Daily Bible Verse

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Philippians 3:15 KJV
Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.


Current Battles

When you plug in your toaster, you benefit from the results of a bitter feud from the late nineteenth century. Back then, inventors Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla battled over which was the best kind of electricity for development: direct current (DC), like the current that goes from a battery to a flashlight; or alternating current (AC), which we get from an electrical outlet.

Eventually, Tesla’s AC ideas powered through and have been used to provide electricity for homes, businesses, and communities around the world. AC is much more efficient at sending electricity across great distances and proved to be the wiser choice.

Sometimes we need wisdom as we face issues of concern between believers in Jesus (see Romans 14:1–12). The apostle Paul called us to seek God’s help for clarity in such matters. He said, “If on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you” (Philippians 3:15). A few verses later, we see the results of two people who let a difference divide them—a conflict that grieved Paul: “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord” (4:2).

Whenever a disagreement starts to tear us apart, may we seek God’s grace and wisdom in the Scriptures, the counsel of mature believers, and power of prayer. Let’s strive to “be of the same mind” in Him (v. 2).


Reflect & Pray
How can you apply God’s grace and wisdom to a current battle of personal preferences? Why is prayer vital as you face this conflict?

Dear God, life is complicated. I have a situation, and I’m not sure which way to go. Please help me discern, with the help of the Holy Spirit, what to do next.


Insight
When Paul says “one thing I do” (Philippians 3:13), “one thing” refers to being single-minded or constantly driven by a single, all-encompassing purpose. Like an athlete who must ignore distraction to succeed (vv. 13–14), believers in Jesus are called to single-minded focus and action toward one purpose. That purpose is identified in verse 10: “to know Christ [and] the power of his resurrection and [to participate] in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”

To “know” Christ here, therefore, isn’t about intellectual knowledge but intimate, experiential “participation” (v. 10) in who Jesus is through our union with Him through the Spirit. As we draw ever closer to Christ through the Spirit, we also experience His resurrection power—and ultimately, when He returns, the resurrection of our bodies.
 

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Hebrews 11:39 KJV
And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:


No Such Thing as Ordinary

When Anita passed away in her sleep on her ninetieth birthday, the quietness of her departure reflected the quietness of her life. A widow, she had been devoted to her children and grandchildren and to being a friend to younger women in the church.

Anita wasn’t particularly remarkable in talent or achievement. But her deep faith in God inspired those who knew her. “When I don’t know what to do about a problem,” a friend of mine said, “I don’t think about the words of a famous preacher or author. I think about what Anita would say.”

Many of us are like Anita—ordinary people living ordinary lives. Our names will never be in the news, and we won’t have monuments built in our honor. But a life lived with faith in Jesus is never ordinary. Some of the people listed in Hebrews 11 were not named (vv. 35–38); they walked the path of obscurity and didn't receive the reward promised to them in this life (v. 39). Yet, because they obeyed God, their faith wasn’t in vain. God used their lives in ways that went beyond their lack of notoriety (v. 40).

If you feel discouraged about the seeming ordinary state of your life, remember that a life lived by faith in God has an impact throughout eternity. Even if we’re ordinary, we can have an extraordinary faith.


Reflect & Pray
In what area of your daily life might God be calling you to exercise faith in Him? How can He help you be more obedient and faithful in what you do every day?

Faithful God, please help me to trust and obey You always.

Learn how to find your true identity.


Insight
Hebrews 11 is referred to as the “Hall of Faith.” Writing to encourage Jewish believers in Jesus to remain faithful in the midst of suffering brought about by severe persecution, the unnamed author lists specific examples of people who’ve lived “by faith” (vv. 4–31). He closes this chapter with an overview of countless unnamed faithful people (vv. 32–38) “commended for their faith” but who haven’t yet “received what had been promised” (v. 39). Hebrews 11 is a reminder that the only way to live and to please God is by faith (v. 6). Those who lived “by faith” chose to live as “foreigners and strangers on earth” (v. 13). They refused to return to the sinful life they’d left behind but longed “for a better country—a heavenly one” (v. 16).
 

