Daily Word Capsule

DATE - June 30th, 2022 TOPIC - The Spirit of Praise BIBLE TEXT - Let them all praise the name of the Lord. For his name is very great; his glory towers over the earth and heaven! - Psalm 148:13 This psalm is an expression of corporate praise at its highest: angels, stars and skies, mountains and hills, wild animals, kings and rulers, all people everywhere, even old men and children—all are commanded to praise the name of the Lord. Why? Because each of these are expressions of his grandeur and glory! Because every created thing in heaven and on earth exists because God spoke them into existence and sustains them by the word of his power!  This is the spirit of praise that we will all be ushered into when every knee will bow at Christ’s second coming. That is a wondrous thought, but this psalm is also a call to us today to get caught up in the spirit of praise, which is continually going on in heaven. Read this psalm aloud to God and ask the Spirit to give you great freedo

DATE - June 29th, 2022 TOPIC - What God Delights In BIBLE TEXT - The strength of a horse does not impress him; how puny in his sight is the strength of a man. Rather, the Lord’s delight is in those who honor him, those who put their hope in his unfailing love. - Psalm 147:10-11 In this psalm we discover an important secret about relating to the Lord. Our great and mighty God, who has absolute power over everything in heaven and on earth, is not impressed with powerful people. Those who are strong and mighty in their own strength don’t get God’s attention. Instead, it is the brokenhearted and humble he notices and supports (Psalm 147:3,6). He chooses to work not through those who are strong but through those who are weak. And most of all, we don’t earn his approval by being great or strong. He delights in those who reverently honor him and put their hope and trust in his unfailing love and mercy, not in their own ability. Today, if you’ve put your hope in anyone or anythi

DATE - June 28, 2022 TOPIC - A God Who Rescues BIBLE TEXT - Jehoahaz prayed for the Lord’s help, and the Lord heard his prayer. The Lord could see how terribly the king of Aram was oppressing Israel. So the Lord raised up a deliverer to rescue the Israelites from the tyranny of the Arameans. Then Israel lived in safety again as they had in former days. - 2 Kings 13:4-5 Jehoahaz, king of Israel, lived an evil life. He committed all the sins of Jeroboam and continued leading the nation into the sin of idolatry. So the Lord had turned the people of Israel over to be oppressed by the Arameans. But even though Jehoahaz had been a failure and disobedient to God as a king, when he sought the Lord’s help, God heard. And seeing the terrible oppression Israel was living under, he intervened. He raised up a deliverer and savior (a foreshadowing of Christ), one who rescued them from tyranny, and Israel once again lived in safety and peace. If God will do this for an evil king and an

DATE - June 27th, 2022 TOPIC - All about God BIBLE TEXT - Bless the Lord, who is my rock. He gives me strength for war and skill for battle. He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my deliverer. He stands before me as a shield, and I take refuge in him. - Psalm 144:1-2 As humans, we just naturally tend to be self-absorbed, so it is easy to get things all turned around and think that the Christian life is all about me—all about my disciplines and my effort, all about my problems and what I can do to solve them. But this wonderful psalm is one that pulls us back to the center, back to the truth: it’s all about God, not about me! It’s about God’s strength and skill, not my puny efforts. It’s about God’s shelter and deliverance and protection, not my efforts to watch out for myself.  As we use these verses to praise the Lord who is our rock, our loving ally, our fortress and tower of safety, our deliverer and shield, we will find our rest and refuge in him

DATE - June 25th, 2022 TOPIC - The Power of Praise BIBLE TEXT - Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! - Acts 16:25-26 Paul and Silas’s praise lifted their eyes from their dire circumstances in a filthy prison to the God who was able to deliver them. They had been stripped and beaten and then thrown into the inner prison with their feet fastened into stocks. It would have been natural for these two disciples to be fearful or to just give up. But instead, they prayed and sang hymns to God! The other prisoners heard their praise—the throne of God heard their worship. The Lord delivered them with a mighty earthquake that rocked the prison to its core, causing the doors to open and the prisoners’ chains to fall off. Are you shaken by your own circumstan

DATE - June 24th, 2022 TOPIC - God’s Strength Is Greater BIBLE TEXT - “Ah, my lord, what will we do now?” [Elisha’s servant] cried out to Elisha. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!” The Lord opened his servant’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. - 2 Kings 6:15-17 The Aramean army was advancing. Enemy horses, troops, and chariots were everywhere, surrounding the city with the express purpose of seizing Elisha. No wonder his servant was petrified when he woke up to the sight of a massive army bearing down on them. When the servant cried out to his master, Elisha shared how he perceived in spirit the might of the Lord, which was far greater than the forces opposing them. And when Elisha prayed for God to open his servant’s eyes so that he, too, can see what Elisha has seen, immediately he

