datethewordtest

Category: Verse to DATE

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 12 (9/12) is Nehemiah 9:12

    “Moreover You led them by day with a cloudy pillar, and by night with a pillar of fire, 
    to give them light on the road which they should travel.” – Nehemiah 9:12
    The Gracious Guidance of The Lord

    When we ponder the great and GRACIOUS work of God on our behalf, we find that He is not just with us but that He leads and guides us. Here Ezra points out in his sermon how God LED the Israelites as they came out of Egypt to make their way to the Promised Land. It was a journey they had never been on and they needed someone to SHOW them the way.  Ezra proclaimed that God LED them. He led them during the day time and He led them by night.  He gave them LIGHT so they would know the road to travel.  

    As you read in Nehemiah 9:12 about the LIGHT to know which road to travel you might recall a time when you were driving at night and it was really dark, dark, and dangerous.  I am old enough to recall driving unlighted roads which now have lights to show the way.  Driving is so much easier when the road and the signs are brightly lit. The next time you are driving at night and the road has one light pole after another to light up the road think about how God led His people and HOW He is available to lead you.   Think about how from Psalm 23 we learn He is your Shepherd that leads you to green pastures and beside the quiet waters.  Think about how He leads you in paths of righteousness.  Think about how from 2 Corinthians 2:14 Christ always leads us in triumphal procession. 

    Our God is so involved in our lives that He is active in leading us. 

    There is a question that must be asked.  Are you following His leading? Personally, I don’t want to be getting in front of Him and I surely don’t want to be lagging behind. More than anything I don’t want to be going in my own direction.  May each of us commit a fresh and new to following Him as He leads!  May our ears be open to hear Him say, “This is the way, walk in it,” (Isaiah 30:21)

    And just a quick reminder: God’s Word is one of God’s great lights for direction. Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.”
    Proverbs 6:23 says, “For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,”

    Our verse to DATE the Word on September 12 (9/12) is Nehemiah 9:12. Nehemiah 9:12 says, “Moreover You led them by day with a cloudy pillar, and by night with a pillar of fire, to give them light on the road which they should travel.”

    LET GOD GUIDE

    Continue Strong with God as the Life Guide,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 11 (9/11) is Psalm 9:11

    “Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion! Declare His
    deeds among the people.” – Psalm 9:11

    SINGING TO the Lord and TALKING ABOUT the Lord

    What do you like to sing?  Who do you like to sing to?  Who and what do you like to talk about with others?  David gives some great instructions for our singing and our talking in Psalm 9:11.  

    We are to be singing with worship to the Lord and sharing about the work of the Lord with everyone!! 

    So let us sing to the Lord in heaven above and share about the Lord on earth below!

    Let us consider a couple of practical questions for applying Psalm 9:11.
    How has God been working in your life that causes you to sing to Him?
    For instance:
    After crossing through the Red Sea on dry land we find in Exodus 15:1 that “Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the LORD, saying, “I will sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”
    Psalm 13:6  I will sing to the LORD because He has dealt bountifully with me.
    Psalm 89:1  I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.

    With those examples how has God been working in your life that causes you to want to sing to Him?  Be sure and sing to Him today!

    How has God been working in your life that causes you to want to share about Him?
    For instance:
    Psalm 66:16  Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul.
    Psalm 71:17  O God, You have taught me from my youth; and to this day I declare Your wondrous works.
    Psalm 145:6  Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness.

    With those examples how has God been working in your life that causes you to want to share with others what He has been doing in you and for you?  Be sure and share with someone today!

    Verse to DATE the Word on September 11 (9/11) is Psalms 9:11. It says, “Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion! Declare His deeds among the people.”

    Sing songs to the Savior!   Share stories about the Savior!

    Continue Strong singing to and sharing about our great God,
    And remember to DATE the Word!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 10 (9/10) is Psalm 9:10

    “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You,
    LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.” – Psalm 9:10
    Names you can TRUST

    Psalm 9:10 has become one of my favorite go-to verses as it tells me WHO I can trust and HOW by KNOWING the NAMES OF GOD my trust in God can be stronger, as well as, yes, sustained.  Every day we face the challenges of doubting God as we face disappointments, diseases, and, yes even facing a coming death.  The trials of life bring a test of our trust in God.  While we can easily quote the famous quote from Charles Spurgeon where he said, “When you can’t trace His hand, trust His heart,” there is a very real battle of the mind and heart of CAN I TRULY TRUST GOD.  I have a feeling you have been here, and I have a very good feeling you will be here again.  Thus, there is a need to know and apply Psalm 9:10.

