Daily Devotion
September 17, 2026
Hebrews 10:22 “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water”
Hebrews was written to the Jews who were coming to Christ after centuries of being under the law. The law kept people away from the presence of God by the veil that separated them from the Holy of Holies, where the glory of God overshadowed the mercy seat, or lid of the ark of the covenant. But Jesus changed all that, and now there is a welcome sign for us into the very presence of God. Hebrews 10:19 says, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,” and Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Notice that in both verses the word “boldly” describes how we can approach the Lord, meaning openly, freely, confidently, and completely assured of acceptance. One thing that sometimes blocks a believer’s faith when coming to God is the consciousness of sin and the guilt that we are far from perfect. This is what today’s verse is referring to when it says our hearts have been sprinkled to clear our evil conscience. Exodus 24:8 says, “And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.” The blood-sprinkled people were identified as God’s covenant people. God now sees us sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ and accepts us completely because of what Christ has done for us. It is by this that we have the confidence to draw near to Him without a guilty conscience. Any memory of sin is our own, for the Lord does not remember our sins and counts us as completely righteous through Christ. When we don’t understand or believe what Jesus did for us and how God now sees us, we are apt to live with a sense of condemnation, stumbling in our faith. We may think the Lord is not listening to us, that He is angry with us, or that we are not worthy to enter His presence. But the very purpose of Jesus coming to earth and dying a horrible, sacrificial death was so we could be eternally forgiven and enjoy being in God’s presence. The evil conscience is no longer a barrier when we see ourselves sprinkled with the blood of Christ and know that we have an open invitation to draw near to God.
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September 16, 2026
James 2:5 “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?”
This chapter of James reminds us that when wealthy people are honored and poor people are neglected, it is not pleasing to the Lord. When well-dressed and obviously affluent people come to church and are made welcome, ushered to the best seats, and given great respect while poor people are treated as if they are inferior, James says this is division and proof of evil thinking. In the eyes of the world, wealth is something to be admired. When people become wealthy, they are often envied and seen as privileged. They are frequently the ones who become politicians and leaders who make the rules and control others. But Jesus said in Matthew 19:23, “Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven.” He said this when the rich young ruler came to Him asking how to be saved, but walked away sorrowful because his wealth had become a barrier to his faith. He refused to give up his money and his love for it. What his wealth afforded him was more precious to him than his soul. Wealth, possessions, and the elixir of affluence can blind people to their need for the cross of Jesus Christ and rob them of the most priceless treasure of all: a born-again, eternally saved relationship with the Lord of heaven and earth. It doesn’t take a lot of wealth. Sometimes, just the notion that there is a possibility they might become wealthier than they are is enough to poison the mind against following Christ. God’s heart is towards the poor because money and the pride it causes have not contaminated them against the truth. The words of today’s verse may be bitter on the tongue of a world that seeks wealth, power, and pleasure, but they are sweet to those who have humble hearts and acknowledge their need of the Savior. For believers, we have the wonderful promise of Psalms 41:1-3: “Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble…” Today’s verse says that God has chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith. This does not mean that every poor person is saved or that every wealthy person is lost. It means that earthly wealth is no measure of spiritual riches. A humble heart that knows its need of Christ possesses something money can never buy. For in Christ, the poorest believer is an heir of the kingdom.
