datethewordtest

Category: Verse to DATE

  • Verse to DATE the Word on March 6 (3/6) is Ecclesiastes 3:6

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 6 (3/6) is Ecclesiastes 3:6

    Our verse to DATE the Word on March 6 (3/6) is Ecclesiastes 3:6
    Ecclesiastes 3:6 says, “A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;”
    Actions that bring about IMPROVEMENT

    As one comes to Ecclesiastes 3 one reads, “To everything, there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven.”  Following this profound statement comes a list of things that we have happening in our lives yet are opposites. Such as in verse 2 we read, “A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;”  One can easily see the opposites in this verse.  In verse 4 we read of a time to WEEP and a time to LAUGH.  There will be times of MOURNING and there will be times of DANCING.  While opposite, each is a part of our life and each has a purpose.  

    Eccl. 3:6 gives us the opposites of gaining as opposed to losing and losing as opposed to gaining, and of keeping as opposed to throwing away and throwing away as opposed to keeping.  This verse helps us to keep perspective, to keep balanced, and to do things that bring about improvement in a person’s life.  One way of looking at this verse in totality is to understand to bring improvement to our life, there will be times we need to be gathering while at other times there will be times we need to get rid of stuff. 

    Drilling down on the verse let us ask a few questions.
    What are the things you need to be gaining?  For some, this verse speaks to you about gaining an education.  There is a time to be in class and working toward getting a certain degree.  Education is a great door opener.  For some people who find themselves unemployed, the reason may very well be they are unemployable.  At some point, a price was not paid to GAIN the education needed for employment.  Having been very involved in education for the vast majority of my life I have stressed there is a time to GAIN an education.  This is but one example of a time to gain.  

    What are things you need to be losing?  There are things we need to LOSE.  For instance, one may need to lose a bad attitude.  One may need to lose a grip on greed.   One may need to lose selfishness.  One may need to lose the weight of sin. (Hebrews 12:1)

    What are the things you need to be keeping?  The idea of keeping here is to hold tight.  I would suggest that one will want to hold tight to family and to friends.  Hold tight to relationships!  It is so easy to handle what is so important carelessly.   

    What are the things you need to be throwing away?  As it is March and we are moving toward spring we know it is important to have what is called Spring cleaning.  Well, maybe you need some spring cleaning with your mind and your heart.   Maybe your heart is falling in love with something that is seeking to replace your love for the Lord.  We would call that an idol and it needs to be thrown away.  

    Acting on Ecclesiastes 3:6 means what for you?  I suggest answering the following four questions.
    What decisions do you need to make to BRING something INTO your life as it is a time to GAIN?  
    What decisions do you need to make to GET OUT of your life as it is a time to LOSE?  
    What decisions do you need to make to ensure you are HOLDING TIGHT to what is most valuable?  
    What decision do you need to make to REMOVE from your life what does not belong? 

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 6 (3/6) is Ecclesiastes 3:6. It says, “A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away;“

    The season of life will include seasons of improvement.  You improve by gaining and you improve by losing.  You improve by keeping and you improve by throwing away.   

    Continue Strong improving!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD
    PS – Don’t forget that you LOSE an hour of sleep this Saturday/Sunday morning as we SPRING FORWARD.
  • Verse to DATE the Word on March 5 (3/5) is Proverbs 3:5 (&6)

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 5 (3/5) is Proverbs 3:5 (&6)

    Our verse to DATE the Word on March 5 (3/5) is Proverbs 3:5 (& 6)
    Proverbs 3:5 (& 6) says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;” (v. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.)
    Total Dependence on God brings Trustworthy Direction from God. 

    As we consider verses to KNOW and LIVE by Proverbs 3:5-6 are close to the top of the list.  It is one of the greatest principles we have from God as we seek to live our lives.  God invites us to TRUST Him in directing our lives.  Rather than trying to figure out the direction of our life, we are able to consult with the ONLY ONE who KNOWS what is best for us. 

    Now let us be clear that in contrast to trusting in God, we can trust in ourselves.  Our verses clearly do not advise that action.  We should recall Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25 as it confirms that we should not lean (place any weight) on our own understanding.  Those two verses tell us that “There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”   I don’t know about you, but I do not want to head down a dead-end street! 

