Today's Verse - Philippians 1:21

To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

—Philippians 1:21

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

The truth is often as simple as it is sweet - if Jesus is our life, then our lives have no end. In faith, we shared with Jesus in his saving death, burial, and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3-7) through our baptism as we called on the name of the LORD to save us (Colossians 2:12). Our lives - our eternal essence and identity - are hidden with Christ and will be fully revealed when we share with Jesus in his eternal glory (Colossians 3:3-4). Death does not strip life from us, but ushers us into life in Jesus' very presence, where no power or event, not even death, can steal us from his grasp (Romans 8:38-39).

My Prayer...

O Eternal God, thank you for sending Jesus to show us your love, and thank you for sending him again in the future. Jesus is our anchor in the storms of life and our light in our darkest nights, reminding us that you love us with an undying love. In the name of Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life, and the one in whom we find life that never ends,* we pray. Amen.

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* This is based on John 10:25-26 when Jesus said to Martha about her brother Lazarus:

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - 2 Corinthians 10:17-18

"Let him who boasts boast in the LORD." For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

—2 Corinthians 10:17-18

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

We live in a world with skewed values, false promises, lust for notoriety, and desperation for fleeting fame. The real question for us, needs to be this: What can we boast in other than the steadfastness of the LORD's love, the incredible riches of the LORD's grace, the incomparable supply of the LORD's blessings, the sweetness of the LORD's people, the mercy of the LORD's plan for our salvation, the promise of the LORD's tomorrow, and the promise of the LORD Jesus' nearness (Philippians 4:5; Romans 8:38-39; Hebrews 13:5-6) - who is with us and in us and for us? So, dear friend of Jesus, let's have our only boast be in the LORD because that is where everything else that matters in our lives can be found!

My Prayer...

LORD of majesty and mercy, every good and enduring thing in our lives we have because of your love, grace, mercy, and presence. You are our assurance and hope. You are our blessing and boast. We place our assurance of a glorious future in you, LORD Jesus. In your name, we offer our thanks and praise as we boast only in our LORD. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Today's Verse - 2 Corinthians 7:1

Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

—2 Corinthians 7:1

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

In a world so full of distractions and temptations, purity is difficult. Even more than difficult, the call to purity often goes forgotten and ignored (1 John 3:2-3). "Cheap grace" (Jude 1:4) is sometimes substituted for Jesus' call to passionate, pure, and holy living. While we never want to give in to a works-righteousness approach to salvation, we must also remember that impurity through laziness, lack of commitment, or simple rebellion contaminates those claiming to be Christians and ruins our influence before the watching world. We are called to be at work perfecting holiness in our lives out of our reverence for God!

My Prayer...

Please purify my heart, my life, my body, and my influence, O God. May my words and my thoughts be blameless in your sight. I want to be holy as you are holy and honor you alone as worthy of honor and glory. I commit to living a holy life dedicated to you because it honors you, the one, true, living, and holy God! Through Jesus, I ask this. Amen.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.