Daily Verse

Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!—Zechariah 11:17Thoughts on Today's Verse...Zechariah criticized Israel's worthless shepherds in his prophecy. Paul warned church shepherds that Church leadership is an extraordinary and sobering responsibility and should be conducted with reverential humility (Acts 20:17-38). Those seeking status or privilege by becoming […]

Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.—Psalm 105:4Thoughts on Today's Verse...When we honestly evaluate where we use our time, how we spend our money, what we think about most frequently, and where we put forth our best efforts, what do we find? Is God our consuming passion? Is he our first love? Do we seek his presence always? God told his people, "Seek me and live..." […]

But [Jesus] said, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent."—Luke 4:43Thoughts on Today's Verse...When you think about the large cities of our modern world, what do you think about? Crime, traffic, high prices, big crowds, grime, and noise? Jesus sees them and passionately yearns for the lost people in those great cities to be […]

Ill-gotten treasures are of no value, but righteousness delivers from death.—Proverbs 10:2Thoughts on Today's Verse...As my brothers and I grew up, our mom regularly reminded us that sin is often a false shortcut to a good thing. Ill-gotten treasures may seem like a shortcut to riches, but they are a trap. So, the Holy Spirit reminded us in this passage that ill-gotten riches are not the path to a bountiful […]

Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.—Psalm 34:11Thoughts on Today's Verse...What better goal for a father or mother could there be? Even if you have no children of your own, or if your "own" children are grown, God gives you his children at your congregation so you can teach them to love, honor, and reverence their one and only heavenly Father. Jesus […]

We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.—2 Thessalonians 1:12Thoughts on Today's Verse...I can't think of a more lofty goal for today than that the name of Jesus be glorified in what we do and say. But then Paul took it a step further — we […]

Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit."—John 3:5Thoughts on Today's Verse...Water and Spirit — they track together as vital components in conversion and the new birth throughout the New Testament (Acts 2:38-41; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Titus 3:3-7). One is an act of submission and surrender. The other is a gift and reminder that […]

I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.—Jeremiah 10:23Thoughts on Today's Verse...While we may have goals and a sense of mission for our lives, our future is not ours to determine. We can plan, but we must always do so with the recognition that we do so to honor the LORD and fulfill his mission for us. […]

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.—Proverbs 9:10Thoughts on Today's Verse...We can look for wisdom from many worthless sources and in many futile places. Ultimate wisdom is found only when we intentionally humble ourselves before our incredible God, giving him the reverence and worship he deserves. When we do, we can be assured of this promise:   "For the […]