DATE - June 23rd, 2022 TOPIC - A God We Can Count On BIBLE TEXT - O Lord, I am calling to you. Please hurry! Listen when I cry to you for help! . . . Take control of what I say, O Lord, and keep my lips sealed. Don’t let me lust for evil things; don’t let me participate in acts of wickedness. Don’t let me share in the delicacies of those who do evil. - Psalm 141:1-4 In this psalm David not only called on the Lord for protection from the enemies that were hunting him down; he also cried out to God and counted on him to do a deep work within his own heart. He needed God to set a guard over his lips and prevent wrong speech, to preserve his heart, to deliver him from lust and evil desires that would lead to wicked acts, and to so work within David that he would welcome reproof from godly people.  He knew he couldn’t depend on his flesh and human effort. They are too weak and too easily led astray. He relied instead on God’s heart-changing power to be at work within him. As

DATE - June 22nd, 2022 TOPIC - Leaving the Carnal Way BIBLE TEXT - 1 Corinthians 3:3-5 KJV [3] For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?  [4] For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?  [5] Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? As children of God we should be kingdom minded by putting our hearts to doing the will of God and our minds to knowing and understanding God's Word. In ancient times, many years ago several things which usually happened to the gentiles (unbelievers) started reflecting in the church. The works of the flesh (Galatians 5:17-21) became eminent, things such as envying, unnecessary struggling and quarrels, divisions and segregations were seen right in the church.  Paul the Apostle of Christ saw these corruption that pollutes the way of truth and taught the

DATE - June 21th, 2022 TOPIC - Appointed to Eternal Life BIBLE TEXT - [The Lord said,] “I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth. ” When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were appointed to eternal life became believers. - Acts 13:47-48  When we read this verse, we are reminded that there are people all around us whom God is pursuing. It may be the teenager down the street, a lonely co-worker, a weary single parent, or even someone standing next to you in line at the bank. The world is full of men and women who have been crying out to God in the quiet desperation of their hearts or in the darkness of a long night. God has been working in their lives and stirring a desire for him. He wants to use us to be a light to them and bring them the good news of hope in Jesus Christ. Ask that His Spirit would show you those in your neighborhood or workplace who need t

DATE - June 20th, 2022 TOPIC - Important Ministry BIBLE TEXT - One day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work I have for them.” So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way. - Acts 13:2-3 Many of us get so enthusiastically wrapped up in the work of the Lord that we forget the God we serve. So busy do we become in ministering to others that we don’t take time to minister to the Lord himself. But as the account in today’s verses shows, the Holy Spirit’s divine direction to send out Paul and Barnabas to spread the gospel in Asia Minor came to men who were worshiping and fasting. Ministering to the Lord bears deeply significant fruit in our lives as well. Perhaps today you have a full schedule of activities and responsibilities: tasks you need to perform and deadlines you need to meet, children who need your care, people who need ministry or enc

DATE - June 18th, 2022 TOPIC - Wonder-Working Power BIBLE TEXT - [Herod] arrested Peter during the Passover celebration and imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. . . . But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. - Acts 12:3-5 If any story in the New Testament shows the power of corporate prayer, the account of Peter’s dramatic release from prison does! While he was clamped down in chains and surrounded by guards to prevent his escape, the believers who were assembled at John Mark’s house prayed fervently and persistently for him. They didn’t expect, however, God’s miraculous deliverance to come so fast or in such an amazing way. In fact, so incredulous were they when he appeared to Rhoda at the door, that they thought it must be Peter’s angel and initially didn’t even let him in. Do you know people who are held captive in a prison of their own making? a situation in your own life that needs fervent

DATE - June 17th, 2022 TOPIC - A God Who Acts BIBLE TEXT - [Elijah prayed,] “O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the ditch! And when the people saw it, they fell on their faces and cried out, “The Lord is God! The Lord is God!” - 1 Kings 18:37-39 At the showdown at Mount Carmel, Elijah pitted the Baal gods against the Lord God, and no matter what the 450 prophets of Baal did—dance wildly, cut themselves, and shout for hours for Baal to answer—there was “no reply, no voice, no answer” (v. 29). But when Elijah placed himself before the Lord and did what God showed him to do by rebuilding the altar and praying, God heard and answered in a mighty way. He revealed himself by sending fire from heaven that consumed the sacrifice

