Tagged: memory verse

“Mary has chosen the better portion and she shall not be deprived of it.” —Luke 10:42 There are so many things in life we can’t control. People can’t choose their parents, siblings, their nation of birth, height, or skin color. So many things are beyond our control that we may be tempted to feel insignificant and without hope. Yet we have a great reason to rejoice. We have absolute control over having the Best. We are free to choose Jesus! When we choose Jesus for ourselves, we choose the Best. No other person can take us away from Him (Jn...

“The one who treated him with compassion…” —Luke 10:37 The pagan sailors treated Jonah with mercy. They mercifully placed more importance on Jonah’s life than on their own safety, working hard and risking much to spare his life. Sadly, Jonah, the religious man, didn’t reciprocate that mercy back to the sailors. Through his guilt and disobedience, Jonah put their lives in great danger and it didn’t bother him a bit; he slept peacefully while they risked their lives to save him (Jon 1:5ff). Similarly, the religious authorities, the priest and Levite (temple assistant), did not treat the wounded man in...

“The Spirit God has given us is no cowardly spirit, but rather One That makes us strong, loving, and wise.” —2 Timothy 1:7 We live in a world of “destruction and violence,” strife and “clamorous discord” (Hab 1:3). What are we to do? “Write down the vision clearly upon the tablets, so that one can read it readily” (Hab 2:2). We receive visions from the Holy Spirit (see Acts 2:17). We must not only have a vision and be able to express it, but we must also see the vision fulfilled (Hab 2:3). We do this by faith (see Hab...

“For the sins of my children I am left desolate, because they turned from the law of God.” —Baruch 4:12 Is there any greater anguish than that of a godly parent who must watch their child choose to forsake God? (Bar 4:8) “With joy” these parents “fostered” the faith in their children (Bar 4:11). Then, after their child has rejected God, they must “let [the child] go” with “mourning and lament” (Bar 4:11). If you have experienced this, imagine the experience of God the Father. Could anyone foster children (see Hos 11:4) better than the Father raises every human being?...

“We have been disobedient to the Lord, our God, and only too ready to disregard His voice.” —Baruch 1:19 Jesus commented that His sheep “recognize His voice” and “follow Him” (Jn 10:4). Jesus’ followers “will not follow a stranger; such a one they will flee, because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice” (Jn 10:5). Sometimes the Lord’s voice is not easy to hear. Jesus speaks softly, not crying out (Mt 12:19). The Lord often speaks most powerfully in “a still small voice” (1 Kgs 19:12, RSV-CE). Like Mary of Bethany, we must choose the better part, put everything aside,...