Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Proverbs 15:4

Posted on March 19, 2024

Gentle words are a tree of life; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. – Proverbs 15:4 (NLT)

When you make a mistake or don’t do something the way you’d want to do, what words are you speaking over yourself? Do you say things like, “I’m no good?” or “I’ll never make it.” Words like those produce fruit in your life.

If you want to experience success, you’ve got to change how you speak. You’ll want to speak what you want to see. If you struggle with math, speak that you catch on to new things quickly. If you feel like you are shy, then speak that you’re bold and make friends easily. What you speak produces fruit in your life, so speak words of life.

Regardless of how you’ve failed, your life has a purpose. You are important to God’s plan. So don’t let failure and shortcomings stop you from greatness. Choose to believe and see yourself the way God sees you. Talk about yourself like God would. Don’t forget that you’re a child of God, and vital to His plan.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – John 15:9

Posted on March 18, 2024

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. – John 15:9 (NIV)

This verse compares the love of Jesus to us to how God loves Jesus. What an interesting comparison. In the ministry of Jesus, we continually see Jesus comparing natural things to the kingdom of God. But in this verse, we see that Jesus compares his love for us to nothing we can see in our world.

Why does He do that?

My guess would be that it’s because the way most loving relationships work in our world is flawed. Relationships don’t last. Brothers sometimes end up hating others. And Jesus knew that. He knew that our earthly relationships were flawed.

That’s why He decided to compare His love for us to God’s love for Him. God’s love for Him was always good. It always thought the best about Jesus and was pleased with Him. And that’s how Jesus sees us. He loves us with a perfect love.

Our job then is to remain in that love. We have to not let thoughts and emotions sway us away from God’s love. We can’t let people or the lies of the enemy tell us that we’re not of value. The truth is, Jesus loves you, that love won’t change, so we need to remain in Jesus’ love.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – John 16:33

Posted on March 15, 2024

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

If you’ve seen the news lately, you’ve seen that there is so much trouble going on right now in the world. Yet Jesus said in the middle of trouble we could have peace.

How can that be? How can we find peace in a world that seems full of turmoil? It’s by knowing Jesus. When you know Jesus, you have everything you need to get through each challenge and difficulty. Knowing Jesus and knowing what He has done for you, sets you free to face even the hardest circumstances with joy.

It’s not going to say that you’re happy you’re facing something tough, however, you know that in the middle of it all, you’re not alone. God sees you. He knows you. He will never leave you, even if it feels like He has. He knows where you’re at. If you trust Him, and let Him be enough, you can get through anything that life brings your way.

Today’s Truth: Jesus is peace when we’re surrounded by trouble. 

Even as crazy as things are right now in the world, we can choose to live in peace. We can choose to not let fear rule our lives. Why? Because we know that God is good. God will never leave us alone, and we don’t have to fear the trouble in the world. Jesus came to bring us peace.

So today, if you’ve allowed your heart to become afraid, spend some time in God’s word. As you do, you’ll find that it’s so much easier to be at peace when you know God is good and will always see you through.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 139:1

Posted on March 14, 2024

O  lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. – Psalm 139:1

It can be easy to get up in the morning, look in the mirror, and not like what you see. You might wish you were taller, had a different hair color, or were more outgoing. Its easy to want to beat yourself up for not looking, acting, or being a certain way.

What’s really great about God is that He looks at your heart. This verse tells us that God has examined our hearts and knows everything about us. And the great thing is, He still likes us. When God looks at you, He doesn’t see all your flaws, short comings, or failures. God sees you in Jesus. In Jesus you are perfect and complete.

Today’s Truth: In Jesus, you are perfect and complete.

God sees you as a person of worth. He loves you more than you can ever know. So instead of getting down on yourself because of how you look or how you act, choose instead to see yourself like God sees you. Choose to see yourself as a person of worth. You are someone that God paid a huge price to get to know!

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Ephesians 4:32

Posted on March 13, 2024

And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ – Eph 4:32

I had a job once working at a restaurant. My boss decided it was his job to go out of his way to be mean to me. He’d try to get me to drop plates of food and mess up. Each day, I dreaded going to work because of him. He was never friendly to me, and always seemed to have a grudge against me, for no reason that I could understand.

Every day at work, I challenged myself to do what this verse said. I didn’t react, or respond to him in anger. I wasn’t mean back to him. I was always kind even though he was so mean to me. It didn’t happen immediately, but eventually, my boss stopped giving me such a hard time.

Sometimes the best response to someone who isn’t nice is to do what this verse says. Be kind to those who aren’t nice to you, forgive them when they don’t treat you right. You can do this because God did the same thing to you. He forgave you even when you didn’t deserve it. So even when it’s hard to treat others with kindness, it’s the right thing to do in light of what God did for you.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Colossians 3:15

Posted on March 12, 2024

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. – Colossians 3:15

Big decisions can be scary. Maybe you’re finishing up school and you’re having to determine a career or college path. It can be really difficult to know what to pick. You may feel overwhelmed and stuck not wanting to make the wrong choice.

