Category: Daily

The scripture for today, June 4 (6/4), is Psalm 6:4 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Turn, O Lord, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.”

Sometimes we walk away from God and can’t figure out how to make a turnaround and get our life back on track.  When this happens, look behind you.  Though you are walking away from God, he is still on the right track.  All you have to do is call for him to come get you.

“Turn, O Lord!  Turn!  Deliver me!”

Why would God be so good to someone walking away from him?  Because he loves you and is always listening for your voice.  His love is unfailing.

 

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, June 3 (6/3), is Romans 6:3f  as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life….because anyone who has died has been freed  from sin.”

Oh!  Baptism does all that?  Some people say no, but God says yes.  Indeed, in baptism we obtain a “new life” ~ are born again.  And in baptism we are “freed from sin” ~ forgiven.  Look at it this way:

Just as Jesus died carrying our sins on himself, we die to our sinful nature ~ the part of us that sins and doesn’t care.  Then just as Jesus was buried in his grave, we are buried in our watery grave.  And just as Jesus came up out of his grave the Savior, we come up our of our watery grave the saved ~ with a “new life”, having been “freed from sin.”

Everything works together beautifully ~ hearing, believing, confessing, dying to sin, being baptized.  What an honor and privilege we have been given to imitate what he did for us!  And for those reasons!

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, Inspirational2 Comments

The scripture for today, June 2 (6/2), is Galatians 6:2 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

In case you’re thinking people should take care of their own burdens, you are right.  But the term “burdens” here refers to overloads.

The main reason this is hard to do is that taking on someone else’s overloaded burdens upsets our daily routine and our peace of mind.  It is inconvenient.

Just remember, it is always inconvenient for those people to have an overload of burdens.  They don’t want them. Many times they didn’t ask for them.  But even if they did ask for them with foolish acts, can we not roll up our sleeves and help them out?

What if Jesus had said, “Hey, it’s not my problem!  Those people on earth mess up their lives all the time.  Why should I leave the comforts of heaven to live among sinners and misery?”  But he didn’t say that.  Thank God he didn’t say that.

Inconvenient for him to take our overloaded burdens to his cross?  Yes.  Did he want to do it?  No.  But he did what was necessary to rescue us.  Do we really and truly want to be like Him?

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, June 1 (6/1), is Psalm 6:1 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.”

This is not only a good request to God, but it is a good request to each other ~ family and friends alike.  When we disagree with someone, do we “back it up” with loud yelling or throwing or hitting things?  Do we believe that our point of view cannot be accepted without a “tantrum”?  Actually, the object of our tantum may react like we want on the outside, but we drive them farther from us on the inside.

This scripture indicates that it is indeed possible to rebuke someone without the tantrum.  In fact, it is more effective.  When we calmly tell someone we disagree with them, it does not raise their blood pressure and put them on the defensive.

Calm rebuke does not mean we don’t mean it; it means we are convinced enough, our point of view does not need reinforcement.  In that case, the other person is more likely to be convinced too.  So today, let us practice while alone saying calmly what we normally back up with a tantrum.  Then, next time we disagree with someone close to us, we will be ready.  Ready to not rebuke in our anger.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 31 (5/31), is Deuteronomy 5:31 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“But you [Moses] may stay here [on the mountain] with me [God] so that I may give you all the commands, decrees, and laws you are to teach them to follow in the land I am giving them to possess.”

Many people believe that the “Law of Moses” consisted only of the Ten Commandments.  But there was much more.  It took Moses 40 days to write them all down.  How many?  Over 600 “commands, decrees and laws.”

Jesus nailed the old law [covenant] to the cross (Colossians 2:14) and created a much simpler New Testament/Covenant! “By calling this covenant [testament] ‘new’ he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear’ ” (Hebrews 8:13).  Not part of it.  All of it.

Thank God we do not have to keep all those 600+ commandments in the Law of Moses.  They were tedious, and some were impossible to keep.  Why would God give a law impossible to keep?  To help us understand that it is impossible for us to be perfect.  Finally, with our understanding of that, God was ready to send His Son to earth to be perfect for us.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 30 (5/30), is John 5:30 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.”

It is hard to judge people we know, and leave our own egos out.  If we are jealous, we may judge them harshly.  If we admire the person, we may judge them too loosely.  Perhaps if we try to walk in their shoes, it will help us understand and not judge too harshly.  And perhaps if we compare an admired person to Jesus, it will help us understand and not judge too loosely.

