Daily Bible Verse

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Ephesians 4:22-24 KJV

22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;

23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;

24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.


True Change

Raised in a turbulent home in South London, Claud started selling marijuana at fifteen and heroin when he was twenty-five. Needing a cover for his activities, he became a mentor to young people. Soon he became intrigued by his manager, a believer in Jesus, and wanted to know more. After attending a course exploring the Christian faith, he “dared” Christ to come into his life. “I felt such a welcoming presence,” he said. “People saw a change in me instantly. I was the happiest drug dealer in the world!”

Jesus didn’t stop there. When Claud weighed up a bag of cocaine the next day, he thought, This is madness. I’m poisoning people! He realized he must stop selling drugs and get a job. With the help of the Holy Spirit, he turned off his phones and never went back.

This kind of change is what the apostle Paul referenced when he wrote to the church at Ephesus. Calling the people not to live separated from God, he urged them to “put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires” and instead to “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22, 24). The verb form Paul used implies that we’re to put on the new self regularly.

As with Claud, the Holy Spirit delights to help us to live out of our new selves and become more like Jesus.


Reflect & Pray

What examples can you bring to mind of how God changes people, including you? How do these stories build your faith in Him, even when change seems impossible?


Insight

The word live in Ephesians 4:17 (“you must no longer live as the Gentiles do”) is a key word in Ephesians, especially in chapters 4–6. It’s a translation of the Greek word peripateō. Literally, the word means “to walk,” “to tread all around.” Figuratively speaking, what’s in view is one’s conduct or manner of living. Ephesians 2 speaks of the “before Christ” manner of life of believers in Jesus: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live” (vv. 1–2). As believers in Jesus, our lives are to match our calling (4:1). Paul’s positive encouragement continues: “walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us” (5:2); “for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light” (v. 8); and “be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise” (v. 15).
 
 

[nanny]

1 Samuel 17:48 KJV
And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.


Fleeing the Turkeys

Two wild turkeys stood in the country lane ahead. How close could I get? I wondered. I slowed my jog to a walk, then stopped. It worked. The turkeys walked toward me . . and kept coming. In seconds, their heads were bobbing at my waist, then behind me. How sharp were those beaks? I ran away. They waddled after me before giving up the chase.

How quickly the tables had turned! The hunted had become the hunter when the turkeys seized the initiative. Foolishly, I had wondered if they were too dumb to be scared. I wasn’t about to be carelessly wounded by a bird, so I fled. From turkeys.

David didn’t seem dangerous, so Goliath taunted him to come near. “ ‘Come here,’ he said, ‘and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!’ ” (1 Samuel 17:44). David flipped the script when he seized the initiative. He ran toward Goliath, not because he was foolish but because he had confidence in God. He shouted, “This very day . . . the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel” (v. 46). Goliath was puzzled by this aggressive boy. What’s going on? he must have thought. Then it hit him. Right between the eyes.

It’s natural for small animals to run from people and shepherds to avoid giants. It’s natural for us to hide from our problems. Why settle for natural? Is there a God in Israel? Then, in His power, run toward the fight.


Reflect & Pray
What problem or person are you avoiding? How might you express confidence in God?


Insight
Goliath considered it an insult to have David fight him because David was “little more than a boy” (1 Samuel 17:42). The Hebrew word translated “boy” means “a boy, from the age of infancy to adolescence.” It also has the connotation of status, one who was a lowly servant. Goliath was a highly respected warrior. King Saul highlighted this disparity when he told David, “You’re only a boy, and [Goliath has] been a man of war since his youth” (1 Samuel 17:33 nlt). Scholars estimate David would have been about fourteen or fifteen years old.
 

[nanny]

DAILY BIBLE VERSE

Matthew 2:12 KJV

And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.


Trusting God’s Foresight

While driving us to an unfamiliar location, my husband noticed that the GPS directions suddenly seemed wrong. After entering a reliable four-lane highway, we were advised to exit and travel along a one-lane “frontage” road running parallel to us. “I’ll just trust it,” Dan said, despite seeing no delays. After about ten miles, however, the traffic on the highway next to us slowed to a near standstill. The trouble? Major construction. And the frontage road? With little traffic, it provided a clear path to our destination. “I couldn’t see ahead,” Dan said, “but the GPS could.” Or, as we agreed, “just like God can.”

Knowing what was ahead, God in a dream gave a similar change in directions to the wise men who’d come from the east to worship Jesus, “born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2). King Herod, disturbed by the news of a “rival” king, lied to the magi, sending them to Bethlehem, saying: “Go and search carefully for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him” (v. . Warned in a dream “not to go back to Herod,” however, “they returned to their country by another route” (v. 12).

