Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
July 31
Eternal Instants
You have done good things for your servant, as you have promised, LORD.
Psalm 119:65 (NCV)
Eternal instants. You’ve had them. We all have.
Sharing a porch swing on a summer evening with your grandchild.
Seeing her face in the glow of a candle.
Putting your arm into your husband’s as you stroll through golden leaves and
breathe the brisk autumn air.
Listening to your six year old thank God for everything from goldfish to Grandma.
Such moments are necessary because they remind us that everything is okay. The King is still on the throne and life is still worth living. Eternal instants remind us that love is still the greatest possession and the future is nothing to fear.
The next time an instant in your life begins to be eternal, let it.
Ephesians 5
1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them.
8For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."
15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Wives and Husbands
22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing[b] her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."[c] 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Hebrews 4
A Sabbath-Rest for the People of God
1Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 2For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.[a] 3Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
"So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' "[b] And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. 4For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work."[c] 5And again in the passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest."
6It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience. 7Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts."[d]
July 31, 2008
Are You Ready?
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READ: Hebrews 4:1-7
Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. —Hebrews 4:7
It was a wild night for our family. At 11:30 p.m., I got a call from my son Steve. “Dad, I’m going to Iraq.” “Right now?” I asked in disbelief. “Yes, I’m ready to go.” Earlier that day, our Navy corpsman (medic) son had told me he thought it would be several months before he would go.
We talked a little more until he had to hang up. Then family phone calls followed as we let his sisters know what was happening. They called him to wish him well and pray for him—and that was it.
A couple of restless hours later, Steve sent a text message: “We’re not going. We’re headed back.” A helicopter ride to another state and back was the extent of Steve’s trip that night, but it was still a valuable experience. It tested their readiness. The military had to know that when the call came, the corpsmen would be mentally ready to go.
When it comes to being ready for eternity, we won’t get that kind of practice. No one knows when we will depart this earth through death or be called home at Jesus’ return.
If you were called into eternity today, would you be prepared to meet God face-to-face? Have you opened your heart to Him? (Heb. 4:7). Are your sins forgiven? Are you ready to go? — Dave Branon
Ready to speak, ready to warn,
Ready o’er souls to yearn,
Ready in life, ready in death,
Ready for His return. —Tillman
God’s call may come at any time—so be ready all the time!
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
July 31, 2008
Becoming Entirely His
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READ:
Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing —James 1:4
Many of us appear to be all right in general, but there are still some areas in which we are careless and lazy; it is not a matter of sin, but the remnants of our carnal life that tend to make us careless. Carelessness is an insult to the Holy Spirit. We should have no carelessness about us either in the way we worship God, or even in the way we eat and drink.
Not only must our relationship to God be right, but the outward expression of that relationship must also be right. Ultimately, God will allow nothing to escape; every detail of our lives is under His scrutiny. God will bring us back in countless ways to the same point over and over again. And He never tires of bringing us back to that one point until we learn the lesson, because His purpose is to produce the finished product. It may be a problem arising from our impulsive nature, but again and again, with the most persistent patience, God has brought us back to that one particular point. Or the problem may be our idle and wandering thinking, or our independent nature and self-interest. Through this process, God is trying to impress upon us the one thing that is not entirely right in our lives.
We have been having a wonderful time in our studies over the revealed truth of God’s redemption, and our hearts are perfect toward Him. And His wonderful work in us makes us know that overall we are right with Him. "Let patience have its perfect work . . . ." The Holy Spirit speaking through James said, "Now let your patience become a finished product." Beware of becoming careless over the small details of life and saying, "Oh, that will have to do for now." Whatever it may be, God will point it out with persistence until we become entirely His.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Hanging Up Your Black Robe - #5624 - July 31, 2008
Category: Your Most Important Relationship
Thursday, July 31, 2008
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It's amazing how nasty things can get when it comes to settling whose land a certain piece of ground is. We have some friends who have an interest in just such a controversial decision and the stakes are actually pretty high. The judge has to decide who really owns this particular property and then how it should be handled. There's a lot of rumors in the air; a lot of intrigue. Before the legal proceedings start, the judge has suddenly recused himself from that case. In other words, he's stepped down on this one because for some reason - maybe a conflict of interest - he's basically saying, "I don't think I should be the one to judge this one."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I'd like to have A WORD WITH YOU today about "Hanging Up Your Black Robe."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Romans 12:18-20. Brace yourself for some radical relationship advice from God that really flies in the face of what you feel like doing. It says, "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath. For it is written, 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink."
Some Scripture you can sort of sit back, smile and say, "That's nice. I'll do that." But this is one of those that makes an honest person say, "Wait a minute! You want me to give up the idea of retaliating? Of getting even? You want me to minister to that person that hurt me?" "Yes," God says. That's the Jesus-difference.
There may be someone about whom you have some pretty negative feelings, angry feelings. And it is so very natural - sinfully natural - to want to even the score or to respond in like kind. There may be someone you're having a hard time forgiving. God's orders: "Hang up your black robe." Recuse yourself from the case.
When we have unforgiveness toward someone, we tend to put on our black judge's robe and sit in judgment of them. We sit in judgment of their actions, their motives, of what should happen to them because of what they've done. In our hearts, we pass judgment on their guilt and we decide what kind of penalty they should receive for what they've done.
But God's instructions here tell us that there is only one Judge qualified to rule on this case. And it isn't you. It's God, of course. We all look silly in His big black robe. It's way too big for you, and so is the task of judging another sinner like yourself.
We want to fix this thing. We want to make things right. And when we do, all we do is interfere with the perfect justice God will give that person. "Do not take revenge ... leave room for God's wrath," the Bible says. He will arrange a payback for the guilty that is better than anything you could ever devise. He says, "I will repay." That means you don't repay what was done.
God is the Master at making things right. Trust God for His justice in this situation and don't mess things up by sticking your hands in it. God's justice may take longer than yours would, but be patient. Justice delayed is not justice canceled. And when God is finished, you will be amazed at how skillfully, how totally He did what needed to be done. Without you doing something that He will have to judge you for.
So trade in your black robe for a servant's uniform. Your job is to serve the one that you'd like to judge. That's what God will judge you for. So excuse yourself from this case. This is one for The Judge to do His way.