datethewordtest

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  • Verse to DATE the Word on August 17 (8/17) is Nehemiah 8:17

    “So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths &
    sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the
    children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness.” – Nehemiah 8:17
    From GREAT DISTRESS to VERY GREAT GLADNESS

    AND THERE WAS VERY GREAT GLADNESS. Let that statement sink in. It sure sounds like everyone is having a great time.  And they were.  There was VERY GREAT GLADNESS!  That is the description of God’s people in Nehemiah 8:17. Now for us to truly get the significance of that statement is to recall that the book of Nehemiah did not start with God’s people experiencing great gladness but rather with Nehemiah being told “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress.”  They were in GREAT DISTRESS.

    The legacy of Nehemiah is he took people from GREAT DISTRESS to GREAT GLADNESS.  

    Let us take a moment to consider how he did it as we should be desiring to help others move from great distress to very great gladness.  As you look at the book of Nehemiah and the life of Nehemiah you will see it started with his burden and his burden would eventually bring about many blessings.  His broken heart for a place moved him to rebuild walls and his broken heart for people moved him to rebuild lives.  He heard and then saw with his own eyes the distress they we in.  He then dreamed how things could be different.  With dependence on God and determination of heart, Nehemiah diligently was a DOER, not just a talker. These actions brought about real change!  Changes that are summed up in the conclusion of Nehemiah 8:17 as there was VERY GREAT GLADNESS! 

    Friends, LOOK AROUND and see the distress of your neighborhood, your city, your state, your country, your world.  Maybe you even need to look at the distress of your home, your church, your school, etc.  See the distress and decide to get involved to MAKE A DIFFERENCE.  Don’t just dream about it, DO SOMETHING! 

    I know there has been the challenge to DARE to be a DANIEL (BE DIFFERENT) but I would ADD, DARE to be a NEHEMIAH and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!  

    Dare to be a Daniel and be DIFFERENT.  Dare to be a NEHEMIAH and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

    Verse to DATE the Word on August 17 (8/17) is Nehemiah 8:17. It says, “So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths & sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness.” 

    Do something today to move someone from great distress to great, very great gladness.

    Continue Strong as a DIFFERENCE MAKER 
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on August 16 (8/16) is 2 Chronicles 8:16

    “Now all the work of Solomon was well-ordered from the day of the
    foundation of the house of the LORD until it was finished. So, the
    house of the LORD was completed. – 2 Chronicles 8:16
    The work was WELL-ORDERED!

    The analysis of Solomon’s work in carrying out the assignment of building the temple is that it was well-ordered. What a magnificent description of the diligence and dedication to doing God’s work. It reminds me of a few quotes such as “failure to plan is planning to fail,” “preparation precedes performance,” and “autograph your work with excellence.”  

    How would you define WELL-ORDERED?  What does it look like in your home?  In your work?  In your church? What does it look like in your life?

    As we consider 2 Chronicles 8:16 let us ask a few introspective questions;
    Do you go about your day taking actions that are WELL-ORDERED? 
    Are you BEGINNING WITH THE END IN MIND?
    Are you purposefully PLANNING?  You plan your work and then work your plan.
    Have you counted the COST?
    Are you scheduling TIME to schedule your TIME?

    As a reminder of being well-ordered in your actions please recall Colossians 3:17 as it says, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
    As a reminder recall 1 Corinthians 14:40  Let all things be done decently and in order.
    As a reminder recall Proverbs 22:29  “Do you see a man who excels in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before unknown men.”

    WELL-ORDERED!!!  A great description that I trust is being used of you and your life, your work, and your ministry!   However, with this devotion, you may want to ask what adjustments may be needed to help you be more WELL-ORDERED.

    Verse to DATE the Word on August 16 (816/) is 2 Chronicles 8:16. It says, “Now all the work of Solomon was well-ordered from the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was completed.”

