Bible League: Living His Word Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.Christians say all the time that they want to know the Will of God. They say that if only they knew God's Will on a certain matter, then they would be willing to do it. It's easy for us to say we want God's Will, but it's not nearly as easy to put ourselves in the position where we can discern God's Will. Sometimes the Will of God stares us in the face and we are not able to recognize it for what it is. The first thing we must do in order to put ourselves in the proper position is to stop conforming to the pattern of this world. The world has its own perspectives on what everything is all about and if we have been conformed to these points of view we will not be as able to interpret what is going on in our lives as we should be. The priorities of the world are different from God's priorities. The second thing we must do in order to put ourselves in the proper position is to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. We must purge our conformity to the pattern of this world by changing our outlook on life. The best way to do this is to read the Bible. The Bible is God's Will par excellence. How can we recognize the Will of God in life if we are not familiar with the Bible? How can we recognize the Will of God if we have only been exposed to the will of the world? If we stop conforming ourselves to the pattern of this world and if we renew our minds through the Word of God, then we will be able to test and approve what God's Will is---His "good, pleasing and perfect will." We will be able to do this because we will know what to look for. The sincere person who has taken the time to change his outlook on life will be rewarded with a greater ability to discern the Will of God. Take the time today, and every day, to invest in the renewing of your mind. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJudges 18, 19 Judges 18 -- Danites Settle in Laish, Take Micah's Idols NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Judges 19 -- A Levite's Concubine Degraded NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 10:25-42 Luke 10 -- Jesus Sends out the Seventy-two; Good Samaritan; Martha and Mary's House NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Do not withhold good from those who deserve itwhen it's in your power to help them. If you can help your neighbor now, don't say, “Come back tomorrow, and then I'll help you.” Insight Delaying to do good is inconsiderate and unfair, whether it is repaying a loan, returning a tool, or fulfilling a promise. Withholding destroys trust and creates a great inconvenience. Challenge Be as eager to do good as you are to have good done to you. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 118:12 In the name of the Lord I will destroy them.Our Lord Jesus, by his death, did not purchase a right to a part of us only, but to the entire man. He contemplated in his passion the sanctification of us wholly, spirit, soul, and body; that in this triple kingdom he himself might reign supreme without a rival. It is the business of the newborn nature which God has given to the regenerate to assert the rights of the Lord Jesus Christ. My soul, so far as thou art a child of God, thou must conquer all the rest of thyself which yet remains unblest; thou must subdue all thy powers and passions to the silver sceptre of Jesus' gracious reign, and thou must never be satisfied till he who is King by purchase becomes also King by gracious coronation, and reigns in thee supreme. Seeing, then, that sin has no right to any part of us, we go about a good and lawful warfare when we seek, in the name of God, to drive it out. O my body, thou art a member of Christ: shall I tolerate thy subjection to the prince of darkness? O my soul, Christ has suffered for thy sins, and redeemed thee with his most precious blood: shall I suffer thy memory to become a storehouse of evil, or thy passions to be firebrands of iniquity? Shall I surrender my judgment to be perverted by error, or my will to be led in fetters of iniquity? No, my soul, thou art Christ's, and sin hath no right to thee. Be courageous concerning this, O Christian! be not dispirited, as though your spiritual enemies could never be destroyed. You are able to overcome them--not in your own strength--the weakest of them would be too much for you in that; but you can and shall overcome them through the blood of the Lamb. Do not ask, "How shall I dispossess them, for they are greater and mightier than I?" but go to the strong for strength, wait humbly upon God, and the mighty God of Jacob will surely come to the rescue, and you shall sing of victory through his grace. Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 9:10 And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.Jeremiah 23:6 "In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, 'The LORD our righteousness.' Psa 71:16 I will come with the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Your righteousness, Yours alone. Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O LORD, that a man's way is not in himself, Nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps. Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day. Isaiah 9:6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Ephesians 2:14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, Romans 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe. Isaiah 31:1 Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help And rely on horses, And trust in chariots because they are many And in horsemen because they are very strong, But they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD! Isaiah 31:5 Like flying birds so the LORD of hosts will protect Jerusalem. He will protect and deliver it; He will pass over and rescue it. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
Click for Video Devotionals     |