    As you DATE Proverbs 3:5-6 may I encourage you to pause to review your testimony of trusting God.  I use the word testimony because David said in Psalm 71:5 “I have trusted you, O LORD, from childhood.”  Review for a moment your history with TRUSTING GOD.   What are your stories of trusting God and how He directed you? 

    As well pause to consider what you are presently trusting God within this moment.  What decisions are you facing that NEEDS HEAVENLY INSIGHT?  Are you TURNING the decision over to Him?  Are you RELEASING the decision to Him?  Like King Hezekiah, who found himself facing a “day of trouble” in 2 Kings 19, are you placing the situation before the Lord?  As he TRUSTED in God Isaiah the prophet told him that God had HEARD HIS PRAYERS AND WAS WORKING ON THE SITUATION! (might be good to read 2 Kings 19)

    I encourage you to also look ahead and resolve that as all sorts of decisions come you will TRUST IN THE LORD.   David wrote in Psalm 56:3 this powerful statement: “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You.”  The word WHENEVER reminds us that they will be coming! Before the things that you are most afraid of happening happens make the commitment that you will be TRUSTING GOD.  
    Verse to DATE the Word on March 5 (3/5) is Proverbs 3:5 (& 6).  It says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding;” (v. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.)

    Proverbs 3:5-6 is definitely one of the great principles you have from your heavenly Father.  I can’t stress enough that Total Dependence on God brings Trustworthy Direction from God.

    Continue Strong TRUSTING in the LORD,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD
  • Verse to DATE the Word on March 4 (3/4) is Exodus 3:4

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 4 (3/4) is Exodus 3:4

    Our verse to DATE the Word on March 4 (3/4) is Exodus 3:4
    Exodus 3:4 says, “So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
    The first ABILITY is AVAILABILITY!

    You don’t have to say a lot to have said a lot.  For instance, I can hear a man say two words and then hear a woman say two words, and having heard each say those two words I have the power to change their lives forever.  Those two words are I DO.  Upon hearing them respond to my call to promise to love and cherish until death I then pronounce them to be HUSBAND and WIFE.  The saying of two words changed everything.

    Here in Exodus 3:4, we have THREE words that will change everything for Moses.  After seeing a bush that was burning but not being consumed Moses stopped what he was doing and turned aside to see this most unusual action.  With God having His attention God now calls out to Moses and Moses responds with “HERE I AM!”  These three words would change everything for Moses and, worth saying, so many others.

    You might find it interesting that Moses is not the only one to say HERE I AM.  Abraham will say HERE I AM in Genesis 22 twice.   God would call out to Jacob two different times and he would say HERE I AM.  God would call out to Joseph and he would say HERE I AM.  God would call out to the child Samuel and he would respond with HERE I AM.  In 1 Samuel 3:4, we read, “the LORD called Samuel. And he answered, “Here I am!”  Ananias, in the NT, will hear God’s call and he will respond with HERE I AM.  And then, of course, there is Isaiah who upon seeing the Lord will eventually hear the Lord and will respond with HERE AM I! (Isaiah 6)

    HERE I AM and/or HERE AM I are three words of AVAILABILITY.  While there usually is a little more to finalizing doing what God has for a person so many times we see God’s servants saying HERE I AM.  As I discipler and mentor I emphasize over and over that DEPENDABILITY is the greatest of abilities.  However, the first ability is AVAILABLITY.  

    Are you AVAILABLE to God?  Is there a mindset of wanting to know what God wants for your life?
    Can God INTERRUPT your present life with a new assignment?  God interrupted Moses’ life as a shepherd in order to have him return to Egypt and bring the Hebrews out of bondage and lead them on a journey to the Promise land.  Moses was just 80 when this happened.   God interrupted Mary one afternoon by having the angel Gabriel stop by and tell her she was highly favored by God, and that she would be the mother of the Messiah.  Mary does not respond with HERE I AM, but her answer was just as close as she said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) BTW, she was just a teenager.  

    A group of men of various ages and various employment would hear FOLLOW ME and I will make you fishers of men.  While we don’t have the exact HERE I AM answer, their answer was very close as over and over they would respond with “and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.”  (Matthew 4:22) They were AVAILABLE to FOLLOW. 

