Bible Verse for Today

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."
— Mark 9:35 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Last? Nobody likes to be last. We have a hard enough time settling for second place, much less last place. Jesus reverses the rank. The person who is most important to him is not the person seeking the status and notoriety. The most important person is like Jesus himself: willing to give up rank and status and...

 

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth.
— John 4:24 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Genuine worship is a gift. Since God is spirit, since he is holy, we cannot fully approach him without the gift and blessing of his Holy Spirit. As Christians who received his Spirit when we were baptized into Christ and born of God, we can now speak to him and worship him Spirit to Spirit. My Prayer...Abba Father, by the gift of your Spirit I come to you as your...

 

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
— Ephesians 6:12-13 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...How often do you forget that we are in a spiritual war? Our enemy is...

 

Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
— Ephesians 6:12-13 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...How often do your forget that we are in a spiritual war? Our enemy is...

 

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
— James 4:8 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Humble yourselves. That sounds obscene. At least to the "get ahead at all cost" and "don't look back the competition is gaining on you" culture of self-promotion it sounds obscene. Humility is a forgotten virtue. Often confused with weakness or timidity, humility is about knowing our proper place in the world without flaunting it. Only God can exalt in a permanent way, so the key...

 

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
— James 4:8 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Humble yourselves. That sounds obscene. At least to the "get ahead at all cost" and "don't look back the competition is gaining on you" culture of self-promotion it sounds obscene. Humility is a forgotten virtue. Often confused with weakness or timidity, humility is about knowing our proper place in the world without flaunting it. Only God can exalt in a permanent way, so the key...

 

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.
— Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Our actions follow our thoughts like a heat seeking missile follows the exhaust of a jet fighter's engine. So in a day when so much around us trains us to find the negative in life, we must aggressively think and pursue the character, the qualities...

 

If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
— Galatians 6:1 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...In a day when intervening in someone's life is no longer politically and socially correct, these verses ring out like a gunshot on a still night. Sin is still real and is just as deadly as ever. Yet because we fear being branded judgmental and self-righteous, we let many who are trapped by sin go to their...

 

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
— James 1:5 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Wisdom is that elusive quality we respect in others and find so difficult to develop in ourselves. Yet God promises it to those who really ask. But remember the secret of ASKing — asking, seeking, and knocking. Or better yet, check out Proverbs 2. Wisdom is ours only if we seek it above all other possessions and...

 

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."
— Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Ask! So often we're afraid to ask for help because we have to admit we don't have the answers. Seek! Effort and interest and perseverance are necessary and that's sometimes hard. Knock! In an era of doorbells, this is a forgotten action...