Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY AUGUST 03, 2026.

SUBJECT : THE STRAIGHT ROUTE TO GOD'S HEART!

Memory verse: "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful to Him, and bless His name." (Psalm 100 vs 4.)

READ: Colossians 3 vs 15 - 17:

3:15: And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one day, and be thankful. 

3:16: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 

3:17: And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

INTIMATION:

Thanksgiving and praise are supernatural partners in worshiping God. And they take you straight to God’s heart, and appreciating Him for each aspect of His divine nature. Thanksgiving acknowledges God's goodness. Praise is ascribed to God in respect of His glory—the exhibition of His character and operations. It takes our focus off ourselves and situation, and puts it on God, expanding our awareness of who He is. It lifts our perspective from the earthly to the heavenly, and prepares our heart to receive God’s love and the power of His Holy Spirit. Praise acknowledges His greatness—our appreciation and understanding of His worth and giving honor to Him. 

Offering thanks and praise to God while in a problem is the only way to remain spiritually grounded. I challenge anyone reading this devotional, if you are in the midst of a problem, take a pen and paper, and begin to list the things you should thank God for. If you cannot think of a thing, then begin to thank God for the breath in your lungs, your eyesight, your hearing, thank Him for His promises, and thank Him ahead of time for the provision. Begin to praise Him for who He Is—His majesty, His greatness, and His marvelous works. I promise you that, based on personal experience, you will begin to walk straight out of your problem and into your God-given destiny, and soon the peace of God will surround you.

One of our favorite scriptures about praise is Psalm 22 vs 3: "But You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel." The word enthroned in Hebrew means "to inhabit," Therefore, God manifests Himself in the midst of your praises; while in your problem, and you utter praises to God, He shows up for you, and His presence instantly dwarfs your problem.

You may ask, "Who is to praise God?" Everyone who has breath should praise the Lord (Psalm 150 vs 6). In fact, there is only one class of people who cannot praise the Lord - the dead (Psalm 115 vs 17). "When should we praise God?" We should praise Him at all times (Hebrews 13 vs 15 - 16). "How shall I praise Him?" We are to praise God with our whole heart (Psalm 111 vs 1); with understanding (Psalm 47 vs 7); with lifted hands, mouth, and joyful lips (Psalm 63 vs 4 - 5); as an evening sacrifice (Psalm 141 vs 2); with dance (Psalm 149 vs 3); with timbrel and dance (Psalm 150 vs 4).

Being thankful is a command. The Scripture says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus for you." (First Thessalonians 5 vs 17 - 18.) Thanksgiving is in the Will of God for us. It is not that we should be thankful to God "for everything" that happens to us, but "in everything." Evil doesn't come from God, so we shouldn't thank Him for it. But when evil strikes, we can still be thankful for God's presence and for the good that He will accomplish through distress.

In above passage, the apostle Paul gives us another "to do" list during our time in any problem. He says, "rejoice, pray without ceasing, and give thanks." Experience has shown amongst believers, of which I am one, that by so doing, you will go straight through the problem to His promises for you. God has given each of us the priceless gift of joy in Jesus Christ. How easy it is to lose this incredible gift while scurrying around within the stubble of our own recourses, seeking an answer to our problem. If we would just stop worrying, become very still, rejoice in the Lord, and take the time to listen to His voice, the answer is always found in the fullness of joy in Him. 

Thanksgiving takes you through the gates of God's heart, while praise takes you through His court, before His glorious majesty, where He is seated to attend to your needs. Make a conscious decision with your will (not your emotions) to praise God for His greatness and majesty while you're in the problem, and soon you will see the light of the promised land on the horizon.

Prayer: Abba Father, "I will praise you O LORD, with my whole heart; I will tell of all Your marvelous works. I will give thanks always to Your holy name, and will triumph in Your praise, in Jesus’ mighty Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Why You Have a Body

 Why You Have a Body

For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:20)

God did not create the physical-material universe willy-nilly. He had a purpose, namely, to add to the ways his glory is externalized and made manifest. “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1).

Our bodies fit into that same category of physical things that God created for this reason. He is not going to back out on his plan to glorify himself through human beings and human bodies. 

Why does God go to all the trouble to dirty his hands, as it were, with our decaying, sin-stained flesh, in order to reestablish it as a resurrection body and clothe it with glory and immortality? Answer: Because his Son paid the price of death so that the Father’s purpose for the material universe would be fulfilled, namely, that he would be glorified in it, including in our bodies, forever and ever. 

That’s what the text says: “You were bought with a price [namely, the death of his Son]. So glorify God in your body.” God will not disregard or dishonor the work of his Son. God will honor the work of his Son by raising our bodies from the dead, and we will use our bodies to glorify him forever and ever. 

