Daily Bible Verse

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Mark 11:25 KJV
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.


Blocked Prayers

For fourteen years, the Mars rover Opportunity faithfully communicated with the people at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. After it landed in 2004, it traversed twenty-eight miles of the Martian surface, took thousands of images, and analyzed many materials. But in 2018, communication between Opportunity and scientists ended when a major dust storm coated its solar panels, causing the rover to lose power.

Is it possible that we can allow “dust” to block our communication with Someone outside of our world? When it comes to prayer—communicating with God—there are certain things that can get in the way.

Scripture says that sin can block our relationship with God. “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18). Jesus instructs, “When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:25). Our communication with God can also be hindered by doubt and relationship problems (James 1:5–7; 1 Peter 3:7).

Opportunity’s blockage of communication seems to be permanent. But our prayers don’t have to be blocked. By the work of the Holy Spirit, God lovingly draws us to restored communication with Him. As we confess our sins and turn to Him, by God’s grace we experience the greatest communication the universe has ever known: one-to-one prayer between us and our holy God.

Reflect & Pray
How can confessing your sins to God improve your communication with Him? What can you do to enrich your prayer life?

Father, guide me to discover what's limiting my communication with You. Thank You for helping me connect with You!

Insight
In Mark’s gospel, Mark uses a literary device called an inclusio so often that it’s sometimes called a “Markan sandwich.” In this literary structure, a story or teaching (A) is interrupted with another (B) before returning to conclude the first story (A). Using this literary technique creates “bookends” before and after a story. This structure helps the reader understand that both stories are connected in significance and meaning. In Mark 11, the story of the cleansing of the temple (vv. 15–19) is bookended before and after with the story of the cursing of the fig tree (vv. 12–14, 20–25). By connecting these two stories, Mark makes it clear that Jesus’ cursing of the fig tree was done as a prophetic sign of the consequences of the corruption and lack of fruit that He saw in Israel’s worship at the time.
 

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2 Peter 1:5 KJV
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;


Growing in God’s Grace

The English preacher Charles H. Spurgeon (1834–1892) lived life “full throttle.” He became a pastor at age nineteen—and soon was preaching to large crowds. He personally edited all of his sermons, which eventually filled sixty-three volumes, and wrote many commentaries, books on prayer, and other works. And he typically read six books a week! In one of his sermons, Spurgeon said, “The sin of doing nothing is about the biggest of all sins, for it involves most of the others. . . . Horrible idleness! God save us from it!”

Charles Spurgeon lived with diligence, which meant he “[made] every effort” (2 Peter 1:5) to grow in God’s grace and to live for Him. If we’re Christ’s followers, God can instill in us that same desire and capacity to grow more like Jesus, to “make every effort to add to [our] faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge . . . self-control, perseverance . . . godliness” (vv. 5–7).

We each have different motivations, abilities, and energy levels—not all of us can, or should, live at Charles Spurgeon’s pace! But when we understand all Jesus has done for us, we have the greatest motivation for diligent, faithful living. And we find our strength through the resources God has given us to live for and serve Him. God through His Spirit can empower us in our efforts—big and small—to do so.

Reflect & Pray
How are you making every effort to grow more like Christ? What will help you in this endeavor?

Loving God, help me to be diligent to live for You in all I do and say. Thank You for enabling me to do so through Your Spirit inside me.

Insight
Peter’s New Testament letters reflect the wisdom of his later years (1 Peter 5:5–6; 2 Peter 1:13–14). As a young believer in Jesus, he’d shown moments of uncommon insight, faith, and courage. But his impulsive misspeaks and fearful betrayal of Jesus must have prompted him to think carefully about what it would take to leave a legacy of stability and spiritual influence. By experience he’d learned that the Spirit of God works in and through our own consciously developed habits of choice and effort (2 Peter 1:3–5). He’d also learned that no virtue stands alone for very long. Yet working together, what begins in faith ends in a reputation of faithful and loyal love. With careful attention, noble desires are complemented by knowledge, knowledge by self-control, self-control by endurance, endurance by devotion to the Father, devotion to the Father by family affection, and family affection by the love Jesus showed both friends and enemies.
 

