July 1 Psalm 118:1-4
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Let the congregation of Israel repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.” Let Aaron’s descendants, the priests, repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.” Let all who fear the LORD repeat: “His faithful love endures forever.”
GRATITUDE
Gratitude is a key element in our relationship with the Lord. I can do nothing. Jesus is Lord and in Him I have all things. The trouble in our journey begins when we begin to think we can do it.
July 2 Psalm 118:5
In my distress I prayed to the LORD, and the LORD answered me and rescued me.
RESCUE
Satan is our adversary. The enemy is seeking whom he might devour. When we face problems we have a savior. We cannot stand against the wiles of Satan and we need rescuing. Jesus is able.
July 3 Psalm 118:6-7
The LORD is for me, so I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? Yes, the LORD is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
FEAR
Fear destroys us. It grabs our sanity and causes us to do foolish things. In Jesus we do not have to fear. In Jesus we have what we need for living courageously. When Jesus reigns in our heart fear is kicked out.
July 4 Psalm 118:8-13
It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in people. It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in princes. Though hostile nations surrounded me, I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD. Yes, they surrounded and attacked me, but I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD. They swarmed around me like bees; they blazed against me like a roaring flame. But I destroyed them all in the name of the LORD. You did your best to kill me, O my enemy, but the LORD helped me.
HELP
Call upon Jesus to help you and He will meet your need. When troubles come call upon Jesus. We grow in Christ by giving Him every aspect of our lives. Trust in the Lord and you will never be disappointed.
July 5 Psalm 118:14-18
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my victory. Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things! The strong right arm of the LORD is raised in triumph. The strong right arm of the LORD has done glorious things! I will not die, but I will live to tell what the LORD has done. The LORD has punished me severely, but he has not handed me over to death.
VICTORY
Victory is a fact that we can live with every day. We are not pleading or scrambling to live a victorious life. Living in Christ is the victorious life. Victory is mine because I belong to the one who is the victory-Jesus Christ.
July 6 Psalm 118:19-20
Open for me the gates where the righteous enter and I will go in and thank the LORD. Those gates lead to the presence of the LORD, and the godly enter there.
ENTRY
We who are in Christ have the privilege of entry into the presence of the Lord. We are given this right by Jesus. Great problem then talk with the Lord. Small problem then take it to the Father. We have a relationship with the Lord and as a result of this relationship we have friendship with God.
July 7 Psalm 118:21-23
I thank you for answering my prayer and saving me! The stone rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous to see.
ANSWERS
Jesus answers our prayers. The problem is not the answer the problem is our knowledge. Now we know only a little but one day we will have full knowledge. Dealing with life is a dynamic, interactive event. We can pray with the confidence that the Lord is answering our prayers.
July 8 Psalm 118:24
This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
TODAY
We are now creatures. Now is the time for prayer. Now is the time for victory. Now is the time that the Lord will help us. Pray for joy and peace and live with the awareness that you have it.
July 9 Psalm 118:25-29
Please, LORD, please save us. Please, LORD, please give us success. Bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD. The LORD is God, shining upon us. Bring forward the sacrifice and put it on the altar. You are my God, and I will praise you! You are my God, and I will exalt you! Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
SAVE
The Lord is for us. He will save us as we face the challenges of life. He has saved us in the past, He will save us in the future and He is busy at work to save us right now. Now is the time that we live. Now is the time we find the Lord. Ask Him to guide you on a successful path. Praise the Lord.
July 10 Mark 1:1-4
Here begins the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. In the book of the prophet Isaiah, God said, “Look, I am sending my messenger before you, and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the wilderness: ‘Prepare a pathway for the Lord’s coming! Make a straight road for him!’ “This messenger was John the Baptist. He lived in the wilderness and was preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned from their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.
FORGIVEN
When we come to Jesus we are forgiven. This forgiveness is complete and perfect. It is not based on my works or my standing. It is a gift from God. His forgiveness equips us to be spiritually alive and partners with Him in proclaiming Jesus.
July 11 Mark 1:5
People from Jerusalem and from all over Judea traveled out into the wilderness to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
CONFESSION
The key element in our confession of our sin is change. I was following sin and now I am following the Lord. When we confess our sin He forgives us. When you are struggling to grow remember that change is critical in our spiritual growth.
