Your Daily Bible

Luke 13:10-17 (NLT) Jesus Heals on the Sabbath 10 One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, 11 he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” 13 Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God! 14 But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that...

Luke 10:38-42 (NLT) Jesus Visits Martha and Mary 38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help...

GOLD, FRANKINCENSE, AND MYRRH When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. —Matthew 2:10–11 God is not served by human hands as though he needed anything (Acts 17:25). The gifts of the magi are not given by way of assistance or need-meeting. It would dishonor a...

TWO KINDS OF OPPOSITION TO JESUS When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. —Matthew 2:3 Jesus is troubling to people who do not want to worship him, and he brings out opposition for those who do. This is probably not a main point in the mind of Matthew, but it is inescapable as the story goes on. In this story, there are two kinds of people who do not want to worship Jesus, the Messiah. The first kind is the people who simply do nothing about Jesus. He...

BETHLEHEM’S SUPERNATURAL STAR “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” —Matthew 2:2 Over and over the Bible baffles our curiosity about just how certain things happened. How did this “star” get the magi from the east to Jerusalem? It does not say that it led them or went before them. It only says they saw a star in the east (verse 2), and came to Jerusalem. And how did that star go before them in the little five-mile...

MESSIAH FOR THE MAGI Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” —Matthew 2:1–2 Unlike Luke, Matthew does not tell us about the shepherds coming to visit Jesus in the stable. His focus is immediately on foreigners coming from the east to worship Jesus. So Matthew portrays Jesus at the beginning and ending of his Gospel as a universal Messiah for the nations,...

NO DETOUR FROM CALVARY And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. —Luke 2:6–7 Now you would think that if God so rules the world as to use an empire-wide census to bring Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, he surely could have seen to it that a room was available in the inn. Yes, he could have. And Jesus could have been...

FOR GOD’S LITTLE PEOPLE In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. —Luke...

THE LONG-AWAITED VISITATION “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us…” —Luke 1:68–71 Notice two remarkable things from these words of Zechariah in Luke 1.First, nine months earlier, Zechariah could not believe his wife would have a...

MARY’S MAGNIFICENT GOD Luke 1:46–55 “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; he has brought down...

PREPARE THE WAY “He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.” —Luke 1:16–17 What John the Baptist did for Israel, Advent can do for us. Don’t let Christmas find you unprepared. I mean spiritually unprepared. Its joy and impact will be so much greater if you are...

Daniel had every reason to hide away and wait for exile to end, he didn’t. He had every reason to just give in and live like the Babylonians, he didn’t. Daniel had every reason to lament, to give up, to be mad at God and give in…but he didn’t instead the opposite happened….He thrived. I think Church we need to be reminded. Just like Daniel we too live in exile. This is not our home so like Daniel how can we live our lives in the midst of our culture and circumstances in a way that honors...

The Bible is not silent about the end times — that is, what will unfold on the earth shortly preceding Jesus’ return to the earth. Daniel is among the prophets who record visions of what will happen when Jesus returns. Whether we're reading the prophecies in Daniel, Matthew 25, or Revelation, the sense of chaos is dispelled by a simple repeated truth: God is in control and our ultimate victory through Jesus is assured. Even though we know how the story ends, we, like Daniel, are left with...

A recent study found that most people would rather know for certain that they are about to receive an electric shock than to not be able to predict it. This confirms what we have all probably experienced to be true in our lives. We fear the unknown and want to feel in control of our lives and circumstances. Uncertainty looks different to each of us, but it is always stressful. For some, uncertainty is trying to find a job or waiting to hear if you have been accepted into a specific college....

Do you remember where you were on 9/11? An overwhelming sense of uncertainty and fear dominated our country that day and for many more after. Church attendance spiked as people searched for a way to cope. In seasons of instability, our hearts long for a sovereign source of stability. We want answers, leadership, and clear direction. When the world is in turmoil, even those who don’t pick up a Bible on a regular basis are much more likely to listen to Scripture and pray. As Daniel gains...

We’ve all done it. A call drops, but we keep talking. Sometimes it takes a few seconds and sometimes it takes a few minutes, but eventually, we realize no one is listening. Few things can be as frustrating or make us feel as foolish as recognizing we aren’t being heard. It’s the reason we cringe when customer service transfers us for the sixth time, and it’s the reason many of us struggle with prayer. We pour our hearts out to God, but we wonder: Is God listening? How do I know He heard...

As kids, we ran to our parents’ room to escape the monsters under the bed. But what becomes our safe place as we get older? Where do you turn when you’re scared, get bad news, or your world falls apart? Some run to a friend or special place. Some try to hide by getting lost in a TV show or movie. Others numb the pain by leaning on alcohol and other substances. In Daniel 9, Daniel gets devastating news: Jerusalem, the city he loves, must lie desolate for 70 years. But instead of running...

Art galleries are full of masterpieces that began with a simple brush stroke. We stand in awe at the finished product, but rarely do we get to see the work in progress. Would we love the Mona Lisa as much if we only saw its early stages? Similar to an artist, God has a plan for us and a vision for us — His masterpieces. But often, we jump to conclusions or give up when there are still thousands of brush strokes to be made. Seeing God’s handiwork come to fruition requires patience and...

Jesus’ coming is foreshadowed throughout the Bible. In Daniel 7, Daniel’s dream gives him a glimpse at what’s to come: “the holy people of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever” (Daniel 7:18). When we ask Jesus into our lives, we become those holy people and the assurance of eternity is ours. The message of Daniel 7 is the same message we see throughout the Bible: Satan is vanquished, evil is defeated, and victory is ours in Christ. Daniel’s dream also reminds...

At the beginning of Daniel 6, things are looking great for Daniel. He becomes one of three administrators over the 120 newly appointed satraps, who were like governors. Daniel impressed the king so much the king planned to set Daniel over the whole kingdom. Enter envy. Other administrators and satraps were so envious of Daniel they tried to find dirt on him to or create a scandal that would have him removed. They were relentless in their pursuit and convinced the king to make a new rule...