Tagged: verse for the day

“Jesus was fully aware that His disciples were murmuring in protest at what He had said. ‘Does it shake your faith?’ He asked them.” –John 6:61 Jesus challenges us to believe His mysterious statement: “The bread I will give is My flesh, for the life of the world” (Jn 6:51). A typical reaction to this challenge is to ask the question: “How can He give us His flesh to eat?” (Jn 6:52) Jesus does not directly answer this question. Rather, He extends an even more puzzling challenge by repeatedly insisting that we eat His Flesh and drink His Blood (Jn...

“Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, but whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.” –Matthew 23:12 If we don’t humble ourselves, the Lord will do it for us. We can either start off humbled and end up exalted, or start off exalted and end up humbled. Obviously, it behooves us to humble ourselves now. Yet to do this we must know what humility is. Humility is not humiliation. True humility is not putting ourselves down but facing reality. The word “humility” derives from the root word meaning “earth.” Humility is being “down-to-earth,” realistic. Reality is that we are “earthen vessels” (2...

“When He is dealing with the arrogant, He is stern, but to the humble He shows kindness.” –Proverbs 3:34 God is perfect, crucified, unconditional, and infinite Love. He wants to lavish His love on us in ways we would appreciate. However, His love is always given to lead us to salvation and sanctification. Thus, many times the Lord expresses His love in ways difficult for us to understand. For example, if we are proud, the Lord will be stern to us to challenge the pride which endangers our salvation (Prv 3:34; 1 Pt 5:5). Also, the Lord often wishes to...

“I will sprinkle clean water upon you.” –Ezekiel 36:25 The Lord promised through the prophet Ezekiel: “I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities, and from all your idols I will cleanse you” (Ez 36:25). The Lord promised us a total purification far beyond any purification ever attempted. This purification will be part of a change of our nature. We can be born again, begotten from above (see Jn 3:3, 5). The Lord promised: “I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony...

“The reign of God is like the case of the owner of an estate who went out at dawn to hire workmen.” –Matthew 20:1 “There is, of course, great gain in religion” (1 Tm 6:6). “While physical training is to some extent valuable, the discipline of religion is incalculably more so, with its promise of life here and hereafter” (1 Tm 4:8). There are such awesome benefits to Christianity that Christians are tempted to think that these benefits are the reason for Christianity. However, the essence of the Christian life is love – unconditional love – for God is this...