Bible Verse for Today

In faithfulness he [God] will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.
— Isaiah 42:3-4 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...God will not falter! In a world where justice so seldom prevails, God is our only real assurance that justice will ultimately triumph. The hope for all lands and all peoples is for Jesus to return and bring with him God's truth and justice. Maranatha, come O Lord!

My...

 

Boldly and without hindrance he [Paul] preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.
— Acts 28:31 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...So often, we give excuses why we can't do evangelism. Throughout his life, Paul shows us how lame our excuses really are! He is under house arrest and having to support himself, yet he still manages to get the Gospel out to the lost!

My Prayer...Loving and Almighty God, forgive my excuses and my fear. Please make me bold to share your...

 

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
— Acts 1:8 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Sometimes the most profound truths are very simple. The power to reach the world for Christ involves God's might through the Holy Spirit, God's plan of beginning where we are and reaching out to the world, and our willingness to tell others what God has done for us in Jesus.

My...

 

Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake.
— Psalm 79:9 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...I am sure at times that God gets disgusted with our behavior and our lack of seeking after him. I'm sure there are moments when he acts to bless us only because we are his people and we wear his name. But when we cry out, confessing our sins and shortcomings, he is still our Savior. Even when we are not what we should be, God can...

 

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.
— Philippians 1:4-5 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Paul prayed with joy because the Philippians were partners with him, not just supporters. Through their financial help, prayers, and interest in his work, they truly shared in his ministry. They were partners! Let's get interested in our congregations' missions. Let's pray and contribute to missions and...

 

The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia -- your faith in God has become known everywhere.
— 1 Thessalonians 1:8 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...What kind of reputation does your church have? What is your dream for the congregation where you are a member? So many of us have such short-sighted goals for our churches. The church at Thessalonica was only a few months old and its reputation for sharing their faith had become known all over the Roman Empire...

 

Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people.
— Isaiah 10:1-2 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse..."Absolute power corrupts absolutely" ... by allowing us to have what we shouldn't; ... by allowing us to forget where we came from; ... by allowing us to ignore the cries of the oppressed. Power corrupts, because only God can truly handle power with righteousness, justice...

 

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
— 1 John 3:17 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...I love the Bible because it is so gritty with the realities of real life. In the previous verse, John told these churches that they should be willing to lay down their lives for each other. That's pretty good in theory, especially when you don't think it will ever be necessary. But this verse makes the application of...

 

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.
— Proverbs 3:27 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Rather than "looking out for" only "number 1," we are to look out for those deserving of good -- whether that be help, aide, praise, love, affection, attention -- and to act decisively to give them what they need and deserve. We are to be a people, as Paul tells us, who Jesus saved so we would be "eager to do good deeds" (Titus 2:14).

My Prayer...Father...

 

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.
— Luke 19:10 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Jesus came so that the last could be first, the sick could be healed, the sinners could be saved, and the lost could be found. That was his purpose: to fix that which was broken -- not just us, but our world, our humanity, and all that goes with it. So how can we wear the name of Jesus and not live with his passion and purpose toward what we see lost in our world?

My Prayer...O...