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September 15, 2026
2 Corinthians 4:8 “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair”
We might as well be honest and admit it: Nowadays, this verse seems to describe our situation every day. When the Apostle Paul wrote these words, he was describing the troubles the early church was enduring. The word trouble here means crowded, under pressure, and afflicted in some way. And yet, believers keep moving forward, not distressed, meaning crushed and broken down. The same God who saved our souls is always with us. When the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 1:4 that God comforts us in all our tribulations, it means that He helps us in times of trouble. Joseph spent several years in trouble when his brothers did him dirty, he was sold as a slave, and he was falsely arrested and put in jail. But the Lord was with him through every situation, and He will always be with us to help us, comfort us, and bring us through. Our part is to keep looking to Him, praying to Him, and trusting His promises, knowing that even when it seems hopeless, the Lord will not fail. The Bible also says that we are perplexed, which means, “To be at a loss with one’s self, to be in doubt, confused, and not knowing how to decide or what to do.” The more we look at the world around us, the more confused we become. Politics, the economy, the moral codes of our world, growing violence, and the uncertainty of everything make no sense. Some people are trying to scam us, steal our identities, rob us in broad daylight, and even kidnap people and children to sell them as slaves. And it seems no one is doing anything about it. Politicians and many news outlets act as if all is well, telling us lies and expecting us to believe they are acting in our best interests. We are perplexed, yet the Lord tells us we are not in despair because we know the eyes of the Lord see it all, and He is not confused. He is coming soon to bring order to this fallen, depraved world and its nations. Revelation 2:27 says, “And he shall rule them with a rod of iron.” We are perplexed because what once seemed right, normal, and true has been replaced with wrong, perverse, and false. But these things are also reminders that God is still in control. He will set all creation in order and repair what people have destroyed. Until then, we keep looking to Him, trusting Him, and standing on His promises. We are not distressed, and we are not in despair.
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September 14, 2026
Proverbs 3:27 “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it”
The principle taught here is that when we have been blessed, we should look for opportunities to do good to others. Unfortunately, we too often see this as concerning money and offerings, but it is about anything we are able to do that is a blessing and help to someone else. The parable of the Good Samaritan is our Lord’s example of how to love others by aiding them in their times of need. Two religious men walked by a wounded, half-dead man lying in the ditch and looked at him. Both had the ability to do something to help him, yet both stepped to the other side of the road and went on their way. When tested to do good, they failed the test. The Good Samaritan, considered an unreligious person by the Jews, did what was right. He was willing and able, and he came to the bleeding, hurting man in the power of kindness. The Bible says he had compassion on him and began to treat his wounds and bandage him. Then he loaded him on his animal and took him to the safety of an inn, where he cared for him. Simply put, we have the ability to help others. Maybe with a kind word, a show of respect, our presence, a heartfelt prayer, or any number of other ways, we can do good when someone is in a moment of need. It is the reflection of Galatians 6:10, “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith”. We also have the promise of Hebrews 6:10, “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name”. If we withhold acts of kindness and goodness from people, what kind of Believers are we? Aren’t we walking in the shoes of the religious men in the account of the Good Samaritan? I believe the Holy Spirit within us calls us to reach out to those who need us, and as we bless them, the Lord blesses us. A summary of these thoughts is that God gives us opportunities every day to do good. When we have the ability to help someone, let us not withhold it. A kind word, a helping hand, a prayer, or simply being there may be the very blessing someone needs. Let us be willing to do good whenever it is in our power to do it.
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September 13, 2026
1 Corinthians 13:12 “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known”
No matter how much we know about the Bible or how closely we walk with the Lord, all our knowledge and experiences are imperfect. The word glass in the above verse isn’t referring to a pane of glass like a window, for those hadn’t been invented for use in Bible times. Here, the word comes from the Greek word for mirror, or what has commonly been called a looking glass. Those ancient mirrors weren’t made of glass but highly polished metal, like bronze, and even at their finest they rendered a distorted, unclear, and darker reflection. On this side of eternity, we will always have an incomplete understanding of the ways and things of God. But a day is coming when the cloud of humanness will be lifted, and we will see God face to face. Just as the Lord sees us completely and clearly, we will see Him unobscured, and our understanding will be opened. We will know just as we are known by Him. This verse is often used to prove that we will know each other in heaven, but that isn’t the context of this passage. Paul is dealing with spiritual gifts and their necessity in this imperfect realm. A better passage that shows we will keep our identities in heaven and know each other is Luke 9:30-31, “And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.” Moses and Elijah had been gone for centuries, yet they were back in glorified forms, known by their names and in a discussion with the Lord. The disciples who were there that day with Jesus also knew who they were, showing us that those who have departed remain who they are. Sometimes in this life, mountaintop seasons of victory and glory are followed by valleys where we deal with this world’s craziness on our jobs, family issues, and the everyday necessities of living. Our peaks into eternal things are sometimes few and far between while we do the laundry, clean the house, pay the bills, raise the children, and all the other millions of things it takes to keep going. God has ordered it that this is the getting-ready place, an opportunity to prepare for the life coming after this life. He isn’t angry with us because of our inability to see clearly as in a darkened mirror. That’s just the nature of this phase of our heavenward journey. But soon, all the dark clouds will be lifted, and as today’s verse tells us, we will be face to face with our Lord.
