March 10, 2010

VERSE:
In your hearts, set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to
give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the
hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.
– 1 Peter 3:15
THOUGHT:
We are to be ready and able to tell folks about the hope that
Jesus has brought to our lives! But when we share this hope, two
things are important: our credibility — is Jesus really Lord of
our hearts — and our character — do we show gentleness and
respect in our persuasion approach. The goal is not to win
arguments but hearts to the God of character!

PRAYER:
Holy and Loving Father, thank you for speaking your grace in
Jesus. I’m not sure I would have heard any other message. Give me
the conviction I need to share my hope in Jesus, but in a way that
reflects your grace. Through my Living Hope I pray. Amen.

March 9, 2010

VERSE:
God has saved us and called us to a holy life — not because of
anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace.
This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of
time.
– 2 Timothy 1:9
THOUGHT:
Before the beginning of time! How do you understand when that
was? God first thought of us at a time we cannot even begin to
understand! His reason for thinking of us was to demonstrate his
grace and call others to his side. Jesus has always been God’s plan
and we have always been his goal. Let’s make sure we respond by
living his holy life!

PRAYER:
Thank you so much, Father, for knowing me and thinking of my
needs even before there was a world. I dedicate this day, the days
that follow, to your honor as I try to live a life that reflects
your righteousness and grace. In the name of Jesus, the one who had
no sin, I pray. Amen.

March 8, 2010

VERSE:
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in
all of our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble
with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.
– 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
THOUGHT:
We are comforted to comfort others. God doesn’t bless us with
his presence and comfort of his Spirit because we are somehow
better than everyone else. No, he comforts us to equip, empower,
and encourage others. God has human hands, but only when I use mine
to his glory and for others comfort.

PRAYER:
Tender Shepherd, there have been times when I was so broken I
could not go on. I know my strength to continue came from your rich
grace and mercy. Please use me this week to offer your comfort and
love to others so they may feel your warm embrace and come to yearn
more for the day we see you face to face in heaven. Through my
brother Jesus, I pray. Amen.

March 7, 2010

VERSE:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious
thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in
the way everlasting.
– Psalm 139:23-24
THOUGHT:
God does know us. We cannot pretend we are something we are not
with him. He knows us – inside and out, through and through. This
should liberate us to share a remarkable degree of intimacy with
him, but most of us run from such a close relationship with our
Father. If our desire, however, is to become more like him, the
only way to be transformed is by inviting him in to look at our
hearts, our motivations, and our desires.

PRAYER:
O God, I know you are the one who “searches hearts and minds.”
Yet because of the grace you demonstrated in Jesus, I am confident
that you love me. My heart is sorry for the sin I have committed,
but I am really trying to serve you in honor and purity. Please
fill me with your Spirit to enable me to become more like Christ.
In the name of your holy Son I pray. Amen.

He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward
him for what he has done.

Proverbs 19:17, New International Version

March 6, 2010

VERSE:
O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things
planned long ago.
– Isaiah 25:1
THOUGHT:
God’s actions are not reactions to current situations, but part
of his long term plan to bring redemption. Yes, he has done
marvelous things: he took the evil intent of a mob who cried
“Crucify him” and turned it into an opportunity to fulfill the
prophets and redeem us. He is perfect in faithfulness and has done
marvelous things.

PRAYER:
Holy God, you surprise me with new wonders and new things daily.
Yet deep in my heart I know they are not new to you. Thank you for
not making life boring or predictable so I might thirst after you,
you who are forever fresh, new, exciting, and marvelous. In the
name of my Savior, Jesus, I pray. Amen.

March 5, 2010

VERSE:
These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your
hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit
at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and
when you get up.
– Deuteronomy 6:6-7
THOUGHT:
We are to begin each day with God. Every breath we take should
be a powerful reminder that our Father has granted us another day
of life to serve him. Each heartbeat is God’s drumbeat of love,
reminding us that we are blessed with another minute to offer him
our best. This blessing is so easily forgotten. We best remember
these truths when we teach them and show them and live them with
and before our children. But, let’s not leave their learning these
truths to our example alone. Let’s find teachable moments to
explain our faith, to praise our Heavenly Father, and to teach
God’s truth.

PRAYER:
Almighty God, Gracious Sustainer, and Undeserved Friend, thank
you! Thank you for this breath I take and for the heartbeat that
sustains my life. Make me aware as I travel and talk and rest and
work that you are there and are worthy of my intentional best. In
the name of Jesus, my gracious sacrifice I pray. Amen.

March 4, 2010

VERSE:
“Have not I commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be
terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be
with you wherever you go.”
– Joshua 1:9
THOUGHT:
Never alone! What a promise. God will go with him, and us,
through all the seasons of life, through all our ups and downs,
through temptations and triumphs, even through death (cf. Psalm
139). So we can take courage and feel his strength. We are not
alone!

PRAYER:
O God who is and was and is to come, thank you for being there
and staying there when all others forsake and leave. You are the
one constant in my life so full of change. Help me become more
steadfast and faithful in my commitments and relationships to honor
you and to learn more about you. Through Jesus I pray. Amen.

TODAY’S VERSE from HEARTLIGHT
==================================================================

Today’s Verse is written by Phil Ware and is
part of HEARTLIGHT Magazine, the leading Christian living e-zine
on the Web. Visit HEARTLIGHT on the web for even more articles,
plus music, devotionals and more for your Christian walk!

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The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for
them, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.

Proverbs 11:5, New International Version
DAILY WISDOM from HEARTLIGHT

==================================================================

Daily Wisdom is a part of HEARTLIGHT Magazine, the leading

Christian living e-zine on the Web. Visit HEARTLIGHT on the
web for even more articles, plus music, devotionals and more
for your Christian walk!

http://www.heartlight.org

HOW DO I SUBSCRIBE?
It’s FREE! To subscribe send a blank email to:
[Click to reveal email address]

March 3, 2010

VERSE:
“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my
ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than
your thoughts.”
– Isaiah 55:8-9
THOUGHT:
No matter how hard we try to perceive the awesomeness of God, he
is still God and we are not. We must forever remember that the
original, and still primary, sin was to try to become like God in
terms of knowledge and understanding. We are to know God, but we
can never fully know everything about him. We are to take on his
character, but we cannot approach his majesty, righteousness, or
holiness on our own. This is both exciting and frustrating. But,
the promise remains that one day we will be like him and see him as
he is (1 John 3:1-3) and know fully even as we are fully known (1
Corinthians 13:11-12).

PRAYER:
Tender Shepherd, thank you for being so patient with me when I
cannot fully understand and appreciate your holy and transcendent
character. Thank you for sending Jesus so I can know you better and
trust you to know me better than I know myself. I look forward to
seeing you face to face when Jesus comes to bring me home. Until
that day, please know I love you. In the name of Jesus I offer my
thanks and praise. Amen.