    Are you AVAILABLE to be a vessel in God’s hand to accomplish His assignment(s) for His glory?  

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 4 (3/4) is Exodus 3:4.It says, “So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

    The first ability is AVAILABILITY!

    Continue Strong AVAILABLE for His next assignment,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD
  • Verses to DATE the Word on March 3 (3/3) is 2 Thessalonians 3:3 & John 3:3

    Verses to DATE the Word on March 3 (3/3) is 2 Thessalonians 3:3 & John 3:3

    Our verses to DATE the Word on March 3 (3/3/) is 2 Thessalonians 3:3. 2 Thessalonians 3:3
    2 Thessalonians 3:3 says, “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish (strengthen) you and guard (protect) you from the evil one.” 

    John 3:3. says, “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
    Where God guides He Provides and He Protects!

    The opening verses of 2 Thessalonians 3 provide one of the great prayer requests of the apostle Paul and subsequently a prayer request for anyone involved in ministry, especially missions.  He wrote, “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the Word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, 2 and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith.”  He immediately follows up the prayer request with the REMINDER that God is FAITHFUL! This BTW was one of Paul’s favorite attributes about God.  He would not only state it here but in 1 Corinthians 1:9 he wrote, “God is faithful;” in 2 Cor 1:18 he wrote, “God is faithful;” in 1 Thessalonians 5:24 he wrote, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”  

    Friends, GOD IS FAITHFUL!! He shows His faithfulness in working in our lives so we will be victorious. He provides strength and protection from the evil one who wants to devour. 
    The word for establish/strengthen has the idea of “turning one resolutely in a certain direction.”  As we commit our ways to the Lord He directs us away from temptations. We must then be careful not to disobey the nudging of the Holy Spirit as He gives direction.  

    As we live and serve the Lord in the enemy’s territory the Lord has promised to be with us with His presence (I will never leave nor forsake you; Lo I am with you always) and His power. Having both His presence and His power gives us protection against the wiles and the works of the evil one. I am not sure what you are facing today but rest assured that if you are doing a work for God, you are being opposed by the devil. 

    If you and the devil are not having a head-on collision then you and the devil must be going the same way! 

    Rest assured today of God’s power and protection and KEEP doing what He called you to do by His power!! HE IS FAITHFUL!!!

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 3 (3/3/) is 2 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish (strengthen) you and guard (protect) you from the evil one.” 

    Before closing this devotion, I feel compelled to give you another 3/3 verse on March 3.  It comes from John 3:3.  Jesus is speaking to Nicodemus and He tells him “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  On March 3 (3/3) I asked this most important question: Have you been born again?  I am certain you have a physical birth date.  Do you have a spiritual birth date?  Has there been a time when you acknowledged your need of Jesus for salvation and called on Him to save you and in doing so you were BORN AGAIN?  If not, I appeal to you today to do so for as the verse states “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 3 (3/3/) is John 3:3.  It says, “Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

    Continue Strong,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD
    www.datetheword.com
  • Verse to DATE the Word on March 2 (3/2) is Habakkuk 3:2

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 2 (3/2) is Habakkuk 3:2

    Our verse to DATE the Word on March 2 (3/2/) is Habakkuk 3:2
    Habakkuk 3:2 says, “O LORD, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.”
    REVIVE US AGAIN OH LORD!

    As the Prophet Habakkuk hears from God the judgment that will be coming upon Judah he is greatly troubled.  He is AFRAID!!  Having heard the report He now PRAYS, praying a prayer for REVIVAL.  Knowing the wrath that is to come from Almighty God he prays for mercy.  

    As a new student at the Criswell Bible College in 1982 I had a personal evangelism class with the president of the school, Dr. Paige Patterson.  He gave us 7 verses a week to memorize and one of the earliest verses was Habakkuk 3:2.   I recall his admonition to be asking God for revival.  

    As a student, I also started reading sermons and one of the most impactful sermons came from Dr. Jerry Vines.  His message was a plea for revival and his text was Psalm 85:6. Psalm 85:6 says, “Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?”   Dr. Vines pressed the point that we ask God for revival.