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September 12, 2026
2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad”
The judgment seat of Christ referred to here is not the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20:11. The judgment seat of Christ, the Bema in the Greek, is where believers will have their works reviewed after salvation. We will be judged according to our works and, more importantly, the motives behind those works, but not to determine whether or not we will enter heaven, as some erroneously teach. 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 gives us more understanding: “Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.” It goes on to say, “If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.” The picture is like someone escaping a burning building, while the fire separates the valuable materials from the refuse. The Bible says Christ is our foundation, but we have a responsibility for what we build upon that foundation. Just as a building’s strength and value are determined by the materials used in its construction, our works will one day be exposed to the piercing truth of our all-knowing Lord. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 3:11) God is not browbeating us here to make us fearful for our souls. He is reminding us that when it comes to rewards, He will be completely fair and just. He will not judge merely by what we did, but by why we did it. It is possible to live our lives as saved people, amassing a pile of great works that look religious, benevolent, and Godly, only to have them burned away because we did them for recognition, money, selfish ambition, or some other reason that was not for the glory of God. Then there will be those who never appeared to do great things down here, but what they did was done from an honest and good heart for the cause of Christ. At the Bema seat, they may receive great rewards. One thing is certain: on that day, all pretenses and ulterior motives will be stripped away, and the secrets of our hearts will be laid bare before we take another step into eternity. We would do well to remember the words of British missionary C.T. Studd: “Only one life, ’twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”
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September 11, 2026
Titus 3:2 “To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men”
The “no man” here means “not even one man or woman” and includes everyone we can think of or imagine, including the president, our spouses, the people we work with, and our in-laws. It’s the neighbors next door, and especially our brothers and sisters in Christ. This is given again in James 4:11, “Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law.” The phrase “to speak evil” comes from a similar but different Greek word, katalaleo, meaning to talk against, blab about, or slander. The idea is that we set ourselves up as a lawgiver and put ourselves in God’s place as the righteous judge. When emotions run high, it’s sometimes difficult to hold our tongues when speaking about other people, especially when we are surrounded by a culture of slandering, insulting, and screeching, opinionated news and social media platforms, not to mention almost everyone within earshot. God is calling us to dethrone ourselves from our perches of judgment, ridicule, and opinions, for therein lies the pride of self-esteem and self-will exercised at the expense of others. Jesus is always compassionate toward us, and His love covers our sins without a rebuttal or condescending word from Him. But as the Book of James reminds us, it’s hard to bridle our tongue, think twice before we open our mouths, beat down our pride, and admit that our opinions don’t often matter since they usually come with a boatload of criticism and negativity. For decades we’ve been flooded with sitcoms and shows where people and families insult and humiliate each other, call each other disrespectful names, and spew critical one-liners as if that’s the way relationships are supposed to be. The Lord has appointed us to a higher standard, to lives of meekness and gentleness that will not be given to brawling, meaning to battle, quarrel, fight, strive, or engage in controversy. Mostly, our evil speaking is made up of patterns and habits, learned behavior that we’ve come to follow almost mindlessly. We need the Holy Spirit’s help to change, and it might begin with a self-examination of the way we see others and what is in our hearts toward them. We can couple that with an awareness of how it affects us when others speak evil or negatively against us. May God help us use our words to bless, encourage, speak peace and life, and leave the rest to Him.
