Psalm 1:1-2 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/31/2021)…

“If you hope for happiness in the world, hope for it from God, and not from the world.”

David Brainerd (1718-1747)

American missionary to the Native Americans

Psalms‬ ‭1:1-2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night.

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Psalms‬ ‭34:8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!

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Galatians‬ ‭5:22-26‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

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Romans 12:12 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/30/2021)…

“Patience is like good motor oil. It doesn't remove all the contaminants. It just puts them into suspension so they don't get into your works and seize them up. Patient people have, so too speak, a large crankcase. They can put a lot of irritants into suspension.”

Cornelius Plantinga, American theologian

Romans‬ ‭12:12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

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Psalms‬ ‭37:7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.

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Ecclesiastes‬ ‭7:8‬ ‭(NLT) Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride.

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James 1:2-4 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/27/2021)…

“Christians are like teabags, you don't know what they're really like until you put them in hot water.”

Chip Ingram

Senior Pastor of Venture Christian Church in Los Gatos, CA

James‬ ‭1:2-4‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

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Proverbs13:20 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/26/2021)…

“An optimist is a person who sees a green light everywhere, while a pessimist sees only the red stoplight... the truly wise person is colorblind.”

Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965)

Proverbs‬ ‭13:20‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.

Proverbs‬ ‭15:22‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.

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Philippians‬ ‭4:6-7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

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2 Thwssalonians 1:7, 11-12 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/25/2021)…

“What should Christians who are in the will of God do when they go through painful testing and trial? They should: (1) thank God for His salvation and that He is with them; (2) surrender to the will of God without complaining; (3) ask God to give wisdom to understand His will; (4) watch for opportunities to witness and glorify God in the situation; (5) wait patiently until God’s purposes have been fulfilled.”

Warren Wiersbe (1929-1919)

‭‭2 Thessalonians‬ ‭1:7, 11-12‬ (‭NLT‬‬) And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels…So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

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Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/24/2021)…

“God know us. He wants us to know him. He wants us to know him intimately. He wants us to know him personally. He wants us to know him in a way that just knowing some information about him is not sufficient.”

Charles Stanley

Hebrews‬ ‭11:6‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

1 Chronicles‬ ‭16:11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.

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Psalm 32:7 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/23/2021)…

"The Lord has not chosen to remove us from evil. He has not isolated us from the presence of wrong. Instead, God walks with us in the midst of an evil world. When we walk in close relationship with Him, we enjoy a secret hiding place, 'the shelter of the Most High.' There we can 'find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.'”

Note from the Swindoll Study Bible.

Psalm 32:7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory. 

Psalms‬ ‭91:1-2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

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Psalm‬ ‭119:114‬ ‭(ESV‬‬) You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.

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1 Timothy 2:1-6 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/20/2021)…

“Please join me in praying for America, that we will turn our hearts back toward God.”

Billy Graham

1 Timothy‬ ‭2:1-6‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. For, There is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time.

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Image: Billy Graham, photographed in Pittsburgh in 1968. (RNS/Photo courtesy of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association)

Colossians 2:8-10 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/19/2021)…

"Jesus is everything we need once we realize that everything we need is everything He is."

Pastor Wayne Bray

Upstate Church Simpsonville SC

Colossians‬ ‭2:8-10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ. For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

Ephesians‬ ‭1:3‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

2 Corinthians‬ ‭9:8‬ ‭(ESV‬‬) And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

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Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/18/2021)…

"We must never become so focused on the substance that we lose sight of the source."

Pastor Wayne Bray

Hebrews‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

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Philippians 1:20-26 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/17/2021)…

“Here, in a nutshell, is Paul’s philosophy of life. He did not live for money, fame, or pleasure. The object of his life was to love, worship, and serve the Lord Jesus. He wanted his life to be like the life of Christ. He wanted the Savior to live out His life through him.”

William MacDonald

Philippians‬ ‭1:20-26‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. 

Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the joy of your faith. And when I come to you again, you will have even more reason to take pride in Christ Jesus because of what he is doing through me.

