Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 98:1

Posted on January 7, 2025

Sing to the Lord a new song,
    for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
    have worked salvation for him. – Psalm 98:1 (NIV)

One day, as a fifth grader, I became so worried. I realized that I had checked out an item from the library and thought that I hadn’t returned it and lost it. The item I had checked out was really expensive and I was certain that I was going to owe the library hundreds of dollars. I felt as if I was going to be sick. Nothing that was being taught that day was retained and I was constantly worried.

As soon as I could, I called my mom at home. I asked her if she could bring the item to me so that I could return it. During the call, she reminded me that she had already taken the item back to the library. I realized that I had forgotten that she told me that she had returned the item.

Forgetting what my mom had done led me to worry and to have a really bad day. So often, we do the same with God. We forget the good things He has done for us. As a result, we often live life worried or afraid. How much better off would we be if we simply reminded ourselves of God’s faithfulness?

Today’s verse tells us that God has done marvelous things. We should remember those things and hold onto them. Instead of living full of worry and fear, we should challenge ourselves to recall God’s might, His goodness and all the things He has done for us. In doing so, we can leave worry and fear behind us in this new year.

Today’s Truth: Remember the things God has done.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – 2 Corinthians 5:15

Posted on January 6, 2025

He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. – 2 Cor 5:15

One really important question to ask yourself is “who am I living for?” Where do you spend the majority of your time? Watching TV? Reading your favorite book? How you spend your time shows you a lot about who you’re living for.

In today’s Bible verse, it talks about no longer living for yourselves, but living for Christ. Living for yourself is easy and it comes naturally. No one has to teach you to live for yourself, it just happens automatically. Living for Jesus, however, takes some effort.

It takes putting aside the things that might be good, but distract you from spending time with God. It means standing up for the things that matter to God rather than being silent. Living for God takes effort and takes you standing up and going against the flow of everyone else around you.

Living for God, however, brings great rewards to you. By living for God, you get to skip a lot of the heartbreak that comes from not doing things God’s way. You also get to enjoy a close and deep relationship with God. Living for God is one of the best decisions you can make. Decide this year that you’re going to make a change and begin living for God!

Today’s Truth: Living for God Brings Great Rewards

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Philippians 3:14

Posted on January 3, 2025

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:14

If you’re like most people, you’ve set some goals for the new year. Maybe you want to lose some weight, read your Bible more, or some other thing. You’ve probably written those things down, but it’s easy after a few weeks to forget about your goals and stop moving toward them.

The key to accomplishing any goal is to take small steps toward the goal and not quit. If you keep moving in the direction of your goal, even when it gets hard and you’d rather do something else, you’ll have good results.

If you want to read your Bible more, don’t wait for a huge chunk of time and then read your Bible for 3 hours straight. Instead, press a little each day toward your goal. For example, choose to read your Bible for five minutes before you go to bed each night. Use little moments and make them count. Doing that will make you more likely to succeed and accomplish your goals.

Choose today to pursue godly goals and keep pressing toward them until you’ve seen them come to pass in your life. Don’t stop. Keep taking steps every day to your goals.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 78:2

Posted on January 2, 2025

My mom was always teaching me, sometimes to my utter annoyance. Almost every moment in the car was spent in discussion of the deeper meanings of life or the Bible. At home, it was always, did I ever tell you how to…and she’d proceed to tell me how to cook or clean something. Many times, I wished that I wasn’t learning something else new. My brain wanted a break.

However, as I’ve gotten a little older, I realize that my mom had a lot more wisdom than I gave her credit for. Her lessons however annoying at the time, have in fact come in handy many times in my life.

for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past – Psalm 78:2 (NLT)

God’s word can come in handy too. The lessons contained in the Bible can really help us in our walk with God. By reading about the past, we can learn and grow. And while it can sometimes feel like a lot of work, learning and being open to the Bible’s teaching can help you out in life too.

Instead of being frustrated by a Bible lessons, you can choose to enjoy learning from God’s word. The Bible has practical truths for every part of your life. If you’ll let it, the Bible can help you out in every situation that you face.

So this year, choose to let the Word of God begin to change you. Spend time in God’s word and think about what you read in it. Apply it to your life. Don’t let it become a burden or another thing you have to learn, but determine to enjoy it. As you do, your life will change and you’ll experience the power found in the Bible.

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Psalm 78:1

Posted on January 1, 2025

My people, hear my teaching;
    listen to the words of my mouth. – Psalm 78:1 (NIV)

I remember a time I asked my dad if I could go to get some lunch with friends after church. My dad said, “yes”, so I got a ride with a friend’s mom to get lunch. Once lunch was over, my friends and I talked a little bit, and then I got dropped off at home. When I walked into my house, I was met with a very angry dad. He asked me where I had been and asked why I hadn’t told him where I was going after church. I’m sure you can imagine my surprise, as I had asked my dad before leaving if it was okay to go.

When I told my dad what had happened, he and I both realized that even though my dad had said, “yes”, it was to the other person that he was having a conversation with after church and it wasn’t to me. In fact, my dad hadn’t even heard me ask to go have lunch with friends.

My dad not hearing me reminds me of today’s Bible verse. Psalm 78 tells us that we should both hear and listen. That might seem like it’s saying the same thing twice, but I think it’s a little like my dad and my conversation after church. We sort of heard each other, but we weren’t really listening. If my dad had been listening more closely, he would have realized I told him where I was going. If I had listened more carefully, I would have realized that my dad was responding to something someone else had said, not to my request.