    As you consider Psalm 9:10 it does call for some work on our part for it says THOSE WHO KNOW YOUR NAME.  To KNOW means to learn.  Learning calls for studying.  Studying takes time and effort. God has graciously revealed Himself to us throughout His Word.  And one of the ways He uses to reveal Himself is by revealing His names.  A Google search of the names of God found in the Bible will reveal nearly 1000 names.  This tells me God wants us to KNOW a lot about Him SO THAT no matter what we are facing we can KNOW that HE can be TRUSTED. 

    One example from one verse that tells us of God’s names and how He is everything we need is found in Isaiah 9:6. Isaiah 9:6 is more than a Christmas verse as it is one of the most complete descriptions of our God we will ever get in just one verse. Isaiah 9:6 says “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

    Think about this from the names found in Isaiah 9:6.  In a world of confusion, He is the wonderful counselor! He is the smartest in the world! In a world of chaos, He is the mighty God! He is the strongest in the world! In a world of complexity, He is the everlasting Father (speaks for being the Founder who understands how it was made). He is superior! In a world of conflict, He is the Prince of peace! He is the Savior for all as the greatest conflict of all is with God. From and through the Prince of Peace we can have peace with God because of what He did at the cross and at the tomb!

    Isaiah 9:6 is just one example of how when we KNOW the names of God, we realize we can TRUST GOD! 

    Verse to DATE the Word on September 10 (9/10) is Psalms 9:10. It says, “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.” 

    One of God’s ways of revealing Himself to us is through His names.  Get to know them and watch your trust in Him increase.  They are NAMES YOU CAN TRUST!

    Continue Strong Learning and KNOWING His names,  
    And remember to DATE THE WORD!

    BTW – 9/10 has a few other really good verses to DATE
    Ecclesiastes 9:10  Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.
    Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
    Matthew 9:10  Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 9 (9/9) is Proverbs 9:9

    “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a 
    righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” – Proverbs 9:9
    NEVER STOP BEING COACHABLE

    The wise person understands they DON’T know all they need to know! They are wise because they know that they don’t know!  From the beginning of the Book of Proverbs, the WISE are LOOKING to LEARN and to KEEP LEARNING.  Proverbs 1:5 says, “A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel.”

    Opposite of the WISE is the FOOL and the fool is a “know it all” and they literally resist the thought of continually learning.  While you (and even the best teachers) can’t teach a fool anything the wise are teachable and have a hunger to learn as much as they can! While we describe them as a LEARNER, maybe a great word to describe the WISE is they are COACHABLE!  Being coachable means one can learn and improve!
     
    As you read over Proverbs 9:9 “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning,” how do you access yourself?  Would you say you have the mindset of being teachable and desirous of learning more??!!! What might teachers and/or preachers/or and coaches or even parents answer?  

    Question:  When was the last time you learned something for the first time?

    Question: Does God see a COACHABLE person when He is working with/on you? 

    Verse to DATE the Word on September 9 (9/9) is Proverbs 9:9. It says, “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.”

    Bonus – from John Wooden – “Always be learning, acquiring knowledge, and seeking wisdom with a sense that you are immortal and that you will need much knowledge and wisdom for that long journey ahead. Know that when you are through learning, you are through.”

    Continue strong learning by being Teachable.  
    And remember to DATE THE WORD!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 8 (9/8) is Ecclesiastes 9:8

    “Let your garments always be white, and
    let your head lack no oil.” – Ecclesiastes 9:8
    Carpe diem – SEIZE the day!!! 

    Ecclesiastes 9:8 is a very interesting verse with intriguing instructions.  It encourages us to dress daily as if one is going to a wedding celebration.  A wedding celebration is a most exciting and wonderful time.  It is filled with much joy and hope.  From the bride and the groom to the youngest child everyone dresses up and looks their best!  Solomon, in Ecclesiastes 9:8 comes along and gives us the challenge to approach each day this way as we should see each day being the very best day of our lives. 

    Listen, yesterday is in the tomb and is gone forever.  Tomorrow is in the womb and is not promised.  Today – TODAY i- is the present – a gift!! Thus, we want to fully embrace this present – this gift – this new day.   We will want to be fully engaged in it – and yes, fully enjoy it!!! 

    Carpe diem – SEIZE the day!!! 

    Verse to DATE the Word on September 8 (9/8) is Ecclesiastes 9:8. It says, “Let your garments always be white, and let your head lack no oil.”

    Today is the best day of the rest of your life!

    Continue Strong enjoying every moment!   
    And remember to DATE the Word!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 7 (9/7) is 2 Corinthians 9:7

    “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly 
    or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” – 2 Corinthians 9:7
    The CHEERFUL Giver

    Every now and then we get a glimpse into what EXCITES God – what He loves! Here in 2 Cor. 9:7, we learn God loves a CHEERFUL giver. This description of God’s feelings regarding giving comes from the Apostle Paul who is encouraging a group of believers in Corinth to contribute to some suffering saints back in Jerusalem.  He wants them to be ready to present their contribution when he arrives.  However, he does not want them to give GRUDGINGLY or because of ARM TWISTING.  When one gives this way both resentment toward the one asking grows and regret within the giver grows. The Apostle Paul wants their giving to be genuine.  He tells them to PURPOSE in their hearts or MAKE THEIR OWN DECISION as to what they will give.  Rather than giving because of PRESSURE, they will be giving based on PURPOSE. He does not want grumbling, or complaining, and he definitely does not want them feeling like THEY HAVE TO BE a part of sharing with others in need.  For Paul, there should be joy in giving and helping others!  

