ALL of MATTHEW -J.Vernon Mcgee l Thru the Bible Class

“The weekday Thru the Bible program takes the listener through the entire Bible in just five years, threading back and forth between the Old and New Testaments. It  starts over again with Genesis after the conclusion of Revelation. So one can “get aboard the Bible bus” at any time. If you stay with it for five years you won’t miss any part of the Bible.”

“There is no substitute for a study of the Word of God to make one a full-grown saint of God, well oriented for the great adventure of life. This is a proven method of encouraging people to study the Bible systematically. All great spiritual movements among the people of God have come about through a revival of Bible study. It will make you an intelligent Christian (1 Peter 3:15). It will make you an instructed Christian (2 Timothy 3:16,17). It will make you an informed Christian (John 7:17). “

Recently, I rediscovered the broadcast on a new radio station here in Nashville.

Dr. McGee is genuine old school. He makes it real and tells it like it is.  His perspective explains the big picture, connecting the themes of scripture and the ways of God. His insights and wisdom are still relevant today.

...

"How Should We Then Live?" l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

How Should We Then Live? 

Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness…? —2 Peter 3:11

In light of the fact that the material universe will one day pass away completely, how should I then live?

 Only a fool would put all of their time, value, and energy into things that are purely material, things destined to burn. 

Paul wrote, "We don't look at the things which we can see because those are temporal, but we look at the things which we cannot see because they are eternal." 

If I count my wealth and my treasure by my material possessions, when all of these things are destroyed, I will have absolutely nothing. So what manner of persons ought we to be?

 In verse 14, Peter says, "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless." 

We're to live a life devoted to the things of the Spirit. We are to be diligent in our walk with the Lord, living in harmony and peace with the will of God, living without spot, and blameless. 

If the Lord should come today, would you be ready to meet Him? 

Amos cried out, "Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!" (Amos 4:12). Take stock of your life. Are you at peace with God, living in harmony with Him, busy about the work of the kingdom? 

Have you resolved the issues in your life? 

If you can't answer yes to these questions, start today. 

Ready your heart.

 Father, we thank You for the hope of the kingdom of God. We pray that when You come, You will find us as faithful servants, doing Your will. 

In Jesus' name, amen.

"The Good Life" l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

The Good Life 

He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. —1 Peter 3:10-11 

According to Peter, if you want the good life, here are the rules: 

Rule number one: keep your tongue from evil. 

Gossip is pure evil. There is nothing loving or productive about gossip. It brings only harm. 

Rule number two: keep your lips from speaking guile.

 In other words, don't be deceitful in your speech. Deceitful speech twists or omits the truth. It is speech which exploits terminology. Those who are deceitful in their speech soon lose credibility and trust.

Obey God and He will shower you with joy, happiness, peace, and prosperity. 

Rule number three: flee that which is evil. 

Not only must we avoid evil, we need to seek that which is good. 

As Paul wrote to the Ephesians, "Put off…the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts…put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Ephesians 4:22, 24). 

Paul then gave specific examples. They weren't just to stop lying, they were to start telling the truth. They weren't just to stop stealing, they were to get jobs so they could help those in need. 

They weren't just to stop slandering, they were to edify one another with their words. Avoiding evil means choosing what is good. And what is the result of following these rules? 

Only blessing. 

Father, we thank You for loving us so much that You desire to bless us. Help us to obey the rules You have established for good living. 

In Jesus' name, amen.

"More Precious Than Gold " l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

From Darkness to Light 

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light… —1 Peter 2:9 

God intended that Israel would be an example to the world of the blessings He would bestow upon those who made Him their God. He chose Israel to be His light to the world. But the Jews forsook God's ways and followed after other gods. 

They did not bring the light of God to the world but rather, gloried in the fact that God had chosen them. The blessings God offered Israel have now been offered to you, the church. 

We are His royal priesthood, and just as the priest's job was to bring the people to God and God to the people, our job is to represent God to the world. 

