Daily Bible Verse

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1 Corinthians 1:18 KJV
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.


The Message of the Cross

Zhang was raised with, in his words, “no God, no religion, nothing.” In 1989, seeking democracy and freedom for his people, he helped lead students in peaceful protests. But the protests tragically led to the government’s intervention and hundreds of lives lost. For his part in the event, Zhang was placed on his country’s most-wanted list. After a short imprisonment, he fled to an outlying village where he met an elderly farmer who introduced him to Christianity. She had only a handwritten copy of the gospel of John but couldn’t read, so she asked Zhang to read it to her. As he did, she explained it to him—and a year later he became a believer in Jesus.

Through all he endured, Zhang sees that God was powerfully leading him to the cross, where he experienced firsthand what the apostle Paul states in 1 Corinthians, “The message of the cross is . . . the power of God” (1:18). What many considered foolishness, a weakness, became Zhang’s strength. For some of us, this too was our thinking before we came to Christ. But through the Spirit, we felt the power and wisdom of God breaking into our lives and leading us to Christ. Today Zhang serves as a pastor spreading the truth of the cross to all who will hear.

Jesus has the power to change even the hardest of hearts. Who needs His powerful touch today?


Reflect & Pray
How did you view the message of the cross before you received Christ as your Savior? Who might benefit from hearing your story?

Jesus, thank You for leading me to You through the cross. I would be lost without You!


Insight

It’s believed that crucifixion originated in the sixth century bc and was in use as a punishment and crime deterrent until Constantine of Rome outlawed it in the fourth century ad. In Paul’s day, crucifixion was considered the very worst means of Roman execution, so repugnant that it wasn’t mentioned in polite company. Therefore, the idea that the Messiah died on a cross was offensive or ridiculous to most. However, Paul divided the world into two groups: those who consider the cross “foolishness” and those who view it as the “power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18). What is “the message of the cross”? Jesus, an innocent man, willingly suffered crucifixion for crimes He didn’t commit to pay the price for our sins—and then rose again. All who turn to Him in sorrow for their wrongdoings will live eternally with Him. That’s the “power of God”!
 

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Psalm 143:11
Quicken me, O Lord, for thy name's sake: for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.


Dark Moments, Deep Prayers

“I had a dark moment.” Those five words capture the internal agony of a popular female celebrity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adjusting to a new normal was part of her challenge, and in her turmoil, she acknowledged that she wrestled with thoughts of suicide. Pulling out of the downward spiral included sharing her struggle with a friend who cared.

We’re all susceptible to tumultuous hours, days, and seasons. Valleys and hard places aren’t foreign but getting out of such places can be challenging. And seeking the assistance of mental health professionals is sometimes needed.

In Psalm 143, we hear and are instructed by David’s prayer during one of the dark times of his life. The exact situation is unknown, but his prayers to God are honest and hope-filled. “The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead. So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed” (vv. 3–4). For believers in Jesus, it’s not enough to acknowledge what’s going on within us to ourselves, to our friends, or to medical specialists. We must earnestly come to God (thoughts and all) with prayers that include the earnest petitions found in Psalm 143:7–10. Our dark moments can also be times for deep prayers—seeking the light and life only God can bring.


Reflect & Pray
In the midst of your darkest moments, how do you typically respond? Why is it difficult to be honest about your struggles?

Father, please renew my strength and hope in You. When dark moments invade my life internally or externally and bring me low, help me to come to You in prayer.


Insight
Some reputable scholars theorize that Psalm 143 was written during David’s flight from his son Absalom, who with a large rebel force tried to seize his father’s throne. Regardless of the circumstances, it’s clear from the psalm that David felt badly threatened by a deadly foe (vv. 3, 7, 9). And it’s interesting that David asked God to “silence [his] enemies” (v. 12). What were they saying about him? If these enemies were in fact Israelites taking part in a civil war against him, they surely remembered his many sins, including the very public affair with Bathsheba—fodder for malicious gossip and motivation to conspire against the king. This would provide fresh insight into David’s words, “Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you” (v. 2).
 

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Romans 13:8 KJV
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.


Walking with Others

Billy, a loving and loyal dog, became an internet star in 2020. His owner, Russell, had broken his ankle and was using crutches to walk. Soon the dog also began to hobble when walking with his owner. Concerned, Russell took Billy to the vet, who said there was nothing wrong with him! He ran freely when he was by himself. It turned out that the dog faked a limp when he walked with his owner. That’s what you call trying to truly identify with someone’s pain!

Coming alongside others is forefront in the apostle Paul’s instructions to the church in Rome. He summed up the last five of the Ten Commandments in this way: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Romans 13:9). We can see the importance of walking with others in verse 8 as well: “Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another.”

