flint was crippled by severe arthritis just a few years after high school. She never walked again and relied on others to help care for her needs. Because of her poetry and hymns, she received many visitors, including a deaconess who felt discouraged about her own ministry. When the visitor returned home, she wrote to Annie, wondering why God allowed such hard things in her life.

In response, Annie sent a poem: “God hath not promised skies always blue, / flower-strewn pathways all our lives through. . . .” She knew from experience that suffering often occurred, but that God would never abandon those He loves. Instead, He promised to give “grace for the trials, help from above, / unfailing sympathy, undying love.” You may recognize that poem as the hymn “What God Hath Promised.”

Moses also suffered and faced strife, but He knew God’s presence was with him. When he passed his leadership of the Israelites to Joshua, he told the younger man to be strong and courageous, because “the Lord your God goes with you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). Moses, knowing that the people of Israel would face formidable enemies as they entered and took the promised land, said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (v. 8).

Disciples of Christ will face hardship, but we have God’s Spirit to encourage us. He'll never leave us.


Reflect & Pray
When you endure trials, how do you trust in God? How could you share your stories of His faithfulness with others?

Heavenly Father, when I'm feeling discouraged and distressed, please remind me through Your Spirit that You'll never leave me.


Insight
As the Israelites were preparing to enter the promised land, Moses wouldn’t be leading them (Deuteronomy 31:2–3). Why? At Meribah, when God told him to speak to a rock so that water would pour from it, Moses disobeyed by striking the rock instead (Numbers 20). The result was the same, but the problem was Moses was so angry at the bickering people that he made it appear that he and Aaron were responsible for bringing water from the rock. As he struck the rock, he declared: “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” (v. 10). Because Moses “did not trust in [God] enough to honor [Him] as holy in the sight of the Israelites” (v. 12), he wasn’t allowed to enter the promised land.
 

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Ephesians 4:2 KJV
With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;


The Marriage Metaphor

Merryn arrives to appointments early; I’m occasionally late. I try new things on the menu; she orders the same. After twenty minutes at an art gallery, I’m just getting started, while Merryn is already in the cafe downstairs wondering how much longer I’ll be. We give each other many opportunities to learn patience!

We do have things in common—a shared sense of humor, a love of travel, and a common faith that helps us pray through options and compromise as needed. With this shared base, our differences even work to our advantage. Merryn has helped me learn to relax, while I’ve helped her grow in discipline. Working with our differences has made us better people.

Paul uses marriage as a metaphor for the church (Ephesians 5:21–33), and with good reason. Like marriage, church brings very different people together, requiring them to develop humility and patience and to “[bear] with one another in love” (4:2). And, as in marriage, a shared base of faith and mutual service helps a church become unified and mature (vv. 11–13).

Differences in relationships can cause great frustration—in the church and in marriage. But managed well, they can help us become more Christlike.       


Reflect & Pray
How have differences between you and those close to you helped you both to grow? How can differences between church members help to develop godliness?    

Heavenly Father, please use our differences to help us mature.    


Insight    
In Ephesians 4:2, the apostle Paul urged believers in Jesus to “be completely humble and gentle.” He spoke about gentleness in his other letters as well. He was the founding pastor of the church at Corinth (Acts 18:1–11), yet soon after he left, the believers rejected him as a true apostle. Instead of coming down hard on them, however, he appealed to them “by the humility and gentleness of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:1). In his letter to another church, Paul urged two feuding sisters to reconcile and asked that their “gentleness be evident to all” (Philippians 4:5). The Scriptures show us that we’re to be kind, gracious, respectful, and gentle to everyone.
 

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Psalm 51:17 KJV
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.


Crushed and Beautiful

At first glance I dismissed the painting Consider the Lilies by Makoto Fujimura as a simple, monochromatic painting featuring a lily seemingly hiding in the background. However, the painting came alive when I learned it was actually painted with more than eighty layers of finely crushed minerals in a style of Japanese art known as Nihonga, a style Fujimura calls “slow art.” Looking closely reveals layers of complexity and beauty. Fujimura explains that he sees the gospel echoed in the technique of making “beauty through brokenness,” just as Jesus’ suffering brought the world wholeness and hope.

God loves to take aspects of our lives where we’ve been crushed and broken and create something new and beautiful. King David needed God’s help to repair the brokenness in his life caused by his own devastating actions. In Psalm 51, written after admitting to abusing his kingly power to take another man’s wife and arrange the murder of her husband, David offered God his “broken and contrite heart” (v. 17) and pleaded for mercy. The Hebrew word translated “contrite” is nidkeh, meaning “crushed.”

