Morning

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood.

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. . . . Love is strong as death.—“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends.”

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.—In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.

You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.—You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.—I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Rev. 1:5; Song 8:7, 6; John 15:13; 1 Pet. 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Cor. 6:11; 1 Pet. 2:9; Rom. 12:1 (Read full verses…)

Evening

There are varieties of service, but the same Lord.

Over the king’s treasuries was Azmaveth the son of Adiel; and over the treasuries . . . was Jonathan the son of Uzziah; and over those who did the work of the field for tilling the soil was Ezri the son of Chelub; and over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite. . . . All these were stewards of King David’s property.

God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. . . . All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever.

1 Cor. 12:5; 1 Chron. 27:25-27, 31; 1 Cor. 12:28, 11; 1 Pet. 4:10, 11 (Read full verses…)

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Excerpted from Daily
Light on the Daily Path ©2002 Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good
News Publishers.

‘His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ Matthew 25:21 NIV

Morning

“The goat shall bear all their iniquities on itself to a remote area, and he shall let the goat go free in the wilderness.”

As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.—“In those days and in that time,” declares the LORD, “iniquity shall be sought in Israel, and there shall be none. And sin in Judah, and none shall be found, for I will pardon those whom I leave as a remnant.”—You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. . . . Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity?

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.—He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.—“The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Lev. 16:22; Ps. 103:12; Jer. 50:20; Mic. 7:19, 18; Isa. 53:6;Isa. 53:11, 12; John 1:29 (Read full verses…)

Evening

For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive?

By the grace of God I am what I am.—Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth.—So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.— Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded.—Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom and our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. . . . “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.—But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Cor. 4:7; 1 Cor. 15:10; Jas. 1:18; Rom. 9:16; Rom. 3:27; 1 Cor. 1:30, 31; Eph. 2:1-3; 1 Cor. 6:11 (Read full verses…)

<< Oct 1 | Oct 2 | Oct 3 >>

Excerpted from Daily
Light on the Daily Path ©2002 Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good
News Publishers.

Morning

The fruit of the Spirit is . . . self-control.

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.—Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.

“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober.—To renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Gal. 5:22, 23; 1 Cor. 9:25-27; Eph. 5:18; Matt. 16:24; 1 Thess. 5:6-8; Titus 2:12, 13 (Read full verses…)

Evening

We are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.

“First the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.”—Until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.—When they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. . . . “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

The substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Eph. 4:15; Mark 4:28; Eph. 4:13; 2 Cor. 10:12, 17, 18; Col. 2:17-19; 2 Pet. 3:18 (Read full verses…)

<< Sep 30 | Oct 1 | Oct 2 >>

Excerpted from Daily
Light on the Daily Path ©2002 Crossway Books, a publishing ministry of Good
News Publishers.