Today's Verse: Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. ~2 Corinthians 8:7 There are three levels of performance. There is what is known as normal performance. This is when we do exactly as we are told and we have achieved what is expected of us. There is sub-par performance when what we do is below expectations and our result is not acceptable. Then, th

Today's Verse: But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: ~Acts 9:15 What comes to your mind when you hear the word "vessel"? In the Bible, the word "vessel" refers to something similar to a vase or utensil. In most cases, it refers to a common household utensil that is capable of holding something poured into it. Paul speaks of our bodies as “earthen vessels” or clay

Today's Verse: And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. ~Matthew 16:18 Hudson Taylor aptly said, “God’s work, done in God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.” As a man of faith, he lived and practiced this the entire time he planted churches, started schools, trained laborers, and advanced the cause of missions across China. The Lord Jesus Christ is the founder and owner of

Today's Verse: And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. ~1 Samuel 17:40 A brook is a small natural stream of fresh water. It might be a runoff from a river. Travelers welcome the sight of a brook as a resource to drink from. Jacob sent his family ahead of him at the brook Jabbok prior to his meeting wi

Today's Verse: To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand. ~2 Corinthians 10:16 When the Apostle Paul was saved, God also called him to be His missionary to the Jews and Gentiles. Paul would eventually be God’s servant to help spread the gospel and plant churches in regions beyond Jerusalem. I don’t think Paul fathomed the many places to which he would travel, where the gospel would be preached and

Today's Verse: And when Rachel saw that she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said unto Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. ~Genesis 30:1 Have you ever been threatened by someone who said to you, “Do this, or else”? If so, you may have felt like an unreasonable demand was placed upon you. You may have felt pushed against a wall and faced incredible pressure to do something that requires more than just you to get it done. Rachel made a strong demand of

Today's Verse: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. ~2 Corinthians 5:10 Many years ago, I was requested to appear as a witness in an administrative case against someone accused of embezzlement. The room I waited in had a judge’s chair that was elevated, and behind it were the flags of the United States and California. As I looked at the jud

Today's Verse: For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; ~Colossians 2:1 The word "conflict" means to fight or contend with. Dictionary.com defines it as a fight, battle, or struggle, especially a prolonged struggle or strife. Paul had a “shepherd’s heart” for the spiritual lives of believers. The devil seeks to discredit or destroy the faith of every believer. Paul wanted his

Today's Verse: By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. ~Hebrews 11:27 In life, we are sometimes faced with the decision of having to part ways with people or things. Someone seeking asylum from a country that represses freedom must part ways with that country and whatever good memories he may have had in the past. When a professional ball player is traded by his team, that player is parting ways with forme

Today's Verse: He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way. ~Psalm 107:40 What comes to your mind when you hear the word "wilderness"? For me, I have foreboding thoughts of barrenness, uncharted territory, wild animals, and a place where you can die for lack of supplies and resources. The psalmist described it as a place where there is no way. The wilderness is not a place that you would choose for an adventurous vaca

Today's Verse: For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. ~Psalm 22:16 The story is told of a boy who was trapped by a fire on the second floor of his house. The rest of his family had perished in the fire. A man, seeing the boy’s desperate situation, climbed his way into the boy’s bedroom by way of a metal pipe attached all the way to the roof of the house. The man was successful in reaching and rescuing the b

Today's Verse: But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship. ~Acts 27:21-22 The eye of the storm is the centermost part of it. It is at this location where there is calm and peace. It can also be the most dangerous part of t

Today's Verse: But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. ~Acts 27:14 Maritime travel can be exciting and adventurous. It can also be a harrowing experience if you are in a major storm out on the open seas. The bobbing up and down of the ship, combined with massive waves thrashing against it, will have you on edge and wondering if “this could be it.” Paul was on a ship headed to Italy via the Mediterranean Sea. He encountered an epic sto

Today's Verse: For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. ~2 Corinthians 1:20 The word “yea” is a word of affirmation. It can mean a vote of approval or simply “yes.” Sometimes this idea is conveyed by phrases such as “right on” or “most assuredly.” Whatever the case may be, it is a word that tells us, “It is alright” or “OK.” This word is used to describe our Lord Jesus Christ and the promises of God in Him. This morning, let

Today's Verse: That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; ~Colossians 1:10 I like to observe military parades and processionals, especially when the troops march together. Each branch of the military has a certain way or style that they want each soldier to walk and march. It has a dignity and a respect to it. It identifies them by their country and military branch. As these troops prepa

Today's Verse: She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. ~Proverbs 31:26 On page 2 of the December 1989 issue of "Bits and Pieces," it tells the following story. Mamie Adams always went to a branch post office in her town because the postal employees there were friendly. She went there to buy stamps just before Christmas one year and the lines were particularly long. Someone pointed out that there was no need to wait in line because there wa

Today's Verse: Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. ~Acts 26:28 The word "almost" describes a near decision or event. When the terrorist attacks on four of our commercial airplanes occurred on September 11, 2001, there were people who almost took those flights, but did not. There were some people who had planned to enter the World Trade Towers that morning for work or other reasons, and did not. For these people, they probably are living

Today's Verse: Eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved. ~Song of Solomon 5:1b Are you someone who enjoys eating at buffet restaurants? Buffet restaurants have a large variety of food, dessert, and beverages that you can choose from to eat. Basically, you pay one price and eat as much as you want of anything. There is no limit on the amount you can eat. There are some people who have incredibly voracious appetites who get more than their money's worth at a buf

Today's Verse: And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. ~1 Samuel 3:19 One of our core responsibilities is the raising up of leadership for the future. It is vitally important that we are focusing on mentoring men who will be the next generation of leaders. At the time when Samuel was just a very young lad, there was a void in leadership. The sons of Eli abused their office as priests and discouraged the hearts of the peop

Today's Verse: The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing. ~Zephaniah 3:17 Zephaniah 3:17 is an incredibly encouraging verse of Scripture. It was a word of comfort and promise given to God’s people during a dark moment of affliction and suffering. In our darkest moments, God never fails to come alongside of us when we need Him and give us words of encouragement