Jul 22 2024

Today's Bible Verse

A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

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In this verse from Proverbs, we learn about the bond of love that undergirds both family and friend relationships. This love transcends our circumstances—it exists at all times, including those of adversity. It is there when we need it, encouraging us and building us up to accomplish the work that the Lord has put before us.

Jesus gives us the best example of love we could ever have. He always made time for other people—He never turned away the sick, the needy, or young children. In the same way today, He does not turn away from adversity. Instead, He steps into it. When we rejected the Lord, He did not look upon us as a lost cause. Instead, He came down to Earth as a man, willingly submitting Himself to all the trials of humanity, even death on a cross. He shows His love for us by having time for us and entering into our own struggles.

As Christians, we have all experienced the love of Christ. We know what it is like to be the unmerited recipients of boundless grace. Now, being full of His love, we are called to spread it amongst other people, bringing the light of God's love into their hearts and minds. We should be friends that love at all times, as well as the brother or sister who loves even in times of trouble… because that's what Jesus has been to us.

The Lord will equip us to live up to this high calling. It is challenging to love on a consistent basis because it costs us something—self-sacrifice, freedom with our time, a call to give when we ourselves feel tired or worn out. The Lord knows this, and this is why He offers to fill us up each day whenever we come to Him.

Studying the Bible, praying, and worshipping the Lord may feel like tasks that take a lot of effort. But the rewards are many. Being steeped in the Word and conversations with the Lord will fill us with daily reminders of His love for us. When we follow through on these spiritual disciplines, we will be able to truly experience the Lord as a constant, loving companion and a brother who walks through hard times with us. Then—and only then—will we be able to do the same for our friends and family, loving them always because Jesus loved us first.

Today's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for loving me so much. Thank you for your great kindness and mercy. Please help me to share the love that you have shown me with others. I want to love my friends and family well with the love that you have given me. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Jul 21 2024

Yesterday's Bible Verse

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. :

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Yesterday's Bible study

In this verse from Psalm 28, David rejoices in the Lord for being his strength and his shield. When David needed the Lord to intervene, the Lord moved, and David is grateful for that. He thanks the Lord by singing this psalm.

What does it mean for the Lord to be our strength and our shield? In a very literal way, it means that He is our offense (strength) and our defense (shield). He is our total protection, helping us in the battle and guarding us against danger. In our lives, this means He gives us the strength to stand up against temptation, helping us say no to sin. Also, He protects us from being exposed to sin in the first place so we do not have to face temptation.

Sometimes, it doesn't feel like the Lord is our strength or our shield. We might feel forgotten or alone, afraid that He will not intervene on our behalf. Even David felt like the Lord was not with him, and in Psalm 22 writes, Why have you forsaken me? He knew what it was like to be disappointed by the Lord—and he also knew that the best thing to do in that experience was to cry out to Him.

We can trust that even when we cannot feel the Lord, He is with us. He hears our cries for help, just as He heard David's in Psalm 22 and met him. Soon afterward, David was able to write that the Lord was his strength and his shield… he now understood that he had never been forsaken by the Lord. David had learned not to use his own feelings as a gauge of truth, but instead, to lean into the promises of God.

Today, remember that the Lord is your strength and your shield. Nothing will ever take Him away from you. Ask the Lord to be your salvation, protecting you in His power and love. Like David, rejoice in the Lord, praising Him for His provision over your life.

Yesterday's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for being my strength. You are my shield and my deliverer. Thank you for being trustworthy, perfect, and loving always. You are so good to me. Help me to rejoice in you all the days of my life. In Jesus' name, amen.
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