January 26 – No Distinctions In Peace

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Colossians 3:15 (NASB)

In the larger context of this passage we find that the Apostle Paul is writing to Christians in the church in Colossae. Paul is addressing the truth that in Jesus Christ there were no distinctions made between Greeks and Jews. Paul presses this truth to include the circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarians (those who spoke neither Greek or Latin), Scythian (the lowest class of people), slave and freeman. Because all who believe in Jesus Christ belong to Him. All racial bigotry, chauvinism, and snobbery is condemned here. Here the truth that before God “all men are equal” receives its best infallible, inspired expression.  So, what we find in our selected verse is that we should allow the peace of Christ to be our referee in our differences. We should use His peace to rule in our hearts and when there is a disturbing question about something, we should let God's peace make the decision. Instead of worrying about something we cannot control, we can let God's peace control our thinking. That's what God called us to and it is our promise from Him that He will rule correctly on our behalf.

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March 9 – Doused with Love

“…and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” - Romans 5:5 (ESV)

Our verse is part of a passage that edifies us about a chain of blessings. The broader passage Romans 5:3-5 is worth a look to see the sequence of character development of our life in Christ.  But this is a precious gem in verse 5 that we take up today. If you have ever stood under a waterfall and enjoyed the refreshment of a cold-water drenching from the falling water, then you will appreciate the promise we have today.  It can be likened to being under any cascading water naturally or by a fountain. Take notice of the preposition ‘of’. The Holy Spirit pours the love of God into our hearts. Like a shower of blessings, God the Holy Spirit takes a endless bucket of love and douses our hearts with His love. We belong to God the Father. He has signed, sealed, and truly delivered us to Himself now and forever. But now He is tuned in listening for us to call on Him. When our weak bodies, weak wills, weakened resolves exhibit their presence, how good it is to know it’s not up to us. God is doing so much for us. We need only receive the blessing. 

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December 15 – Turning Hearts for God

“Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers,”  Malachi 4:5-6a (NASB)

This prophecy of God was delivered to His people through Malachi, a prophet of God Almighty.  About 430 years before the birth of Jesus, God promised to send Elijah the prophet back to Israel. While on Earth in his ministry of presenting Himself as Messiah and proclaiming the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus said, “And if you are willing to accept it, John himself is Elijah who was to come.” Matthew 11:14. John the Baptizer was a fulfillment of the promise in Malachi because he fulfilled the function of the last Prophet of God and the one who introduced and proclaimed Jesus as Messiah. When John’s father was told that he would be the father of John and Barren Elizabeth would be John’s mother, he did not immediately believe.  He doubted through questioning how it could be due to age. Zachariah was struck mute until John was born. But the angel Gabriel who would announce to Mary the miraculous conception of Jesus within her, used the same words Malachi used about Elijah/John. “And it is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children,” Luke 1:17.  

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July 24 – Not One Word Failed

“And now I am about to go the way of all the earth, and you know in your hearts and souls, all of you, that not one word has failed of all the good things that the LORD your God promised concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one of them has failed.” -Joshua 23:14  (ESV)

Joshua, the son of Nun has finished the course.  He has done the job God gave him to do.  After the death of Moses, God promised Joshua that He will be with him wherever he goes.  God cautions him to not turn from his path to the right or to the left. Isn’t this a good instruction for us today?  God  also commands Joshua to be strong, courageous and not frightened. No dismay allowed because God was with Joshua. And Joshua obeyed God and followed God’s commandments. God blessed Joshua with a long life but now it was appointed for Joshua to leave the earth.  He wants to leave the people with reminders he knows they will need. We too need to remember these promises. First remember that not one word that God has given to us has failed. The enemies of the Gospel and our God will do all they can to tell us otherwise but here is the truth. All have come to pass for us. Not one of them has failed or will fail in the future. Every good thing God has promised concerning us has or will yet come to pass for us.  Believe it today.

