Passages

TODAY’S VERSE
Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
I Timothy 6:11 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What do you pursue? What is important to you? Each decade there seems to be a whole new set of situations, priorities, and goals. Life is much different at 20 than at 40. Yet, even though life changes, the essential attributes don’t. No matter who we are, what age, what situation, we can choose to follow Paul’s advice. He admonishes us to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. With this pursuit, it doesn’t matter if we have toddlers or are empty nesting. The Holy Spirit will use these spiritual disciplines to help us through all our passages of life. So today, no matter what stage of life you are in, may God help you pursue with all your heart a Godly life full of righteousness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, You know my situation. Help me today to pursue You and a Godly life that is full of righteousness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.
AMEN

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Radical Love

TODAY’S VERSE
Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
Luke 6:31 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Today’s verse is perhaps one of Jesus’ best-known phrases. It is known throughout the world as the Golden Rule. But behind this phrase is so much more. It is the crux of Jesus’ concept of loving others. In this same passage, Jesus taught, “But to you who are willing to listen I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” This is and always has been radical and revolutionary teaching. Jesus continues by saying again, “Love your enemies!” He explains, “Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.” Jesus has called us to a higher calling. He has asked us to be His disciples, His disciples of love. He said it this way, “You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.” Today, to those of us “who are willing to listen,” may God help us love others with this radical love of Christ.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, Your calling to love others is so extreme. I cannot do this in my own flesh. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Empower me with the power of Christ to go and love the way You love. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Filled With Love

TODAY’S VERSE
The purpose of my instruction is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.
I Timothy 1:5 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
What are you filled with? There is such a danger in our society to turn our Christian experience into an intellectual experience. We fill our heads with facts, rules, and knowledge about God. But Paul warns that there is so much more than knowledge. He wrote that “some people have missed this whole point. They have turned away from these things and spend their time in meaningless discussions.” Instead, we see that the goal of Paul’s teaching was more than giving us knowledge; it was to fill us with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. That is what good Bible teaching does. It purifies our hearts and emotions, clears our conscience of all our sins, and increases our faith. How exhilarating. How challenging. Today, might we know God’s word and have a grasp of its truth in a way that we become filled with love.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, help me know Your word and sink it deep into my heart, making it pure, in my conscience making it clear, and in my faith making it genuine. Lord may the result be a life full of love.
AMEN

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Chosen By God

TODAY’S VERSE
So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;
bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
Colossians 3:12-13 (NASB)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Some people search all their life for significance. If only I were successful. Perhaps a scholar or a celebrity. If I had fame and fortune, everything would be perfect. Yet all this pales in comparison to what you and I already have. In today’s passage, Paul wrote that you were chosen by God to be holy and loved by Him. God chose you. No random coincidence, God knew you from the beginning of time, and He has called you to be His ambassador of love in this world. He has chosen to give you a new heart of compassion. This new heart changes everything. With it, you can see the whole world differently. Now you have the power to be all God wants you to be. With your heart of compassion, you can be kind, humble, gentle, and patient. Because of God’s love, you can now bear with the shortcomings of others and truly forgive them. Paul said it best, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” What God has called, He will empower. So today, rise up and recognize your calling. God has chosen you to be His ambassador of love.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Dear Father, thank You for choosing me to be Your ambassador of love. Thank You for my new heart of compassion. Help me today to live in this new reality. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Gently Restore

TODAY’S VERSE
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Galatians 6:1-2 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
There are many sins that you can fall into. Many habits, addictions, and sins are hard to break. That is why we need each other. There is so much talk about accountability. But you need something more than a watchdog. You need someone who knows your struggles and loves you, even when you fall. Someone who is there for you without judgment. They understand about “slips” and are there to lift you back up. Their goal is to restore, not scold or shun. God has called you to do the same. He has asked that you “restore” someone gently, not reprimand or ostracize them. Today, follow Christ and help carry someone else’s burden.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, forgive me for judging others. Instead, help me gently restore those in need and bear their burdens. Help me to remember my own sins and how You have forgiven me. In Jesus’ name.
AMEN