We are to let our light shine so that all those living in darkness will find their way to Him. God has called us out of darkness and into the light, so we are to declare His praises to those watching our lives and wondering about our strength, our hope, our joy. Jesus declared Himself to be "the light of the world" (John 8:12). 

And He has made us to be "the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14). 

We are to be His ambassadors and His witnesses. What a blessing it is to belong to the Father of lights! And what a privilege it is to testify of His goodness to a world so desperate for love and forgiveness. 

Father, may we indeed let our light so shine that when men see the good works You produce in us, they will glorify You. Amen.

. 

"More Precious Than Gold " l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

More Precious Than Gold 

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ… —1 Peter 1:6-7 

When we are going through trials, God does not deny us our natural emotions. For a season, we grieve. For a short time, we experience the heaviness of our disappointment, our sorrow. 

But when that season of mourning is over, we do something odd in the eyes of the world: we rejoice. We can do so only because we have the glorious promises of God. Even though we feel burdened, even though we have suffered loss or experienced pain, our souls are able to rejoice.

God will continue to remove the imperfections within us until He can look at us and see His reflection. Peter wrote that the genuineness of your faith is much more precious than gold. Gold is known as one of the precious metals, but it is going to perish eventually. And just as the goldsmith heats the gold until all the dross is burned away and it becomes so pure he can see his reflection, so too, God lights a fire under our faith. 

He allows trials to break the dross in our life and cause it to come to the surface. That is the point at which we will be purified. Remember: trials mature our faith. May we not resist the purifying work of God, but rejoice. Father, thank You for the testing of our faith, and for the fiery trials which You bring to mature and purify us. In Jesus' name, amen.

"Looking for His Coming" l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

Looking for His Coming

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. —James 5:7 

Jesus is coming again—not as a babe in a manger, but as the King of kings and the Lord of Lords. 

He is coming to reign in righteousness over the earth. And He's coming quickly. 

Three times in the last chapter of the Bible, Jesus used the word "quickly" to describe His coming. "Quickly." 

That is what He said. But 2,000 years have passed and He hasn't yet come. For that reason, people often scoff at talk of His return. Peter wrote about those scoffers in chapter 3 of his second book, and then explained, "But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish" (2 Peter 3:8-9). 

The Lord has a good reason for delaying His return. 

James tell us that God is waiting for the perfect fruit of harvest and has long patience towards it.

 I was hoping that the Lord would come back in 1978, but I am very glad He didn't. Just think where some of you would be today if He had. 

He is waiting for more. I imagine that He is as anxious to take us home as we are to go, but He is giving others an opportunity to become a part of His family. 

Wait patiently and establish your heart, because the Lord is coming quickly.

Father, thank You for the glorious hope of the coming again of Jesus Christ. In the meantime, please give us patience as we wait. In Jesus' name, amen.

"The Testing of Our Faith" l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

The Testing of Our Faith 

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. —James 1:2-3 

When the space shuttle was being built, NASA knew that as it re-entered the earth's atmosphere, it would be exposed to extreme heat and pressure. 

To withstand that stress, they designed special heat-resistant tiles to protect the shuttle, but they couldn't send the shuttle off without first putting the tiles through extreme tests. 

Those tests were not designed to destroy the tiles but to prove their strength. In the same way, God designs tests for us—tests that prove His strength, His faithfulness. 

Each test demonstrates God's character more clearly for us. 

Each test help us to rely on Jesus just a little bit more. It is not easy to feel joyful during a trial, but this Scripture tells us we need to do so. 

The joy comes from looking beyond the testing to the fruit it will bear. Paul said, "We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:3-4). 

God wants to bring you into a spiritual maturity and into a deeper relationship with Himself.

So the next time you find yourself going through a heavy testing, count it all joy. 

Realize you are getting closer to the purposes of God being accomplished in you. Father, we pray that You will help us to rejoice in our tribulations. 

