Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭7‬-‭10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"If only there were some evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?"

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008)

Russian writer and prominent Soviet dissident

Psalms‬ ‭51‬:‭7‬-‭10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice. Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

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Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

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Psalms‬ ‭84‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

“When I think upon my God, my heart is so full of joy that the notes dance and leap from my pen; and since God has given me a cheerful heart it will be pardoned me that I serve Him with a cheerful spirit.”

Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809)

Austrian composer of the Classical period

Psalms‬ ‭84‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) A single day in your courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked. For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, what joy for those who trust in you.

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Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭35‬-‭36‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

 FROM TODAY'S READING...

“The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand as in what direction we are moving. To reach the port of heaven, we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it—but we must sail, and not drift, nor live at anchor.”

Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841-1935)

U.S. Supreme Court associate justice (1902-1932)

Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭35‬-‭36‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.

Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭(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. Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up. After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

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Psalms‬ ‭138‬:‭8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me,

I cannot choose the colors He worketh steadily.

Oft times He weaveth sorrow and I in foolish pride

Forget He sees the upper and I the underside.

The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand

As the threads of gold and silver in the pattern He has planned.

Not till the loom is silent and the shuttle cease to fly

Shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.

Author unknown

Psalms‬ ‭138‬:‭8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) The Lord will work out his plans for my life— for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.

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Proverbs‬ ‭19‬:‭21‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

Isaiah‬ ‭64‬:‭4‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For since the world began, no ear has heard and no eye has seen a God like you, who works for those who wait for him!

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Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

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Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭21‬-‭24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

Change your mindset.

Ego → Kill it

Love → Value it

Smile → Keep it

Gossip → Ignore it

Success → Achieve it

Jealousy → Distance it

Knowledge → Acquire it

Confidence → Trust it

Unknown author

Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭21‬-‭23‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.

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Ephesians‬ ‭4‬:‭21‬-‭24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

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Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

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Psalms‬ ‭19‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"One glance at the sun or the stars convinces us of God’s infinite power. And even a brief inspection of any leaf on a tree, of the wonder of the human hand, or of any one living cell convinces us of God’s great wisdom. Who could make all of this? Who could make it out of nothing? Who could sustain it day after day for endless years? Such infinite power, such intricate skill, is completely beyond our comprehension. When we meditate on it, we give glory to God."

Wayne Gruden

Theologian, seminary professor, and author

(Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine)

Genesis‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Psalms‬ ‭19‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known.

Jeremiah‬ ‭10‬:‭12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) But the Lord made the earth by his power, and he preserves it by his wisdom. With his own understanding he stretched out the heavens.

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John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬, ‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.

Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭3‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen.

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Revelation‬ ‭4‬:‭11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.

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Job‬ ‭19‬:‭25‬-‭27‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"I go on not knowing—

I would not if I might,

I’d rather walk in the dark with God

Than walk alone in the light;

I’d rather walk by faith with Him

Than to walk alone by sight."

Helen Annis Casterline

Job‬ ‭19‬:‭25‬-‭27‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and he will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see him for myself. Yes, I will see him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought!

Hebrews‬ ‭11‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God.

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2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬-‭9‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. For we live by believing and not by seeing. Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him.

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1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬ ‭(MSG‬‬/paraphrase)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"Be a free thinker and don't accept everything you hear as truth."

Aristotle (384-322 BC)

Greek philosopher 

1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬ ‭(MSG‬‬/paraphrase) My dear friends, don’t believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you...

Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭(NIV‬‬) And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

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Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

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Job‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭22‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"When suffering strikes us, we often respond as Job did. We do trust in God. But our emotions are in turmoil, and we have 'no peace, no quietness, no rest.' Such emotion is natural, for at best we human beings are finite, limited, and weak. How encouraging to realize through Job’s experience that faith and fear can be present at the same time. Emotional turmoil is not evidence of a lack of faith, but rather an opportunity for us to affirm the reality of what we believe despite our feelings."

Lawrence O. Richards (1931-2016)

The 365 Day Devotional Commentary

Job‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) There once was a man named Job who lived in the land of Uz. He was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil.

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Job‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭22‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Job stood up and tore his robe in grief. Then he shaved his head and fell to the ground to worship. He said, “I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” 

In all of this, Job did not sin by blaming God.

Job‬ ‭3‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true. I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; only trouble comes.

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Job‬ ‭13‬:‭15‬ ‭(NKJV‬‬) Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him...

James‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance...

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Nehemiah‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"Not every Christian can be a wall-builder. But each of us can pray. When we hear of others in need, the most important thing we can do for them may well be to follow Nehemiah’s lead, and express our concern in heartfelt prayer."

Lawrence O. Richards (1931-2016)

The 365 Day Devotional Commentary

 Nehemiah‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) These are the memoirs of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. 

In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem. 

They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.” 

When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.

Ephesians‬ ‭6‬:‭18‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Colossians‬ ‭4‬:‭2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

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1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) 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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Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭3‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"The Seven Modern Sins...

Politics without principles.

Pleasures without conscience.

Wealth without work.

Knowledge without character.

Industry without morality.

Science without humanity.

Worship without sacrifice."

Frederick Lewis Donaldson (1860-1953)

Archdeacon of Westminster

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

Proverbs‬ ‭28‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Evil people don’t understand justice, but those who follow the Lord understand completely. Better to be poor and honest than to be dishonest and rich.

2 Corinthians‬ ‭8‬:‭21‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) We are careful to be honorable before the Lord, but we also want everyone else to see that we are honorable.

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