12/1/22: I just found out that most of the commentaries on the Bible Study Tools website are no longer free. That's where most of the quotes that appear on the "Verse of the Day" and "Previous Verses" pages of my website are taken from, so from now on, many of the "Source:" links that I provide on those pages will not contain the quoted text.

I was disgusted to read about the organization's new "PLUS" membership, and the only thing I can say about it is that the Bible has this warning in 1 Timothy 6:10 for the owner of Bible Study Tools: "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
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8/8/21: Something is wrong with my Christian forum. Everything seems to be working normally (i.e., the articles are there, and the links work), but for some reason, the forum's format has changed slightly, and I am currently unable to post anything new.

I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. Hopefully, the problem is only temporay and will be fixed soon.

SEPTEMBER 11

God Creates the Sun, Moon, and Stars

In Genesis 1:1, we're told that God created heaven and earth. The process of creation, including a day of rest, took a total of seven days. According to the Bible, this is what happened on Day 4:

Genesis 1:14-15: "And God said, Let there be lights [referring to the sun and moon] in the firmament of the heaven [or 'in the sky'--see note below*] to divide [separate] the day from the night; and let them [the sun and moon] be for signs [of good and bad weather, of time for planting and harvesting crops, etc.], and for seasons [of summer, winter, spring, and fall], and for days, and years: And let them [the sun and moon] be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so."

Genesis 1:16,17-18: "And God made two great lights; the greater light [the sun, which produces its own light and is bigger, brighter, and greater in intensity than the moon] to rule the day, and the lesser light [the moon, which reflects the light of the sun] to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set [placed, put] them [all--sun, moon, and stars] in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good [or 'a good thing']."

Genesis 1:19: "And the evening and the morning were the fourth day [of creation]."
*The meaning of the word firmament is explained in the following article: "What was the firmament in the Bible?" If you want to read it, here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/firmament-Bible.html.

SEPTEMBER 10

This was King David's prayer to God:

Psalm 19:14: "Let the words of my mouth [everything that I say], and the meditation of my heart [all of my thoughts], be acceptable in thy [your] sight [or 'be pleasing to you'], O LORD, [because you are] my strength, and my redeemer [i.e., the one who has redeemed (rescued, delivered, saved) me from my bondage (slavery, subjection) to sin--see note below*]."
Hopefully, if you're a born-again Christian, the above prayer can be your prayer, too.

You may be wondeering,"How can I let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to God (Psalm 19:14)?" That question is answered in the GotQuestions.org article by the same name. To read it, click here: https://www.gotquestions.org/words-mouth-meditation-heart-pleasing.html.

*The word redeemed is defined in the article entitled "What is the meaning of Christian redemption?" If you want to read it, here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/redemption.html.

SEPTEMBER 9

This instruction from God was delivered by Moses to the people of Israel as part of Old Testament law:

Deuteronomy 22:5: "The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth [pertains] unto a man [or 'which is designed specifically for men'], neither shall a man put on a woman's garment [item of clothing designed specifically for women]: for all [people] that do so [cross-dress, or wear clothes meant for the opposite sex] are abomination [a hateful, detestable, disgusting thing] unto the LORD thy [your] God."
Some Bible commentators, including Matthew Poole, agree that there may be one exception to the above rule: to save a life. According to Reverend Poole:

"This [cross-dressing] shall not be done ordinarily or unnecessarily, for in some cases it may be lawful, as to make an escape for one's life …"

(Source: https://biblehub.com/commentaries/poole/deuteronomy/22.htm, "Matthew Poole's Commentary," "Deuteronomy 22:5")

After reading today's verse, you may have questions about cross-dressing and women wearing pants. Here are two important and very interesting articles I found that deal with those subjects:

-- "What does the Bible say about cross-dressing / transvestism?"
    (https://www.gotquestions.org/cross-dressing-transvestism.html)

-- "Should Christian women wear pants?"
    (https://www.gotquestions.org/women-wear-pants.html)

SEPTEMBER 8

God Hates Idolatry

The following verse is part of what Moses told the Levites to say to the men of Israel. It's the first of a number of curses and confirms what was written by God in the Ten Commandments (i.e., Commandment #2, Exodus 20:4,5,6).

