S – “And yet because we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus. This was so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified.”

Galatians 2:16 CSB

O – Commentary:

In this verse, one of the most important in the epistle, the word justified occurs for the first time. It is a legal term, borrowed from the law courts and means “to declare righteous.” Its opposite is “to condemn.” But since people are condemned sinners and God is holy, how can people be justified? In answer, the apostle made a general declaration that negatively man is not justified by observing the Law, but positively, justification is by faith in Jesus Christ. This is a strong affirmation of Paul, Peter, and the rest—introduced by We … know. It is followed by a statement in which Paul explained that he had put this doctrine to the test and validated it in his own experience (v. 16b). Finally, in verse 16c the apostle reaffirmed that justification is by faith and not by works (cf. Gen. 15:6).

 “Galatians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – It comes down to our faith in Christ.  Everything flows from that.  Our works, actions and words should model a genuine faith in Christ.

R – Heavenly Father, we honor you above all other things that exalt themselves.  You alone are worthy of our faith.  We put our trust in you.  Help our thoughts, words and actions align with your Word and will for our lives.

S – Apply yourself to discipline and listen to words of knowledge

Proverbs 23:12 CSB

O – Commentary:

Apply your heart (cf. 22:17b) suggests diligence and desire for instruction (mûsār, often trans. “discipline,” as it is in 23:13). Applying your ears is another way of saying “pay attention and listen” (cf. 22:17a).

“Proverbs,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – We all have things we love or hold our attention.  Our relationship with Christ should be paramount.  We should intentionally ” apply” ourselves to his disciplines, words and instruction.  

R – Heavenly Father, you are the one, true God.  We invite your Holy Spirit to lead us in your truths, disciplines and direction.  Give us the strength and courage to be intentional and faithful to your Word. Help us to grow in our relationship with you.

S – Don’t speak to a fool, for he will despise the insight of your words

Proverbs 23:9 CSB

O – We should not subject our words to those who don’t value them or respect us.

A – We are called to love all people.  In that, establishing healthy boundaries is vital to maintaining our own health.  We should be able to have a conversation with anyone that is respectful. If a person is not, establishing a line of relationship allows you to extend love while maintaining your own “distance.”

R – Heavenly Father, we honor you above all other names today.  Give us your heart when dealing with difficult situations and people.  Give us the courage to extend your love at all times.  Give us the wisdom to have healthy boundaries to protect the gifts and talents you give us. 

S – The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, 

a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

Isaiah 11:2 CSB

O – Commentary:

In these verses the character and work of the “Branch” are described. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him, that is, the Holy Spirit would empower Him (at Jesus’ baptism, Matt. 3:16–17) for His work which would be characterized by wisdom … understanding … counsel … power … knowledge, and the fear of the Lord. The attributes of the Holy Spirit would characterize the Messiah. Because of His wisdom, understanding, counsel, and knowledge He is the Wonderful Counselor (Isa. 9:6). Isaiah referred to the Holy Spirit more than did any other Old Testament prophet (11:2 [four times]; 30:1; 32:15; 34:16; 40:13; 42:1; 44:3; 48:16; 59:21; 61:1; 63:10–11, 14).

He is characterized by the fear of the Lord and has delight in it (11:3) just as His people should have. To fear God is to respond to Him in awe, trust, obedience, and worship. 

“Isaiah,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – These seven qualities are the character of the Holy Spirit.  Each unique aspect of the Holy Spirit can impact our relationship with Him.  It also can be an attribute we embody as we live for God daily.

R – Heavenly Father, we worship you alone today.  We ask for the Holy Spirit to flow through us today in the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, courage, knowledge and fear of the Lord.  Each quality will empower us to face today ready to be used by you.

S – For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 CSB

O – Commentary:

He will have four descriptive names that will reveal His character. He will be the nation’s Wonderful (this could be trans. “exceptional” or “distinguished”) Counselor, and the people will gladly listen to Him as the authoritative One. In the kingdom many people will be anxious to hear the Messiah teach God’s ways (2:3). He is also the Mighty God (cf. 10:21). Some have suggested that this simply means “a godlike person” or hero. But Isaiah meant more than that, for he had already spoken of the Messiah doing what no other person had been able to do (e.g., 9:2–5). Isaiah understood that the Messiah was to be God in some sense of the term.

This Deliverer will also be called the Everlasting Father. Many people are puzzled by this title because the Messiah, God’s Son, is distinguished in the Trinity from God the Father. How can the Son be the Father? Several things must be noted in this regard. First, the Messiah, being the second Person of the Trinity, is in His essence, God. Therefore He has all the attributes of God including eternality. Since God is One (even though He exists in three Persons), the Messiah is God. Second, the title “Everlasting Father” is an idiom used to describe the Messiah’s relationship to time, not His relationship to the other Members of the Trinity. He is said to be everlasting, just as God (the Father) is called “the Ancient of Days” (Dan. 7:9). The Messiah will be a “fatherly” Ruler. Third, perhaps Isaiah had in mind the promise to David (2 Sam. 7:16) about the “foreverness” of the kingdom which God promised would come through David’s line. The Messiah, a Descendant of David, will fulfill this promise for which the nation had been waiting.

The Messiah is also called the Prince of Peace, the One who will bring in and maintain the time of millennial peace when the nation will be properly related to the Lord. Together, these four titles give a beautiful picture of the coming Messiah’s character (Isa. 9:6 includes the first of Isaiah’s 25 references to peace.)