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September 10, 2026
1 Corinthians 2:16 “For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ”
Our minds are thought-producing machines. Some people are continually blasted with so many thoughts they’re said to have minds that “race,” making it difficult to stay focused on any particular thing. We can’t always keep thoughts from coming to us, but we can limit how much time we allow ourselves to ponder them. The depth of our joy and peace, and our ability to maintain a faithful and positive frame of mind, is greatly affected by what we think about and how long we allow those thoughts to remain. Many of our greatest victories and defeats are not physical battles but battles that rage within us. God’s Word says in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5, “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds 😉 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” The phrase “strong holds” literally refers to a fortress, but figuratively it can refer to a mindset that becomes a defense or argument supporting and solidifying our point of view. Our goal is to capture, subdue, and bring our thoughts under control so that what we think becomes more like Christ. The portion of Scripture containing today’s verse speaks about the wisdom of this world and the wisdom and mind of the Lord. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 3:19, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God,” and verse 20 adds, “The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” Concerning the thoughts of Almighty God, Isaiah 55:9 says, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” But praise God, we have the mind of Christ. This means having His desire to follow His Father’s will, His heart of compassion, His humility before God and man, His honor for the Word of God, and His motives and actions that did not follow the ways of the world. We all have thoughts of selfishness, pride, deceit, revenge, and other things the flesh can conjure. But the Holy Spirit stands ready to help us cast down those imaginations and bring our thoughts back to the truth of God. When our minds stray, we can pray that the Holy Spirit will remind us that outside the mind of Christ, there is no lasting peace, joy, freedom, or contentment.
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September 9, 2026
Psalms 84:11 “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
When Jesus began His earthly ministry, the Bible says in Matthew 4:16, “The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.” John 1:4 tells us, “In him was life; and the life was the light of men,” followed by verse 9, “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” As believers, we walk the journey of life in the light of the Lord. Today’s verse calls Him a sun, and because His light shines, we do not have to stumble through the darkness of sin, falseness, and the ways of death. While we are aware of the condition of this world and our culture, and while we know what is being said on the news and social media, we do not have to be influenced or driven by it. The light of God reveals the truth, and the truth sets us free (John 8:32). But the Lord is not only our sun; He is also our shield. A shield speaks of protection, and the Lord has placed us in a position of safety under His care. He is our shield from the fiery darts of the enemy, the storms of life, the words and actions of those who seek our demise, and all that comes against us. He stands between us and the forces that are against us, for we are hidden in Him (Colossians 3:3). The Lord knows our circumstances, and He has promised to make a way of escape when we are tested, giving us the assurance that we will not be overcome (1 Corinthians 10:13). He affirmed to Abraham in Genesis 15:1, “Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.” David declared in Psalms 3:3, “But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.” The picture of a shield was easy to understand in Bible times, when soldiers carried swords, spears, and shields. In our daily lives, that picture has shifted to things such as bulletproof vests and other forms of defense, but the bottom line remains the same: our God is our Creator and our heavenly Father. We are valuable to Him, loved by Him, and cared for by Him. He owns our souls, oversees our lives, and has secured our future. He is our sun when the path grows dark, and He is our shield when the battle comes. What a wonderful assurance for every child of God. He gives us light to see the way and protection as we walk it.
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September 8, 2026
Hebrews 4:16 “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need”
Sometimes when people think about the throne of God, they picture a place of judgment like the Scriptures speak of in Revelation 20:11-15. And the white throne judgment is a real thing where, at the end of all things, people who have rejected God’s gift of salvation will stand before Him and be judged for their sins. But for believers, there is another throne that is promised to us in today’s verse, and we have an open invitation to come to that throne every day of our lives. It is called “The throne of grace,” and it is there that we find mercy and the grace of God to help us in our times of need. As far as the white throne judgment is concerned, Jesus abolished our sins on His cross of shame, and we no longer appear as sinners in the sight of God. The Bible says in 1 John 3:5, “And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin”. John the Baptist spoke of Jesus when he said in John 1:29, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”. Christians have then been delivered from God’s judgment and wrath, and have been invited to “come boldly unto the throne of grace”. There is no reason for us to live as if we are all alone with no help from God. There is no reason for us to carry our burdens, resigned to always live with discouragement and defeat, and feel as if we are victims of this world. We have a place of safety, a place where the mercy and grace of God flow freely like a life-giving fountain of water, and God calls us to Himself, into His very presence. We might think He will reject us or that we’re not good enough to be welcome. But the invitation to come boldly means without reservation, without fear or hesitation. The Bible says in Hebrews 10:19, “Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus”, and it means we are welcome to continually come into the very presence of God. Do you need mercy and grace? Do you need God’s favor on you to help you in your time of need? Do you need answers to your prayers and comfort in your trials? Then you are invited with the Lord’s welcome to come to His throne of grace. It’s His amazing grace, how sweet the sound that’s waiting for you.