Author Jenny Albers advises: “When someone is broken, don’t try to fix them. (You can’t.) When someone is hurting, don’t attempt to take away their pain. (You can’t.) Instead, love them by walking beside them in the hurt. (You can.) Because sometimes what people need is simply to know they aren’t alone.”

Because Jesus, our Savior, walks alongside us through all our hurt and pain, we know what it means to walk with others.


Reflect & Pray
Who needs you to come alongside them this week? In what way might God want you to do that?

Open my eyes, God, to the needs of people around me. Help me to be a loving friend.


Insight
We tend to think of the law as restrictive, but Paul took a thoroughly positive approach by saying, “Love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10). If we’re truly loving our neighbor, we won’t commit the sins he lists here: adultery, murder, theft, coveting (v. 9). Perhaps most interesting among these prohibitions is the easily overlooked sin of coveting. Desiring what others have can lead us to all kinds of unloving thoughts, which left unchecked will result in unloving actions. Notably, in this passage Paul echoed what Jesus said when a legal expert asked Him, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:36–37), and then noted that the second greatest commandment is to “love your neighbor as yourself” (v. 39).
 

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2 Kings 4:2 KJV
And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.


God’s Provision

Three-year-old Buddy and his mom went to church each week to help unload groceries from the food ministry truck. When Buddy overheard his mom telling his grandmother that the delivery truck broke down, he said, “Oh, no. How will they do food ministry?” His mom explained that the church would have to raise money to buy a new truck. Buddy smiled. “I have money,” he said, leaving the room. He returned with a plastic jar decorated with colorful stickers and filled with coins, which amounted to a little over $38. Though Buddy didn’t have much, God combined his sacrificial offering with gifts from others to provide a new refrigerated truck, so that the church could continue serving their community.

A small amount offered generously is always more than enough when placed in God’s hands. In 2 Kings 4, a poor widow asked the prophet Elisha for financial assistance. He told her to take inventory of her own resources, reach out to her neighbors for help, then follow his instructions (vv. 1–4). In a miraculous display of provision, God used the widow’s small amount of oil to fill all the jars she collected from her neighbors (vv. 5–6). Elisha told her, “Sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left” (v. 7).

When we focus on what we don’t have, we risk missing out on watching God do great things with what we do have.


Reflect & Pray
When has God multiplied your resources in a miraculous way? When has He used you to combine your resources with the gifts of others to meet a bigger need in your community?

Faithful Provider, please help me to be mindful and grateful as I faithfully manage and share all You’ve given me.


Insight
When Elijah was taken into heaven, Elisha commenced his fifty some years of ministry (853–798 bc) as God’s prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel at a time when her kings were leading the Israelites into Baal idolatry (2 Kings 2:1–8:15). Elisha performed various miracles similar to the miracles performed by his mentor, showing that he was his successor and authenticating himself as God’s prophet. In 2 Kings 4, Elisha enabled a poor widow to redeem her two sons sold into slavery with a miraculous supply of olive oil (vv. 1–7). He also raised a boy from the dead (vv. 32–37). Both miracles, scholars suggest, anticipated Jesus’ miracles of supplying food to feed thousands (Matthew 14:15–21; 15:32–38) and raising the widow’s son and Jairus’ daughter from the dead (Luke 7:11–15; 8:49–55).
 

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Matthew 10:40 KJV
He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.


A Friend of God’s Friends

Something so cordial can happen in first introductions when two persons discover that they have a friend in common. In what may be its most memorable form, a big-hearted host welcomes a guest with something like, “So nice to meet you. Any friend of Sam’s, or Samantha’s, is a friend of mine.”

Jesus said something similar. He’d been attracting crowds by healing many. But He’d also been making enemies of local religious leaders by disagreeing with the way they were commercializing the temple and misusing their influence. In the middle of a growing conflict, He made a move to multiply the joy, cost, and wonder of His presence. He gave His disciples the ability to heal others and sent them out to announce that the kingdom of God was at hand. He assured the disciples: “Anyone who welcomes you, welcomes me” (Matthew 10:40), and, in turn, welcomes His Father who sent Him as well.

It’s hard to imagine a more life-changing offer of friendship. For anyone who would open their house, or even give a cup of cold water to one of His disciples, Jesus assured a place in the heart of God. While that moment happened a long time ago, His words remind us that in big and little acts of kindness and hospitality there are still ways of welcoming, and being welcomed, as a friend of the friends of God.


Reflect & Pray
What could you do through the Holy Spirit’s leading that might give others a chance to open their hearts to you? How could this point them to the Savior?

Father, thank You for giving us a chance to be part of the good news that has its source in You.


Insight
When Jesus sent His disciples out to preach, He sent them without extra clothes, food, or money (Matthew 10:9–10). They were to entrust their message to those who cared for them and in response to any that wouldn’t, they were to leave that home or town (vv. 13–14). Jesus said the “sheep and goats” (the righteous who put faith into action and others who don’t) would be judged on how they treated “the least of these brothers and sisters of mine” (25:31–40). Those who cared for Christ’s disciples welcomed Jesus Himself.
 