God will guide our steps too. As we travel life’s highways, we can trust that He sees ahead and remain confident that “he will make [our] paths straight” as we submit to His directions (Proverbs 3:6).


Reflect & Pray
When has God presented you with a change in your life’s direction? As you trusted Him, what was the outcome?
I can’t see the road ahead, God, as You can. Please give me discernment to know when a change in direction is coming from You.


Insight
In the New Testament, dreams are found only in Matthew. The first five revolve around the divine care and protection of baby Jesus (chs. 1–2). The other was given to Pilate’s wife (27:19).
During the time of the biblical patriarchs, however, God often spoke through dreams. In the first recorded dream, God appeared to King Abimelek. After Abraham lied to the king, Abimelek took Sarah into his harem (Genesis 20:1–7), but God intervened and prevented the king from touching her and endangering His covenant with Abraham. God used dreams in the Old Testament to protect His servants (above), to reveal Himself in a special way (28:12), to provide guidance (31:10–13), to forewarn about future events (37:5–20), and to predict the history of nations (chs. 40–41). Others who had dreams (or visions) included Daniel (see Daniel 2, 7–12) and Solomon (1 Kings 3).
 

[nanny]

Isaiah 55:11 KJV
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.


Walk On

Walk On is the fascinating memoir of Ben Malcolmson, a student with virtually no football experience who became a “walk on”—a non-recruited player—for the 2007 University of Southern California Rose Bowl champion team. A college journalist, Malcolmson decided to write a first-person account of the grueling tryout process. To his disbelief, he won a coveted spot on the team.

After joining the team, Malcolmson’s faith compelled him to find God’s purpose for him in this unexpected opportunity. But his teammates’ indifference to discussions of faith left him discouraged. As he prayed for direction, Malcolmson read the powerful reminder in Isaiah where God says: “My word . . . will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11). Inspired by Isaiah’s words, Malcolmson anonymously gave every player on the team a Bible. Again, he was met with rejection. But years later, Malcolmson learned one player had read the Bible he’d been given—and shortly before his tragic death had demonstrated a relationship with and hunger for God, who he discovered in the pages of that Bible.

It’s likely that many of us have shared Jesus with a friend or family member, only to be met with indifference or outright rejection. But even when we don’t see results right away, God’s truth is powerful and will accomplish His purposes in His timing.


Reflect & Pray
How have you seen the power of Scripture at work? How has that brought blessing?

Heavenly Father, thank You that Your Word will achieve Your purposes.


Insight
To urge God’s people to return to Him (Isaiah 55:6–7), the prophet Isaiah emphasized that God’s ways aren’t like ours (v. 8). He’s far more merciful and forgiving; “he will freely pardon” (v. 7). And Isaiah vividly described the foundational reason for returning to God: He’s completely trustworthy and can be depended upon to do good for His people.

Isaiah used the imagery of precipitation (vv. 10–11) to illustrate this idea. In the ancient Near East, where rainfall meant the difference between famine and harvest, life and death, this comparison would’ve been especially powerful. Rainfall, Isaiah says, makes the earth “bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater” (v. 10). Like rain, God’s words and actions on behalf of His people always bring good—deep joy and a flourishing life (vv. 11–13).
 

[John]

Link to the movie (in development), the book, the speech.

https://benmalcolmson.com

[nanny]

1 Timothy 5:1-2 KJV

1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;

2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.


Sister to Brother

When a leader asked if I’d speak with her privately, I found Karen in the retreat center counseling room red-eyed and wet-cheeked. Forty-two years old, Karen longed to be married, and a man was currently showing interest in her. But this man was her boss—and he already had a wife.

With a brother who cruelly teased her and a father devoid of affection, Karen discovered early that she was susceptible to men’s advances. A renewal of faith had given her new boundaries to live by, but her longing remained, and this glimpse of a love she couldn’t have was a torment.

After talking, Karen and I bowed our heads. And in a raw and powerful prayer, Karen confessed her temptation, declared her boss off-limits, handed her longing to God, and left the room feeling lighter.

That day, I realized the brilliance of Paul’s advice to treat each other as brothers and sisters in the faith (1 Timothy 5:1–2). How we see people determines how we interact with them, and in a world quick to objectify and sexualize, viewing the opposite sex as family helps us treat them with care and propriety. Healthy brothers and sisters don’t abuse or seduce each other.

Having only known men who demeaned, used, or ignored her, Karen needed one she could talk with sister-to-brother. The beauty of the gospel is it provides just that—giving us new siblings to help us face life’s problems.


