Daily Bible Verse On Goodness

 

1 Thessalonians 5:15
See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good for one another and for all.

The book of 1 Thessalonians was written by the apostle St.Paul to the Christian community in Thessalonica, a city in ancient Macedonia. The purpose of the letter was to provide encouragement, instruction, and clarification on various matters related to Christian living and the second coming of Jesus Christ.

In the preceding verses, St.Paul addresses various aspects of Christian conduct, emphasizing the importance of living a holy and blameless life, staying alert and sober in anticipation of Christ's return, and treating one another with love and respect.

Let's look at the context of 1 Thessalonians 5:15 in verses 12-15:

"12 But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. 14 And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone."

In this context, St.Paul is addressing the relationships within the Christian community. He encourages them to:

    Respect and esteem their leaders who are working hard for the Lord's purposes.
    Live in harmony and peace with one another.
    Support and help those who are struggling or in need.
    Be patient and understanding with each other.

In verse 15, St.Paul emphasizes a key principle of Christian ethics: not retaliating with evil when someone does wrong. Instead, Christians are urged to respond with goodness and love. The principle is not limited to interactions within the Christian community but extends to all people ("to one another and to everyone"). This aligns with Jesus' teaching of loving one's enemies and praying for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44).

The message is clear: Christians should refrain from seeking revenge or repaying evil with evil. Instead, they should be proactive in doing good to one another and to everyone they encounter. By responding to evil with goodness, Christians can be a positive influence in the world and demonstrate the transformative power of Christ's love.

1 Thessalonians 5:15 encourages Christians to live peacefully, support one another, and respond to evil with good. It's a call to foster an atmosphere of love, grace, and understanding within the Christian community and in their interactions with people outside the faith.

Daily Bible Verse On Prayer

 

2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

In 2 Chronicles 6, King Solomon had just finished building the magnificent temple in Jerusalem, which was to be the central place of worship for the Israelites. After the completion of the temple, Solomon gathered the people of Israel for a special dedication ceremony. During this event, he offered a prayer to God, which is recorded in 2 Chronicles 6:12-42. In this prayer, Solomon acknowledges God's greatness and prays for His blessings, guidance, and forgiveness for the people.

Verse 2 Chronicles 7:1 tells us that after Solomon's prayer, the glory of the Lord filled the temple, signifying God's presence and approval of the place of worship. God then appeared to Solomon during the night and gave him a response in 2 Chronicles 7:12-22.

Within God's response to Solomon, 2 Chronicles 7:14 stands out as a powerful message of hope and repentance. The verse outlines a conditional promise made by God to the people of Israel, emphasizing the actions they must take to receive God's favor and blessings.

    "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves": The first condition is humility. God requires His people to recognize their dependence on Him and submit themselves before His sovereignty. This involves acknowledging their sins and weaknesses, realizing their need for God's mercy and guidance.

    "Pray and seek my face": The second condition is prayer and seeking God's face. This signifies the importance of maintaining a close relationship with God through prayer, worship, and seeking His will and direction in their lives.

    "Turn from their wicked ways": The third condition involves repentance and turning away from sin. God requires His people to forsake their wickedness and actively pursue a righteous and God-honoring life.

The verse then goes on to state the promise God makes to His people if they fulfill these conditions:

    "Then I will hear from heaven": God assures that He will pay attention to their prayers and cries for help.

    "Will forgive their sin": God promises to extend His forgiveness to those who genuinely repent and turn away from their sinful ways.

    "And will heal their land": Finally, God pledges to bring healing and restoration to their nation, both spiritually and physically.

While this verse was initially spoken to the people of Israel, its principles of humility, prayer, seeking God's face, and repentance apply to all people who seek a relationship with God. It emphasizes the importance of personal responsibility and accountability before God and the need for genuine repentance to experience God's forgiveness and healing.

2 Chronicles 7:14 is a powerful call to humility, prayer, seeking God, and repentance, with the assurance that God will respond with forgiveness and restoration to those who follow these steps.

Daily Bible Verse On Love

 

Luke 6:35
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

In Luke 6:27-36, Jesus is teaching a crowd of his disciples and followers about the principles of love and kindness. He begins by instructing them to love their enemies, bless those who curse them, and pray for those who mistreat them. Jesus emphasizes that this kind of love should extend beyond one's friends and family, reaching even those who may be considered enemies or opponents.

Luke 6:35, is a continuation of this teaching. Jesus encourages his followers to not only love their enemies but also to do good to them and lend to them without expecting anything in return. This instruction challenges the prevailing societal norms of reciprocity, where people typically help others with the expectation of receiving something in return.

Jesus then explains the reason behind this radical command to love and do good even to those who are unthankful or evil. He says that by doing so, his followers will be imitating God, who is kind and gracious even to those who do not deserve it. Jesus refers to God as the "Most High," emphasizing God's supreme authority and divine nature.

The phrase "and your reward will be great" suggests that those who practice such selfless love will be blessed by God. This reward may not necessarily be material or immediate, but rather it refers to the spiritual blessings and favor that come from aligning one's life with God's values. Additionally, Jesus mentions that by loving their enemies, his followers will be recognized as children of the Most High, indicating their status as children of God and their resemblance to the character of God Himself.

Luke 6:35 encourages believers to love their enemies, do good, and lend without expecting anything in return. It highlights the radical nature of Jesus' teaching, urging his followers to imitate God's kindness towards those who may not deserve it. The promised reward is not based on earthly gain but rather on the spiritual blessings and identification as children of God.

Daily Bible Verse On The Lords Harvest

 

Matthew 9:37
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few.

Matthew 9:37 is part of a larger passage in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus is instructing and commissioning his disciples for ministry. To understand the verse fully, let's look at the context starting from verse 35:

"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.'"

In this passage, Jesus is actively involved in teaching, preaching, and healing throughout various towns and villages. As he observed the crowds, he felt compassion for them because they were lost and in need of guidance, like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus recognized the spiritual hunger and openness of the people to hear the message of the kingdom of God. He saw the great potential for a spiritual harvest, representing people who were ready to receive the good news and be transformed by it.

When Jesus says, "The harvest is plentiful," he means that there are many people who are ready to respond to the message of the kingdom of God, to be saved and become followers of Jesus. However, Jesus also acknowledges that "the laborers are few." In other words, there are not enough workers or disciples actively engaged in sharing the message and bringing people into the kingdom.

By saying this, Jesus is highlighting the need for more people to join in the work of spreading the good news and ministering to those in need. He wants his disciples to understand the urgency and the vastness of the task ahead. Jesus instructs them to pray to the "Lord of the harvest" (referring to God) to send out more workers into the harvest field, indicating the need for more people to join in the mission.

This passage serves as a call to action for Jesus' disciples and for all believers throughout history. It emphasizes the importance of actively participating in sharing the gospel, bringing healing and restoration to people's lives, and leading them to a relationship with God. It reminds us that there is a great need for laborers in the kingdom, and we should pray and be willing to respond to that need by engaging in God's work of reaching out to others with compassion and love.