Do need a word to start your day full of encouragement and keep you inspired? Truth of the day devotional will make you hopeful throughout the day.
TRUTH OF THE DAY
Doers, not Hearers Only, July 20
Today’s Scripture
So they come to you as people do, they sit before you as My people, and they hear your words, but they do not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their hearts pursue their own gain (Ezekiel 33:31).
The human heart is so corrupt that it can listen to the true, unadulterated Word of God for week upon week and year after year, and yet never let it seep down into the soul where it can take root and start to produce a crop of righteousness. Many are the people who love to hear good preaching, yet who have no intention of putting it into practice. We must remember that the blessed ones are not those who merely hear the Word, but who also obey it.
How many of us have listen to a sermon or a preaching and get so charged up to live by what we heard, but before we get home from church or the very next day we forget the word preached, especially when something challenging our faith happens?
Simply listening to the Word of God has no lasting value. When you open the Bible, you must intend to do what it says. The Bible is more than a book to carry to church. It gives its readers a way to follow the heart of God and the footsteps of Jesus.
The Greek word for hearer is someone who merely sits in a class to gain information but never interacts with the material. God wants His people to go beyond auditing to obeying His Word. Causal hearers simply glance at the high points of God’s Word and then go about their way like tourists. Careful hearers mine God’s Word like gold miners and return with new and life-changing treasures. The Bible must have a continuing affect and effect on the life of the believer.
The God who put the stars, sun, and moon in their places faithfully presides over His children’s lives and provides everything good!
Consider this:
- Are you a hearer of the Word or a doer?
- Is your heart pursuing your own gain?
Prayer: Father, thank You for making Your word available to me to learn the truth about You. Lord, help me to be a doer of your word and not just a hearer whose heart pursues his/her own gain. Amen!
Read: Ezekiel 33:30-33
TRUTH OF THE DAY
No One is too Bad to be Saved, July 16
Today’s Scripture
Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the LORD GOD, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel’ (Ezekiel 33:11)?
God always holds out the possibility of repentance for those who have strayed from Him. He always invites those who have rejected Him to turn around, change their ways and their minds, and begin to follow Him through faith. No one is too bad to be saved, any more than anyone is too good to need a Savior. Rather, He says to us all, “Behold now is the day of salvation.”
God does not want anyone to die in his or her evil ways; God does not take pleasure in having to punish the wicked who remain in their rebellion. Therefore, He calls everyone to repentance and says to them: You do not have to die! You can choose to live! Why should you choose death over life?
Because life offers no guarantee of tomorrow, today is the only acceptable time for sinners to respond. Similarly, God has given those of us who are saved the message of life. How can any of us believers remain silent?
On the other hand, Christians should always relay on the righteousness of God. When we begin to trust in our own righteousness when we presume upon God’s love and grace to the extent that we think we can engage in all kinds of wickedness and yet avoid discipline. A truly redeemed heart loves, to discover new ways to please God, not how it may commit sin with license.
Regardless of the sin someone has committed, God holds out His hands to that person and offers complete forgiveness.
Consider this:
- Why should you die, choose life?
- Do you think God does not love you enough to save you?
Prayer: Father, I thank You that You are my God and have forgiven me of all my sins. Help me not to remain silent but to share this message of life to the unsaved. Amen!
Read: Ezekiel 33:11-20
TRUTH OF THE DAY
You are God’s Watchman, July 15
Today’s Scripture
But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand (Ezekiel 33:6).
In the ancient times, cities placed watchmen on their walls to guard against any form of trouble – whether an invading army outside the city gates or a fire or disturbance within. These guardians were solemnly charged with sounding the alarm at the first sight of threat; to remain silent meant forfeiting one’s own life. God had made Ezekiel a watchman for the entire house of Israel, to warn that its continued disobedience to God would surely result to divine judgment. Just like Ezekiel, Christians of today are the watchmen in this world to warn the people of the coming judgment of God and repent.
Here God makes it clear that He is the One bringing the sword… upon the land – and yet He requires His spokesmen to sound the a warning for His people about the coming judgment, in order to avoid it. God has place upon every Christian the responsibility of being a watchman, warning others to “flee the wrath that is to come.”
