Max Lucado Daily: Ask for Fruit
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Ask for Fruit
Posted: 04 Apr 2010 11:01 PM PDT
“The Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience.” Galatians 5:22
Have you asked God to give you some fruit? Well I did once, but . . . But what?
Did you, ahem, grow impatient? Ask him again and again. He won’t grow impatient with your pleading, and you will receive patience in your praying.
And while you’re praying, ask for understanding. “Patient people have great understanding” (Prov. 14:29). Could it be your impatience stems from a lack of understanding? Mine has.
Daniel 4
A Dream of a Chopped-Down Tree
1-2 King Nebuchadnezzar to everyone, everywhere—every race, color, and creed: "Peace and prosperity to all! It is my privilege to report to you the gracious miracles that the High God has done for me. 3"His miracles are staggering,
his wonders are surprising.
His kingdom lasts and lasts,
his sovereign rule goes on forever.
4-7 "I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at home taking it easy in my palace, without a care in the world. But as I was stretched out on my bed I had a dream that scared me—a nightmare that shook me. I sent for all the wise men of Babylon so that they could interpret the dream for me. When they were all assembled—magicians, enchanters, fortunetellers, witches—I told them the dream. None could tell me what it meant.
8 "And then Daniel came in. His Babylonian name is Belteshazzar, named after my god, a man full of the divine Holy Spirit. I told him my dream.
9 "'Belteshazzar,' I said, 'chief of the magicians, I know that you are a man full of the divine Holy Spirit and that there is no mystery that you can't solve. Listen to this dream that I had and interpret it for me.
10-12 "'This is what I saw as I was stretched out on my bed. I saw a big towering tree at the center of the world. As I watched, the tree grew huge and strong. Its top reached the sky and it could be seen from the four corners of the earth. Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant—enough food for everyone! Wild animals found shelter under it, birds nested in its branches, everything living was fed and sheltered by it.
13-15 "'And this also is what I saw as I was stretched out on my bed. I saw a holy watchman descend from heaven, and call out:
Chop down the tree, lop off its branches,
strip its leaves and scatter its fruit.
Chase the animals from beneath it
and shoo the birds from its branches.
But leave the stump and roots in the ground,
belted with a strap of iron and bronze in the grassy meadow.
15-16 Let him be soaked in heaven's dew
and take his meals with the animals that graze.
Let him lose his mind
and get an animal's mind in exchange,
And let this go on
for seven seasons.
17 The angels announce this decree,
the holy watchmen bring this sentence,
So that everyone living will know
that the High God rules human kingdoms.
He arranges kingdom affairs however he wishes,
and makes leaders out of losers.
18 "'This is what I, King Nebuchadnezzar, dreamed. It's your turn, Belteshazzar—interpret it for me. None of the wise men of Babylon could make heads or tails of it, but I'm sure you can do it. You're full of the divine Holy Spirit.'"
"You Will Graze on the Grass Like an Ox"
19 At first Daniel, who had been renamed Belteshazzar in Babylon, was upset. The thoughts that came swarming into his mind terrified him.
"Belteshazzar," the king said, "stay calm. Don't let the dream and its interpretation scare you."
"My master," said Belteshazzar, "I wish this dream were about your enemies and its interpretation for your foes.
20-22 "The tree you saw that grew so large and sturdy with its top touching the sky, visible from the four corners of the world; the tree with the luxuriant foliage and abundant fruit, enough for everyone; the tree under which animals took cover and in which birds built nests—you, O king, are that tree.
"You have grown great and strong. Your royal majesty reaches sky-high, and your sovereign rule stretches to the four corners of the world.
23-25 "But the part about the holy angel descending from heaven and proclaiming, 'Chop down the tree, destroy it, but leave stump and roots in the ground belted with a strap of iron and bronze in the grassy meadow; let him be soaked with heaven's dew and take his meals with the grazing animals for seven seasons'—this, O king, also refers to you. It means that the High God has sentenced my master the king: You will be driven away from human company and live with the wild animals. You will graze on grass like an ox. You will be soaked in heaven's dew. This will go on for seven seasons, and you will learn that the High God rules over human kingdoms and that he arranges all kingdom affairs.
26 "The part about the tree stump and roots being left means that your kingdom will still be there for you after you learn that it is heaven that runs things.
