Today's Verse: Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. ~2 John 1:8 I am thankful for people who serve as an extra set of eyes for me. These are people who assist me in making sure we have left no stone unturned, covered all of our bases, and seen what I cannot see in my blind spots. The Apostle John was writing to “the elect lady and her children.” Some believe this was addressed to a lady and her children i

Today's Verse: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. ~2 Peter 1:4 A promise is an oath or a word of commitment for an action to be accomplished. I think of marriage vows where the groom and bride promise to be faithful and remain at each other’s side. The Bible is a book that contains the promises of God. Peter described them a

Today's Verse: Wherefore didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me; and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp? ~Genesis 31:27 Have you ever driven on a freeway and accidentally taken the wrong exit? If you have, you might have felt anxious and frustrated. Fortunately, in this day of advanced GPS technology, we can quickly get our bearings corrected and be back on our way to our desired destinati

Today's Verse: And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon. ~Nehemiah 2:12 Nehemiah took on the risky project to rebuild the broken walls and burned down gates of Jerusalem. These walls and gates had been unattended for more than seventy years. The people who returned after the captivity got used to seeing the rubbish, deca

Today's Verse: And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only? And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God. ~Exodus 8:9-10 Are you someone who tends to put things off? Do you have a difficult time making decisions? Are you a procrast

Today's Verse: Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. ~Psalm 26:2 Do you get annual physical exams? If you do, you know that this is preventive care for your health and longevity. The doctor will examine your heart, lungs, digestion, kidneys, musculoskeletal system, eyes, ears, mouth, and feet, and then order a number of diagnostic tests. These exams are critical for preventing and detecting serious problems that can occur in our health. The goal of a

Today's Verse: And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. ~2 Corinthians 12:15 Living in California is very expensive. Many adults become value shoppers in order to maximize the purchasing power of their money. They will focus on weekly sales on groceries, appliances, furniture, and other consumer items. They will discipline themselves to purchase only in bulk and when items are on sale. Value shoppers are w

Today's Verse: Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. ~Proverbs 3:9-10 Investing is putting your money to work so that you are making more money. It is when we place a sum of money into a business, a security, real estate, or hard assets with the hope that this amount will grow and the investment does well. Wise investing is when we invest in

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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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: Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. ~Nehemiah 9:20 God has given every believer many remarkable gifts that we are not worthy of. James 1:17 tells us that the gifts of God are fail-safe. They are perfect and from above; they are favorable and good; they are fatherly and from God our Father, Who gives us His best. One of the supernatural gifts we overlook is th