Max Lucado Daily: The Economy of Heaven
The Economy of Heaven
Posted: 01 Mar 2011 10:01 PM PST
“A crown is being held for . . . all those who have waited with love for him to come again.” 2 Timothy 4:8
We understand that in the economy of earth, there are a limited number of crowns.
The economy of heaven, however, is refreshingly different. Heavenly rewards are not limited to a chosen few, but “to all those who have waited with love for him to come again.” The three-letter word all is a gem. The winner’s circle isn’t reserved for a handful of the elite but for a heaven full of God’s children.
Mark 5:21-43 (New International Version, ©2011)
Jesus Raises a Dead Girl and Heals a Sick Woman
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
36 Overhearing[a] what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him.
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: 1 Corinthians 10:31–11:1
Corinthians 10:31-11:1 (New International Version, ©2011)
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
1 Corinthians 11
1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Virtuoso
March 2, 2011 — by Dennis Fisher
Therefore, . . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. —1 Corinthians 10:31
A major US newspaper has called Christopher Parkening “the leading guitar virtuoso of our day, combining profound musical insight with complete technical mastery of his instrument.” There was a time, however, when Parkening gave up playing the guitar professionally. At the height of his career as a classical guitarist, he retired at age 30, bought a ranch in Montana, and spent his days fly-fishing. But early retirement did not bring him the satisfaction he had hoped for.
Then during a visit to California, he was invited to a church where he heard a clear presentation of the gospel. Of this he wrote: “That night I lay awake, broken over my sins. . . . I had lived very selfishly and it had not made me happy. . . . It was then that I asked Jesus Christ to come into my life, to be my Lord and Savior. For the first time, I remember telling Him, ‘Whatever You want me to do with my life, Lord, I’ll do it.’”
One of Parkening’s favorite verses is 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Therefore, . . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” He has taken up the guitar again, but this time with the motivation to glorify God.
Each of us has been given gifts; and when we use them for God’s glory, they bring satisfaction and joy.
The gifts we offer to the Lord
Are by His standards measured;
Our sacrifice and lives of praise—
Such gifts are highly treasured. —Sper
We were created to give God the glory.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
March 2nd, 2011
Have You Felt the Pain Inflicted by the Lord?
He said to him the third time, ’. . . do you love Me?’ —John 21:17
Have you ever felt the pain, inflicted by the Lord, at the very center of your being, deep down in the most sensitive area of your life? The devil never inflicts pain there, and neither can sin nor human emotions. Nothing can cut through to that part of our being but the Word of God. “Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ’Do you love Me?’ ” Yet he was awakened to the fact that at the center of his personal life he was devoted to Jesus. And then he began to see what Jesus’ patient questioning meant. There was not the slightest bit of doubt left in Peter’s mind; he could never be deceived again. And there was no need for an impassioned response; no need for immediate action or an emotional display. It was a revelation to him to realize how much he did love the Lord, and with amazement he simply said, “Lord, You know all things . . . .” Peter began to see how very much he did love Jesus, and there was no need to say, “Look at this or that as proof of my love.” Peter was beginning to discover within himself just how much he really did love the Lord. He discovered that his eyes were so fixed on Jesus Christ that he saw no one else in heaven above or on the earth below. But he did not know it until the probing, hurting questions of the Lord were asked. The Lord’s questions always reveal the true me to myself.
Oh, the wonder of the patient directness and skill of Jesus Christ with Peter! Our Lord never asks questions until the perfect time. Rarely, but probably once in each of our lives, He will back us into a corner where He will hurt us with His piercing questions. Then we will realize that we do love Him far more deeply than our words can ever say.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Cost of Overconfidence - #6298
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Back when my son was old enough to get his license he began to watch me drive. Frankly, it made me think about how I was driving. I wasn't sure I wanted him to copy everything he saw me do. I mean, I'd been driving for 25 years or so, and maybe that was the problem. I think I'd become - I don't know - a little overconfident with that ton of steel that I propel down the highway, maybe even a little careless sometimes. I suspect overconfidence is the invisible cause of many crashes...many crashes.
Yeah, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Cost of Overconfidence."
Now our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Corinthians chapter 10. I'm going to begin reading at verse 11. It's speaking of the children of Israel in the wilderness; the heritage that they had but also the awful mistakes and sins that they committed. It says, "These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come." And that was speaking of Christ. Then it goes on to say, "So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall."
