The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. – Psalm 19:7 (NIV)
I remember one time when I ran a mile for my P.E. class. It was a pretty hot day and after I ran it, I was so thirsty, all I could think about was getting a drink of water. I ran to the water fountain in the hallway and drank for what felt like forever. That had to be one of the best and most refreshing drinks, I had ever had. After doing all that running, I was thirsty!
The Bible can be like that in our lives also. It can refresh us. Life is hard. The last year we’ve had has been hard on us all. But the good news is that we can find refreshing in God’s word.
The word of God is perfect, and it is there to help you when you need it. Reading your Bible can give you the wisdom and direction you need when life gets hard.
So if you’re facing something tough, or even if you’re not, know this, time spent reading God’s word is not wasted. It’s there to refresh your soul when you’re tired and when things are hard. So go to it. Get the refreshing you need to do what God is calling you to do!
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves – Colossians 1:13
Do you like watching superhero movies? You know, the ones where the hero is fighting crime, using his or her awesome superpowers, and saving tons of people? Those types of movies are action-packed and fun to watch.
Did you know that God did an equally awesome, superhero-y thing? See we were stuck in our sin, separated from God and there was nothing that we could do to know God. However, God did something incredibly more amazing than shooting spiderwebs from his wrists. He found a solution to our sin problem. He sent His son Jesus who sacrificed His own life to bring us back into a relationship with God.
God rescued us in a big way. He gave the most important thing He had, His son Jesus to rescue us from the dominion of darkness. We can now live and have a thriving relationship with Him. That’s a great reason to be happy. You now have the opportunity to live a life free from darkness and in a relationship with the one true God!
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They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” – Luke 24:32 (NIV)
Have you ever read your Bible and saw a really interesting truth? How about reading the exact thing you needed for the trouble you face? God’s word is so powerful. It is there to speak to you and show you exactly what you need to hear each day.
In today’s Bible verse we see that the disciples were talking with Jesus on the road. During the walk, Jesus was sharing with them the truth from scripture. The disciples described it as having their hearts burning within them as Jesus talked to them and taught them.
It was exactly what they needed to hear. The scriptures helped them understand what they were going through. The same is true for you. If you’ll get into the Bible and read it, it will show you exactly what you need to hear.
So get into God’s word. Let it speak truth into your life and know that it is powerful. Believe that it will be what you need to hear for what you’re facing today.
In our modern culture, God’s word carries little importance. Some believe the Bible is outdated and doesn’t really apply to our lives today. The TV shows we watch often portray Christians as needing to be freed from religion. Because of the influence of the media and the world, as Christians, we often haven’t given the Bible the proper place in our lives.
God’s Word is Truth
One of the main things we have to settle in our hearts is that God’s word is truth. That means that regardless of what we see or hear in the world, God’s word is truth.
Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. – Proverbs 30:5 (NIV)
The Bible is perfect and it is true. It’s an amazing book and when you read it, you realize that it’s not an ordinary book. It really is the inspired word of God.
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.” – Isaiah 40:8 (NIV)
Many of the events and places recorded in the Bible exist. As they continue to find more archeological evidence, the places named in the Bible are true. The people named in the Bible exist too.
The teaching of your word gives light, so even the simple can understand. – Psalm 119:130 (NLT)
The Bible is not only truth, but we can trust what it says. It has been proven to be accurate.
In everything we do, God’s word should be where we start. Whether we’re making a decision about or future or anything else, if we don’t start with the Bible, then we’re going to get it wrong.
God’s word is the foundation for all our choices, all our decisions, everything we do. And if we don’t start with the Bible, then we’re going to come to the wrong conclusions.
We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. – 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NLT)
Any thought we have should be filtered through the truth found in God’s word. If a thought doesn’t line up, we should replace what we think is right with what the Bible says. That way we’ll always be starting with God’s word in all we do.
The Bible is a book like no other. If you’ll get into it and read it, it will change your life. It will help give you purpose and meaning and help you interpret the world around you.
God’s word is special, so spend some time reading it. It will change you into the person God created you to be. Determine to make reading God’s word an important habit in your life today.
If you enjoyed this devotion, you can download small-group discussion questions to go with it here.
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself – 1 Cor 6:19 (NLT)
I remember one week at youth group, I heard one student say some swear words. Then, I heard his friend tell him to watch his language. He told the other teen he needed to watch his language because they were in church.
I found the encounter interesting that they wanted their behavior to be different since they were in church. They knew to behave a certain way at church, but totally that they had the Holy Spirit living inside them.
That means that even more than watching what we say and do at church, we should be saying and doing things with our bodies that bring God glory.
