Daily Bible Verse

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Isaiah 40:28 KJV
Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.


Unlimited

There I am, sitting in the shopping mall food court, my body tense and my stomach knotted over looming work deadlines. As I unwrap my burger and take a bite, people rush around me, fretting over their own tasks. How limited we all are, I think to myself, limited in time, energy, and capacity.

I consider writing a new to-do list and prioritizing the urgent tasks, but as I pull out a pen another thought enters my mind: a thought of One who is infinite and unlimited, who effortlessly accomplishes all that He desires.

This God, Isaiah says, can measure the oceans in the hollow of His hand and collect the dust of the earth in a basket (Isaiah 40:12). He names the stars of the heavens and directs their path (v. 26), knows the rulers of the world and oversees their careers (v. 23), considers islands mere specks of dust and the nations like drops in the sea (v. 15). “To whom will you compare me?” He asks (v. 25). “The Lord is the everlasting God,” Isaiah replies. “He will not grow tired or weary” (v. 28).

Stress and strain are never good for us, but on this day they deliver a powerful lesson. The unlimited God is not like me. He accomplishes everything He wishes. I finish my burger, and then pause once more. And silently worship.


Reflect & Pray
How will you draw on God’s unlimited strength today? (vv. 29–31). In the midst of your tasks and deadlines, how will you pause to worship the infinite One?

Loving God, You’re the unlimited One who’ll accomplish all You’ve promised.


Insight
Isaiah contains the fullest revelation of Christ in the Old Testament. So much so, that this book is sometimes referred to as the “gospel according to Isaiah.” In Isaiah 40, the author paints a majestic picture of God as the powerful Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and earth. Compared to Him, we’re “like grasshoppers” (v. 22). Yet even though He can bring “the rulers of this world to nothing” (v. 23), like the starry host, He calls those who love and follow Him by name (v. 26; see 43:1). This holy, eternal “high and exalted One . . . [lives] with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the . . . heart of the contrite” (57:15).
 

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1 Samuel 4:22 KJV
And she said, The glory is departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.


Flight of Ichabod

In The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving tells of Ichabod Crane, a schoolteacher who seeks to marry a beautiful young woman named Katrina. Key to the story is a headless horseman who haunts the colonial countryside. One night, Ichabod encounters a ghostly apparition on horseback and flees the region in terror. It’s clear to the reader that this “horseman” is actually a rival suitor for Katrina, who then marries her.

Ichabod is a name first seen in the Bible, and it too has a gloomy backstory. While at war with the Philistines, Israel carried the sacred ark of the covenant into battle. Bad move. Israel’s army was routed and the ark captured. Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of the high priest Eli, were killed (1 Samuel 4:17). Eli too would die (v. 18). When the pregnant wife of Phinehas heard the news, “she went into labor and gave birth, but was overcome by her labor pains” (v. 19). With her last words she named her son Ichabod (literally, “no glory”). “The Glory has departed from Israel,” she gasped (v. 22).

Thankfully, God was unfolding a much larger story. His glory would ultimately be revealed in Jesus, who said of His disciples, “I have given them the glory that you [the Father] gave me” (John 17:22).

No one knows where the ark is today, but no matter. Ichabod has fled. Through Jesus, God has given us His very glory!


Reflect & Pray
What do you think it means for God to give us His glory? How have you experienced it?
Dear Father, thank You for revealing Your glory through Jesus. Make me mindful of Your presence throughout this day.


Insight
First Samuel 4 tells an interesting narrative of the Israelites failing to consult God in critical times. In the beginning of the chapter, they were “defeated by the Philistines” (v. 2), which prompted the suggestion to take the ark of the covenant into battle (v. 3) without consulting with God. Not only did the elders suggest this, but Eli’s two sons were with the ark (vv. 3–4). They displayed a continued disinterest in God’s commands by taking the ark without consulting Him, and their choice resulted in their deaths (v. 11).
 

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Romans 12:2 KJV
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.


