Day 1 - Verse of the Day
Daniel 12:1-3 (KJV): “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time, and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.”
Devotional
Daniel is given a glimpse of the last things. Michael, the great prince, stands for the people of God in a time of unprecedented trouble. Deliverance is promised to all who are “found written in the book,” language that echoes the Book of Life. Our hope is not in escaping hardship, but in belonging to the Lord who keeps our names. This passage anchors our hearts in the sovereignty of God when history shakes. He appoints His holy ones to guard His church, and He writes our names where no storm can erase them.
Here Scripture speaks clearly about the resurrection. Those who sleep in the dust shall awake, some to everlasting life, others to everlasting contempt. The destinies are eternal, and the difference is Christ. Salvation is by grace through faith in Him. The wise are not the clever by the world’s measure, they are those who fear the Lord, cling to His promises, and walk in His ways. God will cause such saints to shine with a glory borrowed from His own presence.
There is also a holy calling. “They that turn many to righteousness” will shine like stars forever. In Christ, our witness matters. Quiet conversations, steadfast parenting, faithful teaching, patient mercy toward the wandering, these are not lost in the dust of time. The Lord gathers every seed sown in love and truth, and in the dawn of the resurrection He will crown what His grace accomplished through us.
Reflect
Where do you need to trade fear for the confidence that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?
Ask the Lord to make you wise today, and to use your words and your life to turn many to righteousness.
Day 2 - Verse of the Day
Revelation 19:11-16 (KJV): “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True; and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Devotional
John is shown Christ as Warrior and King. He is Faithful and True; His judgments are right and without partiality. The sword from His mouth is His living Word, which exposes sin, topples lies, and brings down every proud thing that sets itself against God. His robe is already dipped in blood, not first in the blood of His enemies, but in His own atoning blood shed at the cross. The Lamb who was slain is the One who rides to judge; the victory He brings in glory is the public unveiling of the victory He won at Calvary.
The armies follow Him in fine linen, white and clean. The saints are clothed in a righteousness they did not weave, for Christ Himself is our righteousness, imputed to us by grace through faith. From that gift flow the works that shine. King of kings is not a title we bestow; it is His eternal name. He rules even now by His Word and Spirit, gathering and keeping His Church through the preaching of the Gospel, Holy Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, by which He nourishes and preserves us in the true faith until the day of His appearing. In a world of shaky thrones and loud pretenders, take heart. Your King is not tentative. He is gentle to the penitent and terrible to the unrepentant; therefore live in daily repentance, receive His gifts, and serve your neighbor with courage under His banner.
Reflect
Lord Jesus, Faithful and True, rule my heart by Your Word, clothe me in Your righteousness, and make me steadfast until the day You appear in glory. Amen.
Cross References: Isaiah 63:1 to 3; Psalm 2:7 to 9; Daniel 7:13 to 14; John 1:1; Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 1:12 to 16; 2 Thessalonians 1:7 to 10; James 4; Ephesians 6:17.
Day 3 - Verse of the Day
Daniel 2:44 (KJV): “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.”
Devotional
Daniel’s words lift our eyes from the glitter of earthly power to the work of God that no hand can craft. The stone in the vision is cut without hands, a sign that this kingdom is born from heaven and not from human strength. In Christ the King, crucified and risen, God has already set His kingdom in our midst. It does not pass from ruler to ruler, and it is not inherited by the clever or the strong. It is given by grace to sinners who come with empty hands and are made citizens by faith.
This kingdom advances in a different way. It breaks what must be broken, not by the sword of man, but by the cross of Christ. He shatters the tyranny of sin, the sting of death, and the accusations of the evil one. It grows quietly through the Word preached, the Scriptures believed, prayers whispered, acts of repentance, and ordinary love of neighbor. When you feel small or unseen, remember that you belong to what will outlast every age. Your labor in the Lord is not in vain, because His kingdom shall stand forever.
Reflect
King Jesus, pull down the idols that compete for my heart, and establish Your rule in every part of my life. Teach me to live today in repentance and faith, to serve my neighbor with courage, and to hope in the kingdom that will stand forever. Amen.
