Today's Verse - Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

—Deuteronomy 6:4-5

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

So many times the evil one seduces us into a flat, 2-dimensional Christianity - going to church and doing good things. However, God calls us to a three-dimensional faith - one that involves our heart, soul, and strength (body). He wants us to love him with all of our heart, all our inner being, and all of our actions used mightily for him. God wants us completely aligned with his ways, his character, his compassion, and his faithfulness in every facet of our being.

Hear, O [people of God]: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Yes! Three-dimensional faith. Three-dimensional discipleship.

My Prayer...

Dear Heavenly Father, I honor you as God Almighty. I appreciate all the kindness and blessings you have lavished on me. I love you because you first loved me in Jesus. I honor you as the universe's Creator and greatest power. I am humbled by the sacrificial and redemptive love you have shared with me in Jesus. I worship you with all I am - heart, soul, and strength - because you are worthy of my worship. Father, my heart desires to demonstrate my love, respect, appreciation, and worship for you in all I love, am, and do. I offer this prayer to you, dear Father, in the mighty name and through the intercession of Jesus. 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 - Psalm 86:5

You are forgiving and good, O LORD, abounding in love to all who call on you.

—Psalm 86:5

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Forgiveness is such a sweet blessing. But God does more than forgive! Jesus cleanses and purifies us, then presents us to God as "holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation" (Colossians 1:21-22). God does not grudgingly meter out his love. He does not ration out his forgiveness. He lavishly pours his love upon us, and into us, as we genuinely seek him as our Father (Romans 5:5; 1 John 3:1). So, let's cry out and ask for God's forgiveness as we praise the mighty and holy name of The Almighty, confidently knowing that our Father longs to bless us with his overflowing goodness, mercy, and love.

My Prayer...

O Precious Father, I call to you, wanting you to know how important your love and forgiveness are in my life. Thank you for sending Jesus to show your love for me and pay the debt of my sin. Please help me to live today as your child, shaped to be like Jesus, and may others see my joy and my passion for you as I seek to live for your glory. In the name of my Savior, 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 - Ephesians 4:2

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

—Ephesians 4:2

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

"You mean I have to put up with all this from that person!?"
There are those folks in life about whom the saying is true: "They are the grit out of which we are to fashion our pearls." Our great example in this challenge - "To be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." - is Jesus. Jesus has fashioned many pearls from pretty bad grit. Think of what he had to put up with in his 12 disciples. Remember how the LORD's patience and kindness helped transform them. His love persevered through so many of their failures, especially failures in his hardest and darkest moments. In the process, however, Jesus' life of humbleness, gentleness, patience, and love transformed them. Can we dare to do less with those for whom Christ died?

Video Commentary...

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My Prayer...

Please give me strength and patience, O God. I know the Holy Spirit can and will, so I ask for this help because I long to be as loving, gentle, and patient with others as Jesus was with people during his earthly ministry, and you have been with me. So, I pray this in the mighty name of Jesus, my LORD and hero, to become more JESUShaped and live like him. 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.