Aug 02 2024

Afternoon Bible Verse

The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

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At any point in time, dozens of armed conflicts are raging throughout the world. The causes of war are often religious differences, territorial issues, economic gain, revenge, and/or nationalism. Whatever the cause, such conflicts have likely existed since humans first walked the Earth.

In Exodus 14:14, Moses is facing a tremendous challenge. He has led the Israelites out of Egypt, where they were living in slavery. Pharaoh and his massive army angrily chase after them in an attempt to recapture the Israelites. Now, God's chosen people are standing at the edge of the Red Sea with nowhere to go. Moses reminds the people that this isn't their war to fight, it's the Lord's. They simply had to trust God to fight for them.

Many times we face a crossroads where our options are to fight or to hold our peace. These conflicts may result from our actions, or from the consequences of others' actions. Still, we are free to choose between taking our own path, or trusting God to lead us in His ways.

The best option is always to trust God and know that He can see the beginning, middle, and end of every situation. Sometimes it may seem like we have lost a battle, but God knows what will take place as a result of our apparent defeat. Only God can see what is happening behind the scenes, and He is always working His plan. The question is... are we willing to hold our peace and allow the Lord to fight for us?

Afternoon Prayer

Dear God, you see every conflict in life that I face. Some situations are a result of things I have done, while others may be undeserved. I know I am unable to change my past decisions, but help me trust in you as I face whatever comes my way. Give me wisdom and strength to trust you no matter what. Teach me to allow you to fight for me. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Aug 01 2024

Yesterday Afternoon's Bible Verse

But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. :

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Yesterday Afternoon's Bible study

Our world currency system is based on the exchange of money for goods and services. If we want something, we pay for it. For better quality or larger quantity, we pay more because, as the saying goes, "you get what you pay for."

Imagine this paradigm shift: You receive something for nothing with no expectation of ever doing anything to earn or pay for it.

In the Book of Luke, we are presented with a form of giving that is countercultural and difficult to comprehend. This afternoon's verse is the account of what we call The Sermon on the Mount. A crowd had gathered around Jesus and His disciples. They had come to Jesus for healing. After He healed everyone, He spoke to the masses.

Jesus shared the heart of the Father—and it challenged people's beliefs.

He told them, "Bless those who curse you, don't judge others and you won't be judged" and "Take the plank out of your own eye before you point out the speck of dust in someone else's eye."

In Luke 6:35, Jesus said, "love your enemies." Enemies are the people in our lives that don't want the best for us. They are against us, positioned to watch us fall on our faces and fail in life.

These are the exact people Jesus told us to "love, do good, lend, hoping for nothing again." Following God requires a higher aim of doing what is right. It's not enough to only love those who love us. God asks us to love those who hate us, just as He does.

God is kind to the unthankful and the evil. With God's help, we can love others. The world will see the difference in our lives and know we are God's children.

Yesterday Afternoon's Prayer

Lord, you have called me to a life that I am incapable of leading without your help. I want to love others, but sometimes it can be hard. You are aware of the people who dislike me and those in my life are who difficult to love. When I don't know the right things to say and do, help me to turn to you for wisdom. Let me give to others without expecting anything in return. Give me the kind of love that shows the world I want to be like you. In Jesus' name, amen.
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