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Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ³⁴"For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" ³⁵"Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?" ³⁶For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. —Romans 11:33-36 It is good to linger over the praises of Paul’s heart at the end of Romans chapter 11. The riches and wisdom and the knowledge of God are unfathomably deep (Romans 11:33). No matter how far down into God’s wealth or into God’s wisdom or into God’s knowledge you go, you never get beneath God. There is nothing beneath God. And there is nothing above God. And there is nothing decisive over against God between His depths and His heights. So Paul says in verse 33b: “How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” In other words, since God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge are very deep, so that we can’t give Him anything He doesn’t have, or tell Him anything He doesn’t know, it is no wonder that we are often confounded, bewildered, perplexed, and amazed by the ways and the judgments of God. Then Paul says in verse 34, “Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” Answer: Nobody. In other words, you can’t give Him advice He doesn’t already know. Then in verse 35, “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” Answer: Nobody. In other words, not only can’t you give Him advice He doesn’t already know; but you can’t give to God anything that is not already His. If you could, He would owe you. But you can’t. So He doesn’t owe you anything. And never will. Finally Paul says in verse 36, “For from him and through him and to him are all things.” And yet the final design and effect of it all is at the end of verse 36: All things are not only from him and through him, but also “to him.” Therefore, “To him be glory forever.” Our lives are to be lived willingly to the glory of God. Or we will serve His glory unwillingly in our damnation. We are created and called to make the beauty and greatness of God known in the world. Our reason for being is to make much of God, and bring all the nations to confess that Jesus is Lord “to the glory of God the Father.” John Piper   is founder and lead teacher of desiringGod.org and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary. He served for thirty-three years as a pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and is the author of more than fifty books, including Desiring God ; Don’t Waste Your Life ; and Providence .

[But] to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. —John 1:12-13 This past week cartoonist Scott Adams  was much talked about for his attempt to make himself a Christian before he died. His last words included these: “...many of my Christian friends have asked me to find Jesus before I go. I’m not a believer, but I have to admit the risk-reward calculation for [finding Jesus] looks attractive. ” To this he added,  So here I go.  I accept Jesus Christ as my lord and savior, and I look forward to spending an eternity with him. The part about me not being a believer should be quickly resolved if I wake up in heaven. I won’t need any more convincing than that. And I hope I am still qualified for entry. His muddled reasoning left many wondering about the state of his heart in those last moments. God is the judge. But providentially, John 1 offers the clarity we need in order to know how to become a child of God.  We must believe and receive–in dependence on God. To receive is a passive action, something of an oxymoron. It’s an acceptance of something being offered, not something you can do in isolation with just the power of your own mind. There must be a giver. And in the case of salvation, the giver is God the Son. He took on flesh and dwelt among us. He obeyed the Father perfectly, never sinning. And He willingly, humbly went to the cross to suffer the punishment we deserved to pay for our sin and rebellion against God.  For those who receive Jesus, who know these truths as true and beautiful , their record of debt is cancelled. Agreeing that Jesus lived and died, or that He is perfect, or even that He is God–thus giving mental assent–is not enough. We must receive  the gift He offers, the gift of Himself. We must put the full weight of our trust in Him as our perfect substitute. This is faith. Human will is not ultimate, God is. He chooses whom He will save. God’s electing love is what causes us to be “born…of God.” And yet, we have a role to play. God works and we work. Both are necessary. But only one is decisive–our belief alone is not what saves us. We cannot be saved without believing in Christ, but unless God gives us faith to believe, we remain dead in our sins. Spiritually dead men cannot respond to God in faith.  Saving faith isn’t finally a decision of the mind or will, but a gift that comes “from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).  We should  urge our unbelieving friends to read God’s Word, invite them to go with us to hear the Word preached, and show them how to ask God, in prayer, for the gift of faith. It’s loving to want them to have the new birth that comes “through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:23). But we cannot save ourselves. Jesus is the only way to the Father. Thanks be to God that though “ No one has ever seen God; God the only Son, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known” (John 1:18). Look to Jesus and believe. For Reflection Do you ever forget that faith is a gift from God? Give thanks to God for giving you a new heart and the ability to receive Christ and believe in His name. When you share the gospel, do you urge unbelievers to ask God for faith to believe it? Pray for the unbelievers you know, asking God to grant them the faith to believe. Candice Watters  is the editor of Fighter Verses and contributor to Truth78's webinars . She and her husband, Steve, lead the VBS  ministry for their church in Louisville, KY. The Watterses are the parents of two grown children and two nearly so.

