Word For Today: Hidden in My Heart

Read: Psalm 119:9-16

I have hidden your word in my heart. Psalm 119:11

I’m getting used to reading digital magazines, and I feel good that I’m saving trees. Plus, I don’t have to wait for the magazines to come in the mail. I do, however, miss the print editions because I like to run my fingers through the glossy pages and cut out my favorite recipes.

I also have a digital edition of the Bible on my reading device. But I still have my favorite printed Bible—the one I have underlined and read many times. We don’t know the future of the printed page, but one thing we do know: The best place for God’s Word is not on our cell phones, electronic reading devices, or bedside table.

In Psalm 119 we read about treasuring the Scriptures in our hearts: “I have hidden your word in my heart” (v. 11). Nothing compares to pondering God’s Word, learning more of Him, and putting it into practice in our daily lives. The best place for His Word lies deep in our souls.

We may have many excuses for not reading, meditating, or memorizing, but we need God’s Word. I pray that God will help us store His Word in the best place possible—our hearts.

Lord, give me the desire to read Your Word. Then implant it in my heart and thoughts and help me live it out.

The best place for God’s Word is our hearts.

INSIGHT:

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible, celebrating God’s law and its importance. Today’s passage is one of the most well known in Scripture. Verse 11 is often quoted and memorized and spells out the outcome of knowing the Bible: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Having knowledge about God is not enough. Knowing and meditating on God’s law is what leads to changed behavior.

--J.R. Hudberg

Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 9–11; 1 Timothy 6

By Keila Ochoa 

Word For Today: Behind the Scenes

Read: John 3:22-31

He must become greater; I must become less. John 3:30

The outreach activities of our church culminated with a city-wide service. As the team that had organized and led the events—comprised of our youth music group, counselors, and church leaders—walked onto the stage, we all excitedly applauded and poured out our appreciation for their hard work.

One man, however, was hardly noticeable, yet he was the leader of the team. When I saw him a few days later, I thanked and congratulated him for his work and said, “We hardly noticed you during the program.”

“I like to work in the background,” he said. He was not concerned with getting recognition for himself. It was time for those who did the work to receive appreciation.

His quiet demeanor was an entire sermon to me. It was a reminder that when serving the Lord, I need not seek to be recognized. I can give honor to God whether or not I’m openly appreciated by others. A Christ-first attitude can subdue any petty jealousies or unhealthy competition.

Jesus, who is “above all” (John 3:31), “must become greater; I must become less” (v.30). When we have this attitude, we will seek the progress of God’s work. It is Christ, not us, who should be the focus of all we do.

Jesus, be the center of my thoughts, desires, and actions. Control me and use me.

The spotlight is the place for Christ.

INSIGHT:

John 3 focuses on three important personalities. The early portion of the chapter describes Nicodemus, one of the leading teachers of Israel, coming to Jesus by night to dialogue with Him about things Nicodemus admittedly did not understand (vv. 1-21). The second part of the chapter focuses on John the Baptist and his statements exalting Jesus as the great Bridegroom (vv. 22-36). Central to both of these accounts is the third and most significant person in the chapter, Christ Himself—the mystery Nicodemus couldn’t unravel and the wonder John praised. 

-- Bill Crowder

Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 6–8 and 1 Timothy 5

By Lawrence Darmani 

Word For Today: Becoming Invisible

Read: Exodus 2:11-22

 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Where I live, this is the time of year when plants defy death by remaining underground until it is safe to come out again. Before the snow comes and the ground freezes, they let go of their beautiful blooms and retreat to a place where they can rest and save energy for the next growing season. Contrary to the way it looks, they are not dead; they are dormant. When the snow melts and the ground thaws, they will again lift their heads toward heaven, greeting their Creator with brilliant colors and sweet fragrances.

The seasons of life require that we sometimes enter a period of dormancy. We are not dead, but we may feel we’ve become invisible. During such times we may feel useless, and we may wonder whether God will ever use us again. But periods like this are for our protection and preparation. When the time is right and the conditions are safe, God will call us once again to service and worship.

