Verse of the Day 12/5

Verse of the Day 12/5

John 8:12

New King James Version

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

One of the things I like most about celebrating Christmas is the decorations and in particular the lights.  I like the lights on the Christmas tree when all the other lights in the room are turned off. I like all the candlls, the little lights that illuminate a darkened sanctuary at the end of the Christmas service as we sing "O Holy Night". But it goes beyond that.

We celebrate that Jesus, the light of the world came into the world to save us from our sins, to bring salvation to deliver us from the darkness of this world into His marvelous light, the light of life.

Our world is full of pain, sorrow and darkness, but as we celebrate His birth it dispells that darkness.  "We can sing Joy to the World" as we look for Him to come again to set us free and into His light for eternity.

1. Come, thou long expected Jesus,
born to set thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us,
let us find our rest in thee.
Israel's strength and consolation,
hope of all the earth thou art;
dear desire of every nation,
joy of every longing heart.

2. Born thy people to deliver,
born a child and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever,
now thy gracious kingdom bring.
By thine own eternal spirit
rule in all our hearts alone;
by thine all sufficient merit,
raise us to thy glorious throne.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

John 8:1-12

New King James Version

Jesus the Light of the World

8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2 Now [a]early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, "Teacher, [b]this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now [c]Moses, in the law, commanded us [d]that such should be stoned. But what do You [e]say?" 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, [f]as though He did not hear.

7 So when they continued asking Him, He [g]raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being[h] convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up [i]and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers [j]of yours? Has no one condemned you?"

11 She said, "No one, Lord."

And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go [k]and sin no more."

12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."

Verse of the Day 12/4

Verse of the Day 12/4

Colossians 3:12-14

New King James Version

Character of the New Man

12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

Today's passage came up in my devotions this morning.  I normally post one or two verses, but how could I post verses 12 and 13 and omit how verse 14 begins, "and over all these virtues put on love". Yesterday we considered how God's mercies are new every morning. In today's verses Paul tells us that we are to "put on" tender mercies. Clothe yourselves with them wear them, put them on display for all to see. Not for the applause but for the glory of God.

As I was writing these words the song that I learned in Sunday school came to mind, "I Will Sing of the Mercies of the Lord Forever" came to mind, singing of His mercies and faithfulness, singing His praises forever.  Singing those praises may not be in words but in our actions as we put on kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forgiveness and love.

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,
I will sing, I will sing,
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.

With my mouth will I make known
Thy faithfulness, Thy faithfulness,
With my mouth will I make known
Thy faithfulness to all generations,

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,
I will sing, I will sing,
I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever,

I will sing of the mercies of the Lord.

Put on His tender mercies today, and show it with the qualities mentioned.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Colossians 3:12-17

New International Version

12 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Verse of the Day 12/3

Verse of the Day 12/3

Lamentations 3:22-23

New International Version

22 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,

    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.

Today's verses came to me yesterday in a couple of devotionals and a note from someone. Whenever something like that happens it makes me pause and ponder, consider the verses for a good perioo of time, likely, many times during the day. While it is not officially winter, the temperature today in NC is in the 20's to start and it feels like winter has arrived early, marking the beginning of a new season, even though the calendar still tells us it is fall.

The loss of a loved one is marked by a day, the day of death.  But in reality, for the one or ones in grief it marks the beginning of a new season in life. It is a season of sorrow for the present hurt. It is a season of refledtion, looking back being thankful for God's blessings, His mercies in the past that point to a hope that we have in the future.  So there is a looking forward as well.

Inn my grief God's Word and His Word put to music are one of His greatest comforts, His greatest mercies to me.  The hymn "Great is Thy Faithfulness" comes from these verses and the relation to seasons is evident in the song. I've played Carrie Underwood's video of this countless times in the past months and I'll do so again immediately after writing this.  She sings ir with power and emotion which we can sing along with, with the power that His mercy gives us in hope, in praise and in defiance of the sorrow and pain.

We must endure the periods of pain and sorrow but we don't do so alone.  God's mercies are new, are renewed day by day as we wait on Him, wait on the salvation of our Lord in the hope that our loved one is with Him and He will bring us to Him one day.

1. Great is thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee.
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.

Refrain:
Great is thy faithfulness,
Great is thy faithfulness,
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed thy hand hast provided;
Great is thy faithfulness,
Lord unto me.

2. Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love. [Refrain]

3. Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine and ten thousand beside. 

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Lamentations 3:19-27

New International Version

19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,

    the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him."

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke
    while he is young.

