Daily Bible Plan - Day 4

13. February 2025

This bible plan was created by Nicky and Pippa Gumbel.

Prayer of the day:

Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of this day. Thank You for Your love, mercy, and grace that sustains me through every season of life. I acknowledge that both struggles and blessings are part of my journey, and I trust that You are working all things together for my good. Lord, when I face challenges, remind me that You are my strength and refuge. Help me to rely on Your wisdom rather than my own understanding. Strengthen my faith so that I may endure hardships with patience and grace, knowing that You are refining me through every trial. When I experience blessings, keep my heart humble and full of gratitude. May I never take Your goodness for granted, but instead use every gift You give me to bring glory to Your name and to serve others with love.

In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Battles and Blessings

Life is a mixture of battles and blessings. When we face struggles, it can feel like they will never end. When we experience blessings, we sometimes expect them to last forever. But as Pastor Rick Warren points out, life often runs on two tracks—one of blessings and one of battles. Even in great moments of success, there can be deep challenges to face. The key is learning how to navigate both.

Scriptural Foundations for Battles and Blessings

1. Steering Through Battles and Blessings

(Proverbs 1:1–7):

• Key Message: Wisdom helps us navigate both the highs and lows of life.

• Outcomes: The book of Proverbs teaches us how to live well, make good decisions, and develop discipline. Wisdom is the ability to “steer” through life’s battles and blessings.

• Application: Seek God’s wisdom daily. Wisdom begins with reverence for the Lord, and it helps us make choices today that we will be grateful for in the future.

2. Learning from Jesus’ Battles and Blessings

(Matthew 4:1–22):

• Key Message: Jesus faced battles before stepping into His ministry, but He overcame through the power of God’s Word.

• Outcomes: He resisted temptation in three key areas:

• Instant Gratification – The devil tempted Him to turn stones into bread, but Jesus responded with Scripture, showing that spiritual nourishment is more important than physical comfort.

• Testing God – The enemy challenged Him to prove God’s protection, but Jesus refused to put God to the test.

• Wrong Means – Satan offered Him the kingdoms of the world, but Jesus chose obedience over shortcuts.

• Application: Like Jesus, we can overcome battles by standing on God’s Word and resisting temptation.

3. Seeing God’s Faithfulness in Battles and Blessings

(Genesis 7:1–9:17):

• Key Message: Even in the most challenging times, God’s blessings outweigh the battles.

• Outcomes:

• Creation – We are created in God’s image and have inherent dignity.

• The Fall – Sin brings battles, as seen in Noah’s time with the flood.

• Redemption – God saved Noah, just as He offers salvation through Jesus.

• Glorification – The rainbow symbolizes God’s eternal covenant, reminding us of His faithfulness.

• Application: Trust that God’s promises remain even in difficulties. Every battle is temporary, but God’s blessings are eternal.

Overall Takeaway

Life is a journey of both battles and blessings. With wisdom, faith, and reliance on God’s Word, we can navigate every season. When we face struggles, we must remember that blessings are still present. When we experience joy, we should remain grounded in God’s faithfulness.

References

Joyce Meyer, 100 Ways to Simplify Your Life, (Faithwords, 1987) p.152 The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel (commentary formerly known as Bible in One Year) ©Alpha International 2009. All Rights Reserved. Compilation of daily Bible readings © Hodder & Stoughton Limited 1988. Published by Hodder & Stoughton Limited as the Bible in One Year. Unless otherwise stated, Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version Anglicised, Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Biblica, formerly International Bible Society. Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘NIV’ is a registered trademark of Biblica. UK trademark number 1448790. Scripture quotations marked (AMP) taken from the Amplified® Bible, Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org) Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.