3:16
1. Colossians 3:16
Do you think of anything special when you see 3:16? Most numbers don't mean anything without some words with them, but many times we see 3:16 in reference to John 3:16. This is probably the most well-known and most memorized verse in the Bible. One of Michael's students once told him that there were several more verses found in the third chapter and sixteenth verse of different books of the Bible that were great verses. As I was saving our recent series on spiritual songs and hymns, I noticed that the verse I used was Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." We already spent several weeks looking at that verse, so let's move on to some of the other 3:16 Bible verses.
2. John 3:16
We will begin with the most familiar 3:16, found in the gospel of John. John often referred to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved". He talks about the love of Jesus in John 15:12-13. "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." He spends much time in his first epistle talking about the love of God, such as I John 3:1, "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not." In I John 4:8, he tells us that "...God is love..." and one of my favorites is I John 4:19, "We love him, because he first loved us." We can conclude that John was an authority on God's love. So when we read John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" we can understand why John recorded these very important words of Jesus. He knew God and His love, and he wanted to share God's love with others. If you have never trusted in the precious love of Jesus, I hope that you will ask God to show you His love and believe on His Son. He will save you and give you everlasting life.
3. II Timothy 3:16
The more that I read from the Bible, the more that I want to know and understand what I read. My love for the scripture grows and I believe that Bible knowledge helps germinate Godly wisdom and helps me on this Christian journey. Those who have never read the Bible probably don't understand why Christians would want to read from a book that is so old. A good place to look for the answer to their question is II Timothy 3:16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" (and continuing to the next verse,) "That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." I have heard preachers say that the phrase, "given by inspiration of God" means that God breathed His Word to the authors of the Bible. We may read other books which can cause emotional stirs and bring happiness, or tears, or even anger. But, God is living, and when we read the Bible the Holy Spirit can bring spiritual guidance, everlasting joy, and wisdom on living in this sin-cursed world. When I get to heaven I want to sit and talk with many of the men and women I have read about in the Bible. Knowing a little about them gives me a desire to hear them tell their stories and explain how God brought them through such amazing triumphs. I praise God for letting me be born in a time when I have a copy of His Word and I have the freedom to read it and listen to preaching and teaching. I want to encourage you today to spend some time reading the scriptures. You won't regret it.
4. I Samuel 3:16
I always enjoy reading in the book of I Samuel. Our 3:16 verse today is I Samuel 3:16, "Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I." Samuel began his ministry in the temple as a small child when his mother, Hannah, gave him to the Lord for her answered prayer. When our children were young they enjoyed the story of Samuel for their nightly devotions. One child would be Eli and lay down pretending to be asleep. Another child would play the part of Samuel and also lay down. Michael would tell the story and call, "Samuel, Samuel" and the little actor would jump up and run over to Eli saying, "Eli, Eli, was that you?" I can still hear their little voices in my mind, "No, Samuel, go back to sleep." After the third time, our little Eli would answer, "It must be God calling you. If He calls again, say, Here I am, Lord." It was fun to watch our little ones act out this Bible story. We can learn from the life of Samuel to listen for the Lord's call and answer, "Here I am, Lord". God told Samuel of the coming judgment to Eli's household and after his death, Samuel became a great prophet and priest and anointed the first two kings of Israel, King Saul and King David.
"15 And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.
16 Then Eli called Samuel, and said, Samuel, my son. And he answered, Here am I.
17 And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.
18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
19 And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground." (I Samuel 3:15-19)
5. Exodus 3:16
Samuel was not the only person in the Bible to answer God in saying, "Here am I." Today we are turning to Exodus 3 where we find Moses, as a shepherd, on the back side of the desert. He fled for his life after killing an Egyptian to rescue an Israelite. And one day the Lord called him to go back to Egypt and rescue His people.
"2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." (Exodus 3:2-5)
God told Moses that He had heard the cry of His people and He was sending Moses to bring them out of Egypt. As we continue with the conversation we come to our scripture for the day, Exodus 3:16, God called and Moses answered. Have you answered the call of God?