Deuteronomy 27:15: "Cursed [by God will] be the man [or person] that maketh [or 'who makes'] any graven or molten image [i.e., a statue or idol to be used as an object of worship--see note below*], [which is] an abomination unto the LORD [or 'something that God hates'], [and which is] the work of the hands of the craftsman, and [cursed is the man who] putteth it [puts it--the idol] in a secret place [where it can't be seen by others]. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen [or 'so be it,' meaning they understood and agreed with what had been said]."
*According to an article entitled "What is a graven image?" by GotQuestions.org:

"… A graven image is an image carved out of stone, wood, or metal. It could be a statue of a person or animal, or a relief carving [i.e., figures or patterns carved into a flat piece of wood] in a wall or pole. It is differentiated from a molten image, which is melted metal poured into a cast [or mold] …"

The article then goes into a detailed explanation of idolatry.
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If you want to read more of the article, here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/graven-image.html.

SEPTEMBER 7

A Warning About Sexual Immorality

In the 7th chapter of Proverbs, King Solomon is telling his son to stay away from "strange women" (referring to sexually immoral women, commonly called prostitutes, harlots, whores, adulteresses, mistresses, etc.).

Regarding the sexually immoral woman, Solomon says:

Proverbs 7:25: "Let not thine [don't let your] heart decline to [turn aside to, lean toward] her ways, go not [don't go] astray in her paths [i.e., stay on the right path and don't follow hers]."

Proverbs 7:26: For she [the sexually immoral woman] hath [has] cast down many wounded [men, like soldiers on a battlefield]: yea [yes], many strong men have been slain [killed, destroyed] by her." [In other words, because of their involvement with sexually immoral women, many men have ruined their reputations and been afflicted with disease, guilt, shame, etc. Examples from the Bible of men who were 'wounded' or 'slain' by sexually immoral women include King David, King Solomon, and Samson.]

Proverbs 7:27: "Her [the sexually immoral woman's] house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers [rooms] of death."
Salem Bible Church has an excellent commentary on verses 7-27 of the 7th chapter of Proverbs (click here to read those verses: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%207%3A7-27&version=KJV),  which tells of a young man who becomes involved with a prostitute. In that commentary, Pastor Jim Delany describes the young man and his failures, the consequences of his actions, and the moral of the story.
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Today's verses (Proverbs 7:25-27) are addressed near the end of Pastor Delany's commentary, as follows, under the heading "The Moral of the Story":

"1. Now Solomon asks his son to pay attention. He is about to give the moral of the story just told. (vs. 24) [Proverbs 7:24]

"2. The moral of the story: (vs. 25) [Proverbs 7:25]

"a. Don't let your heart (mind; inner man) be drawn in by her [the sexually immoral woman]

"b. Keep your body out of her paths! Stay out of her neighborhood! Run away! If you see her coming, head in the other direction.

"c. Stay away mentally and physically!
"• Don't fill your mind and heart with her ways--through bad literature… pornography… TV… soap operas… movies…
"• Avoid places where you are likely to run into such temptation.
"• Keep your heart with all diligence… keep it pure… clean…
"• Keep your body away from anything and everything that will stir up evil in your heart--TV, movies, videos, literature, impure web sites… theatres… shows, beaches, clubs, parties--anything that will stir up your flesh.

"3. Reasons to stay away:

"a. She (the immoral woman) has not only wounded a few, but MANY men have been wounded by her!
"• Many STRONG men (physically) have been slain [killed or destroyed] by her!
"• This ONE sin [adultery] has been the ruin of MANY people… many households… many families… many men and women, young and old.
"• Strong men--like [King] Solomon himself--have been completely undone by this sin… their lives ruined… their testimony for the Lord ruined… their ministries ruined…
"• Solomon wants to warn his son that if MANY STRONG men have been ruined by this sin--don't be so presumptuous [overconfident] to think it won't harm you!
"b. Her house is the way to death and hell… (vs. 27) [Proverbs 7:27]
"• Death--her husband; disease; the stress of a double life; drugs and alcohol which often accompany such behavior…

"4. Moral purity… faithfulness to one's marriage partner is the way of life and peace. Adultery is the way of death and guilt. Choose life!"

If you want to read more of Pastor Delany's commentary, here's the link: https://www.salembible.org/proverbs-index/proverbs-7-index/proverbs-7_7-27/.