Lord, help us to look beyond the present adverse circumstances to the fruit of righteousness that will come in our lives as the result of our being proved faithful. 

In Jesus' name, amen.

"An Inescapable Appointment" l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

An Inescapable Appointment 

And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment… —Hebrews 9:27

 Even as death is inescapable, so is the judgment of God. When we cease to live in this body and we meet God at our death, our eternal destiny will be determined at that time. 

He is a holy, righteous, and true God, and only those who are holy and righteous will be allowed to share eternity with Him. Men would like to live as though no judgment awaited them. 

The unbeliever would like to think he will never be required to answer to God for the way he lived his life. But those who believe such things will be surprised. Because life is unfair, we need a future judgment. 

Evil men often prosper in this life, while the righteous suffer persecution. Many people have gotten away with their evil deeds. For there to be equity, there must be a future justice in which these people pay for the evil they have done.

John said, "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God" (1 John 5:13). 

Are you ready for your appointment with God? Do you know for certain that you will spend eternity in the kingdom of heaven? 

Lord, we pray for those today who are living in uncertainty about the future. We ask that Your Spirit will grab hold of their hearts and cause them to be ready when that appointment arrives. 

In Jesus' name, 

amen.

"Not Written on Stone" l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

Not Written on Stone 

For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. —Hebrews 8:10

Because He desired a relationship with His people, God established a covenant with the children of Israel. It was a wonderful, rich covenant—and it failed. 

God kept His part of the bargain, but man did not keep his. So it became necessary for God to establish a new covenant, which He brought through His Son. God gives us a new covenant—a will that desires to please Him, to serve Him, and to obey Him.

At the Last Supper with His disciples there in the upper room, Jesus "took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.' 

Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you'" (Luke 22:19-20). 

The rules of this new covenant, given in that upper room, are not written externally on tables of stone; they are written in our heart. 

What a blessed covenant, what a magnificent truth: God writes His laws on our hearts, and then motivates and empowers us to keep them. How great is our God! 

Father, keep us completely dependent upon You for the strength and the desire to obey Your laws. We thank You that the covenant between us is not dependent upon us, but upon You. We love You, Lord. Amen.

"To the Uttermost " l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

To the Uttermost 

Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. —Hebrews 7:25 

The phrase "He is able to save to the uttermost" carries some broad ramifications, and tells us much about the length and breadth of God's power. We learn that: He saves from all people groups—God's salvation is inclusive. 

He is able to save people of all nations, races, and ethnic groups. 

No matter who you are or where you are from, you can be saved through our great High Priest, Jesus Christ. You need salvation. Jesus is able to save you. He saves the worst of sinners—no matter how horrible your life has been or how evil your behavior, you are not beyond the reach of God's forgiveness and grace. Little sinner, big sinner, it doesn't matter. 

He is big enough to save you. 

He saves from extreme circumstances—whether you find yourself tossed in a lion's den, thrown into a fiery furnace, abandoned in prison, floating in the ocean, hauled before hostile magistrates, or exiled on an island—God is able to deliver you. 

He may have you in that circumstance for a specific reason; He may choose to leave you in that situation for a time. But don't ever doubt His ability to rescue you. He is the God who has the power to shut the lion's mouth, walk with you in the furnace, spring open the prison door, snatch you from the deep, conquer your enemies, and deliver you from exile. 

He is the God who saves from the uttermost. Father, we acknowledge Your majesty—Your power, strength, wisdom, and justice. 

We are so grateful that we belong to You. Thank You that You went the uttermost distance to save us. 

Amen.

"The Power of the Word " l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

The Power of the Word 

The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. —Hebrews 4:12 

Up until the Romans developed the two-edged sword, they had fought all their battles with a single-edged sword. Two edges enabled them to swing both ways and cut from both directions. With this secret weapon, the Roman legions were able to conquer the world. 

