Today's Verse - John 11:21

"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

—John 11:21

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

If you have ever stood at the grave side of a loved one, this thought probably crossed your mind, too — "if you had only been here, LORD..."! Where is Jesus when we hurt? Why couldn't he be here to help us? There are a couple of crucial answers to remember.

1. Jesus is with us in our moments of loss and grief. The Church is Jesus' Body and every act of kindness, word support, effort to comfort us, and simple helping actions are part of Jesus working to alleviate our grief.
2. While Jesus may not have kept our loved one from passing from this life to the next, he has been the abiding and unbroken presence for each Christian who has died physically. Paul reminds us that when a Christian dies, he or she goes to be with Christ (2 Corinthians 5:6-7; Philippians 1:21-23) and God's loving presence is never lost to him or her (Romans 8:35-39).

Martha seems to have something deep inside her that resonated with these promises because she was convinced that even though her brother, Lazarus, had died, she trusted that Jesus could still do something. She says, "But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask" (John 11:20). In the face of overwhelming grief and deep sorrow, we as believers can yearn to have had Jesus present to prevent the death of a loved one. Yet in the face of this unwanted intrusion of death, we can say with faith, "Even now God will" provide victory out of our heartbreak!

My Prayer...

Holy Father, please help me see Jesus' ministering presence with me in my times of loss and grief. Help me see him in the comforting presence of the Holy Spirit who abides in me. Help me see him in the acts of love and kindness your bodily presence, the church, as your people help me. In addition, dear Father, please help me see ways that I can serve as Jesus' presence to someone else who is experiencing grief. In Jesus' name, 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 - Proverbs 11:20

The LORD detests those whose hearts are perverse, but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.

—Proverbs 11:20

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Blameless? We can't make a claim to be blameless in our own achievements so how will the LORD delight in me? We are blameless because of Jesus' perfect sacrifice. God has forgiven and cleansed us and the Holy Spirit is working to perfect us so that we can be blameless like Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). Paul told Timothy that he had been the worst of sinners (1 Timothy 1:12-17), yet Paul was confident that he would wear a glorious crown of righteousness when Jesus comes again (2 Timothy 4:6-8). His assurance was because of God's grace in Jesus (1 Timothy 1:15-17). I don't know about you, but I am thankful to know that we can bring the LORD delight as our children bring us delight even though they are not fully mature or perfect in their behaviors. We pursue blamelessness because of Jesus' sacrifice. God views us blameless because of that same sacrifice. That means our Father in heaven delights in us!

My Prayer...

May my words and my actions bring you delight, O LORD, my God! You have done so much for me, and I want to bring you great joy as I seek to live blamelessly before you trusting in your grace to make me what I cannot be on my own efforts! In Jesus' name, I thank and praise you. 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 - Deuteronomy 11:19

Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

—Deuteronomy 11:19

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

Moses gives us three crucial messages about God's commandments that were given to Moses for the people of God.

1. As parents, it is our responsibility to teach God's commandments to our children — not the responsibility of the government, schools, or even our churches. While we hope these will reinforce our values, it is our responsibility as parents!
2. We are to teach God's commandments in the everyday course of life as we go about our routines as a family. This organic teaching method should be built into our daily way of life and help connect our children with the practical application of God's commands.
3. We are to teach them continuously by both our words and our example as we seek to raise our children to honor God and his holy values.

Now we can look at teaching God's commands to our children as a job, a burden, a heavy responsibility, or we can see it as an opportunity to shape a life for the future and partner with God in raising a child to be a person who will make an eternal difference for the Kingdom of God. What a joy to be a part of such a holy, eternal, and influential partnership!

My Prayer...

O LORD God, please bless me as I seek to impart my faith to others, especially to those in my family. Please bless me with a consistent and faithful witness to them. Please have the Holy Spirit give me the right words to say and the wisdom to know when the time is right to say them. Please give me the strength and sensitivity to share your truth with loving respect along with the courage to leave a strong Christian example. May those I influence see my joy in living for you. In Jesus' name, 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.