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Proverbs 30:5 KJV
Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.


Lies with Truth

I set my Bible on the podium and stared at the eager faces waiting for me to begin the message. I’d prayed and prepared. Why couldn’t I speak?

You’re worthless. No one will ever listen to you, especially if they know your past. And God would never use you. Seared into my heart and mind, these words spoken in various ways over my life ignited a decade-long war against the lies I so easily believed. Though I knew the words weren’t true, I couldn’t seem to escape my insecurities and fears. So I opened my Bible.

Turning to Proverbs 30:5, I inhaled and exhaled slowly before reading out loud. “Every word of God is flawless,” I read, “he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” I closed my eyes as peace overwhelmed me, and I began to share my testimony with the crowd.

Many of us have experienced the paralyzing power of negative words or opinions others have of us. However, God’s words are “flawless,” perfect and absolutely sound. When we’re tempted to believe spirit-crushing ideas about our value or our purpose as God’s children, God’s enduring and infallible truth protects our minds and our hearts. We can echo the psalmist who wrote: “I remember, Lord, your ancient laws, and I find comfort in them” (Psalm 119:52).

Let’s combat lies we’ve accepted about God, ourselves, and others by replacing negative speak with Scripture.

Reflect & Pray
What lies have you believed? What verses in the Bible have helped you see God, yourself, and others through the truth of Scripture?

Loving Father, please help me to prayerfully study Scripture as You help me view life through the lens of Your truth.

Insight
Proverbs 30:5–6 talks about the significance of “every word of God.” Verse 5 notes the “flawless” nature of the Bible. The Hebrew word used here, sārap, literally means “purified” or “refined.” The term refers to goldsmithing or refining metal—the intensive process done to remove the impurities. Verse 6 demands Scripture remain pure by warning against adding anything to it.

Verses 7–9 focus on clarifying God’s promises. For example, many Bible verses state that the righteous will prosper (see 13:21; 28:25); however, verses 8–9 qualify the promise, warning that having too much (becoming rich) or too little (experiencing poverty) can cause believers to fall. Instead, to find contentment in God the author prays, “Give me only my daily bread” (v. 8).
 

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1 Thessalonians 4:13 KJV
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.


Hope in Grief

As the cabbie drove us to London’s Heathrow Airport, he told us his story. He had come alone to the United Kingdom at age fifteen, seeking to escape war and deprivation. Now, eleven years later, he has a family of his own and is able to provide for them in ways unavailable in his native land. But he laments that he’s still separated from his parents and siblings. He told us that he’s had a hard journey that won’t be complete until he’s reunited with his family.

Being separated from our loved ones in this life is hard, but losing a loved one in death is much harder and creates a sense of loss that won’t be made right until we’re reunited with them. When the new believers at Thessalonica wondered about such losses, Paul wrote, “Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope” (1 Thessalonians 4:13). He explained that as believers in Jesus, we can live in expectation of a wonderful reunion—together forever in the presence of Christ (v. 17).

Few experiences mark us as deeply as the separations we endure, but in Jesus we have hope of being reunited. And in the midst of grief and loss we can find the comfort we need in that enduring promise (v. 18).

Reflect & Pray
How has loss marked your life? How does Jesus provide the help and hope you need?

Father, there’s nothing on earth that can fill the places in my heart made empty through loss. Draw me to You and comfort me with Your love and grace.

Insight
Scholars estimate Thessalonica’s population in the first century to be around 200,000—a huge city for that day. A port community on the Aegean Sea, it was an important crossroads city that was a focal point for both commercial endeavor and Roman military activity. What made it such a challenging environment for the Thessalonian church was the dominance of pagan Greek religion in the city as well as the presence of a vocal Jewish population. These challenges resulted in stiff persecution—particularly from the Jewish synagogue leaders. After Paul preached in the Thessalonian synagogue on three consecutive Sabbaths (see Acts 17:1–4), the Jewish leadership responded with violence, accusing Paul of treason against Caesar (vv. 5–8). From that turbulent beginning would grow one of the truly significant churches in the New Testament era—a church considered by some scholars to be an ideal example of what a faith community should look like (1 Thessalonians 1:7).
 