The GotQuestions.org article entitled "What is sexual immorality?" has even more reasons for heeding (paying attention to) King Solomon's advice. If you want to read it, here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/sexual-immorality.html.

SEPTEMBER 6

Lessons From the Ant (for Lazy People)

Proverbs 6:6-8: "Go to [observe, watch] the ant, thou sluggard [you lazy person]; consider her ways [learn from the ant], and be wise: Which [referring to the ant,] having no guide, overseer [supervisor], or ruler [or 'without having someone to tell her what to do' (i.e., doing things by instinct)], Provideth [provides] her meat [or 'searches for food'] in the summer, and gathereth [gathers] her food in the [time of] harvest."

Proverbs 6:9: "How long wilt thou [will you] sleep, O sluggard [lazy person]? when wilt thou [will you] arise out of thy [your] sleep [or 'when will you wake up and get up']? "

Proverbs 6:10-11: "Yet a little sleep, a little slumber [a period of light sleep (dozing) or inactivity], a little folding of the hands [bringing the hands together] to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth [or 'one who travels,' meaning step by step, or gradually], and thy want [your inability to have--or buy--the things that you want or need] [shall come suddenly and unexpectedly,] as an armed man [does, or as when a robber attacks a defenseless person and steals his or her possessions]."
According to Pastor Jim Delany of Salem Bible Church, the above verses are about using our time wisely and changing bad habits.
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In Proverbs 6:6-8 of Pastor Delany's commentary, we learn that ants are good examples for us to follow because:

-- They [the ants] are self-motivated [or do things without being told].
-- They are diligent (conscientious) and hard-working.
-- They don't pretend to be busy when they really aren't [busy].
-- The don't procrastinate [put things off] or make excuses for not doing things (such as 'it's too hot')
-- They don't put pleasure above work.
-- They make good use of opportunities to work.
-- They store things up for the future.
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This is what the Proverbs 6:9 commentary says about the dangers of laziness. To the question "How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard?" the pastor responds as follows:

"3. HOW LONG is a good question! Every once in a while, it might do us all good to chart out [figure out, determine] what we do with our time…
"• How long do we sleep?
"• How long do we lie on the couch and vegetate [relax, do nothing]?
"• How long do we sit in front of the TV or computer?
"• How long do we spend reading the Word [i.e., God's word, the Bible]? [How much time do we spend] In prayer?
"• After making a chart of how our time is spent, we might see some areas that need prioritizing [putting in order of importance]… rearranging…

"4. WHEN is a good question too. 'When will you arise [get up]?'

"a. The lazy man is challenged to consider how long he sleeps.

"b. Then he is challenged to DO something about it--get up!

"c. When? When will you get up? When will you change your bad habits?

"d. If we are wasting time, we too should be challenged: when are you going to do something about it? When are you going to change?

"e. Arising is the answer to sleeping too much--just get up!

"f. Notice how simple God's answer to this lazy man's problem is: Arise! Get up! You don't need a 12 step program [like Alcoholics Anonymous uses] to deprogram yourself from old habits… just obey [the Bible:]… arise…"
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If  you want to read one or both of Pastor Delany's commentaries on today's verses, here are the links:

-- Proverbs 6:6-8: "Go to the Ant"
    (https://www.salembible.org/proverbs-index/proverbs-6-index/proverbs-6_6-8/)

-- Proverbs 6:9-11: "How Long Wilt Thou Sleep?"
    (https://www.salembible.org/proverbs-index/proverbs-6-index/proverbs-6_9-11/)

GotQuestions.org has articles relating to this verse. They are as follows:

-- "What does the Bible say about laziness?"
    (https://www.gotquestions.org/laziness-Bible.html)

-- "What is a sluggard?"
    (https://www.gotquestions.org/Proverbs-sluggard.html)

SEPTEMBER 3-5

Debts and Charity

Proverbs 3:27: "Withhold not good [things, or 'don't withhold anything good,' such as money or help] from them to whom it is due [e.g., needy people, creditors, etc.], when it is in the power of thine [your] hand [or 'when you have the ability'] to do it [i.e., offer assistance or pay your debts]."

