Max Lucado Daily: Judgment is God's Job
There is power in revenge. Intoxicating power. Haven't we tasted it? Haven't we been tempted to get even? As we escort the offender into the courtroom, we announce, "He hurt me!" and jurors shake their heads in disgust. "He abandoned me!" we explain, and the chambers echo with our accusation. "Guilty!" the judge snarls as he slams the gavel. "Guilty!" the jury agrees. We delight in this moment of justice. We relish this pound of flesh.
I don't mean to be cocky, but why are you doing God's work for Him? "Vengeance" is Mine," God declared. "I will repay." Proverbs 20:22 says, "Don't say, 'I'll pay you back for the wrong you did.' Wait for the Lord, and He will make things right." Judgment is God's job. To assume otherwise is to assume God can't do it. God has not asked us to settle the score or get even. Ever!
From When God Whispers Your Name
Psalm 22
A David Psalm
1–2 22 God, God … my God!
Why did you dump me
miles from nowhere?
Doubled up with pain, I call to God
all the day long. No answer. Nothing.
I keep at it all night, tossing and turning.
3–5 And you! Are you indifferent, above it all,
leaning back on the cushions of Israel’s praise?
We know you were there for our parents:
they cried for your help and you gave it;
they trusted and lived a good life.
6–8 And here I am, a nothing—an earthworm,
something to step on, to squash.
Everyone pokes fun at me;
they make faces at me, they shake their heads:
“Let’s see how God handles this one;
since God likes him so much, let him help him!”
9–11 And to think you were midwife at my birth,
setting me at my mother’s breasts!
When I left the womb you cradled me;
since the moment of birth you’ve been my God.
Then you moved far away
and trouble moved in next door.
I need a neighbor.
12–13 Herds of bulls come at me,
the raging bulls stampede,
Horns lowered, nostrils flaring,
like a herd of buffalo on the move.
14–15 I’m a bucket kicked over and spilled,
every joint in my body has been pulled apart.
My heart is a blob
of melted wax in my gut.
I’m dry as a bone,
my tongue black and swollen.
They have laid me out for burial
in the dirt.
16–18 Now packs of wild dogs come at me;
thugs gang up on me.
They pin me down hand and foot,
and lock me in a cage—a bag
Of bones in a cage, stared at
by every passerby.
They take my wallet and the shirt off my back,
and then throw dice for my clothes.
19–21 You, God—don’t put off my rescue!
Hurry and help me!
Don’t let them cut my throat;
don’t let those mongrels devour me.
If you don’t show up soon,
I’m done for—gored by the bulls,
meat for the lions.
22–24 Here’s the story I’ll tell my friends when they come to worship,
and punctuate it with Hallelujahs:
Shout Hallelujah, you God-worshipers;
give glory, you sons of Jacob;
adore him, you daughters of Israel.
He has never let you down,
never looked the other way
when you were being kicked around.
He has never wandered off to do his own thing;
he has been right there, listening.
25–26 Here in this great gathering for worship
I have discovered this praise-life.
And I’ll do what I promised right here
in front of the God-worshipers.
Down-and-outers sit at God’s table
and eat their fill.
Everyone on the hunt for God
is here, praising him.
“Live it up, from head to toe.
Don’t ever quit!”
27–28 From the four corners of the earth
people are coming to their senses,
are running back to God.
Long-lost families
are falling on their faces before him.
God has taken charge;
from now on he has the last word.
29 All the power-mongers are before him
—worshiping!
All the poor and powerless, too
—worshiping!
Along with those who never got it together
—worshiping!
30–31 Our children and their children
will get in on this
As the word is passed along
from parent to child.
Babies not yet conceived
will hear the good news—
that God does what he says.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, July 11, 2026
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE
2 Timothy 2:1-13
Doing Your Best for God
1–7 2 So, my son, throw yourself into this work for Christ. Pass on what you heard from me—the whole congregation saying Amen!—to reliable leaders who are competent to teach others. When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did. A soldier on duty doesn’t get caught up in making deals at the marketplace. He concentrates on carrying out orders. An athlete who refuses to play by the rules will never get anywhere. It’s the diligent farmer who gets the produce. Think it over. God will make it all plain.
