Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JULY 28, 2026.

SUBJECT: BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART!

Memory verse: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5 vs 8.)

READ: Psalm 24 vs 3 - 4; 51 vs 10:

24:3: Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place?

24:3: He who has clean hands and a pure heart. Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.

51:10: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

INTIMATION:

The heart is the center of a person's thoughts, desires, and will. The Scriptures, in Proverbs 4 vs 23, say, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." Purity implies having no hidden motives, hypocrisy, or mixed loyalties. It means pursuing God with integrity, even when no one is watching.

Purity of Heart refers to inner sincerity, unselfish motives, and a life undivided in loyalty and love for God, rather than merely external ritual cleanliness. Therefore, pure heart is characterized by honesty, lack of hidden motives, genuine love, and total sincerity. 

Pure-hearted individuals show consistent kindness, humility, and joy in the success of others. And it brings deep inner peace, relief from guilt, and authentic relationships. It cultivates a clean conscience, boosts emotional resilience, and allows you to find joy in everyday moments rather than chasing superficial desires. 

Those with a pure heart do not seek evil, but are sincere. Without guile or a vile heart of evil motives, they do not seek to find evil in others. The pure in heart will understand the pure nature of God.

Having a pure heart for God isn't about achieving flawless perfection; it is about cultivating sincerity, integrity, and singleness of focus. It means letting go of hidden motives and allowing God to transform you from the inside out. 

Those who have undivided loyalty, honest intentions, and singular devotion to God are spiritually blessed and will intimately experience God's presence—both in this life and in eternity. 

To see God signifies ultimate spiritual intimacy, experiencing God's presence in this life, and eternal fellowship with Him in the next. This does not just refer to seeing God physically in heaven. It also means experiencing a spiritual awareness of God, understanding His Will, and having a deep, intimate relationship with Him right now. 

Those who are pure in heart will see God, not just in heaven—even now, we will see God for who He is. In other words, we will come to know Him. We will come to know Him intimately.

In pursuit of a pure heart one shall the following: (1) Daily surrendering and confession one's struggles and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal and remove hidden sins such as pride, jealousy, and anger. 

(2) Daily devotion to study of the Scriptures. God’s word is a powerful tool to wash away toxic thoughts and align your desires with His. Spend time reading and meditating on verses that challenge you to grow. 

(3) Practice obedience to God and His Word. True purity requires action and integrity—being the same person in private that you appear to be in public. Focus on living out your faith genuinely, without hypocrisy or deceit. 

(4) Guard what you let into your heart and mind because out of the heart flow the issues of life. Be mindful of your influences. Protect your mind from content that promotes selfishness, bitterness, or immorality, and choose to surround yourself with people who encourage your spiritual growth. 

Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire is an intimate relationship with You where I will experience Your leading and companionship daily. Endue me with the spirit and grace of total devotion to You all my life, in Jesus' mighty Name I have prayed, Amen

PRAISE THE LORD!

Why We Don’t Lose Heart

 Why We Don’t Lose Heart

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16–18) 

Paul can’t see the way he used to (and there were no glasses). He can’t hear the way he used to (and there were no hearing aids). He doesn’t recover from beatings the way he used to (and there were no antibiotics). His strength, walking from town to town, doesn’t hold up the way it used to. He sees the wrinkles in his face and neck. His memory is not as good. And he admits that this is a threat to his faith and joy and courage. 

But he does not lose heart. Why? 

He doesn’t lose heart because his inner man is being renewed. How? 

The renewing of his heart comes from something very strange: it comes from looking at what he can’t see. 

We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)

This is Paul’s way of not losing heart: looking at what he cannot see. What, then, did he see when he looked? 

A few verses later in 2 Corinthians 5:7, he says, “We walk by faith, not by sight.” This doesn’t mean that he leaps into the dark without evidence of what’s there. It means that for now the most precious and important realities in the world are beyond our physical senses. 

We “look” at these unseen things through the gospel. We strengthen our hearts — we renew our courage — by fixing our gaze on the invisible, objective truth that we see in the testimony of those who saw Christ face to face.

“God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). “The light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” We see this as it shines in our heart through the gospel. 

We became Christians when this happened — whether we understood this or not. And with Paul we need to go on seeing with the eyes of the heart, so that we do not lose heart.

Every day in the God's Word

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JULY 27, 2026.

SUBJECT: BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL!

Memory verse: “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5 vs 7.)

READ: Ephesians 5 vs 1 - 2:

5:1: Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 

5:2: And walk in love as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. 

INTIMATION:

Mercy is the outward manifestation of pity; it assumes need on the part of him who receives it, and resources adequate to meet the need on the part of him who shows it. Often it is used of God, who is rich in mercy, and has provided salvation for all. Mercy signifies, in general, to feel sympathy with the misery of another, and especially sympathy manifested in act. 

Mercy also is showing active compassion, kindness, or forgiveness to others, especially when they do not deserve it. People who show grace and forgiveness to others will also receive God's grace and mercy. It is a godlike characteristic, one that is in the heart and mind of those who have been recreated in Christ. Those who have received mercy will show mercy.

As believers in Christ, we can show mercy by advocacy; pleading on behalf of others and defending their cause. We can be active in assisting and helping by taking action to relieve someone's distress. We can also show mercy by providing funding or material support for the needy. We can show mercy spiritually by ministering to the soul of others through prayer, encouragement, and forgiveness. 

The works of mercy include things like: feeding the hungry, giving water to the thirsty, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, and the imprisoned, ransoming the captive, and burying the dead. Mercy consists of treating people better than they deserve from us. Forgiveness is a type of mercy. So is aiding someone whom we have no obligation to help, or forbearing to exploit someone’s vulnerability. 

Those who recognize their own spiritual poverty are merciful to others. They sympathize and have pity on others. They thus seek to relieve the suffering of others because God has had mercy on them in relation to their sins. Contrary to the legalistically proud who seek to judge, the meek have mercy. Their mercy will reap mercy from God.

God shows us mercy primarily by withholding the punishment we deserve, providing continuous and unfailing love, and offering the ultimate gift of eternal salvation through Jesus Christ. Here are three specific ways the divine mercy of God impacts our lives daily:

1. Forgiveness of sins; Instead of holding our mistakes and shortcomings against us, God extends grace and removes the guilt of wrongdoing. Through sincere repentance, believers can experience a clean slate and freedom from spiritual shame. 