Proverbs 3:28: "Say not [don't say] unto thy [your] neighbour [or your friend, relative, creditor, etc.], Go [away], and come [back] again, and to morrow I will give [it to you]; when thou hast it by thee [or 'when you already have what they want or need and can give it to them right now']."
Pay your debts when they are due, and be kind, helpful, and charitable to those who are suffering.

According to Pastor Jim Delany of Salem Bible Church, "… The specific example here [in the above verses] is of refusing to pay when we have the money or the ability…"
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The pastor's commentary on the above verses is excellent and includes many examples of how and why people get into debt and what they should and shouldn't do about it. It shows how we can avoid taking on too much debt and becoming overwhelmed by it, and it also tells why some people refuse to pay what they owe. At the end of the commentary, we learn that these verses also teach us that we should be kind to others.
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Here are some excerpts from the commentary:

From the introduction:

"3. To whom would our money be due?

"a. If we borrow money from another person…

"b. If we borrow money from a bank or finance company…

"c. If we borrow someone else's property (car; snow blower; bicycle; stereo)

"d. If we owe someone a service--by bartering [exchanging, trading] your time of service for money or for property--or even someone's else's service. (the plumber who promises to fix the carpenter's leaky sink if the carpenter promises to fix his leaky roof!)

"e. If we purchase items with a credit card…

"f. If we hire someone to do a job, and they do the job…

"g. If we live in a country, enjoy its services, then we owe taxes…

"h. If we have been saved and appreciate God's grace, we are responsible to give to the Lord's work [for example, to churches or missionaries or Christian organizations] … it is due…

"i. If we borrow money, time, or service, we have become a debtor to that person or company or country."

From the "Withhold Not Good" Section:

"5. Before we ever begin a project (building a house; buying a car; etc) we are to sit down and count the cost whether we are able to finish the project--and pay for it! (Luke 14:28-30)

"a. The point is that we are NOT to get in over our heads.

"b. We are NOT to borrow more than we can pay back.

"c. We are NOT to live beyond our means.

"d. We are NOT to involve ourselves in a commitment we are not able to finish.

"e. Doing our homework AHEAD of time will prevent us from making this mistake. It will keep us out of that awkward position of owing… being in debt… and finding ourselves unable to pay…

"6. However, the passage in Proverbs seems to be warning about something even worse. The warning is about REFUSING to pay money owed, even when we have it!"

"b. We too can commit this kind of sin.
"• In running a business, we have no right to withhold payment to our creditors… or to companies that have supplied us with goods or services.
"• In running a household, we have no right to hire servicemen [to] come and fix our home or car, if we know we can't pay them… and we are going to put off payment when the bill comes in…
"• We might be mad at a company/doctor/serviceman and refuse to pay.
"• We can withhold good because of a grudge [feeling of resentment]; anger; procrastination; laziness; revenge;--all of which are wrong and [are] forbidden by this [Bible] passage."

From the "When it is in the power of thy hand to do it" section:

"3. There are times when we may NOT have the power or ability to pay off a loan or a bill.

"a. A man may begin a project, count the cost, and crunch [analyze] all the numbers and the project may seem quite do-able.

"b. But the economy could turn sour [or get worse, as in a recession]--suddenly and unexpectedly… any number of things could happen.

"c. We might find ourselves without power or ability to pay. That is not the point of this passage.

"d. This passage speaks of someone who is ABLE to pay but refuses. [Examples include:]
"• The McCoys and the Joneses having a feud [a prolonged, bitter quarrel or fight]…
"• The man who piles up bills and doesn't pay them, in order to save money for his vacation…
"• The man who promised to do a good deed for someone, and is able to do so, but keeps putting it off… procrastination."

From the "Applications" section:

"1. While this text [referring to the above verses] seems to be speaking specifically of paying back something that is owed to another, there are many applications that can be made about our responsibility to do GOOD unto others.

"2. In principle, this passage is similar to James 2:15-16

"a. In this text, nothing is actually OWED to the poor man.

"b. But there is a moral obligation to help.

"c. If a brother [a fellow Christian] is destitute (starving; naked; etc)--drastic circumstances--we [Christians] are morally obligated to help.

"d. This does not refer to the brother who comes to borrow money for a new leather coat or one who needs money to eat at [a restaurant called] the Tavern on the Green [both of which things are wants, not needs].