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Exodus 18:24 KJV
So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law,and did all that he had said.


The Need for Wisdom

Growing up without a dad, Rob felt he missed out on a lot of practical wisdom that fathers often pass on to their children. Not wanting anyone to lack important life skills, Rob made a series of practical “Dad, How Do I?” videos demonstrating everything from how to put up a shelf to how to change a tire. With his kind compassion and warm style, Rob has become a YouTube sensation, amassing millions of subscribers.

Many of us long for the expertise of a parental figure to teach us valuable skills as well as help us navigate difficult situations. Moses needed some wisdom after he and the Israelites fled captivity in Egypt and were establishing themselves as a nation. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, saw the strain that settling disputes among the people was having on Moses. So Jethro gave Moses thoughtful advice on how to delegate responsibility in leadership (Exodus 18:17–23). Moses “listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said” (v. 24).

God knows we all need wisdom. Some may be blessed with godly parents who offer wise advice, and some aren't. But God’s wisdom is available to all who ask (James 1:5). He’s also provided wisdom throughout the pages of Scripture, which reminds us that when we humbly and sincerely listen to the wise, we “will be counted among the wise” (Proverbs 19:20) and have wisdom to share with others.


Reflect & Pray
In what ways have you benefited from sage advice? Who might you come alongside?

Heavenly Father, help me to seek out and listen to wise counsel from the people You’ve put in my life.  


Insight
Leading over two million Israelites through the wilderness to Mount Sinai was a task fraught with difficulties and dangers. Moses had already dealt with many crises (lack of food and water, attacks from enemies) amid the many grumblings and criticisms from his people. In Exodus 18:17–24, we read how he experienced a crisis of overwork and inefficiency. Jethro, his father-in-law, advised Moses to manage his workload by delegating some of his functions and authority. Moses was to “select capable men . . . who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain” (v. 21). The leaders were to be “wise, understanding and respected men” who “judge fairly” (Deuteronomy 1:13–16). Similar high standards and qualifications are also required for leaders of the church (Acts 6:3; 1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:6–9).
 

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Romans 14:20 KJV
For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.


For Others’ Sake

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Singaporeans stayed home to avoid being infected. But I blissfully continued swimming, believing it was safe.

My wife, however, feared that I might pick up an infection at the public pool and pass it on to her aged mother—who, like other seniors, was more vulnerable to the virus. “Can you just avoid swimming for some time, for my sake?” she asked.

At first, I wanted to argue that there was little risk. Then I realized that this mattered less than her feelings. Why would I insist on swimming—hardly an essential thing—when it made her worry unnecessarily?

In Romans 14, Paul addressed issues like whether believers in Christ should eat certain foods or celebrate certain festivals. He was concerned that some people were imposing their views on others.

Paul reminded the church in Rome, and us, that believers in Jesus may view situations differently. We also have diverse backgrounds that color our attitudes and practices. He wrote, “Let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister” (v. 13).

God’s grace gives us great freedom even as it helps us express His love to fellow believers. We can use that freedom to put the spiritual needs of others above our own convictions about rules and practices that don’t contradict the essential truths found in the gospel (v. 20).


Reflect & Pray
What are some of the rules and practices you keep as a believer in Christ? How might they affect other believers who think differently?

Jesus, give me the grace to give way on things that don’t contradict the gospel truth and the love to put the feelings of others above my own.


Insight
Key to understanding today’s passage (Romans 14:13–21) is Paul’s statement in verse 1: “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.” What is meant by weak faith? In this context, Paul is talking about followers of Christ whose conscience required them to adhere to certain Jewish dietary laws. A “strong” Christian (15:1) understands that as believers in Christ saved by grace we’re not bound to the law. A person who insists on imposing their standards on others in these “disputable matters” is misguidedly judgmental. We’re never to insist that others give up their freedoms based on our personal convictions.
 

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2 Samuel 9:11 KJV
Then said Ziba unto the king, According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do. As for Mephibosheth, said the king, he shall eat at my table, as one of the king's sons.