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Mature Anger

TODAY’S VERSE
Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
James 1:19 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
So often, we interpret this passage as if it is suggesting that we cannot be angry. So at the first twinge of emotion, we berate ourselves and bury our feelings. However, if we look closely at this passage, we will see that our goal should not be ridding ourselves of anger but rather, being slow to become angry. Some things will and should make us angry, but we need to be mature about our situation. Mature anger looks at the problem and uses this emotion to motivate us to find a solution. A mature attitude is slow to speak, slow to anger, and quick to listen. An immature attitude doesn’t act slowly; instead, it reacts with bitterness, rage, brawling, slander, and malice. Paul insists that we rid ourselves of this kind of immaturity. Today, when your emotion alerts you to a potentially negative situation, let your anger react slowly and maturely. Let it motivate you to assess the problem and ask God what He would have you to do.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You that You can help me be mature with my anger. Help me focus on solutions and not bitterness, rage, fighting, slander, or malice. Help me be part of the solution, not the problem. Help me express my emotions in a way that honors you.
AMEN

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Live Like Jesus

TODAY’S VERSE
Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
Philippians 2:3-5 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
The world is looking for Jesus. The truth is that people love what Jesus stood for and how He lived His life. It is the way we, the church, live that turns them away from Christianity. Paul knew this. It was the love and grace of Jesus that consumed him, so he knew if we were going to make an impact in the world at all, if anyone around us were going to come to Jesus, then it would have to be through an accurate portrayal of the person we name our self after. If we are Christians, Paul says that we “must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” And what was this attitude? It was an attitude of love and selflessness. Paul said it this way, “Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your interests, but take an interest in others, too.” Today, let us humble ourselves and live as Jesus would. Might He live in and through us so much that people would have to take a second look, mistaking our love for the Lord Himself.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me to live the way You would. Help me have the same attitude that You do. Help me live for You so much that those around me will be compelled to know You as I do.
AMEN

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Anger

TODAY’S VERSE
And ‘don’t sin by letting anger control you.’ Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
Ephesians 4:26-27 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
One of the pieces of evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in our life is “self-control”. And there is nothing harder to control than our anger. God originally created anger as a defense mechanism to protect us from life-threatening danger. But that is where the problems arise. The truth is that the majority of what we get angry at is not life-threatening at all, it only feels that way. Embarrassment, fear of consequences, inconvenience toward reaching a goal we feel is imperative; depending on what we are believing about ourselves, these seemingly common circumstances can trigger an anger response. Paul warns us about anger. He suggests that we control anger before it controls us. He wrote, “Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” Today, get a grip on your anger. Consider what is really bothering you and give it to God. Make up your mind that anger will not get control of you. Instead, if anything is going to control you, let it be the Holy Spirit.  

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You that You don’t ask me to do anything that you won’t help me with. I am asking You today to help me with my anger. Holy Spirit, help me control my anger and not give any foothold to Satan.
AMEN

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Love

Love

TODAY’S VERSE
You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.
Luke 6:36 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Jesus was our example. For over two thousand years, people have heard the story of His amazing Love. Jesus commanded us to be loving, full of compassion, mercy, and pity for a lost and broken world, just like He and His heavenly Father were. Love is more than a duty; it is our calling. It is the result of knowing Christ. It is the byproduct of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Saint Paul defined this kind of love when he wrote, “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” Today, ask Christ to fill you with that kind of love and compassion. Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to live a life of love.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I am helpless to live the life of love you have called me to without You. Fill me with Your Spirit. Convict me, forgive me, empower me to love the way You love.
AMEN

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Comfort

TODAY’S VERSE
All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles.
II Corinthians 1:3-4 (NLT)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Comfort is only as good as the source of the comfort. The word comfort means to “come next to.” The best comfort comes from someone who has the power to comfort you. Like the police officer who says, “You are safe now.” The Doctor who says, “Your test came back negative, you will be okay.” Paul is encouraging the early church to be comforted because God is the source of our comfort. He writes, “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles.” Are you troubled today? Come next to God and let Him comfort you. Are you weary and don’t know what to do? Move toward God, lean upon Him, and let Him wrap you in His arms. He will comfort you. Are you at the end of yourself, too frozen to move? Turn your head in His direction, whisper with your thoughts, and He will hear you. He is the merciful Father and the source of all comfort. Today, come next to Him and be comforted.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, I am coming next to You. I need Your arms; I need Your face, I need Your voice. Comfort me, dear merciful Father, of all comfort. Strengthen my arms, give courage to my legs, help lift my head up. Here I am, comfort me I pray.
AMEN

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