Daily Bible Verse

and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. – Ephesians 4:24 (NIV)

Most of us start our day each day by getting ready. We might chow down a bowl of cereal, or eat a nice hot breakfast. Then, more than likely, we’ll get ready for the day. A big part of getting ready is putting on your clothes.

We do this so that when we go outside, people see us clothed. We wouldn’t want others to see our pink fuzzy bunny slippers, or that bathrobe that’s two sizes too small. When we go out for the day, people see our clothes.

That’s a lot like what today’s Bible verse is talking about. It’s saying that as you’re living your life each day, put on your new self. The self that was created to be like God. This means that our new self should be visible to others. Other people should be able to see a difference in our attitudes and actions.

We should be letting that new self dominate what we do and it should be visible to others. That new man was created righteous and holy. So let that new man dominate your actions and attitudes today.

When it comes to God’s plans for your life, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. Where do you start following them? How do you know what they are?

When it comes to following God, it’s good to remind yourself that God is good. His plans for your life are good, and when you work together with Him, good things come to pass.

For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. – 1 Cor 3:9 (NIV)

You’re not working alone to accomplish the things God has for your life. You’re working with him and other Christians to bring them to pass. Most importantly, He’s working in you. The two of you are a team. So don’t feel overwhelmed with the idea of following God’s plan. God is working together with you to bring it to pass. You don’t have to do it all on your own.

If you’ll do your part and obey what God is calling you to do, then step by step His plan will become more obvious to you. Stay connected with God. Keep reaching out to Him and getting His thoughts on the next steps to take. As you get close to God, He will help you walk out the plan He has for your life.

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. – James 1:2 (NLT)

In the middle of trouble, the last thing on most people’s minds is being joyful. When you’re going through trouble, you’re not usually excited about it and most definitely not happy about it. So why does he says consider trouble a good opportunity for joy?

I believe it’s because even in the middle of chaos, you can find joy. Not that you’re excited that you’re going through the difficulty, but rather you can be at peace knowing that God will see you through.

Even if things are crazy around you, you can choose to have an attitude of joy. You can choose to have a positive outlook and look to God as your source of peace.

So today, evaluate yourself. When trouble comes, how do you respond? Are you able to have joy? Or does the trouble derail you? Remind yourself that God will never leave you alone and that He will see you through this difficult time.

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13 (NLT)

I remember when a family member of mine died. It was really tough on my faith and I had a hard time walking in peace and joy. I was upset and didn’t know how to effectively deal with the loss of this person in my life.

During the difficult season, I felt God encourage me that I had a reason to hope. I was going to see my loved one again. In the middle of a season of loss, or even just a trying time in your life it can be easy to want to give up on hope. You can begin to believe that it will never get better and that things will never change. However, regardless of how dark things look, God can be your source of hope.

Things don’t always get better instantly, but if you place your trust and hope in God, He sees you through. His wisdom speaking to you through scriptures and through the Holy Spirit will give you the insight and encouragement you need to keep going.

Today’s Truth: God wants to Give you hope

So today, if you’ve been struggling, know there is hope. Ask God for His encouragement and don’t give up. God wants to bring you confident hope!

Fear is real. A lot of the time, it has a loud voice in our lives. It influences the decisions we make, the amount of sleep we get at night, and many other things.

Today’s Bible verse gives us some insight into fear.

I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? – Psalm 56:4 (NLT)

In today’s verse, we see that the Psalmist writes that he trusts in God, so why should he be afraid. That level of trust in God is amazing. The fact that he placed greater trust in God than on what he might have been facing really challenges me.

See it doesn’t matter what you’re facing. What matters is that you have trust in your God. Regardless of how bad it might look, regardless of how things might seem, when you place your trust fully in God, you have nothing to fear.

That’s good news. If you struggle with trusting God, a good way to build that trust is to read about the things He’s done for others in the Bible. Reading the stories of how God helped Abraham and the children of Israel through some really difficult seasons can help you build your faith in a God who is always working on the behalf of His children.

What are you afraid of? Is there something that keeps you up at night worrying or upset?

Fear is a real thing. It can keep us from sleep, it can keep us from making certain decisions and it can often stop us from doing what God is calling us to do.

In today’s Bible verse, we see a simple truth. When we’re afraid, we can put our trust in God.

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. – Psalm 56:3 (NLT)

And while that truth is very simple, it can be really hard to put into practice. It’s easier to want to rely on help from others, or to try to do it all ourselves instead of fully putting our trust in God.

God has the ability to be our solution to every problem that we face, but it takes us believing that He can do it, and then we have to put our trust in Him. Putting your trust in God isn’t an easy thing most of the time. So if you struggle with that, it’s ok. One of the best things you can do is spend some time reading Genesis and Exodus. As you read the accounts of how God supernaturally helped His people, it helps you realize that He will do the same for you when you need it.

Today, don’t give into fear. God loves you and wants to help you if you’ll simply put your trust in Him!

Pride goes before destruction,
    a haughty spirit before a fall. – Proverbs 16:18 (NIV)

It’s easy to think that being popular equals success. You might think, the more friends you have, the better things will be for you. And while being friendly and having friends is a good thing, popularity isn’t the same as success.

Success in life comes from knowing Jesus and following His plan and purpose for your life. Anything else won’t bring you true happiness.

So today, focus on knowing Jesus. Spend time praying, reading your Bible, and finding out what Jesus has to say about things. As you know Jesus more, success will come. But success will never be lasting or fulfilling if it’s based only on popularity. Rather, base your happiness and worth on what Jesus says about you. Know that you’re loved and treasured by Him. So no matter whether you have lots of friends or just a few, it doesn’t matter because your worth is found in Jesus, not others.