Daily Bible Verse

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Philippians 2:15-16 KJV

15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.


Shining Stars

I can close my eyes and go back in time to the house where I grew up. I remember stargazing with my father. We took turns squinting through his telescope, trying to focus on glowing dots that shimmered and winked. These pinpricks of light, born of heat and fire, stood out in sharp contrast to the smooth, ink-black sky.

Do you consider yourself to be a shining star? I’m not talking about reaching the heights of human achievement, but standing out against a dark background of brokenness and evil. The apostle Paul told the Philippian believers that God would shine in and through them as they held “firmly to the word of life” and avoided grumbling and arguing (Philippians 2:14–16).

Our unity with other believers and our faithfulness to God can set us apart from the world. The problem is that these things don’t come naturally. We constantly strive to overcome temptation so we can maintain a close relationship with God. We wrestle against selfishness to have harmony with our spiritual brothers and sisters.

But still, there’s hope. Alive in each believer, God’s Spirit empowers us to be self-controlled, kind, and faithful (Galatians 5:22–23). Just as we are called to live beyond our natural capacity, God’s supernatural help makes this possible (Philippians 2:13). If every believer became a “shining star” through the power of the Spirit, just imagine how the light of God would repel the darkness around us!

Reflect & Pray
What causes your light for Jesus to dim? What do you need to do to brighten it?

Loving God, I ask Your Spirit to empower me to shine in the darkness. Make me into someone who is known for my love of others and my faithfulness to You.

Insight
Paul instructs the Philippian believers in Christ to “work out [their] salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). The phrase “fear and trembling” is found in the New Testament only in Paul’s writings (see 1 Corinthians 2:3; 2 Corinthians 7:15; Ephesians 6:5). The apostle isn’t suggesting that the believers at Philippi should be afraid of the outcome of their salvation. Rather, “fear and trembling” is the response to the divine glory. Philippians 2:12 begins with the word therefore, which connects the command to work out salvation with fear and trembling to what precedes—the exaltation of Christ in the heavenly realms (vv. 9–11). We work out our salvation in awe and reverence of the exalted Christ.
 

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Romans 2:15 KJV
Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)


Guilt and Forgiveness

In his book Human Universals, anthropologist Donald Brown lists more than four hundred behaviors that he considers common across humanity. He includes such things as toys, jokes, dances, and proverbs, wariness of snakes, and tying things with string! Likewise, he believes all cultures have concepts of right and wrong, where generosity is praised, promises are valued, and things like meanness and murder understood to be wrong. We all have a sense of conscience, wherever we’re from.

The apostle Paul made a similar point many centuries ago. While God gave the Jewish people the Ten Commandments to clarify right from wrong, Paul noted that since gentiles could do right by obeying their conscience, God’s laws were evidently written on their hearts (Romans 2:14–15). But that didn’t mean people always did what was right. The gentiles rebelled against their conscience (1:32), the Jews broke the Law (2:17–24), leaving both guilty. But through faith in Jesus, God removes the death penalty from all our rule-breaking (3:23–26; 6:23).

Since God created all humans with a sense of right and wrong, each of us will likely feel some guilt over a bad thing we’ve done or a good thing we failed to do. When we confess those sins, God wipes away the guilt like a whiteboard wiped clean. All we have to do is ask Him—whoever we are, wherever we’re from.

Reflect & Pray
Where do you think humanity’s sense of right and wrong comes from? What guilt feelings are you wanting Jesus’ forgiveness for today?

Jesus, I’ve failed to do right and succeeded in doing wrong. Forgive me. Thank You for dying my death so I don’t have to.

Insight
Rome was one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the ancient world, which was evidenced in the makeup of the first-century church comprised of both Jews and gentiles. This diverse audience is reflected in the inclusive way in which Paul chose to open his letter to the believers in Christ there. In chapter 1, he focuses on the spiritual need of the gentiles who, in their rebellion, had spiraled away from God. Then in chapter 2, he presents the spiritual need of the Jews who sought to be made righteous by the law but never could. Thankfully, Paul prefaces these concerns with the good news. In Romans 1:16 we read, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Both Jew and gentile are the objects of God’s rescuing love.
 