Since Jesus no longer walks this earth in the flesh, we His people are the ambassadors, speaking and acting on His behalf for those who do not know Him. Christians are His head (the mind of Christ), hands (the works of Christ), and heart (the love of Christ) to those who need Him. And our message is this be reconciled to God! Turn from your wicked ways! We sound the warning by preaching and sharing the word with the people God has entrusted in our hands, family members, friends, neighbors, strangers, and the world at large. Everyday someone is dying in his/her sins, so there’s no more time to waste. It’s soul winning time!
The greatest transaction in the history of the world occurred when Jesus (who knew no sin) exchanged His righteousness for humanity’s sin.
Consider this:
- Are you sounding the alarm to warn people about the coming judgment of God?
- When are you going to tell people about Christ?
Prayer: Father, You are worthy to be praised! Thank You for making me a watchman (woman) in my generation, help me Lord to sound Your warning with passion to the dying world. Amen!
Read: Ezekiel 33:1-10; 3:17-21
TRUTH OF THE DAY
Obedience to Christ’ Instructions, July 14
Today’s Scripture
So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go show yourselves to the priest.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed (Luke 17:14).
It takes faith to obey the instructions of Christ. Look at this story, the lepers came to Jesus for their healing, but He instructed them to go and show themselves to the priest. They could have said, this doesn’t make sense; the priest has been in this town all this while and couldn’t heal us. It’s Jesus we want not the priest! Whenever we try to analyze the instructions of God with our peanut brain and compare it with natural things, we will miss our blessings. God’s ways are not our ways, (Isaiah 55:8).
A leper was not allowed to dwell in the city. The law demanded that those with this disease be isolated from the rest of the people (Lev. 13:45-46). So going to see the priest in the city endangered their lives, but they still obeyed without asking questions.
When Jesus told the men to visit the priests, He was instructing them to get a certificate of release indicating they were free of disease (knowing their end from the beginning). As they followed His instructions, they were cleansed. He did not heal them on the spot. He did not heal them in a distant spot, He healed them as they moved to obey His orders. What is God asking you to do that you are considering other things?
What was a Samaritan (foreigner) doing among nine Jews? Leprosy made misery their common denominator; and they joined together in a community of woe. Out of all those who had been healed, the one knowing the least about Jesus returned to thank Him. The most religious are not always the ones who see life’s graces or think to say thanks. It is easy to identify with someone with the same predicament as you. It makes you have an excuse to stay the same. “Look all these people have the same problem as me,” so comfort yourself with that. You are an individual, and God is calling you out from among the crowd to heal you, to send you to do His work, will you obey Him?
Consider this:
- What instructions has God given you that you are taking time to obey?
- How obedient are you to the things of God?
Prayer: Father, You are worthy of my praise this morning! I want to be obedient to Your instructions and directions for my life. Help me to live my life always pleasing You!
Read: Luke 17:11-19
TRUTH OF THE DAY
Bringing Friends to Jesus Christ, July 13
Today’s Scripture
And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying (Mark 2:4).
The paralytic in this account is a picture of how helpless and hopeless every person in his or her sin is, without Christ. The man could not do anything to cure his own disease; he could not get himself to Jesus without someone coming to his aid; he was without strength (Rom. 5:6; Eph. 2:12). This is why having godly friends is so important.
The four friends in this story show Christians how to encourage those who may not know Jesus. We cannot save them, but we can bring them to the Savior. We cannot heal their sin disease, but we can introduce them to the One who is able to wash them white as snow.
God’s people can bring their friends to Jesus in three ways:
- Through Intercession: We bring our friends to the throne of grace through prayer. We bring them to Jesus as we intercede for them and as we plead for their salvation.
- Through Conversation: We bring our friends to Jesus as we have opportunity to discuss our faith, as we help them deal with the obstacles that are in their way, as we begin to answer some of their questions. Our openness about our faith and willingness to naturally share who Jesus is in any kind of interaction with our friends invites them to Him.
- Through Invitation: In a very practical way, we can pick up our friends and bring them to Jesus as the four men did in this circumstance, only we’ll pick them up in our car and bring them to church. We can meet them for breakfast before church or for lunch afterward. We can introduce them to others who will make them feel welcome. And through all these efforts, they will meet Jesus.
He knew no sin, nor was He able to sin. And yet He died for sin!
Consider this:
- How often do you encourage or bring someone to Christ?
- When was the last time you introduced someone to Christ?
