Jul 18 2024

Today's Bible Verse

So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

Add to Favorites Share with Friend Today's Bible study

In this verse from Proverbs, we have a sweet reminder that our hope in the Lord is secure when it is based on wisdom. When we seek to know the Lord, we will grow in wisdom and be able to have right expectations. In this way, our hopes align with the Lord's will.

An earlier verse in Proverbs (9:10) tells us that wisdom begins with fearing the Lord. In other words, when we realize how powerful, perfect, and good the Lord is, we are on the path to walking in wisdom. We do not have to be afraid or worry about ourselves; we can trust that He is faithful and will help us. We can also trust that He is working everything together for the good.

This wisdom helps us align our hopes with the Lord's will. The more we know Him, the more we understand His will. For example, we know that reconciliation is God's will; He does not want us to be separated from His love. Instead, He wants us to enjoy sweet communion with Him and know Him more and more each day. Knowing these truths helps us fix our hopes on the Lord's promises.

What are the right hopes of a faithful Christian? We can hope for things like a sinless life, peace, and eternity with the Lord. We can rest during times of struggle that the Lord will bring good out of them. We can stay firm in our faith that the Lord sees us even in our worst moments and loves us anyway. We can hope to be reunited with loved ones who have passed on and now live in Heaven.

Perhaps most importantly, we can all hope for a life filled with intimacy with the Lord. Our expectation that the Lord will go before us and be with us through everything will never go unfulfilled. The best thing that has ever happened to us—reconciliation with the Lord—will never be taken from us. We can dwell in its benefits today and will do so for the rest of eternity. This is the foundation of our hope.

Today's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for being my source of hope in all seasons. Thank you for loving me more than I could ever deserve to be loved. Help me to have wisdom so that my hopes align with your will. In Jesus' name, amen.

Add to Favorites Share with Friend

Jul 17 2024

Yesterday's Bible Verse

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.:

Add to Favorites Share with Friend
Yesterday's Bible study

In this verse from Romans, the apostle Paul writes that while we were sinners, Jesus died for us. Because the Lord loved us, He submitted Himself to a brutal death and allowed Himself to be separated from God the Father. His death provided atonement for our sins once and for all; there was no longer a barrier between us and the Lord.

There will never be a greater intersection of grace and justice than the cross. All of the sin committed by humans deserved judgment, and that judgment was death. There was no way that we could ever atone for all of our wrongs or face judgment and still live. So, the Lord created a way for us through Jesus. When Jesus shed His innocent blood—the only innocent blood that ever existed—He took on the judgment that we deserved. He didn't deserve to die; we did. This is grace! Jesus took our spot, sparing us the justice owed us. In this way, the Lord demonstrated both grace and justice.

Why did the Lord send Jesus to rescue us? It was not because we were good people! Indeed, the very people whom Jesus went to save crucified Him. He was willing to look past all of our wrongdoing, saving us from ourselves, because He loved us. Jesus loved us enough to be willing to be hurt by us… and love is the only reason we can know the Lord today.

No one can ever take away the love of the Lord from you. No one can ever take away the power of the cross or the fact that Jesus cared so much for each of us that He was willing to make the greatest sacrifice possible.

Because of what He did, we can walk in confidence and peace all the days of our lives. We do not need to be insecure about who we are or if we are good enough—we are justified through Jesus, and that's all we need.

Yesterday's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for loving me so deeply. Thank you for dying for me, for giving me life in you when I could never deserve it. I love you, Lord. Please help me love others as you have loved me. In Jesus' name, amen.
Add to Favorites Share with Friend


← View Last Verse View Next Verse →