At the King’s Table

“He’ll live,” the vet announced, “but his leg will have to be amputated.” The stray mongrel my friend had brought in had been run over by a car. “Are you the owner?” There would be a hefty surgery bill, and the puppy would need care as it recovered. “I am now,” my friend replied. Her kindness has given that dog a future in a loving home.

Mephibosheth saw himself as a “dead dog,” unworthy of favor (2 Samuel 9:8). Being lame in both feet due to an accident, he was dependent on others to protect and provide for him (see 4:4). Furthermore, after the death of his grandfather, King Saul, he probably feared that David, the new king, would order all enemies and rivals to the throne killed, as was the common practice of the time.

Yet, out of love for his friend Jonathan, David ensured that Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth would always be safe and cared for as his own son (9:7). In the same way, we who were once God’s enemies, marked for death, have been saved by Jesus and given a place with Him in heaven forever. That’s what it means to eat at the banquet in the kingdom of God that Luke describes in his gospel (Luke 14:15). Here we are—the sons and daughters of a King! What extravagant, undeserved kindness we’ve received! Let’s draw near to God in gratitude and joy.


Reflect & Pray
When are you likely to forget that God protects and cares for you? How could 2 Samuel 9:6–13 encourage you during such times?

Dear Jesus, thank You for saving me and giving me a place at Your table forever. Remind me that I’m Your dear child, and help me to always praise and trust You.


Insight
David made a covenant with his best friend Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:12–17) that even after Jonathan’s death, David would treat his family with covenantal love and unfailing kindness (Hebrew hesed, v. 14). Second Samuel 9:6–13 records how David, having become king, now fulfills that promise to Jonathan. As the heir to Saul’s throne, Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson, ought to have been killed under the new regime. Instead, David gave Mephibosheth all of Saul’s land and wealth and appointed servants to look after him. He even honored him as if he were a prince—one of David’s own sons.
 

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Isaiah 40:14 KJV

With whom took he counsel, and who instructed him, and taught him in the path of judgment, and taught him knowledge, and shewed to him the way of understanding?


The Greatest Teacher

“I don’t get it!” My daughter slapped her pencil down on the desk. She was working on a math assignment, and I’d just begun my “job” as a homeschooling mom/teacher. We were in trouble. I couldn’t recall what I’d learned thirty-five years ago about changing decimals into fractions. I couldn’t teach her something I didn’t already know, so we watched an online teacher explain the skill.

As human beings, we’ll struggle at times with things we don’t know or understand. But not God; He’s the all-knowing One—the omniscient One. Isaiah wrote, “Who can . . . instruct the Lord as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge, or showed him the path of understanding?” (Isaiah 40:13–14). The answer? No one!

Humans have intelligence because God created us in His own image. Still, our intelligence is just an inkling of His. Our knowledge is limited, but God knows everything from eternity past to eternity future (Psalm 147:5). Our knowledge is increasing today with the aid of technology, but we still get things wrong. Jesus, however, knows all things “immediately, simultaneously, exhaustively and truly,” as one theologian put it.

No matter how much humans advance in knowledge, we’ll never surpass Christ’s all-knowing status. We’ll always need Him to bless our understanding and to teach us what’s good and true.


Reflect & Pray
In what types of situations are you thankful for God’s omniscience? How does knowing that Jesus understands everything encourage you?

Jesus, I praise You as the One who knows everything. Teach me what You want me to learn, and help me to love You with all my mind.


Insight
Scholars generally divide the book of Isaiah into two major sections. Chapters 1–39 deal primarily with warnings of divine chastening upon the people of Judah, represented often by Jerusalem; chapters 40–66 focus on God’s promises to deliver and restore Judah from the coming season of discipline they’d encounter in captivity in Babylon. As such, Isaiah 40 launches this section of promise and hope by reflecting on the greatness of God with whom they have a special relationship. This dramatic overture of His majesty is of critical importance because it serves as a reminder to the people that though they’d be distanced from their homeland, God was more than capable to bring them back and restore them—initially to the land and ultimately to Himself. It’s that assurance of His abiding care that underscores the offer of comfort in Isaiah 40:1.
 

