Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY APRIL 19, 2026.

SUBJECT : GOD’S STANDARDS OF MORAL UPRIGHTNESS! 

Memory verse: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6 vs 8.)

READ: Psalm 15 vs 1 - 5:

15:1: LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

15:2:He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart;

15:3: He who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbour, nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;

15:4: In whose eyes a vile person is despised; but he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt, and does not change;

15:5: He who does not put out his money at usury, nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

INTIMATION:

God calls His people to be morally upright, and, in the passage we read today, He gives us eleven standards or principles to determine how we are doing; (1) to walk uprightly (righteous behavior of life), (2) to work righteousness (do that which is good in response to faith), (3) to speak the truth (do not lie or speak hypocritically), (4) not to backbite (do not speak behind the back of someone in order to destroy his or her reputation), (5) not to do evil, (6) not to take up a reproach against a friend (do not slander a friend). (7) to despise a vile person (to be disgusted with those who do wickedly), (8) to honor those you fear the Lord (align with those who do good).

Others are (9) to swear to one’s own hurt (though it may be to his own detriment, he promises to do that which is right and fair to his neighbor), (10) do not put your money at usury (seeks to help his or her neighbor by lending money without interest, and thus does not take advantage of one’s neighbor when he or she has fallen into hard times). God is against charging interest or making a profit on loans to the needy among His people. Interest is permitted for business purposes, as long as it isn’t exorbitant (Proverbs 28 vs 8), and (11) do not take bribe (bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous). Being a dependable person, the one who lives according to the preceding principles will not be changed by the changing times. 

People have tried all kinds of ways to please God, but God has made His wishes clear. He wants His people to do what is just, love mercy, and walk humbly with Him. We live among evil people whose standards and morals are eroding. Our standards for living should not come from our evil society but from God. Therefore, in your efforts to please God, examine these aforestated standards or principles on a regular basis. 

Words are powerful, and how you use them reflects on your relationship with God. Perhaps nothing do identify Christians as much as their ability to control their speech—speaking the truth, refusing to slander, and keeping oaths (promises). We may be tempted to believe that some lies are relatively harmless, even useful at times. But God does not overlook lies, flattery, deception, or boasting. Each of these sins originates from a bad attitude that is eventually expressed in our speech. The tongue can be our greatest enemy because, though small, it can do great damage (James 3 vs 5 - 6).

God greatly values honesty! Dishonesty comes easily, especially when complete truthfulness could cost us something, makes us uncomfortable, or put us in an unfavorable light. Dishonest communication hinders relationships. Without honesty, a relationship with God is impossible. If we lie to others, we will begin to deceive ourselves. God cannot hear us or speak to us if we are building a wall of self-deception.

Making up or spreading false reports is strictly forbidden by God. Gossip, slander and false witnessing would undermine families, strain neighborhood cooperation, and make chaos of the justice system. Destructive gossip causes problems everywhere and anytime. Even if you do not initiate a lie, you become responsible if you pass it along. Don’t circulate rumors; squelch them. 

In the heat of emotion or personal turmoil it is easy to make foolish promises to God. These promises may sound very spiritual when we make them, but they may produce only guilt and frustration when we are forced to fulfill them. Making spiritual “deals” only brings disappointment. God does not want promises for the future, but obedience for today.

Sinners cannot live in the presence of a holy God, for He is like a fire that devours evil. Only those who walk uprightly and speak what is right can live with God. We demonstrate our righteousness and uprightness by rejecting gain from extortion and bribes, refuse to listen to plots of wrong actions, and shut our eyes to evil. If we are fair and honest in our relationships, we will dwell with God, and He will supply our needs. 

God wants changed lives. He wants His people to be fair, just, merciful, and humble. God wants us to become living sacrifices (Romans 12 vs 1 - 2); not just doing religious deeds, but living rightly. it is impossible to follow God consistently without His transforming love in our hearts. As we grow in our relationship with our Redeemer, we develop a desire to live by His standards. The depth of our eternal relationship with Him can often be measured by the way we reflect His standards in our daily activities.

Prayer: Abba Father, give me the grace to follow after the standards or principles of life approved by You; that I will walk uprightly, work righteousness, speak the truth, not slander, backbite, nor do evil, show mercy, despise the wicked, align with those who do good, do justice at all cost, not take bribe, and be helpful to others, so help me God, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

A Future for Failures

 A Future for Failures

“Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.” (1 Samuel 12:20–22)

When the Israelites have been brought to fear and they repent of their sin of demanding that Samuel give them a king to be like the other nations, then comes the good news: “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil.” Do you hear how backward that sounds — how wonderfully backward? You might expect him to say, “Fear, for you have done all this evil.” That’s a good reason to fear: you have done the great evil of demanding another king besides God! But that’s not what Samuel says. “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil.”

