Reverence and Respect November 30, 2017

2 Peter 3:10-11(NIV)

10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives

Holiness is that forgotten character virtue that is the Christian's reflection of God, his or her holy and righteous Father. In a day when grace is so easily cheapened, when anything goes just as long as we want to be buddies with Jesus, Peter's words should shock us into reverence — the holy commitment to set our lives apart from the evil and satanic sludge that defiles our world and to offer our bodies, hearts, and minds to do his will and reflect his character.

Thought for today:  Do I hold God in reverence? 

Vast Love November 29, 2017

Psalm 136:1 (NIV)

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

Our thanks arises from the nature of God and his glory and goodness. The steadfast reason we give thanks is because God is good and his love is inexhaustible, beyond decay, and never ending.

Thought for today: Do I consider the enormity of His love?

Gratitude November 28, 2017

1 Chronicles 16:8 (NIV)

8 Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
    make known among the nations what he has done.

Giving thanks is more than being thankful to God, it is letting others know of his gracious works so they too can come to know him as Father, Redeemer, and Victorious Lord. Then others can join their voices with our own in a chorus of thanksgiving from the hearts those God's love has redeemed.

Thought for today: Is my gratitude contagious?

Heart’s Son November 27, 2017

Colossians 3:16 (NIV)

16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.

We sing when we are happy. We sing when we are heartbroken. Today we sing out of gratitude. God is not only worthy of all of our praise, he is worthy of all of our thankfulness. But the basis of all our songs is Jesus, and the proclamation of the good news that brings life to us through him. As that message, that word of Christ fills our hearts, we are tuned to be thankful children of the Most High.

Thought for today: Do I enjoy my heart’s song?

True Worship November 26, 2017

Hebrews 12:28 (NIV)

28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,

We are receiving the triumphant and glorious victory of God in his Kingdom. We will join with the angels and the saints of old and live with the Father forever in victorious and never-ending joy. But this Kingdom doesn't just begin when Jesus returns. This Kingdom has started now in his Church, his people, those in whom God's will is cherished and obeyed. So our worship should be filled with awe that the holy God of Israel is also the lowly God in Jesus who has redeemed us and made us to be a holy people unto himself. What else can we do but worship with heartfelt thanksgiving and wonder struck awe.

Thought for today: Do I worship without restraint?

Righteousness November 25, 2017

Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Almighty and Most Holy God, I want all of my life to be lived out to your glory, a living testament of thanks to you for the grace you have given me in Jesus. While I do not always do this as well as I would like, I lovingly offer you my words, my actions, my heart and my mind to bring you glory by doing your will. Please, use your Spirit to remove the areas of self-deception from my life so that weakness and hypocrisy will not rob my discipleship of its intended worship of your majesty. In the name of Jesus, my gracious Lord, I pray. Amen.

Thought for today: Can I recognize when I am out of line?

Roots November 24, 2017

Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV)

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Some things you don't change, swap, or update. In an age when computer processors make major leaps every few months and software companies release new upgrades every year, we get programmed into looking for the new and improved version of everything. The simple but profound truth is that Jesus is Lord. No update needed. No rival worthy. No change necessary. In fact, if we stray from this as the basis of our life, we put all we hold dear at risk. But if we continue, if we grow, if we root ourselves in this truth and make it the undergirding reality of our lives, then our future is secure and our victory assured!

Thought for today: Does my faith have strength and roots?

Presentation November 23, 2017

Psalm 100:4-5 (NIV)

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Worship is always about entering - entering into grace, entering with thanksgiving, entering to share with others, but most of all, entering into the Lord's presence in a special way. But our entering is not the basis of worship. Instead, worship is about the Lord's faithfulness, goodness, and enduring grace. We come to God like so many before us, with God waiting for us. We come to praise him for all he has been, all he is, and all he will be. We come to enter and worship. We can do this simply because God is faithful, through all the generations, to wait for us to come.

Thought for today: Do I continuously present myself to God?

Peace November 22, 2017

Colossians 3:15 (NIV)

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

Peace - that elusive state of grace that incorporates all of life's well-being. Because of Jesus, we have true shalom - wellness in body, soul, and spirit. His relationships with others, his victory over sin, death and the grave insures that we can have peace, too! So as we receive the Spirit of Christ into our hearts, we can live with our brothers and sisters, no matter how flawed in a state of peace. Besides, as Paul changes metaphors on us, we are the Body of Christ and of course a body does not want to be at war with itself. So live in peace with others, and do so with thanksgiving.

Thought for today: Do I have peace in my life?

Thanksgiving November 21, 2017

1 Corinthians 1:4-5 (NIV)

4 I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.5 For in him you have been enriched in every way—with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge—

The apostle Paul was amazing. He is writing one of the most problematic churches and yet finds reasons to give thanks for them. First, he is thankful for them because Jesus died for them. When God extends his grace to others, how can we not do the same? Second, he recognizes the areas of their abuse are also a reason to give thanks - they may have distorted it, but when reigned in to honor God, these gifts could bless their church. Even though he has tough words to follow, Paul's example reminds us that a child of God is something to be cherished, even if that child has problems.

