FOCUS OF THE MONTH
God’s Unconditional Love
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK
“Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” — John 14:21 (ESV)
Wednesday Corporate Fasting Scripture – Isaiah 58 (ESV); Isaiah 58 (KJV)
Friday End of Week Scripture – Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV)
!!!! HAPPY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!!
Sister Dorothy Cotton – February 15 – Class 02
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This Week’s Overview:
Sunday – When we’re in distress, whether it’s sin in our lives or a dire situation, we must cast our cares on the Lord and send out an SOS. He promises to rescue us and give us peace.
Monday – Again, if sin is causing our distress, repent and surrender our lives to Jesus. The Holy Spirit will then begin to transform us more into the image of Christ so that we can reflect His glory and live godly for Him.
Tuesday – Let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus. It’s a mindset! We must actively pursue God’s way of thinking and live for Christ.
Wednesday – Many situations that we face in life that cause us distress are from commonplaces and common people. We must turn to God for a solution and don’t think that we are so smart that we don’t need Him.
Thursday – When life becomes overwhelming, remember to sing praises to our God. This will inspire us and encourage others.
Friday – We’re not God, so don’t let pride destroy us. We must humble ourselves whether it’s sinful habits where we need to repent or situations in commonplaces or common people that cause us distress, where we need to refocus. Whatever the case, we are God’s creation and He loves and cares for us. We must not be self-centered but instead, continue to serve Him and others with gratitude.
***The English Standard Version (ESV) stands in the classic mainstream of English Bible translations over the past half-millennium. The fountainhead of that stream was William Tyndale’s New Testament of 1526; marking its course were the King James Version of 1611 (KJV), the English Revised Version of 1885 (RV), the American Standard Version of 1901 (ASV), and the Revised Standard Version of 1952 and 1971 (RSV). In that stream, faithfulness to the text and vigorous pursuit of accuracy were combined with simplicity, beauty, and dignity of expression. Our goal has been to carry forward this legacy for a new century.
To this end each word and phrase in the ESV has been carefully weighed against the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, to ensure the fullest accuracy and clarity and to avoid under-translating or overlooking any nuance of the original text. The words and phrases themselves grow out of the Tyndale-King James legacy, and most recently out of the RSV, with the 1971 RSV text providing the starting point for our work. Archaic language has been brought to current usage and significant corrections have been made in the translation of key texts. But throughout, our goal has been to retain the depth of meaning and enduring language that have made their indelible mark on the English-speaking world and have defined the life and doctrine of the church over the last four centuries.
The ESV is an “essentially literal” translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. It seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and meaning of the original. More about the ESV translation philosophy….***
Sunday, February 14, 2021 – Sending Out An SOS – Psalm 34:1-10
Our Daily Bread Topic: Christ, death; Christ, resurrection; prayer
Reflect & Pray
When have you felt peace after crying out to God? When has He rescued you from a desperate situation?
Loving Father, thank You for hearing my prayers and bringing comfort, peace—whatever I need most. And thank You especially for rescuing me from my sin.
Our Daily Bread Topic: Christ, life and teaching; Living like Christ; Trust in God
Reflect & Pray
What character trait of Jesus have you seen cultivated in your life over the last year? What trait would you like to cultivate in the coming year?
Jesus, please help me know You more as You make me more like You!
Reflect & Pray
How would you describe the values and assumptions that surround you? What would it look like for you to not conform to the world’s ways and to instead follow Jesus’ ways?
God, I don’t even recognize my assumptions and values most of the time. Help me to live out Your truth and Your mind in it all.
Reflect & Pray
What ordinary threats do you face today? What do you need to face them?
Today, loving God, I turn to You first with all of my challenges, large and small.
Download Forty Days of Praying the Word at go.odb.org/40-days.
What role does singing play in your life? How can you make more time for singing songs of praise with those who are experiencing memory problems?
May I sing praises to You, God. Thank You for so often unlocking the minds of those with memory problems through the beauty and power of song.
To dig deeper, read Psalms: Ancient Prayers for Modern People at ChristianUniversity.org/OT222.
Reflect & Pray
How did you answer Lewis’ questions about whether or not you’re proud? Did that surprise you? Why or why not?
Almighty God, help me to revel in my identity as one You created, knowing You are great and mighty and yet You love me.
Saturday, February 20, 2021 – Strengthened By Grace – 2 Timothy 2:1-4
Our Daily Bread Topic: Living for Christ
Reflect & Pray
How can the grace of Christ become a source of strength for you to serve Him? What does it mean for you to suffer for Jesus?
Dear God, please strengthen me in the grace of Christ that I may serve Him faithfully.
Inspirational Thoughts from Sister Clovia Thompson
“My friends, make time for God every day because He always has time for you.” — Sister Clovia
***The Daily Devotionals are taken from Our Daily Bread Ministries and the Scriptures are from the BibleGateway.***
Image by Jörg Peter from Pixabay