God's Word For Every Day

I just know. This is what I think. This is how I feel. These are the kind of things some people say when they speak about having faith.  Often, their idea of faith is very vague - and says more about themselves than it says about God. We read these statements, I just know. this is what I think,  this is how I feel, we see a lot of I  in them, and we wonder, what about God, where is he in all of this? When our faith is real - firmly grounded in the Lord, we do not think so much about ourselves - what we believe and how we feel. We think more about the Lord and what he has done for us. Rather than giving out our own thoughts and feelings, we concern ourselves with something much more important and much more valuable - sharing the Word of the Lord. Our thoughts and feelings come and go. Sometimes, we have positive thoughts and optimistic feelings. At other times, our thoughts are more negative and pessimistic. The Word of the Lord is very different: "the Word ...

Daniel 1:1-2:23; 1 Peter 5:1-14; Psalm 134:1-3 Daniel’s praise, offered to God, in Daniel 2:20-23, highlights for us the direction from which blessing comes. It comes from above. What we do not have is given to us by God – “He gives” (Daniel 2:21), “You have given me” (Daniel 2:23). Daniel’s praise is echoed in Peter’s praise: “To Him be the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:11). Again, in Psalm 134, the connection between praise and blessing is underlined: “Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord … May the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth bless you from Zion” (Psalm 134:3). From my One Year Bible

1 Peter 3:1-4:6 The world is preoccupied with outward appearances. As Christians, we should be more concerned with our inward attitude. ‘In your hearts reverence Christ as Lord’. Pray for His ‘attitude’- ‘a tender heart and a humble mind’(8,15; 4:1). We believe the Gospel - ‘Christ died for our sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God’. Let’s share the Gospel - ‘Be always ready to give...a reason for the hope that is in you’. How are we to share the Gospel? - ‘with gentleness and respect’(18,15). We must get the attitude right - ‘so that nothing will hinder our prayers’(7). We need more than the ‘right’ prayers - words that sound good. We need the right attitude. The blessing will not come because our words sound good. It will only come when our attitude is right. 1 Peter 4:7-5:14 In all the service we offer to God, there is to be the offering of worship: ‘To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever’(4:11; 5:11). We will not l...

* Jesus Christ is the Good Shepherd who died on the cross for us – “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). * Jesus Christ is the Great Shepherd who rose from the dead for us – “May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21). * Jesus Christ is the Chief Shepherd who is coming again for us – “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade aw...

We thank You, our Father, that You have sent Your Holy Spirit to live in our hearts. We thank You that the new life in the Spirit is just the beginning. You are preparing us for the greater ‘glory that will be revealed in us’(Romans 8:18). We thank You that the Holy Spirit is ‘the guarantee of our inheritance’ – He is the starter which whets our appetite for the main course! With Him in our hearts, we long for more. We long for Your glorious future. We’re not staggering along on a dead-end street. We’re walking tall. We’re travelling with You, Lord. You’re leading us on to Your glory. May we always be led by Your Spirit. May we keep on growing in Your Spirit. 1 Peter 1:1-25 What kind of people are we to be? You’re calling us to be holy. You’re calling us to be loving. It’s not holiness without love. It’s not love without holiness. It’s holiness. It’s love. This, Lord, is the life You’re calling us to live. Help us to walk with You in holiness and love. 1 Pete...

"Or  do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit  who is  in you, whom you have from God,  and you are not your own?  20  For  you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) These verses speak to us of our great privilege and our great responsibility. We have been called by grace - and we have been called to holiness. What a great privilege is ours - the Holy Spirit has been given to us. He lives in our hearts. What a great responsibility is ours! We are to "be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18), and we are to "walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16) - and may we never forget this: "you were bought at a price" - we have been "redeemed ... with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19). --- Here's a link to a song that reminds us of how much our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us -  Nothing but the Blood of Jesus ( moder...

1 Peter 1:1-25 On earth, we have ‘trials’. In ‘heaven’, we will have ‘salvation’(3-9). In our journey from trials to salvation, from earth to heaven, we are to live a life of holiness and love. In this life of ‘obedience to the truth’, we must never forget that we have been ‘redeemed with the precious blood of Christ’(15,22,18-19). We must never take pride in our obedience - ‘boasting is excluded’. All that can be said about ourselves is this: ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’. What makes the difference? What is it that changes us? What is it that sets us on the pathway of holiness and love? We have received ‘the redemption which is in Christ Jesus’. Our ‘faith’ is in Him (Romans 3:27,23-25). He makes the difference. He changes us. He makes us holy. He fills us with His love. 1 Peter 2:1-25 Being ‘God’s own people’ is a great privilege- ‘you have received mercy’. It is also a great responsibility- ‘declare the wonderful deeds of Him who called you...

