Category: Verse of the Day

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Verse of the Day

Luke 15:7

In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

Luke 15:7

Joy in Heaven

Have you ever watched someone achieve something extraordinary? Have you felt the pride swell up in your chest for another person? We celebrate the achievements of our children, our friends, our family members, and our coworkers often. As wonderful as some of those achievements are, the salvation of a lost soul is reason for even more rejoicing. Just imagine the celebrating that takes place in heaven when someone comes to know the Lord. It is more than anything we can ever dream of. This verse says that there is more joy when one person comes to know the Lord than 99 others who are righteous.

Righteousness does not earn you a way into heaven. Many people preach that the better person you are, the more you can earn your way into heaven. However, being a good person is not enough. It is about knowing Jesus personally and allowing Him to transform you into righteousness. When you get to witness that transformation in the life of someone else, it is beautiful.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
It is a glorious thing when someone comes to know you. Work in the lives of the people around me, so I can be your witness and experience their transformation. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

Hebrews 11:3-4

Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

Hebrews 11:3-4

Do Not Become Weary

In this world, we can become weary and lose heart. It can be easy to give up. When we lose ourselves in our work, in our struggles, and in the tragedies of this world, we will take our eyes off of Jesus. Hebrews tells us that we must focus on Jesus so that we will not lose heart. Jesus saved us from our struggles against sin when He died on the cross.

Think of all that Jesus had to endure as He went to the cross: the pursuit of others, the betrayl of others, the abuse of others and that was just on the way to the cross. He endured that so that you could come to know Him. Spend some time today thanking Him for all He has done.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for the cross and saving me. May I never become weary or lose heart. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

John 13: 34-35

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.

John 13: 34-35

Love Each Other

Love one another. Should seem simple, right? It is simple for the “easy to love” people. It is those who are difficult to love, have wronged us, or those just don’t like that can test our love. God did not give us specifics in this verse. He did not say, “Love those you can love and tolerate those you can’t.” He said, “Love each other.” That means everyone. Love the sinner. Love the broken. Love the arrogant. Love your enemy.

When we love others, we show God our love for Him. Remember, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God showed us His greatest act of love: sacrificing His son for our sins. Now He asks us to love each other. Loving others can be a testimony to the unsaved. They learn about how God loves when they see us loving. Only He can teach us how to love others. Look to Him and His love today to learn how to love your neighbor.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Help me love those around everyday with a godly kind of love. May I be a light and show them how to love like you love. Amen

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Verse of the Day

2 Peter 2:7-8

But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day.

2 Peter 2:7-8

Away from Wickedness

If you have ever studied Lot and Abraham, then you know that Abraham first allowed Lot to choose the land he wanted before they split and went their separate ways. Lot chose to live near Sodom and Gomorrah, knowing that these were sinful places. This left Abraham with the promised land, the land of Canaan. Abraham did not want to pitch his tent near Sodom and Gomorrah. These verses, however, give us a completely different picture of Lot. Peter says that Lot was considered a righteous man, and that is why God rescued him from Sodom and Gomorrah before he destroyed them. It also says that Lot was tormented every day by the wickedness that was around him. Maybe when he originally pitched his tent near Sodom and Gomorrah, he did not know how truly wicked they were. After a while he got tired of living near wickedness. His soul was tired of being near the wicked.

When we compromise our lives, and see sin as being okay, then we lose that aching inside of us for righteousness. Lot ached for righteousness. God saved him because he turned away from the wickedness of the cities, and instead, embraced who God was.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
May my soul ache for righteousness everyday. May I long to be in your presence and away from wickedness. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

Hebrews 12:2

For the message God delivered through angels has always stood firm, and every violation of the law and every act of disobedience was punished.

Hebrews 12:2

His Word, His Message

God’s Word is the one thing in this life that stands the test of time. Everything else fades away, but the Bible continues to prove itself true. God’s message to man has never changed. He used His angels to speak to man in the beginning and continued throughout Bible times to speak to man in that way. He wrote the Bible through the hands of man and uses it to speak to men today.

Every word in the Bible is true. Every story, every scripture. The stories are first-hand experiences, and the scriptures are God-breathed. It has encouraged and helped man throughout time. It still encourages and helps today. If you open it up and begin to really read every word, your life will be changed. Pray for a better understanding of His Word.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Your words are true. You wrote the Bible for me and every other believer. Thank you for the hope of the Bible. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

2 Peter 2:4-5

For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell, in gloomy pits of darkness,[b] where they are being held until the day of judgment. And God did not spare the ancient world-except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood.

