You can make many plans, but the LORD's purpose will prevail.

Proverbs 19:21 NLT

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Every small step toward God can lead us into deeper intimacy with Him.

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Ask the Lord today to make you a channel of living water. As you bless others, you’ll discover something wonderful: God keeps the pipeline full.

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All-knowing God, nothing I do, think, say, or feel is hidden from You. Thank You for Your mercy and grace, for my hope is in You alone.

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In my desperation I prayed, and the LORD listened; He saved me from all my troubles.

Psalm 34:6 NLT

We frequently encounter the metaphor of God’s “eyes” in Scripture, symbolism that speaks of His attentiveness to us. Before the Israelites entered the promised land, Yahweh told them: “If you then become corrupt and make any kind of idol, doing evil in the eyes of the Lord your God . . . you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing Jordan to possess” (Deuteronomy 4:25-26). Centuries passed, and the people indeed became corrupt. God responded, “I will keep my eye on them for harm and not for good” (Amos 9:4). However, this “harm” (His discipline) ultimately was for their good. Although Yahweh said, “The eyes of the Sovereign Lord are on the sinful kingdom,” He also said, “I will not totally destroy the descendants of Jacob” (v. 8). God’s correction is for our benefit and intended to bring about our repentance. He’s quick to forgive and restore us.

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

John 8:32 NLT

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Though storms may rage around us, Jesus is still present—He is our calm within the storm.

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All of us would be wiser if we would resolve never to put people down, except on our prayer lists.

D. A. Carson

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Dear Jesus, I trust You as You fight for me.

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Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.

1 Timothy 6:12 NLT

The theme of God as a divine warrior (see Exodus 14:14) spans the landscape of Scripture. Exodus 15 poetically depicts God at war with Pharaoh’s army, saying, “The Lord is a warrior” (v. 3). One Bible encyclopedia has this to say: “In the New Testament, the Divine Warrior theme is fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ. While the imagery shifts from physical battles to spiritual warfare, the essence of God as a warrior remains. In Revelation, Christ is depicted as the ultimate Divine Warrior who will defeat evil and establish His kingdom.” Today, when faced with temptation, we can rest in God, who fights for us.

Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

Isaiah 26:4 NLT
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Because of Christ’s victory on the cross, we have the blessed assurance of joy, forgiveness, and eternal life with Him.
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Dear God, please help me to honor You as I live in Your genuine presence.
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And the church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself.

Ephesians 1:23 NLT

Isaiah 53 is the last of four messianic prophecies in the book of Isaiah known as the “Servant Songs” (chs. 42, 49, 50, 53) because they speak of the ministry, suffering, and exaltation of God’s Servant, the Messiah. Chapter 53 describes the rejection of Jesus (vv. 1-3), His suffering and death in our place (vv. 4-6), His sacrificial death and burial (vv. 7-9), and His resurrection (vv. 10-12).

The New Testament unequivocally applies Isaiah 53 to Christ (see John 12:38; Romans 10:16 [Isaiah 53:1]; Matthew 8:17 [Isaiah 53:4]; 1 Peter 2:22-25 [Isaiah 53:4-9]; Acts 8:32-33 [Isaiah 53:7-8]; Luke 22:37 [Isaiah 53:12]). Peter quoted Isaiah 53:4-9 (1 Peter 2:22-25) to encourage believers in Jesus who were suffering because of their faith (1:6) that Christ also endured unjust suffering. When we put our faith in Jesus—the authentic Son of God—He’ll help us reflect Him in our lives and “follow in his steps” (v. 21).

Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.

Romans 12:11 NLT
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We don’t have to conquer jealousy on our own—God wants to transform our heart and help us step into freedom.
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Take your place, and remember when each of us follows Christ’s lead, our churches will not be a collection of noise but a symphony of grace sounding forth the truth.
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Dear Jesus, please help me to compassionately forgive others and point them to You.
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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.

Ephesians 1:3 NLT

Ephesians 4:26-32 begins with an assumption that anger is inevitable: “In your anger do not sin” (v. 26). But Paul quickly guards against any sinful expression of anger: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice” (v. 31). The emphasis in this passage, as in other epistles, isn’t only on behaviors that give the “devil a foothold” (v. 27) and “grieve the Holy Spirit” (v. 30). It’s also on what we replace our actions with as we “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (v. 24). Our individual submission to God’s supernatural righteousness makes it possible to follow His example: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (v. 32). In all our relationships, God can help us reflect the forgiving heart of Jesus.