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Jonah 2:9 KJV
But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the Lord.


Pursued by Love

“I fled Him, down the nights and down the days,” opens the famous poem “The Hound of Heaven” by English poet Francis Thompson. Thompson describes Jesus’ unceasing pursuit—despite his efforts to hide, or even run away, from God. The poet imagines God speaking to him and saying, “I am He whom thou seekest!”

The pursuing love of God is a central theme of the book of Jonah. The prophet received an assignment to tell the people of Nineveh (notorious enemies of Israel) about their need to turn to God, but instead “Jonah ran away from the Lord” (Jonah 1:3). He secured passage on a ship sailing in the opposite direction of Nineveh, but the vessel was soon overcome by a violent storm. To save the ship’s crew, Jonah was thrown overboard before being swallowed by a large fish (1:15–17).

In his own beautiful poem, Jonah recounted that despite his best efforts to run away from God, God pursued him. When Jonah was overcome by his situation and needed to be saved, he cried out to God in prayer and turned toward His love (2:2, 8). God answered and provided rescue not only for Jonah, but for his Assyrian enemies as well (3:10).

As described in both poems, there may be seasons of our lives when we try to run from God. Even then Jesus loves us and is at work guiding us back into restored relationship with Him (1 John 1:9).

Reflect & Pray
When have you tried to run from God? How did He provide rescue?

Jesus, thank You for lovingly pursuing me to offer rescue.

Insight
Prophets Jonah, Hosea, and Amos ministered to the Northern Kingdom of Israel when Jeroboam II was king (782–753 bc). Although Jeroboam was unfaithful, God still helped him to successfully push the Assyrians out of Israel (2 Kings 14:23–28). When God called Jonah to minister to Nineveh, a city in Assyria, Jewish nationalistic zeal was running high. Jonah initially refused to proclaim a message of salvation to an enemy nation (Jonah 1:1–3). When he finally obeyed, the Assyrians repented (3:6–10), and God relented from punishing them (4:1–2). But the repentance of the Assyrians was short-lived. Soon a resurgent Assyria attacked Israel (2 Kings 15:19–20, 29). Within three decades of Jonah, Assyria destroyed the Northern Kingdom of Israel (722 bc) and advanced menacingly towards Judah (2 Kings 17:1–6; 18:9–12). God then raised up Nahum who prophesied against Nineveh, proclaiming her inevitable downfall (Nahum 1:1; 2:3–10; 3:1–7).
 

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Isaiah 9:2 KJV
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.


Facing the Darkness

In the mid-1960s, two people participated in research on the effects of darkness on the human psyche. They entered separate caves, while researchers tracked their eating and sleeping habits. One remained in total darkness for 88 days, the other 126 days. Each guessed how long they could remain in darkness and were off by months. One took what he thought was a short nap only to discover he’d slept for 30 hours. Darkness is disorienting.

The people of God found themselves in the darkness of impending exile. They waited, unsure of what would take place. The prophet Isaiah used darkness as a metaphor for their disorientation and as a way of speaking about God’s judgment (Isaiah 8:22). Previously, the Egyptians had been visited with darkness as a plague (Exodus 10:21–29). Now Israel found herself in darkness.

But a light would come. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (Isaiah 9:2). Oppression would be broken, disorientation would end. A Child would come to change everything and bring about a new day—a day of forgiveness and freedom (v. 6).

Jesus did come! And although the darkness of the world can be disorienting, may we experience the comfort of the forgiveness, freedom, and light found in Christ.

Reflect & Pray
What would it look like to embrace a new day of freedom and forgiveness? How can you welcome the light of Christ today?

Dear Jesus, shine Your light into my life. Bring forgiveness and freedom. Help me to live in the light of Your arrival.

