May 31 2025

Today's Bible Verse

I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.

Today's Bible study

In this verse from Hosea, we see the Lord's mercy toward the Kingdom of Israel, which had rebelled against Him. The kingdom is going to fall, paying the price for their centuries of sin. But the Lord promises that if they turn back to Him, He will answer their pleas for salvation. Today, we'll think about how we are like Israel and how the Lord loves us as He did the Israelites. We all know what it is like to sin, which is rejecting God through our words, thoughts, and actions. The Kingdom of Israel did also. They had disobeyed God and turned away from Him almost immediately after they were delivered from captivity in Egypt. For hundreds of years they continued to do so. They needed to repent, and their window for repentance, the prophet Hosea writes, was beginning to close. We, like the Israelites, need God's mercy in our lives, a place where our sins can be forgiven and forgotten once and for all.

In this verse, we see that the Lord gladly forgave them—and the same is true for us today. The Lord is glad to forgive us and help us turn away from sin. Like the Israelites, however, we have a choice to make: Will we respond to this invitation? We have to decide to take God at His word and trust His promises. We have to be willing to repent of our sins and live as Jesus has instructed us. When we make that decision, we open ourselves to experience the supernatural love of the Lord. We will realize that the depths of His love and care for us are unimaginable; and that while repentance can be painful, it is worth it. When we respond to His invitation, the Lord will forgive us and love us freely.

Today's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you so much for the love that you have shown me. You are so good to me, and I want to serve you for all of my days. Show me areas of my life that need repentance and help me to draw nearer and nearer to you. In Jesus' name, amen.

May 30 2025

Yesterday's Bible Verse

And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.:

Yesterday's Bible study

In John 16, Jesus is addressing His disciples for the final time before the crucifixion. He tells them they will soon have great sorrow but that He will return to them. They will have inextinguishable joy, which no one will ever take away from them. Today, we'll talk about the joy that the Lord gives us.

Jesus wanted the disciples to know that the sorrow they were about to experience would not be interminable. It would have a clear end—they would see Him again. In the same way, we can remember that our sorrows will not last forever. Like the disciples, there will be a time when our sorrows end. Knowing that our pain has an end date can help us endure it. We can know that this life is brief compared to an eternity with God.

After the time of sorrow, the disciples would have joy that no one could ever take away from them. This refers, of course, to the resurrection. When Jesus, their teacher whom they loved and thought dead, appeared to them, they would be consumed with joy! They would have new hope in Him, finally understanding once and for all that He was God.

Today, we can join in the disciples' joy. Jesus is alive today! He has defeated death and all sin, and nothing can stand between us and His grace. Our salvation is just as incredible as the resurrection. Indeed, our own hearts were dead toward God, unmoved by His promises or faithfulness. This is why Jesus intervened and gave us new life in Him. We take part in the resurrection, and, as it was for the disciples, rejoice on the other side of death.

The disciples' lives were shaped by the joy in the Lord. Each went out to share the Gospel with many nations, and all except for John were ultimately martyred for their faith. They had joy in the Lord that was stronger than their desire to live. Indeed, they had found new life in Jesus—and knew it was worth dying for. Today, think about the joy you have experienced because of Jesus and how you might allow it to shape the way you live.

Yesterday's Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you so much for the promise of joy. Even though life can be painful today, I know you have made a way for me. Help me to walk in joy with you. Thank you for giving me a way through my sorrows. I love you, Jesus. In your name, amen.

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