2. Physical and Emotional Healing; Divine mercy operates as a comforting presence during times of pain, sadness, or anxiety. God provides restoration by showering us with undeserved blessings, answering prayers, and gently guiding us through personal trials. 

3. The Gift of Eternal Life. The ultimate demonstration of God's mercy is the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for humanity's sins. This ensures that, rather than facing eternal separation from God, we are given the confidence of salvation and a renewed spiritual life. 

Mercy, in all these senses, is the driving force of Christ’s incarnation, death, and resurrection. Through him, our sins are forgiven and we ourselves receive aid by the gift of God’s spirit. The Spirit’s reason for showing us this mercy is simply that God loves us.

Prayer: Abba Father, You are ever merciful and loving, always desiring to show mercy to the guilty according to Your loving kindness and tender mercies. Your mercy endures forever, and great is Your faithfulness. Endue me with the grace to show mercy to others as You have always shown mercy to me, in Jesus' mighty Name I have prayed, Amen

PRAISE THE LORD!

If You Don’t Fight Lust

 If You Don’t Fight Lust

Abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. (1 Peter 2:11)

When I confronted a man about the adultery he was living in, I tried to understand his situation, and I pled with him to return to his wife. Then I said, “You know, Jesus says that if you don’t fight this sin with the kind of seriousness that is willing to gouge out your own eye, you will go to hell and suffer there forever.”

As a professing Christian, he looked at me in utter disbelief, as though he had never heard anything like this in his life, and said, “You mean you think a person can lose his salvation?” 

So, I have learned again and again from firsthand experience that there are many professing Christians who have a view of salvation that disconnects it from real life, and that nullifies the threats of the Bible, and that puts the sinning person who claims to be a Christian beyond the reach of biblical warnings. I believe this view of the Christian life is comforting thousands who are on the broad way that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13). 

Jesus said, if you don’t fight lust, you won’t go to heaven. “If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell” (Matthew 5:29). The point is not that true Christians always succeed in every battle. The issue is that we resolve to fight, not that we succeed flawlessly. We don’t make peace with sin. We make war.

The stakes are much higher than whether the world is blown up by a thousand long-range missiles, or terrorists bomb your city, or global warming melts the ice caps, or AIDS sweeps the nations. All these calamities can kill only the body. But if we don’t fight lust, we lose our souls. Forever.

Peter says the passions of the flesh wage war against our souls (1 Peter 2:11). The stakes in this war are infinitely higher than in any threat of world war or terrorism. The apostle Paul listed “immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness,” then said it is “on account of these the wrath of God is coming” (Colossians 3:5–6). And the wrath of God is immeasurably more fearful than the wrath of all the nations of the world put together.

May God give us grace to take our souls and others’ souls seriously and keep up the fight.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SUNDAY JULY 26, 2026.

SUBJECT: BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS!

Memory verse: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5 vs 6.)

READ: Isaiah 55 vs 1 - 3:

55:1: Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and you who have no money; come buy, and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 

55:2: Why do you spend money for what is not bread? and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and let your soul delight itself in abundance. 

55:3: Incline your ear, and come to Me, hear and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you--the sure mercies of David.

INTIMATION:

To hunger and thirst for righteousness means to have the deep desire to be in right-standing with God. Those who hunger and thirsts for righteousness have a deep desire, and strong wish for God's right-standing with them. Their focus is on wanting God's justice, holiness, and a clean heart instead of worldly things. And they are assured that God will completely satisfy this spiritual longing. If disciples know their sin and weakness, they will also ask God to meet their need for righteousness.

Those who realize their sinful condition and mourn over their sin, hunger and thirst after the justification (righteousness) that can come only from God by His grace. They seek the knowledge of God through His Word. It is the Word of God that will supply the knowledge of how to be justified of one’s sin. God is the source of all righteousness.

Jesus says that in order to experience fullness, a hunger and thirst for righteousness must be present inside a person. Put another way, the people who experience true satisfaction in life are those who have a deep, driving desire to be right before Almighty God.

But Jesus wasn’t talking about natural hunger and thirst; He was talking about spiritual hunger and thirst—a hunger and thirst that everyone experiences, but not everyone fills with what will eternally satisfy. The lost consume the wrong things in the hopes of finding happiness: wealth, status, pleasure, power.

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, our sin can be canceled and we can stand blameless before the Father. Experiencing this freely given gift of God through regular confession and repentance—a turning away from sin and toward righteousness—will produce fullness in us.

Through his way of life and teaching, Jesus is slowly but surely changing our hearts, teaching us to love one another like he does and leading us to an incorruptible home where right relating—righteousness—will be our daily fare.

Now see, when the poor in spirit continually mourn their sin, the Holy Spirit grows them in meekness—in submission to and trust of God. And as their relationship with the Lord deepens, they hunger and thirst for more righteousness, more of God and less of themselves. 

It is not a pretentious longing for righteousness—it is an internal longing that flows from an understanding of one’s utter unworthiness of God’s grace. It is this kind of longing that God promises to satisfy. And with such a promise, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are surely happy, for they will be filled.

Physical food costs money, lasts only a short time, and meets only physical needs. But God offers us free spiritual nourishment that feeds our soul. How do we get it? We are to come, listen, seek, and call on God. God's salvation is freely offered, but to nourish our souls we must eagerly receive the spiritual food. We will starve spiritually without this food as surely as we will starve physically without our daily food. 

Prayer: Abba Father, forgive me for chasing after things that do not satisfy. I know only You can fill me with joy and purpose. I long for more of You. May Christ increase in me as I decrease, and may I draw the lost to You with the transformation You work in my heart, in Jesus' most precious Name I have prayed, Amen

PRAISE THE LORD!

What It Means to Love Money

 What It Means to Love Money

The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. (1 Timothy 6:10)

What did Paul mean when he wrote this? He couldn’t have meant that money is always on your mind when you sin. A lot of sin happens when we are not thinking about money. 

My suggestion is this: He meant that all the evils in the world come from a kind of heart, namely, the kind of heart that loves money. 

