Pocket Thoughts - 9/12/25

God * desires that we keep ourselves pure – for our good and for His glory * gives wisdom to His servants and understanding to the nations * laid on His Son our iniquity, bringing us peace with Him and healing us by the wounds of His Son.

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In the book of Exodus, the unblemished lamb was a sacrificial substitute for the life of a firstborn son who would’ve died in the tenth deadly plague. Every home with the lamb’s blood on the doorposts was a place of refuge from the death angel. This was a vivid picture for the Israelites to help them understand that an innocent life had to be given to spare them from death. Christian, may your heart always be mindful of, sobered by, and grateful for the Innocent One Who sacrificed Himself to bring you life. The Lamb of God is your refuge. – TV

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When you talk with people about Jesus, they’ll most likely grow uncomfortable when the problem of their sin comes up. They may try to avoid the issue or change the subject. Be patient but persistent in gently guiding the conversation back to the Only One Who can forgive their sins and give them new life – Jesus Christ. – TV

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Brothers and sisters, what compels you to pray? If you read Revelation 9:1-11, the salvation of your lost loved ones will quickly rise to the top of your list. In these verses, an angel gives the key to the Abyss – the dwelling place of all things demonic – to a fallen star. The Abyss is opened, and thick, acrid smoke darkens the sun and sky. Grotesque locust-like creatures that sting like scorpions swarm out of the opening. Their aim isn’t to devour the vegetation of the earth, but to torment and bring judgment on unrepentant humanity. Those who “have the seal of God on their foreheads” remain unaffected and untouched. The creatures are instructed to torture with agonizing stings but not kill their victims for a period of five months. The pain and suffering are so intense, people will long for death, “but death will elude them.” It’s difficult to read these verses and see through the forest of suffering to the trees of mercy, but mercy is indeed in these verses. Those who bear the seal of God are spared the torture of the creatures. Anyone who cries out to God as Rescuer of their souls is able to receive that seal. That death doesn’t come to those affected is God extending to them the time and opportunity to repent and be saved. There are only two options for the unbelieving – bowing to the God of mercy or to the ruler of all evil and king of the inhabitants of the Abyss. Merciful God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but desiring that all would turn to Him and be saved. Pray to that end. – TV

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Father God, You didn’t save me to enroll me in a lifelong self-improvement program. You saved me because You loved me, fully knowing my weaknesses and propensities toward the shadows. Yet even knowing the darkness of my heart couldn’t keep Your love from overtaking me. You offered Yourself as my holiness, my righteousness, and my goodness. Your Spirit took up residence in me and began to live out Who You are. A skilled worker may come alongside his child who’s taken on too difficult a task and place his hands over the child’s to do the actual work. You, Father, have come alongside me, placed Your hands over mine, and taken up the work of transforming me into Your image. I’ve not been perfectly pliable, but You’ve been patient and gentle with me. The pain of change that I’ve sometimes felt has been bittersweet, recognizing that the end result will one day be beautiful and so worth it! Help me to keep the joy of heaven always before me as I journey with You to eternity’s gates. In the beautiful Name of Jesus, amen.

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“Three persons of the Trinity – Father God, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit – gathered close together to imagine you. And God in three persons, uncontainable affection, knelt down and kissed warm life into you with the breath of His love. You are made of dust of this earth and you are made of the happiness of heaven, and you are flesh and you are spirit, and you are of two worlds longing for the home of forever and Him. No matter what your story before, this is your beginning now: you were formed by Love…for love.” – Ann Voskamp

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“This is what the Lord says: ‘Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, Who exercises kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,’ declares the Lord.” – Jeremiah 9:23-24