1 Thessalonians 5:8 – Thinking Clearly

“But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.” (1 Thessalonians 5:8)

When I read this verse I sat up a little straighter in my chair, bursting with confidence in the Lord and his promise of salvation. We’ve been dealing with technical support for the past week on a new laptop that isn’t working. While that has nothing to do with my faith or trust in God, it has taken its toll on my confidence in humanity and my own understanding of all things technical. Being clearheaded sounds delightful!

Context: This verse in Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians comes amidst a discussion about the last days when Jesus will return. Paul was assuring his readers that while we don’t when this will happen, as children of the light we are in the best possible position to be ready. Jesus will return at the perfect time, and we need to trust that. Continue reading “1 Thessalonians 5:8 – Thinking Clearly”

Philippians 4:6-7 – Why Pray?

 “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7)

Do you ever worry? There’s a lot to worry about as we go through our lives from tests in school, the safety of our children, finances, travel, growing old, etc. What is it for you? Remember God doesn’t want us to worry. Challenge yourself with a little longer memory verse here. Verse 6 is powerful all on it’s own as a reminder to pray. Adding verse 7 answers the question, “Why?”

Context: Paul’s letter to the Philippians is full of great wisdom and encouragement for the new Christians. He wants them to stay true to the Lord. They, too, must have been struggling with situations that were testing their faith. These verses are part of the solution Paul offers to encourage them in their faith. Continue reading “Philippians 4:6-7 – Why Pray?”

Isaiah 55:8-9 – Is God Hard to Understand?

“‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord. ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.’” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Why do we try to understand what God is thinking? This memory verse clearly sets the record straight and reminds us that God’s thoughts are beyond our comprehension. Yet, we still want to put words in God’s mouth or assume he thinks a certain way in a given situation. Perhaps we should just sit back and marvel at God’s ways instead.

Context: The prophet Isaiah is speaking here in Chapter 55 about salvation. Interesting to read such things in the Old Testament when we usually associated salvation with what Jesus did on the cross. This chapter is full of great wisdom giving us clues of how to act and respond to God. There are probably a dozen or more memory verses we could pluck from this chapter. You can take a look here. Continue reading “Isaiah 55:8-9 – Is God Hard to Understand?”

Romans 10:17 – Our Basis for Faith

“So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

Discussions about faith and spirituality are big these days. People want to place their faith in so many things like themselves, for example. There are new self-help gurus popping up all the time, each promising to make us better versions of ourselves. I don’t mean to bash that industry, but shouldn’t the creator of the universe be the one we turn to if we want to be our best? This memory verse is simple yet powerful.

Context: Paul’s letter to the Romans is packed with wisdom for life. In this section of Chapter 10, he speaking about salvation and the necessary component of faith in Jesus Christ. In Paul’s day, while closer to the time Jesus lived and eyewitness accounts were still fresh, there were still plenty of people who didn’t know the good news about Jesus. Still today, people reject the truth about Jesus even when they have every opportunity to hear. This verse grounds us to understand the basis of our faith. Continue reading “Romans 10:17 – Our Basis for Faith”

Titus 3:5 – Sweet Mercy

“[H]e saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5)

Far too often Christians strut around touting their salvation as if it was something they deserved for righteous living. That’s not a good look on us! Our salvation is not based on anything we do or have done. This memory verse helps us keep that truth straight. We only have this hope because our God is merciful.

Context: Our verse of the day is part of a section called, “Do What is Good.” The author starts by pointing to elected officials challenging them to do good and quickly shifts to us and our own sinful tendencies. The generosity of God to his disobedient followers knows no bounds. That’s the tone of the texts surrounding our verse today. Continue reading “Titus 3:5 – Sweet Mercy”

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