Daily Bible Verse

[nanny]

Leviticus 19:34 KJV
But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.


The Baggage Activity

Karen, a middle school teacher, created an activity to teach her students how to better understand one another. In “The Baggage Activity” students wrote down some of the emotional weights they were carrying. The notes were shared anonymously, giving the students insight into each other’s hardships, often with a tearful response from their peers. The classroom has since been filled with a deeper sense of mutual respect among the young teens, who now have a greater sense of empathy for one another.

Throughout the Bible, God has nudged His people to treat one another with dignity and show empathy in their interaction with others (Romans 12:15). As early in the history of Israel as the book of Leviticus, God pointed the Israelites toward empathy—especially in their dealings with foreigners. He said to “love them as [themselves]” because they too had been foreigners in Egypt and knew that hardship intimately (Leviticus 19:34).

Sometimes the burdens we carry make us feel like foreigners—alone and misunderstood—even among our peers. We don’t always have a similar experience to draw on as the Israelites did with the foreigners among them. Yet we can always treat those God puts in our paths with the respect and understanding that we, ourselves, desire. Whether a modern-day middle schooler, an Israelite, or anything in between, we honor God when we do.

Reflect & Pray
Who around you might need your empathy for the burdens they carry? How can you “love them as yourself”?

God, You know the weight in my heart and You graciously unburden me as I put my trust in You. Help me to offer care and compassion toward those in my life.

Insight
Leviticus 19 provides a list of dos and don’ts for the Israelites—strict laws given for a reason: so they’d be holy or “set apart” for God. They were to avoid wrong behavior and to do good, specifically in terms of interactions with others (see vv. 3–37). In light of the New Testament, the underlying concept of these laws is still relevant today (loving and taking care of others; being honest, etc.). However, certain specific regulations no longer apply. For example, it’s not necessary to avoid wearing clothes made of two different materials (v. 19), which was commonly only allowed by priests; to make animal sacrifices when we sin (v. 21), because Christ’s death has made atonement for our sin; or to avoid certain beard or hair styles (v. 27), because these practices were associated with those who worshiped false gods. Instead, we can stand out as believers in Jesus by displaying a changed heart—living lives of honesty and integrity and treating others well.
 

[nanny]

Luke 17:3 KJV
Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.


Extending Mercy

Reflecting on how she forgave Manasseh, the man who killed her husband and some of her children in the Rwandan genocide, Beata said, “My forgiving is based on what Jesus did. He took the punishment for every evil act throughout all time. His cross is the place we find victory—the only place!” Manasseh had written to Beata from prison more than once, begging her—and God—for forgiveness as he detailed the regular nightmares that plagued him. At first she could extend no mercy, saying she hated him for killing her family. But then “Jesus intruded into her thoughts,” and with God’s help, some two years later, she forgave him.

In this, Beata followed Jesus’ instruction to His disciples to forgive those who repent. He said that even if they “sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them” (Luke 17:4). But to forgive can be extremely difficult, as we see by the disciples’ reaction: “Increase our faith!” (v. 5).

Beata’s faith increased as she wrestled in prayer over her inability to forgive. If, like her, we’re struggling to forgive, we can ask God through His Holy Spirit to help us to do so. As our faith increases, He helps us to forgive.

Reflect & Pray
If someone who wronged you later repented, how did you react? How could God help you to forgive in these situations?

Jesus, thank You for releasing me from the consequences of my sin through Your death on the cross. I give You the glory!

Insight
In Luke 17, Jesus is teaching His disciples how to relate to other people (vv. 1–5) and to God (vv. 6–10). He warns that His disciples aren’t to cause anyone to sin (v. 2) and are to confront those who do sin (v. 3), which was required by the law (Leviticus 19:17). Jesus added a third duty: to forgive those who repent (Luke 17:3–4). His disciples are to deal unequivocally with a brother or sister who sins, with the purpose of restoration and reconciliation (Matthew 18:15–17). The rabbis argued that since God forgave Israel’s enemies only three times (inferred from Amos 1:3, 6, 9, 11, 13), people only needed to forgive three times. However, Jesus wasn’t setting a new “seven times” limit on forgiveness (Luke 17:4). Rather, the idea is that when it comes to forgiving someone, you don’t keep score. There’s no limit to the number of times you forgive.
 

