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Passage of the Day:

Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. ⁶ When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” ⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” ⁸ Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” ⁹ Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” ¹⁰ Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” ¹¹ So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives,” 1 Samuel 16:5-11.

Reflection:

Pop culture, television and secular worldviews have influenced what human beings search for in a leader. Cable news talk show hosts emphasis gravitas, the ability to be a deep thinker on many levels. Others will point to superficial features such as appearance, backgrounds like royalty or their overall stature. Apparently, even an Old Testament prophet was fooled by this worldly standard of thinking. Before anointing Israel’s next king, the Lord reveals His standard to Samuel, “what is inside their heart?”

Prayerful Action:

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. ² Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.³ For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. ⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge, Psalm 51:1-4.

Restoring Your Heart:

While Jesus urges those in attendance of His Sermon on the Mount to aim for perfection in Matthew 5:48, this is a daily goal and not reality, Romans 3:9-12. Therefore, God is looking for individuals who rebound from sinful acts in the proper manner. After the prophet Nathan confronts King David in 2 Samuel 12:7-10 about his affair with Bathsheba, David pleads with God for mercy in prayer. Errors in judgment, careless mistakes and sinful tendencies will occur in life. The key to restoring your heart is through immediate confession followed by contrite actions.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

The apostle Paul details his own struggle with sin in Romans 7. No one is immune to this spiritual battle, Galatians 5:16-17. When you do fail to keep in step with the Holy Spirit, the sooner you acknowledge this, James 5:16, the sooner your heart will be restored.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” ³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments,” Matthew 22:34-40.

Reflection:

Jesus breaks down the Ten Commandments into two categories in today’s passage. The first four commandments are centered around loving God. Meanwhile, the final six commandments are a call to act civil with our neighborhoods. As individuals learn to love God with all their heart, soul and mind, upholding the first four commandments are achievable. Likewise, learning to love your neighbor with all your heart, soul and mind results in following the Golden Rule: treating others as you want to be treated. As I give your mind a break in February, now we turn our attention to your heart, the wellspring of life. 

Prayerful Action:

My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. ²¹ Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; ²² for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. ²³ Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it, Proverbs 4:20-23.

Restoring Your Heart:

The term extra grace people refer to individuals who are difficult to love. Meanwhile, when a relationship ends abruptly or is broken, human hearts can become crushed, Psalm 34:18. These are just two of many scenarios where hearts need to be healed and restored. When you open your heart to someone by becoming vulnerable, there’s always a chance for heart break. At your weakest point, this is when you need to put your heart, soul and mind into your efforts to get better.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

The lyrics of the attached song reference Psalm 103:8-12. If you need a good cry, read the full passage then close your eyes as your listen to Listen to Our Heart. May this song begin to refresh your heart this February as you live in a broken and dark world.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, ² then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. ³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. ⁵ In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: ⁶ Who, being in very nature^[a] God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; ⁷ rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant, being made in human likeness. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! – Philippians 2:1-8

Reflection:

In this day of social media, many of these sites encourage participants to express through pictures, posts and videos, “look at me, look at me.” This is the exact opposite of how Jesus would think today. According to the apostle Paul, Jesus was a humble servant of God. Despite being the Son of God, Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament prophecy in Genesis 3:15. This is a thought that entered Jesus’ mind in Matthew 26:38-44 while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. If Jesus was alive today, His thoughts would still be centered around God’s will being done.

Prayerful Action:

Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax^[a] to Caesar or not?” ¹⁸ But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? ¹⁹ Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, ²⁰ and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” ²¹ “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s,” Matthew 22:17-21.

Renewing Your Mind:

Jesus’ response in the passage above highlights how He would think if alive today. Jesus makes a clear distinction between God and the world. Taxes belong to the one whose image is on a bill or coin. However, give to God, what belongs to the Lord. This includes gifts and talents that you have received from the Lord, 1 Corinthians 12:7. Meanwhile, Jesus’ time of prayer in Mark 1:35-38 illustrates where Jesus’ thoughts would be focused on: going and meeting people in need.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

Luke 15 provides three parables that reveal the extent of God’s love. Whether you’ve lost a sentimental coin, a pet or waiting for a prodigal child to return home, Jesus’ thoughts are centered around a labor of love.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, ¹¹ and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. ¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus, Philippians 3:10-14.