[But] to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. —John 1:12-13 These verses are about our identity as believers in Jesus. It is important to slow down enough to think about who we have become if we have trusted him. First, we are children of God. If you’ve trusted Jesus, He’s given you the right to call God your Father. A few verses later, John says that “from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace” (John 1:16). The one who is everything we need in Himself is our Father ! There is even more about our identity in these verses. The question must be raised, how does one begin such a relationship with God? There is only one way—the passage says: through God Himself. It is not of blood; that is, you aren’t God’s child simply because you come from a line of believers, or an upstanding family. You aren’t God’s child because you have a solid reputation. It’s not about your past, or your record, or who you know. It is not of the will of the flesh. No one can simply decide to trust Christ merely of their own volition. We are morally incapable by ourselves. It is not of the will of man. The world, in itself, cannot produce people who trust Jesus. Everyone was born in sin, and in sin they will stay… unless a miracle happens. This brings us to what our salvation is. Our salvation is of God. That is, God initiated our salvation, God enabled our response, and God keeps us in him. Although we have a part to play, it is really God who does all the work. What confidence we have in this! If we did not earn our salvation, we cannot lose it. If we did not choose God, He will not let us go. The reason that our relationship to God as His children is ultimately and eternally secure is that it is His doing, through and through. It is ultimately for His glory, and God is more committed to His own glory than anything else. Isn’t it wonderful, then, that the greatest joy we can ever know — a relationship with God — actually glorifies Him? We are the beneficiaries of a true miracle: God has given us the right to become His children. May He give us the eyes to see it for the miracle it is! For Reflection When are you tempted to see your salvation as being “of blood,” or “of the will of the flesh,” or “of the will of man”? How do you fight these lies with truth? How do you stir up thankfulness in your heart for the miracle God has done for you? How does the knowledge that you are God’s child affect your daily life?

[But] to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. —John 1:12-13 Our passage this week is well known to most Christians, a nd because of that familiarity, we might take only a quick look thinking, Oh yes, I’ve got it, and swipe the screen. But it's good to pause for more than a glance even when we know a passage well. God always has more for us to see of His power and grace in His Word. Pray that God will open your mind to understand His Word and make your heart ready to respond to what He is teaching you. The Gospel according to John is unique among the other gospel accounts, from the first chapter. Unlike Matthew, Mark, and Luke, who begin their accounts with genealogies, the birth of Jesus, and Jesus’ baptism, John takes us back before time, before creation, to eternity, showing us that Jesus is God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1, 14). Take a few minutes to read John 1 for the context of this week’s Fighter Verse. There are contrasts or opposites we discover in the first few verses: Jesus is the Light, and the darkness is not able to overcome the Light. (vv. 3-5) Jesus came into the world that was created through Him, but the world did not know Him. (v. 10) Jesus came to His own (His covenant people Israel), but His own did not receive Him. (v. 11) “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (vs. 12-13) Receiving Jesus is defined by believing in His name — He is in the believer, and the believer is in Him, a covenant union secured by the infinite authority of the name of Jesus. Philippians 2:10-11 tells us, God bestowed on Him the name that is above every other name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Jesus is King and Lord over all creation. He is Savior, crucified, buried, and risen from the dead; alive forever. All of us were once born in sin and darkness—but now Jesus the Light, our Savior has come to give us new birth and new life in Him. But the believer’s new birth is not a physical birth by flesh and blood, and not by personal attempts to get a “fresh start,” and not by reforming yourself with human willpower. By God’s own will and power we are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), born again to a living hope (1 Peter 1:3). And He gives even more! John 1:12 tells us He gives every believer a special right or privilege—the only right that will ever ultimately matter, transcending every human right or freedom you strive for on earth—the right to become a child of God. This glorious gift of being in God’s family identifies us as in Christ, the “children of Light” (Ephesians 5:8), “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession that we might proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). For Reflection Who receives the right to become children of God? Read Ephesians 5 to understand what it means to be God’s beloved children, the children of Light. Can you think of other verses that specifically refer to the authority and power of Jesus’ name? Take time this week to look up those verses and write out your thoughts, prayers, and praise. Is there someone in your neighborhood or family you can reach out to this week to share with them Christ’s excellencies and saving power?