This verse tells us that we no longer belong to ourselves. We should be aware of the awesome fact that we have the gift of God’s presence on the inside of us. This knowledge should inspire us to behave in ways that make Jesus shine through to others, not just at church but everyday.
The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” – Isaiah 40:8 (NLT)
The Bible isn’t just an ordinary book. It’s easy to tell that by simply reading it. When you read the Bible, you realize that your it speaks to you in a way that no other book can.
The Bible claims to be truth, but also that it will stand the test of time. The Bible has remained for years and continues to speak and apply to our lives.
So if you haven’t spend some time reading the Bible. Get to know the God of the Bible who wants a deep and satisfying relationship with you.
Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. – John 17:17 (NIV)
Where do you find the foundations for your faith? Is it in a church leader? A word of prophecy? A cute social media graphic?
If we’re honest, we can sometimes realize that we’ve put our faith in a person, friend, prophecy, and not into the word of God. When we put our faith in whether a Christian treats us right, and allow that to be the basis of whether we believe or not, we’ve placed our faith in the wrong thing.
Our faith and the foundation for our faith should be only in the Bible. Christians sometimes mess up, make mistakes, and do horrible things. Do we allow our experiences with others to determine whether our faith is real?
Many of us do, and so we falter in our faith because our faith is based in a person rather than in the word of God.
God’s word is truth. The Bible declares time and time again that it is the truth. And the Bible is the way that God speaks mainly to us. So rather than basing your faith in a person, prophecy or event, determine to place your faith in the true unchanging word of God.
But I fear that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your minds may be seduced from a complete and pure devotion to Christ. – 2 Corinthians 11:3 (HCSB)
Knowing Jesus is easy. It isn’t hard or complicated. However, it’s easy to let the things of the world keep your heart from following Jesus fully.
If you turn on the TV, you can get distracted with shows that cause you to doubt God’s word. If you go on social media, you quickly see friends and family posting things that let your heart become troubled and steer you quickly away from the truth found in the Bible.
Today, it’s easier than ever before to let our minds become far from Christ. As the devil did with Eve in the garden, he caused Eve to question God’s word.
Today’s Truth: Don’t Question God’s Word
The attack on God’s word is great in the world around us. In the music we listen to, the shows we watch, it takes a lot to keep our hearts and minds on Jesus.
Today, if you’ve allowed your heart to stray from Jesus and the truth in God’s word, determine to make adjustments. You might have to turn off the TV for a few weeks to spend time reading your Bible. But it’s worth it. God wants to have a rich and rewarding relationship with you. So dig in, find the truth in the Bible and see how God can bless you through relationship with Him.
The law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. – Psalm 19:7 (NIV)
It can be easy to doubt the word of God. Especially in today’s world. TV shows portray Christianity many times as being oppressive and it seems like when a character breaks free from their Christian views, all rejoice and celebrate with them. When watching TV, music, and reading many of today’s books, we need to realize that they are ultimately trying to get us to doubt the truth found in the Bible.
If they can cause you to doubt that God’s word is true, then you will walk away from your Christian faith much easier.
The Bible is a special book. When you read it, you can tell it’s different than other books. The words contained within can challenge you, inspire you, and cause you to know and love God in a deeper way.
That’s why the devil tries so hard to stop Christians from reading the Bible and trusting its authority. When we begin to doubt the word of God, we waiver in our faith.
The word of God is perfect, it is truth, and trustworthy. So today, challenge yourself to spend time in God’s word. Trust that it is truth and that it is God speaking to you. Read it, and let it confirm to your heart that it is truth.
Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. – Psalm 119:160 (KJV)
In life, there are lots of things that can cause us to question whether God’s word is true. Perhaps you knew a church leader that did something wrong and you began to doubt God because of it. It can be really easy to let circumstances, unanswered prayer, or people cause you to doubt God.
Here’s the truth: God’s word is true from the beginning. From the first book to the last the Bible is true. However, when people that you look up to make mistakes, especially when those people are believers, it can cause you to waiver in your faith.
The problem is, people are human. They have a sinful nature, and just like you, they don’t always obey all of God’s word. Sometimes people will make mistakes, sometimes they won’t treat you right, but their treatment doesn’t make God’s word any less true.
Today’s Truth: God’s Word is True
So today, if you’ve based your faith on circumstances, people’s experiences, or anything else except for God’s word, adjust your focus. Realize that God’s word is truth. Regardless of people, regardless of circumstances, God’s word is true. So don’t let people or experiences keep you from having a deep faith, rooted in the truths found in the Bible.
