📧 In today’s email..

• 📕 Today’s reading

• 🙏 The SOAP Devotional of the day

📕 TODAY’S READING
Haggai; Zechariah 1; Ps 138; 1 John 2

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🙏 SOAP DEVOTIONAL
SOAP: scripture, observation, application, prayer

Today’s SOAP Devotional by Colby F. Maier

S - SCRIPTURE: 1 John 2:15-17 (NIV)

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever."

O - OBSERVATION:

In today’s passage, John warns us against misplaced affections, highlighting the contrast between loving the world and loving God. The "world" here doesn’t refer to creation itself, but to the sinful systems and desires that oppose God. The lust of the flesh (cravings for physical pleasure), the lust of the eyes (greedy covetousness), and the pride of life (arrogance in achievements or possessions) are temporary and fleeting. In contrast, aligning our hearts with God's will leads to eternal life. This passage reminds us that our love for God cannot coexist with a consuming love for worldly things.

A - APPLICATION:

Examine your heart: Are there areas where worldly desires overshadow your love for God? This could be an unhealthy pursuit of material wealth, an obsession with personal appearance, or an over-reliance on earthly achievements for identity. Consider where you might need to realign your priorities and your heart with God’s heart. The world offers temporary satisfaction, but doing God’s will brings eternal significance. Today, take personal inventory of your priorities, and write them down. Do these reflect God’s priorities? If not, rearrange your list to reflect His heart and His will for your life and for those around you. Pray over them.

P - PRAYER:

Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding me of the fleeting nature of worldly pursuits. Help me to set my heart on you and to find my identity and purpose in doing your will. Remove any affections for the things of this world that draw me away from you. Teach me to live with eternity in mind, loving you above all else. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

What is a SOAP?

For each day of Bible reading, we do a SOAP devotional to go deeper into the word of God. We always provide an example SOAP from one of our authors, but we highly encourage you to do your own SOAP with today’s reading. God wants to speak to you personally, and will highlight a passage of today’s reading that’s just for you.

Here’s how it works:

S – SCRIPTURE
Physically write out the Bible verse
You’ll be amazed at what God will reveal to you when you
slow down to write or meditate on what you are reading!

O – OBSERVATION
What do you see in the verses you’re reading?
Who is the audience? Is there a repetition of words? What words stand out to you? What is the main lesson or theme?

A – APPLICATION
When God’s Word becomes personal
What is God saying to me today? How can I apply what I just read to my life? Are there any changes I need to make?

P – PRAYER
Pray God’s Word back to Him
If He has revealed something to you during this time in His
Word, pray about it. Confess if He has revealed some sin that is in your life. Take time to thank Him for His goodness in your life.