Memorizing Bible verses as an individual or family can bear much fruit—encouraging our faith, helping us fight sin, deepening our understanding of God and His Word, informing our prayers, and fueling our witness to unbelievers. When church members memorize God’s Word as a body, they see all that fruit, plus they experience growth in unity and spiritual maturity, as they persevere together in the faith. Twenty-five years ago, John Piper invited the congregation at Bethlehem Baptist in Minneapolis, Minnesota to join him in memorizing what he introduced as the “Fighter Verses”—a set of verses strategically chosen to equip members to fight temptation the way Jesus did. “When he was fasting in the wilderness,” Pastor John explained, "there were no libraries or books, and with every temptation of the devil he quoted a passage of Scripture to defeat the devil" (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10). He went on to explain the name Fighter Verses : This is why we are calling the 52 passages prepared for all of us this year (one a week) “fighter verses.” Jesus defeated the devil’s temptations with the use of a memorized passage of Scripture. And in Ephesians 4:17, Paul called the word of God “the sword of the Spirit.” We cannot successfully overcome sin and Satan without the present treasure of precious words of God—“fighter verses.” Sally Michael was there for that sermon, and others like it that followed each year. She recalls: Pastor John’s January sermons on the value of the Word of God were some of the best sermons for my soul. They were always an inspiring way to start the new year. The faithful yearly sermon highlighting the treasure we have in God’s Word, the importance of meditating on it and memorizing it, and the urging to hide it in our hearts was the glue that held together my determination to be in the Word through the ups and downs of daily life each year. Memorizing verses with other church members provides motivation to memorize. It helps the reluctant and creates momentum as the group makes progress together. Some memorize quickly, others slowly; some memorize a verse or two, others whole chapters. All enjoy the blessings of feeding on God’s Word daily. In the last 25 years, many churches have used Fighter Verses™ for Scripture memory. Over this past year, Immanuel Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky made the move to expand Scripture memory from their children and youth ministries to a church-wide commitment. Rebecca Cedillo, Immanuel Kids Ministry Director, recently shared her experience with church-wide Scripture memory on the Zealous podcast . She said, I had been looking for a way to streamline Scripture memory for our kids' classrooms and encourage families to memorize the same passage weekly. Around that time, our youth started memorizing Fighter Verses. I was amazed and could visualize our church body embracing Scripture memory with the helpful tools available. And so the youth director and I approached our pastors about it and they got really excited about it and it took off. We're seeing fruit in both personal growth and in community sanctification. It's given us the ability to teach and admonish one another more effectively and efficiently, because God’s Word is in our hearts. Our church has a sharing time during our service and sometimes people will share how the Fighter Verse has encouraged them. Periodically, the pastor will ask someone to quote the week’s passage from memory. It's been so sweet to see the whole gamut of generations stand up and share, from a seven-year-old quoting an entire chapter in the Psalms to older saints and ages in between. The Word of God can encourage the very, very young to the very, very old. We want to encourage and support even more churches in Scripture memory. That's why we're launching Fighter Verses Churchwide . Our Fighter Verses Churchwide Kit includes everything a church needs to memorize weekly verses, including digital verse slides, printable posters, bulletin inserts, promotional schedule, sample family devotional guide, and information about the Fighter Verses app and weekly devotional blog. More than a Year The Churchwide Kit contains verse slides for all five of the Fighter Verses sets. We started with Set 1 in 1998 and have been rotating through the five sets every five years since. We'll be featuring Set 1 on the FighterVerses blog starting January 2026, including a devotional with each weekly verse. Additionally, the free Fighter Verses bookmarks feature Set 2 in 2027, Set 3 in 2028, etc. Whether you memorize together for one year, two, or all five, we pray your congregation will be strengthened and enriched through the living Word of God.