Today’s Bible verse talks about letting peace rule in your heart. This means that you’ve got to choose to let peace rule in your heart. You can decide to let the decision-making process be overwhelming and let it consume you to where you’re stressed out and fearful. Or you can determine to let the peace of God rule in your heart.

Today’s Truth: Even in uncertainty, you can live in peace. God wants to lead your steps.

Even when you’re uncertain, you can live in peace. You can be confident that God will lead you to the right decision. God doesn’t want big decisions to stress you out. He wants to help you, lead you, and guide you to the right path.

So today, if a big decision has you stressed out, take some time to spend with God. Get into His presence. Remind yourself that even in uncertainty, you can choose to be at peace. God will lead you. He wants to speak to you. Just get quiet and learn to listen to His leading.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Ephesians 2:10

Posted on March 8, 2024

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. – Ephesians 2:10 (NLT)

It’s easy to let people and circumstances make you feel bad. Maybe someone said something to you that made you feel like you weren’t worth anything. Perhaps school is hard for you and so it’s easy to feel like you’re not important.

When you begin to feel that way, often you enter into relationships and allow yourself to be treated poorly. That’s not how God sees you, however. God sees you as a masterpiece. He created you, knows you, and knows the plans he has for you.

Today’s Truth: God sees your value.

So don’t allow yourself to feel bad if people haven’t seen your value. What matters is that God does and He loves you in a big way. So today encourage yourself that you can make it. Your life is important and matters to God.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – 2 Corinthians 5:19

Posted on March 7, 2024

For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. – 2 Cor 5:19 (NIV)

Most people keep track of all the times people had done wrong by them. They recall the rumor someone started about them, then the time that they felt like they were mistreated by the math teacher, and they pile up thing after thing that other people have done to them and keep track of each hurt and offense

While we as humans often remember each offense against us, aren’t you glad God doesn’t do that? God is not counting our sins against us. That’s the good news of the gospel. And the gospel isn’t just for you, it’s for the world.

Today, thank God for reconciling you through Jesus and forgiving you of all your sins. Look for opportunities today to share this good news with someone that doesn’t know it.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 37:23

Posted on March 6, 2024

The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. – Psalm 37:23 (NLT)

Have you ever watched a couple when they first started dating? They stare into each other’s eyes, giggle about every little thing the other person says. They have all these silly jokes. When people first start dating, the newness of their relationship makes them delight in each other. They can’t wait to see the other person. And just thinking of that person makes them smile.

God wants you to delight in Him. Not just to go to him on a Sunday for a little pep talk, but to really delight in Him. To be excited to spend time with Him and just hear what He has to say. He wants you to get to know Him and show you important things about your future.

[Tweet “God wants you to delight in Him – @studentdevos”]

To get God’s plan for your future, you’ve got to invest some time into getting to know God. You’ve got to get into God’s word and be open to hear and act on what you hear Him speak. You’ve got to make yourself open to Him and his desires. As you do, God will direct your steps. He will show you the right decision to make and help you through the decision making process.

God wants to lead you and guide you. Be open to what He has to say and don’t be afraid to step out and do what He is telling you to do. Be fearless and step out today.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Judges 17:13

Posted on March 5, 2024

“I know the LORD will bless me now,” Micah said, “because I have a Levite serving as my priest.” – Judges 17:13 (NLT)

Have you ever tried to do things your own way? And then just asked God to bless it, hoping it would all work out? That’s a lot like what Micah was trying to do in Judges 17:13. He wasn’t doing anything the way God had asked Israel to do or in the way God had told them to worship. Instead, Micah was doing what he wanted, and then hoping that God would bless it.

And if we’re honest, how many times do we do that ourselves. Maybe we want to date someone that we know isn’t a good person for us to date. But we really think they’re cute, so we go ahead and date them, and just hope that God blesses it.

Or in future plans, maybe you really feel like God is calling you to one career, but maybe you think that others will think less of you if you pursue it. So instead, you do your own thing, hoping that God will bless it.

We do this all the time in many areas of our lives. We do what we want and hope that God will bless it. And it’s true that God does want to bless and help us. However, as true followers of Jesus, shouldn’t our desire be Him, and what He wants above all else? Shouldn’t we be trying to follow after Him, not what others think?

Today, challenge yourself to follow after God with your whole heart. Don’t be like Micah who tried to do his own thing and then just asked God to bless it at some point. Instead, go to God. Desire what He desires. And in doing so, you’ll find things work out for your good when you follow after Him.