    As a student at Liberty Baptist College (later Liberty University), I heard numerous appeals for us to pray for revival to come to America.  Many chapel speakers used 2 Chronicles 7:14 for the text of their message to plead for us to seek revival.  2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 

    I am a believer in seeking God to revive His work!  I am a believer in asking God to revive His people. I am a believer in asking God to revive His church. I am a believer in asking God to revive ME!   

    Over the last few weeks, we have read of the “fires of revival” at Asbury University in Ky.  I, for one, find joy in hearing of God working and of God’s people responding.  May their lives never be the same!!

    Because of what has been happening at Asbury University I have noticed quite a few people weighing in on the topic of what is revival.   As I started out 40 years ago praying for revival, I thought it would be important to know what it might look like if God were to answer my prayers and the prayers of thousands of others.  I was helped in finding answers by Dr. Jerry Falwell as he preached one Sunday morning The Ten Distinguishing Marks of Revival.  I don’t have space here and you probably don’t have time to read all ten points but I will tell you that I have never forgotten the first point.  He said real revival happens when people PUT AWAY their foreign gods.  We were instructed to then look at three passages starting with Genesis 35:2.  Genesis 35:2 says, “And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments. 
    We then went to Joshua 24:14  where Joshua said, “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD!
    Then we turned to 1 Samuel 7:3-4. 1 Samuel 7:3 says, “Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”  4 So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.”

    If revival is happening and if it is to happen there will be REPENTANCE of worshiping false gods. The repentance will be followed up with a PUTTING AWAY – a renouncement – a removal of those false gods.  Then you will see once again the WORSHIP of the one and only TRUE GOD.  

    What is in your life that has become an idol?  Because of those idols, your love for God has diminished as your love for the idol has increased.  PUT AWAY those false idols and SERVE HIM only!  I plead with you to get the TRASH OUT!

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 2 (3/2/) is Habakkuk 3:2.  It says, “O LORD, I have heard your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember mercy.”

    Keep seeking revival and (just a thought) ask God to start it first in you,

    Continue Strong,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD
  • Verse to DATE the Word on March 1 (3/1) is Proverbs 3:1

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 1 (3/1) is Proverbs 3:1

    Our verse to DATE the Word on March 1 (3/1) is Proverbs 3:1
    Our verse to DATE the Word on March 1 (3/1) is Proverbs 3:1. Proverbs 3:1 says, “My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;”
    REMEMBER THE WORD

    As we READ God’s Word, we find that God’s Word appeals to us to not just READ it but to REMEMBER IT!  We are NOT to FORGET IT! In order to not forget it we are to be placing it in our hearts. For instance, we go back to the Book of Deuteronomy, and we find this admonition “these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. (Deut. 6:6).  BTW – With them “in your heart” we then read in verse 7 that “you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”   What we are learning we are to be teaching!

    When we come to Psalms David writes in Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” He follows that up with verse 11, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!”   

    We HEAR/read God’s Word; we HIDE/remember God’s Word; we HEED/obey God’s Word!

    When we come to Proverbs, Solomon will make the appeal to REMEMBER and KEEP his commands several times.  For instance: 
    Proverbs 3:3 “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart,
    Proverbs 4:4 “He also taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live.”
    Proverbs 6:21 “Bind them continually upon your heart; Tie them around your neck”.
    Proverbs 7:3 “Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart.”

    Our verse to DATE the Word on March 1 (3/1) appeals to YOU to “not forget God’s law, but let YOUR heart keep His commands.”  We are not to be FORGETFUL readers/hearers.  We are to be LEARNING and LIVING His commands, His teachings.  To be able to recall God’s Word when needed we must be able to remember God’s Word and to remember it we must be HIDING IT in our hearts and minds and (here it comes) to hide it we must be MEMORIZING IT.  

    I must ask, how is your memorizing?   How are you storing in your memory God’s Word?   

    Being practical I like to encourage a person to set a goal of one verse a week.  Don’t set the goal of 52 verses in a year.  Set the goal of one verse a week.  Each Sunday pick a verse to write on an index card or on your phone notepad and read it over and over during the week until you have it memorized!  YOU CAN DO THIS – and you must do this!

