Dec 08 2024

Afternoon Bible Verse

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

Afternoon Bible study

God is always working on our behalf. His plans are always what is best for us. But what happens when we can't see His plans—will we still trust Him?

God never changes, but the same is not true of us. Our circumstances sometimes change hour by hour and even minute by minute. There are times when we can't see a way out or see how anything will get better. But we are incapable of seeing what God sees. We have to trust that He is on our side and will provide a way.

Our circumstances may not feel peaceful. Some situations may take years for us to see a peaceful result. This afternoon's verse in Isaiah reminds us to set our minds on God. As long as we can only see everything around us, we can't fully trust Him. It requires putting all of our heart, mind, focus, and strength in God.

When our minds are flooded with fear and doubt, we can ask God to give us His perfect peace as we trust Him—and we must trust Him. Otherwise, we are expecting the result of peace without the action of putting our faith in God.

We should give thanks to God for what He will do, even if we don't see Him doing anything. He is always at work.

It can be easy to feel like everything is spiraling out of control, but that is the exact moment we should put our hope in God. We were never meant to be in control in the first place. We can freely hand control over to God. Nothing is too big for Him, and no situation is too hard or complicated for Him to figure out.

Afternoon Prayer

Lord, you never promised me a perfect life, but you have offered me your perfect peace. When the storms of life come, help me to place my trust in you. Sometimes my mind feels overwhelmed with everything going on in my daily life. Thank you for calming my thoughts so I can think clearly and make the choice to put my faith in you. Give me more hope as I see you work on my behalf. Thank you for being faithful in my life. Help me share the peace you have given to me to those around me. In Jesus' name, amen.

Dec 07 2024

Yesterday Afternoon's Bible Verse

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! :

Yesterday Afternoon's Bible study

Unity in the Body of Christ is beautiful. It is pleasing to God and brings joy to those who experience it. But how can we achieve unity in a world where people tend to only look out for themselves? It begins with seeking God's desire for our relationships, which goes beyond our own intent and expectations.

In order to live in unity with others, someone has to be willing to sacrifice their feelings and desires for the sake of living in harmony. When we seek peace, rather than always having to have our own way, we are demonstrating that unity is a priority.

When there is unity, people experience a kind of joy that goes beyond feeling happy. It's a feeling in our soul that things are good and right. It's a result of the unity that has taken place—everyone is on the same team, with the same purpose, wanting to accomplish the same goals.

Unity takes work and effort. It never just happens. Christian unity occurs when people come together, and their only purpose is to worship God. It means that we forgive others, instead of holding onto a grudge and harboring hard feelings. We sacrifice what we want for the sake of the whole group.

A disunified group of Christians speaks to the world—but not in the right way. It conveys the message, "We can't get along with each other, so there probably isn't much hope that we will get along with you". It mars the image of the Church and hurts its witness. Where there is disunity, God's blessing and His Spirit cannot abide among His people.

Unity should be our priority. And it is only accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit. What can we sacrifice today to obtain unity with other believers?

Yesterday Afternoon's Prayer

God, help me to seek unity in my relationships with others. When I'm feeling selfish, remind me how you desire unity among your people. Help me to humble myself when I want my own way. God, I know you are patient with me. Give me patience with others even when they are selfish. Give your Church unity in our thoughts and actions as the Body of Christ. Help us to seek peace above everything. Thank you for bringing unity to your people so we can honor you with our lives. In Jesus' name, amen.
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