[nanny]

Isaiah 55:12 KJV
For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.


Windows

Near the foothills of the Himalayas, a visitor noticed a row of houses without windows. His guide explained that some of the villagers feared that demons might sneak into their homes while they slept, so they built impermeable walls. You could tell when a homeowner began to follow Jesus because he put in windows to let in the light.

A similar dynamic may take place in us, though we might not see it quite that way. We live in scary, polarizing times. Satan and his demons instigate angry divisions that split families and friends. I often feel like hiding behind my walls. But Jesus wants me to cut in a window.

Israel sought refuge in higher walls, but God said their security lay with Him. He reigns from heaven, and His word governs all (Isaiah 55:10–11). If Israel would return to Him, God would “have mercy on them” (v. 7) and restore them as His people to bless the world (Genesis 12:1–3). He would lift them up, ultimately leading them in a triumphal parade. Their celebration “will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever” (Isaiah 55:13).

Sometimes walls are necessary. Walls with windows are best. They show the world that we trust God for the future. Our fears are real. Our God is greater. Windows open us to Jesus—“the light of the world” (John 8:12)—and to others who need Him.

Reflect & Pray
Would you say your life is more wall or window? Why? Is there a person or situation you need to be more open to?

Almighty Father, flood my heart with the confidence of Your love.

Insight
Isaiah 55:6–13 features one of the characteristics of Isaiah’s writing—the use of imagery from nature. These verses include about a dozen such references. The prophet speaks of heaven and earth and rain and snow (vv. 9–10), “mountains and hills” and “trees of the field” (v. 12). One scholar notes that “Isaiah’s world vibrates with nature’s buzzing.” After a bit of biographical and historical information, the book begins with, “Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth!” (1:2). The much-loved nature references in chapter 40 include these familiar words: “All people are like grass, and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field. . . . The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever” (vv. 6–8).
 

[nanny]

Ruth 4:14 KJV
And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.


Hard Ground and Tender Mercy

When James was just six years old, his older brother David died tragically in an ice-skating accident. It was the day before David’s fourteenth birthday. In the years that followed, James tried his best to console his mother, Margaret, who in her deep grief sometimes reminded herself that her elder son would never have to face the challenges of growing up. In James Barrie’s fertile imagination, decades later that same idea would burgeon into inspiration for a much-loved children’s story character who never aged: Peter Pan. Like a flower pushing its way through pavement, good emerged even from the hard ground of unthinkable heartache.

How comforting is the thought that God, in an infinitely more creative way, is able to bring good out of our most difficult circumstances. A beautiful illustration of this occurs in the Old Testament story of Ruth. Naomi lost her two sons, leaving her without means or support. Her widowed daughter-in-law Ruth chose to remain with Naomi to help provide for her and to serve her God (Ruth 1:16). In the end, God’s provision brought them unexpected joy. Ruth remarried and had a child, “and they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David” (4:17). He would also be listed among the ancestors of Jesus (Matthew 1:5).

God’s tender mercy reaches beyond our ability to fathom and meets us in surprising places. Keep looking! Perhaps you’ll see it today.

Reflect & Pray
When have you seen God bring unexpected good out of difficult circumstances in your life? How can you share what He’s done with others?

Loving God, I thank You that one day You’ll wipe every tear from my eyes because You’re greater than every heartache or difficulty I’ll ever face.

Insight
Obed, the son of Ruth and Boaz, is referred to as a “guardian-redeemer” or “kinsman-redeemer” (Ruth 4:14). The Hebrew go’el refers to a nearest relative who would buy back, redeem, and restore something to its original or proper state of existence. The guardian-redeemer has various duties: to redeem the property of his relative and keep it in the family (Leviticus 25:23–34); to redeem a poor relative who has sold himself as a slave to an outsider (vv. 35–55); to seek out the murderer of his kinsman and bring them to justice (Numbers 35:9–34); and to marry a childless widow of a deceased brother to carry on his family line (Deuteronomy 25:5–10). The “guardian-redeemer” is the central focus of the book of Ruth (2:20; 3:9, 12; 4:1, 3, 6, 8, 14). God refers to Himself as the Redeemer of Israel (see Isaiah 41:14; 44:6, 24; 47:4; 54:5; 63:16).
 