"14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
15 And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey." (Exodus 3:14-17)
6. Numbers 3:16
Moses put up quite an argument when God told him to go back to Egypt. Look at his first response. "And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" (Exodus 3:11) He had not forgotten how he tried to help many years before. Now he was 80 years old. Surely God was not calling him for this great task. But God insisted and Moses finally listened and obeyed God. That brings us to our 3:16 verse, found in Numbers. "And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded." We find this over and over in the life of Moses. "And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they." (Exodus 7:6) "And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone." (Exodus 34:4) In fact, Moses did all that the Lord commanded. "Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he." (Exodus 40:16) In his closing address to the Children of Israel Moses told them to follow the commandments of the Lord. "And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments which I command you this day." (Deuteronomy 27:1) Our lesson today encourages us to follow the commandments of the Lord. We saw little Samuel answer the Lord, "Here am I" when he was very young. Now, we see Moses, who was 80 when God called to him, and he answered, "Here am I". No matter what our age, young or old, we can be encouraged by these two great men who followed the Lord and did all that God commanded and became great leaders for His people.
7. Joshua 3:16
After the death of Moses, God called Joshua to lead the people into the land of Caanan. You may remember that Joshua and Caleb were the only two spies who wanted to follow God into the land flowing with milk and honey 40 years earlier. After wandering in the wilderness forty years, the time had finally come. Would God be with Joshua as He was with Moses? We find the answer in our 3:16 verse today.
"14 And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;
15 And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)
16 That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.
17 And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan." (Joshua 3:14-17)
Just as Moses led the people across dry land through the Red Sea, God opened up the Jordan River for the people to pass over. This was a witness to Joshua that God was with him just as He had been with Moses. This was a witness to the Children of Israel in the same way. And it was a witness to their enemies that the God of Israel was the great God. Let's go forward for God! He can make a way through the wilderness and He can give us the victory. When we follow Him it will be a witness to us and build our faith. It will be a witness to those who are following us. And it will be a witness to those who may be against us, that our God is The one and only God, the great I AM.
8. Ezekiel 3:16
We continue our thoughts on those who answered God's call with Ezekiel 3:16.
"16 And it came to pass at the end of seven days, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
19 Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
20 Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
21 Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul."
We could say, "Well, that call was to Ezekiel, in the Old Testament." But, wait, hear what Jesus said. "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15) Also we read in Matthew 28:19-20. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." We are the watchmen of the world today. We need to tell others that Jesus came to save the lost. Think about it, where would we be if someone had not told us?
9. Luke 3:16
Today is the Lord's Day, so I want to turn in our 3:16 scriptures to the New Testament. We have our day of worship all because of Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son. Listen as John the Baptist introduces Jesus to his followers. "John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:" (Luke 3:16) Jesus would give John the Baptist the ultimate compliment in Matthew 11:11. "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." Yet, as great as John was, he realized how small he was in comparison to Jesus, the Son of God. We find his meek and humble spirit in John 3:30-31. "He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all." Our scriptures again today are to encourage us to tell others about Jesus. We are to lift Him up in our praise and worship. We are to serve Jesus and follow His Word. Have a blessed Lord's Day!
10. Matthew 3:16
John the Baptist came preaching "...Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2) and baptizing to prepare the way for Jesus. "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him." (Matthew 3:13-15) And this brings us to our 3:16 verse for today. "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." This coming Sunday is Easter. We get so occupied with our busy lives we sometimes forget the important things. Easter is our celebration of the most important time in history. Let's take time this week to reflect on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God's Son. He came to save us from sin and give us eternal life. If you don't know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I hope that you will seek Him while He may be found. Accept that you are a lost sinner and that faith in Jesus is the only way to God the Father. Believe in your heart that He died to give His life to pay for your sin, and rose again the third day. Confess your sin to God and ask Jesus to save you. That would make this Easter the best ever for you!
