Daily Bible Verse

[nanny]

Acts 4:12 KJV
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.


Bold Faith

After Prem Pradhan’s (1924–1998) plane was shot down during World War II, he was wounded while parachuting to safety. As a result, he walked with a limp for the rest of his life. He once noted, “I have a lame leg. Isn’t it strange of God that He called [me] to preach the gospel in the Himalaya Mountains?” And preach in Nepal he did—but not without opposition that included imprisonment in “dungeons of death” where prisoners faced extreme conditions. In a span of fifteen years, Prem spent ten years in fourteen different prisons. His bold witness, however, bore the fruit of changed lives for Christ that included guards and prisoners who took the message of Jesus to their own people.

The apostle Peter faced opposition due to his faith in Jesus and for being used by God to heal a “man who was lame” (Acts 4:9). But he used the opportunity to boldly speak for Christ (vv. 8–13).

Today, like Peter, we too may face opposition (v. 3), yet we have family members, co-workers, fellow students, and others we know who desperately need to hear about the One in whom “salvation is found” (v. 12), who died as payment for our sins and was raised from the dead as proof of His power to forgive (v. 10). May they hear as we prayerfully and boldly proclaim this good news of salvation found in Jesus.


Reflect & Pray
How will you boldly share Jesus today? What keeps you from telling others about Him? How can you be better prepared to do so?

Father, thank You for what You’ve done for me. Help me, in Jesus’ name, to boldly share my faith with others.


Insight
The word translated “unschooled” in Acts 4:13 is unique in the New Testament and is used only in this verse. In the original language, the word means “without letters, illiterate, without learning.” Peter and John were perceived by the religious leaders as being “unversed in the learning of the Jewish schools” (Greek dictionary). They were also referred to as “ordinary men,” a reference to a private person, one without the kind of knowledge or education that would be useful in the public square. In the minds of the religious elite, the apostles were “regular Joes.” But what they did possess—the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (v. 8)—more than compensated for their lack of formal religious training or sophistication. The Spirit continues to fill and embolden believers in Jesus today to proclaim His death and resurrection—even to those who reject Him (v. 11).
 

[nanny]

Job 5:7
Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.


Insult to Injury

During the Golden Age of radio, Fred Allen (1894–1956) used comedic pessimism to bring smiles to a generation living in the shadows of economic depression and a world at war. His sense of humor was born out of personal pain. Having lost his mother before he was three, he was later estranged from his father who struggled with addictions. He once rescued a young boy from the traffic of a busy New York City street with a memorable, “What’s the matter with you, kid? Don’t you want to grow up and have troubles?”

The life of Job unfolds in such troubled realism. When his early expressions of faith eventually gave way to despair, his friends multiplied his pain by adding insult to injury. With good sounding arguments they insisted that if he could admit his wrongs (Job 4:7–8) and learn from God’s correction, he would find strength to laugh in the face of his problems (5:22).

Job’s “comforters” meant well while being so wrong (1:6–12). Never could they have imagined that they would one day be invoked as examples of “With friends like that, who needs enemies?” Never could they have imagined the relief of Job praying for them, or why they would need prayer at all (42:7–9). Never could they have imagined how they foreshadowed the accusers of the One who suffered so much misunderstanding to become the source of our greatest joys.


Reflect & Pray
How have others misjudged you, and how did you feel? When have you been critical of others whose pain you didn’t understand?

Father, like Job’s friends, I’m inclined to assume that the troubles of others are somehow deserved. Please help me live this day in the Spirit of Your Son rather than in the words and thoughts of the accuser.


Insight
The book of Job is typically classified as Wisdom Literature, along with Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and portions of Psalms. Proverbs and many Wisdom psalms emphasize that since God’s wisdom is woven into the creation of the universe, living with wisdom—in tune to God’s ways—is more likely to result in human flourishing. However, both Job and Ecclesiastes nuance that picture, emphasizing that injustice and suffering can occur through no fault of their victims.