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May 24 - Perfect Sensible Hope

“And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us.”  - Romans 5:5 (NCV)

What might be something we are hoping for today?  Are we certain beyond any doubt we will see it happen or we will receive it?  Perhaps there is a chance that our hope will not be fulfilled. We may experience some of embarrassment when it doesn’t happen because we’ve been bold in our telling everyone about our expectations.  That is disappointing. Sometime we just do not understand why because it seemed like a promise made to us, so hoping for it was not unusual.  When it comes to the promises we have been given by God, we can have hope they will all be fulfilled. Because God made the promise, our hope in their realization is sure.  Our hope will not be disappointed. That in itself is today’s comforting promise from God.  He  promises that His promises which gives to us hope will never let us down.  We will not have any shame for proclaiming our faith in God’s promises.  No doubting, no wavering, only believing by faith.  And the seal of affirmation is God love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us.  Perfect sensible hope on that basis. 

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September 9 - Rejoicing Comes From Trusting

“We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.” Psalm 33:20-21 (NIV)

Our God is a great source of joy. This is a truth that shows up frequently in our study of God's promises.  Only two days ago we considered how our God of hope fills us with joy and peace in believing.  Paul was encouraging the believers in the city of Rome. It is very likely, since Paul had studied the Old Testament a great deal that he drew his teaching from one of these verses. Today we read how the psalmist wrote that in Him our hearts rejoice. Our faith in God is not just a mental, intellectual attitude. It affects our inner being. It fills our hearts with joy and gladness. Actually that is how the psalmist describes what happens when we put our faith in God. He says that trusting in the Lord is what produces the joy. Yes, you can trust the Lord for whatever you are facing today. As you depend on Him to take care of your needs, and you realize what a great and holy God He is, the result will be joy. His joy will fill your heart.

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January 21 – Passing the Pouring On

“...and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”   Romans 5:5  (ESV)

We know that the Bible teaches us that the great God of heaven is a God of love.  He made the world and has given life to each of us. He so loved the world that He sent His Son to become our Savior.  We are reminded today that God has poured our His love into our hearts.  It is by His love that He has brought us into His Family. And then He makes His love available for us to live as His children.  When we hope in this promise we will not be put to shame.  We will not be disappointed in this hope because this hope is a sure promise. Yes, friends, God's love is active in our hearts.  It helps us to love Him dearly and then it helps us to love others around us.  God wants us to love those who we are in contact with and it is His love in us that really accomplishes this result.  Let's be sure that we in turn keep our hearts open to pour out God's love for people.  God provides the love and we pass it on in faith believing.  

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November 21 – Peace from Thanksgiving

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7 (NASB)

We have a verse today that is likely very well known.  Most times it is used to teach us the value of not being anxious, or to not worry about anything.  This is not something that is done with ease and it takes a great amount of practice.  God provides the opportunities for us to practice by allowing challenging and difficult times to come into our lives.  Today we are looking at another part of the verse.  This part tells us what we can do to defeat being anxious and to replace the worry – by being thankful in all things when we pray and request help from God.  Being thankful for the opportunity to trust His promises, especially when we are struggling with worry and anxiety.  Thankfulness to God is a powerful and wonderful method of receiving help when we ask for it.  And the promise we have is this – the peace of God becomes the guard of our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  It is beyond all our ability to comprehend just how God's peace becomes our guard, but it is promised to us by God and it comes after we have prayed with thanksgiving for all He has done and will do.  

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September 21 – Trusting our Hope

“...and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” Romans 5:5 (NASB)

The Apostle Paul, in writing the letter to the Romans, takes time to encourage the Christians in Rome because they were facing some fierce tribulation and sufferings for their faith.  In the fifth chapter Paul tells them the value of the testing is a series of character developments.  He finishes with the verse we have today. The final result is a hope that means assured expectation.  Our hope is a sure thing and it will not let us down, it will not disappoint.  We will never be put to shame for the hope we get from suffering for Christ.  Knowing that God loves us leads us to trusting His love and that trust results in more than knowing, but also in feeling the love.  We have this expectation because God has poured His love out in our hearts.  This action is done by the Holy Spirit who we have received.  The Holy Spirit was promised to us and sent by the Son from the Father. We are promised a hope that is sure, we can trust it. 

