Today's Verse

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By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
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Isaiah 43:16,18-19
This is what the Lord says, ... "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."

— Isaiah 43:16,18-19 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

The year is gone, finished, past. We cannot reclaim it or undo it. We cannot rest on the great distance it has brought us. If tomorrow dawns, it will be another day, a new opportunity, and the time to show our faith in Jesus as Lord. Let's journey forward, knowing that God already inhabits the future and promises to provide us refreshment on our journey there.

My Prayer...

Lord of all eternity, please help me to learn from my mistakes this past year, but not to dwell on them. Please help me not rest on my accomplishments in this past year, but use them to further your work in me and through me. Please help me not quarrel with those who injured me yesterday, last month, or this past year. Instead, O Father, lead me in your paths and help me see your mighty works this next year. In Jesus' name and by his power I ask it. Amen.

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2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

— 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

It's better than starting over! As Christians, we get a fresh and new start. God not only forgave us, pardoned us, ransomed us, and saved us; he also made us a new creation! And every time we come to him, every day we rededicate ourselves to serve him, and every new year we offer to him, we get a new start and a whole new world. So as we begin this new year, let's begin by offering ourselves to him, asking him to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and take leadership of our lives.

My Prayer...

Almighty and holy God, I want to glorify you and bring you praise in the choices that I make, the people that I influence, the words that I speak, and the actions that I take in this coming year. I know that I am not guaranteed a single new day, but I want each one that I live to be a day I have lived for your glory and honor and praise. In the name of Jesus my Lord I pray. Amen.

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Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

— Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

This command and promise to Joshua are also for us as we embrace the upcoming year. We have no idea what lies ahead; we only know that God will go with us if we will ask him on our journey and seek to follow his will. So this verse is not just a promise to cherish: "I will go with you." It is also a command! "Be strong and courageous, and do not be terrified or discouraged." We embrace this upcoming year as an opportunity to serve God and not as something to fear!

My Prayer...

Holy and Almighty Father, thank you for being with me as I begin this new year. Please empower me with your Spirit to greet it with passion and excitement for the opportunities ahead. Please forgive me when my own inadequacies and the unknown ahead of me make me fearful and indecisive. Give me courage to live boldly for you this year. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

— Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

We have two choices for our lives. We can either live by faith or by sight. We can trust in God's abiding presence and power or we can depend upon our own resources. But wealth -- like health, status, and reputation -- is subject to decay and disappearance. Only one Source is always there for us and we know we can depend upon him, because he has been there for so many who have come before us. Never is forever and this one "never" I cherish: "Never will I forsake you!"

My Prayer...

Holy Father, the Great I Am, thank you for being there tomorrow before I arrive there. Thank you for being there in my past when all others forsook me. Thank you for being there when I was unaware of your presence until I looked back and saw the evidences of your grace. Please give me courage to truly believe your promises, especially this one about your always being there. Your promise has made "never" a very important word for me today! Thank you. In the name of your loving Son, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

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By Phil Ware, Heartlight Magazine
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Joshua 3:5
Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you."

— Joshua 3:5 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

"Get ready. Get set. Go!" These words from our childhood are very important for us today as we seek to do God's will. God wants us to be ready. But all the personal preparation in the world is not going to make a difference if we have not dedicated ourselves and consecrated ourselves to do everything that we do to glorify God. What plans do you have for this next year? What plans do you have for tomorrow? What plans do you have for today? Before we "Get set" and "Go," let's get ready by dedicating ourselves to the Lord and his work!

My Prayer...

Father of Mercies, I recognize that my plans and my ways are not necessarily your plans or your ways. Please help me as I dedicate myself to reading Scripture and listening for your will. I want to honor you in all I do and dedicate my efforts and myself to your glory, honor, and praise. In the name of Jesus, my Savior and Lord, I pray. Amen.

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Psalm 3:3
But you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.

— Psalm 3:3 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

My dad would never let me walk slouched over with my head down. "Remember son, you are a Ware. That's nothing to be ashamed of. Even on your worst day you are still my son and a child of God!" God is our protector and our proud Father. He gives us glory because he loves us. Because he is our Father who gives us such gracious gifts, we don't walk with our head bowed low and our spirits slumped over. He gives us ultimate victory! Even on those dark days when victory is hard to find, we are still God's children. Our Father paints the sunsets and holds the stars in their orbits. He guarantees our future. How can we walk dejectedly when we remember this?

My Prayer...

God of glory, majesty, and might, I praise you for all the many evidences of your handiwork I see in nature. I praise you for the laws that hold our universe in place by your command. I praise you for the redeeming work of Jesus. So to you, God, I lift my heart, my hands, and my head and praise you for your grace and glory. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

— 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

What do you see most clearly today? Is it what is seen or what is unseen? No matter our belief system, we ultimately have to trust what we can't see. Even the most atheistic scientists trust gravity, breathe air, and depend upon principles they cannot see until these realities produce results in the tangible world of human perception. But as Christians, we don't believe the seen world is any more real as the unseen world. In fact, most of the seen world is subject to death, disease, disaster, decay, disorder, and death. I don't know about you, but if it isn't any more permanent than that, it's not going to be very real for any of us for very long. I want to hang on to something that allows me to look past the seen and to find my Father who is unseen. He is the one who guarantees the unseen!

My Prayer...

Eternal Father and God of all peoples, help me see more clearly the spiritual, eternal, and real world of the unseen. I am not seeking novelty, nor am I on some quest for the bizarre. I only want to know you, your truth, and your character so I may more appropriately display them to others and help them come find you in the world of the unseen. Please grant me greater success at reaching others, to your glory. In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

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Psalm 130:7
O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.