Reflect & Pray
How can seeing others as your brothers and sisters help you treat them with “absolute purity” (1 Timothy 5:2)? How do you think Paul’s advice helps both sexes to flourish?


Insight
Along with 2 Timothy and Titus, 1 Timothy is one of three “pastoral epistles” written by Paul. As such, they were written directly to two pastors, Timothy and Titus, who were charged with caring for local churches. Paul was especially concerned with strengthening the faith of new believers while also countering false teaching. As Paul’s former traveling companion, Timothy had been mentored by him. Now Timothy had significant responsibilities as pastor in Ephesus, a city of about four hundred thousand people. Through Paul’s third missionary journey, God had established the church there (see Acts 19). Ephesus was also home to one of the seven wonders of the world—the temple to the goddess Artemis. Christianity posed a threat to this cult, and Demetrius the silversmith incited a riot against “the Way” (Acts 19:23–41). This “wonder” of the world would fade away as the Way (Christianity) flourished.
 

[nanny]

Titus 2:10 KJV
Not purloining, but shewing all good fidelity; that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.


For the Sake of the Gospel

The year was 1916 and Nelson had just graduated from medical school in his native Virginia. Later that year, he and his bride of six months arrived in China. At the age of twenty-two, he became a surgeon at Love and Mercy Hospital, the only hospital in an area of at least two million Chinese residents. Nelson, together with his family, lived in the area for twenty-four more years, running the hospital, performing surgeries, and sharing the gospel with thousands of people. From once being called “foreign devil” by those who distrusted foreigners, Nelson Bell later became known as “The Bell Who Is Lover of the Chinese People.” His daughter Ruth was to later marry the evangelist Billy Graham.

Although Nelson was a brilliant surgeon and Bible teacher, it wasn’t his skills that drew many to Jesus; it was his character and the way he lived out the gospel. In Paul’s letter to Titus, the young gentile leader who was taking care of the church in Crete, the apostle said that living like Christ is crucial because it can make the gospel “attractive” (Titus 2:10). Yet we don’t do this on our own strength. God’s grace helps us live “self-controlled, upright and godly lives” (v. 12), reflecting the truths of our faith (v. 1).

Many people around us still don’t know the good news of Christ, but they know us. May He help us reflect and reveal His message in attractive ways.


Reflect & Pray
What can you learn from people whose life seems to draw others to the gospel? What things can you do (or stop doing) to make the gospel attractive to others?

Loving God, help me to be a good representative of the gospel. Help me to draw others to You.


Insight
Titus, one of Paul’s gentile converts (Galatians 2:3; Titus 1:4), was Paul’s faithful “partner and co-worker” (2 Corinthians 8:23). Paul sent Titus as his personal representative to deal with the troublesome Corinthian church, which testifies to his character and maturity as well as to his leadership and pastoral abilities (7:6–7, 13–14; 8:6, 16–17; 12:18).

Wherever Paul established a church, he appointed elders to take care of it (Acts 14:23). Scholars aren’t sure who started the church in Crete, but when Paul found that no elders had been appointed to shepherd the young converts, he sent Titus to organize and supervise the church (Titus 1:5). Paul wrote this letter to guide Titus through the supervisory process, instructing him to teach the believers how to live lives that honor God. He emphasized godly leadership (ch. 1), gracious behavior and good deeds within the church family (ch. 2), and instructions for living within society at large (ch. 3).
 

[nanny]

Jeremiah 20:18 KJV
Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?


When Weakness Is Strength

Drew had been imprisoned for two years because he served Jesus. He’d read stories of missionaries who felt constant joy throughout their incarceration, but he confessed this was not his experience. He told his wife that God had picked the wrong man to suffer for Him. She replied, “No. I think maybe He picked the right man. This was not an accident.”

Drew could likely relate to the prophet Jeremiah, who had faithfully served God by warning Judah that God would punish them for their sins. But God’s judgment hadn’t fallen yet, and Judah’s leaders beat Jeremiah and put him in stocks. Jeremiah blamed God: “You deceived me, Lord” (Jeremiah 20:7). The prophet believed God had failed to deliver. His word had only “brought [him] insult and reproach all day long” (v. 8). “Cursed be the day I was born!” Jeremiah said. “Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?” (vv. 14, 18).

Eventually Drew was released, but through his ordeal he began to understand that perhaps God chose him—much like He chose Jeremiah—because he was weak. If he and Jeremiah had been naturally strong, they might have received some of the praise for their success. But if they were naturally weak, all the glory for their perseverance would go to God (1 Corinthians 1:26–31). His frailty made him the perfect person for Jesus to use.