    We do need to then KEEP the Word that we are HIDING/REMEMBERING in our heart. The word “KEEP” can be viewed in two ways. On one hand, we HOLD the commands like treasure and we hold them tight. On the other hand, KEEP carries the idea of OBEYING – doing what the commands say. Jesus said, “if you LOVE Me, KEEP My commands.” 

    Let us be doing both. Let’s TREASURE the WORD!  Let us absolutely OBEY THE WORD!  

    Friends, when we acquire the INFORMATION from the Word and take the action of APPLICATION in obedience to the Word we will experience the TRANSFORMATION that comes from the Word!

    Verse to DATE the Word on March 1 (3/1) is Proverbs 3:1. It says, “My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands;”

    Let us be diligent in LEARNING God’s Word and then LIVING in obedience to God’s Word!

    Continue Strong,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD

    PS – With today being March 1 I highly RECOMMEND reading during the month of March the 31 chapters of PROVERBS.  Using the 31 days of the month you read the chapter matching the date.  Today is March 1 so read Proverbs 1.  Tomorrow is March 2 so you read Proverbs 2.  This is a great tool to acquire wisdom that can then be applied!
  • Verse to DATE the Word on February 28 (2/28) is 1 John 2:28

    Verse to DATE the Word on February 28 (2/28) is 1 John 2:28

    Our verse to DATE the Word on February 28 (2/28) is 1 John 2:28
    1 John 2:28 says, “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
    ABIDE TO ABOUND!! 

    The apostle John is teaching here in 1 John what Jesus had taught in John 15.  Notice what He said in John 15:1-8 about abiding.  
     “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 
    4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
    6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

    The essential of essentials for living the Christian life and doing any ministry for Him is to ABIDE in Him. The image Jesus gives is that HE is the VINE, and WE are the BRANCHES. Visualize this! For a branch to produce fruit it must be connected to the VINE! Visualize this! Just as the branch is connected, we are to ABIBE, we are to be connected to Christ.  He is the life giver!  

    For us, as believers to ABOUND in fruitfulness we must ABIDE!! 

    A phrase I like to use is ABIDE TO ABOUND!!  ABIDE TO ABOUND!!

    BTW – Having taught how to abound by abiding in Him, Jesus makes a very blunt statement as He taught that APART from Him we could do NOTHING.  NOTHING!!!  John 15:5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  NOTHING!!  Let that settle into your heart and mind.  Visualize the branch unattached to the vine.  There is never going to be fruit!  I trust that you don’t want to be found empty-handed when He comes!!  

    In 1 John 2:28 John calls on his readers to apply what Jesus taught him.  When we abide in Him, we will be fruitful and we will not be ashamed when He returns.   When we are fruitful, we bring glory to God!

    Are you abiding in Christ?  Do you have the mindset of just how essential this is?  Do you start each day with the understanding that you need JESUS for everything you are going to be doing?  Do you see yourself as a branch to bear fruit for Him and that as a branch you must be firmly connected to the VINE – to Him?  

    Verse to DATE the Word on February 28 (2/28) is 1 John 2:28. It says, “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”

    I pray a daily prayer of Lord, help me to be found faithful and fruitful!  As I abide in you may I abound in fruitfulness FOR YOU!!

    Continue Strong abiding to abound

    And remember to DATE THE WORD
    www.datetheword.com
  • Verse to DATE the Word on February 27 (2/27) is Joel 2:27

    Verse to DATE the Word on February 27 (2/27) is Joel 2:27

    Our verse to DATE the Word on February 27 (2/7) is Joel 2:27
    Joel 2:27 says,  “Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the LORD your God and there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.”
    God has an objective of wanting His people to KNOW Him.

    Throughout the Word of God, we find that God wants His people to know Him!  He wants us to know Him personally and relationally.   In a recap of what God did in Egypt for the Israelites Moses says in Deuteronomy 4:35 “To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD Himself is God; there is none other besides Him.”  Here in Joel, we read the word “THEN.”  What has been happening in the days of Joel had a purpose.  With what was happening God’s people would “THEN” know that I am in the midst of Israel.”  THEN they would know I am the LORD your God and there is no other.

