Today’s verse encourages Jesus’ followers to be merciful like God. We see Jesus say these words after giving some instructions on how to relate to people, friends and enemies alike. Jesus said to show kindness and mercy to all because that’s exactly what God does, and this is one primary way we can live and…

Have you spent any time reading Lamentations? It was written by the Prophet Jeremiah as an expression of grief over the destruction of Jerusalem. I think that is important to consider when we read today’s verse: “The faithful love of the Lord never fails.” That might strike some as odd since people tend to get…

How do you read today’s verse? Does it strike you that James connects listening, speaking, and anger? I think if you spend some time in reflection, you will see how frequently anger arises in relationships. This brings to mind the classic line from the movie, Cool Hand Luke: “What we’ve got here is a failure…

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “What lies behind you and what lies in front of you pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” The Jesus follower knows that this refers to God thanks to today’s verse from 1 John 4:4 and how we see that the One (God’s Holy Spirit) who is in us…

We read in today’s verse that God commands us to be holy. That’s quite a daunting task, isn’t it? The word, holy, means to be “set apart” from the rest of the world. We set things apart when they have a special meaning and purpose. I hope you know that to God, this mean you!…

1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV) | So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Today’s verse in context deals with matters of conscience. The Apostle Paul was speaking specifically about eating food sacrificed to idols. He didn’t have a problem with it because idols are powerless. His advice was all about not doing anything that would…

Malachi 4:6 (NIV) | He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction. Oh, how I pray for the promise in today’s verse to come to pass soon! One of evil’s great tactics to…

I want us to look at today’s verse in its broader context: “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great…

There are quite a few places in Scripture that reveal to us how God longs to give His followers a new heart and new spirit, or the spiritual propulsion needed to live for God. What strikes me is how science is learning what God has revealed for millennia. Did you know that the heart is…