Joyful Learning

In the city of Mysore, India, there’s a school made of two refurbished train cars connected end-to-end. Local educators teamed up with the South Western Railway Company to buy and remodel the discarded coaches. The units were essentially large metal boxes, unusable until workers installed stairways, fans, lights, and desks. Workers also painted the walls and added colorful murals inside and out. Now, sixty students attend classes there because of the amazing transformation that took place.

Something even more amazing takes place when we follow the apostle Paul’s command to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:2). As we allow the Holy Spirit to uncouple us from the world and its ways, our thoughts and attitudes begin to change. We become more loving, more hopeful, and filled with inner peace (8:6).

Something else happens too. Although this transformation process is ongoing, and often has more stops and starts than a train ride, the process helps us understand what God wants for our lives. It takes us to a place where we “will learn to know God’s will” (12:2 nlt). Learning His will may or may not involve specifics, but it always involves aligning ourselves with His character and His work in the world.

Nali Kali, the name of the transformed school in India, means “joyful learning” in English. How’s God’s transforming power leading you to the joyful learning of His will?


Reflect & Pray
Which areas of your thought life are most in need of God’s transforming power? How willing are you to act when you clearly understand His will for your life?

Dear God, I invite You to transform me by renewing my mind today. Thank You for all that’s possible when I surrender to You.


Insight
In the Old Testament, propitiatory sacrifices were offered to atone for sin. “The Lord will accept [the animal’s] death in your place to purify you, making you right with him” (Leviticus 1:4 nlt; see 7:7). Dedicatory sacrifices (see Leviticus 2–3), on the other hand, were offered voluntarily “as an expression of thanksgiving” to God (7:12 nlt). In response to Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross that gives us new life (Romans 3:25; 6:4–10), Paul exhorts us to offer ourselves as a dedicatory thanksgiving offering to God. We’re not all called to die for Jesus but to die to sin and to self (6:2–11; 8:12–13). Instead, Paul calls us to live for Him in His perfect will (12:2), in humility (v. 3), and in unity (vv. 4–8). “[Christ] died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them” (2 Corinthians 5:15 nlt).
 

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=13pxPsalm 73:26 KJVMy flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.


All That You Need
 Seated at the dining room table, I gazed at the happy chaos around me. Aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews were enjoying the food and being together at our family reunion. I was enjoying it all, too. But one thought pierced my heart: You’re the only woman here with no children, with no family to call your own.Many single women like me have similar experiences. In my culture, an Asian culture where marriage and children are highly valued, not having a family of one’s own can bring a sense of incompleteness. It can feel like you’re lacking something that defines who you are and makes you whole.That’s why the truth of God being my “portion” is so comforting to me (Psalm 73:26). When the tribes of Israel were given their allotments of land, the priestly tribe of Levi was assigned none. Instead, God promised that He Himself would be their portion and inheritance (Deuteronomy 10:9). They could find complete satisfaction in Him and trust Him to supply their every need.For some of us, the sense of lack may have nothing to do with family. Perhaps we yearn for a better job or higher academic achievement. Regardless of our circumstances, we can embrace God as our portion. He makes us whole. In Him, we have no lack.


Reflect & PrayWhat’s one thing lacking in your life that you feel would make you whole? How can you surrender it to God and find satisfaction in Him as your portion?Father, thank You for making me complete in Christ. Help me to say along with the psalmist, “As for me, it is good to be near God” (Psalm 73:28).
 InsightAsaph, whose name means “Jehovah has gathered,” was a Levite and one of David’s three chief musicians (1 Chronicles 6:31, 39–43; 15:16–17; 16:4–5; 25:1–2). He wrote twelve psalms that now bear his name (Psalms 50, 73–83). In Psalm 73, known as a wisdom psalm—a psalm that instructs readers how to deal with life’s challenges and pain—Asaph was bitterly overwhelmed by the injustice of the prosperity of the wicked (vv. 1–14, 21). But the moment he understood the presence of God in his life (vv. 23–24), his own glorious destiny (v. 24), and the destiny of the wicked (vv. 17, 27–28), his perspective on this material world and possessions changed. Drawing near to God and certain that “earth has nothing [he] desires,” Asaph embraced the sovereign God as his strength (Hebrew rock), portion, and refuge—his permanent and eternal possession (vv. 25–28).  

