Love Others

TODAY’S VERSE
Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.
I Peter 3:8-9 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Isn’t it funny how we can spend so much time trying to figure out what the “will of God” is for our life when so much of it is right in front of us? Peter wrote to the church, “Here is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it!” And what is it that God wants us to do? He wants His church to be of one mind. He wants us to sympathize with each other and to love each other as brothers and sisters. If we are to do His will, we must be tenderhearted toward others and be humble. We cannot repay evil for evil and feel we are following Him. Neither can we retaliate with insults when people insult us. If we are going to do His will, we need to pay those who hurt us back with a blessing. Simply said, if we are going to live out the will of God we must love. We must love! John wrote, “Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” Today, ask God to help you live out His will for your life. Ask Him to help you love others.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for showing me Your will for my life. Help me love others the way You do. Help me behave toward others the way You would have me to. Empower me, Lord, through Your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Believe The Truth

TODAY’S VERSE
Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me.
Psalms 40:11 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Oh, the lies that we believe. Those insidious thoughts that drive us crazy. Our internal dialog so often leads us into unnecessary grief and pain. In his book, “Learning to Tell Myself The Truth” William Backus writes, “You can know the truth somewhere in your brain’s storage cells, but not know the truth in your internal monologue. We often make ourselves miserable and keep ourselves miserable by listening to a nonstop stream of inner nonsense – even when we know very well that the nonsense runs counter to divine truth.” In today’s passage, the Psalmist cries out to the Lord for His mercy. He is asking God to protect him with His love and truth. It is knowing the truth that keeps us from all the madness. Martin Luther wrote, “We pray, ‘Lead us not into temptation’ so that God would guard and keep us lest the world, our flesh, and the devil lead us into misbelief, despair and other great shame and vice.” Today, might we let truth guide us? Might we challenge our negative thinking and any lies that would tempt us from believing in God’s love and mercy for us? May His love and truth protect us.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, do not withhold Your mercy from me. Please help me to trust in Your love and believe the truth you have given me in Your word.
AMEN

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Perfect Love Casts Out All Fear

TODAY’S VERSE
Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
I john 4:18 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Not all fear is equal. There is a legitimate fear and false fear. God wants to free us from both. With genuine fear, we need to lean on His love and power. With false fear, we need to lean on the truth. False fear is the anxiety and panic we feel over something that, in reality, should not trouble us. It is built on a lie. For example, fear of abandonment, rejection, and failure often results from feeling unlovable and broken. Yes, it may be true that you were unloved and abandoned, but that doesn’t define you! You may feel unlovable, broken, or damaged, but these are emotional lies. This kind of fear can keep you from being all that God created you to be. The truth is that God made you loveable, and He will never abandon you. He created you, and you are not damaged goods. God’s love trumps all other actions and opinions, even your own. Theirs is not the final word! God’s is. That is what John meant when he wrote. “Perfect love expels all fear.” Today, consider all your self-doubts and negative beliefs that push you into panic and bring them all to the Cross of Calvary. Let God’s perfect love expel all your fears and joyfully fill your heart.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me with fear. I need your truth about me, not the lies that make me upset. I need to know Your perfect love. Help me live in that love without fear. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Be Filled With The Spirit

TODAY’S VERSE
 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:15-18 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What do you know about the Holy Spirit? We can go to church for years, go to Bible studies and small groups, and yet never really learn much about the Holy Spirit and its relevance to our lives. Sure, we know we have been given the Holy Spirit, but we never take advantage of the relationship that we could have. But we cannot afford to be passive any longer. We were not meant to function without the aid of the Holy Spirit. Paul says we should be “filled” with the Holy Spirit. What does this mean? The key is in comparison to being drunk on wine. There is only one way to get drunk. You get drunk by being “filled” with alcohol until the amount that you consume has you under its influence. This is not a casual drink that is in moderation. It is more than where you become drunk. So what is he saying about our life in the Spirit? Paul is saying that we should have the same insatiable appetite for the guidance and fellowship of the Holy Spirit that a person who chooses to get drunk on wine. When we meditate on God’s word, pray, and commune with the Holy Spirit, we will begin to be “filled” or “under the influence” of the Holy Spirit’s leading in our daily living. It is interesting, however, that the tense is not a “one-time” filling but means “be filled and keep on being filled.” You do not get drunk on wine once for the rest of your life. The effect of the wine soon dissipates. To continually be drunk, you have to continually drink the wine. Although the Holy Spirit does not leave us, to stay “filled” or influenced by the Holy Spirit, we need to constantly stay in communication and fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Isn’t it time that we experience all that being filled with the Spirit has to offer us?

