Category: Verse of the Day

Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

1 Peter 5:9

Stand Firm!

When the enemy attacks you, and he will, Peter instructs us to stand firm against his attacks. This could be why Peter was able to resist the enemy’s attacks after Jesus died and rose again. He was only human, so he still struggled with sin, but the Bible never tells us that he denied Jesus again. How was he able to do this? By standing firm in his faith and being strong and courageous as men who had gone on before him had done. He would not let the enemy strike again. Then, he goes on to tell us how you can stand firm and be strong. Remember that your family of believers all over the world are going through the same types of troubles as you. In other words, you are not alone. Stand firm as a body of believers, each one protecting the next against the enemy’s arrows, just like an army would. We can put up our shield of faith to block all attempts of an attack.

God has called us to live together as believers, worship together, and stand together. This is the only way to fight against the enemy. So what about you? How can you stand firm and be strong in your faith? How can you protect your fellow believers from the enemy’s attacks? Take time today to pray and ask God to help you when standing firm in the faith.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the family of believers you have given me. May I stand firm in my faith as many others have done before me. Give me the strength I need to fight off the enemy’s attacks and protect my fellow believers. Amen.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

Stay Alert!

In this verse, Peter is warning his fellow believers. He knows how enticing the enemy can be in moments of weakness as he was the one who denied Jesus three times before He went to the cross. In a moment of weakness, he thought of himself instead of the Savior he loved. He had to have regretted that moment every day after. This verse is evidence of that regret.

Our enemy, the devil, looks for anyone who he can devour and destroy. He delights in the destruction of lives. Even though he cannot claim your heart, for it belongs to Jesus Christ through salvation, he will do everything he can to trick and entice you as he did Peter. So Peter is telling you to stay alert. Watch out for the devil, for he prowls around like a roaring lion. He is on the hunt like a predator for its prey. So how do we avoid the enemy? We keep a watchful eye and keep our eyes daily focused on Jesus Christ. You see, Peter focused on himself and his worries in that moment. But every day after Christ’s death, he focused on his Savior instead, preaching about him and leading others to him. He did not make that mistake again.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
May I have a watchful eye and always keep my eyes focused on you. Lead me Lord, so I am not led astray. Amen.

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

1 Peter 5:7

He Cares About You

Worry in our lives can cause so much heartache and unneeded stress. But yet, it is one of the most difficult things to get rid of. We worry about trivial things like what we will wear or what we will say. We worry about major things like a diagnosis or what will happen in the future. This verse tells us to give all of our worries and cares to God because He cares about us. That means the little things that make us worry, He cares about. The major things in life that we stress over, he cares about. He cares for us this deeply because He is our Father and we are His children. Just as a parent worries about their children when they are young, as they are growing, and even when they’re older, our heavenly Father cares for us. He cares even more than we care for our children. He longs for us to trust Him and give our cares to Him. He knows that if we give Him our cares, a burden will be lifted off of our shoulders. So what stops us? Is it that we think we can do better? Do we think we can control the future or the things that happen to us? Or are we just so used to worrying that we cannot give it up?

Submitting our worries to Him is an everyday surrender. It is waking up in the morning and giving the day to the Lord before it even begins. It is submitting to Him throughout the day and praising Him in the evening before you lay your head to rest.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear God,
Help me submit my worries and cares to you everyday. May I know that you are big enough and gracious enough to take them on. Amen.

O Israel, hope in the Lord!
     For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
     and with him is plentiful redemption. Psalm 130:7

Hope in the Lord

He has given us a reason to be hopeful. He has given us a reason to rejoice. In him we can find love, we can find peace that passes all understanding, and most of all we can find the hope that he gives. The hope that there is more to this life than what we see. The hope that he is always in charge and more than what we need. The hope of eternity spent with him. In him we find redemption. This verse says that redemption is plentiful. Even after we had found his salvation there is more redemption to be found. When we mess up or fail in our Christian life, we can find more redemption. His grace, his mercy, and his redemption are more than our sins. His love is steadfast, never wavering, always persevering. He is constantly showing us every single day how much he loves us. He finds new ways to love us that we didn’t know before. There is so much hope to be found in his love. May his hope wrap around you today, and may you find comfort in who he is.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
You are a God who loves unconditionally. You give your redemption every time I mess up. May I find my home in you every day, all day. Amen.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble.

Psalm 107:2

Rejoice, Oh Christian!

Rejoice in your salvation, oh dear one! Rejoice in the redemption of Jesus Christ! Rejoice in his love, his grace, and the mercy he has bestowed upon you! Let the redeemed of the Lord sing for joy. Let his people proclaim his name and the wondrous things he has done for them.

May our lives be a testimony of the work that God has done in us and through us. Do you live your life in this way? Have you allowed God to be the center of your life, the purpose for your life, and the promise of your life? Think about all He has done for you. Make a list of all of the reasons you have to rejoice. Then praise His name for your salvation!

