FOCUS OF THE MONTH (FOM)
ALWAYS GIVE THANKS
SCRIPTURE OF THE WEEK (SOW)
It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High:
— Psalm 92:1 KJV
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
— Psalm 92:1 ESV
Wednesday Corporate Fasting Scripture – Isaiah 58 (ESV); Isaiah 58 (KJV)
Friday End of Week Scripture – Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV)
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ESV Translation Philosophy
The ESV is an “essentially literal” translation that seeks as far as possible to reproduce the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. As such, its emphasis is on “word-for-word” correspondence, at the same time taking full account of differences in grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages. Thus it seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and exact force of the original.
In contrast to the ESV, some Bible versions have followed a “thought-for-thought” rather than “word-for-word” translation philosophy, emphasizing “dynamic equivalence” rather than the “essentially literal” meaning of the original. A “thought-for-thought” translation is of necessity more inclined to reflect the interpretive views of the translator and the influences of contemporary culture.
Every translation is at many points a trade-off between literal precision and readability, between “formal equivalence” in expression and “functional equivalence” in communication, and the ESV is no exception. Within this framework, we have sought to be “as literal as possible” while maintaining clarity of expression and literary excellence. Therefore, to the extent that plain English permits and the meaning in each case allows, we have sought to use the same English word for important recurring words in the original; and, as far as grammar and syntax allow, we have rendered Old Testament passages cited in the New in ways that show their correspondence. Thus in each of these areas, as well as throughout the Bible as a whole, we have sought to capture all the echoes and overtones of meaning that are so abundantly present in the original texts.
As an essentially literal translation, taking into account grammar and syntax, the ESV thus seeks to carry over every possible nuance of meaning in the original words of Scripture into our own language. As such, the ESV is ideally suited for in-depth study of the Bible. Indeed, with its commitment to literary excellence, the ESV is equally well suited for public reading and preaching, for private reading and reflection, for both academic and devotional study, and for Scripture memorization.
PRAISE & WORSHIP
DAILY DEVOTIONALS
Sunday, November 24, 2024 – CHARACTER CHANGE – 2 Peter 1:3-11
Our Daily Bread Focus: Spiritual disciplines
Today’s Insights
Believers in Jesus in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) were suffering because of persecution. In Peter’s first letter, he encouraged them to remain faithful by following the example of Christ, who also suffered unjustly, and to live God-honoring lives in a hostile world. In his second letter, the apostle reminded his readers that it’s possible to live a life that honors God because He “has given us everything we need . . . through our knowledge of him” (v. 3). He’s given us “very great and precious promises” (v. 4) that enable all who know Him through Jesus to partake of His divine nature and overcome sinful desires. Verses 5-11 describes what that looks like as we pursue the virtues that will make us become more like Jesus. If we’re to live faithful and Christ-honoring lives, we must “make every effort” to pursue and draw on the provisions and power of God (vv. 5, 10).
Today’s Devotional
Family gathered around the bed of Dominique Bouhours, a seventeenth-century grammarian who was dying. As he took his final breaths, he reportedly said, “I am about to—or I am going to—die; either expression is correct.” Who would care about grammar on their deathbed? Only someone who cared about grammar his entire life.
By the time we reach old age, we’re largely set in our ways. We’ve had a lifetime for our choices to harden into habits that calcify into character—good or bad. We are who we’ve chosen to become.
It’s easier to develop godly habits while our character is young and flexible. Peter urges, “Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:5-7). Practice these virtues, and “you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (v. 11).
Which traits in Peter’s list are most alive in you? Which qualities still need work? We can’t truly change who we’ve become, but Jesus can. Ask Him to transform and empower you. It may be a slow, arduous journey, but Jesus specializes in providing exactly what we need. Ask Him to transform your character so you become more and more like Him.
Reflect & Pray
Which trait would you most like to change? How can you seek God’s power and provision and begin to change?
Dear Jesus, please make me more like You, so others will see You clearly.