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2 Timothy 2:22
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.


Run From Sin

Twice this summer I suffered the scourge of poison ivy. Both times it happened, I was working on clearing away unwanted plant growth from our yard. And both times, I saw the nasty, three-leafed enemy lurking nearby. I figured I could get close to it without it affecting me. Soon enough, I realized I’d been wrong. Instead of getting nearer to my little green nemesis, I should have run the other way!

In the Old Testament story of Joseph, we see modeled the principle of running from something worse than poison ivy: sin. When he was living in the home of Egyptian official Potiphar, whose wife tried to seduce him, Joseph didn’t try to get close—he ran.

Although she falsely accused him and had him thrown in prison, Joseph remained pure throughout the episode. And as we see in Genesis 39:21, “The Lord was with him.”

God can help us flee activities and situations that could lead us away from Him—guiding us to run the other way when sin is nearby. In 2 Timothy 2:22, Paul writes, “Flee the evil desires.” And in 1 Corinthians 6:18, he says to “flee from sexual immorality.”

In God’s strength, may we choose to run from those things that could harm us.


Reflect & Pray
What’s your “poison ivy,” something that can infect you if you don’t run from it? What can you do to run from it?

God, You know what I’m getting too close to right now. Help me to run from it and not look back. Please give me the courage and wisdom to not let anything get between You and me.


Insight
When Joseph was confronted with sexual temptation (Genesis 39:11–23), he didn’t stay put and try to resist it; rather, “he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house” (v. 12). The New Testament commands us to “flee from sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18). We’re to run away from it—not toward it—as fast as we can, and to keep as far away as possible (Proverbs 5:8). We should beware of overestimating our ability to resist it and underestimating its power. Running from sexual temptation by the enabling of the Spirit isn’t the act of a coward; it’s the strength of a person committed to following Jesus.
 

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Colossians 3:23 KJV
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;


Giving God My Work

The magazine I was writing for felt “important,” so I struggled to present the best possible article I could for the high-ranking editor. Feeling pressure to meet her standards, I kept rewriting my thoughts and ideas. But what was my problem? Was it my challenging topic? Or was my real worry personal: Would the editor approve of me and not just my words?

For answers to our job worries, Paul gives trustworthy instruction. In a letter to the Colossian church, Paul urged believers to work not for approval of people, but for God. As the apostle said, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23–24).

Reflecting on Paul’s wisdom, we can stop struggling to look good in the eyes of our earthly bosses. For certain, we honor them as people and seek to give them our best. But if we work “as for the Lord”—asking Him to lead and anoint our work for Him—He’ll shine a light on our efforts. Our reward? Our job pressures ease and our assignments are completed. Even more, we’ll one day hear Him say, “Well done!”


Reflect & Pray
On your job, what pressures do you feel to please others or yourself? In what ways would your work improve on every level if you started working “as for the Lord”?

Heavenly Father, as I face job pressures, it’s easy to forget that I’m working for You. Redirect my heart and mind, so I put You first in all I do.


Insight
Paul’s instructions to slaves and masters (Colossians 3:22–4:1) fall in a section on rules for Christian households, including the relationship between husbands and wives and children and parents (3:18–4:1). Many ask why Paul didn’t condemn slavery here. It’s important to note that while he didn’t condemn it, he didn’t condone it either (3:23-25). Slavery was created by human beings and doesn’t represent God’s will for His creatures. The sheer fact that Paul instructed slaves and masters each in their turn is important and implies their mutual equality before God in the church. During Paul’s day, the Roman world was full of slaves; it’s estimated that at one point one-third of the residents of Rome were slaves. They became slaves as prisoners of war, convicts, or through debt, kidnapping, or other means. As William Hendriksen states, “[Paul] took the social structure as he found it and endeavored by peaceful means to change it into its very opposite.”
 

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1 Corinthians 11:26 KJV
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.


Celestial Communion

When Apollo 11’s Eagle lunar module landed on the moon’s Sea of Tranquility on July 20, 1969, the space travelers took time to recover from their flight before stepping onto the moon’s surface. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin had received permission to bring bread and wine so he could take Communion. After reading Scripture, he tasted the first foods ever consumed on the moon. Later, he wrote: “I poured the wine into the chalice our church had given me. In the one-sixth gravity of the moon the wine curled slowly and gracefully up the side of the cup.” As Aldrin enjoyed this celestial Communion, his actions proclaimed his belief in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and the guarantee of His second coming.

