Category: Verse of the Day

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Verse of the Day

Hebrews 11:5

It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying-“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.

Hebrews 11:5

Walk with God

The story of Enoch has always intrigued me. Here we have the recount of the story from Genesis. Enoch walked with God and had a pure heart, so God spared him death and took him to heaven to be with Him. He was known as a person who pleased the Lord. Can you imagine what that must’ve been like? Did people see? Did people wonder what happened to Enoch? Were they so aware of his faith that they knew he must have gone to be with the Lord?

This should be every Christian’s goal. Not to escape death, but to walk with God in such a way that their lives are a mirror of who God is. They please the Lord with every word and every action. Take some time to really pray and ask God to help you walk with Him everyday.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
May I walk with you everyday. Help strengthen my relationship with you. I long to have the type of friendship with you that Enoch had. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

Hebrews 11:4

It was by faith that Abel brought a more acceptable offering to God than Cain did. Abel’s offering gave evidence that he was a righteous man, and God showed his approval of his gifts. Although Abel is long dead, he still speaks to us by his example of faith.

Hebrews 11:4

A Tainted Sacrifice

In Hebrews 11:4 we see a reminder of a tragic story of pride and jealousy. Cain and Abel were Adam and Eve’s sons. They both worked hard and reaped what they sowed in more ways than one. Cain was the firstborn son. Cain was the farmer and Abel was the shepherd. While they both made sacrifices to the Lord, God loved Abel’s sacrifices more. He knew something that they did not. While they both made sacrifices, Cain’s heart was far from the Lord. When God did not accept his sacrifice, Cain murdered his brother and lied about it to God. God predicted this event in Genesis 4:2 when he told Cain that sin crouched at his door. Sin took hold of Cain and did not let go.

Unfortunately, this still happens in churches across the world today. Many go to church and “make their sacrifices,” yet their hearts are far from the Lord. Take some time to pray for your own heart, that you would not allow sin to crowd out your sacrifices for the Lord.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Protect my heart. Help me forgive. Forgive me for my sins. May my sacrifices be that of Abels, pleasing to your heart. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

Galatians 5:1

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.

Galatians 5:1

Freedom in Christ

Freedom. What do you think of when you hear the word freedom? Do you think of a prisoner of war set free? Or the freedom to say what you want to say? The freedom to choose the career you want or the life you want? Everyone wants some sort of freedom. Children want freedom from their parents. Parents sometimes want freedom from the children! Employees want the freedom to show their bosses what they are capable of.

The greatest freedom we can ever find; however, is freedom in Jesus Christ. The best gift He gave us was the gift of freedom when He died on the cross for our sins. He freed us from the bondage of sin. This verse tells us to live in our freedom and stay free. Do not get tied up in the yoke of slavery once again. Live in your freedom. You will find peace, joy, and a life of love when you live in your freedom.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
You are the giver of freedom. You gave us such a beautiful gift when you sent your Son Jesus to the earth to die on the cross. May I always live in your freedom. Amen

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Verse of the Day

John 16:22

So you have sorrow now, but I will see you again; then you will rejoice, and no one can rob you of that joy.

John 16:22

Rejoice Again

The joy God gives the believer is eternal. When someone comes to know Him, he places His joy down deep in the believer’s heart so that it never goes away. No one can steal that joy. No matter what happens in this life, His joy will be with you. When you lose a loved one after a hard battle with cancer, His joy will be there. He will work good in the midst of sorrow. When you lose your job and can’t seem to figure out what comes next in your life, His joy will be there. It will carry you through. When you see the hardships that others go through, whether it is family or friends, His joy will be there for you to spread. His joy is always there. His Word brings rejoicing. His hope brings rejoicing. His peace brings rejoicing.

So lift your head up and rejoice, oh child of God. He has given you reason to rejoice. You belong to Him. He will never leave you nor forsake you. His joy will always be there, even when it’s difficult to see. He is always rejoicing over you, so rejoice in Him.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
You have placed your joy in my heart. Thank you for never leaving me and always rejoicing over me. May I find my hope, joy, and peace in you. Amen

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Verse of the Day

Galatians‬ ‭5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5:22-23‬

Fruit of the Spirit Devotional

Salvation is just the start of a new believer’s beginning. God places his Holy Spirit in the heart of the believer at the moment of conversion and the transformation begins. The Holy Spirit is meant to continually help and guide the believer through this life as he or she makes decisions every single day. When faced with a choice, the new believer will now have the direction of the Holy Spirit and can pray and ask for help at any time. Not only does the Spirit offer His wisdom, but He also produces fruit that will bloom throughout the believer’s life. So the old way of living vanishes and is replaced by a new life with the Lord. What is the fruit you may ask? This verse tells us the fruit the Spirit produces within us is: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. And the wonderful part of it all is that there is no law and no limit to these fruits which are constantly being produced.