He goes on, “Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty.”

This is the gospel: Even though you have sinned greatly, and terribly dishonored the Lord, even though you now have a king which it was a sin to demand, even though there is no undoing that sin or its painful consequences that are yet to come, nevertheless there is a future and a hope. There is mercy.

Fear not! Fear not!

Then comes the great ground — the basis and foundation — of the gospel in 1 Samuel 12:22. Why don’t you need to fear, even though you have done all this evil? “For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.” 

The ground of the gospel is God’s commitment to his own name. Did you hear it? Don’t fear, though you have sinned, “The Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake.” This should have two effects on you: heart-breaking humility and toe-tapping happiness. Humility because your worth is not the foundation of your salvation. Happiness because your salvation is as sure as God’s allegiance to his own name. It can’t get more sure.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY APRIL 18, 2026.

SUBJECT : OPEN UP YOURSELF!

Memory verse: "For thus says the High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; “I dwell in the high and holy place, with him who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." (Isaiah 57 vs 15.)

READ: Romans 7 vs 14 - 20:

7:14: For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.

7:15: For that what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will do, that do I not practice; but what I hate, that do I.

7:16: If, then, I do what I will not do, I agree with the law that it is good.

7:17: But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

7:18: For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me; but how to perform what which is good I do not find.

7:19: For the good that I will do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.

7:20: Now if I do what I will not do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

INTIMATION: 

The starting point of ministry is being moldable. The more you open up yourself to God, the more He comes in to mold and use you. The more you let down your guard, take off your mask, and share your struggles, the more God will be able to use you in serving others. It is notable that opening yourself can be risky. It can be scary to lower your defenses and open up your life to others. When you reveal your failures, feelings, frustrations, and fears, you risk rejection. But the benefits are worth the risk. Opening up yourself is emotionally liberating; it relieves stress, defuses your fears, and is the first step to freedom.

We have already seen that God "gives grace to the humble," but many do not understand humility. Humility is not putting yourself down or denying your strengths; rather, it is being honest about your weaknesses. The more honest you are, the more of God's grace you get. You will also receive from others. Being moldable or meek, that is, opening up yourself, is an endearing quality; we are naturally drawn to humble people. 

Pretentiousness repels, but authenticity attracts, and meekness is the pathway to intimacy. Your life becomes a testimonial when people see God using you in spite of your weaknesses, and they are encouraged, and they will then think that God can use them too. This is why God wants to use your weaknesses, not just your strengths. Our strengths create competition, but our weaknesses create community.

At some point in your life you must decide whether you want to impress people or influence people. You can impress people from a distance, but you must get close to influence them, and when you do that, they will be able to see your flaws. That's okay. The most essential quality for leadership is not perfection, but credibility. People must be able to trust you, or they won't follow you. How do you build credibility? Not by pretending to be perfect, but by being honest, and open.

Our Scriptural model, the apostle Paul, openly and honestly shared his impressions at various times. In his failures he said, "For the good that I will to do, I do not; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice." (Romans 7 vs19.) Concerning the openness of his heart, and his feelings, he said to believers in Corinth, "O Corinthians! We have spoken openly to you, our heart is wide open." (Second Corinthians 6 vs 11.) On his frustrations, he said, "For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life." (Second Corinthians 1 vs 8.) On his fears, he said, "I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling." (First Corinthians 2 vs 3.)

In the passage we read today, the cry of the apostle Paul is more than the cry of a desperate man, it describes the experience of all Christians struggling against sin or trying to please God by keeping rules and laws without the Spirit’s help. He opened up himself, emphasized his weakness, and sought help. 

We must never underestimate the power of sin and attempt to fight it in our own strength. Satan is a crafty tempter, and we have an amazing ability to make excuses. Instead of trying to overcome sin with our own human willpower, we must take hold of God’s provision for victory over sin: the Holy Spirit, who lives within us and gives us power. And when we fall, He lovingly reaches out to help us up.

The inward struggle with sin was as real for the apostle Paul as it is for us. From him we learn what to do about it. Whenever he felt overwhelmed by the spiritual battle, he would return to the beginning of his spiritual life, remembering how he had been freed from sin by Jesus Christ. 

When we feel confused and overwhelmed by sin’s appeal, let us claim the freedom Christ gave us. His power can lift us to victory. Self-determination (struggling in one’s own strength) doesn’t succeed (Romans 7 vs 15). The apostle Paul found himself sinning in ways that weren’t even attractive to him. Becoming a Christian does not stamp out all sin and temptation from a person’s life (Romans 7 vs 22 - 25). Being born again takes a moment of faith, but becoming like Christ is a lifelong process. 