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September 15 – Peace to Guard Us

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Our selected verse today may be very familiar to many who follow this blog.  Even so, each time we read it and consider what it says we are confronted with the promise it brings to us.  The promise here is in one word – a verb – which we want to focus on today.  It's the verb “guard.”  When we bring our concerns to the Lord with an attitude of thanksgiving instead of worry or anxiety, we are promised the peace of God to guard our hearts and our minds.  What is the guard for? Isn't it to keep anxious worrisome things out of our hearts and minds?  Yes, these undesirable things don't belong and God promises to give us His peace to guard against them entering our mind and heart.  This peace removes the anxious feelings and thoughts which are not desirable from our lives when we bring our concerns to God in prayer with thanksgiving.  That is a promise we can trust and be thankful for.

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May 21 – Praying Right

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27 (ESV)

Because God knows we are His, as we read yesterday, He makes wonderful provision in many ways for us, His children. He even provides help for us  in our praying.  Maybe we think that we must pray right to get what we need and that it all depends on us. But our verse today reminds us that by ourselves we don't really know how we should pray or what to pray for. That's why God has given us His Holy Spirit to teach us how to pray and even to step up, on our behalf, and help our prayers. So, not only does the Holy Spirit give us guidance about what to pray for, He also prays for us. In our verses we read that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in a way that is according to God's will. Yes, the Holy Spirit knows what God wants us to pray for and He makes certain that our prayers are given in the way that is God's will.  Now, that is a promise that fills us with encouragement and joy. 

May 8 – Light Out of Darkness

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 (ESV)

God is more involved in our lives than we actually realize most of the time. One of the aspects His of involvement is mentioned the our Bible verse today. When God created the universe including this world in which we live, a part of the process was the creation of light. All was in darkness until He said “Let there be light.” God is still bringing light and we, His creatures, benefit from this process. God wants us all to experience His light in our hearts. He wants us to comprehend how glorious He is. Our verse tells us that we can appreciate God's glory as we come to know Jesus better. As we realize what God wants to show us and teach us, let's open our hearts to let the light of His glory shine in. We have this promise that we receive the light which is the knowledge of God.

April 11 – Rule of Peace

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15 (ESV)

Peace was a subject which Jesus Christ talked about often when he was on this earth during his public ministry. He was aware that there were a lot of things in this world which create confusion and unrest. And these days, we are seeing a growing resistance to Christian things and to those who believe in Jesus. Today we look at a verse that promises what Jesus offered – to give His people peace in their hearts.  He still wants our hearts to be at peace even when our circumstances might not be so peaceful. Our verse speaks of Christ's peace RULING in our hearts.  If His peace is king of our heart  and if it has control of our thinking it will keep disturbing thoughts out. There will still be unsettling thoughts trying to get into our thinking and distract us from His promises but if we allow Christ's peace to RULE it will keep them out.  How does this happen? It happens when we let it happen by choice because that is God's will for us. 

April 2 – On the Road to Understanding

“They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”” Luke 24:32 (NIV)

For us Resurrection Day is past for this year but we can remember His resurrection every Sunday and even every day.  The Bible records some important events which happened on the day that Jesus arose from the dead, both in the morning and later in the day. In the Gospel of Luke we have recorded the account of two disciples who were traveling to the small town of Emmaus and they are met by Jesus. They were disturbed by what they had heard and Jesus encourages them by explaining what the Old Testament had taught them about Him, long before He came to earth. After Jesus suddenly leaves them, as they begin to share a meal, the two disciples marveled at what He had explained to them. Their reaction is recorded in our verse today.  Jesus had opened the Scriptures to them and their understanding and it had warmed their hearts. There is so much in the Bible that is there to warm our hearts too.  The Holy Spirit is here to open the heart-warming truths for us.  Let's be sure we open our eyes as we open our Bibles often and open our hearts to God's wonderful truths and promises. 

Where was Emmaus?  