That is why you have a body now. And that is why it will be raised to be like Christ’s glorious body.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY AUGUST 01, 2026.

SUBJECT: PRAISE AND THANK GOD CONTINUALLY! 

Memory verse: "So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, will give You thanks forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations." (Psalm 79 vs 13.)

READ: Psalm 69 vs 30 - 31; 92 vs 1 - 4:

69:30: I will praise the name of God with song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. 

69:31: This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bull, which have horns and hooves.

92:1: It is good to give thanks to the LORD, and to sing praises to Your name, O Most High. 

92:2: To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness every night,

92:3: On an instrument of ten strings, on the lute, and on the harp, with harmonious sound.

92:4: For You, LORD, have made me glad through Your work; I will triumph in the works of Your hands.

INTIMATION:

Praise is an act of worship, commending or given honor; when you express yourself in such manner, it is praise. Thanksgiving is acknowledging a goodness. We can count the few things that make us feel better than receiving heartfelt praise and appreciation from someone else. God loves it too. He is pleased when we express our adoration and gratitude to Him. 

We praise God for who He is, and thank Him for what he has done. We acknowledge God when we shout our praises, appreciate His status as our Creator, accept His authority in every detail of life, enthusiastically agree with the guidance He gives us, and express our thanks for His unfailing love.

Praise and thanksgiving are forms of sacrifice to God. The Bible in Hebrews 13 vs 15 says, "Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name." These sacrifices are ever pleasing to God. Our lips should confess God’s name in praise. It is a sacrifice that can be offered anywhere and anytime. 

A “sacrifice of our lips” today would include thanking Christ for His sacrifice on the cross and telling others about it. Offering Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise and thanking Him for His kindness and wondrous acts are particularly pleasing to God, even when they go unnoticed by others. 

The psalmist, in Psalm 30 vs 12, says, "To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God. I will give thanks to You forever." "I will bless the Lord at all times: His praise shall continually be in my mouth." (Psalm 34 vs 1.) In the Bible, praise and thanksgiving to God are emphasized over 350 times, indicating their usefulness in our relationship with our Maker.

The Lord inhabits the praises of His children (Psalm 22 vs 3). God comes in His might to answer to our prayers when we worship Him in praise and thanksgiving. For instance, the apostle Paul and Silas suffered persecution, and were imprisoned in Philippi. The Bible recorded in Acts 16 vs 25 - 26: "But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed." 

The praises of Paul and Silas brought God to the scene in His might and power. The earth quaked at His presence, and the foundation of the prison was greatly shaken. The prison doors were opened. Can anything resist the Almighty? Certainly not. Amazing things happen when we offer praise and thanksgiving to God. When we give God enjoyment, our own hearts are filled with joy! 

Thanks should be on our lips every day. We can never say thank you enough to our parents, friends, leaders, and especially to God. When thanksgiving becomes an integral part of your life, you will find that your attitude toward life will change. You will become more positive, gracious, loving, and humble. 

Those you praise God always are assured of enjoying His presence at all times, and consequently the fullness of joy! We enjoy what God has done for us, and when we express that enjoyment to God, it brings Him joy and also increases our joy. 

Yet, in your typical day, how many times do you hear God’s name used profanely? Christians should turn the frequency of the use of His name toward praise! Praise God early in the day before the rush, then again in the hurried middle, and at the end as business winds down. It is pleasing to Him.

Have you worshipped God in all other forms and nothing seem to happen? Praise Him, and He will personally come in His might and power to attend to your prayers. No matter our circumstances, we should praise God. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of joy forevermore. Give me the grace to continually offer the sacrifice of my lips to You, and thank You for Your ever unchanging faithfulness in my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Our Weakness Reveals His Worth

 Our Weakness Reveals His Worth

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

God’s design for suffering is that it should magnify Christ’s worth and power. This is grace, because the greatest joy of Christians is to experience Christ magnified in our lives. 

When Paul was told by the Lord Jesus that his “thorn in the flesh” would not be taken away, he supported Paul’s faith by explaining why. The Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). God ordains that Paul be weak so that Christ might be seen as strong on Paul’s behalf. 

If we feel and look self-sufficient, we will get the glory, not Christ. So, Christ chooses the weak things of the world “so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:29). And sometimes he makes seemingly strong people weaker so that the divine power will be the more evident. 

We know that Paul experienced this as grace because he rejoiced in it: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9–10). 

Living by faith in God’s grace means being satisfied with all that God is for us in Jesus. Therefore, faith will not shrink back from what reveals and magnifies all that God is for us in Jesus. That is what our weakness and suffering are meant to do.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JULY 31, 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 this 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. 