 

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Revelation 2:17 KJV
He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.


What’s Your Name?

Someone said we go through life with three names: the name our parents gave us, the name others give us (our reputation), and the name we give ourselves (our character). The name others give us matters, as “a good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold” (Proverbs 22:1). But while reputation is important, character matters more.

There’s yet another name that’s even more important. Jesus told the Christians in Pergamum that though their reputation had suffered some well-deserved hits, He had a new name reserved in heaven for those who fight back and conquer temptation. “To the one who is victorious, I will give . . . a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it” (Revelation 2:17).

We aren’t sure why Jesus promised a white stone. Is it an award for winning? A token for admission to the messianic banquet? Perhaps it’s similar to what jurors once used to vote for acquittal. We simply don’t know. Whatever it is, God promises our new name will wipe away our shame (see Isaiah 62:1–5).

Our reputation may be tattered, and our character may be seemingly beyond repair. But neither name ultimately defines us. It’s not what others call you nor even what you call yourself that matters. You are who Jesus says you are. Live into your new name.


Reflect & Pray
How does your reputation match up against your character? How well is your character reflecting who you are in Jesus?

Father, I believe I am who You say I am. Help me to live as Your child.


Insight
The letter to the church at Pergamum (Revelation 2:12–17) is the third of seven that Jesus dictates to John. These letters serve as specific messages to individual churches that then introduce the more general message of the remainder of the book of Revelation. All these churches were located in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) and were in an area heavily served by Paul during his missionary journeys. In most of the letters, each church is given a list of commendations for their faithfulness as well as a set of criticisms for their shortcomings. For Pergamum, the commendations are found in verse 13, where Jesus acknowledges their difficult environment (where Satan dwells) and their faithfulness—even in the face of a member of the assembly being martyred. They were criticized for their allowance of those who promoted false teaching, idolatry, and immorality. Because the possibility for divine discipline exists, Jesus lovingly calls them to repentance.
 

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Deuteronomy 5:29 KJV
O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!


Adolescent Faith

The teenage years are sometimes among the most agonizing seasons in life—for both parent and child. In my adolescent quest to “individuate” from my mother, I openly rejected her values and rebelled against her rules, suspicious their purposes were merely to make me miserable. Though we’ve since come to agree on those matters, that time in our relationship was riddled with tension. Mom undoubtedly lamented my refusal to heed the wisdom of her instructions, knowing they would spare me unnecessary emotional and physical pain.

God had the same heart for His children, Israel. God imparted His wisdom for living in what we know as the Ten Commandments (Deuteronomy 5:7–21). Though they could be viewed as a list of rules, God’s intention is evident in His words to Moses: “so that it might go well with them and their children forever!” (v. 29). Moses recognized God’s desire, saying that obedience to the decrees would result in their enjoyment of His ongoing presence with them in the promised land (v. 33).

We all go through a season of “adolescence” with God, not trusting that His guidelines for living are truly meant for our good. May we grow into the realization that He wants what’s best for us and learn to heed the wisdom He offers. His guidance is meant to lead us into spiritual maturity as we become more like Jesus (Psalm 119:97–104; Ephesians 4:15; 2 Peter 3:18).


Reflect & Pray
How has God’s wisdom helped you grow in your relationship with Him? In what area of your life do you need to heed His wisdom?

Loving God, help me to trust that You know what’s best for me.


Insight
Just prior to Moses’ words to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 5:28–32, he’d given them a complete review of the Ten Commandments (vv. 6–21) and reminded them of their initial response of fear and awe when God’s presence had enveloped Mount Sinai (vv. 23–27; see Exodus 20:18–21).

God found their response of fear and reverence entirely appropriate (Deuteronomy 5:28). Then, intriguingly, we catch a sense of longing in His voice: “Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always” (v. 29). We’re to “fear” Him in the sense that we recognize His holiness and the respect and honor due Him, yet His heart yearns for us. It’s helpful to recall the words of Hebrews 4:16: “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
 

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2 Corinthians 4:16
For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.


