Bible Verse for Today

He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
— Mark 8:31 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Knowing Jesus is God's Messiah is one thing. Following Jesus as our Lord is quite another. Getting our minds, hearts, and lives to all line up is always a challenge. Once Jesus' disciples confessed him as the Christ, he knew he had to teach...

 

Even as he spoke, many put their faith in him.
— John 8:30 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...While we often talk about Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can also find it easy to ignore his voice. Let's make a commitment to read through each of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John) before the end of the year. And as we read, let's do it as a search for the heart of Jesus and ask God to help us know him better.

My Prayer...Be with me, dear Father, as I seek to know Jesus better...

 

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
— Mark 8:29 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...The sweetest confession we will ever make is this: I believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and I want him to be Lord of my life. Let's say it again, out loud, to the glory of God the father. Then, let's commit that before the year ends, we're going to help someone else come to say it for the first time!

My Prayer...Thank you, Lord God...

 

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
— Romans 8:28 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...The real issue in our lives is not God's faithfulness, but ours. The history of God's faithfulness to Israel and to his promises is found in the Scriptures. We can depend and rely on him to do what he promises, despite the apparent circumstances of our lives. The real issue is whether or not we choose to truly love...

 

The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
— Matthew 8:27 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...What kind of man? Ah, much more than a man, he is our Lord, King, Messiah, Shepherd, and Savior.

My Prayer...Tender Shepherd and Abba Father, thank you for emptying heaven of your choicest glory and sending Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. As I face the storms in my life, please give me the courage to stand bravely in faith, trusting that my...

 

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
— Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Sometimes our prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling and fall to the floor. Other times, we are overcome with emotion and...

 

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
— Romans 8:25 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...I'm not good at waiting. But, my hope in the Lord gives me patience that is beyond my human tendency. As much as the Lord has blessed me, I'm fully confident that I can't even imagine the good things he has in store for me. So while I wait, I try to stay busy; busy loving my Father in heaven and sharing his grace with others.

My Prayer...Thank you, dear Father, for the...

 

I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.
— John 8:24 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...The crucial phrase, somewhat disguised by our translations, is this one: "Unless you believe that I AM, then you will die in your sins." As John so often does, he grabs a simple phrase, fills it full to the brim with meaning, and leads us to see Jesus in a dramatically fresh way. Jesus is I AM, God with us...

 

Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
— Romans 8:23 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Life can be very difficult at times. Anyone who has lived long knows this. At the same time, even our worst nightmares are staging periods for our great redemption. Our loneliest moments are the waiting room for our final adoption into the very presence the King of Ages. With the...

 

"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."
— Genesis 8:22 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...We face one of two realities. One reality is this: tomorrow will come, the earth will turn, and the seasons will pass in their appointed order. The second reality, God will interrupt his appointed order; Jesus will come and we'll share in his glory. These realities are as sure as the sun's coming up in the morning and...