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 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, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Suffering That Crushes Faith

 Suffering That Crushes Faith

“They have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away.” (Mark 4:17)

The faith of some is broken instead of built by suffering. Jesus knew this and described it here in the parable of the four soils. Some people who hear the word receive it at first with gladness, but then suffering makes them fall away. 

So, affliction does not always make faith stronger. Sometimes it crushes faith. And then come true the paradoxical words of Jesus, “The one who has not, even what he has will be taken” (Mark 4:25). 

This is a call for us to endure suffering with firm faith in future grace, so that our faith might grow stronger and not be proved vain (1 Corinthians 15:2). “To the one who has, more will be given” (Mark 4:25). Knowing God’s design in suffering is one of the main means of growing through suffering.

If you think your suffering is pointless, or that God is not in control, or that he is whimsical or cruel, then your suffering will drive you from God, instead of driving you from everything but God — as it should. So, it is crucial that faith in God’s grace includes the faith that he gives grace through suf

fering.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY JULY 30, 2026.

SUBJECT: BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE!

Memory verse: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5 vs 10.)

READ: Second Timothy 3 vs 10 - 12:

3:10: But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love,perseverance, 

3:11: persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Anthioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--which persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 

3:12: Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 

INTIMATION:

To persecute is to put to flight, to drive away, to pursue, to make someone suffer because of their opinions or beliefs. The implication here is that those being persecuted have some choice in the matter. In other words, they did not choose to avoid doing what is right, in order to avoid being harassed or harmed. They made a conscious choice to honor God, and to be faithful to Him, despite persecution from those who are unrighteous.

Jesus in His longest recorded sermon began by describing the traits He was looking for in His followers. He said that God blesses those who live out those traits. Living your life in that manner will bring persecution from those of the world who do not understand such behavior. Christians are persecuted because they refuse to walk in the darkness of the world.

However, persecution can be good because: (1) it takes our eyes off earthly rewards, (2) it strips away superficial belief, (3) it strengthens the faith of those who endure, and (4) our attitude through it serves as an example to others who follow. 

We can be comforted knowing that God’s greatest prophets were persecuted (Elijah, Jeremiah, Daniel). The fact that we are being persecuted proves that we have been faithful; faithless people would be unnoticed. In future God will reward the faithful by receiving them into His eternal kingdom, where there is no more persecution.

The passage we read today tells us what happened to the apostle Paul in Lystra, Timothy's (his son in the Lord) hometown, where he was stoned and left almost dead (Acts 14 vs 19); and this was only one incident among many. In Second Corinthians 11 vs 23 - 33, the apostle Paul summarized his lifetime of suffering for the sake of the Gospel. He mentioned his suffering here to contrast his experience with that of the pleasure seeking false teachers, many who abound in our society this time. 

In this charge, the apostle Paul told Timothy that people who obey God and live for Christ will be persecuted. Don't be surprised when people misunderstand, criticize, and even try to hurt you because of what you believe and how you live. Don't give up. Continue to live as you know you should. God is the only One you need to please. 

This is the principle of the Christian life in the midst of a world filled with evil doers who have given themselves over to the work of Satan. All those who would take stand with Jesus will suffer as Jesus did. The intensity by which one lives his commitment for Jesus is often manifested by the intensity of the persecution. 

Since the disciples of Jesus have committed themselves to serve their Lord, they should not consider it strange that the lord of this world would launch every attack against them. Persecution, therefore, is sometimes evidence that one is living the godly life. Jesus gave us the encouragement we desired when He said, "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also."

When we find ourselves on the receiving end of the world’s hatred as a response to our faithfulness to the Son of Man, nothing has gone wrong: we are, in fact, in a place to know blessing. In other words, this sort of mistreatment is tangible evidence of our genuine faith and relationship with the Lord. 

Furthermore, Jesus promises that if we acknowledge Him before men, He will also acknowledge us before His Father in heaven (Matthew 10 vs 32). It is noteworthy, in line with the Scriptures, that 'our reward is great in heaven.' The world has nothing to offer that comes close to comparing with that. 

Rejoice is the attitude of those who truly understand the inner nature of the Christian life. They are able to rejoice in persecution for they know that life exists beyond this world. The fact that you are being persecuted proves that you have been faithful. It's obvious that faithless people would be unnoticed. In the future God will reward the faithful by receiving them Into His eternal kingdom, where there is no more persecution.

Prayer: Abba Father, I am persuaded that nothing can stop my love and commitment to following You till the end of time. I know Your love for me is unparalleled. Endue me with spirit of an undying passion to do Your Will at all times and in all things, in the mighty Name of Jesus I have prayed, Amen

PRAISE THE LORD!