The Dwindles

It started with a tickle in my throat. Uh oh, I thought. That tickle turned out to be influenza. And that was just the beginning of bronchial affliction. Influenza morphed into whooping cough—yes, that whooping cough—and that turned into pneumonia.

Eight weeks of torso-wracking coughing—it’s not called whooping cough for nothing—has left me humbled. I don’t think of myself as old. But I’m old enough to start thinking about heading in that direction. A member of my small group at church has a funny name for the health issues that assail us as we age: “the dwindles.” But there’s nothing funny about dwindling’s work “in action.”

In 2 Corinthians 4, Paul too wrote—in his own way—about “the dwindles.” That chapter chronicles the persecution he and his team endured. Fulfilling his mission had taken a heavy toll: “Outwardly we are wasting away,” he admitted. But even as his body failed—from age, persecution, and harsh conditions—Paul held tightly to his sustaining hope: “Inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (v. 16). These “light and momentary troubles,” he insisted, can’t compare to what awaits: “an eternal glory that far outweighs them all” (v. 17).

Even as I write tonight, the dwindles claw insistently at my chest. But I know that in my life and that of anyone who clings to Christ, they’ll not have the last word.


Reflect & Pray
What “dwindles” are affecting you or someone you love right now? What can help you maintain your faith and hope during seasons of struggle or discouragement with health issues?

Father, even as our bodies “waste away,” help me to see those physical struggles through the lens of our hope in Jesus and the glory He promises.


Insight
A common theme in Paul’s writing is the connection between human frailty and God’s power. In 2 Corinthians 4:7, Paul says we’re like jars of clay, yet we hold great treasure. He illustrates this contrast by showing how the power of God has sustained him. Although he was persecuted, struck down, and continually faced harm because he was a believer in Jesus, he wasn’t crushed, in despair, abandoned, or destroyed because God’s power was at work in him (vv. 8–10). Paul returns to this theme in chapter 12, where he delights that God’s “power is made perfect in weakness” (12:9).
 

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John 4:23 KJV
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.


Wherever We Worship

Intense pain and a debilitating headache prevented me from attending services with my local church family . . . again. Grieving the loss of community worship, I watched an online sermon. At first, complaints soured my experience. The poor sound and video quality distracted me. But then a voice on the video warbled a familiar hymn. Tears flowed as I sang these words: “Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart. Naught be all else to me save that Thou art. Thou my best thought, by day or by night. Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.” Focusing on the gift of God’s constant presence, I worshiped Him while sitting in my living room.

While Scripture affirms the vital, essential nature of corporate worship (Hebrews 10:25), God’s not bound within the walls of a church building. During Jesus’ chat with the Samaritan woman at the well, He defied all expectations of the Messiah (John 4:9). Instead of condemnation, Jesus spoke truth and loved her as she stood next to that well (v. 10). He revealed His intimate and sovereign knowledge of His children (vv. 17–18). Proclaiming His deity, Jesus declared that the Holy Spirit evoked true worship from the hearts of God’s people, not from a specific physical location (vv. 23–24).

When we focus on who God is, what He’s done, and all He’s promised, we can rejoice in His constant presence as we worship Him with other believers, in our living rooms . . . and everywhere.

Reflect & Pray
Where do you enjoy worshiping God? How do you enjoy His presence and experience joy while worshiping Him?

Amazing God, please help me worship You as I rejoice in who You are, what You’ve done, and all You promise to do.


Insight
Who were the Samaritans? According to 2 Kings 17, after the Northern Kingdom of Israel was defeated by Assyria in 722 bc and most of its people taken into exile, other captured peoples were brought in to populate the region known as Samaria (v. 24). When they first arrived, they didn’t “worship the Lord,” and so God sent lions among them (v. 25). Then the king of Assyria sent a Jewish priest to the land to teach the people how to worship God, but the people continued to worship other gods (vv. 27–29). The Samaritans came from this exchange of peoples and mixture of beliefs.
 