  “Isaiah,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – 700 years before Christ’s born, these words were spoken about him.  Amazing to see the accuracy of them. Jesus was all of these things.  One of the many reasons to believe he is the Son of God.

R – Heavenly Father, you are God.  You are who you say you are.  Thank you for loving us so much that you sent Jesus in the form of a man to pay the price for our sins.  We are grateful for our relationship with you.

S – Then I said: Woe is me for I am ruined because I am a man of unclean lips and live among a people of unclean lips, and because my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Armies

Isaiah 6:5 CSB

O – Commentary:

Isaiah had pronounced woes (threats of judgment) on the nation (Isa. 5:8–23), but now by saying Woe to me! (cf. 24:16) he realized he was subject to judgment. This was because he was unclean. When seen next to the purity of God’s holiness, the impurity of human sin is all the more evident. The prophet’s unclean lips probably symbolized his attitudes and actions as well as his words, for a person’s words reflect his thinking and relate to his actions. Interestingly Isaiah identified with his people who also were sinful (a people of unclean lips

“Isaiah,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – We are unclean and broken vessels in our relationship with God.  Yet, the blood of Jesus forgives our sins and covers us.  Gratitude and humility are our first response to God’s love that does for us what we could not do. 

R – Heavenly Father, we stand in awe of the presence of the Lord of all.  Thank you for loving and forgiving us when we are unclean before you.  We are grateful and humbled that we are considered for such love.  Help us to show our love to you today in our thoughts, words and actions.

S – Do you see a person skilled in his work? He will stand in the presence of kings. 

He will not stand in the presence of the unknown

Proverbs 22:29 CSB

O—Although gifting comes naturally, a person’s skill comes from intentionality and diligence. The Hebrew word for “presence” is pâneh, paw-neh’, the face (as the part that turns). That person doesn’t just stand near them; he speaks into the process and helps direct the leader’s vision.

A—We need to be diligent and intentional about our gifts. At the right time, they will be magnified and used to further our pursuits and God’s purpose.    

R – Heavenly Father, we praise your Holy Name today.  Thank you for the gifts and talents you gave us.  We are committed to honing them to the highest level.  Use them according to your purposes so more people will come to know you. 

S – For although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh, ⁴ since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments ⁵ and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. 

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 CSB

O – Commentary:

The weapons Paul used were the proclaimed Word of God and prayer (Eph. 6:17–18), weapons with divine power. In dependence on God (1 Cor. 2:4–5) these weapons, frail by worldly standards, are able to demolish the arguments and every pretension of the gospel’s foes. Neither the god of this Age (2 Cor. 4:4) nor his henchmen (11:15) could oppose the knowledge (or power) of God on which Paul relied. No thought (noēma; cf. 2:11), including those of his opponents, is beyond the reach of the One who “catches the wise in their craftiness” and “knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile”

“2 Corinthians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – There is a spiritual battle we encounter daily.  The enemy comes at us with temptation, accusation and schemes to bring distance between us and God.  We have God’s word, prayer, faith and the Holy Spirit to combat those.   It is our responsibility to actively use these gifts to resist the devil.

R – Heavenly Father, we worship and surrender to you alone today. Give us courage and strength in the spiritual battle we face.  We want to defeat the enemy’s plans.  Thank you for already securing victory through the blood of Jesus on the cross.

S – God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

¹¹ Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 

¹² Restore the joy of your salvation to me, and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.

Psalms 51:10–12 CSB

O – Commentary:

As a corrective for his sinful nature, David petitioned God for inward renewal of his heart attitude (v. 10), preservation in service (v. 11), and restoration of joy (v. 12). He was aware that he had become indifferent in his attitudes so he needed renovation. He was also aware that Saul was removed from the kingship for his sin (signified in the OT by the departure of the Holy Spirit), so David asked that God not take away His Spirit and depose him too. In the New Testament the Spirit does not leave believers; at the moment of salvation He indwells them (cf. John 14:16; Rom. 8:9). But a Christian may be cast aside from service because of sin (cf. 1 Cor. 9:27). David was also aware that in order to experience the joy he once had in his salvation, he needed God’s inner spiritual renewal.

“Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures

A – In any relationship, there are times of distance and disappointment.  We will go through those times in our relationship with God where He doesn’t meet our expectations or we don’t meet his.  In both situations, we need to move toward him.  It’s tough. We start by searching our hearts and resolve to act in faith and trust.  Restoration will come and joy will be restored.

R – Heavenly Father, you are all powerful, knowing and able to accomplish your will today.  We invite your Holy Spirit to search our hearts, motives and expectations.  Any place with distance, give us the courage to close the gap.  We desire to walk in unity with you today.

S – The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks; he summons the earth 

from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Psalms  50:1 CSB

O – The Supreme God, God, Yahweh The psalmist uses three consecutive Hebrew names for God: el, elohim, and yhwh. Taken together, the names emphasize God’s supremacy as Creator of the earth and God of Israel

Faithlife Study Bible 

A—God is the one, true God. His various names demonstrate his character and love in multifaceted ways. In this verse, it says He is above all gods, he is God, and he is the God of Israel. He calls out to all the earth, including mankind.  Amazing that as big as He is he desires to know each of us.

R – Heavenly Father, all of the names of God create a mosaic of your magnitude and character.  Thank you for loving us and walking with us in our relationship.  We invite your Holy Spirit to work in us today so we may be more like you.