Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
February 5
Our Servant Master
The Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many people.
Matthew 20:28 (NCV)
As a young boy, I read a Russian fable about a master and a servant who went on a journey to a city. Many of the details I’ve forgotten but the ending I remember. Before the two men could reach the destination they were caught in a blinding blizzard. They lost their direction and were unable to reach the city before nightfall.
The next morning concerned friends went searching for the two men. They finally found the master, frozen to death, face down in the snow. When they lifted him they found the servant—cold but alive. He survived and told how the master had voluntarily placed himself on top of the servant so the servant could live.
I hadn’t thought of that story in years. But when I read what Christ said he would do for us, the story surfaced—for Jesus is the master who died for the servants.
Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children-
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the LORD, O my soul.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Philippians 4:4-12 (New International Version)
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Thanks for Their Gifts
10I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. 11I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
February 5, 2009
The Search For Peace
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READ: Philippians 4:4-12
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds. —Philippians 4:7
At the height of their popularity, creativity, and wealth, the Beatles produced a controversial project called “The White Album.” It signaled the breakup of the band by featuring pieces that were primarily individual in nature instead of collaborative.
It also revealed a growing disenchantment with all that their fame had produced. In his song “I’m So Tired,” John Lennon expressed the emptiness of his “successful” and wealthy life with these profound words: “I’d give you everything I’ve got for a little peace of mind.” All that he had, all that he had accomplished, and all that he had become could not meet this simple, yet deep, personal need.
The world we live in cannot offer peace. It offers only poor options. Pleasure, power, and possessions are no substitute for peace of heart and mind.
Paul reminded the believers at Philippi, “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). This is the peace God brings to those who have been reconciled to God by faith in His Son Jesus (Eph. 2:14-16). It is a peace we are to share with a world that is desperate for it.
Peace—real peace—is found only in a relationship with Jesus. Have you received His peace? — Bill Crowder
Finding Real Peace
Accept the reconciliation God offers by asking Him
to forgive you. Believe that His Son Jesus died on the
cross for your sins and was raised from the dead.
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. —Jesus
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
February 5, 2009
Are You Ready To Be Poured Out As an Offering? (1)
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READ:
If I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all —Philippians 2:17
Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the work of another believer— to pour out your life sacrificially for the ministry and faith of others? Or do you say, "I am not willing to be poured out right now, and I don’t want God to tell me how to serve Him. I want to choose the place of my own sacrifice. And I want to have certain people watching me and saying, ’Well done.’ "
It is one thing to follow God’s way of service if you are regarded as a hero, but quite another thing if the road marked out for you by God requires becoming a "doormat" under other people’s feet. God’s purpose may be to teach you to say, "I know how to be abased . . ." ( Philippians 4:12 ). Are you ready to be sacrificed like that? Are you ready to be less than a mere drop in the bucket-to be so totally insignificant that no one remembers you even if they think of those you served? Are you willing to give and be poured out until you are used up and exhausted— not seeking to be ministered to, but to minister? Some saints cannot do menial work while maintaining a saintly attitude, because they feel such service is beneath their dignity.
Satan-Proofing - #5759
Thursday, February 5, 2009
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Whenever we've had a young grandchild come over to our house, it was almost all good news. The reason I say almost is because of the preparations we have to fly into to get ready for the arrival of like a two-year old. Yes, I said two-year old. That's two as in "super inquisitive." See, our little grandchildren have had a way of exploring, experimenting with every object within their reach. There are two kinds of things that need to quickly disappear before a young grandchild starts his little adventure at Grandma and Granddad's house. Things that can damage either the child or that he could damage. So as we joyfully anticipate a little one being with us, we also fly into a frenzied little exercise called baby-proofing our house.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Satan-Proofing."
It's a good idea to remove anything that our grandson can make a mess with. It's a whole lot better than cleaning up the mess or repairing the damage.
There's someone who pays regular visits to your life and mine who is not an angel like our grandson. It's your enemy, the devil himself. He can do a lot of damage unless you anticipate his coming, look around your life, and remove the things that he could use to mess things up. It is called Satan-proofing your life.
In our word for today from the Word of God, Paul talks about playing defense against our enemy's attempts to bring us down. In 2 Corinthians 2:11, he says we take precautions "in order that Satan might not outwit us, for we are not unaware of his schemes." Okay, eyes wide open, looking around our lives for what our enemy might use to sink us, and getting it out of the way - Satan-proofing your day.
In the instance Paul is talking about here in this verse, there is an issue of a man who did a lot of damage in the church; a man Paul says they need to be sure that they have forgiven. Why? Because a grudge, un-forgiveness toward someone is something the devil will grab at his first opportunity and he will use it to poison you and everyone around you. But Paul identifies the area that needs to be dealt with "in order that Satan might not outwit us."
Here's a sentence for you to complete. It will help you defend yourself against the tactics that Satan's used over and over to bring you down. Finish this: "The devil brings me down whenever I ___________." What goes in that blank is what needs to go. In a sense, you're analyzing your past defeats so you can remove what your enemy has used to beat you in the past.
So, Satan-proofing your life today might mean praying for someone you've had hard feelings toward, asking God to remove your bitterness and replace it with His love. It might mean staying away from negative people who make you negative, from friends who lead you where you should never go, or staying away from the music, or the Internet garbage, or the TV shows that wear you down morally, or turning your fears, or your worries totally over to God so the devil can't use them again to discourage or depress you.
When a baby's coming, you baby-proof to avoid damage. When Satan's coming, and he will, you Satan-proof to avoid the damage he wants to do to your life. There have been enough times you've left out the very things that he's used over and over to bring you down. You're not "unaware of his schemes." So start fighting back so that when the devil comes prowling around your life today, he will find that what he usually uses to make a mess, you have put way out of his reach, because you've given it to Jesus.