Today’s Insights
Psalm 100 is the last of eight consecutive psalms (93-100) that emphasize God as King. Each psalm highlights a particular aspect of this King’s reign. Psalm 93 shows God ruling over the seas (vv. 3-4)—a characteristic especially meaningful to a people who’d passed safely through the Red Sea as their enemies drowned behind them (see Exodus 14). Psalm 94 shows God as the righteous judge who opposes the wicked. Psalms 95-97 praise the incomparability of the one true God, “the great King above all gods” (95:3), extolling His “righteousness and justice” as “the foundation of his throne” (97:2). This emphasis on God “above all gods” (v. 9) is vital for Israel as they were surrounded by nations that worshiped false gods. Psalm 100 recognizes this true King as Israel’s creator and shepherd (v. 3) and calls everyone to “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise” (v. 4).
Today’s Devotional
I’ve been following and praying for a fellow writer who’s been posting online about her cancer journey. She alternates between sharing updates about her physical pain and challenges and sharing prayer requests with Scripture and praises to God. It’s beautiful to see her courageous smile whether she’s in the hospital awaiting treatments or at home wearing a bandana because her hair is falling out. With each challenge, she never fails to encourage others to trust God during trials.
When we’re going through difficulties, it may be challenging to find reasons to be grateful and to praise God. However, Psalm 100 gives us reasons to rejoice and give God praise despite our circumstances. The psalmist says: “Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (v. 3). He adds, “For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (v. 5).
Whatever our trial, we can take comfort knowing that God is near to our broken hearts (34:18). The more time we spend with God in prayer and reading the Bible, the more we’ll be able to “enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise” and “give thanks to him and praise his name” (100:4). We can “shout for joy to the Lord” (v. 1) even and perhaps especially when we’re in a difficult season because our God is faithful.
Reflect & Pray
What are you grateful for? What can you praise God for right now?
Dear God, please help me to praise You even in my trials.
Today’s Insights
In Mark’s account of a large crowd being fed with only five loaves of bread and two fish, the focus is on how this miracle instructed the disciples—both in God’s power as well as in their calling to serve (Mark 6:35, 39). The “how” of the miracle is mysterious. Mark doesn’t tell us that the crowd is even aware of a miracle occurring; the disciples simply start dispensing the food and somehow there’s enough for all.
Jesus opens the meal with a customary prayer of thanks (v. 41). He may have spoken this traditional Jewish prayer: “Praise be to you, O Lord our God, King of the world, who makes bread to come from the earth, and who provides for all that you have created.”
Today’s Devotional
When my friend and her husband struggled to conceive, doctors recommended she have a medical procedure done. But my friend was hesitant. “Shouldn’t prayer be enough to fix our problem?” she asked. “Do I really need to do the procedure?” My friend was trying to work out what role human action has in seeing God work.
The story of Jesus feeding the crowd can help us here (Mark 6:35-44). We may know how the story ends—thousands of people are miraculously fed with just a little bread and some fish (v. 42). But notice who is to feed the crowd? The disciples (v. 37). And who provides the food? They do (v. 38). Who distributes the food and cleans up afterward? The disciples (vv. 39-43). “You give them something to eat,” Jesus said (v. 37). Jesus did the miracle, but it happened as the disciples acted.
A good crop is a gift from God (Psalm 65:9-10), but a farmer must still work the land. Jesus promised Peter “a catch” of fish but the fisherman still had to cast his nets (Luke 5:4-6). God can tend the earth and do miracles without us but typically chooses to work in a divine-human partnership.
My friend went through with the procedure and later successfully conceived. While this is no formula for a miracle, it was a lesson for my friend and me. God often does His miraculous work through the methods He’s placed in our hands.
Reflect & Pray
When are you tempted to pray without acting? What’s God calling you to act on right now?
Dear God, thank You for including me in Your amazing work. Please take what’s in my hands and do wonders through it.
Today’s Insights
Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe points out how God reveals Himself through His creation, but there’s additional—and vital—revelation. Wiersbe notes that we also have “the Word of life” (1 John 1:1), which is Christ Himself. And we have the eyewitness testimony of the apostles, including John, who tells us, “[That] which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life” (v. 1). John wanted us to know the truth of his message. He writes, “The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us” (v. 2). This is the heart of the gospel message. Jesus appeared on earth as one of us, and eternal life is only through Him.