Prayer: Father, I thank You for goodness and mercies which are new every morning. Help me to love my neighbor as myself and bring my friends who do not know You to You.
Read: Mark 2:1-12
TRUTH OF THE DAY
Choose to be Thankful, July 10
Today’s Scripture
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases (Psalm 103:1-3).
Humans by nature are not thankful. But thankfulness increases the value of God in your life. The psalmist was telling his soul (the emotional) part of him to bless the Lord and not to forget His benefit. Which means we sometime forgets the benefits and goodness of God in our lives, especially when things do not go the way we expect. If you want to fulfill God’s will for your life, you must force yourself (choose) to be thankful, because it’s our nature to look at everything that is wrong and complain. If there were 8 things right in your life and 2 things were wrong, most people will gravitate towards the things which hasn’t come to pass yet and will not rejoice in the 8.
If you do not see why you should be thankful, remember the sacrifice of Christ. God removed the barrier that separates His people from Himself by canceling the debt of sin (all our iniquities) so that anyone can enjoy a loving relationship with Him. God’s love removes a person’s sins as though they never existed.
In Luke 17:11-19, we read the story of the ten lepers who Jesus healed and only one of them came back to thank Him. While the one who returned had the same experience as the others, he had a different expression as a result of this experience. Jesus’ words reveals a note of sadness and surprise, when He said, “were not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?” The nine Jewish lepers who had been healed (cleansed) went away, grapping their blessing to themselves. Only the Samaritan returned, and Jesus rewarded him with a healing beyond the physical. The power of God cleansed him inwardly from the stain of sin. He was made whole! When you focus on the positive things in your life, it motivates you to be thankful.
Begin to count your blessings and you will see how God has been good to you. A thankful heart is a medicine to the soul!
Consider this:
- Has God ever done anything for you?
- What is making you unthankful? Do you have life and breathing today?
Prayer: Father, I want to thank You for all that You have done and continue to do in my life. It’s because of Your love, grace and mercies that I live, thank You Lord. Amen!
Read: Psalm 103:1-12
TRUTH OF THE DAY
The Joy of Those Who Trust in God, July 9
Today’s Scripture
I will bless the LORD at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the LORD: The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together (Psalm 34:1-3).
The background of this psalm was when David pretended madness before Abimelech, which is found in 1 Samuel 21-22. In jealousy, King Saul pursued David and threatened his life, forcing David to live on the run. In one of the loneliest times of his life, David sought refuge with the Philistines. When they realized who he was, he pretended insanity to protect himself. God heard his prayers and delivered him.
David was a man who trusted God in all circumstances of his life. He places God first in his life and worshiped Him even in difficult times. You don’t thank God or worship Him only when He does something for you. His praise should continually be in your mouth, whether good or bad, because His perfect plans for your life stands forever, nothing can change that. His truth endures to all generation, generations being born and dying, while the faithfulness of God remains constant. So true biblical praise focuses on who God is. What God does is the result of who He is, but we His worshippers often never get past what He does.
To bless the Lord at all times comes easily in the day of prosperity. But David sang his song in the night of adversity. When you are afraid, you should worship. When you are filled with panic, it is time to praise. When worry overwhelms, the time for worship has arrived. Do not give room to the devil to steal your joy because you have problems. You cannot change the situation anyway when worrying. Worship and praises are powerful spiritual warfare tools which confuses the enemy and defeat his lies in your life.
Not only has God promised to deliver His people, He has promised to give us the Deliverer! Jesus Himself draws near to us in our fear!
Consider this:
- Do you only praise God when everything is going well with you?
- Are you thankful to God no matter how your circumstances may be?
Prayer: Father, I adore You, I lay my life before You, oh how I love You! May Your praise never depart from my mouth even in worst situations. Amen!
Read: Psalm 34:1-22
TRUTH OF THE DAY
The Gift of His Peace, July 8
Today’s Scripture
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid (John 14:27).
Jesus tells His disciples here and in John 14 verse 1 not to be troubled, only believe in Him. And believing in Him is what sustains and brings us peace in the midst of trials. Trusting Him does not mean that all of life’s circumstances change for the better, but that His followers will have peace as they endure trials and difficulties. These trials come from the devil but we have peace in Him because Christ has defeated him and given us authority and power to trample over his works (Luke 10:19).
