Max Lucado Daily: A New Name
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A New Name
Posted: 24 Jan 2010 10:01 PM PST
“I will also give to each one who wins the victory a white stone with a new name written on it.” Revelation 2:17
You may not have known it, but God has a new name for you. When you get home, he won’t call you Alice or Bob or Juan or Geraldo. The name you’ve always heard won’t be the one he uses. When God says he will make all things new, he means it. You will have a new home, a new body, a new life, and you guessed it, a new name.
Ecclesiastes 12
1 Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
"I find no pleasure in them"-
2 before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
4 when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when men rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;
5 when men are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags himself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then man goes to his eternal home
and mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
or the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
or the wheel broken at the well,
7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 "Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. [a]
"Everything is meaningless!"
The Conclusion of the Matter
9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one Shepherd. 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
John 16:17-24 (New International Version)
The Disciples' Grief Will Turn to Joy
17Some of his disciples said to one another, "What does he mean by saying, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,' and 'Because I am going to the Father'?" 18They kept asking, "What does he mean by 'a little while'? We don't understand what he is saying."
19Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, "Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, 'In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me'? 20I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
January 25, 2010
Deadly Sins
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READ: John 16:17-24
You now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you. —John 16:22
You may be familiar with the list of seven deadly sins that was formulated during the sixth century: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, vengeance, envy, and pride. But you may not know that the original list compiled during the fourth century also included the sin of sadness. Over the years, that emotion was omitted from the inventory.
Some people are blessed with a cheerful disposition. They always seem to be happy. They wear a perpetual smile almost as if they were advertising toothpaste. But then there are others who seem to be chronically sad. They continually complain about life and its burdens. And who can deny that afflictions are discouraging?
While we acknowledge that not everybody is blessed with a bright outlook on life, we need to remember that joy is one of the gifts Jesus promised to His followers. And we need to resist any tendency to let sadness dominate our emotional lives.
Jesus promised His disciples on the night Judas betrayed Him, “Your joy no one will take from you” (John 16:22). Remember that joy is the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:22). Let’s ask the Lord to help us look beyond our sorrowful circumstances and encourage our hearts by the vision of joy that awaits us (Heb. 12:2). — Vernon C. Grounds
You alone, Lord Jesus, can true joy impart,
For You know the sorrow of the human heart;
You came here from glory many hearts to win
And in love for sinners suffered once for sin. —Anon.
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit that’s always in season.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
January 25, 2010
Leave Room for God
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READ:
When it pleased God . . . —Galatians Galatians
As servants of God, we must learn to make room for Him-to give God "elbow room." We plan and figure and predict that this or that will happen, but we forget to make room for God to come in as He chooses. Would we be surprised if God came into our meeting or into our preaching in a way we had never expected Him to come? Do not look for God to come in a particular way, but do look for Him. The way to make room for Him is to expect Him to come, but not in a certain way. No matter how well we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that He may break in at any minute. We tend to overlook this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way. Suddenly— God meets our life ". . . when it pleased God . . . ."
Keep your life so constantly in touch with God that His surprising power can break through at any point. Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Missing the Votes that Really Count - #6011
Monday, January 25, 2010
It was the day of our class elections, and I hoped to be elected class president that day. I lost by two votes. Later, I found out that my girlfriend and my best friend had somehow gotten so busy that day they hadn't gotten around to voting. While subsequent events showed me what better plans God had for that year, I wasn't too happy on that election day. Especially with two people who were pretty close to me.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Missing the Votes that Really Count."
You know, it hurts when the people closest to you don't vote for you...especially if it's your family. Something's wrong if the people who know you best aren't on the list of people who admire you, and respect you, and trust you.
God seems to think it's pretty important to have your family in your corner. He makes that priority clear even when He's spelling out the job qualifications for those aspiring to spiritual leadership. In 1 Timothy 3:4-5, our word for today from the Word of God, here's what He says about spiritual leaders, "He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?" In other words, if a person is having problems in his relationships at home, don't spread that infection to the church.
Now, the issue here is really larger than just church leaders. It's clear that God places a high priority on how each of us is doing with our wife, our husband, our children, our parents. In Proverbs 14:1, God describes the difference between a wise and a foolish woman, "The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." A woman has incredible power to either build her family up or tear them down. Later in that same chapter, God tells us that, "He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for his children it will be a refuge." So, a man is either giving his loved ones a place where they feel safe - or another battlefield.
It may be that you have the votes of folks at work. They think you're great. You may have the votes of the people who know the public you - charming, giving. And the folks at church may hold you in high regard, too. But none of that is what matters most. What matters is what your husband or wife thinks of you, your children, your parents. They see the real you. None of the fancy speeches or public acclaim or public image you have matters to them. They care if you are someone who puts others first or yourself first, if your actions at home measure up to your words outside the home, if you keep your promises or you break them. Your family cares if you lie or tell the truth, if you put them first or they only get your leftovers, if they feel safe in your love...if you build them up or you tear them down.
And those are things that really matter to God. If you want to see what a person is really like, see what their family thinks of them. They know you without the image, without the mask, without the nice speeches. There is no greater honor than to have your family consider you a hero. There is no greater disgrace than to have your family not believe in you. If you don't carry your home precinct, you lose. You have nothing more important to do than to be what they need you to be.
