Category: Verse of the Day

“Don’t run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code—don’t sleep with another person’s spouse, don’t take someone’s life, don’t take what isn’t yours, don’t always be wanting what you don’t have, and any other “don’t” you can think of—finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can’t go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.”

A debt of love.  May it be that you always feel that you are in someone’s debt to return the love.  And may it also be that you cause others to feel indebted to you because of the love that you shower onto them.  This is the only kind of debt that is acceptable to be burdened with.

 

“Hallelujah!
I give thanks to God with everything I’ve got—
Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation.
God’s works are so great, worth
A lifetime of study—endless enjoyment!
Splendor and beauty mark his craft;
His generosity never gives out.”

Despite all the heartache, death, and destruction that we are surrounded by and make our home in, the believer refuses to give up on a God who knows everything and can do everything.  The Psalmist urges us to give thanks with everything we’ve got.  Because there is plenty to give thanks for, and it would in fact, take a lifetime to fully acknowledge.

 

“Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. Don’t condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang. Be easy on people; you’ll find life a lot easier. Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”

Need any day-to-day advice?  Something you can use as you go about your day?  Well, here’s some simple and straight-forward advice that’s applicable to one and all in your interactions with people — all people.  The bottom line:  give more of yourself, and give of yourself generously.  You’ll be amazed at what comes back to you.  But don’t do it in expectation of getting anything back at all.  Do it for the sheer joy of doing it.  And always remember, “Giving, not getting, is the way.”

 

“And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.”

There’s strong warrior imagery that is offered here to the believer.  Only, use weapons of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.  These are truly weapons of the best possible kind, if you think about it.  You can ward off all evil in their use.

 

 

“Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn’t a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing. You’re at least decent to your own children. So don’t you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?“

Seriously, don’t you think so!  Of course, God wants the very best for you, and is working out His plan for your life one day at a time.  Believe it when you ask what you think is good for you.  And then, leave it to God to reveal His plan for  you.  While you’re waiting to figure out all this, rest assured that God has your best interests at heart.  If you are his child, of course, he’ll have your best interests at heart!

 

““Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.”

There is so much to take away from the verse! May I urge you to read and reread it a few times to scrape out each and every ounce of wisdom packed into it.  As for me, these are the takeaways:  you are a light-bearer, so do your job well — shine your light! For in doing so, you are drawing attention to the one inside of you.

 

“The angel spoke to the women: “There is nothing to fear here. I know you’re looking for Jesus, the One they nailed to the cross. He is not here. He was raised, just as he said. Come and look at the place where he was placed.”

Very matter-of-fact and reassuring message here, wouldn’t you say?  I wonder if the women weren’t terrified at first to have it delivered by an alien being.  But the message was a compelling one, and one that both you and I, even two thousand years later, may pause to take note.  He that was nailed to the cross is no longer there.  He was raised from the dead — what a concept!

 

“The Master said: “These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their hearts aren’t in it. Because they act like they’re worshiping me but don’t mean it, I’m going to step in and shock them awake, astonish them, stand them on their ears. The wise ones who had it all figured out will be exposed as fools. The smart people who thought they knew everything will turn out to know nothing.””

Are you also going through the motions?  Is your heart in the right place?  Do you think you are so smart?  Here’s something to think about:  “the smart people who thought they knew everything will turn out to know nothing.”  May it be that you and I are not considered smart in this sense.  May it be that we are sincere in our love of God and in our service to man.