Your Daily Bible

“After this, Jesus knew that everything had been completed.  So that the Scripture would come true, he said, ‘I am thirsty.’  There was a jar full of vinegar there, so the soldiers soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a branch of a hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ mouth.”  -John 19:28-29 (NCV) 

“Jesus gave up his place with God and made himself nothing.  He was born to be a man and became a servant.  And when he was living as a man, he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death on a cross.”  -Philippians 2:7-8 (NCV)

 “I say this because many deceivers have gone out into the world. They deny that Jesus Christ came in a real body. Such a person is a deceiver and an antichrist.” 2 John 7(NLT)

 “So that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’” - John 19:28 (NIV)

 “When I was thirsty they offered me vinegar.”  -Psalm 69:21b (TEV)

“Take a branch of the hyssop plant, dip it into the bowl filled with blood, and then wipe the blood on the sides and tops of the doorframes.”  -Exodus 12:22 
 
“Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life. 15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” -John 4:13-15(NLT)

 “Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” -John 6:35 (NLT)

 “On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.)” -John 7:37-39(NLT)

“O God, you are my God, and I long for you.  My whole being desires you like a dry, worn-out, and waterless land, my soul is thirsty for you.”  -Psalm 63:1 (TEV)

 
 “As a deer pants for flowing streams,

    so pants my soul for you, O God.”  -Psalm 42:1(ESV)

 
 “For my people have committed two evils:

                they have forsaken me,

         the fountain of living waters,

        and hewed out cisterns for themselves,

                broken cisterns that can hold no water.” -Jeremiah 2:13 (ESV)

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The Whole Armor of God
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

19 And pray for me, too. Ask God to give me the right words so I can boldly explain God’s mysterious plan that the Good News is for Jews and Gentiles alike.[e] 20 I am in chains now, still preaching this message as God’s ambassador. So pray that I will keep on speaking boldly for him, as I should.

You could look at the state of society and lament that “everything’s going to hell in a handbasket.”
 
 Sometimes, it seems as if like Psalm 12:2 “lies flourish while truth is as rare as gold”. 

When your work, school, or city starts to feel foreign, keep in mind that your heart matters to God, and so do the hearts of those who are far from him.
 
The enemy lies constantly telling us that God has abandoned us to a wicked and perverse world, and our only option is to isolate or assimilate to the culture. But God’s Word shows us a third option — drawing close to Him and allowing His working through us to change the culture we’re in. So how do we do that?
 
In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul teaches us to equip ourselves with the same vigilance as a soldier preparing for battle. While we don’t fight against flesh and blood, we do fight against powers and principalities of evil. That requires weapons that can’t be made with human hands.
 
When we fight with the armor and weapons in Ephesians 6, we vanquish the enemy, and we gain back ground in this spiritual war. And the best news of all? No matter how messed up the world around us seems, this spiritual battle is one fight where we’ve been guaranteed victory.

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Ephesians 2

New Living Translation

Made Alive with Christ

2 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2 You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

4 But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5 that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6 For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Have you ever tried to collect payment from a dead man? It’s near impossible. Unless someone steps in to cover the bill, you’re out whatever you were owed.
 
Spiritually speaking, that is our condition before we meet Jesus. There is a sin debt to be paid, but we can’t pay it because we are dead.
 
To pay off our debt, we’d have to be able to work. And that’s a problem because dead people can’t work. Even if dead people could work, what we’d earn wouldn’t be sufficient for the debt we owe. Even if we had something of worth to give — which we don’t — it wouldn’t matter because dead people can’t pay their bills.
 
Before Jesus, we’re spiritually bankrupt with no way out. “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4).

God loved us so much He sent Jesus to pay our debt and bring us back to life. Think about that: Not only are we debt-free, we’ve also been given the opportunity to enjoy our newfound freedom.

Just getting us out of debt would have been a big deal, but God goes one step further. He gives us a new life so we can do all the good things He planned for us before sin entered the world (Ephesians 2:9-10).

That means that the things we do for God, we don’t do to earn favor from God. We do things for God because we’ve received favor from Him! The awe that led David to pen these words is the same awe that leads us to serve.

“What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor” (Psalm 8:4-5).
 
We work, serve, and give, not because we are trying to be made right with God but in response to what God has already done for us. Serving and giving is what happens when gratitude and worship overflow into action.