Insight
In the Old Testament, the word yoke is often used to describe the bondage or slavery the Israelites suffered while under the oppressive rule of the Egyptians, Assyrians, and others. Again and again we see God’s promises to lift this heavy yoke (Exodus 6:6–7; Leviticus 26:13; Isaiah 14:25; Jeremiah 30:8; Ezekiel 34:27). In today’s prophecy from Isaiah 9:4, we read of the lifting of another yoke. In his commentary on Isaiah, Edward Young describes this yoke as “the heavy burden of sin and corruption, of departure from God, and of the evil consequences of such departure.” This spiritual battle was won by the child (Jesus, v. 6), who through His death and resurrection delivers all who believe in Him from the burdensome yoke of sin. Now that we’ve been set free, the apostle Paul encourages us to “stand firm” and not “be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).
 

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Mark 14:8 KJV
She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying.


She Did What She Could

She loaded the plastic container of cupcakes onto the conveyor belt, sending it toward the cashier. Next came the birthday card and various bags of chips. Hair escaped from her ponytail, crowning her fatigued forehead. Her toddler clamored for attention. The clerk announced the total and the mom’s face fell. “Oh, I guess I’ll have to put something back. But these are for her party,” she sighed, glancing regretfully at her child.

Standing behind her in line, another customer recognized such pain. Jesus’ words to Mary of Bethany echoed in her mind: “She did what she could” (Mark 14:8). After anointing Him with a bottle of expensive nard before His death and burial, Mary was ridiculed by the disciples. Jesus corrected His followers by celebrating what she had done. He didn’t say, “She did all she could,” but rather, “She did what she could.” The lavish cost of the perfume wasn’t His point. It was Mary’s investment of her love in action that mattered. A relationship with Jesus results in a response.

In that moment, before the mom could object, the second customer leaned forward and inserted her credit card into the reader, paying for the purchase. It wasn’t a large expense, and she had extra funds that month. But to that mom, it was everything. A gesture of pure love poured out in her moment of need.

Reflect & Pray
In what unexpected ways has Jesus helped you? What might you do—not all, but what—to love Jesus back in a need you see today?

Father, open my eyes to see You inviting me to do what I can do today.

Insight
Pure nard or spikenard (Mark 14:3) is an aromatic oil from a plant root grown in the Himalayas. This explains its costliness—“more than a year’s wages” (v. 5) or “more than three hundred denarii” (esv).A denarius was a laborer’s full day’s wage.

Because its fragrance is often associated with a bride on her wedding day (Song of Songs 1:12; 4:13–14 esv), some scholars believe Mary gave her most precious possession—her personal dowry—to Jesus. Mary’s anointment of Jesus with the expensive nard was timely and necessary. When Jesus died, His body was hastily prepared for burial because of the Sabbath observance (Mark 15:42–46). A group of women had planned to go to the tomb to anoint His body after the Sabbath (16:1), but by that time Jesus had already risen. But six days earlier (John 12:1), Mary had anointed Jesus with perfume “to prepare for [His] burial” (Mark 14:8).
 

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Micah 6:8 KJV
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?


Walk, Don’t Run

I’d see her welcoming the dawn each day. She was our local power walker. As I drove my kids to school, she’d be there on the road’s shoulder. Equipped with an oversized pair of headphones and knee-high, colorful socks, she walked with an alternating movement of arms and feet, always with one foot in contact with the ground. The sport is different from running or jogging. Power walking involves an intentional restraint, a reining in of the body’s natural inclination to run. Although it doesn’t look like it, there’s just as much energy, focus, and power involved as in running or jogging. But it’s under control.

Power under control—that’s the key. Biblical humility, like power walking, is often viewed as weakness. The truth is, it’s not. Humility isn’t diminishing our strengths or abilities, but rather allowing them to be reined in much like the arms and legs and feet guided by the mind of an early morning power walker.

Micah’s words “walk humbly” are a call for us to rein in our inclination to go ahead of God. He says “to act justly and to love mercy” (6:8), and that can bring with it a desire to do something and do it fast. That’s fair since the daily injustices in our world are so overwhelming. But we are to be controlled and directed by God. Our goal is to see His will and purposes accomplished in the dawning of His kingdom here on earth.

Reflect & Pray
In what circumstance have you “run ahead” of God? Do you usually view humility as a strength or a weakness? Why?
To walk humbly with You, O God, is not always easy. Train me, so that my steps are in tune with You and Your will.