So what does it mean to love money? It doesn’t mean to admire the green paper or the copper coins or the silver shekels. To know what it means to love money, you have to ask, What is money? I would answer that question like this: Money is simply a symbol that stands for human resources. Money stands for what you can get from man — other human beings — instead of God. 

God deals in the currency of grace, not money: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!” (Isaiah 55:1). Money is the currency of human resources. So, the heart that loves money is a heart that pins its hopes, and pursues its pleasures, and puts its trust in what human resources can offer. 

So, the love of money is virtually the same as faith in money — belief (trust, confidence, assurance) that money will meet your needs and make you happy. 

Love of money is the alternative to faith in God’s future grace. It is faith in future human resources — the kind of thing you can obtain or secure with money. Therefore the love of money, or trust in money, is the underside of unbelief in the promises of God. Jesus said in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters. . . . You cannot serve God and money.” 

You can’t trust in God and in money at the same time. Belief in one is unbelief in the other. A heart that loves money — that banks on money for happiness — is not banking on all that God is for us in Jesus as the satisfaction of our souls.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JULY 25, 2026.

SUBJECT: BLESSED ARE THE MEEK!

Memory verse: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5 vs 5.)

READ: Psalm 37 vs 5 - 11:

37:5: Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. 

37:6: He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

37:7: Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him, do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. 

37:8: Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret--it only causes harm. 

37:9: For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. 

37:10: For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; indeed, you will look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more. 

37:11: But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 

INTIMATION:

The meek is lowly in heart, mild, gentle, unselfish, not arrogant or self-seeking. When one mourns over his sin, his relationship with others changes. Meekness, in its use in Scriptures, in which it has a fuller, and deeper significance, it consists not in a person's "outward behavior only; nor yet in his relations to his fellow-men, as little as in his mere natural disposition. Rather it is an inwrought grace of the soul, and the exercises of it are first and chiefly toward God. It is that temper of spirit in which we accept God's dealings with us as good, and therefore, without disputing or resisting, and does not struggle and contend with Him. 

To be meek is to accept our strengths and limitations for what they truly are, instead of constantly trying to portray ourselves in the best possible light. But it does not mean that we should deny our strengths and abilities. 

For instance, when Jesus was asked if he was the Messiah, He replied, “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me” (Matt. 11 vs 4 - 6). Jesus, our perfect example, never portrayed an inflated self-image nor an inferiority complex, but a servant’s heart. Meek people see themselves as servants of God, not thinking more highly of themselves than they ought to think.

The promise of the meek inheriting the earth is both a present and future reality. In the immediate sense, the meek experience a sense of peace and contentment, living in harmony with God's creation. This inheritance is not earned by force or power but is a gift from God, aligning with the biblical theme of divine grace.

The meek will inherit the earth in the sense that they will enjoy the greatest things that life has to offer. This is because they understand the brevity of life and the temporary nature of material things, they concentrate their thoughts on those things that are above.

The meek has a servant’s heart, never asserts himself in any situation. He exercises power, not for self, but for the benefit of all people. This aspect is captured by the passage of Psalm we read today, which begins with, “Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him..." and ends with “the meek shall inherit the land.” It means they curb their urge to avenge the wrongs done against them, and instead use whatever power they have to serve others. It flows from the sorrow for their own weaknesses that comprises the mourning for their sins. If we feel sorrow for our own sins, can we really feel vengeful over the sins of others?

In God's kingdom, we receive by God’s grace the good things the arrogant fruitlessly strive for in the present earth, and more. In this broken world, those who recognize their true strengths and weaknesses can find peace by living realistically. Those who exercise power for the benefit of others are often admired. The meek engage others in decision making and experience better results and deeper relationships.

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of meekness; knowing that outside of You I am nothing. Give me the grace to humbly follow You, obeying You in all things, that it shall be well with me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Satan’s Strategy and Your Defense

Satan’s Strategy and Your Defense

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith. (1 Peter 5:8–9) 

The two great enemies of our souls are sin and Satan. And sin is the worst enemy, because the only way that Satan can destroy us is by getting us to sin, and keeping us from repenting. The only thing that damns us is unforgiven sin. Not Satan.

God may give him leash enough to rough us up, the way he did Job, or even to kill us, the way he did the saints in Smyrna (Revelation 2:10); but Satan cannot condemn us or rob us of eternal life. The only way he can do us ultimate harm is by influencing us to sin, and keep us from repentance. Which is exactly what he aims to do.

So, Satan’s main business is to advocate, promote, assist, titillate, and confirm our bent to sinning. And to keep us from faith and repentance.

We see this in Ephesians 2:1–2: “You were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked . . . according to the prince of the power of the air” (NASB). Sinning “accords” with Satan’s power in the world. When he brings about moral evil, it is through sin. When we sin, we move in his sphere. We come into accord with him. When we sin, we give place to the devil (Ephesians 4:27). 

The only thing that will condemn us at the judgment day is unforgiven sin — not sickness or afflictions or persecutions or intimidations or apparitions or nightmares. Satan knows this. Therefore, his great focus is not primarily on how to scare Christians with weird phenomena (though there’s plenty of that), but on how to corrupt Christians with worthless fads and evil thoughts.

Satan wants to catch us at a time when our faith is not firm, when it is vulnerable. It makes sense that the very thing Satan wants to destroy would also be the means of our resisting his efforts. That’s why Peter says, “Resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5:9). It is also why Paul says that the “shield of faith” can “extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one” (Ephesians 6:16). 

The way to thwart the devil is to strengthen the very thing he is trying most to destroy — your faith.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

FRIDAY JULY 24, 2026.

SUBJECT: BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN!

Memory verse: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5 vs 4.)

READ: Isaiah 61 vs 1 - 3:

61:1: The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me; because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

61:2: To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn;

61:3: To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

INTIMATION:

The word “mourning” means “to feel deep sorrow, to show great concern, or to deplore some existing wrong.” It means “to experience deep grief.” It is important to realize that Jesus was speaking to His disciples, and not to the public. Jesus did not imply that mourning is about those who have a morbid view of life; He was speaking to people who were seeking to live fuller lives with God in the center. Jesus' sermon was a collection of truths designed to prepare His followers for His kingdom, which involved a lifestyle radically different from the world’s.