Today’s Devotional
When the lights went out on the streets of Highland Park, Michigan, a passion for another light source—the sun—found a home there. The struggling town lacked funds to pay its utility company. The power company turned off the streetlights and removed the lightbulbs in 1,400 light poles. That left residents unsafe and in the dark. “Here comes a couple of children right now, on their way to school,” a resident told a news crew. “There are no lights. They just have to take a chance on walking down the street.”
That changed when a nonprofit group formed to install solar-powered streetlights in the town. Working together, the humanitarian organization saved the city money on energy bills while securing a light source that helped meet residents’ needs.
In our life in Christ, our reliable light source is Jesus Himself, the Son of God. As John the apostle wrote, “God is light; in him there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5). John noted, “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (v. 7).
Jesus Himself declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). With God’s Holy Spirit guiding our every
Reflect & Pray
How have you experienced the light of Jesus in your life? Today, who can you tell about Him?
Let Your light shine bright, dear God, in every corner of my life.
Thursday, November 28, 2024 – PARDONED BY GOD – Micah 7:18-20
Daily Bread Focuses: Forgiveness of sin; Thankfulness
Scripture(s): Isaiah 43:25; Exodus 15:11-13; Psalm 103:6-10
Today’s Insights
Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah and Hosea, ministered to both Israel and Judah during the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (750-686 bc). He prophesied about Israel’s destruction by the Assyrians, which happened in his lifetime (722 bc), and the destruction of the Jerusalem temple and Judah’s exile by the Babylonians more than a hundred years later (586 bc). His prophecy that “Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble” (Micah 3:12) led King Hezekiah (716-687 bc) to repent (Jeremiah 26:18-19).
Micah’s name means “Who is like the Lord?” At the end of his prophecy, he uses a play on words and asks, “Who is a God like you?” (Micah 7:18)—a question asked often in the Old Testament (see Exodus 15:11; 1 Kings 8:23; Job 36:22; Psalm 35:10; 89:6; 113:5). Reminiscent of God’s own self-revelation in Exodus 34:6-7, Micah proclaims that God is the compassionate God who forgives sins (Micah 7:18-19) and the faithful God who keeps His covenant with His people (v. 20).
Today’s Devotional
Around the national Thanksgiving holiday, the US president welcomes two turkeys to the White House before granting them a presidential pardon. Instead of being served as the main dish of the traditional Thanksgiving meal, the turkeys safely live out the rest of their lives on a farm. Although the turkeys can’t comprehend the freedom they’ve been granted, the unusual annual tradition highlights the life-giving power of a pardon.
The prophet Micah understood the significance of a pardon when he wrote a strong warning to the Israelites still in Jerusalem. Similar in form to a legal complaint, Micah recorded God bearing witness against the nation (Micah 1:2) for desiring evil and indulging in greed, dishonesty, and violence (6:10-15).
Despite these rebellious acts, Micah ends with hope rooted in the promise that God doesn’t stay angry forever but instead “pardons sin and forgives” (7:18). As the Creator and Judge over all, He can authoritatively declare that He won’t hold our actions against us because of His promise to Abraham (v. 20)—ultimately fulfilled in Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Being pardoned from all the ways we fail to live up to God’s standards is an undeserved gift that brings immense blessings. As we grasp more and more of the benefits of His complete forgiveness, let’s respond in praise and gratitude.
Reflect & Pray
What are the benefits of the pardon God offers? How does it prompt gratitude?
May I live, merciful Father, in gratitude because of the pardon You’ve offered me.
Today’s Insights
We rightly remember Job as an exceptionally good man. “They have the patience of Job,” we say when we notice someone who demonstrates remarkable restraint under pressure. Not to be missed, however, is Job’s obvious humanity. Having lost his children, his health, and his wealth, we see him lash out at his friends who offer him useless counsel. “You . . . smear me with lies,” he says, and calls them “worthless physicians” (Job 13:4). The problem with Job’s friends is that they imagined they were speaking wisely when they were merely spouting empty platitudes. Job says of their advice, “Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay” (v. 12). This raw picture of his response to his trouble and his alleged “comforters” (16:2) humanizes him, enriching our understanding of human pain and suffering. We also learn to guard our speech when we encounter another in deep pain.
Today’s Devotional
A man in court filed a restraining order against God. He claimed God had been “particularly unkind” to him and had exhibited a “seriously negative attitude.” The presiding judge dismissed the suit, saying the man needed help not from the court but for his mental health. A true story: humorous, but also sad.