[nanny]

Luke 12:31 KJV
But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you.


Quarantined by Fear

In 2020, an outbreak of the coronavirus left the world in fear. People were quarantined, countries were put under lockdown, flights and large events were canceled. Those living in areas with no known cases still feared they might get the virus. Graham Davey, an expert in anxiety, believes that negative news broadcasts are “likely to make you sadder and more anxious.” A meme that circulated on social media showed a man watching the news on TV, and he asked how to stop worrying. In response, another person in the room reached over and flipped off the TV, suggesting that the answer might be a shift in focus!

Luke 12 gives us some advice to help us stop worrying: “Seek his kingdom” (v. 31). We seek God’s kingdom when we focus on the promise that His followers have an inheritance in heaven. When we face difficulty, we can shift our focus and remember that God sees us and knows our needs (vv. 24–30).

Jesus encourages His disciples: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom” (v. 32). God enjoys blessing us! Let’s worship Him, knowing He cares for us more than the birds of the air and the flowers of the field (vv. 22–29). Even in difficult times, we can read the Scriptures, pray for God’s peace, and trust in our good and faithful God.

Reflect & Pray
What’s causing you to fear today? What’s one thing you can do to seek God’s kingdom when you begin to worry?

Loving God, instead of living in fear or worry, help me to focus on Your care for me.

Insight
The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus’ ministry in Luke’s gospel (Luke 4:43), and it often inverts the world’s priorities. For example, the kingdom belongs to the poor (6:20) and little children (18:17), but the rich will have trouble accessing it (vv. 24–25). A criminal condemned to death can enter the kingdom through Jesus (23:42–43). Though many are invited to enter, not all will accept the invitation (14:15–24). And of those who do “come from east and west and north and south,” the last will be first and the first will be last (13:29–30). Con Campbell
 

[nanny]

John 14:16 KJV
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 


Jesus’ Promise to You

Jason wailed as his parents handed him over to Amy. It was the two-year-old’s first time in the nursery while Mom and Dad attended the service—and he was not happy. Amy assured them he’d be fine. She tried to soothe him with toys and books, by rocking in a chair, walking around, standing still, and talking about what fun he could have. But everything was met with bigger tears and louder cries. Then she whispered five simple words in his ear: “I will stay with you.” Peace and comfort quickly came.

Jesus offered His friends similar words of comfort during the week of His crucifixion: “The Father . . . will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16–17). After His resurrection He gave them this promise: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Jesus was soon to ascend to heaven, but He would send the Spirit to “stay” and live within His people.

We experience the Spirit’s comfort and peace when our tears flow. We receive His guidance when we’re wondering what to do (John 14:26). He opens our eyes to understand more of God (Ephesians 1:17–20), and He helps us in our weakness and prays for us (Romans 8:26–27).

He stays with us forever.


Reflect & Pray
What do you need from the Holy Spirit today? How can knowing He’s always near help you?

How thankful I am that You remain always by my side, Jesus! I need You.


Insight
In John 13–17, commonly known as the Upper Room Discourse because Jesus spoke these words in the upper room where the Last Supper was held (see Mark 14:12–15), Christ gave us His final and most profound thoughts just before His crucifixion. In addition, John 14 and 16 contain His most comprehensive teaching on the Holy Spirit. Jesus assured His disciples that when He returned to the Father (13:3, 33; 16:28), He wouldn’t abandon them (14:18). He promised His peace (14:27) and continued presence and asked the Father to give them “another advocate” (Greek paraklētos)—the “Spirit of truth,” the “Holy Spirit” (vv. 16–17, 26). Paraklētos means “one who helps, enables, or comforts another person.” This word is difficult to define and various translations use different words: “Helper,” “Counselor,” “Comforter,” “Companion,” and “Friend.”
 

[nanny]

Proverbs 15:1 KJV
A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.