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Jeremiah 36:1 KJV
And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,


Words that Endure

In the early nineteenth century, Thomas Carlyle gave a manuscript to philosopher John Stuart Mill to review. Somehow, whether accidentally or intentionally, the manuscript got tossed into a fire. It was Carlyle’s only copy. Undaunted, he set to work rewriting the lost chapters. Mere flames couldn’t stop the story, which remained intact in his mind. Out of great loss, Carlyle produced his monumental work The French Revolution.

In the waning days of ancient Judah’s decadent kingdom, God told the prophet Jeremiah, “Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you” (Jeremiah 36:2). The message revealed God’s tender heart, calling on His people to repent in order to avoid imminent invasion (v. 3).

Jeremiah did as he was told. The scroll soon found its way to Judah’s king, Jehoiakim, who methodically shredded it and threw it into the fire (vv. 23–25). The king’s act of arson only made matters worse. God told Jeremiah to write another scroll with the same message. He said, “[Jehoiakim] will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and the frost by night” (v. 30).

It’s possible to burn the words of God by tossing a book into a fire. Possible, but utterly futile. The Word behind the words endures forever.


Reflect & Pray
What has caused you or those you know to ignore the words of God? Why is it vital for you to submit to and obediently follow what He’s instructed?

Father, help me to take Your words to heart, even if they’re difficult to hear. Please give me a heart of repentance—not defiance.


Insight
King Jehoiakim’s rejection of the words of God demonstrated by his reckless burning of Jeremiah’s scroll wasn’t an isolated event. The prophet Jeremiah had touched a nerve in a land once entrusted to a nation of freed slaves. Since the days of Moses, there'd been a humane law in Israel requiring Hebrew slaves to be freed after seven years (Exodus 21:2). But this law had long since been ignored by wealthy land owners accustomed to living off the backs of a captive and oppressed workforce (Jeremiah 34:8–17). Their social privilege made it easy to ignore a troublesome prophet who claimed to speak the word of Israel’s God (37:1–2). According to Jeremiah, a looming Babylonian invasion was the inevitable corrective. What even Jeremiah couldn’t foresee, however, is that the flagrant burning of a scroll would foreshadow something far more horrific—a literal rejection and crucifixion of Jesus, the living Word of God.
 

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Romans 6:23 KJV
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.


A Beginner’s Guide to Life

After my mother’s sudden death, I was motivated to start blogging. I wanted to write posts that would inspire people to use their minutes on earth to create significant life moments. So I turned to a beginner’s guide to blogging. I learned what platform to use, how to choose titles, and how to craft compelling posts. And in 2016, my first blog post was born.

Paul wrote a “beginner’s guide” that explains how to obtain eternal life. In Romans 6:16–18, he contrasts the fact that we’re all born in rebellion to God (sinners) with the truth that Jesus can help us be “set free from [our] sin” (v. 18). Paul then describes the difference between being a slave to sin and a slave to God and His life-giving ways (vv. 19–20). He continues by stating that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life” (v. 23). Death means being separated from God forever. This is the devastating outcome we face when we reject Christ. But God has offered us a gift in Jesus—new life. It’s the kind of life that begins on earth and continues forever in heaven with Him.

Paul’s beginner’s guide to eternal life leaves us with two choices—choosing sin, which leads to death, or choosing Jesus’ gift, which leads to eternal life. May you receive His gift of life, and if you’ve already accepted Christ, may you share this gift with others today!


Reflect & Pray
How would you describe what it means to receive the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ? What’s the difference between being a slave to sin and a slave to God and His life-giving ways?

Jesus, thank You for loving me and forgiving me. You paid a debt I couldn’t pay and gave me a gift I couldn’t buy.


Insight
Writing to believers in Jesus at Rome, some of whom may have been slaves, Paul says, “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (6:16). The word Paul uses for slave is doulos. It refers to “someone who belongs to another; a bond-slave, without any ownership rights of their own.” This word is derived from another word that means “to tie or bind, to ensnare or capture.” Paul is telling the Roman believers that they don’t serve themselves; they serve the one they’re bound to. They’re either owned by sin or owned by God.
 