    So, what is your attitude toward giving? Do you grumble as you give or is there cheerfulness as you contribute? Are you a purposeful, cheerful contributor to charities, the church, and other causes? 

    As well I would ask what is your plan for being a giver to God’s Work?  Have you prayerfully purposed in your heart to willingly and cheerfully give a portion of your income to the Lord and His work?   

    Verse to DATE the Word on September 7 (9/7) is 2 Corinthians 9:7. It says, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”

    What changes need to take place based on the teaching of 2 Corinthians 9:7?

    Continue Strong cheerfully contributing to God’s work!   
    And remember to DATE THE WORD!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 6 (9/6) is Proverbs 9:6

    “Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding.” – Proverbs 9:6
    A TIME TO CHOOSE!

    Sometimes we come across a VERY DIRECT verse that speaks forcefully about the decisions we must make. In Proverbs 9:6 we have 2 VERY DIRECT instructions that when applied will change our lives.  With a goal to help a person experience LIFE as opposed to death, the book of Proverbs offers a number of contrasts and one of the most used contrasts is that of the wise person as opposed to the foolish person.  We learn how choosing to fear the Lord and doing what is upright brings life.  For instance, Proverbs 14:27 says, “The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to turn one away from the snares of death.”  Proverbs 11:19 says, “As righteousness leads to life, so he who pursues evil pursues it to his own death.  

    On the other hand, doing foolishness and folly brings destruction. From Proverbs 14:9 we learn that “Fools mock at sin.”   In Proverbs 10:14 we see the contrast between the wise person and the foolish person as “Wise people store up knowledge, But the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.”  Again we see the contrast from Proverbs 14:1  as “The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.”

    Knowing how destructive foolishness is we read in Proverbs 9:6 to FORSAKE FOOLISHNESS and LIVE. Having forsaken foolishness we now GO IN THE WAY OF UNDERSTANDING!“

    I am sure you have read this before but it is so fitting here.  You make your choices and then your choices make you.  Proverbs 9:6 is calling on you to MAKE THE CHOICE to forsake that which brings destruction and death to your life and choose to follow the right path to LIVE!

    I look at Proverbs 9:6 as a GROWING UP verse.  There comes a time when the little boy sits down and the young man stands up!  There comes a time when the little girl sits down and the young lady stands up.  

    On a personal note, Proverbs 9:6 does come into play in my own personal journey although the friend did not quote the verse directly but he did say, “When are you going to cut this foolishness out of your life?”   A few weeks later an older man would say to me, “Don’t you think it is time to cut this foolishness out?”  God used a friend and an older gentleman to say in essence it is time to FORSAKE FOOLISHNESS and LIVE!  It was time for the little boy to sit down and the man to stand up!

    You may need to hear Proverbs 9:6 today!  Maybe you need to share Proverbs 9:6 with someone today as maybe it is time to grow up.

    Verse to DATE the Word on September 6 (9/6) is Proverbs 9:6.  It says, “Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding.”

    You make your choices but then your choices make you!  Choose WISELY!

    Continue Strong going the right way,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 5 (9/5) is Ezra 9:5 

    “At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God.” – Ezra 9:5
    Repentance leads to Revival

    As one comes to Ezra chapter 9 Ezra has heard a very disturbing report of some of God’s people practicing sin. It is especially grievous to Ezra that leading the way in practicing sin were the leaders.  Ezra 9:2c says, ‘in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.” As Ezra hears of these sins it brought a heavy brokenness, a brokenness described in Ezra 9:3.  It says, “As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled.”   

    As we come to Ezra 9:5 we find Ezra, who has been fasting all day, will rise from his sitting position to now fall to his knees to pray and he will pray a prayer of confession.  Ezra 9:6 tells of his prayer saying, “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.”   Ezra acknowledges that they, God’s people, have broken God’s commandments.  Ezra 9:10 says, “And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments.”

    How do you usually respond to a report that there is “sin in the camp?”  Does hearing about sin – first and foremost your own sin – break your heart? Ezra was appalled at sin being practiced.  He was astonished at sin being practiced.  He was ashamed, ashamed that sin was being practiced. His response was to humble himself before God and repent.  His response of repentance will lead to revival. 

    BTW – Revival has been defined as the renewed commitment to obey God’s command. 