Insight
The book of Micah can be divided into three prophetic messages. Chapter 6 is part of the third message (6:1–7:20) given to the people of Israel through the prophet Micah. This section opens with a courtroom scene (6:1) where God calls the mountains and hills to be His witnesses against Israel (v. 2). In verses 3–5, God describes His faithfulness to Israel to show that there wasn’t any reason for their rebellion against Him. The questions Micah asks in verses 6–8 show how Israel had been making the required sacrifices but with the wrong heart attitude. Verse 8 describes how God wanted them to treat other people: to seek justice (in terms of judgment and the law), love mercy (show unfailing kindness), and walk humbly (in a cautious manner), remembering that God is above and before us.
 

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Mark 4:39 KJV
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.


Safely Ashore

In Papua New Guinea, the Kandas tribe awaited with excitement the arrival of New Testament Bibles printed in their language. To reach the village, however, the people bringing the books had to travel on the ocean in small boats.

What gave them courage to travel across great waters? Their seafaring skills, yes. But they also knew who created the seas. He’s the One who guides each of us across our life’s churning waves and deepest waters.

As David wrote, “Where can I go from your Spirit?” (Psalm 139:7). “If I go up to the heavens, you are there; . . . if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast” (vv. 8–10).

These words would resonate deeply with the Kandas, who live on an island nation whose tropical coasts, dense rainforests, and rugged mountains have been called “The Last Unknown.” Yet as believers there and everywhere know, no place or problem is too remote for God. “Even the darkness will not be dark to you,” says Psalm 139:12, and “the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”

On stormy waters, therefore, our God speaks, “Peace, be still!” and the waves and wind obey (Mark 4:39 nkjv). So, don’t fear life’s deep or turbulent waters today. Our God safely leads us ashore.

Reflect & Pray
What tempts you not to trust God? What do you need to trust Him with today?

Dear heavenly Father, You rule life’s winds and waves, and I thank You for guiding me safely to shore.

Insight
In response to a hostile world that opposed and rejected God (Psalm 139:19–22), David exalts Him and celebrates His character. He’s omniscient—God knows everything about him (vv. 1–4); He’s omnipresent—God is ever-present to protect him (vv. 5–12); He’s omnipotent—God is an all-powerful Creator who sustains him (vv. 13–18). Referring to God’s omnipresence, David asks a rhetorical question: “Where can I flee from your presence?” (v. 7). Nowhere! The prophet Jonah learned the hard way that there’s no place to run from God—not even in the belly of a big fish in the depths of the sea (Jonah 1–2). God issued this challenge to His people who thought they could hide from Him: “Can anyone hide from me in a secret place? Am I not everywhere in all the heavens and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:24 nlt).
 

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John 4:14 KJV
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.


Water Where We Need It

Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake, is vast and magnificent. Measuring one-mile-deep and nearly 400 miles (636 km) by 49 miles (79 km) across, it contains one-fifth of all the surface fresh water in the world. But this water is largely inaccessible. Lake Baikal is located in Siberia—one of the most remote areas of Russia. With water so desperately needed for much of our planet, it’s ironic that such a vast supply of water is tucked away in a place where not many people can access it.

Although Lake Baikal may be remote, there is an endless source of life-giving water that is available and accessible to those who need it most. When at a well in Samaria, Jesus engaged a woman in conversation, probing at the edges of her deep spiritual thirst. The solution to her heart-need? Jesus Himself.

In contrast to the water she had come to draw from the well, Jesus offered something better: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13–14).

Many things promise satisfaction but never fully quench our thirsty hearts. Jesus alone can truly satisfy our spiritual thirst, and His provision is available to everyone, everywhere.

Reflect & Pray
Where are you seeking fulfillment or satisfaction in life? Why is the search for true satisfaction impossible apart from Christ?

Loving God, thank You for the life You provide and the purpose and meaning You give to me. Teach me to find my truest satisfaction in You and Your love.