27 "So, king, take my advice: Make a clean break with your sins and start living for others. Quit your wicked life and look after the needs of the down-and-out. Then you will continue to have a good life."
The Loss and Regaining of a Mind and a Kingdom
28-30 All this happened to King Nebuchadnezzar. Just twelve months later, he was walking on the balcony of the royal palace in Babylon and boasted, "Look at this, Babylon the great! And I built it all by myself, a royal palace adequate to display my honor and glory!"
31-32 The words were no sooner out of his mouth than a voice out of heaven spoke, "This is the verdict on you, King Nebuchadnezzar: Your kingdom is taken from you. You will be driven out of human company and live with the wild animals. You will eat grass like an ox. The sentence is for seven seasons, enough time to learn that the High God rules human kingdoms and puts whomever he wishes in charge."
33 It happened at once. Nebuchadnezzar was driven out of human company, ate grass like an ox, and was soaked in heaven's dew. His hair grew like the feathers of an eagle and his nails like the claws of a hawk.
34-35 "At the end of the seven years, I, Nebuchadnezzar, looked to heaven. I was given my mind back and I blessed the High God, thanking and glorifying God, who lives forever:
"His sovereign rule lasts and lasts,
his kingdom never declines and falls.
Life on this earth doesn't add up to much,
but God's heavenly army keeps everything going.
No one can interrupt his work,
no one can call his rule into question.
36-37 "At the same time that I was given back my mind, I was also given back my majesty and splendor, making my kingdom shine. All the leaders and important people came looking for me. I was reestablished as king in my kingdom and became greater than ever. And that's why I'm singing—I, Nebuchadnezzar—singing and praising the King of Heaven:
"Everything he does is right,
and he does it the right way.
He knows how to turn a proud person
into a humble man or woman."
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Isaiah 61:1-3 (The Message)
Isaiah 61
Announce Freedom to All Captives
1-7 The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me because God anointed me.
He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
pardon all prisoners.
God sent me to announce the year of his grace—
a celebration of God's destruction of our enemies—
and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.
Rename them "Oaks of Righteousness"
planted by God to display his glory.
They'll rebuild the old ruins,
raise a new city out of the wreckage.
They'll start over on the ruined cities,
take the rubble left behind and make it new.
You'll hire outsiders to herd your flocks
and foreigners to work your fields,
But you'll have the title "Priests of God,"
honored as ministers of our God.
You'll feast on the bounty of nations,
you'll bask in their glory.
Because you got a double dose of trouble
and more than your share of contempt,
Your inheritance in the land will be doubled
and your joy go on forever.
April 5, 2010
The Power Of Praise
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READ: Isaiah 61:1-3
The Lord has anointed Me . . . to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning. —Isaiah 61:1,3
Praise is powerful! When Scottish pastor Robert Murray McCheyne was troubled with a coldness of heart toward the things of the Lord, he would sing the praises of God until he felt revived in his spirit. Those in his household were often able to tell what hour he awoke because he began the day with a psalm of praise.
One day, while he was trying to prepare his heart for preaching, he wrote in his journal: “Is it the desire of my heart to be made altogether holy? . . . Lord, You know all things . . . . I’ve felt so much deadness and grief that I cannot grieve for this deadness. Toward evening I revived. Got a calm spirit through [singing psalms] and prayer.” McCheyne had been uplifted by praising God.
Perhaps you feel as if you are mired in what John Bunyan called the “slough of despond.” Lift a song of praise to the Lord. The psalmist said, “I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever” (89:1). When we do that, the praise will flow not only from our lips but also from our heart. The Lord delights to give “the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isa. 61:3).
Yes, “it is good to sing praises to our God”—at all times (Ps. 147:1). — Paul Van Gorder
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven,
To His feet your tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing. —Lyte
If you find yourself wearing a spirit of heaviness, try on a garment of praise.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
His Agony and Our Access
Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples . . . . ’Stay here and watch with Me’ —Matthew 26:36, 38
We can never fully comprehend Christ’s agony in the Garden of Gethsemane, but at least we don’t have to misunderstand it. It is the agony of God and man in one Person, coming face to face with sin. We cannot learn about Gethsemane through personal experience. Gethsemane and Calvary represent something totally unique— they are the gateway into life for us.