Verse of the Day 12/2

Verse of the Day

Deuteronomy 4:9

New International Version

9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

Yesterday while I was waiting at the clinic for the results of a Moh's procedure to remove a cancerous spot on my back, I was using the time to work on a Bible study that I would be attending last night.  I normally wrote the answers hand written in a workbook but I didn't have it with me so I decided to post some notes in "Notes" on my iPad.  When I opened notes somehow the words that I had written to Jean for our 40th anniversary popped up.  I'll share them below. Later when I returned home after hearing the good news that the margins were clear I read today's verse in a friends Christmas letter.  What I had written for Jean served as a reminder today of the treasure that she was. Not that I would ever forget it, but it was good to see it and be reminded of her great love.

We should approach our Bibles in the same way.  We know the principles, but sometimes we need to read them again to have them help us remember of how He has helped us, guided us, healed us, restored us or renewed us in the past.

I won't let Jean's memory fade and re-reading this note from time to time will prevent there being any chance of letting the memory of her and how much I will always treasure her and magnify her inn my heart and mind for the rest of my life.

On our 40th anniversary ,  Jean,

I've taken you to be my loving wife,

to honor, 

To love,

To have and to hold

From that day forward 

For richer , for poorer,

As long as we both shall live.

After 40 years I stand amazed and awe of you.

Your love, is the most valuable thing in life for me,

I'm amazed at your care for me and others,

Your love,

Your hope,

The peace that allows you to sleep (and to snore) while facing the most difficult of times.

Your unwavering faith is something few ever get to see firsthand.

You inspire those around you,

You encourage and challenge,

You comfort and adore,

You are a defender and fighter for what and who you believe in and care for,

You truly have exhibited for Jeff and I the peace that passes understanding,

You are and ever will be THE LOVE of my love, and I will cherish you as long as I live

My hope and prayer is to be here with family and friends 10 years from now, but until that time comes to make the most of each day, month and year until then.

I love you with all my heart,

Love always,

Love,

Mike

She won't be here for our 50th, but she is now with Jesus and at some point we'll meet again and I'll say these words to her again. I also need to share this with her grandchilden so they will not forget the love that Gigi had/has for them as well.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

Obedience Commanded

4 Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.

3 You saw with your own eyes what the Lord did at Baal Peor. The Lord your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor, 4 but all of you who held fast to the Lord your God are still alive today.

5 See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. 6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." 7 What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to him? 8 And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?

9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. 10 Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when he said to me, "Assemble the people before me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children." 11 You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. 12 Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice. 13 He declared to you his covenant, the Ten Commandments, which he commanded you to follow and then wrote them on two stone tablets. 14 And the Lord directed me at that time to teach you the decrees and laws you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

Verse of the Day 11/30

Verse of the Day 11/30

2 Peter 1:5-7

English Standard Version

5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,[a] and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

I've mentioned before how my wife Jean had said at the end of last year that 2025 would be the year of perseverence.  It was for her right up to the end when she was received into glory 6 months ago. Today's verse came up in my read through the Bible plan, and while it does not speak of perseveerence directly, "make every effort" or "be diligent" (dpending on the translation) points to that.  Faith is the foundation but it is the application of it that is spoken about here.  It doesn't come easy, but you quickly see a progression - virtue, knowledge, self control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection and love. Notice that it ends in love.  Love isn't stated first but is the culmination of diligence as well as of perseverence.

We're fighting a battle day by day, but as Christians we must reallze that it is already won. We take it by faith and the Holy Spirit will guide us as we make every effort on our part to supplement our faith with these qualities.

There's peace that outlasts darkness
Hope that's in the blood
There's future grace that's mine today
That Jesus Christ has won
So I can face tomorrow
For tomorrow's in Your hands
All I need, you will provide
Just like you always have

[Chorus]
And I'm fighting a battle
You've already won
No matter what comes my way
I will overcome
Don't know what you're doing
But I know what you've done
And I'm fighting a battle
You've already won

[Verse 2]
There's mercy in the waiting
Manna for today
And when it's gone, I know you're not
You are my hope and stay
When the sea is raging
Your Spirit is my help
He'll fix my eyes on Jesus Christ
I'll say that it is well
Oh, I know that it is well.   (You've Already Won - Shane and Shane)

No matter what we face, the battle has been won at the cross.  Eternal life awaits.

Blessings,

Mike

Folllow the Verse of the Day blog at http://mikesvotd.blogspot.com

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.  NIV

2 Peter 1:3-11

English Standard Version

Confirm Your Calling and Election

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to[a] his own glory and excellence,[b] 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,[c] and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities[d] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers,[e] be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.