8–13 Fix this picture firmly in your mind: Jesus, descended from the line of David, raised from the dead. It’s what you’ve heard from me all along. It’s what I’m sitting in jail for right now—but God’s Word isn’t in jail! That’s why I stick it out here—so that everyone God calls will get in on the salvation of Christ in all its glory. This is a sure thing:
If we die with him, we’ll live with him;
If we stick it out with him, we’ll rule with him;
If we turn our backs on him, he’ll turn his back on us;
If we give up on him, he does not give up—
for there’s no way he can be false to himself.
Today's Insights
Paul felt abandoned (2 Timothy 1:15). His imprisonment would end in his execution, a prospect that makes his words to Timothy endearing: “You then, my son, be strong” (2:1). He employed three metaphors to encourage Timothy. The soldier maintains a disciplined focus to “please his commanding officer” (v. 4). The athlete competes “according to the rules” (v. 5). And the farmer “should be the first to receive a share of the crops” (v. 6). Amid tremendous personal hardship, the apostle wanted Timothy to know the struggle “for the gospel” (1:8) was worth it. As we face difficulties today, God will help us endure whatever stands in the way of our service to Him.
To learn more, watch The Power of the Spirit
Unchained by God
Therefore, I endure everything . . . . 2 Timothy 2:10
by Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Bulgarian lifeguard Yane Petkov won a world record for swimming with his hands and feet tied together. He swam 3,380 meters through the water but added something to intensify the challenge—he wrapped his body in a sack.
The patience and strength required to keep moving despite being so “tied up” amazes me. The apostle Paul also displayed rugged resistance to obstacles as he served God in the days of the early church. Despite facing fatigue, hunger, sleeplessness, and beatings, Paul continued to preach and write letters of encouragement and instruction to his fellow believers.
Paul penned his last letter to Timothy when he was isolated in a Roman prison, awaiting execution. Although shackles restricted his body, he noted that the good news could not be “chained” (2 Timothy 2:9). “Therefore,” Paul said, “I endure everything” to give others the chance to hear and accept the truth about Jesus Christ (v. 10).
God can help us endure any kind of difficulty that stands in the way of serving Him. Physical limitations such as illness, injuries, and disabilities require care and attention, but they can’t ultimately surpass God’s power, which is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Let’s give God the glory when He works through us to do things we cannot do on our own.
Reflect & Pray
What’s your greatest area of struggle as you consider serving God? How does He want to help you cope with the frustration that comes from your limitations?
Dear God, I lay down my pride and ask for Your help to bring glory to Your name.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, July 11, 2026
The Spiritual Saint
I want to know Christ. —Philippians 3:10
The aim of the spiritual saint isn’t self-realization; it’s to know Jesus Christ and to realize his life in any and every circumstance. Spiritual saints embrace everything that comes their way with a reckless abandonment to their Lord. They don’t believe that the circumstances of their lives are haphazard or random; they don’t divide their lives into “secular” and “sacred.” Instead, they view every moment, every situation, as a God-sent opportunity for gaining knowledge of Christ. Even when they are engaged in the most menial work, spiritual saints take the initiative to manifest their Lord.
How do I view the work I do? If I view it as an opportunity for self-realization, I am enthroning work itself. Spiritual saints enthrone Jesus Christ in their work, no matter what the work may be.
“Jesus knew . . . that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he . . . poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet” (John 13:3–5). Every phase of our life has its counterpart in the life of Jesus. At this moment in our Lord’s life, he performed a menial task. Yet even here, in this act of subservience, Jesus manifested his relationship to his Father. The Holy Spirit is determined that we will manifest Jesus Christ in this same way in every domain of life. The Spirit will bring us back to the same point, again and again, until we do.
Do I know the Lord as I should, in every aspect of my life? Do I know him today, at this very minute? If not, I am failing him. Let me take on the attitude of the spiritual saint and begin to know Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances God sends my way.
Psalms 1-3; Acts 17:1-15
WISDOM FROM OSWALD
We should always choose our books as God chooses our friends, just a bit beyond us, so that we have to do our level best to keep up with them.
Shade of His Hand, 1216 L
