Daily Bible Verse

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Isaiah 43:4 KJV
Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life.


Accepted and Approved

As a child, Tenny felt insecure. He sought approval from his father, but he never received it. It seemed that whatever he did, whether in school or at home, it was never good enough. Even when he entered adulthood, the insecurity remained. He continually wondered, Am I good enough?

Only when Tenny received Jesus as his Savior did he find the security and approval he’d long yearned for. He learned that God—having created him—loved and cherished him as His son. Tenny finally could live with the confidence that he was truly valued and appreciated.

In Isaiah 43:1–4, God told His chosen people that, having formed them, He would use His power and love to redeem them. “You are precious and honored in my sight,” He proclaimed. He would act on their behalf because He loved them (v. 4).

The value God places on those He loves doesn’t come from anything we do, but from the simple and powerful truth that He’s chosen us to be His own.

These words in Isaiah 43 not only gave Tenny great security, but also empowered him with the confidence to do his best for God in whatever task he was called to do. Today he’s a pastor who does all he can to encourage others with this life-giving truth: we’re accepted and approved in Jesus. May we confidently live out this truth today.


Reflect & Pray

How do you think God sees you? What does John 1:12 tell you about your relationship with Him? What comfort do you find in that knowledge?

Heavenly Father, I know You love me, accept me, and cherish me. Thank You for adopting me as Your child and loving me without conditions.


Insight
Against the backdrop of an imminent Assyrian invasion (Isaiah 7:18–25; 10:5–6) and the future Babylonian destruction and exile (39:6–7), God reminded the people of Judah that as His chosen people, they had a special relationship with Him (43:1). He also assured them of His love and protection through a self-revelation of who He is (vv. 1–7). Because they’re greatly loved by God, their Creator and Redeemer (v. 1), Protector (v. 2), and Savior (v. 3), they need not fear the invading Assyrians or the Babylonians (vv. 4–5). In calling God “the Holy One of Israel” (v. 3), Isaiah’s common designation for God (see 1:4; 10:20; 12:6; 30:12; 60:14), Isaiah extolled God’s complete holiness (see 6:3). Though God’s people remained unfaithful and unrepentant (43:22–24), God in His mercy had purposed to forgive them their sins (v. 25). Although they’d be forgiven, they’d still be disciplined through the Babylonian exile (v. 28).
 

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Ephesians 2:8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:


God Heals Our Brokenness

Collin and his wife, Jordan, wandered through the craft store, looking for a picture to hang in their home. Collin thought he’d found just the right piece and called Jordan over to see it. On the right side of the ceramic artwork was the word grace. But the left side held two long cracks. “Well, it’s broken!” Jordan said as she started looking for an unbroken one on the shelf. But then Collin said, “No. That’s the point. We’re broken and then grace comes in—period.” They decided to purchase the one with the cracks. When they got to the checkout, the clerk exclaimed, “Oh, no, it’s broken!” “Yes, so are we,” Jordan whispered.What does it mean to be a “broken” person? Someone defined it this way: A growing awareness that no matter how hard we try, our ability to make life work gets worse instead of better. It’s a recognition of our need for God and His intervention in our lives.The apostle Paul talked about our brokenness in terms of being “dead in [our] transgressions and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). The answer to our need to be forgiven and changed comes in verses 4 and 5: “Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive . . . . [It] is by grace [we] have been saved.”God is willing to heal our brokenness with His grace when we admit, “I’m broken.”

Reflect & Pray

What brought you to your need to ask God to heal your brokenness? How do you need Him today?God, thank You for being rich in mercy toward me! May I boast in You and Your gift of salvation through grace by faith.

Insight

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians offers an inexpressibly wonderful end-time vision that’s easy to miss, even though he repeatedly mentions it. While emphasizing the good things God has already done (2:1–6), he alludes to a far greater expression of grace that’s to be revealed “in the coming ages” (v. 7). This all-encompassing goal of history is “to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” (1:10; see 20–22). It’s a reassuring and wonderful hope that Paul also refers to in other letters (Philippians 2:10–11; Colossians 1:20) and that the apostle John foresees in his revelation (Revelation 5:13–14).
 

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Lamentations 3:22-23 KJV
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.