    As you read of Ezra’s response you see his posture in which he is on his knees. I have come to believe that the strongest we will ever be is on our knees. May I challenge you to kneel in offering adoration to God?  May I challenge you to kneel in making confession?  May I challenge you to kneel in offering thanksgiving to God for His abundant goodness and amazing grace.  May I challenge you to kneel in pouring out your supplications to the Lord!  While there is no requirement for our posture as we pray kneeling is spoken of as the posture many of God’s people used as they prayed.

    Ezra gives us a tremendous example of responding to sin happening in a camp with humble brokenness and repentance. 

    Verse to DATE the Word on September 5 (9/5) is Ezra 9:5. It says, “At the evening sacrifice I arose from my fasting; and having torn my garment and my robe, I fell on my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God.” 

    Continue strong being brokenhearted over our sins,
    And remember to DATE the Word

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 4 (9/4) is Daniel 9:4

    “And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those
    who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,” – Daniel 9:4
    Approaching God with Adoration of who He is!

    As Daniel is appealing to God for God’s people with a broken heart let’s not miss the APPROACH as his prayer begins with ADORATION.  He acknowledges to God how GREAT and AWESOME He is! This acknowledgment goes back to what Moses had said about God in Deuteronomy 10:21 as he stated “He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.  David acknowledges the same high description in 2 Samuel 7:23 stating, “And who is like Your people, like Israel, the one nation on the earth whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, to make for Himself a name — and to do for Yourself great and awesome deeds for Your land — before Your people whom You redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, the nations, and their gods?” The Psalmist would direct praise in Psalm 99:3 saying, “Let them praise Your great and awesome name — He is holy.”
     
    As we think about our prayer life, please remember that HOW YOU THINK ABOUT GOD DETERMINES HOW YOU PRAY!   From Daniel’s prayer of Daniel 9:4, Daniel knew two crucial things about God.  1. that God was POWERFUL.  2. That God is a PROMISE KEEPER.  This would impact what he would ask as He knew what God’s character was.  

    Learning to pray means learning not just HOW to pray but learning about WHO you are praying to.  

    Daniel’s approach to God is so revealing of how we should approach God as we come boldly to the throne of grace in times of need.   From Daniel and other OT saints, we learn we must always approach our awesome God with adoration before asking for anything.

    Verse to DATE the Word on September 4 (9/4) is Daniel 9:4. It 9:4 says, “And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said, “O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,”

    Important TIP for praying:   Adoration precedes asking!

    Continue strong with a dynamic prayer life!  
    And remember to DATE THE WORD!

  • Verse to DATE the Word on September 3 (9/3) is Romans 9:3

    “For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my
    brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,” – Romans 9:3
    THE DEEPEST of  DESIRES for the Lost to be Saved

    Many years ago I was in my freshman year at The Criswell Bible College in Dallas Texas and one of the required classes for all new students was Evangelism with Dr. Paige Patterson, who was the President of the College.  Dr. Patterson was a huge believer in the memorization of Scripture and so we were to memorize 7 verses a week.  Yes, 7 verses a week or 1 verse a day!  The verses he assigned us to memorize were tied to evangelism and Romans 9:1-3 were one of the first of the assigned verses.   

    Romans 9:1-3 tells of the Apostle Paul’s heart for his fellow Israelites to be saved.  He writes, “I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2  that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3  For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,”

    One needs to pause to ponder what one just read as it is very sobering to think the Apostle Paul wanted to see other Jews saved so badly that he himself wished he could go to hell rather than them.  

    Dr. Patterson did not just give us verses to memorize but he taught the meaning of the verses.  I can still hear him asking from Romans 9:1-3 how much did we really want to see family and friends, neighbors and even strangers, come to know the Lord. There was a silence in the room that day as we paused to consider how badly the Apostle Paul wanted to see fellow countrymen be saved as he said he wished he could be accursed so they could be saved.  

    Accursed means to go to hell.  It means to be cut off.   The ESV says, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”
    The Message reads “If there were any way I could be cursed by the Messiah so they could be blessed by him, I’d do it in a minute. They’re my family.”

    Now we know that what Paul wished cannot happen but what a heart for the lost. 

    Are you brokenhearted over a lost family member, friend, neighbor, associate, and/or stranger that you would rather go to hell so they could go to heaven?  Is your heart filled with sorrow and grief that the lost are lost and headed to an eternity in hell?

    Two more questions.  Are you WEEPING for a lost person to be saved? Are you WITNESSING to a lost person to be saved? 

    Verse to DATE the Word on September 3 (9/3) is Romans 9:3. It says, “For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,”

    May our hearts be as broken for the lost as the Apostle Paul’s heart was.  May our hearts be as broken as the Lord Jesus for the lost as He did come to seek and to save the lost.  

    Continue strong with a broken heart for the lost.   
    And remember to Date the Word.