Bible Verse for Today

[Jesus said,] "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."
— Matthew 5:43-45 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...We often talk about the privileges of being a child of God -- forgiveness, salvation, a future in heaven with him, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and ultimate victory when Christ comes. One of the greatest privileges we get...

 

Let those who love the Lord hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
— Psalm 97:10 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Hate -- what a bold and powerful word. We must not hate people. We must hate evil. Tough combination to pull off, but absolutely vital. Evil is here because of the Evil One -- the champion of hate, lies and death. So when evil rears its ugly head, let's be courageous and oppose Satan and his work. In the...

 

He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor.
— Proverbs 21:21 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Isn't it funny that when we set off to find happiness or joy or significance or meaning, we seldom find it? Instead, when we offer to serve others and give ourselves wholeheartedly to the Lord and his work, it is then that we find what we most need.My Prayer...O Giver of every good and perfect gift, I ask today that you give me a chance to serve you and others in...

 

The word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.
— Psalm 33:4-5 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...God is faithful. We can trust his promises to be kept and his purposes to be good. How do we know? The sunrise each morning is a reminder that the Father of heaven and earth is at work keeping his universe in working order. If it is true in nature, it is true in the spiritual realm as...

 

I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
— Psalm 18:1-2 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...We sing it and we say it in our public prayers: "Father, God, we love you." But notice very carefully the beginning phrase of our verse. "I love you, O Lord..." Even in public, community worship, we are taught the importance of a personal expression of...

 

I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.
— Psalm 59:16 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...So many things in our lives can be stolen away by natural disasters, aging, and death. Satan could be appropriately called "The Thief of Always." But God is immovable and "unstealable"! We can invest ourselves in him and know our spirits are secure in his care. He is a fortress and a refuge.My Prayer...O Great...

 

As it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."
— 1 Corinthians 2:9 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...Many of the things we anticipate and dream about are much less glorious in real life than they were in our imaginations. There is one event, however, that is better than we can imagine and beyond our wildest dreams. When Jesus returns to take us home to be with our Father, it will be far better than we can ask...

 

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
— Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse...So many times Satan seduces us into a flat, 2 dimensional Christianity - going to church and doing good deeds. But God calls us to a three dimensional faith. He wants us to love him with all of our being in all of our actions and with all of our might.My Prayer...Dear Heavenly Father, I...

 

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...

 

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
— Ephesians 4:2 (NIV)
Thoughts on Today's Verse..."You mean I have to put up with that!?" There are those folks in life about whom the saying is true: "They are the grit out of which we are to fashion our pearl." But our great example in this challenge is Jesus. Think of what he had to put up with in his 12 disciples. Remember how transformational his patience and gentleness with them was. Can we dare to do...