11. Mark 3:16
Our 3:16 verse for today comes from the gospel of Mark, and I also included verse 17. "And Simon he surnamed Peter; And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:" It seems to have been a common practice in Biblical days for a person's name to be changed if his or her status in life changed. Abram and Sarai became Abraham and Sarah and God changed Jacob's name to Israel. When Jesus chose His disciples, He changed Simon to Peter and called James and John, The sons of thunder. These verses are important to us, because Jesus also has a new name for us when we get to heaven. We find this foretold in Isaiah 62:2, "And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name." We also see this in John's record of the letters to the seven churches. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." (Revelation 2:17) Have you ever noticed that when someone brings up a name, people listening usually say something like, "You know, old so-in-so, you'll never believe what he did when we were in school together..."? Most of the time people remember the bad things that we do. How often do we hear, "Yes, I remember her, she was a great friend and helped me lot back then"? No, I think people usually remember things that we wish they would forget. I wonder if that is why the Lord will give us a new name? After the judgment our sins will be remembered no more. They will be cast as far as the east is from the west. And Jesus will give us a new name, in the New City, to live with Him throughout eternity.
12. Malachi 3:16
Let's back up a few pages and look at Malachi 3:16 and 17. "Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." Sometimes when I dwell on the problems we face today it discourages me and I feel defeated. But, in these verses we find three promises from the Lord that should help us and encourage us when it seems like the Christians are being pushed down by the ungodly in the world. First, the Lord hears us and He is writing a book of remembrance for those who fear Him and think upon his name. What an amazing thought! The Lord remembers each time we think about Him. Second, the Lord has claimed us and called us His jewels. We may not feel like much down here and we may not have our share or the riches in this world, but we are His jewels! And last of all, we will be spared from the awful judgment that is coming to those who don't know the Lord. God did not spare His own Son, but gave Him to die for us so that we could be spared when the lost are cast into hell. Some days things don't look very positive here on earth, but Christians can look up, and look forward to being with Jesus in the new heaven and new earth.
13. Proverbs 3:16
When God asked King Solomon what he desired, the King answered that he would like wisdom to rule the people. God gave him wisdom and also great riches.
"29 And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the sea shore.
30 And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.
31 For he was wiser than all men;... and his fame was in all nations round about.
32 And he spake three thousand proverbs: and his songs were a thousand and five." (I Kings 4:29-32)
In his Proverbs, King Solomon stressed the importance of wisdom. That is the theme of our Proverbs 3:16 scripture.
"13 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
14 For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.
15 She is more precious than rubies: and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
16 Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour.
17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her." (Proverbs 3:13-18)
Do you feel that you are lacking in wisdom? God has the answer. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5) It can't get much simpler than that. Seek the wisdom that comes from above and God shall give it to you.
14. Ecclesiastes 3:16
King Solomon also wrote the book of Ecclesiastes, and that is where we are turning today for our next 3:16 verse. "And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there. I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work." (Ecclesiastes 3:16-17) There is coming a time when we shall be judged by God Almighty. The wise king of Israel tells us that there is a time for every purpose. I leave you with these "times" to ponder.
"1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)
15. I John 3:16
I find I John 3:16 appropriate for our Easter weekend. "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." God's love. Let's take some time this Easter to think about God's love and His great sacrifice in giving His Son to lay down His life for us. Without Him we would be lost with no peace for today and no hope for the future. If God could love us so much, we need to try to love others. We are not often called to lay down our life for our brethren, but we can give of ourselves to let God's love be seen in us. 1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
"7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." (I John 4:7-12)
16. I Timothy 3:16
Happy Easter! We have already looked at John 3:16, so we are moving on to another 3:16 Easter verse, found in I Timothy. "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory." I like the way this verse opens up, "And without controversy..." To me the Bible is without controversy. I believe that God's Word is true all the way from Genesis 1:1, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth" to the end, "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen." (Revelation 22:20 & 21) God has shown us this great mystery. "...God was manifest in the flesh..." That is the reason behind our Christmas season. Jesus left His home in heaven and came to earth to become a man and give His life for our sin. Another part of the verse I really like is that Jesus was "preached unto the Gentiles." I am so thankful that the gospel message was preached to the Gentiles, because John 4:22 tells us "...salvation is of the Jews." But, praise the Lord, God opened up the way of salvation to the Gentiles. I believe the gospel message that Jesus died on the cross and rose again the third day. And though He came as a man the first time, He will come back as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and I say with John, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
17. I Corinthians 3:16
Our verse today is about Christian living. "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" (I Corinthians 3:16) Paul was telling the Corinthian believers to live a holy life. We can look all the way back to Leviticus 11:45 and find God's command, "For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy." God does not expect us to be omniscient for He knows we can't know everything as He does. Nor does He ask us to be omnipotent, because we don't possess His power. And we certainly can't be omnipresent in our earthly bodies. But, God's Word repeats this phrase over and over, "Be ye holy, for I am holy." This is the attribute of God that He desires us to have-- holiness. The Spirit of God lives within us when we are saved, and we need to live in such a way that others can see Christ in us and through us.