2 Peter 2:4-5

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God’s wrath is not something that we as a people like to talk about. However, it is something that is very real when it comes to who God is. He did not spare His wrath on angels or man when it came to disobedience. He will not spare His wrath when it comes to disobedience and blasphemy. We have to make sure that we are telling the world about not only his love, but his wrath, as well. They must understand that sin always has consequences and punishment. If we ignore that part of who God is, then we don’t really understand salvation at all. In order to understand what it was we were rescued from, we must understand the wrath of God.

The hope is in the last part of these verses. He spared Noah because he was a righteous man and a follower of Him. If we turn from our sins, He will welcome us with open arms.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Thank you for saving me from the consequences and punishment of sin. May I help rescue others as well. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

Galatians 2:20

My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Galatians 2:20

Crucified with Christ

Something miraculous takes place in the heart of a believer the moment of conversion. Everything they knew: their past, their sins, everything, is crucified with Christ. The transformation begins to take place. God put his Holy Spirit inside of every believer to help lead them and guide them in their new life. The old life is gone and a new life in Christ is found.

While there is a new life in Christ, we still walk around in earthly bodies. Our flesh is weak, but He is strong. We can trust God to work inside of us, through us, and with us. The Holy Spirit intercedes on our behalf and helps us when we are weak. What we have to remember is that this transformation is not a one time moment, but rather a multitude of moments strung together to create the new life. Trust him and His process. Trust that He is making something good come from your life.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
I trust you and your process. I know you have given me a new life, and you are constantly working inside of me. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

1 John 2:2

He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.

1 John 2:2

The Sins of the World

Salvation is a very personal thing between Jesus and a believer. However, salvation is not just for one person, but for the entire world. Jesus will rescue a person from their sins if they find forgiveness through the cross. While his salvation is for the world, He only rescues when a believer cries out to him. That is the difference between some religions and even some denominations. Some believe that there is no need to ask for forgiveness and that his sacrifice covers all of that. While this verse tells us that his salvation takes away sins, there must be a change of heart, a repentance.

Have you ever asked for the salvation of the Savior? It is not enough to just believe that he is the savior, but you also must believe that he can rescue you from your sins: past sins, present sins, and future sins.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
You are the God of my salvation. Thank you for sending Jesus to be the sacrifice for my sins. May others know the salvation you have given me. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

Hebrews 11:28-29

It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons. It was by faith that the people of Israel went right through the Red Sea as though they were on dry ground. But when the Egyptians tried to follow, they were all drowned.

Hebrews 11:28-29

Wherever You Lead

These verses show us two different kinds of faith. First, we see the faith of Moses. This had to have been a very difficult plague to see. Moses probably knew some of the families in Egypt who would lose their children, including Pharaoh. Yet, he remained faithful knowing that God would deliver the Israelites. He never wavered in that faith even if there were times when he was not sure what would happen next.

Then, we see the faith of the people. They walked right through the middle of the Red Sea and not with hesitancy, but with strength and power from God. This verse says that they walked as if they were walking on dry ground. They followed Moses and the Lord out of Egypt and into the unknown; God shut the sea on their enemies. When we follow Him and trust Him to do His work, we will see Him do great things.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
Give me a faith like Moses and the people of Israel as they followed you out of Egypt. I will follow wherever you lead. Amen.

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Verse of the Day

Hebrews 11:30

It was by faith that the people of Israel marched around Jericho for seven days, and the walls came crashing down.

Hebrews 11:30

The Power of God

Another story of great faith. Joshua gets a small army together and they march right to Jericho with confidence that God would take back their land. It had been hundreds of years since God’s people had occupied the lands. Danger was what awaited them when they set their eyes on Jericho before marching around the city. However, God is a great God and did not need a large army to take down the enemy. He just needed an obedient army. So the people marched around the city of Jericho for seven days and on the last day the walls came tumbling down. Maybe you have heard the song!

This is a very real story that describes the real power of God. Imagine what he could do if you submitted to Him instead of the world.

A Prayer to Remember

Dear Lord,
You are a powerful God who can do great things when we trust in you no matter what happens. Thank you for leading. Amen.