    I heard John Maxwell say in a leadership conference “All’s well that ….”  How do we finish that statement?  All’s well that ends well is what we usually say.  But then Dr. Maxwell said, “All’s well that BEGINS well.” 

    Continue Strong with well-ordered actions,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on August 15 (8/15) is Romans 8:15

    “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received
    the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” – Romans 8:15
    From ALIENS against God to ADOPTED by God

    Our conversion to Christianity really does changes everything.  While we immediately think of the change of our eternal destination there is so much more.  For instance, there is what I call a status change as we are changed from being aliens (Eph. 2:12) who are against God to adopted children who are with God.

    ADOPTED. Adopted by GOD!  Ponder for a brief moment the incredible significance of being ADOPTED.  And not just anyone being adopted by just anyone.  Think about being a person who was so against God that now is adopted into the family of God. It sounds almost too good to be true, doesn’t it? The sinner is now a son and is able to call the God of the universe ABBA, Father.

    I am not sure what this status change from alien to adopted does for you but for me, it is overwhelming to consider that I have such a precious relationship with God.  I feel so unworthy!  It is so hard to comprehend that as a vile sinner, He would even allow me to be His servant, yet He adopts me and declares I am His child, and He is my Heavenly Father!  

    Friends, if you have been saved, shall we say, converted, you have been born again, you belong to God as His child.  1 John 3:1 says, “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!”  

    As you reflect on your relationship with God as a believer, I trust you are humbled and honored to be ADOPTED by the King of Kings and get to call Him FATHER!

    Verse to DATE the Word on August 15 (8/15) is Romans 8:15. It says, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 

    What a Savior and what a salvation!!! Worthy is Lamb!!  

    Continue Strong knowing you are His child,
    And Remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on August 14 (8/14) is Esther 8:14

    “The couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the 
    king’s command. And the decree was issued in Shushan the citadel.” – Esther 8:14
    BEING URGENT WITH an URGENT MESSAGE

    The Book of Esther tells of how an evil plot was designed by a man named Haman to annihilate the Jews.  Esther, who has become queen earlier in the book, will reveal the plot to the king and then plead for a revoking of the evil plan.  Because the law had been signed and sealed by the King it could not be revoked but the JEWS could protect themselves if a new decree was issued.  In Esther 8:8-10 a new decree is written that will allow the Jews to defend themselves against any and all who would do them harm.  This new decree now must go to all 127 provinces, from India to Ethiopia.  It is a decree that demands urgency for it could mean death for many Jews if they don’t get the message!

    Our verse to DATE tells of how the couriers immediately take the message to those provinces with this description that they rode on royal horses for they were swift horses (v. 10), and they hastened or raced as fast as they could, being pressed on by the king’s command.”  They understood the urgency of the message and the moment!  They were URGENT with the URGENT message.

    You and I are Ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20) and have the eternal life saving message for the world called the gospel.  Do you understand the urgency of the message that we are to be sharing with the lost world?  Like the couriers, we are to be racing as fast as we can to get this message to the world.  Are we doing so as quickly as we can?  Are we using the very best of methods to get the gospel to the world on behalf of the King of Kings?  Do we feel compelled to carry out the great commission given by Jesus to be as quick, as urgent as possible to share the gospel?

    In pressing the point that we are to be urgent in getting the life, yes, eternal life message to the lost I had a friend share about a time they were in New York City many years ago and they saw chiseled on the side of a building “NEITHER SNOW NOR RAIN NOR HEAT NOR GLOOM OF NIGHT STAYS THESE COURIERS FROM THE SWIFT COMPLETION OF THEIR APPOINTED ROUNDS.”  He tells of learning that this was the motto of the United States Postal Service.  He then shared this challenging thought: “What a magnificent thing if that could be said about God’s people delivering the message of the gospel personally!” 

    Our verse to DATE the Word on August 14 (8/14) is Esther 8:14. It says “The couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the king’s command. And the decree was issued in Shushan the citadel.”