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Holy Spirit, please forgive me for ignoring Your presence in my life. I ask You to guide me, lead me, commune with me and fill me so that I am completely influenced by Your presence. I invite You to take control of my life. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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He Cares For You

TODAY’S VERSE
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
I Peter 5:7 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
If someone offered to take all your anxieties away from you, would you take them up on the offer? Or would anxiety, by its own nature, cause you to worry that the person would not be able to take care of your situation? Ironically, you would end up with a whole new set of worries! So, what do you do when Peter tells you to give all your concerns and cares to God? If you are like most Christians, you hold on to them. Sure you pray. You even begin to trust Him, but as soon as anything happens, you go back to holding on to your worries and cares all over again. The truth is that giving your care to God takes faith. The author of Hebrews says if you have true faith, then it would necessitate that you believe God exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek him. That is what Peter meant when he said to cast all your cares on Christ. God exists and will “reward” your faith in Him by caring for you. Can you imagine that? Next time you worry, start with the thought that God deeply cares for you! He cares for you with all the resources of His mighty power and wisdom to use on your behalf. Today, start giving Him all your cares.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know how I worry and carry many concerns with me. Today, I choose to give all my worries to You. I know You are all-powerful, wise, and loving. You said that You care for me, so I trust You with all the outcomes of this step of faith. I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus.
AMEN

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Integrity

TODAY’S VERSE
“Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. ‘Come and sleep with me,’ she demanded. But Joseph refused. ‘Look,’ he told her, ‘my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.”’
Genesis 39:6-9 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
How do you say “integrity”? This story of Joseph is a wonderful illustration of a person living with morals, faith, and self-control. Here came a situation that many would find tempting. After all who would report him? Wasn’t he second in command only to Potiphar himself? And wasn’t she a consenting adult? Besides, he knew that she had a wicked temper, and the result of refusing her could be perilous. Who could blame him if he gave in to her desires? But his logic and faith were pure. He knew he was trusted and did not want to betray that trust. That was important to him. However, there was more. He told Potiphar’s wife, “How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.” He saw such a betrayal to Potiphar not only morally reprehensible but as an affront to God. Today we live in a morally bankrupt culture. But God has called us to follow Him. And what He has called us to, He will enable us to do. He has given us His word to guide us and His Holy Spirit to empower us. Yes, we sin, but when we repent God forgives us and gives us grace to do better. So today choose how you will live. Determine to follow God. Make it your desire to live out the fruit of the Spirit which is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If we do, God promises that we will not live out the desires of the flesh.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me to live out the fruit of Your Holy Spirit. Help me to make the right choices today, just like Joseph did in his time. Help me to take the high road and to trust You with the outcome. Guide me and help me live for You. I pray in Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Joy and Compassion

TODAY’S VERSE
How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. – They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.
Psalms 112:1, 4-5 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
God intended us for joy. And the Psalmist shows how to be that way. In his example of a joyful person, the author attributes joy to specific behavioral characteristics. He writes, “They are generous, compassionate, and righteous. Good comes to those who lend money generously and conduct their business fairly.” This is similar to what Jesus told us. He was asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus answered, saying, “The most important one is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Tim Hughes, in his song, “God of Justice” writes it this way, “God of Justice, Savior to all – Came to rescue the weak and the poor, Chose to serve and not be served – Jesus, You have called us, Freely we’ve received, Now freely we will give – We must go, Live to feed the hungry, Stand beside the broken, We must go, Stepping forward keep us from just singing, Move us into action, We must go – To act justly everyday, Loving mercy in every way, Walking humbly before You God – You have shown us, what You require, Freely we’ve received, Now freely we will give – Fill us up and send us out.” And He does, He sends us out with joy!