Throughout the book of Job, Job’s friends echo sentiments found in the Wisdom Literature of Proverbs and Psalms (for example, compare Job 5:19–21 to Psalm 91:5–16). Job’s friends refuse to face the clear exceptions to these principles and in so doing show a staggering lack of compassion for Job. In the end, God chastises them for not speaking “the truth about me, as my servant Job has” (42:7).
 

[nanny]

Daniel 3:18 KJV
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.


Trusting God in Opposition

Raised in a tribe in the Philippines opposed to belief in Christ, Esther received salvation through Jesus after an aunt prayed for her during Esther’s battle with a life-threatening illness. Today, Esther leads Bible studies in her local community in spite of threats of violence and even death. She serves joyfully, saying, “I can’t stop telling people about Jesus because I’ve experienced the power, love, goodness, and faithfulness of God in my life.”

Serving God in the face of opposition is a reality for many today just as it was for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, three young Israelites living in captivity in Babylon. In the book of Daniel, we learn that they refused to pray to a large golden image of King Nebuchadnezzar even when threatened with death. The men testified that God was capable of protecting them, but they chose to serve Him “even if” He didn’t rescue them (Daniel 3:18). When they were thrown into the fire, God actually joined them in their suffering (v. 25). To everyone’s amazement, they survived without even “a hair of their heads singed” (v. 27).

If we face suffering or persecution for an act of faith, ancient and modern examples remind us that God’s Spirit is present with us to strengthen and sustain us when we choose to obey Him, “even if” things turn out differently than we hope.


Reflect & Pray
What are some ways you’ve chosen to follow God “even if”? What are ways He’s been with you?

God, thank You for loving me so generously. Help me to follow You with joy even in the face of opposition.


Insight
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego (Daniel 3:12) were no strangers to adversity. Ripped from their homes in Judah and dragged into exile, they may have seen family members abused and killed. They’d likely suffered abuse themselves, and now they resided in a culture hostile to the one true God. Yet all this adversity seemed only to strengthen their faith. When they respectfully defied the king (vv. 16–18), Nebuchadnezzar took their refusal personally, intensifying his anger. Yet the three remained resolute, revering God alone.
 

[nanny]

Isaiah 9:2 KJV
The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.


A Great Light

In 2018, twelve Thai boys and their soccer coach descended into a mazelike cave, intending to enjoy an afternoon adventure. Due to unexpected rising water that forced them deeper and deeper into the cavern, it was two-and-a-half weeks before rescuers led them out. Dive teams, thwarted by rising water, attempted the rescue as the boys sat on a small rock shelf with only six flickering flashlights. They spent hours in darkness, hoping that somehow light—and help—would break through.

The prophet Isaiah described a world of brooding darkness, one overrun by violence and greed, shattered by rebellion and anguish (Isaiah 8:22). Nothing but ruin; hope’s candle flickering and fading, sputtering before succumbing to dark nothingness. And yet, Isaiah insisted, this dim despair was not the end. Because of God’s mercy, soon “there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress” (9:1). God would never abandon His people in shadowy ruin. The prophet announced hope for his people then and pointed to the time when Jesus would come to dispel the darkness sin has caused.

Jesus has come. And now we hear Isaiah’s words with renewed meaning: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light,” Isaiah says. “On those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned” (v. 2).

No matter how dark the night, no matter how despairing our circumstances, we’re never forsaken in the dark. Jesus is here. A great Light shines.


Reflect & Pray
How are you prone to experience darkness and despair? Consider this image of Jesus as the great light—how does this light renew you with hope?

God, there’s so much darkness. I fear sometimes that the darkness will overwhelm me. Be my great light. Shine on me with radiant love.


Insight
King Ahaz of Judah, threatened by the armies of Israel and Syria (Isaiah 7:1–6), turned to Assyria for help instead of trusting in God (2 Kings 16:7–9). Because Ahaz didn’t turn to God, Isaiah warned that He’d instead use Assyria to punish Judah (Isaiah 7:17–25; 10:5–19). Of their unrepentant unfaithfulness, Isaiah warned that the people of Judah would “have no light of dawn” and be “thrust into utter darkness” (8:20, 22). But God loved them too much to leave them there. He’d bring them “a great light,” starting from Zebulun and Naphtali, lands in Israel’s far north ravaged by the Assyrians (9:1–3). Isaiah prophesied of a future time when “Galilee of the nations” (v. 1) (or “of the Gentiles”) would be honored. Seven hundred years later, Matthew tells us that this was fulfilled when Jesus, the light of the world, came into Galilee and did much of His public ministry there (Matthew 4:12–17).
 

