Daily Bible Verse

[nanny]

Daniel 6:13 KJV
Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.


Firm Refusal

When the Nazis drafted Franz Jägerstätter during World War II, he completed military basic training but refused to take the required pledge of personal loyalty to Adolf Hitler. Authorities allowed Franz to return to his farm, but they later summoned him to active duty. After seeing Nazi ideology up close and learning of the Jewish genocide, however, Jägerstätter decided his loyalty to God meant he could never fight for the Nazis. He was arrested and sentenced to execution, leaving behind his wife and three daughters.

Over the years, many believers in Jesus—under peril of death—have offered a firm refusal when commanded to disobey God. The story of Daniel is one such story. When a royal edict threatened that anyone “who pray[ed] to any god or human being except [the king]” (Daniel 6:12) would be thrown into the lions’ den, Daniel discarded safety and remained faithful. “Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before” (v. 10). The prophet would bend his knee to God—and only God—no matter the cost.

Sometimes, our choice is clear. Though everyone around us implores us to go along with prevailing opinion—though our own reputation or well-being may be at risk—may we never turn from our obedience to God. Sometimes, even at great cost, all we can offer is a firm refusal.

Reflect & Pray
Where are you sensing that obedience to God will require your firm refusal? What might this refusal cost you? What will you gain?

God, I know my loyalty to You will at times mean saying no to others’ expectations or demands. It may cost me dearly. Give me courage.

Insight
The integrity and loyalty of Daniel echo similarities in the life and story of Joseph. About eight hundred years before Daniel was chosen to be second-in-command to a Babylonian king (Daniel 6:3), Joseph was made second-in-command of all Egypt (Genesis 41:40–41). In their younger years, both had been taken from their homes and families and forced into captivity in foreign lands. Both eventually interpreted the dreams of emperors who served other gods. Through abandonment and imprisonment both are remembered for showing God’s care not only for those who knew Him, but for those who didn’t.
 

[nanny]

Job 38:24 KJV
By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

God’s Power on Display

It was a lightning storm, and my six-year-old daughter and I were on the floor watching the dazzling display through the glass door. She kept repeating, “Wow! God is so big.” I felt the same way. It was obvious to both of us how small we were, and how powerful God must be. Lines from the book of Job flashed through my mind, “What is the way to the place where the lightning is dispersed, or the place where the east winds are scattered over the earth?” (Job 38:24).

Job needed to be reminded of God’s power (vv. 34–41). His life had fallen apart. His children were dead. He was broke. He was sick. His friends offered no empathy. His wife encouraged him to abandon his faith (2:9). Eventually, Job asked God, “Why?” (ch. 24) and He responded out of a storm (ch. 38).

God reminded Job of His control over the physical attributes of the world (ch. 38). This comforted him and he responded, “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you” (42:5). In other words, “Now I get it, God! I see that you don’t fit into my box.”

When life falls apart, sometimes the most comforting thing we can do is to lie on the floor and watch the lightning—to be reminded that the God who created the world is big enough and loving enough to take care of us too. We may even start singing our favorite worship songs that tell of the might and greatness of our God.

Reflect & Pray
When was the last time you saw God’s power on display? What went through your mind as you witnessed His bigness?
God, help me see how big You are and to stop trying to fit You into small boxes. Help me to trust that if You’re big enough to create and control lightning, You’re big enough to help me through life’s challenges.

Insight
The structure of Job 38:1–42:6 helps readers see that we’re dealing with a specific literary unit. God’s voice dominates; Job does very little speaking (see 40:3–5; 42:1–6). In chapters 38–39, Job gets bombarded with multiple questions. The first set concerns inanimate created order (38:4–38). These scenes are stunning and cast the Almighty in the role as the grand designer of all majestic and wonderful things in this world. The next set of queries (38:39–39:30) deals with the animate created order. These creatures come into view: the lion, raven, mountain goat, wild donkey, wild ox, ostrich, horse, hawk, and eagle. God is at work in creation!
 

[nanny]

Matthew 5:12 KJV
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.