Reflect & Pray
Where do you feel particularly weak? How might you turn your weakness into a significant spiritual advantage?

Jesus, Your power is made visible in my weakness. I confess my failings so I can boast in You!


Insight
In Jeremiah 20, we see the raw humanity of this great prophet. God had called Jeremiah by saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5). Now the prophet cursed the day he was born (20:14), and wishes he’d never come out of the womb (v. 18). He felt betrayed by God, who’d promised, “I am with you and will rescue you” (1:8). God had also told him, “I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant” (v. 10). But in this dark moment, Jeremiah didn’t sense that power, nor could he see His rescue. Despite his personal anguish, he remained faithful and carried out the difficult mission God had given him.
 

[nanny]

Lamentations 3:24   KJV
The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.


Hope in God

As the holiday season approached, package shipments were delayed due to an unprecedented influx of online orders. I can remember a time when my family preferred to simply go to the store and purchase items because we knew we had very little control over the speed of mail delivery. However, when my mother signed up for an account that included expedited shipping, this expectation changed. Now with a two-day guaranteed delivery, we’re accustomed to receiving things quickly, and we become frustrated by delays.

We live in a world accustomed to instant gratification, and waiting can be difficult. But in the spiritual realm, patience is still rewarded. When the book of Lamentations was written, the Israelites were mourning the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonian army, and they faced a series of challenges. However, in the midst of chaos, the writer boldly affirmed that because he was confident that God would meet his needs, he would wait on Him (Lamentations 3:24). God knows we’re inclined to become anxious when answers to our prayers are delayed. Scripture encourages us by reminding us to wait on God. We don’t have to be consumed or worried because “his compassions never fail” (v. 22). Instead, with God’s help we can “be still . . . and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7). May we wait on God, trusting in His love and faithfulness even as we wrestle with longings and unanswered prayers.


Reflect & Pray
How have you been waiting for God? How might you trust His timing?

Heavenly Father, sometimes it can be difficult to wait on You. Please give me the strength to continue hoping in You.


Insight
The book of Lamentations (unique in biblical literature) is a collection of funeral songs or dirges (laments). The first four of the five chapters are arranged acrostically using the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Chapter 3, which includes sixty-six verses, is arranged acrostically in sequences of three verses each beginning with the same alphabet letter. The book’s tone is heavy. God’s judgment had come on Jerusalem (1:1) and the nation (v. 3). Though the literary tour of the city is heart-wrenching, verses 22–25 of chapter 3 are heart-warming and hope-inspiring. Similar encouragement is expressed in verses 31–32: “For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.”
 
 

[nanny]

Matthew 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.


Opportunities to Shine

In March 2020, while walking his dog in New York City’s Central Park, Whitney, a retired financial expert, saw trucks, stacks of tarps, and white tents, each bearing a cross and the name of a charity he’d never heard of before. When he discovered the group was building a field hospital for his fellow New Yorkers with COVID-19, he asked if he could help. For weeks, despite differing faiths and politics, he and his family pitched in wherever they could. Whitney stated, “Every single person I’ve met has been a genuinely nice person.” And he applauded the fact that no one was paying them to “help my city in our hour of deep, deep need.”

In response to the tremendous needs resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, unlikely partners in service were brought together, and believers in Jesus were given new opportunities to share Christ’s light with others. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught His followers to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds” (Matthew 5:16). We shine Christ’s light by letting the Spirit guide us in loving, kind, and good words and actions (see Galatians 5:22–23). When we allow the light we’ve received from Jesus to shine clearly in our daily lives, we also “glorify [our] Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

This day and every day may we shine for Christ, as He helps us be salt and light in a world that desperately needs Him.


Reflect & Pray
Where do you see an opportunity to share hope and light with others today? When has someone been light to you in a difficult time?

Jesus, help me to shine Your light in all I say and do.


Insight
The New Testament uses various metaphors to describe the responsibilities of believers in Jesus. For example, Paul says that as good soldiers of Christ, we’re to endure suffering and to “please [our] commanding officer” (2 Timothy 2:3–5). As athletes, we undergo strict training to compete according to the rules (1 Corinthians 9:25). In Matthew 5:13–16, Jesus used two everyday items—salt and a lamp—to illustrate the impact we can have on the society we live in. Salt is a preservative, a flavor enhancer, and a thirst stimulant. We’re to bring the salt of preservation and joy to a bland, tasteless, and otherwise decaying world. A lamp gives light that enables people to see and to give direction. The lamp must necessarily be placed in a conspicuous position for the light to be effective. We’re to be the light of salvation to a world darkened by sin.