July 12 Mark 1:6-8
His clothes were woven from camel hair, and he wore a leather belt; his food was locusts and wild honey. He announced: “Someone is coming soon who is far greater than I am so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”
PROPHESY
The Holy Spirit is now here. He is able to lead, guide and direct your path. Spend time with Jesus. Let the Holy Spirit change you. You will find that His change is an equipping change that will enable you to have an abundant life. Claim your spirit filled life by asking the Lord Jesus to lead you.
July 13 Mark 1:9
One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and he was baptized by John in the Jordan River.
OBEDIENCE
Who do you love? Do you love Jesus? Do what He says. Doing what He says requires that we know Him and that we spend time with Him. Read the Word. Pray to the Lord. Do what He says.
July 14 Mark 1:10-11
And when Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens split open and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven saying, “You are my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with you.”
OBEDIENCE
The Father loves obedience more than sacrifice. We are seeking to please Him with our lives and with our relationship. We do this when we are obedient. Think for a moment, what has He told you to do? Please, go and do it. In the act of obedience you will experience His “well done.”
July 15 Mark 1:12-13
Immediately the Holy Spirit compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness. He was there for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him.
OBEDIENCE
Obedience is always costly. We give up worldly ways and momentary sensation to accomplish eternal goals. Living with eternity in mind will enable us to deal with the perishable things the world offers. It will cost us but it is an eternal investment.
July 16 Mark 1:14-15
Later on, after John was arrested by Herod Antipas, Jesus went to Galilee to preach God’s Good News. “At last the time has come!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Turn from your sins and believe this Good News!”
GOOD NEWS
We can have forgiveness and peace with God. The Good News is that Jesus saves us from our sin and gives us new life. This life is right now and throughout eternity. Jesus gives us a life that counts with a relationship that equips us to have friendship with God.
July 17 Mark 1:16-17
One day as Jesus was walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother, Andrew, fishing with a net, for they were commercial fishermen. Jesus called out to them, “Come, be my disciples, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
DISCIPLESHIP
Jesus is calling you. He is calling you to change. Christ is calling you to accept His as the focus of your life. You choose the way that you will live. You will succeed or fail based on your choices. When we choose Jesus as our focus we succeed. When we choose anything other than Jesus we fail.
July 18 Mark 1:18-20
And they left their nets at once and went with him. A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat mending their nets. He called them, too, and immediately they left their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men and went with him.
CHOICE
The right choice for life is to choose Jesus. He will reside in our hearts. He will build a relationship, be our friend and equip us to fellowship with Him. We each have inestimable value. Choose Jesus and claim your position in eternity now.
July 19 Mark 1:21-22
Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum, and every Sabbath day he went into the synagogue and taught the people. They were amazed at his teaching, for he taught as one who had real authority quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
AUTHORITY
We have authority in Christ. We do not belong to ourselves but instead put ourselves into His hands and claim authority as His representative. He gives us the authority to choose. We have the authority to lay down our life for others. We can serve and willingly die to self. No man can claim authority over us because we have died to self and are hidden in Christ with God.
July 20 Mark 1:23-24
A man possessed by an evil spirit was in the synagogue, and he began shouting, “Why are you bothering us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One sent from God!”
EVIL
The world is busy explaining away evil. It wants to make excuses for murderers, liars, cheats and truly evil people. The truth is that evil really exists and we are confronted by it everyday. Evil is seeking to destroy us and pops up at the time when we are weak. We cannot fight evil but Jesus can. When you find yourself facing evil turn from it and ask Jesus what to do. He will not forsake you.
July 21 Mark 1:25-27
Jesus cut him short. “Be silent! Come out of the man.” At that, the evil spirit screamed and threw the man into a convulsion, but then he left him. Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!”
GLORY
Jesus gives all glory to the Father who in turn magnifies Him. With a simple word the Lord deals with evil. Imagine the kind of things that Jesus could do in your life. Think of the difficulties, those that are evil and those that are simply difficult, that you face each day. What power we have been given to have Jesus alive in us. Ask Him to use you to magnify Him.
