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The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. — 1 Samuel 16:7 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Have you ever wondered how many potentially good friends you may have lost simply by judging them on your first impression of them? And how many people that you looked at that seemed to be remarkable, ended up turning out to be not very good people? I'm amazed at how the first impression we have of many people very seldom tells us much about their substance. We're not really going to be able to evaluate people properly until the LORD reveals what is really in their hearts at judgment. But we also know that what comes out of people's mouths and what we see in their behavior emanate from their hearts ( Matthew 15:18-19 ). Over time, we do get to see what their hearts are about: their hearts reveal the person inside them. So, don't you think that we should give people time to reveal what is in their hearts...

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. — James 1:22 Thoughts on Today's Verse... What we know and what we believe are not all that significant if they do not show up in the way we live our daily lives. Unfortunately, most of us know more truth than we obey. Pure and simple, faith not lived out in everyday life is not genuine faith; it is a facade ( James 2:14-15, 17, 18, 20 ). Just as Jesus had told us to put into practice what we have learned from him ( Matthew 7:23-27 ), his brother James reminds us of the same thing: when we learn the truth of God's word, there is only one thing left for us to do: obey it and put it into practice! My Prayer... Holy God, please help us put into practice what we know to be your will for us and the truth you have given to us. And please, dear LORD, help us do it with passion today, and to do it day after day, until we come into your presence in glory. In the name of the LORD Jesus, I pray. Amen. The Though...

You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word. — Psalm 119:114 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Where can we go to remain secure from the onslaught of bad ideas, evil influences, and false hopes perpetrated by social media? We can go to God and his Word, the Scriptures, and to Jesus, who is the fulfillment of these Scriptures and is the Living Word ( John 1:1-18 ). While people can be disloyal and misguided, God has proven his faithfulness through his word, in sending Jesus, and by keeping his loving promises. He promises never to leave us or forsake us ( Hebrews 13:5-6 ; Romans 8:38-39 ), and his truth and his promises stand forever. God is our refuge, shield, fortress, strong foundation, and rock as we give our hearts to the Word of God. My Prayer... Almighty God, you alone are trustworthy. You keep your word and fulfill your promises. Forgive me when I trust my own insight and the wisdom of others rather than seeking your will in your Word. Please give me your wi...

To all who received him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. — John 1:12-13 Thoughts on Today's Verse... We live in a time and culture of rights. "It's my right to..." - and you can fill in the blank with almost anything. But we don't have the right to be God's child. God's grace gives us that right at great cost to God. Jesus, God the Son, came to earth, lived, died, and was raised from the dead. We receive this grace through faith: God gives us new birth as we trust in Jesus as LORD and we share in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection in baptism ( Romans 6:3-7 ; Colossians 2:11-12 ), as by faith we are reborn through the power of the Holy Spirit ( John 3:3-7 ; Titus 3:3-7 ). To be "born of God" - to be "born from above," to be "born again" - is the gift of adoption into Go...

"You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." — Matthew 5:14-16 Thoughts on Today's Verse... These words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount remind us that our lives must not be allowed to be simply neutral. We will either point others away from God or show them that allegiance to God is essential. We must have a passion for walking in God's light. If we are going to reflect his light, we must live in that light. Let's make an intentional effort today to shine the light of God's holiness, love, and grace in all we do and say around others so they can find their way to the one who is truly the Light of the World ( John 8:12 ). My Prayer... O God, may the words of my mouth, the actions of my life, and the influence of my deeds show others your holiness, love and grace. May my influence lead others to Jesus so they can find your life and come to know Jesus as their true Lig...

I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life. — Psalm 119:93 Thoughts on Today's Verse... Much like the rules parents have for young children - don't drink what's under the cabinet, don't play in the street, don't walk out from behind parked cars - God's guidance is not to restrict us, but to protect us. His commands, his principles, his precepts, both the positive and prohibitive ones, are for our protection and perfection. By them we find life and have it preserved. The Old Testament Law had all sorts of cleanliness laws that did not make any sense at all until thousands of years later, when modern science taught us about bacteria and viruses. All through these years, the Israelites were preserved by God's commands when they had no real understanding of why God had given the laws in the first place. God's precepts bring us protection and natural rewards that go with living a wholesome and wise life ( Deuteronomy 6:1-3 ; Psa...