When You Can’t Go On

In 2006, my dad was diagnosed with a neurological disease that robbed him of his memory, speech, and control over body movements. He became bedridden in 2011 and continues to be cared for by my mom at home. The beginning of his illness was a dark time. I was fearful: I knew nothing about caring for a sick person, and I was anxious about finances and my mom’s health.

The words of Lamentations 3:22 helped me get up many mornings when the light was as gray as the state of my heart: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed.” The Hebrew word for “consumed” means “to be used up completely” or “to come to an end.”

God’s great love enables us to go on, to get up to face the day. Our trials may feel overwhelming, but we won’t be destroyed by them because God’s love is far greater!

There are many times I can recount when God has shown His faithful, loving ways to my family. I saw His provision in the kindness of relatives and friends, the wise counsel of doctors, financial provision, and the reminder in our hearts that—one day—my dad will be whole again in heaven.

If you’re going through a dark time, don’t lose hope. God can help you to not be consumed by what you face. Keep trusting in His faithful love and provision for you.


Reflect & Pray
In the midst of difficulty, where do you go for strength? How can you remind yourself to trust in God’s great love?

Father, help me to keep trusting You. Open my eyes so I can see Your love and faithfulness.


Insight
The writer of Lamentations isn’t named, but there are reasons to believe Jeremiah wrote this book. Having prophesied for some forty-seven years (627–580 bc) to a disobedient, disbelieving Judah, Jeremiah writes as an eyewitness, lamenting the destruction and devastation that occurred when the Babylonian army marched into Jerusalem. For two years (588–586 bc), Nebuchadnezzar besieged the city. Second Kings 25:1–4 tells of the desperate conditions within it (Lamentations 2:20; 4:10). Jeremiah witnessed the eventual destruction of the city and temple (Jeremiah 52:12–27). In five emotionally charged dirges or funeral laments, Jeremiah describes the sufferings of the people and the reasons for them. The prophet also writes of hope in the midst of despair (Lamentations 3:21–32). God, who has rightly judged their unfaithfulness, is still their hope. He’s the God of compassion, faithfulness, and salvation (vv. 21–26).
 

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John 10:10 KJV
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.


He Fills the Empty

Psychologist Madeline Levine noticed the fifteen-year-old girl’s “cutter disguise”—a long sleeve T-shirt pulled halfway over her hand commonly used by people who engage in self-harm. When the young girl pulled back her sleeve, Levine was startled to find that the girl had used a razor to carve “empty” on her forearm. She was saddened, but also grateful the teen was open to receiving the serious help she desperately needed.

The teen in some way represents many people who’ve carved “empty” on their hearts. John wrote that Jesus came to fill the empty and to offer life “to the full” (John 10:10). God placed the desire for a full life in every human being, and He longs for people to experience a loving relationship with Him. But He also warned them that the “thief” would use people, things, and circumstances to attempt to ravage their lives (vv. 1, 10). The claims each made to give life would be counterfeit and an imitation. In contrast, Jesus offers what’s true—“eternal life” and the promise that “no one will snatch [us] out of [His] hand” (v. 28).

Only Jesus can fill the empty spaces in our hearts with life. If you’re feeling empty, call out to Him today. And if you’re experiencing serious struggles, seek out godly counsel. Christ alone provides life that’s abundant and full—life full of meaning found in Him.


Reflect & Pray
In your search for significance and excitement, what kinds of things have left you disappointed? How has Jesus made your life full?

Jesus, as I consider the full and abundant life You’ve provided for me, please help me resist turning from You to things I think will satisfy me.


Insight
One of the stylistic features of John’s gospel is the frequent use of the words very truly (see, for example, John 10:1, 7). In the King James Version, the words are translated “verily, verily” and in the English Standard Version, “truly, truly.” These words are a transliteration of the Hebrew word aw-mane, from which we get our English word amen. As demonstrated in Old and New Testament usage and our subsequent usage, the word speaks of things that are “firm,” “true,” “trustworthy,” and “faithful.” John is the only gospel where this “double amen” phrase (twenty-five times) comes from the lips of Jesus, the One with the title “the Amen” (Revelation 3:14). The words of the One who provides life “to the full” (John 10:10) are trustworthy indeed.
 

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Psalm 143:8 KJV
Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.


Labrador Angel

In 2019, Cap Dashwood and his sweet black lab companion, Chaela (“Chae” in memory of his lab who died; “la,” Dashwood’s abbreviation for “Labrador angel”), accomplished something remarkable: reaching a mountain summit each day for 365 consecutive days.

