Today's Verse - John 7:27

[Some in the questioning crowd, said the following about Jesus:] "But we know where this man is from; when the Christ comes, no one will know where he is from."

—John 7:27

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

God in human flesh is how John described Jesus as he began his gospel (John 1:14-18). Jesus was God's ultimate message and revelation of God himself in human form (Hebrews 1:1-3). Jesus' incarnation is a mystery that neither the crowds in his day nor we in our day can fully fathom. This truth is beyond our human experience and limited knowledge of eternal reality. So, we shouldn't be surprised when Jesus' critics quickly characterized him as someone who could not be Messiah because they thought they knew where he was from — Nazareth when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. He existed as God and with God before time as we know it began. The crowds were wrong about his origin and so many other things. Dear friend in Christ, Jesus exhausts our imagination and overflows our cup of wonder as we seek to understand all he is as our Savior, Christ the LORD! So, come and let's adore and praise him for all he is, even what we cannot yet understand of his glory!

My Prayer...

O LORD, forgive me for my limited vision of Jesus' glory. Please enable my heart's ability to find wonder, joy, grace, exhilaration, glory, and awe in my Savior's power, grace, sacrifice, victory, and love. To you, Father, and to the Christ, be all the glory and honor that my heart can muster and my voice can proclaim. Through the intercession of the Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus' name, I offer you my praise! Amen.

Today's Verse - Deuteronomy 7:26

Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Utterly abhor and detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.

—Deuteronomy 7:26

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

A little corruption, a little poison, and a little rotten are not all that bad, are they? Of course, they are! God has made us pure and perfect in Jesus (Colossians 1:21-23). What a glorious thought! Why would we want to stain his perfection with what is evil, putrid, rotten, and detestable? Our Father wants us to dedicate ourselves to him and to live as his holy people (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 1:13-16). God wanted Israel under Moses to know that they MUST stay away from wicked things that God had slated for destruction. In case we want to dismiss this kind of warning, God had Paul write the first-century Christians:

It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

...reject every kind of evil (1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; 5:22).

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My Prayer...

Holy and Righteous God, please empower me to resist temptation and to run away from sin. Give me a more passionate desire to cherish and protect the purity you have given me through the sacrifice of Jesus. Please give me a holy revulsion to evil and wickedness. Draw my heart closer to yours, and give me a passion for your holiness. Thank you for making me holy and precious in your sight. In Jesus' name, I commit my body to honor you. Amen.

Today's Verse - Acts 7:25

Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.

—Acts 7:25

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Timing can be everything. Well, maybe not everything, but an important thing. God's plan and power provide us with everything. Finding God's timing and power for his plan is crucial. When Moses took it upon himself to redeem God's people before God called him to do so, Moses failed. After being humbled in the wilderness for forty years, God then called Moses back to deliver the people of Israel at God's divine moment and according to the Almighty's plan. The results led to the Exodus — the redemption and rebirth of God's holy people from Egyptian bondage. Let's pray for wisdom to understand God's timing so we can live out our lives for his purpose, according to his plan, and based on his power.

My Prayer...

Dear Heavenly Father, I am often impatient and frustrated by having to wait. Please forgive me, dear God, for trying to rush your timetable and assuming my plan is yours. Please give me Spirit-led wisdom to know what to do, where to go, and when to act. In Jesus' name, I pray for this patience and understanding. Amen.