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
May I rejoice in your salvation everyday. May I remember all you have done for me as I go throughout my day! Amen.

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

A Promise Fulfilled

God is good at keeping his word. He does not fill us with empty promises as others do. He is a promise keeper. The Lord is patient toward us, giving us chance after chance. He wants to see everyone come to know him. It is not his desire that anyone should perish, but that all come to know his salvation. He has promised man that he would deliver him from his sins, and he made good on that promise. He sent his son as a sacrifice so that man may live in light of eternity instead of the condemnation of sins. That promise is for every single person that would choose him. He does not want to see people reject him and choose death, but he is not a God that forces himself upon anyone. He gave us free will to be able to choose life or death. So some people reject the promises of God. God has made it very clear that sin cannot live in his presence. We cannot spend eternity with him. The two cannot exist together.

So when people reject his promises and instead choose a life of sin and death, then he gives them over to the lies and the consequences of it. Today, choose life, choose him, and choose his promises.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
I choose you, oh God. I choose your promises. I choose a life with you on this earth, and a life with you for all eternity in heaven. Amen.

I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud
     and your sins like mist;
 return to me, for I have redeemed you. Isaiah 44:22

Forgive Like Christ

These words of Isaiah 44:22 are a beautiful picture of what God has done in our salvation. He erased our transgressions or sins like a cloud. Just as a writer erases the mistakes, God has done the same for us. He blotted out our sins like a mist. It is as if our sins never existed.

When we forgive others for the wrongs that they have done in our lives, do we block them out in this way? Are they as a cloud or a mist that is gone as quickly as they came? Or do we constantly remember and remind them of the wrong that has been done. That is not true forgiveness. True forgiveness can only be found in God. If we forgive others like he has forgiven us, we will forgive in this way. Praise him that he does not hold our sins over our heads. Praise him that he remembers them no more! May we treat others in this way!

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for truly forgiving my sins and blotting them out. May I forgive others in the same way you have forgiven me. Amen.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever.

Galatians 1:3-5

Grace and Peace

Grace and peace are two things that can only be found in Jesus Christ. Paul knew this when he sent this to theGalatians. He was saying grace to you, telling the people about the grace of God that extends far beyond anything they could find in anyone else. A grace that covers their sins. He was also sharing the peace that he had found in God with them. In a chaotic world, he is the only one that can give peace. He is the only place where we can find peace. Paul knew this very well. He had tried to serve God without the grace and peace when he was a Pharisee. However, he found an empty life. He only found grace and peace after he came face-to-face with the glory of God and his son.

So these two greetings are very powerful for the Christian. Grace is what has delivered us from the evils of this world and peace keeps us calm in the midst of the chaos of this world. Do you know His grace? Do you rely on His peace? Turn to Him and find this today.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
I need your grace every day. I need to be reminded of your grace and peace every day. May I live my life in such a way that I remind myself and others of the great things you have done. Amen.

…be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith…

Philippians 3:9

Be Found in Him

Be found in Him. In the Lord! Only true life, abundant life, can be found in Him. In Him we find our standard for living, our moral compass, our ability to discern right from wrong. If we live according to ourselves and our own standards, we will fall short every time. We will disappoint others and will walk the thin line between right and wrong. This is how society lives. They live according to their own standards and moral compass, which means it is always changing. That is impossible to keep up with!

A righteousness found in God is a righteousness based on faith, not opinions. Live according to the Word of God and you will find peace, joy, grace, and love. Live according to the world and you will find heartache, loneliness, and destruction.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
May I be found in you! May I live in your love, your grace, and your righteousness and not my own. You, Oh God, are a great king and I desire to live a life with you. Amen.

This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…

Romans 3:22-23

All Have Sinned

Every person is a sinner. Sometimes we forget this. We hold people to an unattainable standard. The world worships famous people: actors, athletes, Hollywood stars, etc. Then, when they fail or say the wrong thing, they are done. It is all or nothing. They either worship you or hate you. In Christian culture, we can get caught up in treating people the same way. We hold pastors, ministers, Christian artists, etc. to a high standard, and then when they fail, and they will, we show little grace.

Now, there needs to be standards, don’t get me wrong, but what if we started with ourselves, and held ourselves to God’s standards? What if we lived by His words, His standards, His actions? Then, when people fail us, we would show them grace and love instead of condemnation. We need to remember that no one is exempt from sin except for Christ. He was the only one who was perfect. Romans 3:10b says, “None is righteous, no, not one.” We must remember this when dealing with people. If we do not want others to treat us with condemnation, then we must treat them with the same respect. God is the only judge.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
You are a righteous and trustworthy judge. May I leave the judging to you and love others the way you love them. Amen.