Now, who's this addressed to? Well, this is about spiritual veterans. The people of whom Paul was speaking were Bible people; they were eyewitnesses to miracles, they were daily led by God with the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. But the passage that precedes this warning tells us that they somehow slipped into sexual sin, into bitterness toward God, into putting other allegiances ahead of God. Now how do folks like you and me suddenly, or is it suddenly...become spiritual casualties?
Well, verse 12 says, "If you think you're standing firm, be careful that you don't fall." It implies that the killer might just be overconfidence. Maybe we've been driving this Christian vehicle for a while. We know all the dangers, we know all the tricks, we know all the formulas, we know all the shortcuts. But overconfident Christians crash.
Two reasons: one, because we stop being careful. We've done it a long time, so we tend to walk along the edge of the cliff of temptation saying, "Hey, I've been at this a long time. No problem." We play with sin instead of running from it. We push our limits. We let garbage into our mind. Like David on that day off, we end up committing the worse sin of our life because we're careless. We underestimate the power of sin, and we overestimate the power of us.
The second reason I think that overconfidence is a spiritual killer is it makes us stop being dependent. In the early days of following Christ, remember, you used to cling like cloth to Jesus saying, "Lord, I can't even make it through the day without You." But hey, you've been doing it for a long time now, huh? Maybe now you're depending on your own discipline, dedication, your track record. Oh, the Devil loves that, because you're easily beaten now.
The only way to stay pure is to daily, consciously wrap yourself in Jesus' righteousness and strength. The Bible says, "If you think you're standing..." Maybe you're there; you think you're doing okay. But you're hurtling down the highway with one finger on the wheel, eyes everywhere but on the road.
You could be a spiritual accident looking for a place to happen. There's a very high price for overconfidence.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Leviticus 5, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: The Economy of Heaven
The Economy of Heaven
Posted: 01 Mar 2011 10:01 PM PST
“A crown is being held for . . . all those who have waited with love for him to come again.” 2 Timothy 4:8
We understand that in the economy of earth, there are a limited number of crowns.
The economy of heaven, however, is refreshingly different. Heavenly rewards are not limited to a chosen few, but “to all those who have waited with love for him to come again.” The three-letter word all is a gem. The winner’s circle isn’t reserved for a handful of the elite but for a heaven full of God’s children.
Leviticus 5
1 “‘If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible.
2 “‘If anyone becomes aware that they are guilty—if they unwittingly touch anything ceremonially unclean (whether the carcass of an unclean animal, wild or domestic, or of any unclean creature that moves along the ground) and they are unaware that they have become unclean, but then they come to realize their guilt; 3 or if they touch human uncleanness (anything that would make them unclean) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt; 4 or if anyone thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil (in any matter one might carelessly swear about) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt— 5 when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned. 6 As a penalty for the sin they have committed, they must bring to the LORD a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering[c]; and the priest shall make atonement for them for their sin.
7 “‘Anyone who cannot afford a lamb is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the LORD as a penalty for their sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8 They are to bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one for the sin offering. He is to wring its head from its neck, not dividing it completely, 9 and is to splash some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar; the rest of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. 10 The priest shall then offer the other as a burnt offering in the prescribed way and make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.
11 “‘If, however, they cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, they are to bring as an offering for their sin a tenth of an ephah[d] of the finest flour for a sin offering. They must not put olive oil or incense on it, because it is a sin offering. 12 They are to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial[e] portion and burn it on the altar on top of the food offerings presented to the LORD. It is a sin offering. 13 In this way the priest will make atonement for them for any of these sins they have committed, and they will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest, as in the case of the grain offering.’”
The Guilt Offering
14 The LORD said to Moses: 15 “When anyone is unfaithful to the LORD by sinning unintentionally in regard to any of the LORD’s holy things, they are to bring to the LORD as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel.[f] It is a guilt offering. 16 They must make restitution for what they have failed to do in regard to the holy things, pay an additional penalty of a fifth of its value and give it all to the priest. The priest will make atonement for them with the ram as a guilt offering, and they will be forgiven.
17 “If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, even though they do not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible. 18 They are to bring to the priest as a guilt offering a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the wrong they have committed unintentionally, and they will be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering; they have been guilty of[g] wrongdoing against the LORD.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: 1 Corinthians 10:31–11:1
Corinthians 10:31-11:1 (New International Version, ©2011)
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
1 Corinthians 11
1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Virtuoso
March 2, 2011 — by Dennis Fisher
Therefore, . . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. —1 Corinthians 10:31
A major US newspaper has called Christopher Parkening “the leading guitar virtuoso of our day, combining profound musical insight with complete technical mastery of his instrument.” There was a time, however, when Parkening gave up playing the guitar professionally. At the height of his career as a classical guitarist, he retired at age 30, bought a ranch in Montana, and spent his days fly-fishing. But early retirement did not bring him the satisfaction he had hoped for.