[nanny]

Hebrews 10:25 KJV
Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.


We Need Our Church Community

I grew up the firstborn son of a Southern Baptist preacher. Every Sunday the expectation was clear: I was to be in church. Possible exceptions? Maybe if I had a significant fever. But the truth is, I absolutely loved going, and I even went a few times feverish. But the world has changed, and the numbers for regular church attendance are not what they used to be. Of course, the quick question is why? The answers are many and varied. Author Kathleen Norris counters those answers with a response she received from a pastor to the question, “Why do we go to church?” He said, “We go to church for other people. Because someone may need you there.”

Now by no means is that the only reason we go to church, but his response does resonate with the heartbeat of the writer to the Hebrews. He urged the believers to persevere in the faith, and to achieve that goal he stressed “not giving up meeting together” (Hebrews 10:25). Why? Because something vital would be missed in our absence: “encouraging one another” (v. 25). We need that mutual encouragement to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (v. 24).

Brothers and sisters, keep meeting together, because someone may need you there. And the corresponding truth is that you may need them as well.


Reflect & Pray
What are the top four reasons you either go to church or don’t go? How does knowing “someone may need you there” make you feel about meeting together?

Heavenly Father, as I meet with others to worship and praise Your name, help me to also encourage others in Your name. Forgive me when I overlook the latter because I’m too preoccupied with myself.


Insight
The letter to the Hebrews was written to Jewish believers in Jesus who, due to persecution and hardship, were in danger of drifting from the faith. Therefore, it makes sense that the author would remind them of the confidence they could have in Christ, for it provides an antidote for their doubts. The New Bible Commentary says, “The word translated confidence is found in four important contexts in Hebrews (3:6; 4:16; 10:19; 10:35). Fundamentally, it’s a confidence of free and open access to God . . . based on the unique sacrifice of Jesus (by the blood of Jesus).” As a result, the believers were encouraged to embrace the confidence that they were truly part of God’s “house” (3:6), to enter God’s presence confidently in prayer (4:15–16), to enter God’s presence in worship (10:19), and to maintain that confidence in living out their lives (10:35).
 

[nanny]

Psalm 133:1 KJV
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!


Celebrating Diversity

At the 2019 graduation ceremony at a local high school, 608 students prepared to receive their diplomas. The principal began by asking students to stand when he read the name of the country where they were born: Afghanistan, Bolivia, Bosnia . . . . The principal kept going until he’d named sixty countries and every student was standing and cheering together. Sixty countries; one high school.

The beauty of unity amid diversity was a powerful image that celebrated something near to God’s heart—people living together in unity.

We read an encouragement for unity among God’s people in Psalm 133, a psalm of ascent—a song sung as people entered Jerusalem for annual celebrations. The psalm reminded the people of the benefits of living harmoniously (v. 1) despite differences that could cause division. In vivid imagery, unity is described as refreshing dew (v. 3) and oil—used to anoint priests (Exodus 29:7)—“running down” the head, beard, and clothing of a priest (v. 2). Together, these images point to the reality that in unity God’s blessings flow so lavishly they can’t be contained.

For believers in Jesus, despite differences such as ethnicity, nationality, or age, there’s a deeper unity in the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3). When we stand together and celebrate that common bond as Jesus leads us, we can embrace our God-given differences and celebrate the source of true unity.


Reflect & Pray
When have you experienced the goodness of unity in Christ? How has it brought blessing?

Heavenly Father, help me do my part to live in unity with all of God’s people.

Learn more about loving those who are different from you.


Insight
David’s reign as king saw more than its share of conflict, yet the theme of Psalm 133, which is attributed to him, is unity. James Montgomery Boice proposes that perhaps David’s coronation provided the inspiration for the psalm. The nation had been divided under Saul’s leadership, and David’s ascension to the throne likely infused the people with anticipation. A coronation marks a fresh beginning, one filled with hope for unity under the new king.