The apostle Paul encourages us to remember how Jesus sat with His disciples “on the night he was betrayed” (1 Corinthians 11:23). Christ compared His soon-to-be sacrificed body to the bread (v. 24). He declared the wine as a symbol of “the new covenant” that secured our forgiveness and salvation through His blood shed on the cross (v. 25). Whenever and wherever we take Communion, we’re proclaiming our trust in the reality of Jesus’ sacrifice and our hope in His promised second coming (v. 26).

No matter where we are, we can celebrate our faith in the one and only risen and returning Savior—Jesus Christ—with confidence.


Reflect & Pray
What has kept you from prayerfully taking Communion in remembrance of Christ? How does it make you feel to know that a fellow believer took Communion to honor Jesus on the moon?

Jesus, please help me live boldly for You until You come again!


Insight
Paul’s use of the words “on the night [Jesus] was betrayed” (1 Corinthians 11:23) underscores the serious nature of the matter he was addressing. It was Christ who implemented the first Communion (Lord’s Supper), and He did so on the Passover night before His crucifixion. Paul revisits the importance of this ordinance to correct a serious error in the church at Corinth. He led into this section by saying, “In the following directives I have no praise for you” (v. 17)—stern words to hear from an apostle of Jesus. The apostle pointed out how there were “divisions” among the people (v. 18). Some were eating too much while others went hungry, and some were even getting drunk. The apostle found such behavior appalling and warned of God’s judgment on those who were offending in this matter (vv. 27–32). He concluded by appealing for their renewed unity (v. 33).
 

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Ephesians 4:16 KJV
From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.


Surviving and Thriving

The Croods, an animated caveman family, believe that “the only way to survive is if the pack [their small family] stays together.” They’re afraid of the world and others, so when looking for a safe place to live they’re filled with fear after discovering a strange family already in the area they’ve chosen. But they soon learn to embrace the differences of their new neighbors, draw strength from them, and survive together. They find that they actually enjoy them and that they do need others to live life fully.

It can be risky to be in relationship—people can and do hurt us. Yet it’s for good reason God put His people together in a body, the church. In fellowship with others, we grow to maturity (Ephesians 4:13). We learn to depend on Him to help us be “humble and gentle” and “patient” (v. 2). We help each other by building each other up “in love” (v. 16). When we gather together, we use our gifts and learn from others who use theirs, which in turn equips us in our walk with God and service for Him.

As He leads you, look for your place among God’s people if you haven’t found it yet. You’ll do more than survive; in shared love you’ll bring honor to God and grow to be more like Jesus. And may we all depend on Him as we walk through a growing relationship with Jesus and others.


Reflect & Pray
Who are you walking through life with? How might you more deeply develop those relationships?

I love being a part of Your family, God. Help me fill my place well so that I might grow and help others to know You better.


Insight
In Ephesians 4:11–16, the apostle Paul defined the pattern for the life of the church. God has given gifted leaders to the church—not for the purpose of doing the work of ministry, but for the purpose of equipping the people so that they can do the work of the ministry. Notice verses 11–12: “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” This is a different approach from what we often see in our churches today.
 

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Isaiah 11:3 KJV
And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:


He Knows My Heart

After a customer at a grocery store self-checkout station had completed her transaction, I made my way to the station and proceeded to scan my goods. Unexpectedly, a visibly angry person confronted me. I’d failed to notice that she was actually next in line for checkout. Recognizing my mistake, I sincerely said, “I’m sorry.” She replied (though not limited to these words), “No, you’re not!”

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you were wrong, acknowledged it, and tried to make things right—only to be rebuffed? It doesn’t feel good to be misunderstood or misjudged, and the closer we are to those we offend or those who offend us, the more painful it is. How we wish they could see our hearts!

The prophet Isaiah’s snapshot in Isaiah 11:1–5 is that of a God-appointed ruler with wisdom for perfect judgment. “He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth” (vv. 3–4). This was fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus. Though in our sinfulness and weakness we don’t always get it right, we can take heart that the all-seeing, all-knowing God of heaven knows us fully and judges us rightly.


Reflect & Pray
When have you been misunderstood or misjudged? How does it encourage you to know that God sees and knows you fully, even when others don’t?

Father, thank You for knowing everything about me. Please forgive me when I’m harsh in my judgments of others.


Insight
Isaiah 11:1 says, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” Jesse was the father of David, the shepherd who became Israel’s greatest king. Therefore, the Branch of Jesse referred to one who would descend from David’s line to rule. The genealogy of Matthew 1 makes it clear that Jesus would be the Branch (see v. 1). The Jewish people saw their long-awaited Messiah as the Son of David—a phrase repeatedly used by people Christ encountered in the Gospels. Most notably, we see this title given to Him during His triumphal entry into Jerusalem (21:9–11), as the people cried out to Him, “Hosanna” (Lord save us). Indeed, Jesus would in a very few days go to the cross for that very purpose.