To have the peace of Christ, you should faithfully believe that He is the Son of God, fully trust that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all actively at work and in complete control, and unlike the worldly version of peace, Christ’s peace does not involve any fear. Also, believe in Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Without these events, true peace would not be possible.
Let not your heart be troubled because of the sufferings in your life and the problems in our world today, nor be afraid, for the Lord is with you right where you are. Focus on His promises and goodness, for believers who take their anxiety to God in prayer discover the peace of God. And we are promised something even better: we receive the God of peace Himself, His protection, presence, comfort, and encouragement. When the problem is worry, the prescription is prayer, proper thinking, and proper response. Let the peace of God guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Peace is Christ’s gift to His followers today and forever! So, let the peace of God rule your hearts and be thankful!
Consider this:
- What is stealing your peace?
- Are you anxious about your tomorrow and the pains of today?
Prayer: Father, I extol You, O LORD my God! For You have been my shield and my buckle, my refuge, my strong tower, my peace, and the lifter up of my head. I receive Your gift of peace. Amen!
Read: Philippians 4:1-9
TRUTH OF THE DAY
Cast Down but Unconquered, July 7
Today’s Scripture
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair (2 Corinthians 4:7-8).
The treasure of the gospel is currently contained within the frail, fragile, and fickle bodies of the redeemed. When we allow ourselves as Christians to be vessels prepared for service, God’s glory will shine through us and it will be recognized as His power, not ours.
Becoming a Christian does not mean trouble ends; indeed, trouble will intensify. But God faithfully preserves His own from ultimate defeat, securing us in His eternal salvation through Christ.
You may be cast down but unconquered because you believe in Christ. Christians may suffer because of our identity with Christ, but as we share (partake) in His sufferings, we also share in the consolation, or comfort, that abounds through Him.
This comfort is far more than a passing relief or sympathy. It pictures one who stands beside us in the midst of struggle to encourage and support us. The same is the Holy Spirit, our heavenly Comforter and divine helper. God, who is the Father of Jesus Christ, will comfort us in the midst of adversity. This comfort will serve us in a powerful way when God uses us to comfort others.
How did Paul maintain such joy and obedience in the face of so much suffering and the threat of death? The answer is Paul’s hope was in the resurrection, not in the peace and security of this life. His confident expectation of an eternity free of sin, death and sadness sustained him. You can also do this.
The Lord shines brightest through those who have been broken and have given themselves to His use!
Consider this:
- Do you know that you are a treasure in the sight of God?
- How do you maintain your faithfulness to God when you are faced with sufferings?
Prayer: Father, I thank You that You never leave me nor forsake me in time of trouble. Like Paul, help me to put my confidence in the eternal glory I will receive at the end of this life.
Read: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18
TRUTH OF THE DAY
What Type of Soil Are You? May 22
Today’s Scripture
Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside, and the birds of the air came and devoured it. Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth …… (Mark 4:3-8).
The parable of the Sower explains how we receive the word and what we do with it, four types of heart.
Jesus explained that the word gets various receptions, although ultimately, the only reception that bears fruit is to hear it and accept it. Satan may not prevent the Word of God from being preached to people, but he will do whatever he can to make sure that it does not take root in their lives (Matt. 4:16).
Some hearers are hardened like the wayside, so the seed of the Word does not even make an impression in the soil before it is snatched away.
The second soil – stony ground – is shallow. These hearers seem to take in the Word but their commitment to the gospel disappears when it meets resistance. They are superficial believers at best. A person’s faith is only as strong as his or her willingness to identify with Jesus amid peer pressure or persecution.
The soil with the thorns shows signs of growth, but worldly concerns and distractions choked the word that has been planted (1 Tim. 6:9-10). While these hearers make more progress than the other two, they still bear no fruit.
Some people hear the word and put it into practice (James 1:22). Of the four soils, only this good ground produces the fruit of transformation – and it does so despite the seduction of riches and the difficulties of life. Where God’s Word is wanted, He makes sure it is never wasted (Isa. 55:11).
When you apply Jesus words to your life, you are given even more spiritual truth, making your life richer!
Consider this:
- Is the word of God bearing fruit in your life?
- What type of soil are you?
Prayer: Father, thank You for the gift of life. Make me an instrument of praise, loving Your word, walking in it and bearing fruit for Your glory.
Read: Mark 4:13-20
Don’t let people’s opinion let you feel less about yourself.