With My Own Eyes

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Job 37:1-39:30; 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:10; Psalm 44:9-26; Proverbs 22:13.

Proverbs 22:13 (NIV)
The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!”
or, “I will be murdered in the streets!”

What excuse are you giving for not stepping out in faith and joining God in the amazing work He is doing today?

2 Cor. 4:16-18 (NIV)
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. [17] For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. [18] So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

What are your eyes fixed on today?

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Job 34:1-36:33; 2 Corinthians 4:1-12; Psalm 44:1-8;
Proverbs 22:10-12.

Great verse for spiritual warfare:  Psalm 44:5 (NIV)
Through you we push back our enemies;
through your name we trample our foes.

2 Cor. 4:7 (NIV)
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

My clay jar seems to be cracking more and more daily.  That is actually a good thing.

Here is today’s Bible reading: Job 31:1-33:33; 2 Corinthians 3:1-18; Psalm 43:1-5; Proverbs 22:8-9.

2 Cor. 3:13 (NIV)
We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.

When Moses went to the top of the mountain to spend time alone with God, his face was radiant with the presence of God. However, the longer Moses was away from the mountain top, the radiance would fade. I find this to certainly be true in my own life. If I want to radiate the presence of God, I must first spend quality, unhurried time in His presence before I face the day.

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Job 28:1-30:31; 2 Corinthians 2:12-17; Psalm 42:1-11; Proverbs 22:7.

2 Cor. 2:14-16 (NIV)
But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. [15] For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. [16] To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?

When you enter a room, does the presence of Jesus Christ in your life instantly impact the character of that room? We are called to be catalysts for Christ, affecting the culture wherever we go – salt and light, ambassadors of the heavenly kingdom. May the Holy Spirit within us be free to spread the aroma of Christ every moment of every day.

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Job 16:1-19:29; 1 Corinthians 16:1-24; Psalm 40:1-10; Proverbs 22:1.

1 Corinthians 16:13 (NLT)

 ¹³ Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous.^[c] Be strong. ¹⁴ And do everything with love.

The victorious Christian life requires constant vigilance.  We are to be continually on alert and ready for Kingdom action.  I have begun to start each day with the simple question, “Lord, how can I serve you today?”  I fully expect that when I ask the question in sincerity and take the time to listen, I will get a clear response.

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Job 8:1-11:20; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28; Psalm 38:1-22; Proverbs 21:28-29.

⁵ “Without warning, he moves the mountains,
overturning them in his anger.
⁶ He shakes the earth from its place,
and its foundations tremble.
⁷ If he commands it, the sun won’t rise
and the stars won’t shine.
⁸ He alone has spread out the heavens
and marches on the waves of the sea.
⁹ He made all the stars—the Bear and Orion,
the Pleiades and the constellations of the southern sky.
¹⁰ He does great things too marvelous to understand.
He performs countless miracles.

How great is our God!  Worship Him today!

Here is today’s Bible reading: Job 1:1-3:26; 1 Corinthians 14:1-17; Psalm 37:12-29;
Proverbs 21:25-26.

Job 1:20-21 (NIV)
At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship [21] and said:

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised.”

How to Job respond to the tragedy in his life? He worshiped God. May our response be the same.

Job 2:10 (NIV)
He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Here is today’s Bible reading: Esther 1:1-3:15; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; Psalm 35:17-28; Proverbs 21:19-20.

Proverbs 21:19 (NIV)
Better to live in a desert
than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife.

I thank God for the blessing that my wife is. She is a Godly woman with a servant’s heart.  I am a far better man because of her.

Here is today’s Bible reading:  Nehemiah 12:27-13:31; 1 Corinthians 11:2-16; Psalm 35:1-16; Proverbs 21:17-18.

Proverbs 21:17 (NIV)
He who loves pleasure will become poor;
whoever loves wine and oil will never be rich.

We have become a culture that values pleasure above all else.  We can blame Democrats and Republicans for our nation’s financial woes, but our lust for pleasure and its cost is ultimately to blame.