Therefore, happy are those who recognize their spiritual poverty, and thus, humbly grieve over their sinfulness. The humble person recognizes his spiritual poverty and thus mourns over his inadequacies before God. In the Scriptures, blessed usually means "happy." But in keeping with His theme of spiritual blessedness, blessed most likely indicates "an enviable state."

When a person has acquired good fortune, we call him “blessed.” But in His sermon, Jesus calls some people “blessed” who appear to be quite the opposite. People who “mourn” don’t seem to be “blessed,” according to most other people. Jesus is contrasting the world’s idea of happiness with true blessedness—spiritual prosperity—which comes from a right relationship with God.

The people who agree with God about the evil of their own hearts can attain an "enviable state of blessedness," due to the comfort they receive from communion with the Holy Spirit. Jesus called the Holy Spirit the Comforter (John 14 vs 16, 26; 15 vs 26). The Spirit comforts those who are honest about their own sin and humble enough to ask for forgiveness and healing. 

Those who hide their sin or try to justify it before God can never know the comfort that comes from a pure heart. The Scriptures in Proverbs 28 vs 13 say, "He who covers his sins will not prosper; but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."

Before we can become strong, we must first realize that we are weak. Before we can become wise, we must realize that we are foolish. Before we can receive power, we must first confess that we are powerless. We must lament our sins before God before we can rejoice in a Savior. Mourning always comes before exultation. Blessed are those who mourn their unworthiness, their helplessness, and their inadequacy. If we have no sense of sorrow for sin, how can we know the need of repentance?

It is noteworthy that before God, we must go down into the valley of grief before we can scale the heights of spiritual glory. We must become tired and weary of living without Christ before seeking and finding His salvation. We must come to the end of “self” before we can really begin to live. The Psalmist says, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Psalm 34 vs 18).

Jesus reminds His followers that they cannot seek happiness the way the world does. True joy is not found in selfish ambition, excuses, or self-justification. An enviable state of blessedness comes to those who mourn over their own sin. The Scriptures, in Isaiah 66 vs 2, the Lord says, "...But on this one will I look; on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trenbles at My Word." The Lord says that the ones He will look on with favor are those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word. 

When we agree with God about how bad our sin is, repent of it, and seek His power to walk away from it, He promises comfort from the Holy Spirit. This kind of "mourning" leads to repentance is truly blessed. 

The Scripture, in Second Corinthians 7 vs 10, says, "For godly sorrow produced repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death." Repentance results in forgiveness and cleansing from God. When we have confessed Jesus, and trusted in Him as our personal substitute for sin, we no longer stand condemned (Romans 8 vs 1). 

Rather than wallow in guilt and shame, we realize that we stand justified before God (Second Corinthians 5 vs 21; Galatians 3 vs 24). Those who learn to mourn over their own sin find the heart of God. And intimate fellowship with God is the very foundation of true happiness.

Our anchor notes that those who mourn shall be comforted by the Lord. Many think that when God comforts us, our troubles should go away. But if that where always so, people would turn to God only out of a desire to be relieved of pain and not out of love for Him. However, we must understand that being "comforted" can also mean receiving strength, encouragement, and hope to deal with our troubles. The more we suffer, the more comfort God gives us. If you are feeling overwhelmed, allow God to comfort you. Remember that every trial you endure will help you comfort other people who are suffering similar troubles. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of mourning over my sins; showing my spiritual poverty and great concern over my wrongdoings which displeases You. Forgive me O Lord and comfort me, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Jesus Keeps His Sheep

 Jesus Keeps His Sheep

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31–32)

Though Peter, in fact, failed miserably, by denying Jesus three times, the prayer of Jesus preserved him from utter ruin. He was brought to bitter weeping and restored to the joy and boldness that showed itself in Peter’s message at Pentecost. Jesus is interceding for us today in the same way that our faith may not fail. Paul says this in Romans 8:34. 

Jesus promised that his sheep would be preserved and never perish. “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27–28). 

The reason for this is that God works to preserve the faith of the sheep. “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). 

We are not left to ourselves to fight the fight of faith. “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). 

You have the assurance of God’s word that, if you are his child, he will “equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ” (Hebrews 13:21). 

Our endurance in faith and joy is finally and decisively in the hands of God. Yes, we must fight. But this very fight is what God works in us. And he most certainly will do it, for, as it says in Romans 8:30, “Those whom he justified he also glorified.” The glorification of God’s justified children is as good as done.

He will lose none of those he has brought to faith and justified.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY JULY 23, 2026.

SUBJECT: BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT!

Memory verse: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5 vs 3.)

READ: James 4 vs 7 - 10:

4:7: Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 

4:8: Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you double-minded. 

4:9: Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 

4:10: Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. 

INTIMATION:

Blessed could also be translated “happy.” Happiness in heart results from the application in life of the Christlike demeanor expressed in His sermon on the mounth. The "poor in spirit" are those who recognize their humanity, their spiritual poverty and destitution. Therefore, they are not proud, conceited or arrogant concerning their spiritual relationship with God. We must empty ourselves of self-reliance and learn to humble ourselves before God.

Being blessed means more than happiness. It implies the fortunate or enviable state of those who are in God’s kingdom. Being “blessed by God" means the experience of hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances. To find hope and joy, the deepest form of happiness, follow Jesus no matter what is the cost.

The “poor in spirit” is not proud, conceited, or arrogant, and are blessed. This character trait clashes with the worldly values of pride and personal independence. We must recognize our humanity, spiritual poverty, and destitution (Romans 7 vs 24 - 25). We must empty ourselves of self-reliance and learn to be humble before God. Those with such an attitude of mind will submit to the kingdom reign of God, and consequently are blessed.

The "poor in spirit" recognizes and acknowledges their spiritual poverty and the need for God's grace in their lives. This heart attitude is recognized by Christ as a blessing to them since they know to seek the riches of God's grace. Therefore, one must realize his spiritual poverty and the inability to save himself in order to understand that he needs the grace of God in order to be saved. One will not come to repentance if he does not recognize his sinful condition. 