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September 7, 2026
Matthew 10:32 “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven”
When Jesus called His disciples, he did so publicly. He called to them at the seaside, and other places where they were out in the open, and then they openly followed Him. Publicly confessing our faith in Jesus Christ is part of the evidence that we believe in Him. It is so important that the Scriptures tell us in Romans 10:9-11, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed”. The thought that we can be believers but remain silent about our faith in Christ because of shame or embarrassment is unbiblical because the Bible says here, quoting Isaiah, “Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed”. The Lord said in 1 Samuel 2:30, “for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed”. Jesus said that when we confess our allegiance to Him, He also will confess His allegiance to us before God the Father. In today’s world, many churches have dismissed studying the catechisms, such as the Westminster, as part of their Bible studies, and stopped learning the Apostles’ Creed with its declaration of faith in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, seeing it all as unnecessary. And yet church pews are filled with people who do not understand God’s purpose and plan of salvation and who will not publicly confess their faith in Jesus Christ. It is not enough to merely entertain the thought or idea of believing, for the Bible says in James 2:19, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble”. If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died, was buried, and arose from the grave, and if you trust Him as your Savior, then confess Him. Read today’s verse again: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven” and act on it. Tell someone you believe Jesus is the Son of God, and that you have received Him as your Savior. Let your confession be evidence of your faith.
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September 6, 2026
Psalms 116:1 “I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications.”
The desire to be with someone, to hear their voice, to care for them above your own self, and to participate in their life are all a part of relationships built on love. The Scriptures tell us that one of the fundamentals of our faith is to love the Lord. For most of us, loving the Lord is a growing, continuing pursuit we experience step by step, and it is to this we look in today’s devotion to encourage us all to love the Lord. The Psalmist says he loves the Lord because He listens to his voice and prayers, and this sets the groundwork for meditating on the goodness of God in our desire to love Him more. When we know that our Creator, the Creator of all that is, cares so much for us that He takes a personal interest in what we say and what we pray, He is no longer just a God we hear about in church or cry out to whenever we’re being bowled over in life. He is reaching out to us in a way that few people ever do by proving He is interested in us and listening. The Lord initiated the relationship we have with Him, and the Bible says in 1 John 4:19, “We love him, because he first loved us.” He made the first move by demonstrating love, mercy, and grace when we were unlovable. Our God is close to us, as He says in Jeremiah 23:23, “Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?” It is by His desire and purpose that He determined to love us even while we had no desire for Him. On His side of the relationship, He is faithful, loyal, giving, kind, compassionate, patient, merciful, and understanding. He came to us when we couldn’t and wouldn’t reach out to Him, and then He promised to never leave us. Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” He has all the bases covered and is completely doing what He promised by loving us as no one else can. Let’s reach out to Him at His invitation and declare with today’s verse, “I love the Lord!” God loved us first and continues to love us faithfully. When we recognize that He hears our voice, listens to our prayers, and cares about our lives, our love for Him should naturally grow. Today, let’s remember His goodness and simply say from our hearts, “I love the Lord!”