Moses experienced a period of time like this. After killing an Egyptian who harmed a fellow Hebrew, Moses had to flee for his life to the distant land of the Midianites (Ex. 2:11-22). There, God protected him and prepared him for the biggest assignment of his life (3:10).

So be encouraged. We are never invisible to God.

Savior, like a shepherd lead us, much we need Thy tender care; in Thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use Thy folds prepare. Dorothy A. Thrupp

No one is invisible to God.

INSIGHT:

Although Moses was “educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians” (Acts 7:22), he did not forget that he was a Hebrew (Ex. 2:11; Heb. 11:24-26). In those crucial formative years as a child, Moses was raised as a Jew by Jochebed, his own mother (Ex. 2:7-10; Num. 26:59). Sim Kay Tee

Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 3–5; 1 Timothy 4

By Julie Ackerman Link

Word For Today: For This I Have Jesus

Read: Isaiah 49:13-20 

The Lord comforts his people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones. Isaiah 49:13

There is rarely a problem-free season in our lives, but sometimes the onslaught is terrifying.

Rose saw her entire family, except for her two little daughters, slaughtered in the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. Now she is a widow among many widows with little money. But she refuses to be defeated. She has adopted two orphans and simply trusts God to provide for the food and school fees for her family of five. She translates Christian literature into the local language and organizes an annual conference for other widows. Rose wept as she told me her story. But for every problem in her life she has one simple remedy. “For this,” she said, “I have Jesus.”

God knows exactly what you are facing today. Isaiah reminds us that God’s knowledge of us is so intimate that it is as if our names were written on the palms of His hands (Isa. 49:16). We may sometimes neglect the needs of others, even those who are closest to us, but God is aware of every detail of our lives. And He has given us His Spirit to guide, to comfort, and to strengthen us.

Think of the challenges you face at this moment, and then write these words beside each one as a reminder of His faithfulness and care: “For this, I have Jesus.”

Thank You, Jesus, for being near to me right now. I’m grateful for Your faithfulness.

Life takes on perspective in the light of Christ.

INSIGHT:

The book of Isaiah is a book of extremes. In chapters 1–2 Isaiah describes how far away from God the people of Israel have wandered. In chapter 3 he warns of the punishment and judgment that is coming because of their sin and disobedience. Later he discusses God’s provision to bring them back to Himself (ch. 4) and how much they will flourish despite the current and coming disasters (ch. 49). In God’s eyes there is always hope for redemption, restoration, and blessing. J.R. Hudberg

Bible in a Year: Jeremiah 1–2; 1 Timothy 3

By Marion Stroud

Word For Today: The Joy of Your Presence

Read: Psalm 145:1-18 

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods. Psalm 96:4

“Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever,” says the Westminster Catechism. Much of Scripture calls for joyful gratitude and adoration of the living God. When we honor God, we celebrate Him as the Source from which all goodness flows.

When we praise God from our heart we find ourselves in that joyful state for which we were created. Just as a beautiful sunset or a peaceful pastoral scene points to the majesty of the Creator, so worship draws us into a close spiritual union with Him. The psalmist says, “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise . . . . The Lord is near to all who call on him” (Ps. 145:3,18).

God does not need our praise, but we need to praise God. By basking in His presence we drink in the joy of His infinite love and rejoice in the One who came to redeem and restore us. “In your presence there is fullness of joy,” the psalmist says. “At your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Ps. 16:11 esv).

Dear Lord, You are the great and mighty God, the Creator of the universe. I will praise Your name always. There is no God besides You.

Worship is a heart overflowing with praise to God.

INSIGHT:

Psalm 145 is a declaration of David’s praise. While some psalms recall God’s past deliverances, this psalm focuses entirely on God’s help in the present. 

-- Bill Crowder

Bible in a Year: Isaiah 65–66; 1 Timothy 2

By Dennis Fisher 

Word For Today: Pride At The Core

Read: Ezra 9:1-9 

Ezra . . . was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses. Ezra 7:6

“He thinks he’s really something!” That was my friend’s assessment of a fellow Christian we knew. We thought we saw in him a spirit of pride. We were saddened when we learned that he soon was caught in some serious misdeeds. By elevating himself, he had found nothing but trouble. We realized that could happen to us as well.

