| Today's Bible Verse |
| "The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."
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1 Samuel 16:7 King James Version (KJV)
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| Today's Bible Study |
Please allow me to introduce you to a group of people whose lives are described upon the pages of God’s Word. These men were the religious leaders of the day, easily recognized even in a crowd. An aura of righteousness surrounded them.
They were seen in the most important seats of the synagogue and in places of honor at formal banquets. Their piety was known to everyone. No one out-prayed them, out-tithed them, out-fasted them or out-performed them in the observance of ritualistic ceremonies.
No one quoted scripture better than they did. As concerning the Law, they kept it to a fault. Their fellow countrymen looked up to them and called them rabbis.
Jesus, however, had other names for them: hypocrites, blind guides, brood of vipers. We usually refer to them simply as the Pharisees.
Despite their outer appearances, these men were spiritual failures. Jesus summed up their life’s goal in one sentence. Everything they did was done for men to see.
Today, the church is the religious counterpart to the Pharisees. The world looks to us in hopes of finding spiritual guidance. We must not mislead them by being, like the Pharisees, blind guides. Rather, we must be genuine, always considering the opinion of the world worthless compared to the judgment of God.
Are we striving to conform our lives to the teachings and example of Jesus, or are we satisfied simply wearing His name?
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| Today's Prayer |
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| Lord, I am tempted to be a people-pleaser. May I never value the opinion of people more than I value the opinion of the One who sees my heart, Amen.
Jesus, Amen.
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| Yesterday's Bible
Verse |
| "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."
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Proverbs 3:5 King James Version (KJV)
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| Yesterday's Bible
Study |
In 1992, Josh Kezer was wrongfully convicted of killing a 19-year-old girl in Missouri. He was sentenced to 60 years in prison. Josh served 16 years of that sentence before friends and attorneys secured his exoneration and brought about his release.
Josh came to know Christ in prison, where he wrote praise songs and maintained a strong faith despite his horrible surroundings. He determined to forgive everyone who was responsible for the injustice he suffered. He now refers to himself as a “blessed, loved, and fortunate child of God.”
Josh was asked, “How were you able to forgive the people who committed this terrible wrong against you?”
He answered, “We do not always get to choose the path we travel in this life, but we do get to choose how we will travel that path.”
Josh Kezer’s faith strengthens my faith. His resolve to forgive inspires me to forgive. His challenge to choose how you will travel life’s path reminds me that I must involve my mind when making life’s decisions. I must not rely solely upon my feelings.
I can waste time plotting revenge and feel justified in doing that.
But in 1 Peter 4:1, the Apostle urges Christians to arm themselves with the attitude of Christ. Hebrews 12:2 reads: Jesus, for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Only a determined attitude of the mind enables us to choose wisely the way we walk this earthly path.
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| Yesterday's Prayer |
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| Lord, I ask, as one of your disciples once asked, teach me to pray. Amen.
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