Reflection:

The apostle Paul highlights the mindset that spiritual giants possess. Paul isn’t content with what God allowed him to accomplish yesterday. Rather, Paul is pressing on to forward thinking, claiming the words he wrote in Philippians 1:6 for his own life. The closer Christians get to discerning and understanding God’s will for your life, Romans 12:1-2, the more natural spiritual forward thinking becomes.

Prayerful Action:

I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴ In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus, Philippians 1:3-6.

Renewing Your Mind:

If you are a perfectionist, it may be hard to forgive yourself for making a past error, mistake or transgression. This is when you need to recall promises in the Bible like Lamentations 3:23-24 as the Lord’s compassion is new every day. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us, Romans 5:8. As Christian minds press on to forward thinking, the Holy Spirit will begin to provide glimpses in the form of vision of the good works God is calling you to do in the future.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path, Psalm 119:105. May you rely on the Bible to be your source of inspiration for forward thinking.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. ²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

Reflection:

Unless you are exercising or playing a sport, running isn’t something you do for fun. Yet, as a former Cross Country runner, jogging can be a spiritual experience. When you add music to this activity, running can help clear your mind and draw you closer to the Lord. The apostle Paul is writing a letter to the Church in Corinth which hosted a major Track and Field Meet in the non- Olympic years. While normally in the stands watching, Paul invites Christians in Corinth to start running with God spiritually.

Prayerful Action:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, Hebrews 12:1.

Renewing Your Mind:

As a college student, I used running to take a break from studying. From anywhere between 15-30 minutes, my mind was rejuvenated by the music I had playing on my headphones. Rather than become overwhelmed about my upcoming test or the paper I needed to write, running with Christian music became a refreshing weekly habit. Yet, when you slow down to pray and study the Bible, the Holy Spirit can give you a personal plan how to spiritually run with God, Galatians 5:25.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

The lyrics of the attached song by Sixteen Cities serves as a prayer for learning how to run with God. As 2024 continues to move on into February in a few day, seize each moment that you have to run with God spiritually.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. ¹⁵ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. ¹⁹ Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. ²⁰ Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. ²¹ To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²² Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches,” Revelation 3:14-22.

Reflection:

As January quickly comes to a close in a few days, this is when many people often give up hope of changing for the better in 2024. Or if you’re already failed to uphold your New Year Resolutions, you’re probably thinking, “what’s the point?” Perhaps, these thoughts of doubt are merely a sign of spirits of apathy and complacency? Whatever the reason, maintaining a consistent level of faith in 2024 requires a spiritual desire and drive.

Prayerful Action:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own, Matthew 6:33-34.

Renewing Your Mind:

According to the disciple John, one of three members of Jesus’ inner circle, members of the Church of Laodicea developed some bad spiritual habits. Laodiceans began to place other things in their lives above God, limiting their time spent in Bible Study and prayer. Subtle daily choices slowly led many church members to possess a lukewarm faith, as their internal fire for God became dim. John’s letter to the Church at Laodicea served as a wakeup call to come alive spiritually.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

One of my spiritual mentors in college compared a lukewarm spirit to taking a spit bath. Rather than meditating and reflecting upon words from the Bible, Joshua 1:8, some Christians treat time with God as merely part of their daily to do list. You can’t expect spiritual transformation if you’re not willing to bathe your mind daily into God’s Word. May the attached song help spark and ignite a fresh fire for God today.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

Now when I went to Troas to preach the gospel of Christ and found that the Lord had opened a door for me, ¹³ I still had no peace of mind, because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said goodbye to them and went on to Macedonia. ¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. ¹⁵ For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ¹⁶ To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task? ¹⁷ Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as those sent from God, 2 Corinthians 2:12-17.

