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Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. — Matthew 6:33 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Jesus is speaking in his Sermon on the Mount. He wants us not to worry about all the stuff we often pursue. So, let's seek (pursue relentlessly) God's Lordship over our lives and his righteousness, which reflects his holy character in our daily dealings. Everything else we pursue is temporary. Only God and his Kingdom remain. As we pursue God's Kingdom and his righteousness, Jesus promises that the one who gives us his Kingdom and his righteousness will also bless us with what we need in this life, as well! My Prayer... Holy LORD, only in you do I find what satisfies my soul's deepest desires. The things that have captured my eye are boring after only a short while. The artificial things I have pursued, all of my addictive interests, have left me empty, enslaved, and in debt. I find hope and help only in you alone. I join with ...

We know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. — Hebrews 10:30-31 Thoughts on Today's Verse... God hates injustice, unfairness, brutality, and abuse. In a world where the greedy, the murdering, the thieving, the raping, the mugging, the abusive, and the bullies often get away with their shameless and despicable behavior, God is the ultimate assurance that justice will be done. The wicked will not triumph. The evil will have to give account to the one who will judge them ( Acts 10:42-43 ; 1 Peter 4:3-5 ). While those who love and serve Jesus expect his return with anticipation and joy, those who are evil and vile will find out what a dreadful thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God. The hands that wipe away the tears of Jesus' wounded disciples in heaven ( Revelation 7:17 , 21:4 ) will also be the hands that avenge those who ...

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense — Jesus Christ the Righteous One. — 1 John 2:1 Thoughts on Today's Verse... God hates sin. Don't you? I know I do. But isn't it amazing how we'll fall back into the same old traps again and again? The goal is not to sin even one sin! But knowing our struggle against flesh, John also gives assurance to those of us who are trying to live faithful and pure lives. He wants us to know that when we do sin, the sacrifice for our sins, God's Son, is also our defense attorney who proclaims us sinless before God by his blood ( Colossians 1:22 ; 1 John 1:7 , 2:2 ). So let's draw close to Christ. Let's invite him into our hearts each morning as we begin the day ( Revelation 3:20 ). Let's trust in his power and grace to sustain us and carry us through. As Paul prayed for new believers in Thessalonica: May God himself, the God of...

Do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. — Hebrews 10:35-36 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Some tough times come with living. They're inescapable. There can also be even tougher times for those who believe and seek to share Jesus. We call that persecution. That's when our confidence in the LORD's salvation and our relationship with him get tested! It is one thing to sing "it is well with my soul" at the end of a peel-the-paint worship service. It is quite another to be able to sing those words when they auction your house off at the courthouse steps, you are told you have a long-term debilitating illness, you lose a child to death, or you are ridiculed and persecuted for your faith. Faith can't take a holiday when we travel through the suburbs of hell - when times are tough. If we quit then, we'll never find our way out. We must ...

We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. — Romans 5:3-4 Thoughts on Today's Verse... I remember the Corrie ten Boom phrase, "Thank God for the fleas." The fleas kept the German soldiers out of the barracks in the concentration camp where she was imprisoned. This allowed her to minister to and visit those being persecuted. The deplorable conditions and her sufferings allowed her to show and share the love of Jesus authentically. In the earliest days of the church, the apostles rejoiced "because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name" of Jesus! Their willingness to suffer for Christ opened some people's hearts to believe because they could see that their hope in Jesus wasn't just something they preached, but also something they lived! Even in the worst of suffering, God can bring blessings through those who know that life's goal is ch...

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. — Romans 15:7 Thoughts on Today's Verse... I hate racism and exclusivity. But my loathing does not match God's revulsion at these things. On the other hand, we can anticipate the choir of heaven ( Revelation 7:9-11 ) where fellow believers "from every nation, tribe, people and language" will worship Jesus together in glory! But, dear friend in Jesus, we must accept one another in Jesus now, and not let race, language, culture, or suspicion keep us from loving each other as we have already been loved by the Savior. Why do we do this? Because it is right, it is what Jesus does, and it brings glory to God! My Prayer... Holy and Righteous Father, I pray that we will have the Holy Spirit use your grace to help us tear down any and all walls that divide your people based on race, culture, status, ethnicity, or privilege. Teach us, and please teach me, to love all peoples as you did when...