July 20

Psalm 34:15-16

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous (those with moral courage and spiritual integrity) and His ears are open to His cry.  The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Like a parent watching over a child, God watches over us to hear our cry.  We are never alone or isolated with God and His word beside us.  Encouragement is only a turn of the page away when we read our bibles.  Our faith comes as our eyes view the word of God, and it gets into our hearts, building us up.  

July 19

Psalm 103:2-4

Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget any of His benefits; who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases; who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you (lavishly) with lovingkindness and tender mercy.  

The benefits of the Lord are real and available for the believer.  The greatest lie the devil can promote is that God does not care for us or that we are insignificant.  Be confident in the Lord and His love for us.  Keep the words of God’s love for us in front of your eyes.  So if the time of trouble comes, we can say….It is written….. and overcome any obstacle.

July 16

Mark 11:22

Jesus replied, “Have faith in God (constantly).

Christianity is the faith of persistence! To grow and do what God wants to do through us, we must have constant faith.  We must believe when others would give up and hope in what cannot be seen.  We have insider knowledge of how God works and how the world works.  God is the God of miracles, and we are His people.  

July 15

Mark 7:14-15

After He called the people to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen (carefully) to Me, all of you, (hear) and understand (what I am saying): there is nothing outside a man (such as food) which by going into him can defile him (morally or spiritually):  but the things which come out of (the heart of) a man are what defile and dishonor him.  

Keeping our hearts focused on what is pure and lovely is essential.  We need to be diligent in what we hear and come before our eyes to persuade us or lead us away from the word.  What we believe in our hearts comes out of our mouths and affects the direction of our lives.  

July 14

Matthew 7:24

So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, will be like a wise man (a far-sighted, practical, and sensible man) who built his house on the rock.  

Building a solid foundation on the word of God is one of the most important things we can do.  The word gives us knowledge of the promises of God and prepares us for the ups and downs.  Knowledge is power for our lives and strength to our souls. 

July 13

Matthew 4:17

From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent (change your inner self-your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life), for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.    

The old way of thinking always needs an update.  Just like our lives move forward, so should our faith by renewing our thinking.  Growing continually takes up more space, and so should the word in our lives and mind.  As the mind updates, so do the way we live and how we see our purpose. 

July 12

Habakkuk 2:3

For the vision is yet for the appointed (future) time. It hurries toward the goal (of fulfillment); it will not fail.  Even though it delays, wait (patently) for it, because it will certainly come; it will not delay.

Sometimes waiting for the promise can be challenging.  Time seems to slow down as we expectantly wait for the promise.  We can’t give up.  We must keep holding onto the word from God and remind us of His faithfulness.  The vision is coming, and sometimes God has to move circumstances into place.  Stand in faith; the promise will appear.  

July 9

Psalm 20:4-5

May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans.  We will sing joyously over your victory, and in the name of God we will set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.  

God wants to bless us and help us with our plans.  We all have dreams and goals that we want to accomplish, and God wants to be right there with us, helping us succeed.  When we need the wisdom to make a decision, all we have to do is ask.  When we need encouragement to keep going, God will give it to us.  Nothing is too hard for God.  

July 8

Psalm 19:1

The Heavens are telling of the glory of God; and the expanse (of heavens) is declaring the work of His hands. 

The earth is complicated in its design, and nature in its beauty expresses the glory of its creator.  The stars that light up the night sky leave us in the wonder of God and His ability to create.  We can only contemplate how it all works, but we can glorify God for His marvelous creation.  

July 7

Deuteronomy 6:6-7

These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be (written) on your heart and mind. You shall teach them diligently to your children (impressing God’s precepts on their minds and penetrating their hearts with His truths) and shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk in the road and when you lie down and when you get up.  

If God thinks it is vital that we train our children in what is right and wrong, shouldn’t we.  The world has been trying to convince us that parents are not as vital.  Parents are the first line of defense and are meant to train a child in the way they should go.  Parents take heart and keep following the commandments of God!