We’re not talking judgmentalism here where we go around sizing other people up all the time so we can feel superior to them.  In judging, we judge, then we accept people where they are.  Only then can we become their true friend.

If we truly love others, we will not, when judging, seek to please ourselves.  Rather, we will please our Creator who knows our hearts and loves us all the very best.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 29 (5/29), is Acts 5:29 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Peter and the other apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’ “

There are many countries in the world today where a person is beaten, imprisoned and/or killed for believing in Jesus Christ or owning a Bible.  They must stay in the background and try to remain relatively unnoticed in order to survive.  But their faith continues unabated, even amidst their fears.  The church has survived persecution for 2000 years.

Even if they’re not killed, they are by-passed for promotion at work or fired, they are harassed when out shopping, they are threatened in public transportation, they are turned down for a good education, and they must tolerate derision just walking down the street or waiting at a bus stop.  But their faith continues unabated, even amidst their fears.

Such events are usually covered up by governments and news media, and the good people of those countries never know it is happening.  There are various newsletters on the internet about the persecuted that you can sign up for.  One is at www.persecution.org that sends news as soon as it happens.  Let us daily hold up these brave souls in our prayers ~ those who obey God rather than men.  In eternity, it will be God that we turn to, not men.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 28, is Luke 5:28 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“And Levi got up, left everything and followed him [Jesus].”

This Levi was a tax collector, who, in those days, was allowed to set his own tax rates so he could pocket some of it for himself.  Why would such a man follow Jesus, a man who apparently didn’t have much money of his own?  He had to trust Jesus and believe that he was truly a friend.  

And why would Jesus ask him?  Jesus was certainly taking a chance, since the uppity leaders of society and their religion openly declared Jesus a bad person for associating with “sinners and tax collectors”.  Jesus, in turn, had to trust and believe in Levi.

A lot of Christians brag that their only friends are those who worship with them.  They don’t really trust anyone else, so don’t really want to be anyone else’s friend.  Well, how are you supposed to bring anyone to Jesus?  Jesus went out to “seek and save the lost.”

And sometimes there is a visitor at worship who isn’t dressed right ~ perhaps with uncombed hair, or smell from no shower, or makeup put on too heavy, or clothes not in style, or maybe even dressed too richly.  Are we ashamed to be seen with them?  Jesus wouldn’t have been.  He was color blind, style blind, class blind.

Today, reach out and make friends with someone you have been staying away from.  Jesus did.  And thereby, you will be like him.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 27 (5/27), is Job 5:27 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“We have examined this, and it is true.  So hear it and apply it to yourself.”

How many times have we gone to worship or listened on TV to a minister/priest/rabbi/imam and believed everything he said because the speaker looked so holy and convincing?  Isn’t that confusing when so many different religious leaders teach different things, often conflicting?

What is the answer to this dilemma?  Examine the Bible for yourself!  You’re smart!  You can do it!

The best way is to get a concordance.  It has every word in the Bible alphabetically, and every scripture that contains that word.  If you want to know God’s opinion instead of man’s, use your concordance and look up every passage your chosen topic appears in.  You can buy one (it is the size of a large-city telephone book) or use one on the internet.

Then examine everything God ~ not man ~ has to say about anything.  Then there are no doubts.  Then you know the truth and are ready to apply it to yourself.

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 26 (5/26), is 1st Thessalonians 5:26 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Brothers, pray for us.”

Do you have a prayer list?  There are many people we can pray for besides ourselves.  Often prayers get bogged down and short because the only person we “remember” in prayer is ourselves.  Well, and maybe a relative or two.

There are many people who need your prayers:  Your family is obvious.  How about your neighbors?  If you don’t know their names, pray for them by house or apartment number.  What about the newspaper?  Everyone of those bad-news stories is crying out for prayer.  The school near you needs your prayers ~  students, teachers, administrators, janitors.  It doesn’t matter whether you have a child in that school; pray for them anyway.  Who are your local government officials?  Not liking them doesn’t make any different, for Jesus said we are to pray for our enemies too.  And that leads to the list of your enemies; do you have any at your work place? Include them too.  It’s pretty hard to resent someone you pray for.

One other thing you might try doing in addition to having a prayer list:  Have an answered-prayer list.  Write down when you pray for someone, then when it is answered.  Keep it as a reminder when you are down and don’t think He’s ever going to answer your requests.  God does care after all.

And speaking of requests, by the time you’re done praying for all the other people on your prayer list, you won’t have a lot of time to pray for yourself.  And that is okay too, for others are praying for you!

On By Inspirations By KatherynIn Bible, Daily, InspirationalLeave a comment