[And now,] Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, ¹³and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good? —Deuteronomy 10:12-13 These verses are only a few chapters away from what we memorized last week. Knowing what transpired between them is essential for understanding them. Moses is speaking here to the people of Israel on the far side of the Jordan as they prepare to go in and take possession of the promised land. He has just rehearsed God’s power in delivering them out of slavery in Egypt and their history in the wilderness. He reminds them that God chose them, not for their righteousness, but because of His love for them and His faithfulness to the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He chastises them for their stubbornness of heart and continual rebellion from the day they left Egypt (Deuteronomy 9:6-7). Moses says that twice God wanted to destroy them for their disobedience and idolatry. And twice God relented. All of this comprises the chapters between our memory verse last week (Deuteronomy 7:9) and our passage this week.  Now, on the verge of conquering people more numerous and more powerful than they, and knowing that soon God’s people will be rich in land, houses, food, and more, Moses explains the conditions of their prosperity. If they want to flourish, they must obey the Lord their God. Moses then says, “what does the Lord require of you, but [this]…” It’s as if he’s saying, all you have to do is this, but to succeed, you must do all of this. For Israel, it would prove no small lift.  They would have to strain against their nature, their habits, and their history in order to fear, love, obey, and serve the Lord. Thus far they had not been able to do it. Having read their history, we know how this will turn out. They will not do the very things that would lead to their flourishing. They will disobey and wind up like the nations that God is about to punish because of their wickedness.  What God required was good! It would lead to good! And yet, they would fail. Reading these chapters reminds me a little bit of “new syllabus feeling.” Every first day of college classes I would look at the list of readings and papers and think, “this is exciting, everything looks so interesting, all of these assignments will lead to more learning!” It felt challenging, yes, but doable–if only I would put in the work and follow the schedule. But every semester I fell back into my habit of procrastinating. I knew I would run out of time and end up cramming for exams and rushing to finish papers that were mediocre. I knew I was undermining my ability to really learn the material, but it felt impossible to keep the schedule. Like my pattern of procrastination, the Israelites had a pattern of disobeying God.  I feel so hopeful for them when reading about God’s love for them and His plan for their flourishing. All they have to do is obey. But remembering my own failed attempts to improve myself (in college and all of life) helps me understand a little of what it might have felt like to be there on the banks of the Jordan. The promises of God are lavish, the power of God is unmatched, He loves us with an everlasting love! Let us go up and take the land in faithfulness! Surely their intentions were good. But the reality of sin and the curse proved too strong. The people would do exactly what God warned them against. They would disobey Him and embrace the idols He commanded them to destroy. These verses, and Israel’s history, cause me to give thanks to God for His goodness, and to cry out to Him for help. They remind me that only a loving God would require His people to do the things that lead to their happiness, flourishing, and joy. God’s to-do list is the path to life. And they warn me that left to myself, I’m hopelessly prone to do the opposite, to choose what leads to death.  Like the Israelites, we cannot be good apart from God. His commands teach us that we are sinful (Romans 7:7). They show us the way to live, and remind us that we are destined to die. But God, being rich in mercy, has not left us to ourselves. Ephesians says, “… because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, [God] made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5). As we embark on a new year with all of its hopes and aspirations, may these stories that were written for our instruction (1 Corinthians 10:11) move us to worship the God who has opened to us the way to life. Thanks be to God that He has made a way for us to be transformed by His Spirit. He has provided both the payment for our disobedience and the power to obey. In Jesus, He has provided what He requires.  For Reflection Where do you see your sin nature pulling you to do what you do not want to do (Romans 7:19)? Do you think of God's commands as good and loving? Thank Jesus for His obedience and ask Him to help you love God's law and obey it. Candice Watters  is the editor of Fighter Verses and contributor to Truth78's webinars . She and her husband, Steve, lead the VBS  ministry for their church in Louisville, KY. The Watterses are the parents of two grown children and two nearly so.