    We need to know that God is at work making Himself known. He wants the knowledge to be more than knowledge about Him but a knowledge that is personal. In other words, you might say the Lord is a shepherd. You know this about God. God, however, wants you to be able to say the Lord is MY shepherd.  

    I think we should be aware that there are several very important areas He wants us to know about Him.  And we should know that He will bring about things sometimes in ways to make Himself known that we might wish He did not but remember His objective is so you will know Him personally.  Notice a few things God wants you to personally know about Him.

    We can rest assured that He wants us to know His PRESENCE.  He wants us to learn that He is our God and then know that HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU or FORSAKE YOU!!   Psalm 34:18  says, “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart.”  

    He wants us to know His POWER.  God used Pharoah to show His power to both the Egyptians and the Israelites.  Exodus 9: 16 “But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power to you, and that My name may be declared in all the earth.

    He wants us to know His PROTECTION!  An example comes from Psalm 68:5.  Psalm 68:5 says,  “A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation.”

    He wants us to know His PEACE.  Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

    He wants us to know His PROVISION!  Psalm 23 starts out with “The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.  2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.”

    As Jesus discipled His disciples He purposely placed them in storms that would GROW and INCREASE their FAITH.  In the storm, they learned WHO HE WAS and WHAT HE COULD DO!   In the storm, they experienced His presence, His power, His protection, His peace, and His provision. 

    How might God be working in your life today to make Himself more known to you? Job said in Job 42:5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees. ” Take a moment and consider what some of your “I had heard how God could but now I know personally that God can” statements are.  An example would be based on something personal with me. I can tell you that I had heard about God’s comfort for years but I never knew it personally until my mother died on Mother’s Day 1989.  I went from knowing about God’s comfort to knowing that God was MY comforter!  

    Verse to DATE the Word on February 27 (2/27) is Joel 2:27.  It says, “Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: (then you shall know) I am the LORD your God and there is no other. My people shall never be put to shame.”

    Continue Strong GROWING IN THE KNOWLEDGE and grace of the Lord!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD
  • Verse to DATE the Word on February 26 (2/26) is 1 Samuel 2:26

    Verse to DATE the Word on February 26 (2/26) is 1 Samuel 2:26

    Our verse to DATE the Word on February 26 (2/26) is 1 Samuel 2:26
    1 Samuel 2:26 says, “And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the LORD and men.”
    A BALANCED GROWTH PLAN

    From the moment of birth, it is expected that a child GROW. Growing physically is natural and necessary.  As a parent. you take your newborn in for checkups to see if they are growing.  There is the expectation that the baby will be gaining weight and getting taller. 

    1 Samuel 2:26 gives the report that the child Samuel was PHYSICALLY growing.  However, it is worth noting that along with marks on a doorpost to show he was getting taller, he was growing spiritually and relationally. He was growing in stature and he was growing in FAVOR with the Lord and growing in favor with men.  He was becoming a well-balanced child! 

    Reading about Samuel’s growth reminds us that the growth of a child is more than just physical.  Just as there must be attention to a child’s physical development, there must be attention given to the child’s spiritual development and relationship development.  Growing in all three of these areas does not come accidentally. There must be intentional WORK done by parents.  There must be intentional TRAINING and TEACHING.  

    As a parent, you are responsible for training your child(ren.)  Deuteronomy 6 teaches that parents are to teach their children the commandments of God.  In teaching the Ten Commandments you teach them first about a relationship with God and then a relationship with others.  The first four commandments are vertical.  A child learns to respect GOD.  The last 6 commandments are horizontal.  A child learns to respect OTHERS.  And the first place they learn to respect others is in the home where they learn to respect their parents. When this training is done you should see along with physical growth that there will be spiritual growth and relational growth.   

    It is worth noting that Jesus grew like Samuel grew.  We find in Luke 2:52 Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.  

    For me, as a parent, a Christian educator, and as a pastor I use I Samuel 2:26 and more so Luke 2:52 to determine the crucial areas that I am to be focused on to bring about the total development of a child. In looking at Luke 2:52 we see there is the INTELLECTUAL growth of Jesus as He grew in wisdom.  There is PHYSICAL growth as He grew in stature.  There is RELATIONAL growth as He grows in favor with people and there is SPIRITUAL growth as He grew in favor with God.  

