Oct 28 2024

Afternoon Bible Verse

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Afternoon Bible study

A blacksmith uses steel to make steel tools. Those tools are strengthened and hardened to withstand the extreme heat and pressure that comes with making other tools.

At a certain point in the process, a blade that has been hardened in the fire must be tested. If it is not hard enough, it can't be used. Only when a tool has been properly heated and treated can it be sharpened by another tool.

It is truly amazing that an object made of one particular material can be used to hone another object that's made of the same material. But this is possible because it was perfectly designed to do so.

Good friends have seen us at our high points as well as our low points. They know our likes and dislikes, good traits and bad traits. And any good friend can see and sense when something is wrong with the other.

Perhaps a bad day or argument has caused the person to be down. But that's where a friend comes in, as this verse in Proverbs explains. Literally, it is saying that we have the ability to improve the expressions on the face of a friend. This means we have the power to make someone smile and to brighten their day. And isn't that what true friends are for?

God gives us friends in our lives. Some are closer than others. And not only do we have them as our friend, but they are someone to whom we can be a friend. Friends encourage each other and build each other up, just the way God planned.

Afternoon Prayer

Lord, you know the value of having good friends and being a good friend. Lead me to be a better friend to those around me and give me the insight and wisdom to encourage my friends to follow you when they are in need. In Jesus' name, amen.

Oct 27 2024

Yesterday Afternoon's Bible Verse

For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ. :

Yesterday Afternoon's Bible study

Here's a true statement: The average person does not have a grasp of quantum physics or the intricacies of the universe. So could you even imagine the expansive and all-encompassing mind of the Lord? The mind that not only dreamed up the heavens and the earth but every living thing on it? It's impossible, unfathomable, mind-boggling.

Yet how many times do we attempt to help God with His plan for our lives? We say we will trust His will, but then we tweak the areas we don't like, make an adjustment here and another there, as if God needs us to fix and adjust His plan to fit our liking.

Because of our limited knowledge, we can't even begin to fathom what guides God's thoughts. But Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:16 that we can understand God's will and purpose for ourselves. How? By having the mind of Christ.

Of course, this doesn't mean we know everything that God knows. Nor does it mean that we know His complete plan, including all the pieces, parts, details, and steps. But having the mind of Christ does mean that we will listen and not interfere with what is far better than anything we could do for ourselves.

God has given you and me the ability, through the Holy Spirit, to understand His perfect plan to restore all of humanity back to Him through the sacrifice of Christ. We have the mind of Christ … if that isn't awe-inspiring, I do not know what is.

Yesterday Afternoon's Prayer

Lord, I come before you as a humbled creation of yours. I cannot possibly begin to know the entirety of all that you know. But in my lack of understanding, I pray that you will lead me, through your Holy Spirit, to always seek your thoughts and your will. In Jesus' name, amen.
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