DATE - June 16th, 2022 TOPIC - Giving Thanks for God’s Provision BIBLE TEXT - She did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her son continued to eat from her supply of flour and oil for many days. For no matter how much they used, there was always enough left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah. - 1 Kings 17:15-16 The adventures of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath in 1 Kings 17 show us that God is a God who cares for our physical needs, who keeps his promises, and whose provision is always sufficient. God had sent ravens with bread and meat to Elijah to sustain him, but eventually Cherith Brook had dried up so there was no water, and severe famine had ravaged the land. The widow to whom God sent Elijah also faced desperate and uncertain times. She had no bread and was down to her last handful of flour and a bit of oil. But God wasn’t panicked.  He had a plan and gave Elijah and the woman instructions that would lead not just to survival for

DATE - June 15th, 2022 TOPIC - Tuning In to God BIBLE TEXT - The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the city, Peter went up to the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, and he was hungry. But while lunch was being prepared, he fell into a trance. - Acts 10:9-10 God never stops communicating His will to His people, and in this particular situation, He had a historic, world-changing message for Peter and the apostles—a message that would extend God’s kingdom to the Gentiles and ultimately, to all the nations of the earth. Peter received this revelation because he was in the habit of setting aside time to seek God.  He was a busy leader with huge ministry responsibilities, and yet he found time to pray. As Peter was in a position of prayer, he was able to hear the Lord’s voice and agenda: God revealed in a vision that the Good News of Jesus Christ was not just for the Jews but for all people who would believe in his name. Who knows what God will reveal in our t

DATE - June 14th, 2022 TOPIC - Barnabas, an Encourager BIBLE TEXT - When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. . . . Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus. Barnabas also told them what the Lord had said to Saul and how he boldly preached in the name of Jesus in Damascus. - Acts 9:26-27 Barnabas had the God-given ability to see and understand what the Lord was doing around him. Just as Joshua and Caleb saw the potential in the land God had promised to give to his people, Barnabas saw with spiritual eyes something of God’s potential in Saul, a former enemy who had zealously persecuted believers before he met Christ on the road to Damascus. When the other believers feared Saul, rejected his ministry, and pointed their fingers at him, Barnabas spoke up in Saul’s defense and declared what God had deposited in him.  He continued to be a peacemaker and

DATE - June 13th, 2022 TOPIC - Freshly Turning to the Lord BIBLE TEXT - Thus, Solomon did what was evil in the Lord’s sight; he refused to follow the Lord completely. . . . The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. - 1 Kings 11:6, 9 When we reflect on the marvelous interaction Solomon had with God, the great gifts God had given him and the great deeds described in previous chapters, this passage is sobering indeed. It reminds us that if a man as wise as Solomon can turn his heart away from God, then we, too, are vulnerable. Just as Solomon’s devotion was turned from the one true God to false gods through the women he loved, our hearts’ focus can be diverted from Jesus by things in this world that distract us, entrap us, and constantly vie for our attention.  Yet we don’t have to live in fear that we’ll fail as Solomon did because God never calls us to live more than one day at a ti

DATE - June 11th, 2022 TOPIC - God Fulfills His Plan BIBLE TEXT - Praise the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the wonderful promises he gave through his servant Moses. May the Lord our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never forsake us. May he give us the desire to do his will in everything and to obey all the commands, laws, and regulations that he gave our ancestors. - 1 Kings 8:56-58 As we read of God’s faithfulness fulfilled in the events of this chapter, these words of Solomon spring forth from our hearts as well: “Praise the Lord who has given rest to his people Israel, just as he promised!” When the ark of the covenant came to rest in its place between the wings of the cherubim, signifying the completion of the temple in which God would dwell, “a cloud filled the Temple of the Lord” (v. 10). God’s presence was so glorious that the priests couldn’t continue their work but could only

DATE - June 10th, 2022 TOPIC - A Prayer for Families BIBLE TEXT - How happy are those who fear the Lord—all who follow his ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How happy you will be! How rich your life! Your wife will be like a fruitful vine, flourishing within your home. And look at all those children! There they sit around your table as vigorous and healthy as young olive trees. . . . May you live to enjoy your grandchildren. - Psalm 128:1-3, 6 These verses paint a picture of a godly family living under the Lord’s authority and protection: parents who follow his ways and fear God, a wife who flourishes, children growing up with hope and promise for the future. History shows that when there is peace and order in families, that peace ripples out to the church, the city, the state, and the nation. Unfortunately, this isn’t the picture of most homes today. Instead, families are disintegrating on every side; children are troubled; the culture is in a downward moral