Dashwood has a moving story to tell. He left home at sixteen, explaining simply, “Bad family life.” But these past wounds led him to find healing elsewhere. He explains, “Sometimes when you’re disappointed by people, you turn to something else. You know?” For Dashwood, mountain climbing and the unconditional love of his black lab companion has been a big part of that “something else.”

For those of us, like myself, who deeply love our animal companions, a big piece of why we do is the sweet, utterly unconditional love they pour out—a kind of love that’s rare. But I like to think the love they effortlessly give points to a much greater and deeper reality than the failures of others—God’s unshakable, boundless love upholding the universe.

In Psalm 143, as in many of his prayers, it’s only David’s faith in that unshakable, “unfailing love” (v. 12) that tethers him to hope in a time when he feels utterly alone. But a lifetime of walking with God gives him just enough strength to trust that the morning will “bring me word of your unfailing love” (v. 8).

Just enough hope to trust again and to let God lead the way to paths unknown (v. 8).


Reflect & Pray
What signs of God’s unfailing, unending love do you see in the world around you? How have your experiences of the love of God through others or even animal companions given you renewed hope and courage?

Loving God, thank You for showing me how to believe in love and joy again. Help me to be a channel of that hope for others.


Insight
Church tradition has categorized Psalm 143 as one of the seven penitential psalms (psalms of confession) in which the writer expresses sorrow and repentance for sins. But only verse 2 fits that description neatly. The primary point of the poem is David’s desperate request for deliverance. Verses 3–4 outline the problem: he’s hiding from his enemy—quite possibly his own son Absalom. All the remaining verses address God directly, either appealing to Him for help or extolling His righteousness and recalling His previous help in times of need. The penitential aspect of the second verse provides a model for us in our own pleas to God for deliverance from danger. The greatest rescue we need is from our own sin.
 

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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.


True Worshipers

She finally had the chance to visit the church. Inside, in the deepest part of the basement, she reached the small cave or grotto. Candles filled the narrow space and hanging lamps illuminated a corner of the floor. There it was—a fourteen-pointed silver star, covering a raised bit of the marble floor. She was in Bethlehem’s Grotto of the Nativity—the place marking the spot where according to tradition Christ was born. Yet the writer, Annie Dillard, felt less than impressed, realizing God was much bigger than that spot.

Still, such places have always held great significance in our faith stories. Another such place is mentioned in the conversation between Jesus and the woman at the well—the mountain where her “ancestors worshiped” (John 4:20), referring to Mount Gerizim (see Deuteronomy 11:29). It was sacred to the Samaritans, who contrasted it to the Jewish insistence that Jerusalem was where true worship occurred (v. 20). However, Jesus declared the time had arrived when worship was no longer specific to a place, but a Person: “the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth” (v. 23). The woman declared her faith in the Messiah, but she didn’t realize she was talking to Him. “Then Jesus declared, ‘I, the one speaking to you—I am he’ ” (v. 26).

God isn’t limited to any mountain or physical space. He’s present with us everywhere. The true pilgrimage we make each day is to approach His throne as we boldly say, “Our Father,” and He is there.


Reflect & Pray
What difference does it make to you knowing that God is spirit, always and ever present? What will you praise Him for in this moment?

Father, thank You for Your constant presence no matter where I am.


Insight
The events in John 4:19–26 take place in the context of Jesus asking a Samaritan woman to draw water for Him from a well (v. 7). This is significant because “Jews [didn’t] associate with Samaritans” (v. 9), and the handling of a container that had been held by a Samaritan would make Jesus ceremonially unclean. However, this doesn’t deter Him, and instead He tells the woman about her life and many husbands (vv. 16–18). That’s why she calls Him a prophet in verse 19. After Jesus explains that the location of our worship isn’t significant, the woman mentions the Messiah (v. 25). Jesus’ response in verse 26 that He’s the Messiah is a reference to God as the “I am” in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14). In the Greek translation, the word he at the end of John 4:26 is absent and literally reads: “I am—the one who speaks to you.”
 

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Psalm 119:11 KJV
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.


