This is the word of the LORD your Maker, the one who formed you from the womb: He will help you. Do not fear, Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. Isaiah 44:2 In our broken world, there is much to fear: evil, illness, financial struggles, even the decaying of our bodies as we age. Jesus tells us in …
Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5 One of the most memorized verses in the Bible is this from Deuteronomy. Moses shared it with the Israelites before they took possession of the Promised Land. Jesus quoted it again in Matthew 22:37, and followed up in verse 38, …
He said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a remote place and rest for a while.” Mark 6:31a When Jesus sent His disciples off on a specific ministry assignment in Mark 6:7-11, He didn’t shield them from the fact that their journey would not be easy. They’d be empowered to preach, heal and spread the news of the kingdom, …
“Rejoice in hope, be patient in affliction, be persistent in prayer.” Romans 12:12 Prayer is God’s path to hope, joy, endurance, and love for those who are His. The word “persistent” in this context doesn’t mean that we are expected to pray every minute of the day. Yet, we are to persevere in it. Stay at it. Be devoted to …
For the eyes of the LORD roam throughout the earth to show himself strong to those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him… 2 Chronicles 16:9a The commencement speech at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, by country music artist Eric Church has gone viral. Titled “Six Strings of Life,” its impact on countless people, beyond the graduates and faculty, …
He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. 2 Timothy 1:9 Isn’t it amazing to know that when God knit us into our mother’s womb, He built unique gifts, talents, and capabilities into …
“And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.” Ephesians 4:32 The subject of forgiveness is mentioned more than a hundred times in the Bible for good reason. Although it is the cornerstone of our relationship with Christ, through His sacrifice, death, and resurrection, we often struggle with the concept …
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and Prophets depend on these two commands.” Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus’ command to love in such a dramatic way exposes something we’re …
“Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.” Luke 4:1-2 These verses mark a major turning point in Jesus’ life. He had just been baptized, …
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. Matthew 3:13-15 In Matthew 3, …