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September 5, 2026
Philippians 1:20 “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death”
We live with expectations about how things are going to be and how things will work out. Disappointments, or at least surprises, come when things don’t turn out the way we expect. When our server sets our meal in front of us, we expect things to taste a certain way. We climb into our car and expect it to start because that’s what it normally does. We expect our friends and family to behave and act in their normal ways, and when they don’t, we sense something is amiss. Today’s Scripture was written by the Apostle Paul when he was under arrest in Rome, awaiting his court appearance before Caesar. We might think he was worried sick, knowing his immediate future was in the hands of Nero, a man known for his hatred of Christians. Nero could either grant him freedom and life or command his death. But Paul’s resounding words were that he had an earnest expectation and hope, meaning a persistent, driving expectation and confidence that whatever happened to him, whether life or death, the result would be good. His faith in the Lord and his understanding of who he was as a believer led him to expect his future to be something that honored God and benefited the cause of Christ. That’s a startling thought because history tells us Paul was eventually martyred, yet his concern was not about his situation or what might happen to him. His concern was that his life would not bring shame to Jesus Christ. His boldness assured him that it would not, and that was his earnest expectation and hope. What is our expectation of our Christian life? Is the pattern we’re following one that brings honor to the Lord, or one that produces regrets and missteps? God has not called us to bondage and a heavy yoke, but to the faithfulness of an honest heart and Christ-like living. He has given us the Holy Spirit and equipped us to follow Him steadfastly, so that we might imitate our Savior and refuse to identify with the darkness of this world. We expect the Lord to be faithful to us, to keep His promises, to never walk away from us, and to order our steps. Our expectation for the future is founded on God’s Word and the assurance that our path can shine brighter and brighter with hope and encouragement. Our circumstances may not always turn out as we expect, but we can have an earnest expectation and hope in Christ. Whatever comes our way, may our greatest desire be that Christ is magnified in our lives.
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September 4, 2026
Lamentations 3:25-26 “The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD”
Jeremiah, sometimes referred to as “The Weeping Prophet,” wrote the book of Lamentations as he watched his nation being destroyed. He wept for the hopelessness of the people he loved and said in Jeremiah 9:1, “Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!” Just like many people today, Israel had stood proudly in their arrogance and stubbornness, believing God would not dare to punish them for their sin. They had even convinced themselves it wasn’t really rebellion at all because if God existed, they were His “favorites,” and He wouldn’t have the audacity to come down hard on them. But they were wrong, and He did. Yet in the middle of all Jeremiah’s lamenting came a message and glimmer of hope, as stated in today’s verse. When we look to God with expectation, waiting upon Him for His will and timing, He promises that we can be sure of His goodness to us. The Lord then says it’s a good thing when we put our hope in Him and bring it all down to a place of quietness while we wait upon His deliverance. For us, this means lowering our voices of anger at the current system, knowing that no matter how big the problem is, God is bigger. It means stopping our engagement with the tornadic forces of confusion and blame that sow the seeds of fear, distrust, and despair, and instead, we believe what the Word of God declares. God sets leaders up and brings them down. He will never forsake His people, no matter the condition of the world they’re in. Everything was foreknown by our God, and He isn’t stressed out, wringing His hands and wondering how to fix earthly messes. And everything that’s happening is pointing us to the return of our Lord. To both hope and quietly wait for God’s deliverance was the Word of God given to Israel in their time of certain destruction, and it’s the same Word that speaks to us, no matter how dark the clouds appear. Our hope is real and certain and carries the promise of Psalm 46:1-2, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.”
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September 3, 2026
Psalms 146:5 “Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God”
Are you happy? I heard a minister once say that God didn’t save us to make us happy, and I wanted to ask him then, why did He give us His Word such as Psalms 144:15, “yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD”? The teaching that happiness is a state of emotion that we have now and then, but is not permanent or normal, is not the teaching of the Scriptures. Some people want to use the verse about our Lord in Isaiah 53:3: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief,” and tell us that if we want to be like Jesus, we must walk afflicted and sorrowful with a sense of grief. But Jesus became sin for us and tasted sorrow and death in our place so that we could have the fullness of joy and peace. Today’s verse spells it out clearly: when we have the Lord and our hope is in Him, we are happy. The Hebrew word here for happiness is “esher” and occurs in the Psalms more than anywhere else in the Bible. Sometimes, such as in Psalms 1:1, it is translated as “blessed,” and one of its literal meanings is the interjection, “How Happy!” Happiness is not just the state of being blessed but is really from the conscious awareness that we are blessed. We can have all we need, be in good health, be surrounded by people who love us, and still be miserable. On the other hand, we can be in the middle of a life storm, going through a stressful trial, or having a great need, yet remembering the Lord is with us, and that He will bring us through. We can be as happy as if we were sailing through life with clear skies. It depends on what we choose to believe and fill our minds with. Those who fill up with the world’s news, its opinions, and the negativity of those around them, and allow the whispering of the enemy to be their voice of consolation, will usually live in a state of unhappiness. They will not be confident and comforted that the Lord is in full control and that He is working all things for their good. But I ask you: Are you saved? Has the Lord promised to never leave you, provide all your needs, work all things for your good, and cover you with His favor? Did He fill the pages of His Word with everlasting promises to you? Then let the awareness of the truth rise up within you and declare, “He has made me happy!”