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January 10 – Umpires and Referees

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Colossians 3:15 9 (NASB)

We find an interesting thought in our verse today. These words were written first to people who were familiar and acquainted with athletic contests in the Greek world.  In these sports and games of that day there would be someone appointed to make decisions when questions came up. In the same way, we have umpires, referees and judges today keeping order in athletic contests.  So, what we find our verse saying to us is that we should allow the peace of Christ to be our referee. We should use His peace to rule in our hearts and when there is a disturbing question about something, we should let God's peace make the decision. Instead of worrying about something we can not control, we can let God's peace control our thinking. That's what God called us to and it is our promise from Him that He will rule correctly on our behalf. 

December 12 – Feeble Hands, Shaky Knees

“Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come,” Isaiah 35: 3-4a  (NIV)

A couple of days ago we saw the promise of eternal source of encouragement and today's verse shows us a way we are encouraged. These words are interesting because they mention feeble hands and knees that give way. But it is also clear that weak hands and shaky knees are caused by fearful hearts. So, what the Lord promises us is that He will come and He will strengthen our hearts so that we do not need to fear. When we trust him to help us not fear, that will make our hands and our knees strong. When we have needs like this in our lives our God is aware of them and He promises to come to help us. If we know that God will respond in this way, it encourages us to depend on Him and press on, whatever is ahead in our path. 

November 27 – Our Light Within

“For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV) 

Our Father in heaven has done so very much for us. Our Bible verse today reminds us of one aspect of His action in our lives and that is that God created light in the very beginning. He is a God of light in many ways and our verse reminds us that He brings that light into our hearts. Without it we are filled with darkness. Isn't it wonderful to know that we don't have to live in that darkness or with it in our hearts? God has made his light shine in our hearts and it is a glorious light for us who have believed. Be encouraged today as you recognize that God is a God of glory and He wants us to know of His glory. It is a promise that will bring light to our hearts and to our lives. 

May 23 – Fully Committed Heart

“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”  2 Chronicles 16:9a  (NIV) 

These words were spoken to Asa the King of Judah. Asa had been a good King who had followed God for most of his reign but at the end  when threatened by an enemy, he forgot God's past deliverance and acted out of fear. Through His prophet, God reminded Asa what it was that He wanted to find – a heart that was committed to Him. We are never out of the sight of God. He watches over all the earth and he knows where we are and what we are doing. These words have always been true and are true today. They are given to us to encourage us to always remain committed to our Lord. He looks in our hearts and he will strengthen us when he finds our hearts are fully committed to Him.  He will help us today to please Him and to live for Him.

May 15 – Lacking Nothing

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:9-10 (NIV)

The people who these words were first written for – the believers in city of Colossae – were people just like us. They were people who heard that Jesus had died for them to bring them into God's family. They needed to understand how much God had done for them,and that is what we need too.  Our verses tell us that in Christ is the fullness of God Himself living in bodily form.  Christ lacked nothing.  God has placed us in Christ and has given us fullness in Christ. This means that as we trust the Lord we have all that we need.  Are we waiting to receive something more? We already have it. In Christ we don't have just a portion of what we need – we have all of it, here is nothing lacking. We have fullness in Christ. Let's live today knowing that we have fullness of joy and peace in Jesus. Our hearts can be filled as full as our verse says. 

May 7 – A Steadfast Heart

“Praise the Lord. Blessed are those who fear the Lord, who find great delight in his commands.” Psalm 112:1 (NIV)
“They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.”  Psalm 112:7 (NIV)

We have chosen these two verses which reminded us of steadfast heart. The last words of verse 7 describes a picture of a heart that is resting on something solid so that it is not shaken no matter what happens. When the world around us is unstable and coming apart our hearts can remain unmoved. The verses today explain how this comes about. It is by trusting in the Lord. What else could provide a more solid foundation than our God? As we trust and fear the Lord we find satisfaction in his promises and commands. We won't be bothered by things  going on around us. Our feelings and our thoughts will always be steady knowing that God is faithful. Today, let's be like the person in the verse. Praise the Lord and trust in the Lord.