Authentic Christianity

I applied for a position in a Christian organization years ago and was presented with a list of legalistic rules having to do with the use of alcohol, tobacco, and certain forms of entertainment. “We expect Christian behavior from our employees” was the explanation. I could agree with this list because I, for reasons mostly unrelated to my faith, didn't do those things. But my argumentative side thought, Why don’t they have a list about not being arrogant, insensitive, harsh, spiritually indifferent, and critical? None of these were addressed.

Following Jesus can’t be defined by a list of rules. It’s a subtle quality of life that’s difficult to quantify but can best be described as “beautiful.”

The Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3–10 sum up that beauty: Those who are indwelt by and dependent on the Spirit of Jesus are humble and self-effacing. They’re deeply touched by the suffering of others. They’re gentle and kind. They long for goodness in themselves and in others. They’re merciful to those who struggle and fail. They’re single-minded in their love for Jesus. They’re peaceful and leave behind a legacy of peace. They’re kind to those who misuse them, returning good for evil. And they’re blessed, a word that means “happy” in the deepest sense.

This kind of life attracts the attention of others and belongs to those who come to Jesus and ask Him for it.

Reflect & Pray
Which of the attributes from Matthew 5 do you especially need in your life? How can you grow in this?
Spirit of God, please produce these characteristics from the Beatitudes in my life.

Insight
In his classic work Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones wrote of “the utter deceitfulness of sin,” which “is always offering happiness, and . . . always leads to unhappiness.” In contrast, he noted that the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3–10) show us the path to true happiness. The characteristics Jesus describes here—the poor in spirit, the mournful, those hungry for righteousness, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and the persecuted—define the true believer in Christ. Lloyd-Jones asserted that these traits aren’t naturally possessed by any of us. Such a way of living comes only by God’s grace and can be put into practice only by those in whom God’s Spirit resides. The “Beatitudes lifestyle” is entirely, radically dependent on the Holy Spirit. God will transform our lives so that those around us can’t help but notice the joy within us.
 

[nanny]

2 Chronicles 20:9 KJV
If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house, and in thy presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt hear and help.


Seeking God’s Help

For five years in the late 1800s, grasshoppers descended on Minnesota, destroying the crops. Farmers tried trapping the grasshoppers in tar and burning their fields to kill the eggs. Feeling desperate, and on the brink of starvation, many people sought a statewide day of prayer, yearning to seek God’s help together. The governor relented, setting aside April 26 to pray.

In the days after the collective prayer, the weather warmed and the eggs started to come to life. But then four days later a drop in temperature surprised and delighted many, for the freezing temperatures killed the larvae. Minnesotans once again would harvest their crops of corn, wheat, and oats.

Prayer was also behind the saving of God’s people during the reign of King Jehoshaphat. When the king learned that a vast army was coming against him, he called God’s people to pray and fast. The people reminded God how He’d saved them in times past. And Jehoshaphat said that if calamity came upon them, “whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine,” they would cry out to God knowing that He would hear and save them (2 Chronicles 20:9).

God rescued His people from the invading armies, and He hears us when we cry out to Him in distress. Whatever your concern—whether a relationship issue or something threatening from the natural world—lift it to God in prayer. Nothing is too hard for Him.

Reflect & Pray
How has God answered your prayers? What situations in your life or in the world could you commit to Him today?

Creator God, You made the world and all that’s in it. Please restore order and save Your people, whom You love.

Insight
The kingdom of Israel was divided after Rehoboam came to the throne and refused to lift the tax burden his father, Solomon, had imposed. Jeroboam, who led the revolt, set up his own kingdom, the Northern Kingdom of Israel, whose capital was Samaria. The Southern Kingdom, Judah, continued to be ruled by the house of David with its capital in Jerusalem. In today’s passage, we read about Jehoshaphat, the fourth king of Judah. In 2 Chronicles 17:3–4, we learn that “the Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he . . . sought the God of his father and followed his commands.”
 

[nanny]

1 Corinthians 12:13 KJV
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.


The Greatest Symphony

When BBC Music Magazine asked one hundred fifty-one of the world’s leading conductors to list twenty of what they believed to be the greatest symphonies ever written, Beethoven’s Third, Eroica, came out on top. The work, whose title means “heroic,” was written during the turmoil of the French Revolution. But it also came out of Beethoven’s own struggle as he slowly lost his hearing. The music evokes extreme swings of emotion that express what it means to be human and alive while facing challenges. Through wild swings of happiness, sadness, and eventual triumph Beethoven’s Third Symphony is regarded as a timeless tribute to the human spirit.