The Scriptures, in Isaiah 57 vs 15, says, "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 revive the heart of the contrite ones." God relates mercifully with those who are humble and repentant ("contrite"). The High and Holy God came down to our level to save us because it is impossible for us to go up to His level to save ourselves. Though God is exalted above the heavens, at the same time the omnipresent God dwells in the hearts of the humble and contrite. 

The passage we read today enumerates what the poor in spirit who seeks God's grace should do; draw near to God, seek Him and find Him. How can we come close to God? James gives five ways: (1) "Submit to God." Yield to His authority and Will, commit your life to Him and His control, and be willing to follow Him. 

(2) "Resist the devil." Don't allow him to entice and tempt you. 

(3) "Cleanse your hands.....and purity your hearts." This simply means lead a pure life. Be cleansed from sin, replacing your desire to sin with your desire to experience God's purity. 

(4) "Lament and mourn and weep." Don't be afraid to express deep heartfelt sorrow for what you have done wrong. 

(5) "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up in honor." Humbling ourselves before the Lord means recognizing that our worth comes from God alone. To be humble involves leaning on His power and His guidance, and not going our own independent way. Although we don't deserve God's favor, He wants to lift us up and give us worth and dignity, despite our human shortcomings. 

Drawing near to God is an imperative command that places the responsibility for our actions on our shoulders. The source of our power to resist the devil has been identified, therefore, the individual must take the initiative to keep himself in the love of God. Those who have made their hands dirty by becoming a friend to the world, must repent. Those who have allowed their lives to be directed by the world in order to create religious behavior according to their love for the world, must repent. One must purify his heart and stop seeking after the things of this world. One must become pure with the wisdom from above in order to remain in the grace by which he is saved. 

Although God and the devil are at war, we don't have to wait until the end to see who will win. God has already defeated Satan (Revelation 12 vs 10 - 12), and when Christ returns, the devil and all he stands for will be eliminated forever (Revelation 20 vs 10 - 15). Satan is here now, however, and he is trying to win us over to his evil cause. With the Holy Spirit's power, we can resist the devil, and he will flee from us. 

Those who have loved this world must turn from their materialism and seek God. They must change their lives to be worthy of the Gospel of Christ (Philippians 1 vs 27). The call for repentance, therefore, is a call for a paradigm shift in the thinking and behavior of the proud. 

Since God will not save the arrogant and proud, the plea is that the first step in repentance must be to submit to the Will of God. Only through the spirit of submission is God able to mold the demeanor of the obedient for eternal dwelling. There is within the man the power to resist the temptations of the devil. 

God has never given Satan the power to voluntarily subject people to his will. If one desires to seek God, then Satan has no power to subjectively keep one away from God. For this reason each person will give account of himself before God. Our power to resist the devil is exemplified in the fact that we can make him flee. 

Since God will not allow the individual Christian to be tempted beyond that which he is able to endure, then we must assume that we have the power to make the devil flee from us. And since we have the power, then we will all stand before God in judgement and be held directly accountable for our deeds.

Our power to resist the devil makes us responsible for our own actions. However, we must keep in mind that no man has this power within himself. It is through the power of the Gospel, and Christ working in us, that we are able to resist the devil (Philippians 4 vs 13). We must choose to unleash this power in our lives in order to flee from all temptations that come to us through the work of the devil. 

It is our initiative to take the steps to deal with our pride. We cannot exalt ourselves before God on the basis of our works. Man's pride detours him from submitting to the Will of God. In order to be lifted up by God, we must come to God with a humble heart. God is able to lift up the submissive. He cannot lift up those who feel that they have lifted themselves up apart from Him. Therefore, those who are proud will not submit their lives to God in order to be lifted up by Him. 

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of humility; knowing that outside of You I am nothing and can do nothing. Give me the grace to seek You at all times, and the eagerness to do Your Will and walk in Your ways at all times, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

How to Defy Sinful Desire

 How to Defy Sinful Desire

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. (Hebrews 11:24–26) 

Or, boil it down to the essentials: “By faith Moses . . . [left] the fleeting pleasures of sin . . . for he was looking to the reward” (Hebrews 11:24–26).

Faith is not content with “fleeting pleasures.” It is ravenous for joy. Joy that lasts. Forever. And the word of God says, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). So, faith will not be sidetracked into the deceitful pleasures of sin. It will not give up so easily in its quest for maximum joy. 

The role of God’s word is to feed faith’s appetite for God. And, in doing this, it weans my heart off of the deceptive taste of lust. 

At first, lust begins to trick me into feeling that I would really miss out on some great satisfaction if I followed the path of purity. But then I take up the sword of the Spirit and begin to fight. 

I read that it is better to gouge out my eye than to lust (Matthew 5:29). 

I read that if I think about things that are pure and lovely and excellent, the peace of God will be with me (Philippians 4:8–9). 

I read that setting the mind on the flesh brings death, but setting the mind on the Spirit brings life and peace (Romans 8:6). 

I read that lust wages war against my soul (1 Peter 2:11), and that the pleasures of this life choke out the life of the Spirit (Luke 8:14). 

But best of all, I read that God withholds no good thing from those who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11), and that the pure in heart will see God (Matthew 5:8). 

As I pray for my faith to be satisfied with God’s life and peace, the sword of the Spirit carves the sugarcoating off the poison of lust. I see it for what it is. And by the grace of God, its alluring power is broken.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY JULY 22, 2026.

SUBJECT: THE BEATITUDES—THE CHRISTIANS WAY OF LIFE!

Memory verse: “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.” (Isaiah 61 vs 3.)

READ: Matthew 5 vs 3 - 12:

5:3: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

5:4: Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5:5: Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

5:6: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.

5:7: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

5:8: Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

5:9: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.

5:10: Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

5:11: Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

5:12: Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven: for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

INTIMATION:

The Beatitudes can be understood in, at least, four ways: (1) They are a code of ethics for the disciples and a standard of conducts for all believers. (2) They contrast kingdom values (what is eternal) with worldly values (what is temporary). (3) They contrast the superficial “faith” with the real faith that Christ demands. (4) They show how the Old Testament expectations will be fulfilled in the new kingdom. These Beatitudes are not multiple choice; pick what you like and leave the rest. They must be taken as a whole. They describe what we should be like as Christ’s followers.

