Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
August 11
A Cloak of Love
Love…always protects.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)
When Paul said, “Love always protects,” he might have been thinking of a coat. One scholar thinks he was. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament is known for its word study, not its poetry. But the scholar sounds poetic as he explains the meaning of protect as used in 1 Corinthians 13:7. The word conveys, he says, “the idea of covering with a cloak of love.”
Remember receiving one? You were nervous about the test, but the teacher stayed late to help you. You were far from home and afraid, but your mother phoned to comfort you. You were innocent and accused, so your friend stood to defend you. Covered with encouragement. Covered with tender-hearted care. Covered with protection. Covered with a cloak of love.
1 Thessalonians 2
Paul's Ministry in Thessalonica
1You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure. 2We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition. 3For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. 5You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6We were not looking for praise from men, not from you or anyone else.
As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, 7but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children. 8We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us. 9Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
13And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. 14For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, 15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men 16in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.[a]
Paul's Longing to See the Thessalonians
17But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. 18For we wanted to come to you—certainly I, Paul, did, again and again—but Satan stopped us. 19For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? 20Indeed, you are our glory and joy.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
1 Corinthians 9:19-27
19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
August 11, 2008
True Teamwork
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READ: 1 Corinthians 9:19-27
They [train] to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. —1 Corinthians 9:25
Sports brings out the best and the worst in people. The news media often focus on the worst. Those who comfort players with “It’s not whether you win or lose that counts; it’s how you play the game” seldom make world news. But once in a while they do.
After a baseball team from Georgia defeated a team from Japan in the Little League World Series, one reporter wrote: “The boys from Warner Robins left a lasting impression of their inner character for the world to see. They proved again, it’s not whether you win or lose that counts. It is, how you play the game.”
When the losing players broke down in tears, the winning team members stopped their victory celebration to console them. “I just hated to see them cry,” said pitcher Kendall Scott, “and I just wanted to let them know that I care.” Some referred to the moment as “sportsmanship at its best.”
It was indeed heartwarming, but it points out that sports—even at its best—is an imperfect metaphor for Christianity. In sports, someone always loses. But when someone is won to Christ, the only loser is Satan.
For Christians, true teamwork is not about defeating opponents; it’s about recruiting them to join our team (1 Cor. 9:19-22). — Julie Ackerman Link
Lord, too often I view as my enemies those who don’t know You. Help me love them as You love them. Help me gently share Your truth with them. Help me see them as part of Your great mission field. Amen.
Tact is the knack of winning a point without making an enemy.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
August 11, 2008
This Experience Must Come
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READ:
Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha . . . saw him no more —2 Kings 2:11-12
It is not wrong for you to depend on your "Elijah" for as long as God gives him to you. But remember that the time will come when he must leave and will no longer be your guide and your leader, because God does not intend for him to stay. Even the thought of that causes you to say, "I cannot continue without my ’Elijah.’ " Yet God says you must continue.
Alone at Your "Jordan" ( Kings 2:14 ). The Jordan River represents the type of separation where you have no fellowship with anyone else, and where no one else can take your responsibility from you. You now have to put to the test what you learned when you were with your "Elijah." You have been to the Jordan over and over again with Elijah, but now you are facing it alone. There is no use in saying that you cannot go— the experience is here, and you must go. If you truly want to know whether or not God is the God your faith believes Him to be, then go through your "Jordan" alone.
Alone at Your "Jericho" ( 2 Kings 2:15 ). Jericho represents the place where you have seen your "Elijah" do great things. Yet when you come alone to your "Jericho," you have a strong reluctance to take the initiative and trust in God, wanting, instead, for someone else to take it for you. But if you remain true to what you learned while with your "Elijah," you will receive a sign, as Elisha did, that God is with you.
Alone at Your "Bethel" ( 2 Kings 2:23 ). At your "Bethel" you will find yourself at your wits’ end but at the beginning of God’s wisdom. When you come to your wits’ end and feel inclined to panic— don’t! Stand true to God and He will bring out His truth in a way that will make your life an expression of worship. Put into practice what you learned while with your "Elijah"— use his mantle and pray (see 2 Kings 2:13-14 ). Make a determination to trust in God, and do not even look for Elijah anymore.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Starting With the Architect - #5631 - August 11, 2008
Category: Your Most Important Relationship
Monday, August 11, 2008
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When we were involved in building a new headquarters for our ministry, I have to confess that was new ground for me. I've been involved in building people my whole life, but not buildings. It became very clear that there is a specific order in which you have to do things. Obviously, you don't just start by having the carpenters show up and start putting up the building. There has to be a foundation laid first. But wait - you can't lay the foundation or start building until you have the detailed plans for the building. Yes, it takes contractors, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, pavers, and heating and air conditioning people. But first, the architect! Without his design, it would be just a mass confusion at the construction site. But thankfully, we had a gifted architect lay out a detailed plan, and things are working well because everyone is going by the plan.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Starting With the Architect."
Maybe what you've been trying to build hasn't been going the way you hoped. The love, the happiness that you were planning isn't working out like it was supposed to. Or maybe you've been able to build your life pretty much as you wanted - the building is up but you're not satisfied living in it. There's restlessness, confusion, disappointment, maybe loneliness.
If your plans haven't worked, or if your plans haven't given you what you were looking for, it's time to go back and start with the Architect. In our word for today from the Word of God in Psalm 100:3, God says, "Know that the Lord is God. It is He who has made us and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture." Three times God tells us whose we really are - we are His. We are made by our Creator, for our Creator, to live by our Creator's plan - sheep led by an all-powerful, all-loving Shepherd.
And why is our life turning out to be so confusing and unfulfilling? Because we've gone off building our life without the Architect who gave us our life. In Isaiah 53:6, God says, "We all, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way." We're wandering without our Shepherd; we're building without our Architect.
When USA Today asked Americans the one question they would like to ask God, by far the answer most given was, "What is the purpose of my life?" If you've wondered that yourself, realize the reason we don't know that is that we're away from the One who gave us our life.
But even though we have rejected our Architect and His plans, He loves us so much that He paid an awful, awful price to get us back. The Biblical statement that says we've all gone our own way then says, speaking of Jesus, "And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity (or the wrongdoing) of us all." Jesus Christ, God's only Son, went to a cross where He paid the death penalty for all the sinning you have ever done. So it's possible to actually belong to the One who made you, who loves you most. And to have Him move into your heart and give you His inner guidance system to follow the plan you were designed for.
If you want to belong to Jesus Christ, to come home to your Creator, would you tell Jesus that you're putting your total trust in Him to forgive all your sin and to change your life? Our website really is designed to actually help you begin this relationship with Jesus Christ. And I'd like to invite you to go there and visit us as soon as you can today. It's YoursForLife.net. A lot of people have found spiritual encouragement and a way to belong to Jesus there, and I hope you will too. Or if you'd like this in booklet form, you can get it by calling us toll free at 877-741-1200. It's called Yours For Life.
Haven't you lived enough years building it your way? Let today be the day that you begin living by the plans that you were made for. In the words of the Bible, "Created by Him and for Him." You can begin today living in a love relationship with the Person who made you.