And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good? —Deuteronomy 10:12-13 Let’s begin with prayer. Heavenly Father, we come to You in Jesus’ name asking You to awaken our hearts to hear and obey Your word. Thank You for the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth who is given to every Christian to teach, guide, and enable us in Your Word. Strengthen and equip us now with everything good that we may do Your will, working in us that which is pleasing in Your sight through Jesus Christ to whom be the glory forever. Amen. Context and Observation —Ask the 5Ws and H: Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How? Our look into the book of Deuteronomy last week gave us the tone of our Fighter Verse passage for this week. Who? Moses is speaking to the nation of Israel. How? As God’s representative. Where? Near the banks of the Jordan River. When? Before they enter the promised land and before his own death. What? He reminds Israel of God’s faithfulness to them, in spite of their unfaithfulness to Him. And once again, he instructs them as to what “the LORD (Yahweh) your God (Elohim)” requires of His people Why? For their good. Take time this week to read the full chapter of Deuteronomy 10. Look for Repetition Underline the words and phrases that repeat in these verses. The name “the LORD your God” tells us that the relationship between God and His people is one of covenant and possession. He is God, Israel’s God, and they are His people. Being identified with Him, Israel is not left to its own imagination as to what is required in this relationship. Interpret Moses appeals to them and makes clear the expectations God has for His people: To fear the LORD your God. This fear is not the fear of being punished by God, but it is fear rooted in love, to worship and be in awe of Him, to love His holiness and greatness. To walk in all His ways “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 14:12. The ways of mankind (the flesh) are sinful, leading to eternal destruction, but as God’s own possession, we are to be different. Our attitudes, words, and actions should leave no doubt to a watching world that we are God’s people, obeying Him, and walking in His ways. To love Him The love we have for God comes from Him. It is an “all-or-nothing,” sacrificial love, pure devotion, adoration leading to worship of Him with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind and all our strength. To serve Him with all your heart and soul In Deuteronomy 28:47, we have a warning that God’s people will end up serving their enemies, “ Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things.” God delights in our giving to Him, not grudgingly or expecting something in return, but from a loving heart that is free and joyful in serving Him. To keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD Now, having given these commands, God is requiring His people to keep them. To keep something means we will treasure, protect, and watch over that something. So Israel is to walk in the ways of the LORD, circumspectly, carefully observing His commandments and statutes... …for your good. God promises His people good if they will keep His commandments. The blessing of obedience to God is immeasurable. We can have confidence that God is conforming us to the likeness of Christ as we learn obedience. Our hearts are softened as we walk in God’s ways, to glorify Him in everything, to truly enjoy Him and praise Him for His goodness to us. We cannot accomplish this obedience perfectly. This points us to the ultimate good God provided for His people in giving His Son Jesus Christ who fulfilled the demands of the law for our salvation. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 8:1-16). For Reflection How would you explain to a non-believer why God is “your God”? What heart attitudes, actions, and speech would indicate that you are walking in God’s ways? In what situations this week have you found it difficult to obey God?

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, —Deuteronomy 7:9  As we enter the new year, we’re going back to the beginning of the Fighter Verses with Set One, verse one. We’re embarking on a five-year journey of fighting the fight of faith with God’s Word. It’s a battle because we’re prone to wander, faced as we are with the snares of the world, the flesh, and the devil. But God has not left us alone. He has given us His Word and His Spirit to help us live in obedience to Him. This is the promise and the warning we see in our passage this week.  Deuteronomy 7:9 opens with a therefore  and ends with a comma. This tells us it’s not a complete thought — we need to look at the context to get at the meaning. Moses is recounting God’s faithfulness to the people of Israel in delivering them from slavery in Egypt. He says God chose to set His love on them because He loved them, and because He was keeping His promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (v. 6). Their rescue wasn’t about their goodness or might, but about God’s power and character. The rest of the sentence that follows the comma is a sober warning about what will happen if the people fail to worship God as God. This passage says He keeps covenant and love with those who love and obey Him “ and [He] repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face” (v. 10). Moses is reminding the people that the Lord who is your  God is God. He is the One who delivered you. It was not the gods of the peoples in the promised land who set you free.  