John 8:47He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.Thought:In the airport, the agent asks the traveler for proof of identity. His feelings, background, and confidence are not enough. He must show something that verifies who he is.Jesus does something similar in John 8. The religious leaders claim to be children of Abraham and children of God. But ...  Read More

John 14:23–24Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.Thought:Jesus gives a clear test of love. He does not say, “If a man loves Me, he will feel a lot of emotion du...  Read More

Ezekiel 36:26–27A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.Thought:John 8:47 shows a serious truth. Some people cannot truly hear God’s Word because they ar...  Read More

Psalm 95:7–8For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart.Thought:The Bible shows that the real problem with hearing God is usually not in the ears or the mind, but in the heart. Israel heard God speaking through Moses and the prophets, but often they hardened their hearts. They wanted their own way. They ...  Read More

John 8:47He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.Thought:Jesus spoke these words to very religious people. They knew Scripture. They went to the synagogue. They claimed to belong to God. But Jesus said the real proof of belonging to God is this: a person who is “of God” hears God’s words.“To be of God” means more than simply being religious or m...  Read More

John 14:7If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.Thought:It’s common for many people to hold God at arm’s length. They love learning about Jesus, chatting about spiritual concepts, and soaking up Bible wisdom, but they still don’t fully connect with Him. They see Him as someone to figure out, not someone to trust. They crave infor...  Read More

John 14:21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.Thought:Christ’s saving love does not change. If you belong to Him, He loves you with a steadfast love that took Him to the cross and secures your salvation. That love is rooted in His finished work, not in your u...  Read More

John 14:21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.ThoughtGod’s love is the beginning of everything. Scripture teaches that the Lord moved toward us first, not because we were good, but because He is gracious. He loved us while we were still sinners, and that love...  Read More

John 14:15If ye love me, keep my commandments.Thought:Jesus defines love in a way that questions our shallow ideas. In His teaching, love is not simply an emotion that rises and falls with our moods or circumstances. Love is faithful loyalty. It is a settled devotion of the heart that shows itself through obedience. Jesus does not call for warm feelings or kind thoughts about Him. He calls for a l...  Read More

John 14:21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me…”Thought:Jesus does not say, “He that has heard my commandments,” but, “He that hath my commandments.” That difference matters. To hear Christ’s words can simply mean you have only been exposed to them. You can sit in a service, listen to preaching, read a passage, or memorize facts, and still keep His Word at a dist...  Read More

Acts 27:2929 Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.Thought:On Paul’s dangerous voyage, the sailors could not control the wind, the rain, or the waves. They did what they could. They cast out anchors and waited for daylight. The anchors did not calm the sea. They simply kept the ship from being smashed to pieces.We often ...  Read More

John 15:9, 12–139 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. …12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”Thought:In John chapter 15, Jesus speaks to disciples who are weak and imperfect. Peter, who will deny Him. Thomas, who will doubt Him. Others with ...  Read More

Hebrews 6:1919 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.Thought:In Israel’s worship life, pegs, hooks, and nails held the Tabernacle curtains in place and the Torah scrolls in order. The Word of God was pictured as something hanging and secured. Jesus said that all the law and the prophets hang on the two great commands of lo...  Read More

Matthew 22:37–4037 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”Thought:Jesus took what many had turned into hundreds of complicated rules a...  Read More

Matthew 22:35–36Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law?Thought:The lawyer asked a good question, but with the wrong heart. He was not truly seeking the truth. He was testing Jesus. Many of our questions about God, Scripture, and life are necessary and honest, but the real issue is why we ask them.Are w...  Read More

Psalm 20:8–9They are brought down and fallen: but we are risen, and stand upright.Save, LORD: let the king hear us when we call.Thought:Psalm 20 ends with two powerful realities: the fall of God’s enemies and the rise of God’s people. Those who trust in their own strength may appear strong for a time, but their foundation is weak. When the testing comes, they are “brought down and fallen.”In contr...  Read More

Psalm 20:7Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.Thought:In David’s time, chariots and horses were the cutting-edge symbols of power and security. They were impressive, loud, and terrifying on the battlefield. But they were also limited, fragile, and temporary.Everyone trusts something for the future:Some trust in resources and savings.Some tr...  Read More

Psalm 20:6Now know I that the LORD saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand.Thought:The psalm shifts from prayer to confidence: “Now know I…” This is faith speaking with settled assurance. The Lord saves, the Lord hears, and the Lord strengthens.This verse first applies to God’s anointed king, and ultimately to Christ; the Anointed One. ...  Read More

Psalm 20:5We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.Thought:David looks backward and rejoices in God’s salvation. He is not guessing about God’s character; he is remembering it. Salvation is more than a doctrine; it is proof that God has already met our greatest need in Christ.When we “rejoice in Thy salvation,” we:Re...  Read More

Psalm 20:1-2The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion.Thought:Trouble is assumed in this psalm, not avoided: “the day of trouble.” The comfort is not that life will be trouble-free, but that we are never alone in it. David prays that the Lord would hear, defend, send help, and strengthen.“H...  Read More

John 15:8Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.Thought:Jesus does not call us to a life of minimal fruit but to “much” fruit. The same disciples who were weak, fearful, doubting, and flawed; Peter, Thomas, James, John, Matthew, and the rest. were told that they would go and bear fruit that remains. Their limitations or failures did not define their fut...  Read More

John 15:6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.Thought:Not every branch that appears attached is truly connected. Judas walked with Jesus, heard His teaching, witnessed miracles, and was counted among the disciples, yet his heart was never truly attached to Christ. He was connected to the “caus...  Read More

John 15:2…and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.Thought:Pruning is never pleasant, but it is always purposeful. The Father, the wise Husbandman, cuts away what hinders fruitfulness. In a vineyard, “suckers” and extra shoots may look like growth, but they only produce leaves, not grapes. They block light, steal nutrients, and weaken the harvest.In ou...  Read More

John 15:4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.Thought:There is a difference between knowing about Jesus and abiding in Jesus. The word “abide” means to remain, stay, continue, and not depart. It is a settled, ongoing connection. Like a branch that never detaches from the vine.We often try to “produc...  Read More