Prayer: Abba Father, all to You I surrender, all to You I freely give myself. I will ever love and trust You, and in Your presence I will daily live, and humbly at Your feet I bow daily. Give me the grace to put my complete trust in You and never have any form of trust in myself, but to follow You to the end, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

God, Touch Our Hearts

 God, Touch Our Hearts

Saul also went to his home at Gibeah, and with him went men of valor whose hearts God had touched. (1 Samuel 10:26)

Just think of what is being said in this verse. God touched them. Not a wife. Not a child. Not a parent. Not a counselor. But God. God touched them.

The One with infinite power in the universe. The One with infinite authority and infinite wisdom and infinite love and infinite goodness and infinite purity and infinite justice. That One touched their heart. 

How does the circumference of Jupiter touch the edge of a molecule? Let alone penetrate to its nucleus?

The touch of God is awesome not just because it is God who touches, but also because it is a touch. It is a real connection. That it involves the heart is awesome. That it involves God is awesome. And that it involves an actual touch is awesome. 

The valiant men were not just spoken to. They were not just swayed by a divine influence. They were not just seen and known. God, with infinite condescension, touched their heart. God was that close. And they were not consumed.

I love that touch. I want it more and more. For myself and for all of you. I pray that God would touch me anew with his glory and for this glory. I pray that he would touch us all. 

Oh, for the touch of God! If it comes with fire, so be it. If it comes with water, so be it. If it comes with wind, let it come, O God. If it comes with thunder and lightning, let us bow before it.

O Lord, come. Come that close. Burn and soak and blow and crash. Or still and small, come. Come all the way. Touch our hearts.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY APRIL 17, 2026.

SUBJECT : WORD AFFIRMATION AS A LIFESTYLE!

Memory verse: "This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men." (Titus 3 vs 8.)

READ: Revelation 12 vs 11:

12:11: And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to death.

INTIMATION:

Living your life in the Word involves believing, confessing and affirming the Word of God. Affirmation is the last part of the process of this living. To affirm is to make firm. An affirmation is a statement of truth that you make firm by repetition. The Scripture, in our memory verse says, "This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly....." The bold declaration or affirmation of the Word is indicative of the inherent truth, and your trust and believe in it. 

In the first five Books of Moses, God's expression of "I am the LORD" occurred more than two thousand five hundred times, indicating the truth, and lays credence to the fact, and the value of affirmation. That should be the lifestyle of every child of God; confessing, and affirming the Word. 

You should constantly affirm to your own soul the great, and outstanding facts of redemption, reminding yourself constantly of your identity in Christ Jesus, confessing and affirming the fullness of Jesus Christ and His finished work in the presence of your enemies; in the presence of your weakness; in the presence of your adversary. 

They may not mean much the first time you repeat them, but constantly reaffirm them. By and by, the Spirit will illumine them, and your soul will be flooded with light and joy. Every time you repeat what God has said about you as an individual, about Himself—The Trinity, and the church, these truths reach down deep into your inner being with strength, courage, joy and victory. 

Our spiritual lives depend upon our constantly affirming what God has declared, what God is in Christ, what we are in Christ, and what we are before the Father in Christ. It is for this reason that the apostle Paul, in Philemon verse 6, says, "That the sharing of our faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus."

In the passage we read today, Satan, our accuser, was defeated when the Lamb, Jesus Christ, shed His blood for our sins. The victory is won on our behalf by that supreme sacrifice, that is, Christ's death in our place to pay the penalty of our sin, and the sacrifices we make because of our faith in Him; testifying of Him as our Lord and Savior, and affirming what He wrought for us in redemption. These good works of believe, confession, and affirmation, in faith, are all good and profitable for Christians. 

The Bible includes hundreds of passages that speak about the power of the Word. Locate as many as you can, confess, and affirm them continually. They will be more effective as you speak them with volume, feeling, conviction, and enthusiasm. Words weakly spoke have minimal results. I encourage you to speak some of these affirmations as many times as you can, but at least, three to five times a day. 

Prayer: Abba Father, forever Your Word is perfect, and settled in heaven. Endue me with the spirit of bold declaration of Your Word at all times, that I may reap their manifestation in my life, in Jesus” Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Embracing Jesus

 Embracing Jesus

This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith. (1 John 5:3–4)

Notice: Loving God is not just keeping his commandments. It is having a kind of heart for God that means that commandment-keeping is not burdensome. That’s what John says. But then he puts that truth in terms of new birth and faith, rather than love. He says, without a break, “For” — that is, here’s why God’s commandments are not burdensome: “Everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world.” So, the new birth is what overcomes the worldly obstacles to keeping God’s commandments without burdensomeness. 