Thought for today: Am I thankful for my tests?

Joy November 20, 2017

Psalm 95:1-2 (NIV)

1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before him with thanksgiving
    and extol him with music and song.

Joy knows no better explanation than laughter and song. We sing to the Lord because we are joyful! Our music is not inhibited or held back, but exuberant and as full of sound as it is of heart. Thanksgiving brings us into the Father's presence and it is our joy at being saved that leads us to sing.

Thought for today: Do I find joy in my life?

Heart’s Delight November 19, 2017

Psalm 1:1-2 (NIV)

1 Blessed is the one
    who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
    or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
    and who meditates on his Law Day and night.

I get to choose which sources of information I feed my mind. But this privilege and freedom is also a responsibility. God longs to bless me, but that blessing remains dormant until my heart delights in knowing and doing his will.

Thought for today:  What is my source?

Unfailing Promises November 18, 2017

John 17:17 (NIV)

17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

God's promises, God's Scripture, and God's clearest message of all, his Son, are truth. But only the last of these is truth, grace, deliverer, friend, Lord, Savior, brother, Redeemer...

Thought for today: Does God has a role in my life?

It’s Lit November 17, 2017

Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

105 Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path.

God's promises, God's Scripture, helps us find our way in a pluralistic world of competing voices and lights our path in time so given to cynicism and despair. What such great grace we have to know God's will in our own words! Now if we will only walk in the light!

Thought for today: Do I allow God to speak to my life?

Eyes On the World November 16, 2017

Psalm 119:18 (NIV)

18 Open my eyes that I may see
    wonderful things in your law.

From our perspective of grace and having been liberated from law-keeping as a means of justification and righteousness, this is a very fitting prayer. We can look around our world and see the anarchy and brutality when there is no principle of law undergirding the soul of a society. God's law provided so many wonderful blessings, and can still bless us today if we will let it. But the greatest blessing of the O.T. Law is Jesus, in whom all of God's promises find their fulfillment.

Thought for today : Who or what are my eyes on?

Steadfastness November 15, 2017

Psalm 119:143  (NIV)

143 Trouble and distress have come upon me,
    but your commands give me delight.

This verse is hard for me, because I know I am so blessed. Trouble and distress do not seem to be a part of my vocabulary right now. But I know in many places in the world this statement is true of Christians who are under attack and live under the threat of persecution and possibly even death. But their love for God and their commitment to obedience is greater than Satan's threats because God's will is their delight.

Thought for today: Can I stand firm and fast in my faith?

Life After November 14, 2017

1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)

18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

Having stood over the open graves of friends, family, and strangers, I know the appearance and feel of death's finality and our human frailty. But Christ's death is that great reminder that death is a matter of perspective and faith. I believe God raised Jesus from the dead and that Jesus is the first fruits of those of us who believe in him. He is alive, not just in Spirit, but in bodily form. Because Jesus lives, so will we!

Thought for today: Do I truly trust in and believe in an afterlife ?

Service November 13, 2017

1 Peter 2:15-16 (NIV)

15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves.

What does the world most need to hear from me today? A life tuned to the melody of grace that I claim I believe. Doing good, being like Christ, is Peter's answer to opposition, cynicism, and even persecution. We are free in Jesus, but being free means that we don't have to pretentiously prove we are free. Instead, we can live for him who died to conquer death and renounced absolute heavenly freedom so we could find it. We are free to serve others, and most of all to serve God.

Thought for today: Do I serve others?

Power Of Prayer November 12, 2017

Colossians 1:9(NIV)

9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,

In a world where we can feel so isolated and alone at times, it is so important for us to know that someone is praying for us and for our spiritual needs. As I think of the thousands who are a part of the Today's Verse ministry, I cannot help but pray that each of them, that you, are blessed by knowing that you share a spiritual journey with people all over the world, and that today, we will pray for each other. And of course, there can be no better prayer than the one that Paul prayed for the Colossian friends he had never met — "I ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding." Let's pray that for each other today.

Thought for today : Do I pray for others?

Attachments November 11, 2017

1 John 2:15-16 (NIV)

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.

Love for things, especially temporary ones, can sure get us into trouble. Even worse, we can begin to think they will make us happy or fill the empty places in our hearts. But if we really sink our hopes and dreams in our Abba Father, we are attached to eternity and what we need most is always with us!

Thought for today: Am I attached to hollow happiness?

Loud And Clear November 10, 2017

Job 37:5-6 (NIV)

5 God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways;
    he does great things beyond our understanding.
6 He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’
    and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’

Isn't that a beautiful phrase! "God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding." Rather than spending a lot of time talking or thinking about how marvelous God is, let's praise him in prayer.