Each Beatitude tells how to be blessed by God. Blessed means more than happiness. It implies the fortunate or enviable state of those who are in God’s kingdom. The Beatitudes don’t promise laughter, pleasure, or earthly prosperity. Being “blessed” by God means the experience of hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances. To find hope and joy, the deepest form of happiness, follow Jesus no matter the cost.

Blessed could also be translated “happy.” Happiness in heart results from the application in life of the characteristics expressed in the Beatitudes:

(1) Poor in spirit: Happy are those who are not proud, conceited or arrogant concerning their spiritual relationship with God. One must recognize his humanity, his spiritual poverty and destitution. One must empty himself of self-reliance and learn to humble himself before God.

(2) Mourn: Happy are those who recognize their spiritual poverty, and thus, humbly grieve over their sinfulness. The humble person recognizes his spiritual poverty and thus mourns over his inadequacies before God.

(3) Meek: When one mourns over his sin, his relationship with others changes. He becomes mild, gentle, lowly and unselfish in character. He is not arrogant or self-seeking. The meek will inherit the earth in the sense that they will enjoy the greatest things that life has to offer. Because they understand the brevity of life and the temporary nature of material things, they concentration their thoughts on those things that are above.

(4) Hunger and thirst: Those who realize their sinful condition and mourn over their sin, hunger and thirst after the justification (righteousness) that can come only from God by His grace. They seek the knowledge of God through His Word. It is the Word of God that will supply the knowledge of how to be justified of one’s sin. God is the source of all righteousness.

(5) Merciful; Those who recognize their own spiritual poverty are merciful to others. They sympathize and have pity on others. They thus seek to relieve the suffering of others because God has had mercy on them in relation to their sin. Contrary to the legalistically proud who seek to judge, the meek have mercy. Their mercy will reap mercy from God.

(5) Pure in heart: Happy are those who do not seek evil, but are sincere. Without guile or a vile heart of evil motives, they do not seek to find evil in others. The pure in heart will understand the pure nature of God.

Peacemakers: Those who recognize their own sinfulness will seek peace of mind with others. Such are sons of God for they portray the spirit of God in their relationship with others. They are not contentious, nor do they have a spirit to argue with others.

Persecuted: Those who portray in their lives the above characteristics will be sons of God. Being such 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.

Rejoice: This 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 same evil envy that led to the persecution of the prophets of the Old Testament will also lead to the persecution of Christians who stand up for their faith.

God’s way of living usually contradicts the world’s. If you want to live for God, you must be ready to say and do what seems strange to the world. You must be willing to give when others take, to love when others hate, to help when others abuse. By giving up your own rights in order to serve others, you will one day receive everything God has in store for you.

Jesus said that God’s kingdom is organized differently from worldly kingdoms. In the kingdom of heaven, wealth and power and authority are unimportant. Kingdom people seek different blessings and benefits, and they have different attitudes. Are your attitudes a carbon copy of the world’s selfishness, pride, and lust for power, or do they reflect the humility and self-sacrifice of Jesus, your King?

Prayer: Abba Father, endue me with the spirit of Christlikeness; abhorring evil, cleaving to that which is good, loving one another, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer, distributing to the necessity of saints, given to hospitality, blessing those that persecute me, and not cursing them, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Preach to Yourself

 Preach to Yourself

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. (Psalm 42:11)

We must learn to fight despondency — the downcast spirit. The fight is a fight of faith in future grace. It is fought by preaching truth to ourselves about God and his promised future. 

This is what the psalmist does in Psalm 42. The psalmist preaches to his troubled soul. He scolds himself and argues with himself. And his main argument is future grace: “Hope in God! Trust in what God will be for you in the future. A day of praise is coming. The presence of the Lord will be all the help you need. And he has promised to be with us forever.”

Martyn Lloyd-Jones believes this issue of preaching truth to ourselves about God’s future grace is all-important in overcoming spiritual depression. In his helpful book, Spiritual Depression, he writes,

Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself? Take those thoughts that come to you the moment you wake up in the morning. You have not originated them, but they start talking to you, they bring back the problems of yesterday, etc. Somebody is talking. . . . Your self is talking to you. Now this man’s treatment [in Psalm 42] was this: instead of allowing this self to talk to him, he starts talking to himself. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul?” he asks. His soul had been depressing him, crushing him. So he stands up and says, “Self, listen for a moment. I will speak to you.” (20–21)

The battle against despondency is a battle to believe the promises of God. And that belief in God’s future grace comes by hearing the word. And so preaching to ourselves the word of God is at the heart of the battle.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY JULY 21, 2026.

SUBJECT: IDEAL PRAYER FOR MONEY! 

Memory verse: "Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6 vs 11.)

READ: Proverbs 30 vs 7 - 9:

30:7: Two things I request of You (Deprive me not before I die):

30:8: Remove falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches—feed me with the food allotted to me; 

30:9: Lest I be full and deny You, and say, “Who is the LORD?” Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.

INTIMATION:

The Scripture recognizes that money is necessary for survival, but it warns against the love of money: “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (First Timothy 6 vs 10.) Money is dangerous because it deceives us into thinking that wealth is the easiest way to get everything we want. 

However, having too much money can be dangerous, but so can having too little. Being poor, in fact, can be hazardous to spiritual as well as physical health. On the other hand, being rich is not the answer. As Jesus pointed out, rich people have trouble getting into God’s kingdom (Matthew 19 vs 23 - 24). Like the apostle Paul, we can learn “how to be abased” of “how to abound” (Philippians 4 vs 12), but our lives are more likely to be effective if we have neither too much nor too little money.

Abundant possessions can make many feel self-sufficient, and consequently, turn their back on God and forget Him. Self-sufficiency is as destructive today as it was in biblical time. In times of plenty, we often take credit for our prosperity and become proud that our hard work and cleverness have made us rich. 

It is also easy to get so busy collecting and managing wealth that we push God right out of our lives. But it is God who gives us everything we have, and it is God who asks us to manage it for Him. If you are traveling along a smooth and easy path right now, beware of forgetting who gave you your good fortune. Don’t depend on your gifts; depend on the Giver. 

