Nov 10 2024

Today's Bible Verse

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

Add to Favorites Share with Friend Today's Bible study

In this verse, Peter talks about how Jesus gives us hope. From the beginning of the world, God had a plan to save us through Jesus, who defeated death forever, and through whom we find salvation and many more reasons to rejoice. In today's Bible study, we'll consider the reasons we have for hope in Jesus and how we can feel that hope today.

We have hope because God had a plan for our salvation from the very beginning of time. He knew when He created humans that we might one day reject Him. And, if we rejected Him, Jesus would have to die to atone for that sin. The Lord knew that when He decided to make us, He was opening up the possibility that we might hurt Him … but He created us anyway.

This shows us the magnitude of God's love—He wanted us, even though He knew that the price of our redemption would be terribly high. He knew the costs of creating us and decided that we were worth it. This gives us hope that God loves us more than we could ever understand.

We also have hope in the fact that Jesus has defeated death forever. When He died and rose again, He showed that He had power over sin and death. Death could not control Him; the grave was no match for the power of God! Because Jesus lives within us, He has given us power over sin and death. We don't have to fear dying because after we die, we will be with God. When we struggle with sin, we can remember that Jesus paid the price for our sins. We are fighting a battle that has already been won!

Today, whatever we are facing, we can have faith in a God who knows us, loves us, and has defeated death and sin forever… for us. We are not alone in this world, and nothing can ever separate us from Him. We could not serve a better or more powerful God. Jesus is Lord over all—and this is enough to give us hope for all eternity.

Today's Prayer

Dear Lord, I am so grateful that you're the final source of all my hope. You defeated death once and for all during the resurrection. I no longer have any reason to be afraid because you are with me always. Thank you, Jesus, for your love and my salvation. In your name, amen.

Add to Favorites Share with Friend

Nov 09 2024

Yesterday's Bible Verse

And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.:

Add to Favorites Share with Friend
Yesterday's Bible study

In this morning's verse, Jesus tells His disciple Peter about the importance of forgiving other people, especially when he is praying. Jesus underscores the importance of this by suggesting that forgiving other people makes it possible for God to forgive us. Today, let's think about how it is possible to forgive people and why expressing forgiveness is a vital part of the Christian life.

Jesus acknowledges that we will have to forgive people in our lives. We may sometimes feel like we're the only ones who are in dire need of forgiveness, but everyone around us needs it too. At the same time, we have to make the conscious decision to forgive other people. We can't expect the Lord to forgive us if we hoard unforgiveness toward others in our own hearts.

What we need to constantly keep in mind is the grace that God has already shown us. We were all helpless in sin, unable to unlock the chains that bound us to it relentlessly. We were unable to have a relationship with a holy God… but Jesus made a way. He atoned for our sins once and for all. Now, to be in good standing with the Lord, we can call upon His name and surrender to Him. Because of Jesus, our salvation is an act of grace. We never have to question our standing with the Lord … we know that we are His children.

The natural response to our salvation is to show grace to other people. Because Jesus lives in us, we are able to forgive others. When we forgive other people, we are mirroring what Jesus did for us when He saved us. We are living by grace alone, assured that it is enough. We are also recognizing the all-encompassing power of the cross to cover every sin and every hurt, reminding us that God sees about and cares for every wound and every flaw.

Yesterday's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you so much for forgiving me for all that I've done wrong. I would be nowhere if I did not have your grace in my life, and I am so grateful for it. Please help me to forgive and show me areas of my life where I have not forgiven those who have harmed me. In Jesus' name, amen.
Add to Favorites Share with Friend


← View Last Verse View Next Verse →