— Psalm 130:7 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

What do we have in this life that is unfailing and inexhaustible? Nothing except God's unfailing love. Even when we disappoint, hurt, offend, or rebel against him, he still loves us. While we were sinners he sent Jesus to redeem us from sin and death. Why trust anything or anyone else with our future? Let's lean on God's unfailing love!

My Prayer...

Abba Father, loving God, I place my hopes, dreams, and future in your hands. I trust that you are at work for my eternal good. I believe that you alone offer freedom from all that enslaves me. Thank you for your forgiveness of my sins and your promise of life forever with you. But most of all, dear Father, thank you for your unfailing love. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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Joshua 4:24
The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God.

— Joshua 4:24 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

God demonstrates his love to us because he is loving. God demonstrates his love to us because he knows we would be lost without it. God demonstrates his love to us because he wants to show his power to the peoples of the world. God demonstrates his love for us because he wants us to know his awesome might to save. God demonstrates his love for us so we will deeply respect, honor, and revere him.

My Prayer...

Holy and Almighty God, I praise you for your majesty and might. I praise you for your love and your grace. I praise you with my heart full of thanks. I praise you with my head bowed low in reverence, to honor and glorify you, the only true and living God. May honor and glory and praise be yours in my heart and in my life as long as I live on this earth. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Psalm 2:11-12
Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. ... Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

— Psalm 2:11-12 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

The LORD is God. We must not take for granted his holiness and might. But the incredible reality of God's grace is this: God, who thundered at Mount Sinai and spoke into existence the universe with its marvelous expanse, loves us and longs for us to draw near and find refuge in him. We can rejoice in reverent awe. We can praise with holy fear. We can rest secured because our trust is not in what is human, what is temporary, and what is vulnerable. The LORD is our God!

My Prayer...

Forgive me, Father, for the times that I have cheapened your grace with inappropriate speech and irresponsible behavior. You are God alone. You alone are worthy of praise. Thank you not only for being holy and mighty, but also for being near and providing me a place of refuge and protection. Thank you, dear Father, for being God! In Jesus' name. Amen.

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2 Corinthians 4:5
For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.

— 2 Corinthians 4:5 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Our message is not ourselves. Jesus is Lord. One day all of creation will acknowledge and praise him. But for the people around us to praise Jesus today, they need to see him alive in us. We serve others in Jesus' name. We are his body -- his hands of compassion, his heart of mercy, and his voice of tenderness. So let's lift up Jesus -- not just by telling others about him, but serving others as his presence in the world.

My Prayer...

God of grace, thank you for the privilege of sharing your love with others. Thank you for saving me FROM my sin. Thank you for saving me FOR service to bless others for Jesus' sake. In the name of Jesus, my Savior, I pray. Amen.

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Galatians 5:6
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

— Galatians 5:6 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

What matters most? Priorities must be valued disciplines in our everyday lives if we are to be successful and productive. This is equally true in our discipleship. We should want to concentrate on what is key, essential, and most important. Paul reminds us what is essential: Faith showing itself in loving actions. Faith that does not show itself in loving and helpful action is dead (James 2). Jesus wants our faith to express itself in vibrant and loving service.

My Prayer...

Almighty God, please forgive me for the times I have lost sight of what is essential and focused on what is peripheral. Please forgive me for the times when my own interests and concerns were more important to me than loving service to others. Please give me eyes to see the people you would have me serve today, and each day, so that others may know of Jesus' love through my actions and words. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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Joshua 1:14b-15
[Joshua said] "You are to help your brothers until the LORD gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise."

— Joshua 1:14b-15 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

I find it so easy to think of my needs and my safety first. I don't want to be selfish, but when it comes to making decisions about the investment of my time, it's so easy for me to see things only from MY perspective. But with God's people, it's a "we" and "us" perspective that is important, not a "me" and "mine" perspective. The Eastern tribes of Israel had reached their Promised Land. But they were not to quit the fight and settle there until all God's people were safely in their homeland. The same is true for us in God's Kingdom today. We are to look not only to our needs, but also to those of our brothers and sisters in Christ. In fact, Paul three times said that Jesus' followers should consider the needs of others above our own needs (Rom. 12:10; 1 Corinthians 10:24; Philippians 2:3).

My Prayer...

Loving Father, please give me a gracious and generous heart so that I might better demonstrate your love to a struggling brother or sister in Christ today, and also at every opportunity that you give me throughout my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

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Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

— Romans 12:10 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

We are to be devoted to one another. We are to honor one another. And the basis of this loving devotion and honor is found in one central truth: Because God is our Father, we are one family. We are siblings in God's Kingdom. Our relationship is eternal and built on God's grace to us and our grace expressed to each other.

My Prayer...

Shepherd of my soul, thank you for making me part of your family. Thank you for the wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ who have blessed my life over the years. Thank you for their support and encouragement. Please use me to bless others in your family as these precious people have blessed and honored me. In the name of Jesus, your Son and my older brother, I pray. Amen.

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John 13:34
[Jesus said] "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

— John 13:34 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Wow, that's a tall order to fill, isn't it? Jesus has just washed the feet of his disciples. Over the next few hours, Judas will betray him with a kiss, Peter will deny him three times, and the other 10 disciples will forsake and leave him when he faces his death. Yet he still washed their feet knowing they would do this. He still goes to the cross for them while knowing they will abandon him. I'm not sure that I can love like that ... yet. However, with the Holy Spirit's help, I will make a renewed commitment to love others who have hurt and disappointed me. I will also seek to mend relationships where I have hurt and disappointed others.

My Prayer...

Faithful Father, thank you for your never-ending love. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit and pour love into my heart so I can love others as Jesus has loved me. I need your help to love those who have disappointed and hurt me. O God, I don't want my bitterness or resentment to keep someone from serving you and knowing Jesus' grace. In the name of my loving Savior I pray. Amen.