Today's Reading
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Monday, June 22 : 2nd book of Kings 17,5-8.13-15a.18.
Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, occupied the whole land and attacked Samaria, which he besieged for three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and deported the Israelites to Assyria, settling them in Halah, at the Habor, a river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. This came about because the Israelites sinned against the LORD, their God, who had brought them up from the land of Egypt, from under the domination of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and because they venerated other gods. They followed the rites of the nations whom the LORD had cleared out of the way of the Israelites (and the kings of Israel whom they set up). And though the LORD warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and seer, "Give up your evil ways and keep my commandments and statutes, in accordance with the entire law which I enjoined on your fathers and which I sent you by my servants the prophets," they did not listen, but were as stiff-necked as their fathers, who had not believed in the LORD, their God. They rejected his statutes, the covenant which he had made with their fathers, and the warnings which he had given them. till, in his great anger against Israel, the LORD put them away out of his sight. Only the tribe of Judah was left.
Today's Bible Verse
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Today's Verse - Psalm 91:1
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Thoughts on Today's Verse...
We are blessed to be as close to God as his shadow and to share in the comfort of his sheltering presence. He is not far from our hearts as we choose to draw near him. Sounding very much like the beatitudes of Jesus, Isaiah shares God's promise with us:
For this is what the high and exalted One says - he who lives forever, whose name is holy: "I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite" (Isaiah 57; 15).
As we follow and obey Jesus, God - Father, Son, and Spirit - not only wants us close to him, but Jesus promises us that he will come to us in all three representations of himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He will reveal himself in us, to us, and make his home in us (John 14:15-18, 20, 23). God wants us as close to him as his shadow!My Prayer...
O great Almighty God, my tender Shepherd and Abba Father, please make your nearness known to me as you make your presence real in me. I long to live in your presence as I try to reflect your holiness and grace. By Jesus' blood, I draw near to you in full assurance of your loving presence and accompanying grace. I want to dwell in your presence and live in your shadow as I reflect your gracious compassion and holy character. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Today's "Daily Wisdom"
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James 5:19-20 - Verse for Jun. 21st
My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.
Ⓒ 1996-2026 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent.
Today's "Passion for Praise"
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I Cling to You (Jun. 21st)
I lie awake thinking of you, meditating on you through the night. Because you are my helper, I sing for joy in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your strong right hand holds me securely.
Ⓒ 1996-2026 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent.
Today's "What Jesus Did!"
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'Pedigree or Faith?' - John 8:37-40
[Continuing his reply to the Jews, Jesus said,] "Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham. And yet some of you are trying to kill me because there's no room in your hearts for my message. I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father."
"Our father is Abraham!" they declared.
"No," Jesus replied, "for if you were really the children of Abraham, you would follow his example. Instead, you are trying to kill me because I told you the truth, which I heard from God. Abraham never did such a thing."
Key Thought
What is your claim for significance? Is it your wealth, education, health, appearance, or achievement? What about your family heritage, your neighborhood, or your reputation? The thing that matters most is what you do with Jesus! What are you going to trust to make a difference in the most important part of your life, the eternal part of your life? Are you going to trust in your pedigree or in your Savior?
Today's Prayer
Father, forgive me because I have sometimes been arrogant about my achievements and self-righteous because of my religious heritage. I recognize that I find my life, my hope, my joy, and my salvation in Jesus, in whose name I offer you my life and my praise. Amen.
Related Scripture Readings
Ⓒ 1996-2026 Heartlight, Inc. This material may not be reproduced in part or whole for commercial use without written consent. What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Liturgical Holidays
Reformation day
(Saturday, 31 October 2026)
All Saints' Day
(Sunday, 01 November 2026)
All Souls' Day
(Monday, 02 November 2026)
Eternity Sunday
(Sunday, 22 November 2026)
Advent Sunday
(Sunday, 29 November 2026)
Advent (second Sunday)
(Sunday, 06 December 2026)
Advent (third Sunday)
(Sunday, 13 December 2026)
The Cure: What if God isn’t Who You Think He is and Neither are You?
This is a must-read on God’s grace and living authentically, written by John Lynch, the founder of Trufaced.The Cure gives the diagnosis of this century’s religious obsession with sin-management. It has poisoned the Church, obscuring the Original Good News and sending millions away-wounded, angry and cynical, from nearly any organized expression of faith. The Cure offers an authentic experience in Christ that frees some from a self-rewarded righteousness, and others from a beaten down striving for a righteousness they can never seem to attain. The Cure infuses a relational theology of grace and identity, which alone can heal, free and create sustainable, genuine, loving, life-giving communities.