For God to refashion his heart (v. 10), David had to first offer Him the broken pieces. It was both an admission of sorrow and trust. David entrusted his heart to a faithful and forgiving God, who lovingly takes what’s been crushed and transforms it into something beautiful.


Reflect & Pray  
What parts of your heart are crushed? How might you entrust your brokenness to God? 

Dear God, I entrust my brokenness to You, believing that in Your time, You'll transform it into something truly beautiful.  


Insight   
The superscription to Psalm 51 reads: “A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.” The backstory to this psalm can be found in 2 Samuel 11–12, where we read that David refused to confess his double sin of murdering Uriah and committing adultery with Bathsheba for almost a year. God then sent the prophet Nathan to confront him. After repenting from his sins, many scholars believe David penned Psalms 32 and 51. (Some scholars add Psalm 86 as well.) Psalm 51 is one of the seven “penitential psalms” (also Psalms 6, 32, 38, 102, 130, 143), so called because the writer, in repentant sorrow, confessed his sins and turned to God for His mercy and forgiveness. Psalm 51 has become a model prayer for believers in Jesus today as we seek God to forgive our sins.
 

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Acts 15:37-38 KJV
And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.

38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.


The Making of Me

Seven-year-old Thomas Edison didn’t like or do well in school. One day, he was even called “addled” (mentally confused) by a teacher. He stormed home. After speaking with the teacher the next day, his mom, a teacher by training, decided to teach Thomas at home. Helped along by her love and encouragement (and his God-given genius), Thomas went on to become a great inventor. He later wrote, “My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me, and I felt I had someone to live for, someone I must not disappoint.”

In Acts 15, we read that Barnabas and the apostle Paul served together as missionaries until they had a major disagreement about whether or not to bring along John Mark. Paul was opposed because Mark had earlier “deserted them in Pamphylia” (vv. 36–38). As a result, Paul and Barnabas split. Paul took Silas and Barnabas took Mark. Barnabas was willing to give Mark a second chance, and his encouragement contributed to Mark’s ability to serve and succeed as a missionary. He went on to write the gospel of Mark and was even a comfort to Paul while he was in prison (2 Timothy 4:11).

Many of us can look back and point to someone in our life who encouraged and helped us along our way. God may be calling you to do the same for someone in your life. Whom might you encourage?


Reflect & Pray
Who had faith in you and helped you succeed? What did that person do to encourage you?

Dear God, thank You for walking alongside me and placing people in my life who helped to make me who I am today.


Insight
Learning is one of the most important aspects of living—even for great thinkers and leaders like the apostle Paul. We see this learning in process when we consider his attitude toward John Mark in Acts 15 compared to his attitude in 2 Timothy 4. In Acts 15:38, when Paul and Barnabas agreed to visit the churches they’d planted, Paul refused to allow John Mark to accompany them because on the previous trip the young man had “deserted” them. In 2 Timothy 4:10–16, Paul wrote that when he needed support from his friends, they also had “deserted” him. Here, however, instead of throwing them away for their desertion (as he had John Mark), he pleaded that this not be held against them. An astonishing change of attitude—which is reinforced by Paul’s words of respect and appreciation for Mark in 2 Timothy 4:11.
 

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Psalm 103:13 KJV
Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.


A Compassionate Father

After eight-year-old Gabriel underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his brain, it left a noticeable scar on the side of his head. When the boy said he felt like a monster, his dad, Josh, had an idea: demonstrate how much he loved his son by getting a tattoo on the side of his head with the same shape as Gabriel’s scar.

According to the psalmist, this is the kind of empathic and compassionate love God has for “his children” (Psalm 103:13). Using a metaphor drawn from human life, David illustrated God’s love. He said it’s as tender as a good father’s care for his children (v. 17). Just as a human father shows compassion to his children, so God, our heavenly Father, shows love and care toward those who fear Him. He’s a compassionate father, who empathizes with His people.

When we’re weak and feel like we’re unlovable because of the scars of life, may we receive, by faith, our heavenly Father’s love toward us. He demonstrated His compassion by sending His Son to lay “down his life for us” (1 John 3:16)—for our salvation. With this one act, not only can we experience God’s love for us, but we can look to the cross and see it. Aren’t you glad that we have a High Priest who can “empathize with our weaknesses” (Hebrews 4:15)? He has the scars to prove it.