The name of the LORD is a strong fortress; the godly run to Him and are safe.

Proverbs 18:10 NLT
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Understanding envy and its destructive impact can encourage us to confront and overcome it.
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Spend time each day in the Word of God, guarding your heart so that only righteous words come out of your mouth. “From the mouth of the righteous comes the fruit of wisdom.” The tongue reveals what the heart is storing.
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Heavenly Father, may I serve You and others faithfully today.
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I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.

3 John 1:4 NLT

While encouraging Timothy to be faithful to his ministerial calling, Paul summarized his own service for Christ and what he looked forward to after he died: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day” (2 Timothy 4:7-8). As the apostle anticipated his departure from labor to reward (v. 6), he was conscious of what really mattered in life. Each believer in Jesus has been given different tasks to do on this earth. With the Spirit’s help, we can strive to do them faithfully. We all long to hear the voice of Christ, our Savior, say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:21).

I have hidden Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

Psalm 119:11 NLT
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Where jealousy takes hold within us, God offers contentment in its place.
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Begin the practice of giving thanks in those circumstances where you might not be inclined to do so—remembering that it is God’s will.
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"Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through Me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures."

John 10:9 NLT

When we receive God’s gift of salvation, He begins His work of transformation in us. He does this through the Bible, God’s wisdom to us: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). As we read and meditate on the Scriptures, we learn about Him and what it means to be “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Through prayer, we come to Him for strength and guidance. And, as believers in Jesus, the Holy Spirit living inside us “will guide us into all the truth” (John 16:13). The Spirit helps us to understand and live out the gospel and to “shine” in this dark world by our words and actions, drawing others to Christ, the source of Light.

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.

James 1:3 NLT
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God invites us to experience intimate fellowship with Him. Walking in the light is our response to His call.
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Begin the practice of allocating more time in prayer to giving thanks
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Dear God, please help me see Your breathtaking beauty.
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“I—yes, I alone—will blot out your sins for My own sake and will never think of them again.

Isaiah 43:25 NLT

Psalm 68 celebrates God as a mighty warrior who’ll defeat evil (vv. 1-2). It draws on the imagery of the song in Exodus 15 that celebrates God delivering His people from Egypt. In Psalm 68, He’s depicted as “[riding] on the clouds” (v. 4) while scattering “his enemies” (v. 1). The retelling of the exodus deliverance concludes by describing a victory parade that ends with God dwelling and reigning as king (v. 18).

The rest of Psalm 68 (vv. 19-35) praises the enthroned God, recognizing that His people are completely dependent on Him. The psalm entreats, “Summon your power, God; show us your strength, our God, as you have done before” (v. 28). God is a gentle warrior who fights for justice, who “leads out the prisoners with singing” (v. 6) and “daily bears our burdens” (v. 19). Today, as we reflect on the awesomeness of God, we can celebrate His great love for us.

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in Him at all.

1 John 1:5 NLT
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Confessing our sins restores us to the joy of His presence.
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Are you that loyal of a friend? Ask God for grace to be the kind of friend who is faithful in adversity.
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Please grow my love for others, ever-present and loving God.
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Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else?

Romans 8:32 NLT

The scene from today’s Scripture passage (Mark 10:13-16) occurs not long after Jesus had made another comment about children. As Christ and the disciples were “[passing] through Galilee” (9:30), His disciples got into a quarrel about which of them was the greatest (vv. 33-34). Jesus knew what they’d been discussing, of course, but He didn’t preach a sermon against their sinful ambition. Instead, “He took a little child whom he placed among them” and said, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me” (vv. 36-37). His object lesson about humility was obvious. That’s why it’s surprising when they “rebuked” people who were literally “bringing little children to Jesus” (10:13). They still hadn’t learned that “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (v. 14). As we express our childlike trust in Christ, we’ll want to welcome all who’re overlooked and undervalued.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.

