Today's Verse - Psalm 19:14

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

—Psalm 19:14

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

God does so much for us. He is the Rock and Redeemer that undergirds our lives. He is the One who has saved us from sin and death. Our worship comes from our gratitude for what he has done, recognition of who he is, and anticipation of what he is going to do. But worship can never be compartmentalized to just fit into church places or quiet times (Colossians 3:16-17). Worship involves every aspect of life (Hebrews 12:28-13:16). That is why it is so important to tune our hearts so the words of our mouths and the motives of our hearts align with God's will and work. Then our private worship, whether alone in quiet or in a group with fellow believers, becomes the tuning fork for our hearts and lives so that our public worship, our lives lived out in the world, will play the song of God to a world that has not yet heard or learned his tune of loving grace.

Video Commentary...

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My Prayer...

O Holy and Almighty God, I want this day to be a day of worship and honor to you. May my life praise you: not just in my thoughts, not just in my words, and not just in my songs, but also in my actions. In the name of Jesus, I pray. 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 Samuel 7:22

How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.

—2 Samuel 7:22

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Remember how the Ten Commandments began?

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:2-3).

Our God is the Sovereign LORD! No one is like him, and no false god rivals him. So we, Jesus' disciples and children of God today, need to join King David in his praise:

"How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you...!"

Some truths are better acknowledged, believed, and proclaimed than discussed, so today we affirm that truth to ourselves and proclaim it to others rather than waste time on discussing it:

"How great you are, O Sovereign LORD! There is no one like you...!"

My Prayer...

Holy, righteous, and living God, we hold you in the highest place in our hearts. Please forgive us for the times when we do not hold you in the highest place in our lives. Empower us with your Holy Spirit to give up all the little things that distract our allegiance to you and interfere with you being the Sovereign God in our day-to-day lives. In Jesus' name, we offer you our hearts and our praise, for you alone are God. 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 - Romans 12:2

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is — his good, pleasing, and perfect will.

—Romans 12:2

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Don't let the world mold you. Wow, isn't that a tough command to obey? It reminds us that what we allow into our minds makes it a place of spiritual warfare. Sloppy thinking is more than sloppiness; it's dangerous because the world feeds us messages that constantly distort God's truth and the holy values he calls us to live. Rather than being incensed by the world acting like the world, let's be transformed by renewing our minds and by doing what Paul said he did - "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). Let's not let our minds be molded and conformed to the world, but let them be renewed as we are transformed by the power of God's Spirit.

My Prayer...

O LORD, please guard my soul from pride, my heart from callousness, and my mind from too much focus on unimportant or selfish things, and not enough on your things. Please teach me in my heart what it means to be about my Father's business, especially in the world of my thoughts! In the name of Jesus, my greatest example of one who knew and lived your will, I pray. 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.