S – The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and his Anointed One:^, 3 “Let’s tear off their chains and throw their ropes off of us.” ⁴ The one enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord ridicules them

Psalms 2:2–4 CSB

O – Commentary:

The kings hate the Lord’s established order in the world, so they desire to be independent of him (see 36:4). They scheme about dominating the Lord’s people (31:13; see 83:1–4). Their goal is to subvert the Lord’s rule in the world by overthrowing his anointed one (or his messiah); the Lord chose the kings of David’s dynasty to establish his kingdom throughout the earth. The NT confirms that Jesus, the appointed and anointed Son of God (Acts 4:26; 13:33; Heb 1:5; 5:5), fulfills the role in which these earlier kings failed.

2:3 break their chains: These kings believe that acknowledging the true God and his chosen ruler will result in their enslavement (Isa 28:22; 52:2; cp. Lam 3:7; Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 7:22; Titus 1:1).

2:4–6 The Lord finds the human threat insignificant. He provided a solution long before their rebellion. He will end their agitation through the appointment of a human agent, a descendant of David’s line who will rule the nations.

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), Ps 2:2–7.

A – The idea of man’s independence from God is throughout the Bible.  We know God through relationship, not our own endeavors.  God laughs at the “silliness” of trying to accomplish their own agenda against Him.  When we surrender, God comes close.  In that relationship, we see the power of working with God to accomplish things instead of working against Him.

R – Heavenly Father, you are all powerful.  We surrender our hearts, thoughts, words and actions to you.  We are grateful for our relationship and the ability to work with you to accomplish all that you have for us today. 

S – He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 

Psalms 1:3 CSB

O – Commentary:

For all who take their delight in living by God’s Word, there is prosperity. Under the image of a fruitful tree, the psalmist declared that whatever the righteous do will prosper (cf. 92:12–14). Two qualifications need to be noted. First, the fruit, that is, the prosperity, is produced in its season and not necessarily immediately after planting. Second, what the godly person does will be controlled by the Law of God (1:2). So if a person meditates on God’s Word, his actions will be godly, and his God-controlled activities will prosper, that is, come to their divinely directed fulfillment.

 Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 790.

A – We all want to “prosper.”  While this is usually associated with finances, it covers so much more.  Any area that is vital to our well being physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually comes together for our overall well being.  All of that breaks forward when we follow God Word.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the Jehovah Jireh, our Provider.  Thank you for your Word that allow us to prosper in all areas of our lives.  We invite you to work in us to align with your Word so we can grow in our relationship with you, while enjoying the benefits of your blessing.

S – They told you, “In the end time there will be scoffers living according to their own ungodly desires.” ¹⁹ These people create divisions and are worldly, not having the Spirit. 

Jude 18–19

O – Commentary:

As stated in Jude 18–19, these intruders (a) scoffed (cf. vv. 10–15), (b) followed their own ungodly desires (cf. v. 16) and mere natural instincts (cf. vv. 10, 16), and (c) sought to divide believers. Such men obviously did not have the Holy Spirit and thus were not born again (Rom. 8:9).

 Edward C. Pentecost, “Jude,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 923.

A – There are people who will not believe in Jesus or the message of the gospel.  We must demonstrate his love and character to give them the opportunity to see them.  We are not responsible for their salvation but we can give them someone to observe that may change their heart.  We must be sowing seeds of God’s love and Word.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the One, true God.  Empower us today as we interact with people who don’t desire to know you.  Help us to meet those who scoff at your word and love  with a genuine reflection of you.

S – Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God

3 John 11 CSB

O – Commentary:

those who do evil: Diotrephes was condemned for his failure to live by the Christian rule of love (1 Jn 3:10–14). This was how Gaius could be sure that Diotrephes was not living according to the truth. This applies to all who refuse to accept the apostolic teaching about Jesus Christ and refuse to live in fellowship with others who do. • they do not know God: Literally they have not seen God

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), 3 Jn 11.

A – None of us would like to be characterized as “doing evil” or “one who has not seen God.”  As believers, we need to emulate the character of God.  Jesus is our example not only in a humanly demonstration but in character, integrity, compassion, empathy, courage and boldness.  When our lives align with both the physical, mental and spiritual demonstrations of God, we will see good win over evil.

R – Heavenly Father, you are Holy and perfect.  You made us fallible and we are sinners.  Our capacity for good and evil is a daily battle.  We invite your Holy Spirit to work in us to be more like you today.  Give us the courage and faith to grow in our relationship with you.

S – This is love: that we walk according to his commands. This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: that you walk in love. 

 2 John 6

O – Commentary:

This is love, that we walk in obedience to His commands. As he had also done in 1 John 5:2–3a, John defined Christian love in terms of obedience to God. A Christian who truly seeks God’s best for his brothers and sisters can only do so by obeying what God has commanded him to do. Love undirected by God’s revealed will may easily degenerate into unwise, sentimental activity. Believers who are “walking in the truth” (2 John 4), that is, living in response to what God has revealed, love each other. Brotherly love is part of the truth God has revealed and commanded.

 Zane C. Hodges, “2 John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 906–907.

A – For us to truly love each other, we must be rooted in relationship with God.  This allows us to go beyond our humanly expression of love and add the spiritual element.  It causes us to see others through the eyes of their Creator which gives them greater value and deeper love.  

R – Heavenly Father, you are the Creator of all.  Thank you for loving us before we even knew you.  Empower us today to love others as you do.  Give us the ability to see the value you have in them so we can express our love for them in alignment with your Word and character.

