Today's Verse - Psalm 138:2

I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word.

—Psalm 138:2

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

For Christians, God's temple is one of two related things: either the Christian's physical body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) or the group of people who make up his Church gathered together (1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Peter 2:4-5). Because of the flaws in the people who make up our churches, many are overly critical of our bouts with hypocrisy and weakness. The problem with most churches is that they are made up of people like the one we see in the mirror each day. Despite our flaws and failures as God's people, his Church is precious to him. We should also value the Church, the temple of God, as precious. Anyone who destroys the LORD's Church, the LORD's temple, through division will be utterly destroyed (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). God has demonstrated his faithfulness to his people by preserving the Church through the ravages and persecutions of history, and by sustaining it through the failures of some of its most significant leaders. He has done this by his patience with the flawed people in his Church. God is still the center of the Church, the place where he chooses to dwell. So, dear friend in Jesus, we must value the Church, our congregations, the people that we share faith with, as we obey the word and will of God, and as we praise God and exalt him for his love, grace, and faithfulness.

My Prayer...

Holy and incomparable God, I praise you for your steadfast love and faithfulness revealed in your preservation of your Church through all the years and centuries of history. I will cherish your Church and do all I can to help it grow and mature into the bodily presence of Jesus. Through Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Today's Verse - Psalm 18:30

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

—Psalm 18:30

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

God is a shield whose Word can be trusted, and his way for us is perfect. His way is not only flawless but also life-giving. However, we must choose to take refuge in him so his flawless word and his perfect way can bless us, as his presence is our shield of protection. Our allegiance, reliance, and dependence must be voluntarily placed in him, and our lives must be committed to living by his flawless word.

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

My Prayer...

God of our Fathers - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - we trust our souls and our futures to you. You are our strength and shield. Please protect and guard us, our families, and your church from the evil one. Please defeat his wicked plans for us. Please bless us with physical safety, spiritual vibrance, and moral uprightness as we serve you and seek to honor your flawless word by obeying you. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

Today's Verse - Matthew 24:35

Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

—Matthew 24:35

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

What do we have that will last forever? Not much - our love for God and his children, the praise we offer him in worship, and the Word he has spoken to us through the Holy Spirit and his Son, Jesus. Let's invest ourselves - our prayers, efforts, and passions - in these eternal things, the things that last. Then, we will never be without lasting truth, blessing, hope, and future!

My Prayer...

Eternal God and loving Father, please grant me the wisdom to discern what is truly lasting and invest my life in those things. I want my life to be built on your eternal realities that will never suffer decay or end. Thank you for sending Jesus to teach me your truth - truth that will endure. I want to be obedient to his words and his life as the Spirit transforms me to become more like him (2 Corinthians 3:18). Please bless me in ways that help me devote my life to what is true and eternal. In the name of Jesus, my eternal Savior, I pray. Amen.