Devotions from October 2022

Passage Read: Philippians 1-2 Meditation Verses: 2:20-21 Timothy isn't just a messenger for Paul. He doesn't just blindly do what Paul asks him to do. He genuinely cares about the people he and Paul minister to. He prays for them and talks with Paul about…

Passage Read: Philippians 3-4 Meditation Verse: 3:17 Paul lived among the Philippians in such a way as to be an example to them. He expected them to copy his way of life. In fact, he lived deliberately in such a way so that they would…

Passage Read: Colossians 1-2 Meditation Verses: 1:4-5 The Gospel is supposed to include the hope laid up for us in heaven, and it is that hope that moves us to love the saints and hold fast our faith in Christ. The hope of heaven should…

Passage Read: Colossians 3-4 Meditation Verses: 3:1-2 Paul gives a lot of commands in these two chapters, especially in this one. And these commands are not easy for people who like themselves and want great things in this life. These commands require humility and the…

Passage Read: 1 Thessalonians 1-2 Meditation Verses: 1:4-5 Paul doesn't say in what way the power showed, but he does mention their full assurance in the midst of suffering persecution. Likely he also was able to do miracles, but the fact that they would believe…

Passage Read: 1 Thessalonians 3-4 Meditation Verse: 4:1 Paul calls the Thessalonians to keep working on doing better in Christ. They know the commands he gave when he was with them, and he reminds them to keep doing them and to do them even better.

Passage Read: 1 Thessalonians 5 - 2 Thessalonians 1 Meditation Verses: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-14 Paul tells the Thessalonians to know and understand and appreciate those who labor in their midst, who lead them in Christ and who warn them. These are their leaders and they're…

Passage Read: 2 Thessalonians 2-3 Meditation Verses: 3:14-15 These are strong words from Paul. What he has written, he expects everyone to obey, and if anyone doesn't obey it, we are not to associate with that person. If anyone does not obey what Paul has…

Passage Read: 1 Timothy 1-2 Meditation Verses: 2:1-4 We are to pray for rulers and authorities and all men, that we might lead peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity. This is pleasing to God, who desires that all men be saved and…

Passage Read: 1 Timothy 3-4 Meditation Verse: 3:6 An overseer must not be a novice, or else he will become puffed up and fall into the devil's own judgment. The devil exalted himself to be equal with God, refusing to follow God's orders, even though…

Passage Read: 1 Timothy 5-6 Meditation Verses: 6:2-3 There are many things taught in Scripture that men today consider backwards, and that is their excuse to turn away from such teachings. A slave serving well, especially if his master is a believer? The master should…

Passage Read: 2 Timothy 1-2 Meditation Verse: 2:19 Any of us who call ourselves Christian should be separating ourselves from unrighteousness. I cannot be a Christian and be unconcerned about righteous and unrighteous behavior. I have to know what God defines as righteous and what…

Passage Read: 2 Timothy 3-4 Meditation Verses: 3:13-15 Evil men and pretenders will increase and become worse. There is no stopping them. Between their delight in taking people captive and the laziness of believers to believe and know the Scriptures, it is an easy thing…

Passage Read: Titus 1-2 Meditation Verse: 2:15 Wow! "Let no one despise you." Paul gives Titus the command to teach and exhort and convict with all authority the things he had just told him. He is supposed to find men who are submissive to the…

Passage Read: Titus 3 - Philemon 1 Meditation Verses: Titus 3:1-2 The believer should be known for their humility, respectfulness and meekness. Paul tells Titus to remind every believer to be submissive to authorities, obedient, ready to do whatever good, to speak evil of no…

Passage Read: Hebrews 1-2 Meditation Verse: 2:8 Everything is subject to Jesus, but Jesus is not yet visibly reigning over all. So we do not see Him, though He has been made ruler of all. He does not punish everything immediately in such a way…

Passage Read: Hebrews 3-4 Meditation Verse: 4:11 The writer of Hebrews expects believers to make every effort to enter God's rest, lest any fall away because of disobedience. Having believed in Christ, believers are expected, even required to walk in a manner worthy of the…

Passage Read: Hebrews 5-6 Meditation Verses: 6:10-12 The Lord will not forget all we have done on His behalf for the saints and for the Gospel. But that doesn't mean we can store up a certain amount of deeds and then kick back, relax and…

Passage Read: Hebrews 7-8 Meditation Verses: 8:10-11 This is the new covenant that Jesus brought about: that we should be transformed and God's Law should be written on our hearts to such an extent that we no longer need others to teach us. But the…

Passage Read: Hebrews 9-10 Meditation Verses: 10:26,29 The one who keeps on sinning after hearing the Gospel and understanding the Truth, this one is in great danger, because he is claiming to believe the Gospel, but yet treating it as if it is nothing of…

Passage Read: Hebrews 11-12 Meditation Verse: 11:31 By faith Rahab, though a harlot, knew enough to save her life and the life of her family. She understood the times, she understood what was coming, she recognized that the God of the Israelites was going to…

Passage Read: Hebrews 13 - James 1 Meditation Verse: James 1:27 This is an interesting statement. James makes it sound like the most important thing we can do to be truly religious is to visit orphans and widows in their distress. And that's where most…

Passage Read: James 2-3 Meditation Verse: 2:25 Rahab believed God would overthrow Jericho and so she acted. She didn't just believe and give up, she welcomed the spies and pleaded for her life and the life of her family. Whether her family also believed, Scripture…

Passage Read: James 4-5 Meditation Verses: 4:15-16 I do not know the details of God's plans for me or anyone else, so to make declarations about events or actions or the future is presumptuous on my part. If the Lord should give me a revelation,…

Passage Read: 1 Peter 1-2 Meditation Verses: 1:13-18 Peter wants me to be holy, just as He who called me is holy. To do that, he calls me to set my hope perfectly on the grace to be given me at Christ's return, and to…

Passage Read: 1 Peter 3-4 Meditation Verse: 4:15 "A murderer, a thief, an evildoer or a meddler in the affairs of others." Peter puts meddling in the affairs of others in the same category as murderers and thieves and evildoers! I know full well that…

Passage Read: 1 Peter 5 - 2 Peter 1 Meditation Verses: 1 Peter 5:2-3 Elders are supposed to exercise authority over their flock willingly, not under compulsion. In a sense, that means elders should not really be seeking the responsibility, and neither should they be…

Passage Read: 2 Peter 2-3 Meditation Verses: 3:3-5 The last days are defined by man's deliberate concealing of the Truth of creation. They will themselves to forget that the earth was created from nothing and through water by the word of the Lord. They suppress…

Passage Read: 1 John 1-2 Meditation Verse: 2:29 We can recognize who has be born again by the Father through their actions. If they do what is righteous, which itself is defined by God through the Scriptures, then we can be confident that they are…

Passage Read: 1 John 3-4 Meditation Verse: 4:18 How does this relate to the commands to fear God. Even Peter taught that we should fear God. How can there be fear where perfect love has driven out fear? Even John, when he saw Jesus glorified,…

Passage Read: 1 John 5 - 2 John 1 Meditation Verses: 2 John 1:7-8 We need to be on guard against those who deny that Jesus has come in the flesh. They are from the devil, they are of the antichrist. Interestingly, John writes asking…