In the passage we read today, Agur, the Psalm writer prayed that he should not fall victim of falsehoods and lies. He asked that he be given only that which would sustain his life. He had seen the negative influence of wealth, and the despair of poverty. In order to live a life of contentment without the worry of riches, or the desperation of poverty, Agur’s prayer was for a life that was without the frustrations of either riches or poverty. This should be the ideal prayer of the Christian; to have enough that will make him lead a sustainable life and be content with such that he has. We must pray for those things that are necessary for the sustenance of life.

Being content results from proper perspective of life—seeing life from God’s perspective. When you do that, you will focus on what is available to you per time, and not what you feel you should have. This helps you put your priorities right and straight, and be grateful for everything God has given you. Like the apostle Paul, we should detach ourselves from the nonessentials so that we could concentrate on the essentials with eternal values. Often the desire for more or better possessions is really a longing to fill an empty place in a person’s life. 

Most people are continually greedy for more money, regardless of their financial state. Regardless of whether one is poor or rich, most people continually seek to acquire more things of this world. Those Christians who are poor must learn not to complain and murmur about their situation and blame others for their predicament. 

Contentment of mind must be learned by those who are poor. When you are rich, learn how to possess money without money possessing you. Therefore, the rich must also learn to be content with their own financial well-being. They must learn not to allow money to become the idol of their lives. 

The Scripture states that it is difficult for the rich to be about kingdom business because their minds are continually directed and controlled by that which is of this world. Their wealth diverts their attention away from those spiritual things that will exist long after the material has been destroyed. It is difficult for the rich and influential rulers of this world to become obedient subjects of the kingdom reign of God.

Prayer: Abba Father, my utmost heart desire is to serve You with the talents, abilities, and possessions You entrust me with. May I never have anything that will drift me away from You, nor have anything that will cause me put my trust in any other thing than You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Models for Combating Discouragement

 Models for Combating Discouragement

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:26)

Literally the verb is simply fail, not “may fail.” This God-besotted psalmist, Asaph, says, “My flesh and my heart fail!” I am despondent! I am discouraged! But then immediately he fires a broadside against his despondency: “But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

The psalmist does not yield to discouragement. He battles unbelief with counterattack. 

In essence, he says, “In myself I feel very weak and helpless and unable to cope. My body is shot, and my heart is almost dead. But whatever the reason for this despondency, I will not yield. I will trust God and not myself. He is my strength and my portion.” 

The Bible is replete with instances of saints struggling with sunken spirits. Psalm 19:7 says, “The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.” This is a clear admission that the soul of the saint sometimes needs to be revived. And if it needs to be revived, in a sense it was “dead.” That’s the way it felt.

David says the same thing in Psalm 23:2–3, “He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul.” The soul of the “man after [God’s] own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) needs to be restored. It was dying of thirst and ready to fall exhausted, but God led the soul to water and gave it life again. 

God has put these testimonies in the Bible so that we might use them to fight the unbelief of despondency. And we fight with the blast of faith in God’s promises: “God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” We preach that to ourselves. And we thrust it into Satan’s face. And we believe it.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY JULY 20, 2026.

SUBJECT: OUR FRIENDSHIP WITH JESUS!

Memory verse: ".....There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother." (Proverbs 18 vs 24.)

READ: John 15 vs 9 - 16:

15:9: As the Father loved Me, I also love you, abide in My love.

15:10: If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

15:11: These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

15:12: This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

15:13: Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

15:14: You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

15:15: No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

15:16: You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.

INTIMATION:

Jesus Christ is a Friend to believers. He is a friend Who sticks close, listens, cares, and offers help when it is needed, both in good and bad. He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother, even than the clothes we put on. Friendship with Jesus, because of His special ways, brings warmth and beauty to our heart. His goodness and kindness brighten us up so much and make many happy moments start. The apostle Paul, in the Book of Ephesians, gives the believers a rich understanding of the scope of God's eternal purposes and blessings, along with His high standard for us.

Friendship with Him ensures enjoying His presence at all times. He is ever ready to listen, and really understands and cares. He sees the best in us and helps us grow. He is a friend who knows our hopes and fears and all we're dreaming of, who is on our side in everything we do. He is a friend full of love and will give us joy our whole life through.

In the passage we read today, Jesus unequivocally told us what to do to ensure our friendship with Him brings the promised reward of abiding in His love. And to abide in His love we should keep His commandment. What is His commandment? It's that we should love one another as He loved us. Jesus here emphasizes that keeping His commandment is necessary for one to abide in the love and grace of God. The singularity of the commandment that Jesus here gave us is based on the second greatest commandment; “You will love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22 vs 39.) 

Christianity is based on love. All human relationships that are true and enduring find their bond in the action of love. The extent to which Jesus went to give Himself for His friends, the believers, manifests the extent of the love about which Jesus speaks. The greatest expression of love that can be made is that one lay down his life for his friend.   

Though this seems a very high standard and unattainable, but God will never give us an impossible task. This is because, as a believer, you are assured of His fellowship with you at all times (Matthew 28 vs 20), and with Him nothing is impossible (Luke 1 vs 37). I am persuaded that it is achievable, and starts with the very first step of obedience to the commandment. Just start today to show love, no matter how minute it might be or seem, then the Holy Spirit, our Helper, will strengthen you to do more. 

Please take just a minute to imagine and appreciate the extent of Christ's love for us. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." ,(John 15 vs 13.) He gave up His life that you and I would live. He knew no sin, but was made sin because of you and I, that we might be made that righteousness of God in Him (Second Corinthians 5 vs 21). Again for His grace, though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich (Second Corinthians 8 vs 9). In my considered opinion, His love for us is unimaginable and unparalleled!

Christians are supposed to have "an inexpressible and glorious joy" in Christ. But many have not yet begun to imagine the kind of Christian experience awaiting them in friendship with the Lord in whom they have placed their faith and trust. Unfortunately, the experience of many is more like "an inexpressible depression and life filled with worry." Nonetheless, one thing is certain; our personal and intimate relationship with God of the universe is exciting and will produce significant spiritual and physical benefits as our knowledge of Him and intimacy grows.