Then during a visit to California, he was invited to a church where he heard a clear presentation of the gospel. Of this he wrote: “That night I lay awake, broken over my sins. . . . I had lived very selfishly and it had not made me happy. . . . It was then that I asked Jesus Christ to come into my life, to be my Lord and Savior. For the first time, I remember telling Him, ‘Whatever You want me to do with my life, Lord, I’ll do it.’”
One of Parkening’s favorite verses is 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Therefore, . . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” He has taken up the guitar again, but this time with the motivation to glorify God.
Each of us has been given gifts; and when we use them for God’s glory, they bring satisfaction and joy.
The gifts we offer to the Lord
Are by His standards measured;
Our sacrifice and lives of praise—
Such gifts are highly treasured. —Sper
We were created to give God the glory.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
March 2nd, 2011
Have You Felt the Pain Inflicted by the Lord?
He said to him the third time, ’. . . do you love Me?’ —John 21:17
Have you ever felt the pain, inflicted by the Lord, at the very center of your being, deep down in the most sensitive area of your life? The devil never inflicts pain there, and neither can sin nor human emotions. Nothing can cut through to that part of our being but the Word of God. “Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ’Do you love Me?’ ” Yet he was awakened to the fact that at the center of his personal life he was devoted to Jesus. And then he began to see what Jesus’ patient questioning meant. There was not the slightest bit of doubt left in Peter’s mind; he could never be deceived again. And there was no need for an impassioned response; no need for immediate action or an emotional display. It was a revelation to him to realize how much he did love the Lord, and with amazement he simply said, “Lord, You know all things . . . .” Peter began to see how very much he did love Jesus, and there was no need to say, “Look at this or that as proof of my love.” Peter was beginning to discover within himself just how much he really did love the Lord. He discovered that his eyes were so fixed on Jesus Christ that he saw no one else in heaven above or on the earth below. But he did not know it until the probing, hurting questions of the Lord were asked. The Lord’s questions always reveal the true me to myself.
Oh, the wonder of the patient directness and skill of Jesus Christ with Peter! Our Lord never asks questions until the perfect time. Rarely, but probably once in each of our lives, He will back us into a corner where He will hurt us with His piercing questions. Then we will realize that we do love Him far more deeply than our words can ever say.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Cost of Overconfidence - #6298
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Back when my son was old enough to get his license he began to watch me drive. Frankly, it made me think about how I was driving. I wasn't sure I wanted him to copy everything he saw me do. I mean, I'd been driving for 25 years or so, and maybe that was the problem. I think I'd become - I don't know - a little overconfident with that ton of steel that I propel down the highway, maybe even a little careless sometimes. I suspect overconfidence is the invisible cause of many crashes...many crashes.
Yeah, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Cost of Overconfidence."
Now our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Corinthians chapter 10. I'm going to begin reading at verse 11. It's speaking of the children of Israel in the wilderness; the heritage that they had but also the awful mistakes and sins that they committed. It says, "These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come." And that was speaking of Christ. Then it goes on to say, "So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall."
Now, who's this addressed to? Well, this is about spiritual veterans. The people of whom Paul was speaking were Bible people; they were eyewitnesses to miracles, they were daily led by God with the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. But the passage that precedes this warning tells us that they somehow slipped into sexual sin, into bitterness toward God, into putting other allegiances ahead of God. Now how do folks like you and me suddenly, or is it suddenly...become spiritual casualties?
Well, verse 12 says, "If you think you're standing firm, be careful that you don't fall." It implies that the killer might just be overconfidence. Maybe we've been driving this Christian vehicle for a while. We know all the dangers, we know all the tricks, we know all the formulas, we know all the shortcuts. But overconfident Christians crash.
Two reasons: one, because we stop being careful. We've done it a long time, so we tend to walk along the edge of the cliff of temptation saying, "Hey, I've been at this a long time. No problem." We play with sin instead of running from it. We push our limits. We let garbage into our mind. Like David on that day off, we end up committing the worse sin of our life because we're careless. We underestimate the power of sin, and we overestimate the power of us.
The second reason I think that overconfidence is a spiritual killer is it makes us stop being dependent. In the early days of following Christ, remember, you used to cling like cloth to Jesus saying, "Lord, I can't even make it through the day without You." But hey, you've been doing it for a long time now, huh? Maybe now you're depending on your own discipline, dedication, your track record. Oh, the Devil loves that, because you're easily beaten now.