This is obvious to us when we read the Exodus account. God’s power was unmatched, His love beyond measure. Yet still the people must be warned not to be ensnared by the idols of the nations they will conquer. How could they possibly want to trade the God of all power and love for man-made idols? It’s unbelievable. And yet, they do. God knows how fickle their hearts are. But this isn’t just a story about what happened to the people of Israel. It’s a warning about the human heart’s capacity to be deceived– our  capacity to be deceived. As we memorize the nature of God’s character–He is God, He is our God, He is faithful, and His love is steadfast–let us also be warned that it is possible to forget all of this and be trapped by idols.  Whatever comes to you in 2026, trust that the God who has redeemed you is for  you. Do not be ensnared by the gods who are not God. No amount of money or online praise or entertainment or political power or anything else in all of creation is able to save you. God alone is God. It is necessary to love God and keep His commandments, lest He destroy us. The verse is conditional; it applies then, as now, to a particular group of people: “God keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments…” God keeps and we keep. God loves and we love. But lest we despair of our ability to uphold our side of the covenant, we remember that we are not equal with God. His covenant-keeping love is decisive. We can keep His commandments and love Him because  He first loved us, and because He sent Jesus “to be the propitiation for our sins” ( 1 John 4:10, 19).  How wonderful it is to read this verse on the other side of Christmas — of the incarnation, a life of perfect obedience, and the cross. Unlike the people of Israel who could not obey, we have been rescued out of the house of slavery by the risen Savior, Jesus Christ. Deuteronomy 7:9 is not a list of things to do in order to earn God’s favor. It says, in context, because God is God, the faithful God, the covenant-keeping God who loves you, obey Him. Love Him. Respond to His redeeming love in faith and rejoice that He will keep you. Depend upon it.  This is a glorious, hope-filled promise and a necessarily strong warning. Snares are dangerous because we don’t see them until we’re trapped by them. Our safety lies in obedience. Thanks be to God that He has sent His Spirit to help us think about what is good, excellent, and praiseworthy; to set our minds on things that are above; to have no other gods before God; and to guard our hearts with all vigilance (see Philippians 4:8, Colossians 3:2, Exodus 20:3, Proverbs 4:23). There is no better place to stand at the threshold of a new year than on the ancient promises of God. For Reflection How will you be careful to obey God in the year ahead, not in order to earn His love, but because He has already set His love upon you? What goals might you set for reading the Bible and meditating on the Fighter Verses in 2026 in order to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-17)? Ask God to open your eyes to physical and digital snares, and to empower you to worship Him alone. Candice Watters  is the editor of Fighter Verses and contributor to Truth78's webinars . She and her husband, Steve, teach My Purpose Will Stand   for 5th grade Sunday school at their church in Louisville, KY. The Watterses are the parents of two grown children and two nearly so.

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, — Deuteronomy 7:9 Moses is clear in Deuteronomy7:6-8 that the Lord's favor on Israel is not due to their inherent significance, but to his own particular love for them. It was not because they were special or great that He chose them and redeemed them. He chose them and redeemed them unconditionally because He loves them and is faithful to His promises. Moses calls on the people to know Lord for who He is — the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love. What about the glaring condition that acts like a rudder to the course of this verse? God’s faithfulness and love is for those who love him and keep his commandments. God’s particular love is for a particular people, and the particular people described in verse 9 are those who love him and keep his commandments. How does God’s conditional faithfulness and love in verse 9 fit with the unconditional faithfulness and love described in verses 6-8? The condition of loving God and keeping His commandments in verse 9 is as dependent upon His grace as is the unconditional situation described in verses 7-8. Conditions are not the same as meritorious works. God’s faithfulness and love is for those who love Him and keep His commandments, and those who do this only do so because of God’s free grace at work within them. This faithfulness and steadfast love of God in Deuteronomy 7:9 has been fully revealed in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for sinners. And God’s faithfulness and love revealed preeminently in Christ is still conditional. The work of Christ and all its benefits are only for whosoever believes (John 3:16) and only for the one who has faith in Jesus (Romans 3:26). Trust in Jesus. Put your faith in Him! And know that our believing and having faith is never a result of our own resources or ability. It is grace, grace, g race. So let us hear Deuteronomy 7:9 and know the Lord for who he is, being reminded of His marvelous grace to make us the beneficiaries of such wonder. For Reflection Why did God set His love upon the people of Israel (vv. 6-8)? What is the basis of Moses’ instruction for the people of Israel to “Know therefore that the LORD is God…”? What is the relationship between conditions like our faith, and grace? How does this affect your fight of faith?

