| Today's Bible Verse |
| "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
|
Romans 3:23 King James Version (KJV)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Today's Bible Study |
I do not watch football intentionally, but I hear and see snippets of football games because I live in a house where football is often playing on the television.
I have become familiar with the term unnecessary roughness. The meaning of that phrase is not hard to decipher. Unnecessary roughness occurs when a member of one team pushes, steps on or punches a player on the opposing team when those actions do not advance the player’s purpose for being on the field. One player’s unnecessary roughness often results in a whole team being penalized.
Some people practice unnecessary roughness on themselves.
These people, upon recognizing they have done a wrong thing, berate themselves, call themselves all manner of ugly names and sometimes even shut down for a while to marinate in self-torment.
Unnecessary roughness cripples us when we inflict it upon ourselves. What’s worse, the people around us (our teammates) suffer. While I sit on the sidelines mourning my bad behavior, someone else must do the work that was assigned to me.
Unnecessary, self-inflicted roughness may be an indication of pride. A person indulging in this behavior thinks: Other people make mistakes, but I can’t accept the fact that I fail too. I’m better than that.
You and I are no better and no worse than anyone else. We all sin against God. But instead of treating us roughly, He offers grace. Stop beating yourself up. Offer yourself a bit of grace.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Today's Prayer |
 |
| God, when I sin, lead me to confess that sin to you. Then help me forgive myself. Don’t let the memory of sins I have already confessed and You have already forgiven oppress me. Through the One Who made forgiveness possible, Amen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Yesterday's Bible
Verse |
| "And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."
|
Mark 6:31 King James Version (KJV)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Yesterday's Bible
Study |
During the holidays, I rushed to clean and decorate the house, buy and wrap gifts, and host and attend parties. I was under constant pressure to get things done.
Jesus worked under pressure. Read of his activities recorded in Mark, chapter one.
He was baptized and driven into the wilderness where He fasted and was tempted.
He taught in the synagogue in Capernaum. He healed a man with an unclean spirit.
He healed Peter’s mother-in-law who lay sick of a fever.
Here comes the pressure. Mark 1:32-33 tells us: And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered at the door. And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils.
The next morning Jesus rose early and went out into a solitary place and prayed. And then came Peter and other followers to him saying (my paraphrase),”Everyone is looking for you. Sick people are waiting to be healed. What are you doing here?”
And he said unto them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, for therefore came I forth” (Mark 1:38). Healing people of physical sicknesses was a good work, but that was not Jesus’ primary purpose.
In the hustle of life, don’t neglect prayer. And don’t forget this: God has not called you to respond to everybody’s requests. God has called you to follow Him. Sometimes this requires you to ignore the other people and things calling for your attention.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Yesterday's Prayer |
|
| Slow me down, Lord. Help me remember why I am here. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
TheBibleAppProject.org LLC | PO Box 466, Fishkill, NY 12524
|
|
| |