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Psalm 37:4 KJV
Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.


God’s Plans for You

For six years, Agnes tried to make herself the “perfect minister’s wife,” modeling herself after her adored mother-in-law (also a pastor’s wife). She thought that in this role she couldn’t also be a writer and painter, but in burying her creativity she became depressed and contemplated suicide. Only the help of a neighboring pastor moved her out of the darkness as he prayed with her and assigned her two hours of writing each morning. This awakened her to what she called her “sealed orders”—the calling God had given her. She wrote, “For me to be really myself—my complete self—every . . . flow of creativity that God had given me had to find its channel.”

Later, she pointed to one of David’s songs that expressed how she found her calling: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). As she committed her way to God, trusting Him to lead and guide her (v. 5), He made a way for her not only to write and paint but to help others to better communicate with Him.

God has a set of “sealed orders” for each of us, not only that we’ll know we’re His beloved children but understand the unique ways we can serve Him through our gifts and passions. He’ll lead us as we trust and delight in Him.


Reflect & Pray
How does Agnes’ story of living someone else’s life resonate with you? What has God put in your “sealed orders”?

Creator God, You’ve made me in Your image. Help me to know and embrace my calling that I might better love and serve You.


Insight
When David urged his nation not to envy those who seemed to be winning by deceit or violence (Psalm 37:1, 7), he was writing out of his own experience. He knew what it was to be stalked by Saul, his own king and father-in-law. His psalm reflects what he’d seen in God, who helped him overcome Goliath, the betrayals of friends and family, and the military advantage of enemies. Learning to trust an unseen God at a time when visible people hated him was his recurring challenge. Reflecting on a hard road traveled, Psalm 37 foreshadows what the apostle Paul would one day express. In the service of Christ, he too learned to see beyond the temporary, outward appearance (2 Corinthians 4:16–18).
 

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Ecclesiastes 7:2 KJV
It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.


Living Well

Free funerals for the living. That’s the service offered by an establishment in South Korea. Since it opened in 2012, more than 25,000 people—from teenagers to retirees—have participated in mass “living funeral” services, hoping to improve their lives by considering their deaths. Officials say “the simulated death ceremonies are meant to give the participant a truthful sense of their lives, inspire gratitude, and aid in forgiveness and reconnection among family and friends.”

These words echo the wisdom given by the teacher who wrote Ecclesiastes. “Death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:2). Death reminds us of the brevity of life and that we only have a certain amount of time to live and love well. It loosens our grip on some of God’s good gifts—such as money, relationships, and pleasure—and frees us to enjoy them in the here and now as we store up “treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:20).

As we remember that death may come knocking anytime, perhaps it’ll compel us to not postpone that visit with our parents, delay our decision to serve God in a particular way, or compromise our time with our children for our work. With God’s help, we can learn to live wisely.     


Reflect & Pray
What changes will you make in your life today as you think about death? How can you be more conscious about death amid the hustle and bustle of life?

Loving God, help me to remember the brevity of life and to live well today.   


Insight
Scholars have heavily debated the authorship of Ecclesiastes. The opening verse identifies the author as “the Teacher” (Hebrew Qohelet), but that is a title, not a proper name. The traditional view has ascribed authorship to Solomon because of statements summarized well in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: “The author also identified himself as a ‘son of David’ (1:1), a ‘king in Jerusalem’ (1:1), and ‘king over Israel in Jerusalem’ (1:12). Moreover, in the autobiographical section (1:12–2:26) he said he was wiser ‘than anyone who [had] ruled over Jerusalem before’ him (1:16); that he was a builder of great projects (2:4–6); and that he possessed numerous slaves (2:7), incomparable herds of sheep and cattle (2:7), great wealth (2:8), and a large harem (2:8). In short he claimed to be greater than anyone who lived in Jerusalem before him (2:9).” These statements seem to provide more than enough evidence to support Solomon as the author of Ecclesiastes.