Insight
Jesus’ promise of water that permanently quenches spiritual thirst (John 4:14) echoes several Old Testament promises. God’s people “will draw water from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3) and “will neither hunger nor thirst” (49:10). God’s Spirit will be poured out like “water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground” (44:3). The idea of spiritual satisfaction runs through prophecies that look forward to new hearts that know and experience God and hunger to do His will (Jeremiah 31:29–34; Ezekiel 36:25–27; Joel 2:28–32). Especially significant is Isaiah 55:1–3: “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters . . . that you may live.” When Jesus offers the Samaritan woman living water (John 4:4-14), He’s declaring that God’s promises are an everlasting covenant with all who come to Him—not just the Israelites.
 

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Luke 16:31 KJV
And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.


Sight Unseen

After Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space, he parachuted into the Russian countryside. A farm woman spotted the orange-clad cosmonaut, still wearing his helmet and dragging two parachutes. “Can it be that you have come from outer space?” she asked in surprise. “As a matter of fact, I have,” he said.

Soviet leaders sadly turned the historic flight into antireligious propaganda. “Gagarin went into space, but he didn’t see any god there,” their premier declared. (Gagarin himself never said such a thing.) As C. S. Lewis observed, “Those who do not find [God] on earth are unlikely to find Him in space.”

Jesus warned us about ignoring God in this life. He told a story of two men who died—a rich man who had no time for God, and Lazarus, a destitute man rich in faith (Luke 16:19–31). In torment, the rich man pleaded with Abraham for his brothers still on earth. “Send Lazarus,” he begged Abraham. “If someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent” (vv. 27, 30). Abraham got to the heart of the problem: “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (v. 31).

“Seeing is never believing,” wrote Oswald Chambers. “We interpret what we see in the light of what we believe.”

Reflect & Pray
What do you believe about the existence of God and the reality of Christ’s resurrection? How do your beliefs affect your day-to-day choices?

Father, I pray today for those who don't yet believe in You. Draw them by the gentle power and love of Your Holy Spirit.

Insight
The rich man hoped that someone rising from the dead would convince his brothers to repent and avoid torment (Luke 16:27–28). Ironically, another man named Lazarus really did rise from the dead (see John 11), as did Jesus Himself. But many people still rejected Jesus even after witnessing those miracles. Abraham’s warning in Luke 16:31 is prophetic. If we refuse to see that the Law and the Prophets point to Jesus, we’ll reject Him despite the evidence.
 
 

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Proverbs 16:9 KJV
A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.


Got Plans?

Caden, a young man of almost eighteen, was anticipating attending his first choice of a college on an academic scholarship. He was involved in a campus ministry in high school and looked forward to participating in a similar ministry in the new environment. He’d saved money from his part-time job and also had an excellent lead on a new job. He’d established some great goals, and everything was coming together exactly on schedule.

And then in the spring of 2020 a global health crisis changed everything.

The school let Caden know that his first semester would probably be online. The campus ministry was on hiatus. The job prospect dried up when the business closed. As he despaired, his buddy glibly quoted words from a well-known professional boxer: “Yeah, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

Proverbs 16 tells us that when we commit all we do to God, He’ll establish our plans and work things out according to His will (vv. 3–4). True commitment, however, can be difficult. It involves an open heart to God’s direction, along with a willingness to resist charting our course independently (v. 9; 19:21).

Dreams that don’t come to fruition can bring disappointment, but our limited vision for the future can never compete with God’s all-knowing ways. As we yield ourselves to Him, we can be certain that He’s still lovingly directing our steps even when we don’t see the path ahead (16:9).

Reflect & Pray
What disappointment changed your plans for the future? What can you do to seek God’s guidance today?

Loving and wise Father, help me to trust You even in my disappointments knowing that You’re a good and faithful God and You’ll establish my steps.

Insight
The book of Proverbs stresses honoring God in whatever we do. One phrase that parallels this sentiment is “the fear of the Lord” (16:6), which speaks of profound reverence and respect for God. Such awe, honor, and deference should be reserved uniquely for Him as Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer, and Lord over all. The personal and corporate value of possessing this essential quality is noted throughout the Proverbs. The fear of the Lord is foundational for wise living (1:7; 9:10); it’s something that can be chosen (1:29); possessing it prolongs one’s life (10:27); and its value is greater than material wealth (15:16). Those who are guided by the fear of the Lord protect themselves from evil (16:6; 19:23) and have everything they need (10:3).