Aug 07 2024

Today's Bible Verse

But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

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In this verse from Deuteronomy, Moses speaks to the Israelites. He promises that if they seek the Lord with all their heart and soul, they will find Him. This is a sweet promise and reminder for us today.

Sometimes, the Lord can feel distant. This may be our own doing, or simply the result of circumstances that we experience. In these times, we can take heart that the Lord is never far off. Indeed, if we seek Him, knowing that He promises to be found, we can experience His love and mercy afresh.

This verse is also encouraging to us when we have conversations with people who do not believe in the saving mercy and love of Jesus. When we have conversations with non-Christians, we can take heart that no one who truly wants to know the Lord will be left wanting. If they are committed to seeking Him with all their heart and all their soul, they will find Him. He will make Himself known to all who seek Him in a powerful, indescribable way.

What does it mean to seek the Lord with our hearts and souls? On the surface level, it means that we are committed to doing the work, to investing time and energy in knowing the Lord. The Bible requires a concerted effort to understand, and prayer takes a lot of work.

On a deeper level, it means we are interested in truth—even if it is inconvenient, we want to know God as He actually is, not as we wish He would be.

When people are dedicated to the pursuit of truth, seeking it with their hearts and souls, the Lord will make Himself known.

Today, we can encourage ourselves in the truth that the Lord is knowable. He can (and will) be found by those who are dedicated to knowing Him for all that He is. When we continue to press on with all of our hearts and souls, we, like the Israelites Moses speaks to in Deuteronomy, will find Him.

Today's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for meeting us right where we are. Thank you for aiding us, making yourself known, and for caring about us so deeply. Thank you for your great, everlasting love. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Aug 06 2024

Yesterday's Bible Verse

Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. :

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Yesterday's Bible study

In this verse, Paul tells the Christians of Thessalonica (modern day Greece) that the Lord has called them to the Gospel to glorify Jesus and partake in His glory. The verse reminds us that we all have a purpose: to bring glory and honor to the Lord. Today, we can rejoice in the truth that we never have to feel as though our lives lack purpose or are without meaning. We all have a God-given calling.

Yet sometimes, even Christians can feel as if our lives have no purpose or meaning. These feelings usually hit when we encounter some kind of difficulty or suffering; it can come out of nowhere and deeply wound us. However, when those feelings come, we can remember the truths we see in this verse: We have a calling from the Lord, and it is better than anything we could imagine.

Paul writes that the Lord calls us by the Gospel, meaning that the Gospel is an invitation necessitating a response. When we hear how Jesus died to set us free from sin, we must decide whether or not we will follow Him, surrendering our lives to Him and living in accordance with His commands. This is His call to each of us.

The call is costly. When we decide to follow Jesus, we are surrendering our claim on everything but the love of the Lord. We are saying that we will do whatever the Lord asks us, even if it is painful or confusing. It is making a predetermined decision to say yes to the Lord, regardless of the costs. It is a huge decision that changes the course of our lives… but it is the way to purpose, freedom, and experiencing the glory of the Lord.

When we decide to step into the highest calling of the Christian life—to walk in obedience to the Lord's commands—we get to experience life in a new way. We can pray to the Lord and watch how He moves in our hearts and lives; we no longer have to be afraid of what might happen in our futures. We get to enjoy a rich and fulfilling relationship with God, who loves us more than we could ever understand.

This is the high calling of the Christian life, and the invitation to it is open today, just as it was nearly 2,000 years ago when Paul wrote to the Thessalonians.

Yesterday's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for the high calling that I have in you. There is no better life than one lived in utter dependence on you, one that rests in your great love at all times. Thank you for calling me and for changing my life. In Jesus' name, amen.
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