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, —Deuteronomy 7:9 For many of us, certain verses or passages in the Bible are linked to significant moments in our lives. Deuteronomy 7:9 is one of those verses for me. It takes me back to 1997 when the Fighter Verses program was launched for the first time at Bethlehem Baptist Church. This verse is special because it was the first verse in a five-year cycle of verses that we memorized as a congregation. It is also special because of the truth that it reveals about the Author of all the Fighter Verses that we will memorize between now and the end of the year. The book of Deuteronomy records the last three messages that Moses delivered to Israel. Moses, undoubtedly aware of Israel’s past mistakes, is recounting the past and urging the people not to repeat the same mistakes. Part-way into the second of these messages we come to our verse where Moses exhorts the people to know their God and not forget two important truths about Him. First, He is God. He is the one and only true God. All other gods are “worthless idols” (1 Chronicles 16:26). Second, He is faithful and demonstrates His faithfulness by keeping His covenant with His people and by His steadfastness love for His people. Three verses earlier Moses reminds the people that they were chosen by God “out of all the people on the face of the earth” to be his “treasured possession” (v. 6). God chose them not because of their greatness (v. 7) but because He is faithful—“keeping the oath” that He swore to their fathers (v. 8). What is remarkable is that Moses reiterates in verse 9 that God’s faithfulness was conditional. It would apply only to those who “love him and keep his commandments.” The years ahead proved that these chosen people on whom God had “set his love” (v. 7) failed to meet the condition. They broke God’s covenant and failed to “love him and keep his commandments.” After about 1200 years of Israel’s recurring failures and God’s enduring faithfulness and steadfast love, God promised through the prophet Jeremiah that the day was coming when: “ I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. ”  (Jeremiah 31:33-34) After another 600 years, the writer of the book of Hebrews recalls these words from Jeremiah and announces that through the blood of Jesus, a “new and living way” had been opened for all who “draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.” Then the writer exhorts all who are in Christ to “hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering for he who promised is faithful ” (Hebrews 10:20-23, emphasis added). Nearly 20 years have passed since we memorized Deuteronomy 7:9 for the first time. We return to it each time we begin another five-year Fighter Verse cycle. And now, at the dawn of 2016 we open Set 1 again and begin the cycle for the fifth time. If you stay with it, you will have 260 passages memorized by 2021, each of which are upheld by the one and only God who is faithful and who keeps covenant and steadfast love to a thousand generations. Whether you are among those who have been memorizing Fighter Verses for 20 years or those just getting started, “know therefore that the Lord your God is God.” And may this God grant you the grace to abide in His word (John 8:31, Set 5, verse 35) so that you might “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Ephesians 6:10, Set 1, verse 26). For Reflection Have you thought about how long a thousand generations is? Matthew 1:17 suggests that the time from Abraham to Christ spans 2,160 years. How many  generations have there been since Christ? How many more years until there will have been a thousand generations? How does it help you to know that God keeps covenant and steadfast love to a thousand generations? In what ways have you seen God’s faithfulness and steadfast love demonstrated in your own life? Where are you needing to trust in His faithfulness and steadfast love? Consider how you might reach out to someone who could benefit from the reminder of God’s faithfulness and steadfast love in Deuteronomy 7:9.