Romans 5:3 NLT
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The fruit that is produced within us is meant to be used for God’s glory.
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Friendship doubles our joy and divides our grief.
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Loving Savior, please help me bless others with words that can be trusted.
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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.

Hebrews 11:6 NLT

Paul instructed believers in Jesus to live a faithful and fruitful “life worthy of the Lord and [to] please him in every way” (Colossians 1:10). Using a metaphor of replacing old clothes with new, he commands us to “put to death” our worldly, sinful habits (3:5-9) and adorn Christlike virtues (vv. 10-15). Paul singled out the importance of not engaging in harmful speech—“slander,” “filthy language,” and “lie[s]” (vv. 8-9). Truthfulness is essential for believers, for Christ is “the truth” (John 14:6). Elaborating in another letter, the apostle tells us to “stop telling lies [and] tell our neighbors the truth . . . . Let everything [we] say be good and helpful, so that [our] words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” (Ephesians 4:25, 29 nlt). When we “[speak] the truth in love” (v. 15), we bless others. And we’ll “[grow] in every way more and more like Christ” (v. 15 nlt).

Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 1:14 NLT
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As we wait upon the Lord and align with His will, we experience the fullness of His grace and faithfulness.
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Dear God, please help me to give and receive wise feedback and correction as gifts of Your grace.
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Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives.

Colossians 3:16 NLT

Scripture has much to say about the power of our words. A familiar New Testament passages is James 3:1-12. According to James, keeping control of our tongue is difficult. However, before we lose hope in being able to speak good words to one another, consider what David says in Psalm 141.

Here, tucked in the middle of his other requests, the psalmist asks God to “set a guard over Phillip Kotze mouth” (v. 3). He desires to live a life that contrasts with the evildoers around him (v. 4), a life that welcomes words of truth from others. He says, “Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head” (v. 5). Today, God can help us use our words well and speak truthfully to others.

The Ten Commandments set up principles for God’s people, the Israelites, so they’d flourish. The first four commandments emphasize single-minded devotion to God (Exodus 20:3-11). The last six outline how devotion to God should shape human relationships (vv. 12-17). At the heart of these commands is showing respectful honor to all (Matthew 22:37-40).

Society flourishes when there’s respectful care for all people, including parents and the elderly. The command to honor parents (Exodus 20:12) doesn’t mean that people should remain in damaging relationships with parents or others or should minimize harmful behavior, for we’re also called to be truthful. But our Creator wants us to recognize that each person is made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and therefore we should desire every person’s well-being and respect them.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT


When barriers obstruct our path, God provides a way around or the strength to overcome.


The blood of Christ, Thy spotless Lamb, O God, is all my plea; naught else could for my sin atone; I have no merit of my own, which I can bring to Thee.

William S. W. Pond


Heavenly Father, show me how to honor others, especially when that seems difficult.


For just as the Heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:9 NLT

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 10:36 NLT


Difficulty does not diminish God’s power—instead, He displays His power through it.


When you receive discipline from God, take time to consider what He is trying to teach you, and give thanks that He loves you enough to do it.


Dear God, You are holy. I worship You in awe!


How amazing are the deeds of the LORD! All who delight in Him should ponder them.

Psalm 111:2 NLT

In Luke 23:44-49, the events surrounding Jesus’ death reveal the worthiness of God. Christ’s final words where He entrusts His spirit to the Father (v. 46) show His complete obedience and trust, even in death. As darkness covered the land (v. 44) and “the curtain of the temple was torn in two” (v. 45), creation itself testified that something supernatural was unfolding. These signs moved the Roman centurion, a gentile and outsider, to proclaim Jesus’ innocence (v. 47). His response shows that genuine worship begins when the heart recognizes God’s power and holiness. The crowd, struck with remorse, departed in sorrow (v. 48), while “all those who knew him . . . stood at a distance, watching” (v. 49) as they witnessed the depth of God’s love displayed on the cross. His sacrifice there proved He was worthy of worship not only because of His power over creation but because of His self-giving love.

Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Ephesians 6:18 NLT

Humility means responding to God with gratitude and living in light of His greatness.

Children need to be trained, not just in the facts of life, but in the ways of life.

Heavenly Father, may our children believe in You.

And this is the way to have eternal life—to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the One You sent to earth.

John 17:3 NLT