July 22 Mark 1:28-31
The news of what he had done spread quickly through that entire area of Galilee.
After Jesus and his disciples left the synagogue, they went over to Simon and Andrew’s home, and James and John were with them. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away. He went to her bedside, and as he took her by the hand and helped her to sit up, the fever suddenly left, and she got up and prepared a meal for them.
HEALING
Jesus is the great healer. We can go to Him with our infirmities. Our goal is to glorify Jesus and He will enable us to do that. We present ourselves to Christ with absolute confidence of His love and His commitment to us and we go forth to be the person we were created to be. As we do this we glorify Him. His glory equips us to be and to do in the midst of the ordinariness of our lives.
July 23 Mark 1:32-33
That evening at sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. And a huge crowd of people from all over Capernaum gathered outside the door to watch.
HOPE
Hope is a powerful tool in the Christian life. Once we see His love for us and know that Jesus is on our side what can defeat us? We have hope in Him. We are able to move forward in Jesus because of His present love and our eternal relationship.
July 24 Mark 1:34
So Jesus healed great numbers of sick people who had many different kinds of diseases, and he ordered many demons to come out of their victims. But because they knew who he was, he refused to allow the demons to speak.
HOPE
What has you down? What evil is telling you that you are not worthy of the attention of the Creator of all? Be of good cheer, hope in Christ. Take a moment where you are and in the condition you find yourself in to tell yourself that Jesus is Lord. He is Lord of your life and He loves you. Every thought that Jesus has towards you is a thought for good. Jesus the Great Healer will heal you.
July 25 Mark 1:35
The next morning Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray.
PRAY
Time with Jesus is time well spent. We are called to pray. Jesus shows us the need for prayer. Our hearts cry out to spend time with Jesus. Organize your day so that everyday you spend time with Jesus. Discipline yourself for this joy. Life filled with Jesus is a life of abundance and joy.
July 26 Mark 1:36-38
Later Simon and the others went out to find him. They said, “Everyone is asking for you.” But he replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too, because that is why I came.”
PROCLAMATION
Jesus has come and this is Good News. Jesus is here and available is wonderful news. When we ask Christ into our heart and permit Him to have Lordship of our daily life we will naturally share with others what Jesus is doing in us.
July 27 Mark 1:39
So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and expelling demons from many people.
VICTORY
There is victory in our life when Jesus is in control of our life. The things that trouble us and overwhelm us will be dealt with by the Lord. He will give us the wisdom, mercy, grace and understanding we need to stand in the hour of difficulty.
July 28 Mark 1:40-41
A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you want to, you can make me well again,” he said. Moved with pity, Jesus touched him. “I want to,” he said. “Be healed!”
HEALING
Jesus offers healing for our life. Go to Him with your needs and you will come away with His resources. Jesus will never fail you nor will He overlook you. Spend time with Him and He will shepherd your life.
July 29 Mark 1:42
Instantly the leprosy disappeared the man was healed.
HEALING
Healing is an act of God. It is His choice as to how He will heal us and it is done His way. The Lord will heal us. Jesus loves us. Every thought He has towards you is a thought for good. Discipline yourself to build a relationship with Jesus and He will spend time with you.
July 30 Mark 1:43-44
Then Jesus sent him on his way and told him sternly, “Go right over to the priest and let him examine you. Don’t talk to anyone along the way. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy, so everyone will have proof of your healing.”
MIRACLES
Miracles or what we call miracles are to magnify the Lord. Every day of our life is a miracle. We are called to glorify Jesus. Identify His activity in your life. Thank Him for it. An attitude of gratitude will enable us to see the activity of the Lord in our life every day.
July 31 Mark 1:45
But as the man went on his way, he spread the news, telling everyone what had happened to him. As a result, such crowds soon surrounded Jesus that he couldn’t enter a town anywhere publicly. He had to stay out in the secluded places, and people from everywhere came to him there.
LOVE
Jesus loves you. His love is so great that He loves you in spite of your disdain for Him. Today spend time thinking about His love. Think of the wonderful blessings He has bestowed upon you. Think of your gratitude for answered prayer and the way that prayers were answered. Thank Him from your heart and let that gratitude fill your soul. Thank you Lord for your love for us.