Thought for today: Can I hear God speak?

Return To What? November 9, 2017

Isaiah 1:18 (NIV)

18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,”
    says the Lord.
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
    they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
    they shall be like wool.

Nothing stains quite as sin. It not only leaves a stain in our heart but a residue in our minds. But God's grace is shown in that he doesn't just forgive our sins, he doesn't just forget our sins, he banishes them. They are gone. The stain is removed, the guilt is taken away. We are clean by his grace.

Thought for today: Do I return to what God has taken me from?

Choose November 8, 2017

Joshua 24:15 (NIV)

15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

While we can't speak for everyone in our family, we can commit to what everyone in our family should desire: We will serve the Lord! But more than commit, let's set the example and lead the way. "I will serve the Lord, TODAY!" Then we can ask them to join us.

Thought for today:  Am I living a life of service?

Intercessory November 7, 2017

1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NIV)

2 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

God wants us to be a praying people. But more than that, God wants us to pray for people. The blessing of that kind of prayerful life is that we get to live peaceful and quiet lives full of godliness and holiness. So pray, dear friend in Jesus, pray as if world peace depends upon it, because it does!

Thought for today: Do I pray for others ?

Secrets November 6, 2017

Ephesians 1:9-10 (NIV)

9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Jesus IS Lord! God's plan was purposed in Christ. God's plan centered on Christ coming at the right time. God's plan was to bring unity in Christ by making him Lord of all! What's more, this plan that brings our salvation brings God great pleasure. God is the only saving God. Jesus is both our Savior and Lord. So the real issue we face today is this: What area of our lives, our hearts, our secrets, our sin, our rebellion, have we not submitted to his lordship?

Thought for today: What am I hiding?

Taxes November 5, 2017

Romans 13:6 (NIV)

6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.

Ouch! I hate taxes. But I have to admit, I enjoy many of the privileges and blessings that those taxes afford. Paul reminds us in Romans 13, that civil authorities are God's tools to hold back anarchy, chaos, and lawlessness. As a Christian, I'm immune to most laws because my faith in Jesus is going to regulate my behavior far more strictly than a legal code. But I do have a responsibility (I "owe" it, Paul says) to be a good citizen, a good financial manager, a nice respectful neighbor, and a person who willingly honors those who have merited it.

Thought for today: Do I avoid the “taxes” of my life?

Plug In November 4, 2017

2 Corinthians 3:6 (NIV)

6 He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.

A new covenant — God willingly entered into a new agreement with us, his creatures, sealed it with the blood of his Son Jesus, and sent the Spirit to give us the power to live the life of this new covenant. God has made a covenant of love and grace with us. The Almighty has then turned around and made us worthy and competent to share that covenant with others. No wonder it is life giving: it brings life to us and through us!

Thought for today: Do I block the movement of the spirit in my life?

Godly Governance November 3, 2017

Romans 13:1 (NIV)

13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Yes, there are things we don't like about our government. But God has truly blessed most of us so we can enjoy the protection of the authorities where we live. But we also live in the time of some of the greatest persecution ever known in the Christian era. So as we pray for our leaders and thank God for our freedoms, let's not forget the persecuted church all over the world.

Thought for today: Do I pray for righteous leadership?

I Am Somebody November 2, 2017

1 Peter 2:9 (NIV)

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Excluded. Rejected. Discarded. Abandoned. Forgotten. Pushed aside. Not picked. Each of these describes an aspect of feeling like you are a nobody. Satan gives our sinful flesh the tools and the opportunities to speak these words of self-condemnation to ourselves. But God — two of the greatest words in the Bible — loved us in Christ and brought us into his family and gave us a purpose. We are now part of the people of God! We have been chosen for the victorious team of teams. We have received mercy! Grace has washed over us and the love of God has adopted us in his family. Peter is giving maligned and persecuted people the reminder that they can choose to see themselves as "nobodies" or they can choose to see themselves by their new identity. Thankfully, Peter's words speak to our hearts, too. You, dear friend in Jesus, are God's child. You are part of his eternal and conquering people — like Moses, Esther, Paul, and Mary Magdalene. Mercy has reversed the power of sin and failure and put grace in place empowered by the Holy Spirit's presence in you. So don't live today as you once "were": live today as you are in Jesus!

Thought for today: Do I know my worth, calling and purpose?

The Eyes Of The Heart November 1, 2017

Ephesians 1:18 (NIV)

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,

Heaven is something we see with our heart. When we are discouraged, doubtful, and depressed, we need to have the eyes of our hearts "enlightened." The dawn needs to rise in our darkness and we see the dawn of hope and the riches of our inheritance. But when things look bad, sometimes the only way to remember these things is to sing them, pray them, and read God's promises of them.

Thought for today: Is my heart open to the hope and promises of God?