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians deserves our attention for similar reasons. Through inspired words rather than musical scores, it rises in blessing (1:4–9), falls in the sadness of soul-crushing conflict (11:17–22), and rises again in the unison of gifted people working together for one another and for the glory of God (12:6­–7).

The difference is that here we see the triumph of our human spirit as a tribute to the Spirit of God. As Paul urges us to experience together the inexpressible love of Christ, he helps us see ourselves as called together by our Father, led by His Son, and inspired by His Spirit—not for noise, but for our contribution to the greatest symphony of all.

Reflect & Pray
Where do you hear the dissonance of conflict in your own life? Where do you see the symphonic harmonies of love?

Father, please enable me to see what I can be with others, with my eyes on Your Son, with reliance on Your Spirit, with a growing awareness of what You can do with a noisemaker like me.

Insight
The Greek word ekklēsia, translated “church,” means “an assembly,” a “called-out people” gathered together. The word is used to describe “a people of God” (1 Peter 2:9–10). Paul used many different metaphors to describe the church, including God’s family (Ephesians 2:19; 3:15; 1 Timothy 3:15), God’s flock (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2), and the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22–32). But “the body of Christ” is Paul’s favorite (Romans 12:4–5; 1 Corinthians 6:15; 10:17; Ephesians 1:22–23; 4:4, 12; 5:23, 30; Colossians 1:18, 24).

The church at Corinth was a divided congregation. Some believers elevated certain ecstatic gifts (for example, speaking in unknown tongues) above others, believing that unless one possessed these, one wasn’t part of the church. Paul refuted this error in 1 Corinthians 12–14. He used the body metaphor to promote unity and harmony. The church, like the human body, is diverse, but all parts must function as one.
 

[nanny]

Deuteronomy 1:31 KJV
And in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the Lord thy God bare thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came into this place.


God Carries Us

In 2019, Hurricane Dorian overwhelmed the islands of the Bahamas with intense rain, wind, and flooding—the worst natural disaster in the country’s history. As he sheltered at home with his adult son who has cerebral palsy, Brent knew they needed to leave. Even though Brent is blind, he had to save his son. Tenderly, he placed him over his shoulders and stepped into chin-deep water to carry him to safety.

If an earthly father facing a great obstacle is eager to help his son, think of how much more our heavenly Father is concerned about His children. In the Old Testament, Moses recalled how God carried His people even as they experienced the danger of faltering faith. He reminded the Israelites of how God had delivered them, providing food and water in the desert, fighting against their enemies, and guiding the Israelites with pillars of cloud and fire. Meditating on the many ways God acted on their behalf, Moses said, “There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son” (Deuteronomy 1:31).

The Israelites’ journey through the wilderness wasn’t easy, and their faith waned at times. But it was full of evidence of God’s protection and provision. The image of a father carrying a son—tenderly, courageously, confidently—is a wonderful picture of how God cared for Israel. Even when we face challenges that test our faith, we can remember that God’s there carrying us through them.

Reflect & Pray
In what ways have you seen God’s provision and protection in your life? How can you face difficulties knowing that God carries you tenderly and confidently?

Loving God, help me remember that You carry me, even when I don’t feel it. Thank You for Your strength and compassion.

Insight
As the Israelites in their wilderness wanderings were reminded in Deuteronomy 1:26–31—and repeatedly throughout the Bible—God is a forgiving God, “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love” (Nehemiah 9:17; Joel 2:13; see Psalm 86:15). We first see these words uttered to Moses when He received the second set of stone tablets from God on Mount Sinai after the Israelites rebelled by building a golden calf and worshiping it (Exodus 34:1–7; see chapter 32). Despite their grievous sin, whenever the Israelites, God’s people, repented of their sins and turned back to God, He graciously and lovingly forgave them and brought them back into fellowship with Him.
 

[nanny]

Genesis 15:5 KJV
And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.


Of Prayer and Dust and Stars

Lara and Dave desperately wanted a baby, but their physician told them they were unable to have one. Lara confided to a friend: “I found myself having some very honest talks with God.” But it was after one of those “talks” that she and Dave spoke to their pastor, who told them about an adoption ministry at their church. A year later they were blessed with an adopted baby boy.