S – And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true one. We are in the true one—that is, in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life

1 John 5:20 CSB

O – Commentary:

The NLT interprets the phrase the true God (literally the one who is true) as referring to God, since the next phrase refers to his Son, Jesus Christ. John is also saying that Jesus Christ is the only true God (see John 1:1, 18; 20:28; Rom 9:5; Titus 2:13; 2 Pet 1:1). • To have fellowship with Jesus Christ is to have eternal life, because he is eternal life

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), 1 Jn 5:20.

A – When we know the truth, it gives us something that is “opposed to falsehood.”  God is true (truth) gives us great confidence and faith that He is the source and standard for our lives.  It also allows us to identify false imposters that would tempt us or act like something good.  We are grateful to have relationship with God because of the truth we know in Him. And, we must use that same truth to confess or remove sin and other lies from our lives.

R – Heavenly Father, you are the Truth.  Thank you for revealing your character to us in our relationship with you.  Empower our thoughts, words and actions to reveal your truth through us today.  Also, help us to identify things that are not aligned in your truth so we can remove them.

S – This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world. 

1 John 4:2–3 CSB

O – Commentary:

 John outlines a doctrinal test for prophets and teachers. Those who have the Spirit of God confess that Jesus Christ came in a real body. In other words, they must affirm the full reality that Jesus is both fully man and fully God. Prophets and teachers who deny these basic teachings are antichrists 

 New Living Translation Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2008), 1 Jn 4:2.

A – You have to make a decision about what you believe about Jesus.  Either he is God who came in the form of a man named Jesus or he isn’t.  The most foundational belief in God comes back to your belief in who Jesus is and what do you do with him.  My hope is that he is recognized, accepted and honored as the Son of God.

R – Heavenly Father, thank you for giving us Jesus.  We recognize he is God in human flesh.  He is fully God and fully man.  We confess this with full confidence in the promise of relationship with you as our God, Savior and Lord.

S – Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is.

1 John 3:2 CSB

O – We are adopted into “God’s family” by accepting Christ as the son of God and establishing relationship with God.  What his will for us has not been established yet.  When Jesus returns, he will see him in his true reality as God and man.

A – This brings me hope that there is a bigger picture working even as my life’s “picture” is playing out.  Whatever is so big or challenging in our lives today falls short of the plan that God has in store for us.  We need to keep our eyes on God and grow in our faith to believe that there is more coming.

R – Heavenly Father, you are holy, just and true.  We can put our faith in a big God who knows us and loves just as we are.  You are working at a level beyond our comprehension.  We can trust in your character and will for us today.

S – My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one. ² He himself is the atoning sacrifice^, for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world

1 John 2:1–2 CSB

O – Commentary:

But if anybody does sin, we have One who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ the Righteous One. John did not want his readers to sin, but he knew that none of them was perfect and that all would need the help available from their Advocate.

The words “One who speaks … in our defense” translate a single term (paraklēton). Its essential meaning is captured by the KJV‘s familiar “Advocate.” John is the only New Testament writer to use it of the Holy Spirit (four times in his Gospel: John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7). In these four verses the NIV renders it “Counselor” each time (cf. kjv‘s “Comforter”). The thought here in 1 John 2:1 is of a defense attorney who takes up the case of his client before a tribunal. The way in which the advocacy of the Lord Jesus works for His sinning people is admirably illustrated in His prayer for Peter (Luke 22:31–32). In anticipation of Peter’s approaching denial, Jesus asked the Father to prevent Peter’s faith from collapsing. He also had in mind Peter’s future helpfulness to his Christian brethren. 

 Zane C. Hodges, “1 John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 887.

A – How powerful it is to know that when we sin, Christ not only paid the price for it but defends us as well.  He speaks on our behalf when we guilty of sin and confess it to him.  The freedom we experience is not to go sin more.  Instead, it is to recognize the debt we cannot pay is paid in full.

R – Heavenly Father, you are our Advocate.  Thank you for paying the price for our sin.  When it judged, you stand before us and speak on our behalf.  Give us the courage to truly examine ourselves with full transparency and honesty.  We are humbled by your love for us.

S – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

1 John 1:9 CSB

O – Commentary – 

confess our sins Confession of sin opens a person to the work of God within them, relinquishing the power of sin over their life through the power of Jesus (2:1; compare 3:8). John is not suggesting that the act of confession is required for salvation. God does the saving work; people cannot save themselves (2:12; John 3:16–17). Instead, confession opens a person to the work of the Holy Spirit, leading to the removal of sinful behaviors and desires (1 John 3:24).

he Refers to God, who will forgive us through the atoning death of Jesus (1 John 1:7).

faithful Meaning that God is true to the agreement He made with His people, which established the true cost of sin (Deut 7:9; Jer 31:31–34; compare Lev 4–5).

just God demonstrates this attribute by carrying out His promise of bringing people into relationship with Him through Christ’s sacrificial death (compare Isa 53:10–12).

forgive When people admit that they are sinful, God honors His word by both forgiving them and giving them the power to overcome sin

 John D. Barry et al., Faithlife Study Bible (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), 1 Jn 1:9.

A – There is freedom in acknowledging and confessing our sins to God.  He knows we sin and our recognition of it shows our dependence on him in forgiveness.  It is another reflection of his love – so much, that he would send Jesus to cover our sins with his blood on the cross.

R – Heavenly Father, you are our Redeemer.  You forgive and redeem us from our sins.  Thank you for loving us so much that Jesus would go to the cross so we could be forgiven and set free from sin in our lives.