    An URGENT MESSAGE must be delivered with ALL URGENCY.   Let us be found being URGENT with the URGENT message of the gospel! It could mean heaven or hell for someone! 

    Continue Strong,
    And Remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on August 13 (8/13) is Proverbs 8:13

    “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the 
    evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.” – Proverbs 8:13
    Worth noticing the NLT – 13 ” All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption, and perverse speech.”

    REJECTING the things that He Rejects. 

    A relationship with God that is grounded first and foremost with the fear of the Lord will see a person having reverence for God and respect for God. In fearing God, one is not AFRAID of God as much as one is in AWE of God. With reverence and respect for God one will see a change in how one thinks and acts. Growing in reverence of God brings about a knowledge of what God loves as well as what God hates.  When one has the fear of the Lord one will determine decisively to love the things He loves and hate the things He hates.

    Let us make no mistake that there are things that God does hate. The verse indicates that pride and arrogance and evil actions and a filthy corrupt crooked mouth are hated by God.  God hates EVIL.  Proverbs 6:16-19 reveal more things as it reveals “These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: 17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, 18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, 19 A false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren.“

    As we grow in becoming more like Christ we are going to be growing in resisting the thing that God hates.  A reverence for the Lord will lead us to resist, yes Reject the things that He Rejects. 

    How is your reverence and respect for God changing you?  

    Our verse to DATE the Word on August 13 (8/13) is Proverbs 8:13. It says, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.”
    NLT – 13 ” All who fear the LORD will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption, and perverse speech.”

    What are your “I hate” statements having read Proverbs 8:13?

    Continue Strong growing in love with what God loves and developing a hatred for what He hates,
    And Remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on August 12 (8/12) is John 8:12

    “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who 
    follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” – John 8:12
    I AM the LIGHT for the WHOLE WORLD – Jesus

    Throughout the Gospel of John, we find John telling us WHO JESUS IS.  This starts in John 1 where He is the Word and continues in chapter 1 where John the Baptist proclaims that Jesus is the Lamb of God. As one continues reading through the Book of John one will discover that Jesus is the Water of Life and He is the Bread of life. He is the Door to salvation. He is the good Shepherd. He is the Resurrection and the Life. He is the Vine. Here in our verse to consider He is the Light of the world.

    Without LIGHT, there is no life.   LIGHT is tied to having LIFE!  Jesus tells us by describing Himself as the LIGHT that He is the provider of life.

    Please note that as Jesus describes Himself here as LIGHT, He says “of the world.” A. T. Robertson writes that Jesus was at the feast of Tabernacles in the Court of the Women.  In this court, there was a brilliant candelabra and there was the memory of the pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night. With this setting, Jesus makes this supreme and exclusive claim of Him being the LIGHT of the WHOLE WORLD, a world of Jews and of Gentiles.  He is the LIGHT to and for everyone.

    As we DATE this aspect of one of the great I AM statements of Jesus, ponder just how important it is to have LIGHT.  Consider it against the alternative of DARKNESS.  DARKNESS is associated with DANGER, and it brings DESTRUCTION.  Recall the difference between light and darkness based on how one lives as taught in Proverbs 4. “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. 19  The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.  (Proverbs 4:18-19)

    Even with the destruction that comes with darkness, we find ourselves perplexed at how many reject the LIGHT in order to continue to live in DARKNESS.  Jesus said, “And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.  “John 3:19 

    Have you made the turn from DARKNESS to LIGHT as spoken of in Ephesians 5:8; “For you were once darkness, BUT now you are light in the Lord?”  Do you have a story of being changed as Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:9  “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light?“

    As we consider Jesus as the Light of the world we must not forget that He now expects us to not only walk in the light but be the light to the world.  See Matthew 5:14-16.