It can be easy to minimize the terrible sin of pride in our own hearts. The more we learn and the more success we enjoy, the more likely we are to think we’re “really something.” Pride is at the core of our nature.

#Humility lets us trust in the goodness of our forgiving God.

In Scripture, Ezra is described as “a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses” (Ezra 7:6). King Artaxerxes appointed him to lead an expedition of Hebrew exiles back to Jerusalem. Ezra could have been a prime candidate to succumb to the sin of pride. Yet he didn’t. Ezra didn’t only know God’s law; he lived it.

After his arrival in Jerusalem, Ezra learned that Jewish men had married women who served other gods, defying God’s express directions (9:1-2). He tore his clothes in grief and prayed in heartfelt repentance (vv. 5-15). A higher purpose guided Ezra’s knowledge and position: his love for God and for His people. He prayed, “Here we are before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence” (v. 15).

Ezra understood the scope of their sins. But in humility he repented and trusted in the goodness of our forgiving God.

Lord, fill us with such a love for You that we think first of what will please You, not ourselves. Free us from the subtle captivity of our own pride.

Pride leads to every other vice: It is the complete anti-God state of mind. C. S. Lewis

Bible in a Year: Isaiah 62–64; 1 Timothy 1

By Tim Gustafson

Word For Today: An Inside View

Read: 1 Samuel 16:1-7 

The Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Retired physicist Arie van’t Riet creates works of art in an unusual way. He arranges plants and deceased animals in various compositions and then x-rays them. He scans the developed x-rays into a computer and then adds color to certain parts of his pictures. His artwork reveals the inner complexity of flowers, fish, birds, reptiles, and monkeys.

An inside view of something is often more fascinating and more significant than an exterior view. At first glance, Samuel thought Eliab looked like he could be Israel’s next king (1 Sam. 16:6). But God warned Samuel not to look at Eliab’s physical traits. He told Samuel, “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (v. 7). God chose David, instead of Eliab, to be Israel’s next king.

When God looks at us, He is more interested in our hearts than our height, the state of our soul than the structure of our face. He doesn’t see us as too old, too young, too small, or too big. He zeroes in on the things that matter—our response to His love for us and our concern for other people (Matt. 22:37-39). Second Chronicles 6:30 says that God alone knows the human heart. When the God who has done so much for us looks at our heart, what does He see?

Dear God, help me to value what You value. As I follow Your example, I pray that You will be pleased with what You see in my heart.

The true measure of a person is what’s in the heart.

INSIGHT:

David is often used as an example of the best and the worst of human behavior. Even though his sins are recorded in the pages of Scripture, the final verdict on his life is that he was a man “after God’s own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22). What we often miss is the reason that he is given this high acclaim. David’s nearness to the heart of God is reflected most by his repentance after he sinned. Acknowledging that God’s way is right (exemplified in the act of repentance) is the clearest demonstration of love for Him. J.R. Hudberg

Bible in a Year: Isaiah 59–61; 2 Thessalonians 3

By Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Singer Emma Nyra Shares Loving Message from Dad on Instagram

Singer Emma Nyra took to her Instagram page to share a message her dad sent. She tagged it ...

"I Love My daddy for loving me and continuously supporting me. No greater love than the love of my parents. Family over everything"

Indeed, a father is a girl's first love... we always get mushy when we hear from our dads...
See her post below:

I Love My daddy for loving me and continuously supporting me. No greater love than the love of my parents. Family over everything~

A photo posted by Emma Nyra (@emmanyra) on Oct 18, 2015 at 10:01pm PDT

... but hey, no greater love, than the love of God!

KCEE Surprises Couple with Free Performance on their Wedding Day

Popular Nigerian singer and Limpopo crooner recently surprised huge fans of his, by performing for free at their wedding. For the newly weds, it was a dream come true.

The couple Kelechukwu Gloria & Chiediebere Livinus couldn't contain their joy, when KCEE showed up, uninvited and performed for free at their wedding. The couple are die hard fans of KCEE and had in the past, been known to always request for his songs to be played, whenever they hung out at a spot where DJ Skilo played.