Difficult People

Lucy Worsley is a British historian and TV presenter. Like most people in the public eye, she sometimes receives nasty mail—in her case, over a mild speech impediment that makes her r’s sound like w’s. One person wrote this: “Lucy, I’ll be blunt: Please try harder to correct your lazy speech or remove r’s from your scripts—I couldn’t sit through your TV series because it made me so annoyed. Regards, Darren.”

For some people, an insensitive comment like this might trigger an equally rude reply. But here’s how Lucy responded: “Oh Darren, I think you’ve used the anonymity of the internet to say something you probably wouldn’t say to my face. Please reconsider your unkind words! Lucy.”

Lucy’s measured response worked. Darren apologized and vowed not to send anyone such an email again.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath,” Proverbs says, “but a harsh word stirs up anger” (15:1). While the hot-tempered person stirs things up, the patient person calms them down (v. 18). When we get a critical comment from a colleague, a snide remark from a family member, or a nasty reply from a stranger, we have a choice: to speak angry words that fuel the flames or gentle words that douse them.

May God help us to speak words that turn away wrath—and perhaps even help difficult people to change.

Reflect & Pray
Think of a time you got defensive with someone. Why do you think you reacted that way? How could you respond differently in God’s power?

Loving God, give me the ability to respond to quarrelsome people with patient, gentle words.

Insight
Proverbs 15 falls in the section of the book (chs. 10–29) that uses two-line poetic couplets. These couplets dispense sound wisdom and guidance for those who want to live in ways that honor God and people. This literary device is called parallelism and is one of the major features of Hebrew poetry. Parallelism is in play when several truths are laid down in a side-by-side fashion to drive home a major point. When the two couplets are joined by the conjunction and, it’s known as synonymous parallelism. When coupled by but, these arrangements are examples of antithetical parallelism, where the truth is emphasized through contrast. Antithetical parallelism is what we find almost exclusively in Proverbs 15. The repeated use of the word but alerts the reader that truths are being emphasized by highlighting differences.
 

[nanny]

2 Corinthians 1:4 KJV
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.


The God of All Comfort

Radamenes was just a kitten when his owner dropped him off at an animal shelter, thinking he was too ill to recover. The kitten was nursed back to health and adopted by the vet. He then became a fulltime resident at the shelter and now spends his days “comforting” cats and dogs—just out of surgery or recovering from an illness—through his warm presence and gentle purr.

That story is a small picture of what our loving God does for us—and what we can do for others in return. He cares for us in our sickness and struggles, and He soothes us with His presence. The apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians calls our God, “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort” (1:3). When we are discouraged, depressed, or mistreated, He’s there for us. When we turn to Him in prayer, He “comforts us in all our troubles” (v. 4).

But verse 4 doesn’t end there. Paul, who had experienced intense suffering, continues, “so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” Our Father comforts us, and when we’ve experienced His comfort, we’re enabled to comfort others.

Our compassionate Savior, who suffered for us, is more than able to comfort us in our suffering and distress (v. 5). He helps us through our pain and equips us to do the same for others.

Reflect & Pray
When have you experienced God’s comfort during a difficult time? When have you offered God’s comfort to others?

Dear God, thank You for Your comforting presence in my pain and sorrow. Help me in turn to be a comfort to others.

Insight
Scholars believe Paul wrote at least four letters to the struggling group of believers in Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 5:9–11, Paul alludes to a previous letter in which he warned them against associating with “anyone who claims to be a brother or sister [in Christ] but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler.” In 2 Corinthians 2, Paul refers to a letter written between 1 and 2 Corinthians. “I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears,” he said of this missive (v. 4). Apparently, he used strong words in that letter in order to correct a problem of gross immorality in the church. This shines additional light on Paul’s opening words in 2 Corinthians, the last of the four letters. His timely words of comfort and encouragement in 1:3–7 show genuine love and leadership.
 

[nanny]

 

Philippians 2:4 KJV
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.