And finally he adds, “And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith.” So, the new birth overcomes the worldly obstacles to burden-free commandment-keeping, because the new birth gives rise to faith. So, the miracle of new birth creates faith, which embraces all that God is for us in Christ as supremely satisfying, which makes obedience to God more desirable than the temptations of the world. And that is what it means to love God. 

The eighteenth-century pastor and theologian Jonathan Edwards wrestled with this text and concluded, “Saving faith implies . . . love. . . . Our love to God enables us to overcome the difficulties that attend keeping God’s commands — which shows that love is the main thing in saving faith, the life and power of it, by which it produces great effects.”

I think Edwards is right and that numerous texts in the Bible support what he says. 

Another way to say it is that faith in Christ is not just assenting to what God is for us, but also embracing all that he is for us in Christ. “True faith embraces Christ in whatever ways the Scriptures hold him out to poor sinners” — that’s another quote from Edwards. This “embracing” is one kind of love to Christ — that kind that treasures him above all things. 

Therefore, there is no contradiction between 1 John 5:3, on the one hand, which says that our love for God enables us to keep his commandments, and verse 4, on the other hand, which says that our faith overcomes the obstacles of the world that keep us from obeying God’s commandments. Love for God and Christ is implicit in faith. 

John then defines the faith that obeys as “the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 5:5). This faith is “embracing” the present Jesus as the glorious divine person that he is: the Son of God. It is not simply assenting to the truth that Jesus is the Son of God, because the demons assent to that. “They cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?’” (Matthew 8:29). Believing that Jesus is the Son of God means “embracing” the significance of that truth — the value of the reality. It means being satisfied with Christ as the Son of God and all God is for us in him.

“Son of God” means that Jesus is the greatest person in the universe alongside his Father. Therefore, all he taught is true, and all he promised will stand firm, and all his soul-satisfying greatness will never change. 

Believing that he is the Son of God, therefore, includes banking on all this, and being satisfied with it.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY APRIL 16, 2026.

SUBJECT : GOD’S COMPANIONSHIP!

Memory verse: "As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God." (Psalm 42 vs 1.)

READ: Exodus 33 vs 8 - 11:

33:8: So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. 

33:9: And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.

33:10: All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and worshiped, each one in his tent door.

33:11: So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend...

INTIMATION:

Throughout our lives, we look for those rare individuals with whom we feel relaxed and comfortable, and can share our heart, our secrets, and rest assured they will not betray us, who will always be there for us, and in whom we can have confidence—individuals we can respect and who in turn admire us and want us to be successful. God wants to be in that type of role with us, but He is even better than any earthly companion. 

For God is a perfect companion: the One who knows the road we are traveling on and all of the problems that lay ahead; the One who can give us dependable advice; the One who wants to share our life with us and will not put us down when we stumble; the One who will never desert us if we fail or do not live up to His standards. He accepts us just as we are, wants to be with us forever, is able to help us be all that we can be, and can enable us either to avoid or overcome every obstacle or problem in our lives.

Such companionship with God starts with a spiritual heart relationship with Him. In the passage we read today, Moses had such heart relationship with God, that he enjoyed the presence of God most times. God spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. If we desire God’s companionship, our heart relationship with God must be obedient response out of love. When we realize God's desire to be a Faithful Companion in our relationship, we find Him less an authority figure and more a desirable companion, Who is no less in charge in our lives. We now realize He is on our side, and wants the best for us. 

Unfortunately many people never really seek Him with all their hearts. To obey “from your heart” means to give yourself fully to God, to love Him “with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22 vs 37). Many are content to learn as a child would. That is, learning and following rules in order to avoid big problems, but not as willing to spend any great period of time with the Lord in the free time they have. There is little delight in the relationship, only obedience out of necessity. Therefore, such people’s efforts to know and obey God’s commands can best be described as “halfhearted.” Consequently, they lose the best companionship they could ever get. 

Those who seek God and long to understand Him find eternal life. One of the special privileges we have as believers is sharing our heart with God, and in turn learning more about His heart toward us and others. We get to see His overwhelming goodness, infinite patience, unchanging love, and unending mercies as we read the Bible—His "Code of Conduct," and "Owner's Manual" to us. The Holy Spirit makes the Word come alive in our hearts and points things out from it that are specifically for us and our situation. 

A relationship that culminates into companionship entails learning from superior partner. As we spend time with God, our relationship allows us to learn about Him, about ourselves, and about others. We come to appreciate Him more as we get to know Him better. We become more relaxed in His presence as we now are His companion. 

Prayer: Abba Father, I desire You as my companion. Build in my heart Your steadfast Spirit, so as to follow and obey You in every aspect of my life. My utmost heart desire is an intimate relationship with You. Help me to accomplish this, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!