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Psalm 23:4 KJV
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
With Us in the Valley


With Us in the Valley

As Hannah Wilberforce (aunt of British abolitionist William Wilberforce) lay dying, she wrote a letter in which she mentioned hearing about the death of a fellow believer in Jesus: “Happy is the dear man who is gone to glory, now in the presence of Jesus, whom unseen he loved. My heart seemed to jump for joy.” Then she described her own situation: “Myself, better and worse; Jesus, as good as ever.”

Her words make me think of Psalm 23, where David writes, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley [the valley of the shadow of death], I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (v. 4). Those words leap from the page because it’s there, in the middle of the valley of the shadow of death, where David’s description of God turns deeply personal. He moves from talking about God in the beginning of the psalm—“the Lord is my shepherd” (v. 1)—to talking to Him: “for you are with me” (v. 4, italics added).

How reassuring it is to know that almighty God who “brought forth the whole world” (90:2) is so compassionate that He walks with us through even the most difficult places. Whether our situation turns better or worse, we can turn to our Shepherd, Savior, and Friend and find Him “as good as ever.” So good that death itself is vanquished, and we will “dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (23:6).


Reflect & Pray
How does it comfort you to know that Jesus our Shepherd is always with you? How can you share that hope with someone today?

My Shepherd, thank You for Your perfect faithfulness and kindness to me. Help me to stay near You today.


Insight
In the Old Testament, we’re accustomed to the writers using metaphors to describe God, and in most cases those metaphors are of inanimate objects. One such cluster of metaphors is found in Psalm 18:2: “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” In that verse alone, no less than five different inanimate metaphors are used—rock, fortress, shield, horn, stronghold. This is part of what sets Psalm 23 apart. It’s one of the most prominent passages in the Old Testament where a personal metaphor is used to describe God—the shepherd. In a culture rooted in agriculture (including shepherding), the nature of the relationship between a sheep and its shepherd would be well known, making this word picture a fitting way to understand how deeply our God cares for us.
 
 
 

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1 Thessalonians 5:15 KJV
See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.


Helping Each Other

When playing basketball with her girlfriends, Amber realized her community could benefit from an all-female league. So she started a nonprofit organization to foster teamwork and impact the next generation. The leaders of Ladies Who Hoop strive to build confidence and character in the women and girls and encourage them to become meaningful contributors to their local communities. One of the original players who now mentors other girls said, “There is so much camaraderie among us. This is something I’d been missing. We support each other in so many different ways. I love seeing the girls succeed and grow.”

God intends His people to team up to help each other as well. The apostle Paul urged the Thessalonians to “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). God has put us into the family of His people for support in our lives. We need each other to keep walking the path of life in Christ. Sometimes that may mean listening to someone who’s struggling, providing for a practical need, or speaking a few words of encouragement. We can celebrate successes, offer a prayer for strength in a difficulty, or challenge each other to grow in faith. And in everything, we can “always strive to do what is good for each other” (v. 15).

What camaraderie we can enjoy as we team up with other believers in Jesus to keep trusting God together!


Reflect & Pray
In what ways have others encouraged you? How can you prepare yourself to receive and give support to others?

I love being a part of Your family, God. Show me how I can have a part in the lives of others.


Insight
When Paul urged his readers to encourage one another” (1 Thessalonians 5:11), he used a Greek word (parakaleo) that can also mean to comfort. The word translated “advocate” (referring to the Holy Spirit) in John 14:16, 26 and 16:7 comes from the same root word.

Paul used his letter to lovingly urge believers in Jesus to help one another live together in the Spirit of Christ who died for them (1 Thessalonians 5:10). But Paul gave them more than words; he also showed how much he cared for them. He honored them by letting them know how much they’d encouraged him (1:2–10). Then he gently reminded them how, like a little child, he’d humbled himself among them (2:6–7); how he’d cared for them like a nursing mother (vv. 7–10), and how he’d looked after them like a father who comforts and encourages his own children (vv. 11–12).