Sharing Hope

As Emma shared how God helped her embrace her identity as His beloved child, she weaved Scripture into our conversation. I could barely figure out where the high school student stopped speaking her words and began quoting the words of God. When I commended her for being like a walking Bible, her brow furrowed. She hadn’t been intentionally reciting Scripture verses. Through daily reading of the Bible, the wisdom found in it had become a part of Emma’s everyday vocabulary. She rejoiced in God’s constant presence and enjoyed every opportunity He provided to share His truth with others. But Emma isn’t the first young person God has used to inspire others to prayerfully read, memorize, and apply Scripture.

When the apostle Paul encouraged Timothy to step into leadership, he demonstrated confidence in this young man (1 Timothy 4:11–16). Paul acknowledged that Timothy was rooted in Scripture from infancy (2 Timothy 3:15). Like Paul, Timothy faced doubters. Still, both men lived as if they believed all Scripture was “God-breathed.” They recognized Scripture was “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (vv. 16–17).

When we hide God’s wisdom in our hearts, His truth and love can pour into our conversations naturally. We can be like walking Bibles sharing God’s eternal hope wherever we go.


Reflect & Pray
How do you hide Scripture in your heart and mind? How has God’s wisdom helped you share His truth with others?

Father, saturate my heart with Your wisdom so I can share You with others naturally and courageously.


Insight
Timothy was Paul’s “true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). We first see him in Acts 16:1–3, where we learn his “mother [Eunice] was Jewish and a believer.” Later we read that his grandmother Lois was also a believer (2 Timothy 1:5). Timothy lived in Lystra, and the believers there and in Iconium (about twenty miles north) spoke well of him (Acts 16:2). And so when Paul visited there during his second missionary journey, he took Timothy with him. But first, Paul circumcised him because of the local Jews who knew his father was a Greek or gentile (v. 3). Paul didn’t want to hinder the spread of the gospel to the Jews. Timothy became a loved companion and vital member of Paul’s missionary team and is mentioned throughout Paul’s letters. Today’s passage (2 Timothy 3:10–17), includes some of Paul’s final words to Timothy.
 

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Psalm 62:5 KJV
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.


The Will of God

God’s will is sometimes hard to follow. He asks us to do the right things. He calls us to endure hardship without complaining; to love awkward people; to heed the voice inside us that says, You mustn’t; to take steps we’d rather not take. So, we must tell our souls all day long: “Hey soul, listen up. Be silent: Do what Jesus is asking you to do.”

“My soul waits in silence for God alone” (Psalm 62:1 nasb). “My soul, wait in silence for God alone” (62:5 nasb). The verses are similar, but different. David says something about his soul; then says something to his soul. “Waits in silence” addresses a decision, a settled state of mind. “Wait in silence” is David stirring his soul to remember that decision.

David determines to live in silence—quiet submission to God’s will. This is our calling as well, the thing for which we were created. We’ll be at peace when we’ve agreed: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). This is our first and highest calling when we make Him Lord and the source of our deepest pleasure. “I desire to do your will,” the psalmist said (Psalm 40:8).

We must always ask for God’s help, of course, for our “hope comes from him” (62:5). When we ask for His help, He delivers it. God never asks us to do anything He won’t or can’t do.


Reflect & Pray
When have you thought God’s will for you was difficult? How can you live in quiet submission?

I may not always understand Your will, Father, but I ask for help to submit to it. Teach me to trust Your good and faithful character. Please give me a submissive heart.


Insight
The phrase “my salvation” appears four times in Psalm 62 (vv. 1, 2, 6, 7). Two related words in these verses are translated “salvation.” All find their root in the Hebrew verb yaw-shah', which means “to save, to be saved, to be delivered.” David saw God as his true source of safety. In Psalm 27:1 he wrote, “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?” The Old Testament compound name Joshua (“the Lord is salvation”) includes this root. Jesus, whose name is explained in Matthew 1:21, is the New Testament rendering of Joshua.
 

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Colossians 4:2 KJV
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;


A Thankful Heart

Seneca, the great philosopher of ancient Rome (4 bc–ad 65), was once accused by the empress Messalina of adultery. After the Senate sentenced Seneca to death, the emperor Claudius instead exiled him to Corsica, perhaps because he suspected the charge was false. This reprieve may have shaped Seneca’s view of thankfulness when he wrote: “homicides, tyrants, thieves, adulterers, robbers, sacrilegious men, and traitors there always will be, but worse than all these is the crime of ingratitude.”