Take heart that whether you are a new believer such as the one described here, or a seasoned believer, you have the Holy Spirit living and breathing inside of you, working to produce a life that pleases the Lord. The Holy Spirit never leaves, is always interceding on your behalf, and never stops producing well within you.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for sending the Holy Spirit to work inside of me. Thank you for never leaving me and always working to make me someone who is pleasing to you. May my life be a sweet aroma before you.
Amen!

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Verse of the Day

Hebrews 11:6

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Hebrews 11:6

Without Faith

There are many different beliefs in this world when it comes to God. Not all beliefs require a faith in God. This verse tells us very plainly that it is impossible to please God without faith. Most religions do not require this type of faith. However, the author here tells us very clearly that in order to know God, you first must believe that He exists. This takes faith. You must believe that He is the creator of the world and all authority in this world belongs to Him. You also must believe that He sent His Son to die for the sins of the world. The last part of faith is seeking Him. In order to truly please God you must seek Him everyday. Pray earnestly, read your Bible and fellowship with other believers. All of these lead to a faith that pleases God.

Spend some time today praying and meditating on how you can strengthen your faith and please God.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
May my faith be pleasing to you. May I seek you every single day. You, Oh Lord, are my strength and my shield. I delight in you. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭28:7‬

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭28:7‬

Trust Devotional

David knew what it meant to trust in the Lord. He trusted in his God the moment he stood across from the giant Goliath as a little boy, fighting to save the people. He continued to trust in God as he hid for his life from King Saul. He trusted in the Lord as he took the throne and reigned as king. Even when he committed acts of sin, he trusted that God would forgive him and continue to walk with him. Maybe this is why God calls him a “man after his own heart” in 1 Samuel 13:14. In Psalm 28:7, David declares his trust and love for the Lord. He says that the Lord is his strength and shield and helps him. This is why he trusted God and was incredibly thankful for all of the things He had done throughout his life.

Do you live your life trusting God? Just like David’s life, our trust isn’t about what we have or haven’t done, but about what God can do and is doing to bring us closer to Him. It focuses on Him and how He works, not on us, and how we fail. Although David did not always stay faithful to the Lord, He continued to trust and knew that His life was better with God than without Him. Do you understand these truths as well? Praise Him and thank Him for working in your life, and continue to trust in Him every single day.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
You are trustworthy. You have never given me one reason to doubt in your faithfulness and love for me. May I trust in you every day and know the power of walking with you. Amen

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Verse of the Day

John 14:6

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

John 14:6

Devotional: Jesus Christ

Jesus is the only way. He is the only way to peace. The only way to rest. The ONLY way to heaven. He is the right way. His way is better. Every other way leads to death and destruction. His way leads to life and righteousness. There is no other way. Jesus knew that the cross would be the only way to bridge the gap between God and man. He told His disciples and the people around Him many times what His fate would be. They didn’t believe that could happen and pledged to defend Him to death. However, some of them would later deny Him. Take Peter, for instance. He could not believe Christ when He told him that he would deny Him before man, yet when Jesus was handed over to Romans, that’s exactly what He did. He was one of Jesus’ closest friends. After the death of Jesus, Peter would go on to lead many to the Lord and would be one of His greatest missionaries. He found His way in Christ.

Have you found your way in Him? Are you following the way of the world, or have you decided to follow Jesus? His way will bring you peace beyond anything man can give, and rest in Him.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Have your way in me. Lead me and guide me. You are the only one who can truly satisfy me. Your path is the only one I want. Amen

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Verse of the Day

Hebrews 11:19

Abraham reasoned that if Isaac died, God was able to bring him back to life again. And in a sense, Abraham did receive his son back from the dead.

Hebrews 11:19

Life Again

When we first read the account of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis, we see Abraham’s faith but we do not get a picture of what was going through his head as God asked him to sacrifice the son of the promise. It is not until this verse that we see how deep his faith was. He knew that if God asked him to sacrifice his beloved son, He could bring him back to life again. He knew God was the living God who gives and takes away.

This is a picture of the sacrifice God made when He gave His only Son to be led like a lamb to the slaughter. He sacrificed Jesus knowing that He would bring Him back to life again, and that is exactly what He did. He brought Him back to life. He is the living God of salvation!

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for sacrificing your only Son Jesus for my sins. You loved me so much that you demonstrated that love on the cross. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

Hebrews 11:3

By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

Hebrews 11:3

A Work of Art

The first thing in this chapter that the author wants us to understand is that God is the author of all life. He spoke and the universe was formed. At His command birds inhabited the sky and beasts the sea. He gave every animal, including humans, life. God, who is unseen, created everything we see. Look up at the sky each morning and night and see evidence of His artistry. Hold a newborn baby and see the evidence of His crafting. In order to have faith, you must believe in the Author of life. It is impossible to have faith without believing this foundational truth.

Take some time to pray and thank God for all of the evidence of life. Thank Him for the work of His hands. He is truly the Creator God.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the sunrise and the sunset. Thank you for painting a different picture every day. You truly are the Author of life. Amen.