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But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children — with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. — Psalm 103:17-18 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Forever love is sometimes talked about in dime store novels, but this kind of love is only found in God's faithful lovingkindness. Thankfully, we can tap into that reservoir of eternal and divine love through the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus pours into our hearts to help us both receive that kind of forever love and share it with others ( John 7:37-39 ; Romans 5:5 ). Importantly, our verse emphasizes how God's kind of love is multigenerational - generations before us passed it along to us, and we must pass it on to the generations that come after us. This multigenerational principle is not just a practice of celebrating God's love and our love for others found under the Old Covenant; it is also one that the apostle Paul taugh...

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. — Romans 12:15 Thoughts on Today's Verse... We are not alone. God promised that he would never leave us or forsake us ( Hebrews 13:5-6 ). He has given us Jesus' family to find support and share our joys. Along the way, we want to share each other's burdens and soar on each other's joys. We want to love each other through our hurts and mourn with each other through our grief. There should be no such thing as a solo Christian, whether joyful or in sorrow, excited or downtrodden. If we see a brother or sister struggling in life and feeling alone, let's decide to walk with them. If we see one in joyful celebration, we should join them in that celebration. If they feel horrible sorrows and grief, we should sit with them and let them share their grief with us. We demonstrate our love for Jesus by the ways we love each other, and demonstrate that love in clear, practical ways of being with them, serving them, and ...

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given to me — the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace. — Acts 20:24 Thoughts on Today's Verse... How important is grace? Paul said that sharing the good news of God's grace was more important to him than his life! In fact, that was his life after his conversion to Jesus. The wonderful thing for Paul is that he aligned his life's mission to be an expression of God's grace. That's why he could tell the Philippians: I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain ( Philippians 1:20-21 ). The challenge for us is to find out where we fit in God's story of unfolding grace and live into that role as our life's mission. We don't have to be a missionary,...

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. — John 3:17 Thoughts on Today's Verse... How do you view God? Is he someone looking for a way to condemn or punish you? Is he an out-of-touch ol' curmudgeon who doesn't really know what it's like in our modern world? Is he too pious and holy to soil himself with the concerns of mere mortals and has left it up to us to work everything out for ourselves, including earning our salvation? No. NO. NO! God chose to enter our world and experience it from the side of mortality ( John 1:14-18 ; Hebrews 2:14-18 , 4:14-16 ). Why? Because he loves us and yearns to save us. God chose to enter our world, not to condemn us or it, but to redeem it and each of us. Jesus is the great reminder that God longs to save us, not condemn us. He's looking for ways to give us life, not to exclude us from his presence. Thank God for God! Thank God for Jesus, who was and is Immanuel, God with us ( M...

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. — James 1:19 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Let's just put this in cornbread English: "We must pump the brake on our speech and hit the throttle for our ears." When possible, we should let our emotional temperature cool for a few days before responding, pray to determine whether we need to respond, craft a response (written or verbal) with care, and then carefully edit and filter it before delivering our message - especially when we've had a zinger come our way. We keep our mouths shut, our hearts pure, and our ears open. Now, if we would all obey what James 1:19-21 teaches in this whole passage, we'd all be more blessed: My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral fi...

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. — Romans 12:10 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Being "devoted to another in brotherly love" requires that our church talk - we're family, brothers and sisters, children of God - be more than mere words. We must enter into each other's lives, getting to know one another so that we can serve, love, and bless one another. The many "one another" commands of the New Testament remind us that this is the heart of being followers of Jesus. Each of us needs to ask ourselves: "What have I done lately to get more involved in the lives of my fellow Christians?" Devotion to others follows a commitment to know and be known by them, so that we can honor each other appropriately, love each other fully, and bless each other based on each person's needs. My Prayer... Father, thank you for giving me a worldwide family. Thank you for loving me so completely. Father, I ask that you he...