"e. It speaks of a brother who is destitute [penniless, lacking the basic necessities of life]. This is more like the situation of the Good Samaritan who found a man lying destitute on the side of the road.

"f. Vs.16 [James 2:16]-- saying, "Depart, be warmed and filled" is sending him away without helping. You are withholding good! It is just like saying, "Go and come again; tomorrow I will give."

"g. If we can help a brother or sister in Christ [a fellow Christian], we should [do so].
"• We may be used at times.
"• There will always be freeloaders who take advantage of Christian generosity.
"• But over all, if we can help, we should.
"• If it is within our ability and power--don't withhold.

"2. Gal. 6:10 -- as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to those of the household of faith [meaning other Christians].

"a. As we have opportunity--speaks of a person who has the power or ability to help.

"b. We [Christians] have been called [by God] to do GOOD works… we are to walk in the good works that God has ordained for us. (Eph. 2:8-10) This is the natural FRUIT [result] of salvation, never the root [foundation, basis]!

"c. When opportunity arises to do good, DO it. Don't withhold it.

"d. The question always arises--where do we draw the line?
"• If we give money away, there will be a line of people at our door every day!
"• I am ABLE to work every night--helping out a different [Christian] brother every night of the week.
"• But we also have to prioritize the use of our time.
"• We also have to consider other things: our health; our family; responsibilities; our limits.
"• We ARE to help and not to withhold help… but do it WISELY! Certainly the book of Proverbs while promoting KINDNESS also is promoting WISDOM in how we live our lives!

"3. Titus 3:1 -- We are to be READY to every good work.

"a. That means we are NOT to put it off till mañana [tomorrow]!

"b. Ready = ready; prepared; even eager [enthusiastic]

"c. We shouldn't be withholding good from others. It shouldn't take a crowbar [a steel bar used as a lever] to get us to do good to others.

"d. Good should naturally FLOW out of one who is [born again, or] saved by grace [in other words, someone who is a Christian]!"

If you want to read the rest of the commentary, here's the link: https://www.salembible.org/proverbs-index/proverbs-3-index/proverbs-3_27-28/.

SEPTEMBER 2

More Soul Winners Needed!

Matthew 9:35: "And Jesus went about [traveled to] all [of] the cities and villages [of Galilee], teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel [good news] of the kingdom [of God; i.e., heaven], and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Matthew 9:36: "But when he [Jesus] saw the multitudes [crowds--large numbers of people who had followed him], he was moved with compassion on [sympathy, pity, and concern for] them, because they fainted [not only from weakness, exhaustion, hunger, thirst, etc., but also from spiritual burdens], and were scattered abroad [spread out over a large area], as [like, similar to] sheep having no shepherd."

Matthew 9:37-38: "Then saith [said] he [Jesus] unto his disciples, The harvest [referring to people seeking spiritual guidance and salvation] truly is plenteous [abundant, plentiful], but the labourers are few [in number]; Pray ye [you] therefore [to] the Lord of the harvest [God], that he will send forth labourers [Christian workers, missionaries, soul winners, etc.] into his harvest [to teach those people about the Bible and show them how to be saved]."
Jesus said that the world needs more soul winners, so, if you're a born-again Christian, won't you please (as Jesus requested) ask God to send them and/or consider becoming one yourself?

Soul winning, which is also called personal evangelism, consists of several things: prayer, biblical knowledge, a story, the right attitude, and obedience, not results. All of those things, along with additional information about evangelism and some tips on how to become a successful soul winner, are explained in the article entitled "What is personal evangelism?" If you want to read it, here's the link: https://www.gotquestions.org/personal-evangelism.html.

SEPTEMBER 1

Psalm 118:24: "This is the day which the LORD [God] hath [has] made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
According to many Bible commentators, this verse refers to the Sabbath (see note below*), which is observed on Saturday as a day of rest and worship for Jewish people. Christians have not been commanded to keep the Sabbath and are free to continue with their normal daily activities on that day.

But no matter who we are or what we're doing, we should always be thankful for every day that is given to us by God, especially Sunday (also known as the "Lord's day," when Christians gather together at church to worship) and Easter (when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ).

*GotQuestions.org has written several articles to answer questions about the Sabbath. One of them is entitled "What day is the Sabbath, Saturday or Sunday?" and can be found here: https://www.gotquestions.org/Saturday-Sunday.html.