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations, —Deuteronomy 7:9 Studying the Bible begins with observation. What is the context of Deuteronomy 7:9? Take time this week to read through Deuteronomy, chapters 5-7. That we might know Him One of the first things we should ask when we read a portion of the Bible is, “What does this passage teach me about God?” Since God has put this passage in the Bible, and since He gave us the Bible that we might know Him, then we can know Him better through it. It follows logically that God gives us the Bible that we might know Him. God also gives us Himself in His promises, that we might know Him. This new year in Fighter Verses begins with a command to know that Yahweh (LORD in all caps) is our God and He is faithful. This declaration and recognition of the Yahweh’s faithfulness to us is fitting at all times—but we would have to agree that 2020 especially has been a year filled with suffering and testing. As we begin 2021, let’s look to the One who keeps His covenant and will never fail us. He has promised and He is faithful. Whatever our circumstances, His Word is true. Faithful, steadfast love Deuteronomy 7:9 commands us to know that the Lord our God is God. We can know there is no god besides Yahweh; He is our sovereign, reigning God. We learn not only that He is sovereign and faithful, but also that He is steadfast in His love and is the covenant-keeping God. Deuteronomy recounts God’s glorious ways and miraculous deeds. It looks back and reminds us, in history, of God's faithfulness to Moses and His chosen people. It also points to future promises: God’s covenant “steadfast love” is working in us who believe helping us to love Him with the love He gives us. This love drives us to keep His commands for the blessing of children yet to be born. God has been faithful , He is faithful , and He will be faithful to a thousand coming generations. He is the covenant-keeper, not because of anything in us that is lovable, wise, or noble (Deuteronomy 7:1-9), but because He first loved us and took initiative to make a covenant with us, weak and undeserving sinners as we are. He chose us to be His possession. For those who love and obey God wants us to know Him and His covenant-keeping love and faithfulness through Christ Jesus. The promise in Deuteronomy 7:9 is for those who love God and keep His commandments. The condition of this blessing is fulfilled in Christ Jesus for all those who believe in Him. For we could not love God without His loving us first in sending Jesus to save us. We could not lovingly worship, obey, or serve Him without Jesus first meeting the demands of the law on our behalf. “For our sake he [God] made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Who can benefit from this promise? A thousand generations. (See also, John 17:3, 2 Corinthians 1:20, Hebrews 1:1-3.) Our response and the coming generations A thousand generations are affected by what we believe and do today. Our impact begins with our heart’s response to God when we learn of His faithfulness to us, His love for us, and His covenant with us in Christ Jesus. What is our reasonable response? Let us worship the Lord our God with our lives. He is God, the faithful God. Give thanks to Him and obey Him from a heart full of love for Him—that the coming generations might see this in you and want to know the Lord, too!

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” ⁶And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. [⁷The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”] —Revelation 21:5-6 [7] Often in life it can be hard to stay the course. We’ve all made New Year’s resolutions or set weight loss or fitness goals and failed to carry them out. The reasons for this are myriad but I think the biggest one is that we lose sight of the end—we fail to keep the prize of our goal in mind.  Our Fighter Verse this week is one of the most powerful reminders of what the goal of the Christian’s life and effort is—to be in the presence of the all-satisfying and joy-producing God of the universe. Living as a Christian in a fallen world can be difficult and can cause many shoulders to droop and spirits to sink. In this text God graciously reminds us what our goal and prize is, and He offers four reasons for the Christian’s strength to increase and their hope to abound.  First, the God who simply spoke the world into existence by the power of His word is also making everything new. That which was damaged and undermined by the Fall is being restored and even recreated through the person and work of Christ. We will live permanently in that cosmos upon His return.  Second, God reminds us that one of His names is the Alpha and the Omega. He is the beginning and the end; indeed it is He who “declar[es] the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish My purpose’” (Isaiah 46:10). If your trust is in Him you will be saved…count on it! Third, God offers the eternal water of life and He does so freely. In fact, it is He who is  the water of life. Those who are thirsty can come to Him and drink freely and without end (Isaiah 55:1-2; John 7:37-38). Christians need to regularly drink from this fount through Bible reading, prayer, and Scripture memory until we are in the presence of the Word Himself.  Fourth, God promises that we will be His children and He will be our God. As Christians we need to position ourselves at the window of our lives, so to speak, like an excited toddler would who is anticipating his daddy’s arrival at home. Anticipating God’s imminent arrival helps soften the sharp edges of the difficulties we all endure in the meantime.  As we remember what is ours because of the person and work of Christ, our strength will grow and our hope will surge. The heritage of all Christians in the new creation is Christ Himself. May our remembrance of what awaits us motivate us to live lives that honor the King who bought us.  For Reflection Which of the four reasons listed above resonates most with you and why?  How does keeping the end in view—our future with Christ—strengthen you when you face discouragement or difficulties?  Who can you encourage this week? Think of someone whose shoulders may be drooping or whose spirits are down.  Patrick Dirrim helped   to   start Grace Fellowship church, with his wife Barbara 22, years ago. They have worshipped there ever since, outside of the two years when they served as missionaries in Guatemala. They've been married for 30 years and have seven children and two grandchildren. The Dirrims have been using  Truth78 curriculum  from the start and have introduced it to many other churches, as well as trained others how to use it.