The only way to stay pure is to daily, consciously wrap yourself in Jesus' righteousness and strength. The Bible says, "If you think you're standing..." Maybe you're there; you think you're doing okay. But you're hurtling down the highway with one finger on the wheel, eyes everywhere but on the road.
You could be a spiritual accident looking for a place to happen. There's a very high price for overconfidence.
The Economy of Heaven
Posted: 01 Mar 2011 10:01 PM PST
“A crown is being held for . . . all those who have waited with love for him to come again.” 2 Timothy 4:8
We understand that in the economy of earth, there are a limited number of crowns.
The economy of heaven, however, is refreshingly different. Heavenly rewards are not limited to a chosen few, but “to all those who have waited with love for him to come again.” The three-letter word all is a gem. The winner’s circle isn’t reserved for a handful of the elite but for a heaven full of God’s children.
Leviticus 5
1 “‘If anyone sins because they do not speak up when they hear a public charge to testify regarding something they have seen or learned about, they will be held responsible.
2 “‘If anyone becomes aware that they are guilty—if they unwittingly touch anything ceremonially unclean (whether the carcass of an unclean animal, wild or domestic, or of any unclean creature that moves along the ground) and they are unaware that they have become unclean, but then they come to realize their guilt; 3 or if they touch human uncleanness (anything that would make them unclean) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt; 4 or if anyone thoughtlessly takes an oath to do anything, whether good or evil (in any matter one might carelessly swear about) even though they are unaware of it, but then they learn of it and realize their guilt— 5 when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned. 6 As a penalty for the sin they have committed, they must bring to the LORD a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering[c]; and the priest shall make atonement for them for their sin.
7 “‘Anyone who cannot afford a lamb is to bring two doves or two young pigeons to the LORD as a penalty for their sin—one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 8 They are to bring them to the priest, who shall first offer the one for the sin offering. He is to wring its head from its neck, not dividing it completely, 9 and is to splash some of the blood of the sin offering against the side of the altar; the rest of the blood must be drained out at the base of the altar. It is a sin offering. 10 The priest shall then offer the other as a burnt offering in the prescribed way and make atonement for them for the sin they have committed, and they will be forgiven.
11 “‘If, however, they cannot afford two doves or two young pigeons, they are to bring as an offering for their sin a tenth of an ephah[d] of the finest flour for a sin offering. They must not put olive oil or incense on it, because it is a sin offering. 12 They are to bring it to the priest, who shall take a handful of it as a memorial[e] portion and burn it on the altar on top of the food offerings presented to the LORD. It is a sin offering. 13 In this way the priest will make atonement for them for any of these sins they have committed, and they will be forgiven. The rest of the offering will belong to the priest, as in the case of the grain offering.’”
The Guilt Offering
14 The LORD said to Moses: 15 “When anyone is unfaithful to the LORD by sinning unintentionally in regard to any of the LORD’s holy things, they are to bring to the LORD as a penalty a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value in silver, according to the sanctuary shekel.[f] It is a guilt offering. 16 They must make restitution for what they have failed to do in regard to the holy things, pay an additional penalty of a fifth of its value and give it all to the priest. The priest will make atonement for them with the ram as a guilt offering, and they will be forgiven.
17 “If anyone sins and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands, even though they do not know it, they are guilty and will be held responsible. 18 They are to bring to the priest as a guilt offering a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the proper value. In this way the priest will make atonement for them for the wrong they have committed unintentionally, and they will be forgiven. 19 It is a guilt offering; they have been guilty of[g] wrongdoing against the LORD.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: 1 Corinthians 10:31–11:1
Corinthians 10:31-11:1 (New International Version, ©2011)
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— 33 even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
1 Corinthians 11
1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
Virtuoso
March 2, 2011 — by Dennis Fisher
Therefore, . . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. —1 Corinthians 10:31
A major US newspaper has called Christopher Parkening “the leading guitar virtuoso of our day, combining profound musical insight with complete technical mastery of his instrument.” There was a time, however, when Parkening gave up playing the guitar professionally. At the height of his career as a classical guitarist, he retired at age 30, bought a ranch in Montana, and spent his days fly-fishing. But early retirement did not bring him the satisfaction he had hoped for.
Then during a visit to California, he was invited to a church where he heard a clear presentation of the gospel. Of this he wrote: “That night I lay awake, broken over my sins. . . . I had lived very selfishly and it had not made me happy. . . . It was then that I asked Jesus Christ to come into my life, to be my Lord and Savior. For the first time, I remember telling Him, ‘Whatever You want me to do with my life, Lord, I’ll do it.’”