    Our verse to DATE the Word on August 12 (8/12) is John 8:12. It says, “Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

    Continue Strong walking in the LIGHT
    And remember to DATE the Word
     

  • Verse to DATE the Word on August 11 (8/11) is Ecclesiastes 8:11

    “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the
    heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” – Ecclesiastes 8:11
    This is one of those verses that you might want to read from a few other versions.
    NIV Ecclesiastes 8:11 “When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong.”
    NLT – Ecclesiastes 8:11 “When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong.”
    Message Ecclesiastes 8:11  “Because the sentence against evil deeds is so long in coming, people in general think they can get by with murder.”

    It takes DISCIPLINE TO DO DISCIPLINE. 

    Ecclesiastes 8:11 reminds us that dealing with disobedience takes discipline and if we let things go too long, if we delay the discipline, a person’s heart is prone to become harder as well as others will begin to feel bolden to commit crimes.  I like to use the phrase “It takes discipline to do discipline.”  Hardly ever did a discipline situation come up at an opportune time and determining the amount/type of discipline is always a challenge. It takes discipline to do discipline. The bottom line is we who are responsible for imposing discipline be it a parent – a principal – a prosecuting attorney – a teacher – a coach – a judge – a jury, etc. must remember the lessons and impact of Ecclesiastes 8:11.  

    Another verse to go along with Ecclesiastes 8:11 about the importance of promptness with discipline is Proverbs 13:24. It says, “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him promptly.”  This conveys the lesson with Eccl. 8:11 that failure to diligently discipline disobedience opens the door for more disobedience.

    As you consider Ecclesiastes 8:11, how does it apply to you and your present responsibilities?

    Verse to DATE the Word on August 11 (8/11) is Ecclesiastes 8:11. It says, “Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”

    It takes DISCIPLINE TO DISCIPLINE!
    Failure to diligently discipline disobedience opens the door for more disobedience.

    Continue Strong dealing diligently with disobedience,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on August 10 (8/10) is Nehemiah 8:10

    “Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to
    those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, 
    for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” – Nehemiah 8:10
    The Joy of the Lord

    C. S. Lewis said, “Joy is the serious business of heaven.” Nehemiah, along with Ezra, have been rebuilding a place and reviving a people! The book Nehemiah begins with a people in great distress yet as Nehemiah leads to rebuild and as Ezra preaches to revive, we see a change from great distress (Neh. 1:3) to great gladness (Neh. 8:24).  

    Nehemiah 8 tells of a special holy day where God’s Word has been proclaimed and brought the people to weep (v9) as they were broken and humbled.  They were filled with godly sorrow for their sin. Upon seeing this response, Ezra now encouraged them to go forth and ENJOY – enjoy the blessings of God – eating the fat, drinking the sweet (tea). They were also challenged to be thinking of others that may not have and make sure they did have.

    Blessings are to be shared!!!

    Verse 10 gives the great challenge not to be sorrowful but to live cheerfully as the joy of the Lord provides us strength for the journey. Recall from Proverbs 15:15 that “he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.” And Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart does good, like medicine.”  Living joyfully makes all the difference.

    Today I encourage you to ENJOY the present that God has given you.  One of the first verses to consider each new day is Psalm 118:24 which says, “This is the day the Lord has made and I will REJOICE and be glad in it.”  

    Verse to DATE the Word on August 10 (8/10) is Nehemiah 8:10. It says, “Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our LORD. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” 

    ENJOY your day enjoying the Lord and His rich blessings,

    Continue Strong with joy,
    And remember to DATE the Word
     

  • Verse to DATE the Word on August 9 (8/9) is Psalm 8:9

    “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!” Psalm 8:9 (NIV)
    How MAJESTIC IS OUR GOD