Reflect & Pray
How do you mind the gap between knowing God loves you and experiencing His love? How does it make you feel that Jesus, our High Priest, can empathize with every scar you have?

Heavenly Father, thank You for your compassionate love for me. May You use my scars for Your glory.


Insight
Psalm 103 begins and ends with a call to worship God—beginning with the individual worshiper (vv. 1–2), building up to all creation (vv. 20–22), and returning to the individual at the end of verse 22. In between, the psalm reflects on why it’s fitting for all creation to worship and lists the many ways God has revealed Himself to be a God of boundless goodness.

In many ways, this psalm (see vv. 8, 12, 18) is an extended reflection on the description of God given to Moses in Exodus 34:6–7: “the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” Psalm 103 reminds worshipers of God’s mercy (v. 8), reassuring them that His compassion, love, and faithfulness are greater than their weakness and sin (vv. 13–14). All are invited to experience the joy of worshiping Him.
 

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As Strong as Iron

Ironclad beetles are known for their tough exterior which protects them from predators. One special variety, however, has extraordinary strength under pressure. The insect’s hard, outer shell stretches, rather than cracks, where it joins together. Its flat back and low profile also help it to resist fractures. Scientific tests show that it can survive a compression force of nearly forty thousand times its body weight.

Just as God made this bug extra tough, He gave resilience to Jeremiah as well. The prophet would face intense pressure when he delivered unwelcome messages to Israel, so God promised to make him “an iron pillar and a bronze wall” (Jeremiah 1:18). The prophet wouldn’t be flattened, dismantled, or overwhelmed. His words would stand strong because of God’s presence and rescuing power.

Throughout his life, Jeremiah was falsely accused, arrested, tried, beaten, imprisoned, and tossed into a well—yet he survived. Jeremiah also persisted despite the weight of inner struggles. Doubt and grief plagued him. Constant rejection and the dread of a Babylonian invasion added to his mental stress.God continually helped Jeremiah so that his spirit and testimony weren’t shattered. When we feel like giving up on the mission He’s given us, or backing away from living faith-filled lives, we can remember that Jeremiah’s God is our God. He can make us as strong as iron because His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
 

Reflect & Pray

Which circumstances are threatening to crush you? How do the examples of Bible characters inspire you to exhibit faith in God? Dear God, please strengthen me to meet the challenges I face today.


Insight

The words terrified/terrify in Jeremiah 1:17 translate the Hebrew word hatat, meaning to be shattered, dismayed, broken, abolished, afraid, discouraged, terrified. The word is used in contexts where God’s people are encouraged to take a stand in the face of odds (see 1 Chronicles 22:13; 2 Chronicles 20:15, 17; Ezekiel 3:9). It’s often preceded by the word not and the exhortation to “not fear” as in Joshua 1:9, where the Hebrew word is translated “discouraged”: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” In the Gospels, Jesus’ words to His disciples echo what we hear in the Old Testament: “Do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say” (Luke 12:11–12).
 
 

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Philippians 3:16 KJV
Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.


Radiant Drifters

Under the night sky in the spring of 2020, surfers rode bioluminescent waves along the coast of San Diego. These lightshows were caused by microscopic organisms called phytoplankton, a name derived from a Greek word meaning “wanderer” or “drifter.” During the day, the living organisms create red tides and capture sunlight that converts into chemical energy. When disturbed in the darkness, they produce an electric blue light.

Believers in Jesus are citizens of heaven who, much like the red-tide algae, live like wanderers or drifters on earth. When difficult circumstances disturb our well-laid plans, the Holy Spirit empowers us to respond like Jesus—the Light of the World—so we can reflect His radiant character in the darkness. According to Paul the apostle, nothing is more valuable than our intimacy with Christ and the righteousness that comes through our faith in Him (Philippians 3:8–9). His life proved that knowing Jesus and the power of His resurrection changes us, impacting the way we live and the way we respond when trials disrupt our lives (vv. 10–16).

When we spend time with God’s Son daily, the Holy Spirit equips us with the truth we need—enabling us to face every challenge on this earth in ways that reflect Christ’s character (vv. 17–21). We can be beacons of God’s love and hope, cutting through the darkness until the day He calls us home or comes again.




Reflect & Pray
How has your perspective on life’s challenges changed as you’ve considered what Christ has done for you? What can you do to become radiant with the character of Christ?

Merciful Jesus, when difficult circumstances come, please shine through me and help me point others to You.