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Genesis 3:21 KJV
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.


Jesus Restores Us

Although Sam had done nothing wrong, he lost his job on the assembly line. Carelessness in another division led to problems in cars they built. After several crashes made the news, wary customers stopped buying their brand. The company had to downsize, leaving Sam out of work. He’s collateral damage, and it isn’t fair. It never is.

History’s first collateral damage occurred immediately after the first sin. Adam and Eve were ashamed of their nakedness, so God graciously clothed them with “garments of skin” (Genesis 3:21). It’s painful to imagine, but one or more animals that had always been safe in the garden were now slaughtered and skinned.

There was more to come. God told Israel, “Every day you are to provide a year-old lamb without defect for a burnt offering to the Lord; morning by morning you shall provide it” (Ezekiel 46:13). Every. Single. Day. How many thousands of animals have been sacrificed because of human sin?

Their death was necessary to cover our sin until Jesus, the Lamb of God, came to remove it (John 1:29). Call this “collateral repair.” As Adam’s sin kills us, so the Last Adam’s (Christ’s) obedience restores all who believe in Him (Romans 5:17–19). Collateral repair isn’t fair—it cost Jesus’ life—but it’s free. Reach out to Jesus in belief and receive the salvation He offers, and His righteous life will count for you.

Reflect & Pray
When have you suffered for someone else’s mistake? When have you benefited from someone’s success, and how should you think about both situations?

Jesus, I believe in You, and I know Your life counts for me.

Insight
God’s description of the consequences of Adam and Eve’s sin in Genesis 3:17–24 illustrates a principle that’s seen many times elsewhere in Scripture: human behavior has deep effects on the flourishing and welfare of creation as a whole. Other texts that emphasize this principle are Genesis 4:12 and Romans 8:19–21. In Romans 8, we see that just as human sin and brokenness have brought devastation to all of creation, so too human salvation and resurrection bring transformation to everything: “Creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God” (v. 21).
 

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Nehemiah 1:9 KJV
But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there.


Longing for God

When Conner and Sarah Smith moved five miles up the road, their cat S’mores expressed his displeasure by running away. One day Sarah saw a current photo of their old farmhouse on social media. There was S’mores in the picture!

Happily, the Smiths went to retrieve him. S’mores ran away again. Guess where he went? This time, the family that had purchased their house agreed to keep S’mores too. The Smiths couldn’t stop the inevitable; S’mores would always return “home.”

Nehemiah served in a prestigious position in the king’s court in Susa, but his heart was elsewhere. He had just heard news of the sad condition of “the city where my ancestors are buried” (Nehemiah 2:3). And so he prayed, “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, . . . ‘if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name’ ” (1:8–9).

Home is where the heart is, they say. In Nehemiah’s case, longing for home was more than being tied to the land. It was communion with God that he most desired. Jerusalem was “the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.”

The dissatisfaction we sense deep down is actually a longing for God. We’re yearning to be home with Him.

Reflect & Pray
What’s your idea of home and why? In what ways do you sense yourself longing for God?
Father, help me understand that only You can satisfy my longings. Help me be at home with You, no matter where I am.

Insight
The prayer of Nehemiah about the state of affairs of the Israelites who’d returned to their homeland (Nehemiah 1:5–11) rehearses the circumstances that both led to Israel’s exile and their return to the promised land (vv. 8–11). God’s faithfulness to His promises were the key to both events—He promised exile if Israel broke faithfulness with Him and return to the land if they repented and came back to Him. The Israelites had returned to their homeland, but the city gates and walls were still in ruins. After rehearsal of these events, Nehemiah asks God to grant him favor as he presents his case to the king (v. 11).
 

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James 1:19 KJV
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let eve ry man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:


Listen and Learn

On one side of the street a homeowner displays in his yard a giant blow-up bald eagle draped in a US flag. A big truck sits in the driveway. Its side window features a painted flag and the back bumper is covered with patriotic stickers. Directly across the street in a neighbor’s yard are signs that highlight the slogans for current social justice issues in the news.