    While I look at these key areas for developing a well-balanced child, I also look at these 4 areas for personal development.  I encourage you to do the same.  We should always be learning, growing in wisdom, and growing intellectually.  We should always be taking care of our bodies.  We should always be increasing our love for God and for people.  

    Are you growing others, especially your children the way Samuel and Jesus grew?

    Are YOU growing the way Samuel and Jesus grew?

    Verse to DATE the Word on February 26 (2/26) is 1 Samuel 2:26. It says, “And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the LORD and men.”

    From Dr. John Maxwell: “You don’t grow in a day! You grow daily!”  

    Continue Strong growing yourself so that you might grow others!
    And remember to DATE THE WORD
  • Verse to DATE the Word on February 25 (2/25) is Luke 2:25

    Verse to DATE the Word on February 25 (2/25) is Luke 2:25

    Our verse to DATE the Word on February 25 (2/25) is Luke 2:25. Luke 2:25 says, “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just (righteous) and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”

    LIVING IN EXPECTATIONS OF HIS COMING (AGAIN)

    In what we would call the CHARACTERS of the first CHRISTMAS it is easy to overlook a few as they have what might be viewed as a small role.  Every Christmas play about the first Christmas always has Mary and Joseph.  It has angels and shepherds.  It has three Kings or wise men with three gifts. Some plays have Caesar Augustus (I played him once) and some have evil King Herod.  But I cannot remember a single Christmas play that had Simeon.  

    Simeon is a major player in the Christmas story!  Our verse to DATE brings a little bit of him into focus!  When you read Luke 2:25 and the following verses about this man of God you find a great example. Right off the start, Luke describes him as a man of high character.  He was just or righteous in how he lived, and he was DEVOUT.  

    We don’t seem to use the word DEVOUT too much these days. It is a really good word that we should want to be known for.  It means to handle something entrusted to you with GREAT CARE. The person is very cautious and conscientious with the assignments given to them. They handle things with reverence, with what is called a godly fear. Because of their diligence to handle things entrusted to them with such care, they are often very highly respected.   Someone who is DEVOUT is viewed as someone who is trustworthy.  Many times, the word is used to speak of one’s relationship with God.  

    Simeon was doing what was right and was very reverent, and careful with his assignments.  

    Luke then describes him as WAITING.  He was WAITING for the Consolation of Israel. He was WAITING for the COMING of the MESSIAH.   

    The WAITING of Simeon is another great example from his life that we need to be following.  While we are not WAITING for the first coming we are to be WAITING for the second coming.  Are you WAITING for the second coming of Christ?  

    Whenever I am speaking about WAITING for the Second Coming I am reminded that I should remind myself and others what waiting means.  WAITING does not mean one goes to a high mountain and sits down, WAITING until He comes.   I learned what waiting meant before I was a teenager.  One day my mom told me I needed to WAIT until my dad got home to help him unload a load of fertilizer at the shed.  With her words, I stopped what I was doing and started going to the shed to WAIT. (I was going to go to the shed and sit down and WAIT.)   Mom saw this and said, “Keep working on what you are working on with a watchful eye and when you see him coming up the driveway then you make your way to the shed.”   

    HMMMM.  WAITING did not mean sitting down and doing nothing.  It meant being watchful while working! 

    As believers, we are to be WAITING for the Lord’s return.   There should be an expectation and anticipation that at any moment He will rapture us home.  I have lived by a principle I learned from Dr. Billy Graham in which he said he started every day with the thought PERHAPS TODAY.  I challenge you to be living with PERHAPS TODAY!  

    I also learned a principle from Dr. Jerry Falwell to go with Dr. Graham’s principle.  He taught us to live like this just might be our last day, our last hour, our last minute but WORK as though we were going to live another 100 years.   

    Simeon was WAITING but while WAITING he was WATCHING AND WORKING!  Let the Lord’s return find us at work for Him, watching for Him, WAITING with anticipation.

    Verse to DATE the Word on February 25 (2/25) is Luke 2:25. It says, “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just (righteous) and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”

    Occupy till He comes!  

    Continue Strong,
    And remember to DATE THE WORD