It is through the Word of God that I gain truth about God—and about myself.

The Word of God is sharper than a two-edged sword, sharp enough to cut between the soul and the spirit. Man is a three-fold being—body, soul and spirit—yet we are so integrated that it is next to impossible to thoroughly separate the three. Many people go to church and have a highly emotional experience, but it doesn't touch their spirit, and they leave unchanged. 

Experience doesn't change a man nor does it minister to his spirit. It takes the Word of God to do that. 

The Word of God is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. So often we ourselves don't know our own heart. Why did I do that? What were my real intentions? Motives are often disguised. What may appear to be a wonderful gesture may have an improper motive behind it—the motive of self-glory or recognition. That is why the Word of God is so important to us, because it reveals the true motives of our hearts. 

Father, we thank You for Your Word. Give us a hunger to read it and meditate upon it. 

Amen.

"Living and Powerful" l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

Living and Powerful

The Word of God is living and powerful… —Hebrews 4:12a

 Seeds are alive. Because of the unique DNA embedded within seeds, each one is capable of reproducing itself, whether it be from a tree, a vine, or a plant. 

In Luke 8, when Jesus gave the parable of a man who sowed seed on four different types of soil, He said, "Now the seed is the Word of God." 

This means that when you take in the Word of God, it plants itself in your heart and begins to transform you. 

God's Word begins to change you—from the inside out—into the image of Jesus. 

Then the writer of Hebrews said, "It is powerful." And it is. The power of God's Word is awesome. In Psalm 33:6 we read, "By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all of the host of them by the breath of His mouth." Think of that—the whole, vast universe was made by the word of the Lord, by just the breath of His mouth. 

We read in Genesis, "Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light." 

God created all we see and know by the power of His Word. 

The power of God's Word is evident in the lives it has transformed. People who were once society's castoffs—men and women who were looked upon as hopeless and worthless—have been changed and healed by the power of God's Word. 

By simply taking it in and meditating on the truths of Scripture, depression has been lifted, hearts have been mended, minds have been transformed, and lives have been changed—forever.

Lord, move us to study Your powerful, living Word that it might work in us a glorious transformation. 

Amen.

"The Deceitfulness of Sin" l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

The Deceitfulness of Sin 

But exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today," lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. —Hebrews 3:13 

Sin is deceitful—wickedly deceitful. On the surface, sin looks to be pleasurable, but the Bible warns us that, "There is a way that seems right to man, but its end is the way of death" (Proverbs 16:25). 

Sin justifies itself. You have heard those justifications. "Times have changed; everyone is doing it." "I'm only human." "Just one time can't hurt you." "I can't help it, God made me this way." 

Being hardened by sin, you find yourself doing things that you once swore you would never do.Sin deceives you by hardening you. If you embrace anything long enough, you begin to accept it. 

The solution to sin's deceitfulness is to surround yourself with other believers, true friends who will warn you when you are going astray. "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Proverbs 27:6).

 Peer pressure can be a positive thing when those peers love the Lord and are intent on serving Him. 

If the Spirit of God has been speaking to your heart about a sin you have allowed in your life, it is so important that you let it go this moment. Don't wait until tomorrow or next week. Don't wait for a more convenient time. Remember: sin is deceitful. 

If you let it, sin will harden your heart against God. 

Father, help us to listen to Your Word and heed it, lest our hearts be hardened through sin's deceitfulness. 

Help us to forsake the path of sin and to walk in the ways of righteousness. 

Amen.

"Entering God's Rest" l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

Entering God's Rest

 So I swore in My wrath, 

"They shall not enter My rest." —Hebrews 3:11

The writer of Hebrews is quoting from Psalm 95 concerning the day when the people failed to enter the Promised Land, failed to experience the peace and abundance God wanted to give them. 

God has promised us rest. 

Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). 

When you receive Jesus as your Savior, one of the first experiences you have is deep peace. 