Cross References: 2 Samuel 7:12–16; Psalm 145:13; Isaiah 9:7; Psalm 118:22–23; Isaiah 28:16; Matthew 21:42–44; 1 Peter 2:4–8; Mark 1:15; Matthew 12:28; Luke 11:20; Luke 17:20–21; Revelation 19:11–16
Day 4 - Verse of the Day
Zephaniah 3:17 (KJV): “The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.”
Devotional
Zephaniah spoke into a day of judgment and cleansing, yet his book crescendos with this tender promise. The Holy One is not distant. He is in the midst of His people, the Mighty One who saves. The phrase paints God as a victorious warrior who has laid down His weapons because the battle is won. He rests in His love, meaning His heart is settled toward His redeemed. There is no agitation in Him, no second guessing, only a covenant delight that overflows in song.
In Christ this promise stands firm. Immanuel means God with us, and Jesus is the Savior who secures our peace with God by His cross and resurrection. Your steadiness does not come from your performance, but from His finished work. When shame accuses, remember that the Lord sings over those He has cleansed. When fear rises, remember that the Lord is in your midst by His Spirit. Let His settled love quiet your anxious heart and His joy lift your weary soul.
Reflect
Lord Jesus, Mighty to save, quiet my heart with Your love today. Help me hear Your song of delight and teach me to walk in repentance, faith, and courageous obedience. Amen.
See also: Isaiah 62:5; Matthew 1:21; John 1:14; Luke 15:7; Ephesians 2:4 to 5; Psalm 149:4.
Day 5 - Verse of the Day
Isaiah 1:17 (KJV): “Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.”
Devotional
Isaiah speaks into a worshiping nation that had grown careless of justice. The Lord rejects empty ritual and calls His people to a changed life. “Learn to do well” is the language of discipleship. We are not born knowing righteousness, we are taught by God’s Word. “Seek judgment” means pursue true justice, not appearances. “Relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow” names the very people most easily overlooked. Covenant faith is measured not by noise at the altar, but by mercy at the gate.
In Christ, mercy and justice meet. He fulfilled perfect righteousness for us and bore our sin at the cross. By grace through faith we are cleansed, and by the Spirit we are schooled in a new way of life. Today that looks like honest dealing when no one is watching, advocacy for children and the vulnerable, generosity toward the widow and the weary, courage to speak up when silence would be easier. The Gospel does not erase this call, it energizes it. Because we are loved, we learn to love; because we have been defended, we defend others.
Reflect
Lord Jesus, teach me to do what is good. Open my eyes to the overlooked, strengthen my hands to act with justice and mercy, and let my worship match my life. Amen.
See also: Matthew 23:23; 25:35–40; James 1:27; 2:14–17; Psalm 82:3–4; Proverbs 31:8–9; Jeremiah 22:3
Day 7 - Verse of the Day
Matthew 22:37-40 (KJV): “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Devotional
When Jesus answers the lawyer, He is not inventing something new; He is gathering the whole Law into two cords that hold everything together. The first command quotes from Deuteronomy 6, calling us to love God with undivided devotion, heart, soul, and mind. The second reaches to Leviticus 19, commanding love for neighbor that mirrors the careful regard we have for our own lives. “Hang” means the Law and the Prophets depend on these two; every command about worship, justice, truth, and mercy flows from love for God and love for people.
This summary exposes our lack; we have not loved God supremely, nor our neighbor consistently. The Gospel meets us here. Christ fulfilled the Law perfectly, then bore our failure upon the cross, and rose to give new hearts. By grace through faith we are united to Him, and by the Spirit we learn to love what God loves. Love for God kindles obedience without pride, and love for neighbor becomes concrete, patient, and costly.
Today this love will take shape in ordinary places: choosing prayer over hurry, truth over convenience, forgiveness over grudges, service over self. Your neighbor is the person God puts in front of you, at home, at work, and on the way. Begin with worship, then walk it out in witness and works of mercy.
Reflect
Lord, teach me to love You with all my heart, soul, and mind; and, because You first loved me, help me love my neighbor in word and deed today; through Jesus Christ, Amen.
See also: Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Leviticus 19:18; John 13:34-35; Galatians 5:14; 1 John 4:19-21