Are the people in these homes feuding or friends? we might wonder. Is it possible that both families are believers in Jesus? God calls us to live out the words of James 1:19: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Too often we stubbornly hold on to our opinions and aren’t willing to consider what others are thinking. Matthew Henry's Commentary has this to say: “We should be swift to hear reason and truth on all sides, and be slow to speak . . . and, when we do speak, there should be nothing of wrath.”

Someone has said, “Learning requires listening.” The practical words from God in the book of James can only be accomplished if we’re filled with God’s loving Spirit and choose to respect others. He’s willing to help us make changes in our hearts and attitudes. Are we open to listen and learn?

Reflect & Pray
How does God want you to put James 1 into practice? Whom might you need to listen to and hear?

You know me, God. I can be opinionated sometimes. Help me to be quick to listen and slow to speak.

Insight
Writing to believers in Jesus who were “scattered among the nations” (James 1:1), James offers practical instruction on what a life lived for Christ looks like. He covers attitudes, such as favoritism and love of money (2:1–12; 5:1–6); and actions, such as giving to the needy and patience in suffering (2:14–26; 5:7–11).

In today’s reading, James 1:19–27, the author puts together a bit of an encouragement sandwich. In verses 19–21 and 26–27, he gives specific examples of how to live righteously: keep one’s temper in check; keep a rein on one’s tongue; take care of the needy. The meat of the sandwich is in the middle section (vv. 22–25), where James explains that the ritual of hearing (or reading) Scripture isn’t enough to lead to the righteousness that God desires. We need to obey what it tells us to do.
 

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Luke 11:11 KJV
If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?


Confident Prayer

Having tried for years to have a child, Richard and Susan were elated when Susan became pregnant. Her health problems, however, posed a risk to the baby, and so Richard lay awake each night praying for his wife and child. One night, Richard sensed he didn’t need to pray so hard, that God had promised to take care of things. But a week later Susan miscarried. Richard was devastated. He wondered, Had they lost the baby because he hadn’t prayed hard enough?

On first reading, we might think today’s parable suggests so. In the story, a neighbor (sometimes thought to represent God) only gets out of bed to help the friend because of the friend’s annoying persistence (Luke 11:5–8). Read this way, the parable suggests that God will give us what we need only if we badger Him. And if we don’t pray hard enough, maybe God won’t help us.

But biblical commentators like Klyne Snodgrass believe this misunderstands the parable—its real point being that if neighbors might help us for selfish reasons, how much more will our unselfish Father. We can therefore ask confidently (vv. 9–10), knowing that God is greater than flawed human beings (vv. 11–13). He isn’t the neighbor in the parable, but the opposite of him.

“I don’t know why you lost your baby,” I told Richard, “but I know it wasn’t because you didn’t pray ‘hard’ enough. God isn’t like that.”

Reflect & Pray
If the neighbor in the parable represents God, what does it suggest God is like? If verses 11–13 clarify the parable, what then is God like?

Father, today I bring You my needs and the needs of others, confident that You’ll hear and answer, and grateful that it’s Your goodness and not my words that count.

Insight
Some believers in Christ struggle with the apparent promises of Luke 11:9–10. It seems that Jesus is offering a blank check that we present to God in prayer, assuming He must grant our requests. Christ’s words, however, may be a hyperbole—an extreme exaggeration to prove a point. Jesus clarifies the point He’s making when He describes the heart of His Father (vv. 11–13). The heavenly Father loves us deeply and desires the very best for us—which must be defined by Him and not by us. This means that when we go to God in prayer, we can be assured His responses will always be trustworthy.
 

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Psalm 43:3 KJV

O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.


Navigating the Storms of Life

On July 16, 1999, the small plane piloted by John F. Kennedy Jr. crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. Investigators determined the cause of the accident to be a common error known as spatial disorientation. This phenomenon occurs when, due to poor visibility, pilots become disoriented and forget to rely on their instruments to help them successfully reach their destination.