Having surrendered, you are no longer fighting against God. 

Unbelief can keep you from enjoying the rich, full life that God wants you to experience in Christ. God wants you to have a beautiful, placid, unperturbed life—a life of peace and rest. 

Yet, how few of God's people really know and experience that perfect peace that passes understanding. 

Perhaps that is because we don't believe His promise. Like the children of Israel, we let the giants in life keep us from taking all that God wants to give us. 

Many of you are still in the wilderness in your Christian experience; you still struggle with the flesh and you're not gaining ground or conquering anything. 

You are not living a victorious Christian life. 

In our unbelief, we don't trust Him to do the things He promised He would do. 

God is saying, "You have been in the wilderness long enough. It's time to move into the Promised Land. It is time to go in and conquer the land." 

Take the victories that God has for you and begin to experience the richness and the fullness of life in Jesus Christ. 

Experience His rest. 

Lord, may we follow You into that place of victory. 

In Jesus' name, amen.

"Drifting " l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

Drifting 

Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. —Hebrews 2:1

Hebrews was written to warn those Jews drifting back into Judaism that the old ways were not the answer, because now we have God's final revelation through His Son. The word "therefore" refers back to the previous chapter which discussed how in times past, God spoke to the fathers by the prophets. 

The writer then said that in these last days God spoke through a more direct revelation—He spoke through His Son, Jesus. 

So we must heed the things we have heard from the lips of Jesus. To not heed the word of Jesus is to put yourself at risk of drifting away. 

What did Jesus say? 

He said, "If you want to enter heaven, you must be born again" (John 3:3). He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man can come to the Father, but by Me" (John 14:6). He said that He "did not come into this world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:17).

 He said, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

 Drifting is a slow, imperceptive process. 

The only way to know you are drifting is to have a stationary frame of reference. 

As you see yourself moving from that stationary point, you then realize you are drifting. 

Keep your eyes on the anchor, Jesus Christ. 

Heed His words. 

He will be your stationary reference. He will keep you from drifting. 

Father, we are prone to wander from You. Keep us close. Anchor us in Your truth. 

In Jesus' name, amen.

"The Blessed Hope" l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

The Blessed Hope 

Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ… —Titus 2:13 

The believer's hope is eternal life with God. For us, death is not the end; it is simply a metamorphosis. It is merely a change of body.

 But if your hope isn't in Jesus Christ for eternal life, then as Paul said, you are "without Christ…having no hope and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12).

 If you don't have Christ, then you don't have God… and you don't have hope. 

We believers hope not only for eternal life, but we also look for the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ. He promised that He would come again.

 He said to His disciples, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also" (John 14:1-3). 

And so we wait in hope for the glorious appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus gave us many signs of His return, things we could watch for so we knew it was close. Our hopes rise as we look around the world today and see that all those conditions are present—everything the Bible said would take place prior to that day. 

The darker the world becomes, the brighter the hope is for the child of God. Father, we thank You that in a world darkened by despair and hopelessness, we have a glorious hope that sustains us. 

In Jesus' name, amen.

"Justified " l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

November 14

Justified 

That having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life. —Titus 3:7 

Through mercy God forgives you of your sins. But by grace He justifies you, and that means He has dismissed the charges against you. He has wiped the slate clean. "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1).

 Because you have received Jesus Christ as your Lord, as God looks at you today He sees you as absolutely innocent. So where justice is getting what we deserve, and mercy is not getting what we deserve, grace is getting what we don't deserve. Being justified by His grace, I am now God's child. I don't deserve God's love. 

I don't deserve the total blotting out of my sins, or eternal life in His kingdom. But those are things that God gives to me because of the justification that came through His grace. I deserve death; through grace God gives me life. I deserve hell; through grace God opens heaven's doors to me. As His child, I become an heir of God. 