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Galatians 6:1-3

We Harvest What We Plant

6 Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3 If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important.

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6 And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” 7 Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.

Ever notice how kids seem to fall asleep faster when mom or dad is in the room? The monster under the bed has nothing on mom or dad. And if the nightmare comes, it’ll be OK because mom or dad will be there to make it stop. 

Kids don’t have to be brave when their parents are around because mom and dad will fight for them. The ability to let go of worries and rest securely — that is real freedom. And that is the freedom God offers us as His kids. 

Psalm 4:8 says, “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” 

Freedom is not the absence of something, but the presence of someone. The darkness doesn’t go away when mom or dad enters the room, but kids are freed from fear when mom or dad draws near. The same is true for us and God. 

The word “Abba” in Galatians 4:6 simply means, “Daddy.” Through Jesus, we’ve been adopted into God’s family. We can cry out to God like a kid cries out to their parents, and He hears us (Galatians 4:6-7, Psalm 4:3). 

No matter what is happening around us, we have access to all the freedom and security of a kid tucked snuggly into bed. We don’t have to wait to see if the treatment works. We can cry out, “Abba, Father!” in the exam room, and in His presence, we find freedom from fear. We don’t have to wait to see if the job comes through. We can cry out, “Abba, Father!” and in His presence, release our worries about what comes next. 

We all have situations where we think, “If I can just get through this, I’ll be OK.” Paul reminds us in Galatians 4 that we don’t have to wait. We are sons and daughters of God, and in His presence, we are free. 

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20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

Pop psychology says we can overcome our problems and become a better version of ourselves. If you’ve ever tried that, you know it’s exhausting. 

The Gospel tells us the opposite. The Gospel says we were born into brokenness we can’t shake. This brokenness is called sin, and it separates us from our Father in heaven. 

Jesus’ death and resurrection removed the power of sin once and for all. Jesus says when we believe this and put our trust in Him, our sin is removed, and we are made new. 

We don’t get a renovated life, we get a new life with the Holy Spirit living inside each of us. That’s what Paul describes, writing,  

“20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” 

To be “in Christ” is to receive a new identity. This is why Paul was so upset in Galatians chapter 2 with Peter who had separated himself from the non-Jewish Christians. The rules that separated the two groups no longer applied. Peter was doing more than just being rude; he was being someone he wasn’t.  

Like Peter, we can forget that we are not who we used to be. When that happens, it shows up in our actions. We must remember that Jesus did the hard work for us. He made it possible for us to call God "Father." 

Rather than trying harder to change, Paul tells us to remember whose we are. We are children of God, made new, set free. That’s how God sees us. The more we believe this about ourselves, the more our actions will reflect this reality — instead of who we used to be. 

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5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Mark 7:21-23 (ESV) 

For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails…

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Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT)

23 Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. 24 Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

5 Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity. 6 Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.

 
God created work, and He cares about your work. Whether you work in your home, in an office, or by going to school, there’s a plan and purpose behind your work. 

The people you sit next to or work alongside, the teachers you’re assigned, the customers who walk through your doors — each will learn something about God from you because God’s Spirit lives in you. 

Our faith is meant to affect every part of every day. As it does, we experience a change in our attitude toward our coworkers and the work itself. We’re no longer working for the weekend or trying to get ahead. Instead, every day becomes an opportunity to serve God and see His kingdom come. 

Praise 

When the last time you thanked God for the ability to go to work or school?

What is God showing you about yourself and about Him through this opportunity or season?

How have you seen God show up for you this year in your workplace or classroom?

Repentance

Does your job or degree program hold an appropriate amount of value in your life? Do you find more of your identity in what you do or who God says you are?

How’s your attitude at work/school? Would you say you’re working wholeheartedly? Would others say the same?

Think about your interactions at work or school this week. How are you doing when it comes to speaking graciously and doing “all that you can to live in peace with everyone”?

Ask

Is there anything you’re stressed about or anyone you’re at odds with? Ask God to equip you for any difficulties awaiting you when you get to work or school. 

What do you want to see God do in your school or workplace? Talk to Him about it. 

Yield

You may have dreams and desires for your work, but remember, God has dreams and desires for you. Take a few moments and let God speak to you about who He has called you to be in your workplace or school.

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Jeremiah 29:7(NLT)

7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”

Praise: 

Repent:

Ask:

Yield: 

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Building on a Solid Foundation

24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

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