A contemporary of Seneca’s, the apostle Paul, may have agreed. In Romans 1:21, he wrote that one of the triggers for the downward collapse of humankind was that they refused to give thanks to God. Writing to the church at Colossae, three times Paul challenged his fellow believers in Christ to gratitude. He said we should be “overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:7). As we let God’s peace “rule in [our] hearts,” we’re to respond with thankfulness (3:15). In fact, gratitude ought to characterize our prayers (4:2).

God’s great kindnesses to us remind us of one of life’s great realities. He not only deserves our love and worship, He also deserves our thankful hearts. Everything that’s good in life comes from Him (James 1:17).

With all we’ve been given in Christ, gratitude should be as natural as breathing. May we respond to God’s gracious gifts by expressing our gratitude to Him.


Reflect & Pray
What are some of the biggest, most enduring blessings you’ve received in life? What everyday blessings have you experienced that are often easy to forget?

Loving Father, forgive me for the times I’ve taken You and Your blessings for granted. Create in me a thankful heart, so I’ll honor and praise You for all You’ve done and are doing.


Insight
In Colossians 4:2–6, Paul draws our attention to his commitment to the Great Commission. Before we tell others about Jesus, Paul instructs us to spend time talking with God about those who don’t yet believe in Him. The Greek word translated “devote” (v. 2) means “to give attention to; to spend much time together.” Effective evangelism begins with praying for opportunities to share our faith in Jesus, asking for courage to talk about Him and for clarity of our message (vv. 3–4). We’re to “make the most of every opportunity” when it comes to sharing the good news (v. 5). Paul advocates living a life that draws others to Christ (v. 6). Jesus spoke of letting our “light shine before others, that they may see [our] good deeds” (Matthew 5:15–16). Peter tells us to “be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks . . . the reason for the hope that [we] have” (1 Peter 3:15).
 

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Judges 6:12 KJV
And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.


Mighty Warrior

Diet Eman was an ordinary, shy young woman in the Netherlands—in love, working, and enjoying time with family and friends—when the Germans invaded in 1940. As Diet (pronounced Deet) later wrote, “When there is danger on your doorstep, you want to act almost like an ostrich burying its head in the sand.” Yet Diet felt God calling her to resist the German oppressors, which included risking her life to find hiding places for Jews and other pursued people. This unassuming young woman became a warrior for God.

We find many stories in the Bible similar to Diet’s, stories of God using seemingly unlikely characters to serve Him. For instance, when the angel of the Lord approached Gideon, he proclaimed, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior” (Judges 6:12). Yet Gideon seemed anything but mighty. He’d been secretly threshing wheat away from the prying eyes of the Midianites, who oppressively controlled Israel at the time (vv. 1–6, 11). He was from the weakest clan of Israel (Manasseh) and the “least” in his family (v. 15). He didn’t feel up to God’s calling and even requested several signs. Yet God used him to defeat the cruel Midianites (see ch. 7).

God saw Gideon as “mighty.” And just as God was with and equipped Gideon, so He’s with us, His “dearly loved children” (Ephesians 5:1)—supplying all we need to live for and serve Him in little and big ways.


Reflect & Pray
Who are some other Bible characters God used despite their weakness to accomplish much for Him? How has God moved you outside your comfort zone to serve Him?

God, I’m so thankful You don’t see me as I see myself. Help me to see myself as Your dearly loved child capable of doing big and small things in service to You.


Insight
Judges 6 follows a pattern seen often in the book—Israel’s evil resulting in oppression, followed by Israel crying out to God, and God responding with deliverance. Judges 6 also differs from previous versions of this “pattern” in ways that indicate that both the evil and suffering in Israel is intensifying. In Judges 4, after the Israelites cry out for God’s help, Deborah immediately takes action. In chapter 6, however, after a much more extensive account of the Midianites’ oppression (vv. 2–6), God responds to the Israelites’ cry for deliverance by first chastising them (vv. 7–10).

Gideon emerges as a reluctant judge, his story echoing Moses’ commission. Both lacked confidence in their ability to act as God’s agents, but He commands and sends them anyway (Exodus 3:10; Judges 6:14). Both are granted signs of God’s presence and a promise that God is with them (Exodus 3:12; 4:1–9; Judges 6:16–23).