DATE - June 9th, 2022 TOPIC - Unless the Lord Builds . . . BIBLE TEXT - Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is useless. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones. - Psalm 127:1-2 This psalm has great application for our ordinary, daily lives. Building a house is symbolic of a task, an enterprise, a career or job. It’s what we do when we get up every Monday morning. Solomon, the psalmist, says that if we try to build, work, or guard our “territory” without God as the foundation, all of our efforts are useless and in vain. The blessing of the Lord comes as we use the talents and skills God has given us and trust and rely on him for the outcome. Then our effort won’t be in vain; it will bear fruit and blessing—including the blessing of rest. What is your “building project,

DATE - June 8th, 2022 TOPIC - Giving Ourselves to Prayer BIBLE TEXT - [The apostles said,] “Then we can spend our time in prayer and preaching and teaching the word.” - Acts 6:4 With such rapid growth in the numbers of believers, hard feelings and dissension were on the rise in the early church. So the disciples put their heads together and realized that they needed to spend their time and effort teaching and preaching the Word of God and giving themselves to prayer instead of administering a food program or judging disputes. So they did what wise and responsible leaders do: they settled on their highest priority and then delegated remaining important tasks to others. A certain missionary and minister compared the great time, effort, and diligence it takes for a farmer to bring forth a good harvest with the need for us to put time, effort, and diligence into prayer. Rather than relegate it to a tiny segment in our Day-Timers, we need to cultivate an ongoing, wholehearted

DATE - June 7th, 2022 TOPIC - True Security BIBLE TEXT - Those who trust in the Lord are as secure as Mount Zion; they will not be defeated but will endure forever. Just as the mountains surround and protect Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds and protects his people, both now and forever. - Psalm 125:1-2 What does it mean to trust the Lord? It means looking to him as the source of our security and putting our faith in the grace, love, power, and protection of God when the inevitable pressures of life come. It means knowing as the psalmist did that as the mountains surround and protect the city of Jerusalem, God himself surrounds and shields his people. When we trust the Lord, we don’t have to focus on the wicked and what they are doing or might do to us. We don’t have to rehash our own woes.  Even though there are problems the size of mountains facing us, we can cry out to the Lord who created the mountains and is able to move them. As we focus on him and his truth, he wil

DATE - June 6th, 2022 TOPIC - Watching Our Words BIBLE TEXT - Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. Proverbs 16:24 Oh, the power and force of our words! They can be a soothing balm or a sword that cuts painfully. They can either build others up or tear them down. This proverb calls us to stop and think before we speak and to choose our words wisely so that they will bring health rather than hurt. Just as honey is a life-producing substance, a universal medicine that brings health and energy to the body and sweetness to food, words of kindness are sweet gifts to their hearers.   Kind words can bring healing to relationships; even when they are few, they can powerfully encourage others and infuse them with hope while soothing their fear and pain. Gracious words actually promote positive energy and health in their hearers so that they can do their best. Ask God to fill you with kind and nourishing words for all the people you encounter each da

DATE - June 4, 2022 TOPIC - Prayer for an Outpouring BIBLE TEXT - On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus’ resurrection, the believers were meeting together in one place. Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. - Acts 2:1-2 It had been seven long weeks of persevering prayer since Jesus had told the apostles to remain in Jerusalem until the Father sent the promised Holy Spirit. The uproar in the city concerning Jesus was increasing, and the pressures were mounting for Christ’s followers—even their lives were in jeopardy. Yet they didn’t frantically run around Jerusalem seeking help. They didn’t start a new building program or hire a church- growth consultant in an attempt to increase their numbers.  Instead, they stayed continually in the upstairs room in unified, wholehearted, fervent prayer. It was the plan and purpose of God to pour out his Spirit,

DATE - June 2nd, 2022 TOPIC - A Different Way BIBLE TEXT - At dawn the disciples saw Jesus standing on the beach, but they couldn’t see who he was. He called out, “Friends, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get plenty of fish!” So they did, and they couldn’t draw in the net because there were so many fish in it. - John 21:4-6 When Jesus saw that the disciples had fished all night and caught nothing, he was interested in what they were doing. He didn’t say, “Stop fishing. Give up. Go home. Try again tomorrow!” Instead, he showed them a different way to go about their pursuit. He gave them a course correction: throw their nets on the other side of the boat. The disciples may have thought, It’s all the same water. How much difference can that make? But when they followed the new directions Jesus had given them, the nets could hardly hold the bountiful yield. Perhaps you’ve been wor