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Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." — Matthew 19:14 Thoughts on Today's Verse... In an age that neglected children and held them in low regard, Jesus' love for children and his tenderness with them are powerful reminders that God values every person, young or old, born or not yet born, rich or poor, impoverished or born to wealth. Jesus is God's great reminder of his love for the people the world often neglects, abuses, and abandons. Jesus calls us to love the unloved, the forgotten, the abused, and the neglected. Why? Because that is what Israel was before God chose them ( Ezekiel 16:4-5 ), that is who Jesus was at Calvary ( Galatians 3:13 ), and that is who we were without grace ( Romans 5:6-11 ; Ephesians 2:1-5 ). How can we claim to know salvation but not share grace with others who need God's love, mercy, and grace - especially when those others are children? How can ...

"What about you?" Jesus asked. "Who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." — Matthew 16:15-16 Thoughts on Today's Verse... There is no other name under heaven that can save us other than Jesus ( Acts 4:12 ). He is the way, the truth, and the life - the only way to the Father ( John 14:6 ). We are to confess Jesus before people, knowing that when we do, we can be sure he will confess us before the Father and his angels in heaven ( Matthew 10:32-33 ). Jesus Christ is the Son of God, our Savior and LORD. We may not know all the theological gravity of those words - after all, Peter didn't when he confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God - but we can commit to knowing Jesus and following him until we know more of what those words mean. Jesus asks us to open our hearts to his lordship and begin the journey toward fuller knowledge and experience of him as the Holy Spirit informs us ( 1 Corinthi...

I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws. — Psalm 119:30 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Jesus challenged us with this strong call: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me" ( Luke 9:23 ). "The way of truth," the way of Jesus, is a daily choice. Not intentionally putting Jesus at the center of our lives and not seeking to please him as our top priority means we slip a little further away from the life he is calling us to live. Any decision made without consciously seeking to please him and obeying his commands ( Matthew 28:20 ) is choosing to place Jesus at the periphery of our lives. So let's set our hearts on him. Let's choose his way and his truth so we can live his life ( John 14:6 ) in our world. Yes, we have chosen the way of truth, and we have set our hope on Jesus, who is the fulfillment of God's laws ( Matthew 5:17-28 ). My Prayer... Heavenly Father, I choose to ...

If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. — 1 John 1:7 Thoughts on Today's Verse... As we seek to please God and trust in his grace, more grace is supplied. As we walk openly, transparently, and bring who we are to the Light ( John 3:19, 21 ), we are forgiven our sins and cleansed of their stains ( 1 John 1:8-9 ). This grace gives us an ongoing relationship with each other for fellowship, encouragement, and mutual support, and it also brings us into deeper fellowship with our Father in heaven. Jesus' death was "once for all" ( Hebrews 7:27 , 9:12 , 26 , 10:10 ); its cleansing power goes on and on for each of us, as long as we tune our hearts to the Father's grace, we are open about our sinful failures, and our hearts return to the path that seeks the Father's will and live in the Light of Jesus. My Prayer... Loving Father, thank you for the gift of Jesus and ...

"Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." — Isaiah 41:10 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Fear saps our willpower and leaves us feeling depleted and hopeless. Feeling depressed, discouraged, and dismayed saps our emotional resources and takes the passion out of our spiritual service. Yet very few of us have ever experienced a defeat so complete and bitter as the one God's people faced when Isaiah shared this message of hope. The preservation of Israel through their horrors of defeat, humiliation, and loss from their times in exile until the time of Jesus is a many-centuries-long reminder of God's miraculous and faithful fulfillment of his promises and love. Later, when all appeared lost, the ongoing survival and triumph of Jesus' disciples through centuries of persecution and opposition powerfully remind us that underneath us are the everlasting arms ...

I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws. — Psalm 119:7 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Praise is integrally connected with our character. For us to worship God properly, the intent of our hearts and the effort of our lives must show our determined desire to know and live his will as we reflect his holy character, gracious compassion, and faithful loving justice. While we will never do this perfectly, his grace covers us as we seek to live for his glory, and as the Holy Spirit is always at work transforming us into greater Christlikeness ( 2 Corinthians 3:18 ). However, we must never use God's grace as a pretense to excuse spiritual laziness, intentional weaknesses, and persistent sins. True praise comes from an upright heart and a life aligned with our Creator's loving purposes, and reflected in our knowing what he wants and obeying what he calls us to do. My Prayer... Holy God, I want to be more like you in character, even though I will never f...