It was not death on the cross that Jesus agonized over in Gethsemane. In fact, He stated very emphatically that He came with the purpose of dying. His concern here was that He might not get through this struggle as the Son of Man. He was confident of getting through it as the Son of God— Satan could not touch Him there. But Satan’s assault was that our Lord would come through for us on His own solely as the Son of Man. If Jesus had done that, He could not have been our Savior (see Hebrews 9:11-15 ). Read the record of His agony in Gethsemane in light of His earlier wilderness temptation— “. . . the devil . . . departed from Him until an opportune time” ( Luke 4:13 ). In Gethsemane, Satan came back and was overthrown again. Satan’s final assault against our Lord as the Son of Man was in Gethsemane.
The agony in Gethsemane was the agony of the Son of God in fulfilling His destiny as the Savior of the world. The veil is pulled back here to reveal all that it cost Him to make it possible for us to become sons of God. His agony was the basis for the simplicity of our salvation. The Cross of Christ was a triumph for the Son of Man. It was not only a sign that our Lord had triumphed, but that He had triumphed to save the human race. Because of what the Son of Man went through, every human being has been provided with a way of access into the very presence of God.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Security in Your Violent Storm - #6061
Monday, April 5, 2010
Weather-wise, it was one of those wild, late-winter days. We'd been running around in short sleeves with 75-degree temperatures at 3:00 in the afternoon. Spring is here! Four hours later, we were wearing heavy coats and gloves; the temperature had dropped forty degrees! Boo! Winter's back! And needless to say, the dramatic change did not come without our weather alert radio going off and every TV and radio station in the area sounding the warning. Severe thunderstorm warning! Tornado watch! We never got a tornado, but we did get attacked by a deluge of rain, lightning, and merciless hail. Our house just happens to have a room with all concrete block with no windows. It's good to have that room. It's good to have a safe place to go when, as the song says, "The weather outside is frightful."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Security in Your Violent Storm."
It doesn't matter where you live, severe storms are part of the weather of your life. Not the kind that show up on Doppler radar. We're talking the kinds of storms that show up in your family, or at work, at your doctor's office, in an important relationship, or maybe an unexpected tragedy. In nature, it's often a sudden change that causes dangerous conditions. It's that way in our personal lives, too.
And it may be that you're being hit by the full force of a major life-storm right now. It's these turbulent times, when everything is suddenly out of your control, that you need the "safe room" to run to; a place where the storm can't come. There is such a place. The Bible describes it in our word for today from the Word of God in Proverbs 18:10. It says, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and they are safe."
The Lord it talks about here - well, He's the ultimate Controller of everything that goes on in the universe that He made. When you are in a close, love relationship with this awesome God, you can call on Him in the darkest, most desperate times of your life. And you are "safe." I remember hearing one of the young women on our Native American team telling her personal Hope Story for the first time. Tearfully, she told a gym full of Native young people about being a sexual abuse victim at a very early age, and then repeatedly through her teenage years, and then the destructive choices that she made as a result. But then she told of how she had discovered a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I'll never forget her final words, "When I gave myself to Jesus, for the first time in my life I felt safe."
Millions have had that same experience with Jesus, including me. Probably including people you know, but maybe not including you. This could be the day that you finally find the safety that can only be found in the "strong tower" of Jesus' unloseable love for you. The Bible says, "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13). That means "rescued." Jesus' name literally means "Jehovah God rescues." When you call on Jesus to be your personal Rescuer from all the sins of your life, He erases your sins from God's book, He cancels your hell, and He guarantees you heaven. All because He died in your place on the cross and then rose from the dead.
That's not just history, it's intensely personal. He's ready to be for you what the Bible promises He will be, "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" (Hebrews 6:19). You've been through enough storms; you've lost enough that you were counting on. You know how much you need that anchor. Someone who loved you enough to die for you will never do you wrong. Someone who's powerful enough to walk out of His grave under His own power is bigger than any storm that could destroy you.
But you do have to "call" on Him to save, or rescue, you from your separation from God from your sin. It goes something like this: "Jesus! I can't do this life without You. I have no chance after this life without You. You died for me so I could belong to You. I want to belong to you from this day on."
Listen, if that's what you want, I think you'll find some encouragement and help at our website. A lot of people have. You can listen to or read a simple explanation of how to belong to Jesus. Here's the web address - it's YoursForLife.net.
Run to Jesus; He is God's "strong tower." And for the first time in your life - actually, for the rest of your life - you will be safe!