18. Habakkuk 3:16
Habakkuk is one of those short books of prophecy in the Old Testament that aren't preached on too often. But I heard a powerful message from this little book that I have never forgotten. We can hear the prophets fear from the very beginning of the book.
"1 The burden which Habakkuk the prophet did see.
2 O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
3 Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention." (Habakkuk 1:1-3)
He sees the judgment of God and he cries out for mercy. "O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy." (Habakkuk 3:2) But through the tears, he did not lose his faith in the Lord his God.
"16 When I heard, my belly trembled; my lips quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: when he cometh up unto the people, he will invade them with his troops.
17 Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:
18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
19 The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments." (Habakkuk 3:16-19)
19. Daniel 3:16
I like the book of Daniel. (Okay, I say that about a lot of the books in the Bible.) Daniel and his three friends were taken from their homes to a foreign country as captives of war. They were fed foods they were not supposed to eat under the Levitical laws. "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself." (Daniel 1:8) "Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself..." that's why I have such a high regard for this young man, who lived his life in Babylon and was thrown into the den of lions in his old age. We turn to chapter 3 to find our 3:16 verse. I believe the Bible and I believe this story really happened. We must purpose in our hearts to follow God and trust Him to deliver us from evil.
"16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.
20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.
21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.
27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God." (Daniel 3:16-28)
20. Ephesians 3:16
For some of our 3:16 verses I can use the single verse, but for others I feel the need to cover the following scriptures also. The latter is the case with Ephesians 3:16. We just can't stop with one verse.
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." (Ephesians 3:16-21)
Verse 16 is wonderful and it is an honor that the Holy Spirit can strengthen our inner man and Christ has chosen to dwell in our hearts by faith. But we could never leave out the description of the love of Christ in verses 18 and 19. If we can know the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of God's love we would completely be filled with the fullness of God. And the closing statement from the Apostle Paul is just as amazing, and I end with his prayer, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen."
21. II Thessalonians 3:16
Unlike the last few devotionals where we covered several verses, today I have just one. Our verse for II Thessalonians 3:16 is my prayer for you. "Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all." One night last week I had several nightmares and when I woke up from one, another one followed throughout the night. When it was finally time to get up, I started my morning Bible reading and God gave me peace. I can't comprehend how the lost in this world survive without God's peace. I would hate to live in constant fear and I can understand how men and women and even young teens turn to drugs and alcohol as an escape from their fear. If only they would turn to the Lord. He could save them and give them peace for their troubled souls. Today I praise God for His peace that passes all understanding!
22. Revelation 3:16
This is our last 3:16 devotional verse and it is actually the last 3:16 verse in the Bible. It is a frightful warning, not to the lost, but to the church of God. "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:16) Many believe that the seven letters to the seven churches can also be applied to seven church ages. And as we feel that we are in the last days, this last letter seems to be speaking to our churches today. Search your heart as you read this letter and determine within your heart if you are cold or hot, or just lukewarm. Many times in the scriptures God pleads with us to hear. It would do us well to listen.
"14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;
15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.
22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." (Revelation 3:14-22)
