August 16, 2020


alt text here
Today's Bible Verse
"As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all."
Ecclesiastes 11:5 (KJV)



alt text here
Today's Bible Study
In this verse from Ecclesiastes, the author reflects on how we don't know everything about the Lord. We do not know the way of the spirit, or all the works of the Lord, who makes everything. There is so much that we do not understand!

This thought can seem daunting at first; however, it is a sweet relief that we don't have to understand everything about how the Lord works.

When we talk about the Lord, it's important that we recognize our human limitations. The Lord, by definition, is far greater than we will ever comprehend, and while He knows us fully, we will never know Him fully. It is always possible for us to know the Lord better than we do, but even when we are in Heaven with Him, we will not fully comprehend His glory, majesty, or power--those things are simply beyond our ability to understand.

Yet we were not designed to know everything about the Lord; He has made us exactly as He wished.


This frees us from feeling like we have to understand everything the Lord does. Not understanding something about the Lord is not an indication of spiritual immaturity. Rather, it is a reality that many people, including those in the Bible, had to accept. We are not expected to have an answer to every question. We do not need to feel burdened or frustrated by what we cannot know about the Lord; we will not be held accountable for it.

However, we know enough about the Lord to walk in confidence in our relationship with Him. We know that He is all-loving, gracious, and merciful. Nothing in His character will ever contradict that truth, even the things that we don't know. We have more than enough information about the Lord's character through the Bible and our prayer life to know that the Lord to whom we have given our lives can be trusted.

Indeed, we are responsible only to obey and trust Him. Even though we cannot know everything about the Lord, we know that when He asks us to do something, we should do it. We know that we have no reason to be fearful and that we will spend eternity with Him forever. We know enough to enjoy our relationship with Him, walking in joy and trusting Him even in the unknowing.
Today's Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for being who you are. You are far beyond my comprehension or understanding. Thank you for being a mighty, powerful, all-consuming savior. Thank you for being my Lord. Please help me to not get caught up in what I don't understand, but instead lean into your promises and the truth that you are good, faithful, and just. In Jesus's name, amen.
Yesterday's Devotional
August 15, 2020
alt text here
Yesterday's Bible Verse
"Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up."
James 4:10 (KJV)



alt text here
Yesterday's Bible Study
In this verse from James, we learn about the key to success in the Christian life: humility. We should not strive to get accolades or attention. Instead, we should trust that the Lord sees us and all of our efforts. Putting on humility is the key to allowing the Lord to truly work in our lives, and we can trust that He will be faithful to move on our behalf.

The Gospel states that we are not saved by grace alone, not by any of our good works (Ephesians 2:8-9). Nothing we could ever do would make us worthy of salvation. When we first sinned against the Lord, we lost every right to have a relationship with Him. The only way we could be right with the Lord would be through Jesus, who gave His life for us so our sins could be forgiven. Jesus did for us what we could never do; we are saved because of what He did.

The natural response to the gospel is humility. When we realize that our relationship began with the Lord showing us mercy, it helps us have a rightfully humble attitude of submission to the Lord. Instead of bragging about our salvation or taking pride in the fact that the Lord is good to us, we can focus on the mercy and love of the Lord. In turn, we begin to express mercy and love in response to Him … we put Him first, above ourselves and everything else.


When we have surrendered to the Lord, humble in His sight, He will lift us up if He chooses. We see this pattern throughout the Bible. Job was homeless, sick, and had lost most of his family before the Lord redeemed His suffering and blessed Him with twice what he ever had. Joseph was in prison for years before he became second in command of all of Egypt. Daniel was kidnapped and forced to work in an enemy country before he was promoted in Babylon. When the Lord saw fit to lift these men up, they knew the credit belonged to Him and only Him. Their humility was an essential factor in bringing glory to the Lord with their lives.

Today, if you feel like you are tired of always putting yourself last or wishing that the Lord would raise you up, rest in the truth of this verse. It is good to be humble and remember that your salvation--the best thing that could ever happen to you--is the result of God's great mercy. Trust that He will lift you up when the timing is right.
Yesterday's Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for saving me. Help me to never forget your great mercy and love for me. Help me to walk in humility, trusting that you know when to raise me up. I know that your timing is perfect. In Jesus's name, amen.
← View Last Verse
View Next Verse →
TheBibleAppProject.org LLC | PO Box 466, Fishkill, NY 12524