But are we so different? Don’t we sometimes want to say, “Stop, God, please, I’ve had enough!” Job did. He put God on trial. After enduring unspeakable personal tragedies, Job says, “I want to argue my case with God himself” (Job 13:3 nlt) and imagines taking “God to court” (9:3 nlt). He even puts forth a restraining order: “Withdraw your hand far from me, and stop frightening me” (13:21). Job’s prosecution argument wasn’t his own innocence but what he viewed as God’s unreasonable harshness: “Does it please you to oppress me?” (10:3).
Sometimes we feel God is unfair. In truth, the story of Job is complex, not providing easy answers. God restores Job’s physical fortunes in the end, but that isn’t always His plan for us. Perhaps we find something of a verdict in Job’s final admission: “Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know” (42:3). The point is, God has reasons we know nothing of, and there’s wonderful hope in that.
Reflect & Pray
What occasions have prompted you to “take God to court”? Why is it okay for you to ask Him tough questions?
Dear God, I sometimes feel angry about what I’ve had to endure. Please help me bring my complaints to You.
For further study, read Understanding the Bible: The Wisdom Books.
Saturday, November 30, 2024 – A GRATEFUL RESPONSE – Daniel 6:1-10
Our Daily Bread Focus: Thankfulness
Today’s Insights
The book of Daniel spans seventy years of the Babylonian exile and is both biography (chs. 1-6) and prophecy (chs. 7-12). The first six chapters tell how Daniel distinguished himself to become the trusted adviser to Nebuchadnezzar (5:11-12) and Darius (6:1-5)—kings of two of the superpower empires of the ancient world. When God exiled the Israelites to Babylon, He commanded them to work for “the peace and prosperity” of their conquerors (Jeremiah 29:7). Daniel “was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent” (Daniel 6:4) and “so distinguished himself . . . that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom” (v. 3).
Today’s Devotional
Raw fish and rainwater. An Australian sailor named Timothy survived on only those provisions for three months. Marooned on his storm-damaged catamaran, he was losing hope—bobbing 1,200 miles from land in the Pacific Ocean. But then the crew of a Mexican tuna boat spotted his ailing boat and rescued him. Later, the thin and weather-beaten man declared, “To the captain and fishing company that saved my life, I’m just so grateful!”
Timothy gave thanks following his ordeal, but the prophet Daniel revealed a grateful heart before, during, and after a crisis. Having been exiled to Babylon from Judah with other Jews (Daniel 1:1-6), Daniel had risen in power only to be threatened by other leaders who wanted him dead (6:1-7). His foes got the king of Babylon to sign a decree stating that anyone who prayed “to any god” would be “thrown into the lions’ den” (v. 7). What would Daniel, a man who loved and served the one true God, do? He “got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to . . . God, just as he had done before” (v. 10). He gave thanks, and his grateful heart was rewarded as God spared his life and brought him honor (vv. 26-28).
As the apostle Paul wrote, may God help us “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Whether we’re facing a crisis or have just come through one, a grateful response honors Him and helps keep our faith afloat.
Reflect & Pray
Why is it vital to regularly thank God? How can you grow a more grateful heart?
Dear God, please help me give thanks even when life is hard.
THIS WEEK’S INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHT BY SISTER CLOVIA
GRATITUDE
Be grateful for the kindly friends that walk along your way,
Be grateful for the skies of blue that smile from day to day,
Be grateful for the health you own, the work you find to do,
For round about you, there are men less fortunate than you.
Be grateful for the growing trees, the roses soon to bloom,
The tenderness of kindly hearts that shared your days of gloom,
Be grateful for the morning dew, the grass beneath your feet,
The soft caresses of your babes and all their laughter are sweet.
Acquire the grateful habit, learn to see how blest you are,
How much there is to gladden life, how little life to mar!
And what if rain shall fall today and you with grief are sad;
Be grateful that you can recall the joys that you have had.
— Edgar Albert Guest
Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
— 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV
CHRISTIAN-BASED MOVIE OF THE MONTH
***The Daily Devotionals are taken from Our Daily Bread Ministries and the Scriptures are from the BibleGateway.***
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