Morning

We know that we have passed out of death into life.

“Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”—Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

It is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.—By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him. . . . Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God.—We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

You were dead in the trespasses and sins. . . . [God] made us alive together with Christ.—He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.

1 John 3:14; John 5:24; 1 John 5:12; 2 Cor. 1:21, 22; 1 John 3:19, 21; 1 John 5:19; Eph. 2:1, 5; Col. 1:13 (Read full verses…)

Evening

You make known to me the path of life.

“Thus says the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.”—“I will instruct you in the good and the right way.”—“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”—“Follow me.”

There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.—“The gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it. It shall belong to those who walk on the way; even if they are fools, they shall not go astray.—“Let us know; let us press on to know the LORD.”

“In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”

Ps. 16:11; Jer. 21:8; 1 Sam. 12:23; John 14:6; Matt. 4:19; Prov. 14:12; Matt. 7:13, 14; Isa. 35:8; Hos. 6:3; John 14:2 (Read full verses…)

<< Jul 24 | Jul 25 | Jul 26 >>

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

Morning

Patient in tribulation.

“It is the LORD. Let him do what seems good to him.”—“Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him; I must appeal for mercy to my accuser.”—“The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”—“Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”

Jesus wept.—A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. . . . Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.

“The Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” . . . For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.—May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy.—“In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Rom. 12:12; 1 Sam. 3:18; Job 9:15; Job 1:21; Job 2:10; John 11:35; Isa. 53:3, 4; Heb. 12:6, 11; Col. 1:11; John 16:33 (Read full verses…)

Evening

No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God.

And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”—Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

He who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead.—Fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.

“Is anything too hard for the LORD?”—“With God all things are possible.”—“Increase our faith!”

Rom. 4:20; Mark 11:22-24; Heb. 11:6; Heb. 11:17-19; Rom. 4:21; Gen. 18:14; Matt. 19:26; Luke 17:5 (Read full verses…)

<< Jul 23 | Jul 24 | Jul 25 >>

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

Morning

Then comes the end.

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. . . . And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”—The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.—The coming of the Lord is at hand. . . . Behold, the Judge is standing at the door.—“Surely I am coming soon.”

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness.

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers.—“Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.”

1 Cor. 15:24; Mark 13:32, 33, 37; 2 Pet. 3:9; Jas. 5:8, 9; Rev. 22:20; 2 Pet. 3:11; 1 Pet. 4:7; Luke 12:35, 36 (Read full verses…)

Evening

Brothers, pray for us.

Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him. . . . And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. . . . Pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.—Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.—Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.

Without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers.—Always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God.

1 Thess. 5:25; Jas. 5:14-18; Eph. 6:18; Rom. 1:9-10; Col. 4:12 (Read full verses…)

<< Jul 22 | Jul 23 | Jul 24 >>

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

Morning

The death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.

He . . . was numbered with the transgressors.—Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many.—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.—By a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.—He holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.—While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.

Rom. 6:10; Isa. 53:12; Heb. 9:28; 1 Pet. 2:24; Heb. 10:14; Heb. 7:24, 25; Rom. 5:8, 9; 1 Pet. 4:1, 2 (Read full verses…)

Evening

Keep yourselves in the love of God.

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

The fruit of the Spirit is love.—“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”—Whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”—God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.—God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Jude 21; John 15:4, 5; Gal. 5:22; John 15:8-10; 1 John 2:5; John 15:12; Rom. 5:8; 1 John 4:16 (Read full verses…)

<< Jul 21 | Jul 22 | Jul 23 >>

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

Morning

What is the value of circumcision?

Much in every way.—“Circumcise yourselves to the LORD; remove the foreskin of your hearts.”—“If then their uncircumcised heart is humbled and they make amends for their iniquity, then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham.”

Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs.—In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.—You, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.

Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and . . . be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and . . . put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Rom. 3:1; Rom. 3:2; Jer. 4:4; Lev. 26:41, 42; Rom. 15:8; Col. 2:11; Col. 2:13; Eph. 4:22-24 (Read full verses…)

Evening

The curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”—“The bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

“Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life. . . . Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. . . . Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is of no avail.”

The new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh . . . let us draw near.

Matt. 27:51; 1 Cor. 11:23, 24; John 6:51; John 6:53, 54, 56, 57, 61-63; Heb. 10:20, 22 (Read full verses…)

<< Jul 20 | Jul 21 | Jul 22 >>

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