According to KCEE, his friend DJ Skilo told him the couple wished they could have him perform at their wedding, and that is why he decided to surprise them, for free. He also said it's a medium to show appreciation to his fans.

See his post below on Instagram:

 

Nice One KCEE, we hope other entertainers would do this from time to time, just to acknowledge their fans.

80-year Old woman arrested in Edo for Selling Cartridges

Suspects

Madam Comfort Izeomwen an 80-year old woman in Edo state has been arrested by the Edo State police Command for selling live cartridges. She and 71 other suspects were arrested following the arrest of her alleged accomplice, Stella Omobude 48, who was caught with 32 live cartridges by the police.

The Edo State commissioner, Chris Ezike said that based on credible information, the security operatives raided the Evbueren fillage along Benin/Auchi road, and arrested the suspect major suspect Stella.

When interviewed by journalists at the command headquarters, the elderly woman confessed to having sold each cartridge to her customers at the rate of N250, and said that was what she did for a living, but pointed out that she only sold the cartridges, without knowing what her customers used them for.

Word For Today: Waiting for An Answer

Read: Psalm 9:1-10

Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

When our daughter was 15, she ran away. She was gone more than 3 weeks. Those were the longest 3 weeks of our lives. We looked everywhere for her and sought help from law enforcement and friends. During those desperate days, my wife and I learned the importance of waiting on God in prayer. We had come to the end of our strength and resources. We had to rely on God.

It was on a Father’s Day that we found her. We were in a restaurant parking lot, on our way to dinner, when the phone rang. A waitress at another restaurant had spotted her. Our daughter was only three blocks away. We soon had her home, safe and sound.

Waiting on God is never easy, but no matter the end result, it is always worth it. 

We have to wait on God when we pray. We may not know how or when He will answer, but we can put our hearts constantly before Him in prayer. Sometimes the answers to our prayers don’t come when we would hope. Things may even go from bad to worse. But we have to persevere, keep believing, and keep asking.

Waiting is never easy, but the end result, whatever it is, will be worth it. David put it this way: “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you” (Ps. 9:10). Keep seeking. Keep trusting. Keep asking. Keep praying.

What’s on your heart that you need to talk to God about today? Will you trust Him and keep praying?

Time spent in prayer is always time well spent.

INSIGHT:

Psalm 9 is a song of David that captures the stress and pressure he was under at the time he composed it. While we are not given the specific incidents that triggered the writing of these words, we can feel the heat of the trials he was experiencing. In the first section of the song (vv. 1-12), David is praising God for His rescue and protection. These are words of faith directed to the listener of the song. The second half of the psalm (vv. 13-20), however, shows a heart filled with fear and speaks directly to God Himself. Bill Crowder

Bible in a Year: Isaiah 56–58; 2 Thessalonians 2

By James Banks

Lovelyn & Andrew's Happily Ever After... One Year Down, Forever to Go

 

Today 18th October, makes it one year since these lovelies said their vows before God and man. I am so happy for them I can confidently say it's been a year of loving, laughter and triumph.

She always has something to say about how good he's been to her. From their wonderful honeymoon, to her surprise birthday party and all the little surprises in-between, she couldn't ask for anything better! 

I look at them and say "Lorddddddd, I tap into this anointing" lol

OK, don't let me say too much! Enjoy the lovely photos from their pre-wedding till date. 

People say the first years are always the most difficult, but with these two, it's been blissful. She has never stopped singing his praises. 

Groom flanked by his mum and mother-in-law

Groom flanked by his parents

Bride flanked by her mum and mother-in-law

Bride's father

Groom's father

bride's mother

Bride in one of her outfits for the day

The look of love

Pre-wedding

Lest I forget, It's also his birthday today!

Happy birthday dearest brother inlaw, and happy 1st anniversary to you guys. May God continually bless and increase you, may he reward you a thousand fold for the smiles you constantly put on my sister's face and for showing her the true meaning of love. May you both continue to grow in love and devotion to each other, in Jesus' name, Amen.

See more photos below

honeymooning