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Philippians 1:3-6 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/16/2021)…

“We can have this same confidence when we pray for one another. God won’t abandon any of His own. Our prayers aren’t a last-ditch effort to keep them from sliding over the edge of some spiritual precipice. We pray for other Christians with joy, and with total confidence that God is at work in their lives.

Why then do we pray? We pray as an expression of love. And we pray because we believe that God in some mysterious way uses our prayers to enrich that good work He is committed to do in His children’s lives.”

Lawrence O. Richards

Philippians‬ ‭1:3-6‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

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Proverbs 3:18 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/13/2021)…

“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”

Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Theoretical physicist

Proverbs‬ ‭3:18‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her; happy are those who hold her tightly.

Proverbs‬ ‭12:14-15‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Wise words bring many benefits, and hard work brings rewards. Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.

James‬ ‭1:5‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

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1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/12/2021)…

“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

John Wooden (1910-2010)

UCLA Basketball Coach

Proverbs‬ ‭4:23‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

Proverbs‬ ‭11:3‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people.

1 Samuel‬ ‭16:7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

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Matthew 5:23-24 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/11/2021)…

“If you've made a mistake, if you've made a blunder, admit it to yourself, and then go to the people affected by it and admit it to them, and tell them you're sorry. Full-heartedly and openly. The fact of the matter is, that people who do that make an enormous impression. It's the right thing to do. It's the moral thing to do.”

Brit Hume, American journalist

Matthew‬ ‭5:23-24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So if you are presenting a sacrifice at the altar in the Temple and you suddenly remember that someone has something against you, leave your sacrifice there at the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.

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Ephesians‬ ‭4:31-32‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

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1 Peter 5:10-11 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/10/2021)…

“There was once a fiddler who played so beautifully that everybody danced. A deaf man who could not hear the music considered them all insane. Those who are with Jesus in suffering hear this music to which other men are deaf. They dance and do not care if they are considered insane.”

Richard Wurmbrand

Founder, Voice of the Martyrs

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:10-11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.

Romans‬ ‭8:18‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.

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2 Corinthians 2:15-16 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/9/2021)…

“A flower, if you bruise it under your feet, rewards you by giving you its perfume.”

Richard Wurmbrand

Founder, Voice of the Martyrs

2 Corinthians‬ ‭2:15-16‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?

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Ephesians‬ ‭5:1-2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

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1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/6/2021)…

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for.”

Zig Ziglar

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 (NLT) See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

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1 Timothy 2:1-2 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/5/2021)…

“People are basically the same the world over. Everybody wants the same things - to be happy, to be healthy, to be at least reasonably prosperous, and to be secure. They want friends, peace of mind, good family relationships, and hope that tomorrow is going to be even better than today.”

Zig Ziglar

‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭2:1-2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.

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Proverbs 21:5 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/4/2021)…

“The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.”

William Arthur Ward

Proverbs‬ ‭21:5‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty.

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Psalm 32:8 (NLT) The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.

Psalm 27:14 (NLT) Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

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Ephesians 4:29 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/3/2021)…

“Anyone can be tempted to gossip. But we can avoid it if we slow down and evaluate whether we are the right person, with the right motivation, talking to the right audience with the right information. A good prayer request comes from the good stored up in a good heart, and one day, we’ll all have to give an account for the prayer requests we passed on.”

Matthew Mitchell, “Resisting Gossip-Even When Its Prayer”

Ephesians‬ ‭4:29‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

Matthew‬ ‭12:35-36‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak.

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I Timothy 6:6-10 (NLT)

FROM TODAY’S READING (8/2/2021)…

“Money, in truth, is one of the most unsatisfying of possessions. It takes away some cares, no doubt; but it brings with it quite as many cares as it takes away. There is trouble in the getting of it. There is anxiety in the keeping of it. There are temptations in the use of it. There is guilt in the abuse of it. There is sorrow in the losing of it. There is perplexity in the disposing of it. Two-thirds of all the strifes, quarrels, and lawsuits in the world arise from one simple cause—money!”

Bishop J. C. Ryle, Practical Religion, p. 215.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 (NLT) Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. 

But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

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