"Come to him ... be yourselves built into a spiritual house" (1 Peter 2:4-5). This speaks to us of personal conversion and life in fellowship with God's people. The life of holiness, to which we are called, is to be lived in fellowship with God's people. We are to encourage one another to live a godly life. Our growth in grace is strengthened as we worship the Lord together.  At the heart of our life together, there is worship - and there must also be witness.    (1) "Come to him" - This is the way of entering God's kingdom. Have you come to Christ and entered  God's kingdom? Let this question really reach your heart today. Be sure to answer it with  faith - not an empty profession of faith, but a real, living faith.   (2) Once you have come to him, you are to be built into a spiritual house.  * God has given us so much - "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his o...

In Christ, we are ‘a holy nation’. Why has God made us His ‘own people’? - ‘that you may declare the wonderful deeds of Him... ’ (1 Peter 2:9).‘The nations are waiting for us, waiting for the gospel we will bring’ (Songs of Fellowship, 539).

"To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,  6  and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 7  Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen" (Revelation 1:5-7). The book of Revelation directs our attention to the future - to our full enjoyment of God's salvation. It does not, however, forget the past. This is where our salvation comes from. It comes to us from "the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us" (Galatians 2:20). We're no longer in the past. We're not yet in the future. Our life is in the present. Here-and-now, we enjoy God's salvation. God has given us "a foretaste of glory divine" (from the hymn, "Blessed assurance") - as we look forward "with joy inexpressible and full of glory" to "...

" ... you were redeemed ... with the precious blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19). May we never forget the cost of our redemption. Christ's sacrifice of Himself, on the Cross, is of more value than any of the things of this world. This world will pass away. Our redemption, purchased for us by the shedding of the precious blood of Christ, will never pass away. It is eternal. It lasts for ever. The things of this world are "corruptible." The salvation that God has given to us, in Christ, is "incorruptible." It is "kept in heaven for us" - and while we are here on earth, with all our struggles, we are being kept by the power of God, through faith, for our full enjoyment of God's eternal salvation (1 Peter 1:3-5). What a great God! What a great Saviour! What a great salvation! Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

Ezekiel 41:1-42:20; 1 Peter 1:1-2:3; Psalm 131:1-3 Ezekiel emphasizes that the Temple was to be built according to God’s pattern. Our lives are to be lived according to God’s pattern – “Be holy in all you do”, “Love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter 1:15,22). the instructions for the building the Temple were precise. The instructions for our living in obedience to the truth (1 Peter 1:22) are comprehensive. Holiness and love – these are the principles which are to guide us in the whole of life. Psalm 131 speaks of humility and hope. With a humble heart, we are to bow before the Lord. Like “a weaned child” trusts “its mother”, we are to trust our Heavenly Father. Such childlike faith is the essence of hope – trust in “the Word of the Lord” which stands for ever” (1 Peter 1:24). From my One Year Bible

Ezekiel 43:1-44:31; 1 Peter 2:4-24; Psalm 132:1-18 In Ezekiel, the priests are described in great detail. In 1 Peter 2:5, the Lord’s people are described as “a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” This description continues in 1 Peter 2:9 – “a royal priesthood … a people belonging to God. To His people, God gives this call – “Declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” To be “a holy priesthood … a royal priesthood” is not only privilege. It is also responsibility. Concerning this privilege and responsibility, the Psalmist writes, “May Your priests be clothed with righteousness; may Your saints sing for joy … I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall ever sing for joy” (Psalm 132:9,16). From my One Year Bible

Ezekiel 45:1-46:24; 1 Peter 3:1-22; Proverbs 28:18-28 In Ezekiel, we read of many sacrifices being offered to God. In the New Testament, it is emphasized that one Sacrifice is sufficient – “For Christ died for sins once for all, the Righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God” (1 Peter 3:18). We are called to look to Christ for salvation. We are to trust in the Lord. This is the way of true prosperity (Proverbs 28:25). It is the way of walking in wisdom, the way of enjoying salvation. This way is contrasted with the way of trusting in oneself, the way of the fool (Proverbs 28:26). From my One Year Bible

Ezekiel 47:1-48:35; 1 Peter 4:1-19; Psalm 133:1-3 “The sanctuary will be in the centre of it … In the centre of it will be the sanctuary of the Lord … the Temple sanctuary will be in the centre of them” (Ezekiel 48:8,10,21). Here, we have the centrality of worship in the life of God’s people. First and foremost, God calls His people to worship Him. In all our service offered to God (1 Peter 4:10-11), there is to be the offering of worship – “To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 4:11). This worship is not simply personal worship – ‘you in your small corner and I in mine.” It is the worship offered to God by His people when they gather together to praise Him. It is God’s people responding to the call, ‘Let us worship God.’ “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!” (Psalm 133:1). When God’s people worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), the Holy Spirit descends upon them “like precious oil poured on the head...

"21  To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22  “He committed no sin,  and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23  When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24  “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25  For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." (1 Peter 2:21-25). Christ is our example (1 Peter 2:21). This is more than a general instruction to walk in Christ's footsteps. It's a specific directive to imitate him in his sufferings. We are not to copy him or reproduce his sufferings. He suffered for us (1 Peter 2:21; 1 Peter 2:24). We can never repeat his sufferings. We benefit from ...