Psalm‬ ‭141‬:‭8‬ ‭(ESV‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

“We have to pray with our eyes on God and not the difficulties.”Oswald Chambers (1874-1917)

Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭18‬, ‭37‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions...Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word.

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Psalm‬ ‭141‬:‭8‬ ‭(ESV‬‬) But my eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless!

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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 ‭37‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” 

Dale Carnegie (1888-1955)

American self-improvement author and lecturer 

Psalms‬ ‭37‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand.

Psalms‬ ‭73‬:‭26‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

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Proverbs‬ ‭24‬:‭16‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.

2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.

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John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"It’s a mistake too for us to say about our own lives, 'That didn’t turn out well, so it must not have been God’s will.' We can’t judge God’s will that way, for He has a habit of turning 'bad' results into unexpected good."

Lawrence O. Richards (1931-2016)

The 365 Day Devotional Commentary

John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) I (Jesus) have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.

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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.

1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

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Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭14‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

“I never prayed earnestly for anything but it came sooner or later, and oftentimes in the way I least imagined. But it came.”Adoniram Judson (1788-1850)

Baptist missionary in Myanmar (Burma)

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

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Psalms‬ ‭40‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.

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Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭11‬-‭12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭(NIV‬‬) Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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Psalms‬ ‭143‬:‭8‬, ‭10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

“Good morning, God, I love You! What are You up to today? I want to be a part of it.”

Norman Grubb (1895-1933)

British Christian missionary and Evangelist, writer, and theological teacher

Psalms‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

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Psalms‬ ‭143‬:‭8‬, ‭10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you...Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.

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Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭(NIV‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

“Have thy tools ready; God will find thee work.”

Charles Kingsley (1819-1875)

British minister, professor, and author

Proverbs‬ ‭16‬:‭2‬-‭3‬ ‭(NIV‬‬) All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.

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Ecclesiastes‬ ‭9‬:‭10‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Whatever you do, do well. For when you go to the grave, there will be no work or planning or knowledge or wisdom.

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Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

Psalm‬ ‭90‬:‭17‬ ‭(ESV‬‬) Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!

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Psalms‬ ‭27‬:‭14‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"God’s delays are not God’s denials. If our prayers are not answered immediately, perhaps He is teaching us to wait, and if we wait patiently, we will find that He will answer our prayers in a much more marvelous way than we ever anticipated."

William MacDonald (1917-2007)

Believer's Bible Commentary

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

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Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭(NIV‬‬) The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

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

James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭8‬ ‭(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. 

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

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John‬ ‭12‬:‭3‬-‭8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"There is always something beautiful and fragrant about what we do out of love. No act performed out of a mere sense of duty, or out of obligation, can fill the air with that kind of fragrance."

Lawrence O. Richards (1931-2016)

The 365 Day Devotional Commentary

John‬ ‭12‬:‭3‬-‭8‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. 

But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him , said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. 

Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

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1 Corinthians‬ ‭16‬:‭14‬ ‭(ESV‬‬) Let all that you do be done in love.

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Psalms‬ ‭90‬:‭12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

A SOBERING REMINDER...

“Only one life, ’twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.” 

C.T. Studd (1860-1931)

British missionary to India, China, and Africa 

Psalms‬ ‭90‬:‭12‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.

Psalms‬ ‭103‬:‭13-16 (NLT‬‬) ‭‭The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust. Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone— as though we had never been here.

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Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭15‬-‭17‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

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John‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭(NLT‬‬)

FROM TODAY'S READING...

"At night typically four or five herds of sheep were gathered together in a protected area or sheepfold. In the morning, when a shepherd called, his sheep responded to his voice and separated themselves from the herd! It was response to the shepherd’s voice that identified his sheep from hundreds of other sheep who might have looked just like them to the casual observer."

Lawrence O. Richards (1931-2016)

The 365 Day Devotional Commentary

John‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬-‭5‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.

Jesus Christ

Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭(NLT‬‬) The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.

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