Insight
When Paul received the Macedonian vision (Acts 16:6–10), he and his colleagues found passage from Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) and traveled to Philippi. There, they searched out a prayer meeting where they shared the message of the love of Christ, resulting in the first converts in Europe. Later, however, Paul and Silas were arrested and beaten severely. This suffering led to the conversion of the jailer and his family—further strengthening the fledgling assembly of believers. The commitment to go and reach out and the determination not to be deterred by suffering were key elements to the Philippian church’s birth.
 
 

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Matthew 7:24 KJV
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:


Two Houses

To test the stability of two houses, engineers simulated a Category 3 hurricane by using powerful fans that produced wind gusts of one hundred miles per hour for ten minutes. The first house was built according to a non-hurricane building code, and the other was put together with a reinforced roof and floors. The first house shook and eventually collapsed, but the second house survived with only a few cosmetic damages. One of the engineers summarized the study by asking, "Which house would you rather be living in?"

Concluding His teaching on values of kingdom living, Jesus said, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24). The fierce winds blew, but the house survived. In contrast, the person who hears and yet doesn’t obey, “is like a foolish man who built his house on sand” (v. 26). The fierce winds blew, and the house collapsed under the intensity of the storm. Jesus presented His audience with two options: build your lives on the solid foundation of obedience to Him or on the unstable sand of your own ways.

We too have to make a choice. Will we build our lives on Jesus and obedience to His words or disobedience to His instruction? By the Holy Spirit’s help, we can choose to build our lives on Christ.


Reflect & Pray
How have you experienced what it means to have Jesus as the foundation of your life? In what areas is He inviting you into greater obedience?

Jesus, help me to abide in You so that when the storms rise and the winds blow, I'll remain true to You—established forever by Your grace.


Insight
Though the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) is often considered the starting point of Jesus’ public ministry, it actually began in Matthew 4, where He began preaching the kingdom (v. 17), gathering disciples (vv. 18–22), and performing miracles (vv. 23–25). When Matthew 5:1 says that Jesus was followed by crowds, those crowds were the result of the work He’d started in Matthew 4. The Sermon on the Mount launches the basic structure around which Matthew will tell the story of Jesus. It’s the first of five major addresses Matthew records and which form the backbone of his gospel. Some scholars speculate that Matthew presented his gospel based on five messages because his primary audience was Jewish, and they already revered the five books of Moses and the book of Psalms, which is divided into five books. As such, they were accustomed to dealing with content in groups of five.
 

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Deuteronomy 4:9 KJV
Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;


Transmitting Truth

Without the ability to see their grandchildren in person due to risk of infection, many grandparents sought new ways of connecting during the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent survey showed that many grandparents adopted texting and social media as a means to maintain their precious bond with their grandchildren. Some even worshiped with their extended families by video call.

One of the most wonderful ways parents and grandparents can influence their children is by passing down the truths of Scripture. In Deuteronomy 4, Moses charged God’s people to “not forget the things” they’d seen about God “or let them fade from [their] hearts” (v. 9). He went on to say that sharing these things with their children and their children’s children would enable them to learn to “revere" Him (v. 10) and to live according to His truth in the land He was giving them.

The relationships God gives us with our families and friends are certainly meant to be enjoyed. By God’s design, they’re also intended to be a conduit to convey His wisdom from one generation to another, “training [them] in righteousness” and equipping them for “every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). When we share God’s truth and work in our lives with the next generation—whether by text, call, video, or in-person conversation—we equip them to see and enjoy His work in their own lives.


Reflect & Pray
Who has “transmitted” God’s truth to you? With whom can you share His truth—through a text, a note, or an in-person conversation?

Thank You, God, for the legacy of faith You’ve passed on to me. Please help me to lovingly impart that legacy to others.


Insight
Moses’ words in Deuteronomy 4 reveal two related aspects of the human condition. First, it’s easy to forget important events and words (v. 9a). Second, to avoid this, we need to intentionally keep important things in the forefront of our minds (v. 9b). We can see how this deliberate call to remember the deeds of God anticipates the cycle of generational spiritual wandering that occurs in the book of Judges.

Here in Deuteronomy, the people are encouraged to pass the memories of the deeds of God on to their “children and to their children after them” (vv. 9–10). In the book of Judges, we read (repeatedly) of both the failure to do this and its consequences (see 3:10–12). In each “cycle” of the book of Judges, the disobedience of Israel arises within a generation or two of God’s deliverance—a seeming neglect of passing on His deeds to their children.