Verse of the Day
for Sunday February 7th, 2016

... the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
—Genesis 2:7

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
We are God's creation. He fashioned and formed our original ancestors out of the dust of the ground. He molded each of us and created each of us in our mother's womb (Psalm 139:13-16). Like Adam, God fills us with his breath and blesses us with life. We are his workmanship, his artistry, made to experience life in all its fullness (John 10:10) and created to do his work in our world (Ephesians 2:10).

My Prayer...
Thank you for my life, dear God. Please don't let anyone, or anything, distract my heart from honoring you. Please do not let the evil one distort my sense of being your creation. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Verse of the Day
for Monday February 8th, 2016

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast.
—Ephesians 2:8-9

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
As a child, I loved to receive gifts. In such a simple time of life, a gift meant I was loved. I didn't worry about the significance or hidden message in a gift. I wasn't concerned about the "strings attached" to the gift. It was just a gift — a free expression of love I didn't deserve, given to me by someone who truly cared for me. Isn't it great to get to be God's child and receive his gift and know we can receive it as a child?!

My Prayer...
Thank you, generous Father, for the gift of grace, the gift of faith, the gift of salvation, and most of all, the gift of Jesus. I know I can never repay these gifts, but I look forward to saying "Thank you!" through my lifestyle now and I look forward to continuing to say "Thank you!" through all eternity. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Verse of the Day
for Tuesday February 9th, 2016

"Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin!"
—Habakkuk 2:9

Thoughts on Today's Verse...
In our "dog eat dog" world, in our race to get to the top and leave all our rivals in a heap at the bottom, God tells us both "Whoa!" and "Woe!" He tells us to stop and realize that Kingdom values are different from worldly values — that there is no success without service. He also warns us that he will bring us to ruin if we ignore his values by placing ourselves above the well-being of others or pursuing our own success at the cost of our ethics.

My Prayer...
Gracious, almighty, and righteous God, please strengthen me so that I can resist the temptation to exploit, cheat, and lie to get ahead. Dear Father, I truly want to be a person of integrity, character, and blessing. Please help me to see any duplicity in my own heart and to treat others graciously, just as you have so graciously treated me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.