The world has many millionaires, and even billionaires. But the wealth accumulated by those people is absolutely nothing compared with God's riches. We who belong to God are richer than the richest people on earth, because the eternal glory of God's kingdom belongs to us.

 In the endless ages to come, we who are God's children will enjoy the riches of the kingdom, the beauty of His presence, the majesty of His love, and the comfort of His grace and mercy—forever. 

Father, thank You that by Your grace You have wiped the slate clean. Oh, how happy we are because of Your grace towards us! In Jesus' name, amen.

"Profession vs. Practice " l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

November 12

Profession vs. Practice 

They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. —Titus 1:16

A lot of people think that because they say, "Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep," then that means they know God. But that is a false sense of security if you are not living the way you should be. 

As Jesus said, "Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). Which do you think God is most interested in—profession or practice? John the Baptist said, "Bear fruits worthy of repentance" (Luke 3:8). In other words, "Let your life be consistent with your words." It is one thing to know of God, and quite another thing to know God. 

To say that you believe in God is not enough; you must follow your words with a life that is consistent with God. Words are meaningless. You can say anything at all. 

But how are you living?

Paul encourages us to examine ourselves, for he said, "If we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged" (1 Corinthians 11:31). 

Is it possible that you are one of those who Paul was speaking about—those who are in the church and who profess to know God, but who actually deny Him by their works? 

Have you allowed other gods to supersede your love for Him? Is He really first in your life? Don't just profess your faith—practice it as well. 

Lord, show me if in my work I am denying You. Show me if there is an inconsistency between my profession and my practice. 

Help me, Lord, to know and serve You in truth. 

In Jesus' name, amen.

"The Lord Stood with Me" l School of the Bible l Wisdom for Today l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

November 11 

The Lord Stood with Me 

But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. —2 Timothy 4:17

At Paul's first trial before Nero, things looked so dark that all of his companions forsook him. 

"At my first defense no one stood with me," he said, "but all forsook me" (2 Timothy 4:16). 

How horrible it feels to be abandoned. 

The Bible says that "a friend loves at all times" (Proverbs 17:17), but too often we discover that what we thought to be true friends were really only acquaintances. 

Though all others may leave you, Jesus will always stand with you. 

The Lord will not forsake His people. 

As David said, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me" (Psalm 23:4). 

As long as I know the Lord is standing with me, I can face the trials of tomorrow and the uncertainties of the future. 

Today you might feel like Paul—deserted, standing alone, and facing an unknown future. 

On this dark night, you can be certain that Jesus stands with you. "Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:20). 

He said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). As someone once said, "I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow, and I know Who holds my hand." 

He will stand with me and see me through. Father, we thank You that we have such wonderful assurance that You will be with us. Hold us up, Lord, when we think we can't take any more. Hold us with Your right hand. In Jesus' name, amen.

"Inspired by God" l School of the Bible l Wisdom for Today l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

"True Riches" l School of the Bible l Wisdom for Today l Utah VidDevo l VidDevoChurch

True Riches

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. —1 Timothy 6:6 

People often say, "Oh, if only I won the lottery!" 

But you might be surprised. 

Studies have shown that quite frequently, those giant jackpots mess up the winners' lives. 

They go from being happy-go-lucky to being anxious. 

Though they thought the money would bring them great happiness, in many cases it only brought sorrow. 

Men scrape and sweat to build their wealth, but in the day of judgment those riches will be of no value, because you can't buy God off. 

True riches, however, are eternal. 

They last forever; nothing can diminish them. 

You can be poor in this world and yet be an heir of the kingdom of God. 

Earthly riches are a complete sham. Jeremiah said, 

"Thus says the Lord: 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight'" (Jeremiah 9:23-24). 

"I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content," Paul said. "I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need" (Philippians 4:11-12). 

Instead of striving to accumulate more, let's learn the value of contentment. 

Father, we thank You that You have offered us such vast riches. 

Teach us what it is to be content with what You have given us. 

In Jesus' name, amen.