Tagged: memory verse

God “tried again.” –Jeremiah 18:4 In business, a common saying is: “Why is there never time to do the job right the first time, but always time to do it over again?” Have you ever worked hard at a project, only to have a co-worker spoil the end result through carelessness or sabotage? Now you must “try again” through no fault of your own. Can you remember a situation of which you could say: “I thought I had toiled in vain, and for nothing, uselessly, spent my strength”? (Is 49:4) Hold that situation in memory. Now picture the Lord at...

” ‘Do you believe this?’ ‘Yes, Lord,’ she replied. ‘I have come to believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God: He Who is to come into the world.’ ” –John 11:26-27 St. Martha went out to meet Jesus on the road near her home. At this place on the road, Jesus challenged and graced Martha to believe that He is the Resurrection and the Life (Jn 11:25-26). Martha responded by making what is possibly one of the greatest acts of faith ever (Jn 11:27). Thus, this place on the road became a place of faith. Jesus stopped...

“Let my eyes stream with tears day and night, without rest, over the great destruction which overwhelms the virgin daughter of my people, over her incurable wound.” –Jeremiah 14:17 Sometimes the best thing to do is cry. Jesus Himself cried (Lk 19:41). He called those weeping “blest” (Lk 6:21). Sometimes, like Jeremiah, we should pray to cry. Many of us reading this have not cried for years. Others cry often but for the wrong reasons. We must cry for things for which we’ve never cried. We may even need to cry for several days (Neh 1:4). We should pray for...

“The reign of God is like a mustard seed which someone took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest seed of all.” –Matthew 13:31-32 The kingdom of God doesn’t look like much. It looks as little as a mustard seed or yeast. Therefore, to work in God’s Kingdom we must not go by sight, but by faith (2 Cor 5:7). Not only are we unable to see much, but to see anything at all will take some time. Dough rises gradually and mustard seed grows slowly. Therefore, to work in God’s kingdom we must persevere for some time....

“The reign of God is like a buried treasure which a man found in a field.” –Matthew 13:44 Joel prophesied that life after death on Judgment Day and even life before death can be described as “the valley of decision” (Jl 4:14). Life is the opportunity to decide to be like the young Solomon and to choose wisdom (1 Kgs 3:9). Life in the new covenant is to decide to live for Jesus. The meaning of life is either to sell all of the little that we have to buy what appears to be a vacant lot or to sell...