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September 2, 2026
Hebrews 13:3 “Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.”
This verse in Hebrews 13:3 tells us to think about those Christians who are suffering persecution because of their faith. We are reminded that the persecution of Christians began shortly after the church began on the day of Pentecost. Through the book of Acts, the historical record of the church’s beginnings, believers were imprisoned, beaten, threatened, and even killed. As the church grew, so did the threats against it and the violence against Christians. For a time, the hatred against Christians increased until the slaughter of believers became public entertainment. In the Roman amphitheaters, spectators watched faithful followers of Jesus, sometimes entire families, being beheaded, fed to lions, burned alive, and massacred as if they were watching a theatrical production. We are encouraged by this verse to consider those imprisoned and suffering greatly in places like China, North Korea, Burma, Eritrea, Pakistan, and Vietnam as if we ourselves were imprisoned. To do so requires a willing effort to allow the Holy Spirit to help us visualize what they are enduring for their faith. It means we can no longer take our precious freedom for granted or lightly value it. When our heart is fixed on their circumstances, we will cry out to God on their behalf. We also consider those who are suffering, where the phrase in this verse “suffer adversity” also means to be tortured, injured, and held as worthless, as if we can feel their pain in our own bodies. Many believers are daily harassed, wounded, publicly mocked, and shunned. Some have their possessions taken, their houses looted and burned, their churches desecrated and destroyed, and are unable to find employment because employers will not hire them. Their families are threatened, their children bullied, and every move they make is watched, scrutinized, and reported. When we feel their sorrow and join in prayer to our God on their behalf, we enter into the presence of the Lord, sharing in their persecution. In our abundance of freedom, our prayers often center around our personal discomforts, lists of requests for ourselves and our families, and a small circle of needs and wants. This isn’t a bad thing, but it can leave a void that should be filled by prayers for others, especially those persecuted for their faith, some of whom will be martyred as a testimony of their allegiance to Christ Jesus. May we begin considering them in our thoughts and prayers, looking forward to the day when Jesus returns and the people of God will suffer no more.
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September 1, 2026
1 John 2:15 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
The world spoken of here is not the earth, but it refers to all the things of this life that do not belong to God but are a part of the world system around us. The Lord is telling us to stay away from all it offers because it will bring us nothing but sorrow. This teaching is often not mentioned or expounded because it makes people cringe, uncomfortable, and might even seem unkind to a church-world wallowing in social and political correctness. Our call as believers is in 2 Corinthians 6:17-18, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” It immediately follows the teaching in verse 14 where the Lord says, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” There should be no doubt in a Christian’s mind and heart about what their response should be concerning right and wrong. While none of us always choose God’s will with every choice we make, we must own our actions. And when we deviate from what God has declared is right, we should be ready and willing to repent. To live in a pig’s sty as a prodigal when our Father has the best for us is inexcusable. Right and wrong are not determined by current trends, fashionable preaching, human opinions, our emotions, or anything else, but by the Word of God. When we hear the call, as in today’s verse, to “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world,” God isn’t trying to keep us from enjoying life, but to take us away from the entrapment of a system that the Lord will judge and destroy. The Christian’s call and duty to refuse to be a part of the world’s views, manners, and methods are, for the most part, no longer a consideration in modern theology and teaching. There has been a swarm toward inclusiveness across all denominations and non-denominational groups and ministries, accompanied by the abandonment of the moral high ground that once characterized the church. That path passes itself off as the truth, claiming to be able to win lost people by pantomiming the culture. Bot, it leads to compromise and lukewarm folly. The Lord said, speaking to the weak and faithless Laodicean church in Revelation 3:16, “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”
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