Seeing with New Eyes

A video game, one that’s become a cultural phenomenon, places a hundred players on a virtual island to compete until one player remains. Whenever a player eliminates you from the contest, you can continue to watch through that player’s vantage point. As one journalist notes, “When you step into another player’s shoes and inhabit their point of view, the emotional register . . . shifts from self-preservation to . . . communal solidarity. . . . You begin to feel invested in the stranger who, not too long ago, did you in.”

Transformation happens whenever we open ourselves to see another’s experience, looking beyond our own vision and encountering another’s pain, fear, or hopes. When we follow Jesus’ example and “do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit” and instead “in humility value others above [our]selves,” then we notice things we would have missed otherwise (Philippians 2:3). Our concerns broaden. We ask different questions. Rather than being preoccupied with only our own needs or angst, we become invested in others’ well-being. Rather than looking to “[our] own interests,” we become committed “to the interests of . . . others” (v. 4). Rather than protecting what we assume we need to thrive, we joyfully pursue whatever helps others flourish.

With this transformed vision, we gain compassion for others. We discover new ways to love our family. We may even make a friend out of an enemy!

Reflect & Pray
How can the Holy Spirit help you avoid becoming small, narrow, or selfish? How do you think God’s inviting you to see others with new eyes?

Jesus, too often what I see is only my fear, my pain, or my lack. Help me to see my sisters and brothers. I want to truly see them and love them.

Insight
The word translated “common sharing” in Philippians 2:1 is the Greek word koinonia. Though it’s sometimes translated “fellowship,” words like participation or partnership amplify the ideas of mutual sharing and investment. Sharing in something with someone is what’s in view. Koinonia words show up in the book of Philippians six different times (1:5, 7; 2:1; 3:10; 4:14, 15). Paul’s partnership with the Philippians in ministry, which included mutual investment, is in view in 1:5 and 4:15. “Common sharing in the Spirit” is one of the realities of a community of believers in Christ (2:1). When Paul wrote “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (3:10), he was expressing his desire to more fully experience Christ—even when it meant partaking in painful, unpleasant things.
 

[nanny]

Daniel 2:20 KJV
Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:


Better with God

On her college volleyball team, my granddaughter learned a winning principle. When the ball came her way, no matter what, she could “better the ball.” She could make a play that left her teammates in a better situation—without throwing tantrums, blaming, or making excuses. Always make the situation better.

That was Daniel’s response when he and three Hebrew friends were taken into captivity by Babylon’s king Nebuchadnezzar. Although they were given pagan names and ordered to take three years of “training” in the enemy’s palace, Daniel didn’t rage. Instead, he asked permission not to defile himself in God’s sight by eating the king’s rich food and wine. As this intriguing Bible story shows, after consuming nothing but vegetables and water for ten days (Daniel 1:12), Daniel and his friends “looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food” (v. 15).

Another time, Nebuchadnezzar threatened to kill Daniel and all palace wise men if they couldn’t repeat the king’s disturbing dream and interpret it. Again, Daniel didn’t panic, but sought mercy “from the God of heaven,” and the mystery was revealed to him in a vision (2:19). As Daniel declared of God, “wisdom and power are his” (v. 20). Throughout his captivity, Daniel sought God’s best despite the conflicts he faced. In our own troubles, may we follow that example, making the situation better by taking it to God.

Reflect & Pray
What battles are you facing now? As you turn from those troubles and seek God, how does He make your journey better?

Loving God, life’s challenges feel overwhelming today. As I turn to You, inspire me to shed my despair to journey better with You.

Insight
Who were Daniel and his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah? (Daniel 1:6). They were “Israelites from the royal family and the nobility” in Judah taken captive by the Babylonians (v. 3; around 605 bc). These young men were among the handsome and intelligent young men (probably in their early teens) chosen to serve in King Nebuchadnezzar’s palace (v. 4). Once in the king’s service, they were given new names—Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (v. 7)—and were expected to assimilate into citizens loyal to the king and the culture. But we see early on that these men, though captives, continued to love and serve God. They didn’t defile themselves with the king’s food, which was consecrated to the Babylonian gods (vv. 8–16). Later we see their devotion to God in the refusal of Daniel’s friends to bow down to an idol (ch. 3) and Daniel’s continued prayers to God (ch. 6).