Reflection:

Initially, I was going to address impatience, but frustration is one of those feelings that is often ignited by a lack of patience. The apostle Paul was a missionary, receiving this calling along with Barnabas in Acts 13:2. If you have ever served the Lord in any compacity within a church, things rarely move at your desired pace as obstacles always seem to slow down spiritual progress. As Paul was searching for an important team member, he left Troas frustrated, moving on to Macedonia without Titus. Frustration is conceived when you don’t receive what you ask God for in prayer.

Prayerful Action:

What do workers gain from their toil? ¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet^[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end, Ecclesiastes 3:9-11.

Renewing Your Mind:

Most Christians confuse wants with needs. There are things that I really wanted for Christmas, but I don’t need them to be happy or survive. According to one of Jesus’ disciples, when your priorities aren’t in the right place or order, frustration will continue to escalate. However, as believers in God start to hunger and thirst for that which is eternal, Matthew 6:33, everything else into life will fall into place. Therefore, if you truly want to overcome frustration in 2024, set your mind on the eternal, Colossians 3:1-3, and God will take care of the rest.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

The most productive means of coping with frustration is wrestling with God in prayer, Ephesians 6:12-15. While waiting for answers to prayers may add to your frustration, God will make everything beautiful in His time.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. ⁴ As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶ After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. ⁸ His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹ Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” ¹⁰ “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.  ¹¹ He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” ¹² “Where is this man?” they asked him,“I don’t know,” he said, John 9:1-12.

Reflection:

Whenever individuals are born with a severe defect or endure a major medical emergency, it’s not uncommon for some to believe that God is somehow punishing you with this infliction. This is why the disciples ask Jesus a question at the beginning of this passage. Did this blind man’s father or mother sin? Or did karma come to pay back this blind man what he deserved? Once you overcome this initial ungodly belief, turn your attention toward the real culprit, overcoming doubt.

Prayerful Action:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, James 1:5-7.

Renewing Your Mind:

I lost a losing battle to stuttering for over two decades before finally making progress. The man in today’s featured had never seen what he looks like nor any image of the earth. At some point in life, doubt creeps in by planting subtle lies within your mind like “I’ll never be able to express myself or never be able to see.” The opposite of doubt is believing that God has the power to change your situation. Healing comes as minds begin to expect a movement of the Holy Spirit to do something supernatural. Overcoming doubt begins by reading the promises of God from the Bible and claiming these for your own personal life in prayer.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

During my final season coaching Little League baseball, 10–12-year-old boys, this team started the season losing ten straight games. Before my players took the field, doubt and losing consumed their thoughts. Before we won our first game of the season, I played the attached song during a practice. The chorus compares ones and zeros on earth to “the beautiful incomplete.” May this song help you realize that doubt is merely a stage in life that you go through until the power of the Holy Spirit gives you the confidence to finally overcome doubt.

by Jay Mankus

Passage of the Day:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it, Romans 7:15-20.

Reflection:

Whether you decided to eat right, exercise daily or read the Bible every day in 2024, you understand what it means to not fulfill your plans for the day. While it’s good to have a day of rest from time to time, most people waste their days off by watching television or playing video games. Rather than seize each day by living life to the max, human nature tends to make people comfortably numb.

Prayerful Actions:

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever^[c] you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law, Galatians 5:16-18.

Renewing Your Mind:

When my three children were 9, 6, and 3, our family spent a month traveling the country with the climax at the Grand Canyon. Rather than be distracted by electronics or television, we spent time outside with each other daily. This one trip altered the course of my life spiritually, breaking many bad habits that I was unable to stop doing prior to this vacation. Although I didn’t experience a spiritual awakening, God’s power slowly erased harmful practices from my life, 2 Timothy 1:7.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

Any type of addiction has a way of snuffing the joy out of life, John 10:10. While this post may find you wresting with your flesh in one way or another, may the power of the Holy Spirit give you what need to experience freedom in Christ, 2 Peter 1:3-4.

by Jay Mankus