One of Parkening’s favorite verses is 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Therefore, . . . whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” He has taken up the guitar again, but this time with the motivation to glorify God.
Each of us has been given gifts; and when we use them for God’s glory, they bring satisfaction and joy.
The gifts we offer to the Lord
Are by His standards measured;
Our sacrifice and lives of praise—
Such gifts are highly treasured. —Sper
We were created to give God the glory.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
March 2nd, 2011
Have You Felt the Pain Inflicted by the Lord?
He said to him the third time, ’. . . do you love Me?’ —John 21:17
Have you ever felt the pain, inflicted by the Lord, at the very center of your being, deep down in the most sensitive area of your life? The devil never inflicts pain there, and neither can sin nor human emotions. Nothing can cut through to that part of our being but the Word of God. “Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ’Do you love Me?’ ” Yet he was awakened to the fact that at the center of his personal life he was devoted to Jesus. And then he began to see what Jesus’ patient questioning meant. There was not the slightest bit of doubt left in Peter’s mind; he could never be deceived again. And there was no need for an impassioned response; no need for immediate action or an emotional display. It was a revelation to him to realize how much he did love the Lord, and with amazement he simply said, “Lord, You know all things . . . .” Peter began to see how very much he did love Jesus, and there was no need to say, “Look at this or that as proof of my love.” Peter was beginning to discover within himself just how much he really did love the Lord. He discovered that his eyes were so fixed on Jesus Christ that he saw no one else in heaven above or on the earth below. But he did not know it until the probing, hurting questions of the Lord were asked. The Lord’s questions always reveal the true me to myself.
Oh, the wonder of the patient directness and skill of Jesus Christ with Peter! Our Lord never asks questions until the perfect time. Rarely, but probably once in each of our lives, He will back us into a corner where He will hurt us with His piercing questions. Then we will realize that we do love Him far more deeply than our words can ever say.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Cost of Overconfidence - #6298
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Back when my son was old enough to get his license he began to watch me drive. Frankly, it made me think about how I was driving. I wasn't sure I wanted him to copy everything he saw me do. I mean, I'd been driving for 25 years or so, and maybe that was the problem. I think I'd become - I don't know - a little overconfident with that ton of steel that I propel down the highway, maybe even a little careless sometimes. I suspect overconfidence is the invisible cause of many crashes...many crashes.
Yeah, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Cost of Overconfidence."
Now our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Corinthians chapter 10. I'm going to begin reading at verse 11. It's speaking of the children of Israel in the wilderness; the heritage that they had but also the awful mistakes and sins that they committed. It says, "These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come." And that was speaking of Christ. Then it goes on to say, "So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall."
Now, who's this addressed to? Well, this is about spiritual veterans. The people of whom Paul was speaking were Bible people; they were eyewitnesses to miracles, they were daily led by God with the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire. But the passage that precedes this warning tells us that they somehow slipped into sexual sin, into bitterness toward God, into putting other allegiances ahead of God. Now how do folks like you and me suddenly, or is it suddenly...become spiritual casualties?
Well, verse 12 says, "If you think you're standing firm, be careful that you don't fall." It implies that the killer might just be overconfidence. Maybe we've been driving this Christian vehicle for a while. We know all the dangers, we know all the tricks, we know all the formulas, we know all the shortcuts. But overconfident Christians crash.
Two reasons: one, because we stop being careful. We've done it a long time, so we tend to walk along the edge of the cliff of temptation saying, "Hey, I've been at this a long time. No problem." We play with sin instead of running from it. We push our limits. We let garbage into our mind. Like David on that day off, we end up committing the worse sin of our life because we're careless. We underestimate the power of sin, and we overestimate the power of us.
The second reason I think that overconfidence is a spiritual killer is it makes us stop being dependent. In the early days of following Christ, remember, you used to cling like cloth to Jesus saying, "Lord, I can't even make it through the day without You." But hey, you've been doing it for a long time now, huh? Maybe now you're depending on your own discipline, dedication, your track record. Oh, the Devil loves that, because you're easily beaten now.
The only way to stay pure is to daily, consciously wrap yourself in Jesus' righteousness and strength. The Bible says, "If you think you're standing..." Maybe you're there; you think you're doing okay. But you're hurtling down the highway with one finger on the wheel, eyes everywhere but on the road.
You could be a spiritual accident looking for a place to happen. There's a very high price for overconfidence.
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