Max Lucado Daily: More Dinghy than Cruise Ship?
Are you more dinghy. . .than cruise ship? Or in my case, more blue jeans than blue blood? Well congratulations, God changes the world with folks like you!
The next time you say, “I don’t think God could use me!”—stop right there! Satan’s going to try to tell you that God has an IQ requirement. That he employs only experts and high-powered personalities. When you hear Satan whispering that lie—hit him with this: God stampeded the first-century society with swaybacks, not thoroughbreds. Before Jesus came along, the disciples were loading trucks, coaching soccer, and selling Slurpee drinks at the convenience store!
But what they had going for them was a willingness to take a step when Jesus said, “Follow me.”
So what do you think? More plumber than executive? More stand-in than movie star? Yeah—congratulations! God uses people like you…and me.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. Matthew 16:24?
From Max on Life
Luke 5:1-16
Push Out into Deep Water
1–3 5 Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God. He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was Simon’s and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd.
4 When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.”
5–7 Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch.
8–10 Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus. “Master, leave. I’m a sinner and can’t handle this holiness. Leave me to myself.” When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee’s sons, coworkers with Simon.
10–11 Jesus said to Simon, “There is nothing to fear. From now on you’ll be fishing for men and women.” They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him.
Invitation to a Changed Life
12 One day in one of the villages there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus he fell down before him in prayer and said, “If you want to, you can cleanse me.”
13 Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, “I want to. Be clean.” Then and there his skin was smooth, the leprosy gone.
14–16 Jesus instructed him, “Don’t talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed self to the priest, along with the offering ordered by Moses. Your cleansed and obedient life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done.” But the man couldn’t keep it to himself, and the word got out. Soon a large crowd of people had gathered to listen and be healed of their ailments. As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Sunday, November 30, 2025
by Karen Huang
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE
Genesis 5:21-24
When Enoch was sixty-five years old, he had Methuselah. Enoch walked steadily with God. After he had Methuselah, he lived another 300 years, having more sons and daughters. Enoch lived a total of 365 years.
24 Enoch walked steadily with God. And then one day he was simply gone: God took him.
Today's Insights
“Walk” or “walking” is a metaphor used in the Bible to depict the life of faith as a journey. To “walk” means taking physical steps toward a desired destination. To walk with God is to have a relationship and fellowship with Him. Enoch is the first person the Bible describes as one who “walked faithfully with God” (Genesis 5:22, 24). Noah too “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” and “walked faithfully with God” (6:8-9).
The metaphor of walking continues in the New Testament. We’re to “walk by the Spirit” (Galatians 5:16), to “walk in the way of love” (Ephesians 5:2), to “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7), to “[walk] in the truth” (2 John 1:4), and to “walk in obedience to his commands” (v. 6). To walk faithfully with God, we must “live as Jesus did” (1 John 2:6), or, as the nkjv renders it, “walk just as [Jesus] walked.”
How to Live Well
Enoch walked faithfully with God. Genesis 5:24
Pedro became a follower of Jesus at fifty. He’d been an angry, vindictive man who hurt those around him. As he received counseling from his church, he felt remorse over his past. “I now have less years ahead of me than behind me,” he said. “I want to live them well. But how?”
Pedro found his answer in an unlikely source—a genealogy. As he read Moses’ account of Adam’s family line, he noted that one sentence was repeated to describe Adam’s descendants: “Altogether, [name] lived a total of [number] years, and then he died” (see Genesis 5:8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, 31). But one man was described differently.
Enoch was described as one who “walked faithfully with God” (vv. 22, 24). He drew near to God, and that’s how he spent his earthly life. Because of his faith, “he was commended as one who pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5). Enoch had a steadfast, abiding trust in who God was and what He’d do for those who sought Him (v. 6). He expressed his trust in the Almighty by acting on it and obeying Him, and his faith was such that God spared him from physical death (v. 5).
“How can I live my years well?” Pedro asked. “By walking faithfully with God.”
Our earthly life doesn’t have to be summed up in just a number. It can be summed up in our faith, which allows God to work in more ways than we can count.
Reflect & Pray
In your life, what would “walking faithfully with God” look like? How can you act on your trust in Him?
Dear Father, I’m not meant to walk through life on my own. Please help me walk faithfully with You.
Gain the tools needed to walk faithfully with God.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, November 30, 2025
By the Grace of God
His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain. — 1 Corinthians 15:10
The way we continually talk about our inabilities is an insult to the Creator. When we complain about our incompetence, we slander God; it’s as though we are saying he’s overlooked us. These things sound humble to people, but if you get into the habit of examining them from God’s point of view, you’ll be amazed at how rude and impertinent they are. “Oh, I wouldn’t want to say I’m sanctified. I’m no saint.” Say this before God, and it’s as though you’re saying, “No, Lord, it’s impossible for you to save and sanctify me. There are chances I haven’t had. There are so many imperfections in my brain and body. No, it isn’t possible.” This may sound wonderfully humble to other people, but before God it’s an attitude of defiance.
The opposite is also true. The things that sound humble to God may sound boastful to other people. If you say, “Thank God, I’m saved and sanctified,” people might think you’re bragging. But in God’s eyes it’s the pinnacle of humility. It means that you have so completely abandoned yourself to him that you know he is true.
Never worry about whether or not you sound humble to other people, but always be humble before God. Let him be all in all. Only one relationship matters, and that is your personal relationship to a personal redeemer. Maintain this relationship at all costs, letting go of everything else, and God will fulfill his purpose through you. One individual life may be of priceless value to God’s purpose, and yours may be that life.
Ezekiel 37-39; 2 Peter 2
WISDOM FROM OSWALD
Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading.
My Utmost for His Highest, March 19, 761 L