In Genesis 15, the Bible tells of another honest conversation—this one between Abram and God. God had told him, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am . . . your very great reward” (v. 1). But Abram, uncertain of God’s promises about his future, answered candidly: “Sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless?” (v. 2).

Earlier God had promised Abram, “I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth” (13:16). Now Abram—in a very human moment—reminded God of that. But note God’s response: He assured Abram by telling him to look up and “count the stars—if indeed you can,” indicating his descendants would be beyond numbering (15:5).

How good is God, not only to allow such candid prayer but also to gently reassure Abram! Later, God would change his name to Abraham (“father of many”). Like Abraham, you and I can openly share our hearts with Him and know that we can trust Him to do what’s best for us and others.

Reflect & Pray
How do you think Abraham felt when God encouraged Him in such a difficult moment? What candid conversation do you need to have with God today?

Loving heavenly Father, thank You for caring about even the most intimate details of my life. Help me to stay close to You in prayer today.

Insight
Abram was in Ur when God called him to go to Canaan (Genesis 15:7; Acts 7:2–4). God promised Abram a new land, numerous descendants, and great blessings (Genesis 12:1–3). At age seventy-five, Abram arrived in Canaan (vv. 4–6). After he parted ways with Lot, God reiterated His promises of property and posterity (13:14–17). Some years later (Abraham was probably in his early eighties, since Ishmael was born when he was eighty-six, 16:16), God incorporated these promises into a formal covenant (15:5–7). Since his wife Sarai was barren, and Abram remained childless, this was an impossible promise (11:30; 15:2). That “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness” (15:6) is the first expression of the doctrine of justification by faith in the Bible. Paul quoted Genesis 15:6 to show that even Abraham was justified by faith (Romans 4:3; Galatians 3:6; see also James 2:23).
 

[nanny]

John 13:34 KJV
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.


Blooming for Jesus

I wasn’t truthful about the tulips. A gift from my younger daughter, the packaged bulbs traveled home with her to the US from Amsterdam after she visited there. So I made a show of accepting the bulbs with great excitement, as excited as I was to reunite with her. But tulips are my least favorite flower. Many bloom early and fade fast. The July weather, meantime, made it too hot to plant them.

Finally, however, in late September, I planted “my daughter’s” bulbs—thinking of her and thus planting them with love. With each turn of the rocky soil, my concern for the bulbs grew. Giving their plant bed a final pat, I offered the bulbs a blessing, “sleep well,” hoping to see blooming tulips in the spring.

My little project became a humble reminder of God’s call for us to love one another, even if we’re not each other’s “favorites.” Looking past each other’s faulty “weeds,” we’re enabled by God to extend love to others, even in temperamental seasons. Then, over time, mutual love blooms in spite of ourselves. “By this,” Jesus said, “everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Pruned by Him, we’re blessed then to bloom, as my tulips did the next spring—on the same weekend my daughter arrived for a short visit. “Look what’s blooming!” I said. Finally, me.

Reflect & Pray
Whom is God asking you to love, even if that person isn’t your “favorite”? What can you do to show that person more of the love of Christ?

Dear Jesus, prune my heart so I can learn to love others in Christ.

Insight
John 13:31–35 comes immediately after Judas leaves the scene of the Last Supper to betray Jesus (vv. 26–30). “When he was gone, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him’ ” (v. 31). The form of the verbs used here indicates that glorification was present and had happened, even though Jesus’ death and resurrection hadn’t yet occurred. This is often referred to as “the prophetic perfect” verb tense, which describes future events so certain to take place that they’re referred to as if they’ve already happened. Throughout the Bible, prophets often stated prophecies this way to indicate the assurance of what would happen. It’s interesting to note that the gospel of John refers to these events differently than do the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). The Synoptics refer to Jesus’ death as His humiliation, rather than glorification, but John continually includes the cross as a part of Jesus’ glorification.
 

[nanny]

Song of Solomon 8:6 KJV
Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.