This psalm of ascents makes two geographical references, both to mountains. Mount Hermon, at 9,232 feet (2,814 m.) was the highest point on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It was far north of Mount Zion in Jerusalem (elev. 2,510 ft., 765 m.). The imagery of dew from snow-capped Hermon would resonate well with pilgrims walking the dusty road to Jerusalem to celebrate the three annual festivals—Passover, Pentecost (Festival of Weeks), and the Festival of Tabernacles.
 

[nanny]

1 John 3:1 KJV
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.


True Identity

As my friend reviewed the pictures I took of her, she pointed out the physical characteristics she saw as imperfections. I asked her to look closer. “I see a beautiful and beloved daughter of the Almighty King of Kings,” I said. “I see a compassionate lover of God and others, whose genuine kindness, generosity, and faithfulness have made a difference in so many lives.” When I noticed the tears brimming her eyes, I said, “I think you need a tiara!” Later that afternoon, we picked out the perfect crown for my friend so she would never forget her true identity.

When we come to know Jesus personally, He crowns us with love and calls us His children (1 John 3:1). He gives us the power to persevere in faith so that “we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming” (2:28). Though He accepts us as we are, His love purifies us and transforms us into His likeness (3:2–3). He helps us recognize our need for Him and repent as we rejoice in the power to turn away from sin (vv. 7–9). We can live in faithful obedience and love (v. 10), with His truth hidden in our hearts and His Spirit present in our lives.

My friend didn’t really need a tiara or any other trinket that day. But we both needed the reminder of our worth as God’s beloved children.


Reflect & Pray
What personal faults and past failings have you allowed to determine your identity? How can knowing you’re loved, chosen, and crowned as God’s child help you live in righteousness and love?

Loving God, thank You for reminding me that who I am is based on whose I am—Yours, simply Yours.

Learn more about your own identity.


Insight
First John 2:28–3:10 contains two intertwined themes: being children of God and acting like His children. In 2:29, John writes that “everyone who does what is right has been born of [God].” In 3:10, the idea is framed in the negative: anyone “[not doing] what is right is not God’s child.” In between these two verses, John builds on the idea of our actions corresponding to our identity in Christ. Jesus proclaimed the same truth when He said that a tree is known by its fruit (Luke 6:43–45).
 

[nanny]

2 Kings 20:2 KJV
Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the Lord,


Generation Now

“Never trust anyone over thirty,” said young environmentalist Jack Weinberg in 1964. His comment stereotyped an entire generation—something Weinberg later regretted. Looking back, he said, “Something I said off the top of my head . . . became completely distorted and misunderstood.”

Have you heard disparaging comments aimed at millennials? Or vice versa? Ill thoughts directed from one generation toward another can cut both ways. Surely there’s a better way.

Although he was an excellent king, Hezekiah showed a lack of concern for another generation. When, as a young man, Hezekiah was struck with a terminal illness (2 Kings 20:1), he cried out to God for his life (vv. 2–3). God gave him fifteen more years (v. 6).

But when Hezekiah received the terrible news that his children would one day be taken captive, the royal tears were conspicuously absent (vv. 16–18). He thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?” (v. 19). It may have been that Hezekiah didn’t apply the passion he had for his own well-being to the next generation.

God calls us to a love that dares to cross the lines dividing us. The older generation needs the fresh idealism and creativity of the younger, who in turn can benefit from the wisdom and experience of their predecessors. This is no time for snarky memes and slogans but for thoughtful exchange of ideas. We’re in this together.


Reflect & Pray
In what ways do you think you may have ignored or disrespected others from a different age group? How might you use the gifts God has given you to serve them?

Forgive me, Father, for not appreciating others in a stage of life different from mine.


Insight
King Hezekiah ruled the Southern Kingdom of Judah from about 727–698 bc. One of the few “good” kings of the south, Hezekiah drove idolatry from the land and destroyed the “high places” where false idols were being worshiped. Second Kings 18:3–6 bears witness to Hezekiah’s spiritual character, asserting that “he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done” (v. 3) and that “he “trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him” (v. 5).
 