    Our verse to DATE is the conclusion to Psalm 8 and is a repeat of the beginning verse of Psalm 8. Psalm 8 was written to show just how majestic God is and why our majestic God is to be adored, exalted, praised, and worshiped!  As one just looks at the created world one should be in awe. Psalm 19:1 says the heavens declare His glory.  To see the works of His fingers in creation (Ps. 8:3) and then consider that God has taken thought of the plight of man has to be so humbling for us. (Psalm 8:4)  To know that though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor, that we through His poverty might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9) should bring about a crescendo of praise. Our God is the God of creation AND is also the God of redemption!!  I don’t know about you, but it takes my breath away just thinking that God thinks about me and He thinks so much of me that He would personally send His beloved Son to die in my place so that I might be redeemed.  The work God has done for us demands a response of WORSHIP!! We should join the Psalmist in “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!”  

    Application: As I pray, I am more prone to be about the purpose of the petition than the Person I am presenting the petition to. Maybe you are the same. I am reminded of the great prayer warriors found in the Bible that their understanding of the PERSON they were making their petition to led first to adoration and praise of God.  Think, for instance, of Nehemiah and Hezekiah in how they approached God with enormous petitions yet before making their requests known to God, they offered adoration to God!  See Neh. 1 and 2 Kings 19.

    Yes, we go boldly to the throne of grace for help.  Yes, we cast our cares upon Him.  Yes, we bring our requests to Him.  But let us first and foremost WORSHIP Him with adoration and praise.  PRAISE preceded petitions!

    Verse to DATE the Word on August 9 (8/9) is Psalm 8:9. It says, “O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!”

    God loves to hear His name praised. 

    Continue Strong praising God for who He is,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on August 8 (8/8) is Proverbs 8:8

    “All the words of my mouth are with righteousness;
    Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.” – Proverbs 8:8
    God’s Wisdom is TRUSTWORTHY

    The book of Proverbs is known primarily for PROVIDING wisdom.  It is the “go-to book” for getting heavenly insights for earthly living.  To open Proverbs is to open a treasure chest filled with teachings to guide a person to make decisions that bring life to their life as opposed to making decisions that destroy their life.   It is interesting though that as helpful as wisdom is to us wisdom itself believes it must make numerous appeals to the reader to get wisdom.   From the first chapter up through chapter 9, Proverbs will be both revealing wisdom to the reader while purposefully pausing to appeal and, if you will, advertising heavily to the reader on why they should be acquiring and applying wisdom.  As you come to Proverbs 8 you will find a chapter that is almost completely about the benefits of wisdom.  Let us notice just a few of the verses starting at verse 1 to see how wisdom first appeals to us and then how she presents herself. 

    Proverbs 8:1 (the appeal) Does not wisdom cry out, And understanding lift up her voice?  2 (the availability) She takes her stand on the top of the high hill, beside the way, where the paths meet. 3  She cries out by the gates, at the entry of the city, At the entrance of the doors: 4  “To you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of men.
    5  O you simple ones, understand prudence, And you fools, be of an understanding heart.
    6 (her advertisement) Listen, for I will speak of excellent things, And from the opening of my lips will come right things; 7  For my mouth will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
    8  All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.

    As we look at Proverbs 8:8, wisdom wants the reader to know that what you will receive is right and completely trustworthy.  She tells of her words being spoken with righteousness and this connects her words to the character of God who is righteous.  They are pure words.  These are true words that can be trusted.  

    A great way to understand Proverbs 8:8 is to restate that there is no FAKE NEWS with wisdom.  There will be nothing misleading with wisdom. Wisdom says what it means and means what she says.  When wisdom is applied it will work. The path that wisdom puts you on gets you to the correct destination.  You can TRUST WISDOM.

    Wisdom not only has appealed to us it has gone the extra mile to explain and justify her very character so that you can TRUST what is said to you.  The choice is now yours as to whether to acquire her with all diligence and then apply what she teaches.  

    Our verse to DATE the Word on August 8 (8/8) is Proverbs 8:8. It says, “All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them.”

    Continue Strong knowing you can trust God’s wisdom,
    And remember to DATE the Word