As we navigate life, there are often times when life gets so overwhelming we feel disoriented. A cancer diagnosis, the death of a loved one, a job loss, a betrayal by a friend—life’s unexpected tragedies can easily leave us feeling lost and confused.

When we find ourselves in these kinds of situations, we might try offering the prayer of Psalm 43. In this psalm, the psalmist is overwhelmed and feeling lost because he feels surrounded by evil and injustice. In despair, the psalmist pleads with God to provide His sure guidance to help him safely navigate through the situation to his desired destination, God’s presence (vv. 3–4). In God’s presence the psalmist knows he’ll find renewed hope and joy.

What are the tools the psalmist requests for guidance? The light of truth and the assurance of God’s presence by His Holy Spirit.

When you’re feeling disoriented and lost, God’s faithful guidance through His Spirit and loving presence can comfort you and light your way.

Reflect & Pray
What disorienting circumstances are you experiencing? How might you ask God to help guide you today?

Heavenly Father, thank You that You’ve not left me alone in the challenging and disorienting circumstances of life. Please help me to rely on You to guide my steps today.

Insight
Psalm 43 is an intimate prayer from one experiencing the difficulties of life to a God who can intervene. It’s important to notice the progression of thought to better understand the petition of the prayer.

In verse 1, the author establishes his need for help and proclaims his innocence in the face of his persecution: “vindicate” implies the author is being wrongly attacked. The psalmist then moves on to acknowledge that he’s come to God yet feels abandoned by Him. This suggests that both the persecution by the “deceitful and wicked” (v. 1) as well as the prayers for deliverance and perceived inaction by God have been ongoing. In verse 3, the psalmist once again asks God to intervene. It suggests that when the request is fulfilled, the psalmist will be able to go and offer his praise (v. 4). To end his prayer, the writer reminds himself that he’ll continue to hope and trust in God (v. 5).
 

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Acts 10:34 KJV
Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:


Prejudice and Forgiveness

After hearing a message about correcting injustice, a church member approached the pastor weeping, asking for forgiveness and confessing that he hadn’t voted in favor of calling the black minister to be pastor of their church because of his own prejudice. “I really need you to forgive me. I don’t want the junk of prejudice and racism spilling over into my kids’ lives. I didn’t vote for you, and I was wrong.” His tears and confession were met with the tears and forgiveness of the minister. A week later, the entire church rejoiced upon hearing the man’s testimony of how God had worked in his heart.

Even Peter, a disciple of Jesus and a chief leader in the early church, had to be corrected because of his ill-conceived notions about non-Jewish people. Eating and drinking with gentiles (who were considered unclean), was a violation of social and religious protocol. Peter said, “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile” (Acts 10:28). It took nothing less than the supernatural activity of God (vv. 9–23) to convince him that he “should not call anyone impure or unclean” (v. 28).

Through the preaching of Scripture, the conviction of the Spirit, and life experiences, God continues to work in human hearts to correct our misguided perspectives about others. He helps us to see that “God does not show favoritism” (v. 34).


Reflect & Pray
What experiences or people has God used to help you see that He doesn’t show favoritism? What are the things in your life that may have blinded you to His acceptance of all people?

Dear God, search my heart and show me where I need to change.


Insight
Cornelius was a commander (centurion) of one hundred soldiers stationed at the maritime city of Caesarea Maritima, also the residence of Pilate the governor. Despite the Jews’ hatred of the Roman army, the New Testament presents centurions rather positively (see Luke 7:1–5; 23:47; Acts 23:17–23). Twice, Cornelius is described as a “God-fearing” man (Acts 10:2, 22). A “God-fearer” (13:26; 17:4) was a term used by Jews to describe gentiles who worshiped Israel’s God and followed the ethics of the Old Testament laws, but weren’t full converts to Judaism because they hadn’t been circumcised or didn’t fully subscribe to Judaism’s rituals and traditions. Philip the evangelist had earlier brought the gospel to Caesarea (8:40; 21:8), but now God was beginning a far greater work among the gentiles. Cornelius and those gathered at his house became the first gentile believers to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (10:24, 44–46). Scholars call this episode the “Gentile Pentecost.”