God’s Love Is Stronger

In 2020, Alyssa Mendoza received a surprising email from her father in the middle of the night. The message had instructions about what to do for her mother on her parents’ twenty-fifth anniversary. Why was this shocking? Alyssa’s father had passed away ten months earlier. She discovered that he’d written and scheduled the email while he was sick, knowing he might not be there. He’d also arranged and paid for flowers to be sent to his wife for upcoming years on her birthday, future anniversaries, and Valentine’s Day.

This story could stand as an example of the kind of love that’s described in detail in Song of Songs. “Love is as strong as death, its jealousy unyielding as the grave” (8:6). Comparing graves and death to love seems odd, but they’re strong because they don’t give up their captives. However, neither will true love give up the loved one. The book reaches its peak in verses 6–7, describing marital love as one so strong that “many waters cannot quench [it]” (v. 7).

Throughout the Bible, the love of a husband and wife is compared to God’s love (Isaiah 54:5; Ephesians 5:25; Revelation 21:2). Jesus is the groom and the church is His bride. God showed His love for us by sending Christ to face death so we wouldn’t have to die for our sins (John 3:16). Whether we’re married or single, we can remember that God’s love is stronger than anything we could imagine.

Reflect & Pray
How do you feel knowing how much God loves you? What reminds you of His love for you?

Dear Jesus, thank You for loving me so much! Remind me of Your love each day and give me glimpses of it.

Insight
Song of Songs is traditionally attributed to Solomon (named in 1:1, 5; 3:7, 9, 11; 8:11–12). Therefore, this book is also called the Song of Solomon. Of the 1,005 songs composed by him (1 Kings 4:32), this is deemed his best. The New Living Translation begins the book by saying: “This is Solomon’s song of songs, more wonderful than any other” (Song 1:1). The traditional view is that this book is an allegory of Christ’s love for the church. But some interpreters today consider it an anthology of some twenty love poems, celebrating human love within the marital relationship (4:8–5:1). In Song 8:6–7, the bride celebrates her husband’s exclusive and immeasurable love for her. This love “burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame” (v. 6). The New International Version footnote gives an alternative rendering: “Like the very flame of the Lord” (which is how the nasb and esv translate it), making this the only mention of God in this book.
 

[nanny]

1 Samuel 18:7 KJV
And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.


Overcoming Envy

In the film Amadeus, aging composer Antonio Salieri plays some of his music on the piano for a visiting priest. The embarrassed priest confesses he doesn’t recognize the tunes. “What about this one?” Salieri says, playing an instantly familiar melody. “I didn’t know you wrote that,” the priest says. “I didn’t,” Salieri replies. “That was Mozart!” As viewers discover, Mozart’s success had caused deep envy in Salieri—even leading him to play a part in Mozart’s death.

A song lies at the heart of another envy story. After David’s victory over Goliath, the Israelites heartily sing, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7). The comparison doesn’t sit well with King Saul. Envious of David’s success and afraid of losing his throne (vv. 8–9), Saul begins a prolonged pursuit of David, trying to take his life.

Like Salieri with music or Saul with power, we’re usually tempted to envy those with similar but greater gifts than we possess. And whether it’s picking fault with their work or belittling their success, we too can seek to damage our “rivals.”

Saul had been divinely chosen for his task (10:6–7, 24), a status that should’ve fostered security in him rather than envy. Since we each have unique callings too (Ephesians 2:10), maybe the best way to overcome envy is to quit comparing ourselves. Let’s celebrate each other’s successes instead.

Reflect & Pray
Whom are you most tempted to envy? How can you celebrate their success?

Loving God, I thank You for my friends’ and colleagues’ successes.

Insight
The strange mix of emotions found in 1 Samuel 18:5–9 is worth noting. The troops and officers were “pleased” when David’s military success was rewarded with promotion (v. 5), and the homecoming of the army was met with dancing and singing (v. 6). But the emotional atmosphere soon shifted because the song celebrated David’s greatness above Saul’s (v. 7). Internal envy gave way to anger and displeasure (v. 8).

We see biblical warnings against envy throughout Scripture. The book of Proverbs says, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones” (14:30) and “Anger is cruel and fury overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?” (27:4). The word translated “envy” in Proverbs 14:30 and “jealousy” in 27:4 is the same Hebrew word. What’s in view are strong feelings of resentment or ill-will because of the actual or perceived advantages of another.