[nanny]

Psalm 78:4 KJV
We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.


Illustrating Scripture

Decorative blue and white ceramic tiles commonly found in Dutch households were originally made in the city of Delft. They often depict familiar scenes of the Netherlands: beautiful landscapes, ubiquitous windmills, and people working and playing.

In the nineteenth century, Charles Dickens wrote in his book A Christmas Carol how these tiles were used to illustrate the Scriptures. He described an old fireplace built by a Dutchman paved with these quaint Delft tiles: “There were Cains and Abels, Pharaohs’ daughters, Queens of Sheba, . . . [and] Apostles putting off to sea.” Many households used these tiles as a teaching tool as the family gathered around the warmth of a fire and shared the stories of the Bible. They learned about God’s character—His justice, compassion, and mercy.

The truths of the Bible continue to be relevant today. Psalm 78 encourages us to teach the “hidden lessons from our past—stories we’ve heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us” (vv. 2–3 nlt). It goes on to instruct us to “tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done” and “they in turn [can] tell their children” (vv. 4, 6).

With God’s help, we can find creative and effective ways to illustrate the truths of Scripture to each generation as we strive to give God the full honor and praise He deserves.


Reflect & Pray
What ways have you found effective in illustrating the truths of the Bible to someone who’s new to Scripture? Who needs to know about the “praiseworthy deeds of the Lord”?

Loving God, show me ways to illustrate what I’ve learned from Scripture so others may know of Your wonders.


Insight
The opening verses of Psalm 78 identify it as a wisdom psalm. The psalmist invites hearers to listen to his wise teaching, described as “hidden things” (v. 2). However, they’re nevertheless “heard and known” (v. 3) due to both God’s revelation and the people’s ancestors passing down that revelation to their children.

The psalm as a whole urges its hearers to be faithful in passing on wisdom, recounting Israel’s story (vv. 5–7) as “a parable” (v. 2) applicable to all. Each generation has a responsibility to pass on both the story of God’s revelation and mighty acts of redemption as well as the ways in which their ancestors failed to trust and follow God faithfully (v. 8). Through the lens of Israel’s story, God’s people can grow in wisdom and trust and “in turn . . . tell their children” (v. 6) so that they may also “put their trust in God” (v. 7).
 

[nanny]

2 Corinthians 9:7 KJV
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.


Cheerful Giver

Nicholas, who was born in the third century, had no idea that centuries after his death he would be known as Santa Claus. He was just a man who loved God and genuinely cared for people and who was known for giving cheerfully of his own possessions and doing kind deeds. The story is told that after learning of a family who was in great financial distress, Nicholas came to their home at night and threw a bag of gold through an open window, which landed in a shoe or stocking warming by the fireplace.

Long before Nicholas, the apostle Paul urged the believers in Corinth to be cheerful givers. He wrote to them about the great financial needs of their brothers and sisters in Jerusalem and encouraged them to give generously. Paul explained to them the benefits and blessings that come to those who give of their possessions. He reminded them that “whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6). As a result of their cheerful generosity, they would be “enriched in every way” (v. 11), and God would be honored.

Father, would You help us to be cheerful givers not only during this Christmas season but all year long? Thank You for Your incredible generosity in giving us Your “indescribable gift,” Your Son, Jesus (v. 15).


Reflect & Pray
Where do you see a need you could help with this week? How could you give generously of your time or resources?  

Thank You, giving God, for encouraging me to be generous because in Your economy, generosity will bring the giver and the receiver abundant blessings.  


Insight
Second Corinthians 9:6–15 encourages giving by noting its benefits. However, the idea of “sow[ing] generously” in order to “reap generously” (v. 6) isn’t meant to inspire giving with the intention of having God bless us for our own gain. Instead, the objective is that when God blesses us for giving, rather than hoarding what we receive for ourselves, we in turn give more, so that our “generosity will result in thanksgiving to God” (v. 11). When we choose to give, we’re to do so cheerfully (v. 7), for a cheerful giver reflects the generous heart of God.