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me to see others the way You do. Help me see the joy in loving You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and in loving others how I want to be loved. Lord, fill me with Your love and joy and send me out.
AMEN

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The Real Me

TODAY’S VERSE
But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord.
Deuteronomy 11:16 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Self-deception is at the root of many of our problems. Not only do we lie to all those around us, but more often, we lie to ourselves. How often do we ask what is bothering us? We pretend to love when we are bitter and wounded. We act brave when we are afraid. Dr. David Benner, in his book, “The Gift of Being Yourself,” writes, “At some point in childhood, we all make the powerful discovery that we can manipulate the truth about ourselves. Initially, it often takes the form of a simple lie – frequently a denial of having done something. But of more importance to the development of the false self is the discovery that our ability to hide isn’t limited to what we say or don’t say. We learn to pretend. We discover the art of packaging our self. – Our masks have become our reality, and we have become our lies. In short, we have lost authenticity and adopted an identity based on illusion.” You see, God loves the real you! He knows your fears, rage, and brokenness and is waiting for you to give it to Him. There is nothing about the real you that He cannot redeem! Only when you let your heart be deceived and create a false self do you turn away from the Lord. Today, come to God as you are. Let Him touch the real you. Tell Him what you feel, what you think, what you have hidden from everyone else. When you do, you will find Him accepting, loving, and able to free you from all your fears of self-exposure. Come to Him, the truth will set you free.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I have hidden my true self from You and everyone else. Fear, shame, anger, guilt, disgust – so many emotions keep me from living the truth. I have tried so hard to be what everyone else has wanted, and somewhere, I have lost my way. In Your love, please gently peel back my veneer and bring me into Your light. Help me take off my masks and see myself as You see me. Help me embrace all of me as You lovingly embrace me even now. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Supernatural Love

TODAY’S VERSE
He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.
Colossians 1:8 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
We get so used to hearing that we are supposed to love others that we think we must do it ourselves. But in today’s verse, we glimpse where the real power comes from. God’s Spirit in us strives to guide us, teach us, and create a love for others in our hearts. Why should that be so surprising? After all, the Apostle John reminds us that God is not only the source of love. He is love. God Himself manifested in His Spirit in us moves us to love. Jesus modeled this God-driven kind of love. John writes, “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.” So today, love others. But don’t do it in your own power. Ask God to give you a Spirit-led love for those around you.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy Spirit of God, reach deep into my heart and birth in me a love for others that only You can produce. I want to love as Jesus did. Fill me with Supernatural love, I pray.
AMEN

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NOW YOU CAN HEAR A DIFFERENT MOMENT IN THE WORD ON YOUTUBE! Go to http://www.youtube.com/@ronovitt and You will find my channel. Click on playlists and go to Moment In The Word. Make sure to SUBSCRIBE so you will get them every day!

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A False God

TODAY’S VERSE
“You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 3:4-5 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Since Adam and Eve, humanity has been tempted to think they could become a “god.” However, in his book, “The Gift Of Being Yourself,” David Benner makes a fascinating observation. He points out that in the Garden of Eden, it was not the act of trying to be like God that was a sin. It was the act of thinking they could be like God without God. Truth is we are commanded to be like Christ. We are to emulate the characteristics of God, such as love, mercy, and justice. But we are never told that we can do that without the help of God and His Holy Spirit. David Benner writes, “Adam and Eve wanted to be God without God, a likeness that was based on independence rather than surrender. – What we get when we choose a way of being that is separate from God is the life of the false self. – The false self is the tragic result of trying to steal something from God that we did not have to steal. Had we dared to trust God’s goodness; we would have discovered that everything we could ever most deeply long for would be ours in God. Trying to gain more than the everything God offers; we end up with less than nothing. Rejecting God, we end up with a nest of lies and illusions. Displacing God, we become a god unto our self. We become a false self.” I am so glad Jesus came. He said, “I am the way, truth, and life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He came so we could know God. It is His truth, His life that enables us to be more like Him. Today, examine yourself. Are you following Christ and letting Him influence who you are, or are you busy creating your own life apart from God?

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, forgive me for all the times I have tried to set myself up as my own God. Today, I ask You to speak to my heart and help me get back on track with You. Guide me in everything I do so I will become the person You want me to be. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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