Prayer: Abba Father, You chose me even when I am worthless in my sin nature. You loved me and gave Your precious and inestimable life for me. You have appointed me that I should bear fruit in obedience to Your commandment. Engrace me, My Messiah, in my quest to obey, amidst my weaknesses, that I may be worthy of an intimate friendship and relationship with You, in Jesus' Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Grace for Every Need

 Grace for Every Need

Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant. (Psalm 86:16)

Future grace is the constant plea of the praying psalmists. They pray for it again and again to meet every need. They give us a beautiful model of daily dependence on future grace for every exigency.

They cry out for grace when they need help: “Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me! O Lord, be my helper!” (Psalm 30:10). 

When they are weak: “Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant” (Psalm 86:16). 

When they need healing: “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord” (Psalm 6:2). 

When they are afflicted by enemies: “Be gracious to me, O Lord! See my affliction from those who hate me” (Psalm 9:13). 

When they are lonely: “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted” (Psalm 25:16). 

When they are grieving: “Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye is wasted from grief” (Psalm 31:9). 

When they have sinned: “O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you!” (Psalm 41:4). 

When they long for God’s name to be exalted among the nations: “God be gracious to us and bless us . . . that your way may be known on earth” (Psalm 67:1–2). 

Unmistakably, prayer is the great link of faith between the soul of the saint and the promise of future grace. If ministry was meant by God to be sustained by prayer, then ministry was meant to be sustained by fai

th in future grace.

His Timing Is Perfect

 His Timing Is Perfect

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may find grace for a well-timed help. (Hebrews 4:16, my literal translation)

I know this precious verse is usually translated, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” But that is a paraphrase — a true one — to show that God shows up just when we need him. But the literal focus is on how timely the help is.

All ministry is in the future — a moment away, or a month away, or a year, or a decade. We have ample time to fret about our inadequacy. When this happens, we must turn to prayer. 

Prayer is the form of faith that connects us today with the grace that will make us adequate for tomorrow’s ministry. Timing really matters.

What if grace comes too early or comes too late? The traditional translation of Hebrews 4:16 does not make clear a very precious promise in this regard. We need a more literal rendering to see it. The promise is not merely that we find grace “to help in time of need,” but that the grace is well-timed by God.

The point is that prayer is the way to find future grace for a well-timed help. This grace of God always arrives from the “throne of grace” on time. The phrase “throne of grace” means that future grace comes from the King of the universe who sets the times by his own authority (Acts 1:7). 

His timing is perfect, but it is rarely ours: “For a thousand years in [his] sight are but as yesterday when it is past” (Psalm 90:4). At the global level, he sets the times for nations to rise and fall (Acts 17:26). And at the personal level, “My times are in [his] hand” (Psalm 31:15). 

When we wonder about the timing of future grace, we must think on the “throne of grace.” Nothing can hinder God’s plan to send grace when it will be best for us. Future grace is always well-timed.

Every day in the God's Word

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

SATURDAY JULY 18, 2026.

SUBJECT: GOD YEARNS FOR AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH US! 

Memory verse: "But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the LORD." (Jeremiah 9 vs 24.)

READ: Jeremiah 9 vs 23 - 24; John 15 vs 13:

Jeremiah 9:23: Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches;

9:24: But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight, says the LORD.

John 15:13: Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 

INTIMATION:

We should realize that the various aspects of our relationship with God makes us get committed to Him. He is our Maker, Lord and Master, Judge, Faithful Companion, Redeemer, Father, Savior, and much more. But the most shocking truth is this: Almighty God yearns to be our friend and to have an intimate relationship with us!

From creation, God’s plan is to be in constant fellowship with man. In the garden of Eden we saw God's ideal relationship with man: Adam and Eve enjoyed daily visitation of the Lord, due to His quest for an intimate relationship with them. There were no rituals, ceremonies, nor religion, just a simple loving relationship between God and the people He created. While unhindered by sin, Adam and Eve delighted in God, and He delighted in them.

God is known in His creation, and He is close to every one of us. But He is not trapped in His creation. He is supernatural. God is the Creator, not the creation. This means that God is sovereign and in control, while at the same time He is close and personal. Knowing and loving God is our greatest privilege, and being known and loved by Him is God's greatest pleasure. 

We were made to live in God's continual presence, but after the 'Fall,' that ideal relationship was lost due to sin. Only a few people in Old Testament times had the privilege of friendship with God. Moses and Abraham were called "friends of God" (Exodus 33 vs 11 & 17; James 2 vs 23), David was called "a man after [God's] own heart" (Acts 13 vs 22), and Job, Enoch, and Noah had intimate friendship with God (Job 29 vs 4; Genesis 5 vs 22; 6 vs 8). But the fear of God, not friendship, was more common in the Old Testament.

Then Jesus changed the situation. When He paid for our sins on the cross, the veil in the temple that symbolized our separation from God was split from top to bottom, indicating that direct access to God was once again available. Unlike the Old Testament priests who had to spend hours preparing to meet God, we can now approach God anytime.

Friendship and intimacy with God is possible only because of the grace of God and the sacrifice of Jesus. The Bible, in Second Corinthians 5 vs 18 says, "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation." 

God actually is reconciling us to the Trinity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. He invites us to enjoy friendship and fellowship with all three persons of the Trinity. The Bible, in First John 1 vs 3, says, "That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us, and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." 

The apostle Paul, in Second Corinthians 13 vs 14, concludes his letter to the saints in Corinth by reminding them of the communion and fellowship with the Trinity; "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen."

Your opinion of God makes it difficult for many to understand why He would want us to be close friends, but the Bible, in Exodus 34 vs 14 says, "for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God." God is jealous of sharing your fellowship with any other, indicating how you are valued and wanted by Him. He deeply desires that we know Him intimately.

If any wants to boast, they should boast that they know and understand Him. These are the things that please the Lord. God puts a higher priority on knowing Him personally and leading a life that reflects His justice and righteousness, over and above every other things we do. What do you want people to admire most about you? Mine is my relationship with my Maker.

Prayer: Abba Father, what a friend I have in Jesus Christ! I cannot find a friend so faithful; All my sins and griefs You bear, and has given me the great privilege to carry everything to You in prayer. How needless it is for me to bear any pains, or forfeit my peace in You by not committing everything in prayer to You. I have found my solace in You, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!