The same is true when it comes to the things of God. We can hear a verse or a passage, but not really let it sink in. We’ve heard it, but not listened to it. As this new year comes, let’s take some time to do both. Let’s not just casually hear Bible truths, but let’s also listen to them. Let’s see what they have to speak into our lives and let’s let God’s word transform our lives in this next year!

Today’s Truth: Don’t just hear God’s word, listen too!

Daily Bible Verse and Devotional – Ephesians 2:8

Posted on December 30, 2024

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 (NIV)

Many people believe in the grace of God. They believe that God has provided wonderful gifts and that He has given those blessings out for us to receive. However, if they only believe in the grace of God and not faith, there is no clear understanding on how to get those blessings to flow into your life.

Then there are those who believe in faith. They have grasped the understanding that it’s impossible to receive anything from God without faith. Those that have a strong emphasis on faith alone can feel that they are responsible for getting results from God.

However, this verse says that it takes grace and faith working together for us to receive from God. Grace is something that is freely given by God. It cannot be earned. It is a gift. Faith is what we do to step out and believe what has already been given freely by grace. Faith cannot get God to do something He hasn’t done yet. It simply reaches out and receives what has already been provided by grace.

Today, find a scripture of a promise that God has already done and then use that verse to step out and believe it in faith. This is how you get grace and faith working together.

 

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Isaiah 9:6

Posted on December 24, 2024

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6

I remember one Christmas someone I know got a present that was lost in shipping. It took several weeks after Christmas for the present to arrive at his house. However, that person expected the present to come and kept waiting day after day hopefully. And so each day, they went out to the mail box, checking to see if the package had arrived.

Finally one day, weeks after it was expected the present came. And what a great day it was. The present could be played with and enjoyed.

That’s a lot like today’s Bible verse. Jesus is coming again. One day, we will get to see Him in His second coming. And what a great day that will be. It will be better than any Christmas present or any party we could ever imagine. On that day we will see Jesus, the wonderful, counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, and prince of peace. So hold on to hope that one day, you too will get to see Jesus face to face.

The message of Christmas is that God himself came to earth to help and love us, and that He will come again soon.

We appreciate all our readers. We will be taking the rest of the week off to spend with our family. We hope that you have a wonderful Christmas full of all the joy that Jesus brings!

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – John 1:9

Posted on December 20, 2024

The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. – John 1:9 (NLT)

Do you remember being scared of the dark as a little kid? I’ve got to be honest, I still don’t really love the dark. I know there’s not REALLY a monster hiding in my closet, but sometimes those clothes look so weird in the dark, you kind of wonder…

But this isn’t a devotion about monsters. Instead, it’s about light. See when it’s dark and the lights go on, it’s great! Suddenly you can see what you couldn’t before. Things that once seemed weird and scary now come into focus.

That’s what Jesus came to the world to be in our lives. He came to be light. Jesus brings light to scary situations. He shows us what they really are and illuminates them in ways that make them seem less scary.

It’s no wonder that the Bible describes Jesus as light. He’s there to help us when the world seems dark and scary. He gives us joy, hope and all we need. Jesus really is the light of the world!

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – 1 Peter 1:8

Posted on December 19, 2024

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, – 1 Peter 1:8 (NIV)

I remember as a kid one Christmas, it felt like all my cousins got more presents than I did. I spent the whole holiday pouting because I felt like I didn’t get my fair share of presents. Now, I’m sure that wasn’t the case and that we all got the same amount of gifts, but from my 6-year-old perspective, I was treated unfairly.

That Christmas day was no fun for me because I chose to be unhappy and sad. I could have been thankful that I got presents, but instead I chose to look at what I didn’t have and as a result became very unhappy.

Jesus wants us to experience joy this Christmas. And while you may not get every present you wanted for Christmas, you can still choose to be happy.

Today’s Truth: Jesus came to bring joy to your life

When we let Jesus into our lives, we are filled with joy. But sometimes, we let that joy be silenced by circumstances and things that are going on around us. So today, if you’ve allowed yourself to become unhappy, choose to focus on joy.

Realize that Jesus loves you, and knowing Him is the best present of all. So regardless of the things going on around you and in your life, make this Christmas a season of joy!

Daily Bible Verse and Devotion – Galatians 4:4-5

Posted on December 18, 2024

Teen Christmas Devotion

But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law. God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. – Galatians 4:4-5 (NLT)

You are a child of God. It doesn’t matter what has happened to you. It doesn’t matter whether people like you at school or not. To God, you’re important because you’re His child.

God wanted a relationship with you. The Bible is a story of God’s great love for you.

Even when you didn’t deserve it. In those moments where you were far from God, even in those moments that you might have cursed God’s name, God looked at you and choose you. He chose to adopt you into His family.

Christmas is a time where we can think about Jesus and realize how lucky we are to have a God who came down to us. Not because we deserved it in any way. No. Just because He loved us.

So no matter how hard it’s been with your friends and family. No matter how badly you’ve been treated by others, you can know that in the end, God loves you. It’s His love that gives you your worth. People won’t always do the right thing by you, but God will.

So today, challenge yourself to believe God’s love. Challenge yourself to see you how God sees you. Realize that you’ve been adopted in the family of God. God loves you, wants you and thinks you’re His best!