Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
May 18
A Life of Service
We are many, but in Christ we are all one body. Each one is a part of that body.
Romans 12:5 (NCV)
God has enlisted us in his navy and placed us on his ship. The boat has one purpose--to carry us safely to the other shore.
This is no cruise ship; it's a battleship. We aren't called to a life of leisure; we are called to a life of service. Each of us has a different task. Some, concerned with those who are drowning, are snatching people from the water. Others are occupied with the enemy, so they man the cannons of prayer and worship. Still others devote themselves to the crew, feeding and training the crew members.
Though different, we are the same. Each can tell of a personal encounter with the captain, for each has received a personal call....
We each followed him across the gangplank of his grace onto the same boat. There is one captain and one destination. Though the battle is fierce, the boat is safe, for our captain is God. The ship will not sink. For that, there is no concern.
Esther 1
Queen Vashti Deposed
1 This is what happened during the time of Xerxes, [a] the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush [b] : 2 At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa, 3 and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present.
4 For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty. 5 When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king's palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest, who were in the citadel of Susa. 6 The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other costly stones. 7 Wine was served in goblets of gold, each one different from the other, and the royal wine was abundant, in keeping with the king's liberality. 8 By the king's command each guest was allowed to drink in his own way, for the king instructed all the wine stewards to serve each man what he wished.
9 Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal palace of King Xerxes.
10 On the seventh day, when King Xerxes was in high spirits from wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him—Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas- 11 to bring before him Queen Vashti, wearing her royal crown, in order to display her beauty to the people and nobles, for she was lovely to look at. 12 But when the attendants delivered the king's command, Queen Vashti refused to come. Then the king became furious and burned with anger.
13 Since it was customary for the king to consult experts in matters of law and justice, he spoke with the wise men who understood the times 14 and were closest to the king—Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven nobles of Persia and Media who had special access to the king and were highest in the kingdom.
15 "According to law, what must be done to Queen Vashti?" he asked. "She has not obeyed the command of King Xerxes that the eunuchs have taken to her."
16 Then Memucan replied in the presence of the king and the nobles, "Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the provinces of King Xerxes. 17 For the queen's conduct will become known to all the women, and so they will despise their husbands and say, 'King Xerxes commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come.' 18 This very day the Persian and Median women of the nobility who have heard about the queen's conduct will respond to all the king's nobles in the same way. There will be no end of disrespect and discord.
19 "Therefore, if it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Xerxes. Also let the king give her royal position to someone else who is better than she. 20 Then when the king's edict is proclaimed throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest."
21 The king and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the king did as Memucan proposed. 22 He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, proclaiming in each people's tongue that every man should be ruler over his own household.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
2 Corinthians 5
Our Heavenly Dwelling
1Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. 2Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, 3because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. 4For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. 5Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
6Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7We live by faith, not by sight. 8We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. 9So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
The Ministry of Reconciliation
11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience.
May 18, 2009
The Heavenly Alternative
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READ: 2 Corinthians 5:1-11
We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. —2 Corinthians 5:8
Recently, I wished a young friend “happy birthday” and asked him how it felt to be a year older. His playful response? “Well, I guess it’s better than the alternative!”
We laughed together, but I later stopped to think—is it really? Don’t misunderstand me. I’m happy to live as long as the Lord allows me to live and to watch my kids and grandkids grow and experience life. I’m not excited about the inevitability of death. But as a believer, the alternative to getting older is heaven—and that’s not bad!
In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul talks about the reality of living with the aches and pains of our physical bodies, our “tents” of flesh. But we should not live in despair about aging. In fact, the apostle calls us to just the opposite. He wrote, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (v.8). Confident! Pleased! Why? Because our alternative to earthly life is that we will be present with the Lord—forever! The heavenly perspective of what awaits us can give us confidence for living now.
If you know Christ, His promise can give you what the hymnwriter called, “Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.” What a great alternative! — Bill Crowder
He’s gone “to prepare a place for you,”
That where He is, “there you may be.”
Our death is not the end of life—
We’ll be with Christ eternally! —Hess
Death is gain because it means heaven, holiness, and Him!
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
May 18, 2009
Living Simply— Yet Focused
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READ:
Look at the birds of the air . . . . Consider the lilies of the field . . . —Matthew 6:26, 28
Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin"— they simply are! Think of the sea, the air, the sun, the stars, and the moon— all of these simply are as well— yet what a ministry and service they render on our behalf! So often we impair God’s designed influence, which He desires to exhibit through us, because of our own conscious efforts to be consistent and useful. Jesus said there is only one way to develop and grow spiritually, and that is through focusing and concentrating on God. In essence, Jesus was saying, "Do not worry about being of use to others; simply believe on Me." In other words, pay attention to the Source, and out of you "will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38 ). We cannot discover the source of our natural life through common sense and reasoning, and Jesus is teaching here that growth in our spiritual life comes not from focusing directly on it, but from concentrating on our Father in heaven. Our heavenly Father knows our circumstances, and if we will stay focused on Him, instead of our circumstances, we will grow spiritually— just as "the lilies of the field."
The people who influence us the most are not those who detain us with their continual talk, but those who live their lives like the stars in the sky and "the lilies of the field"— simply and unaffectedly. Those are the lives that mold and shape us.
If you want to be of use to God, maintain the proper relationship with Jesus Christ by staying focused on Him, and He will make use of you every minute you live— yet you will be unaware, on the conscious level of your life, that you are being used of Him.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Worth More Than You Can Imagine - #5831
Monday, May 18, 2009
It's hard to believe it, but it's true. This man went into antique stores basically for one reason: he was interested in old baseball cards, which can be worth a lot of money sometimes. Well, in this one store he didn't see any on display, so he asked the owner if he had any baseball cards. The shopkeeper produced a cigar box with some very early baseball cards which dated back to the early 1900s. He said, "I don't put these out for everyone to see. I keep them in a drawer most of the time." Among those cards, the shopper found one of the most valuable baseball cards there is; one of those rare cards featuring Hall of Famer Honus Wagner. When the shopper inquired about the price, the owner said, "Well, I bought all of these from a woman for $20.00. But I know they're worth a lot more. I'll tell you what. I'll sell them to you for $200.00." Well, knowing the real value of just that one card alone, and desperately trying to keep a poker face, the shopper took him up on his offer. Later he sold that Honus Wagner card on the Internet - that one he got for $200.00 - for something like $200,000!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Worth More Than You Can Imagine."
The woman who sold that card to the store owner didn't know what it was really worth. The store owner didn't realize its value either, and he let it go for what turned out to be really cheap.
It's one thing to undervalue a baseball card and let it go for cheap. It's another thing for a person to undervalue himself or herself and to let themselves go for cheap. That could be a mistake you've been making. You don't understand how much you're worth, and you've been making hurtful choices because of it. It could well be that some people in your life have treated you like you're not worth much and you've believed it. Maybe you've been told you're not worth much, or you've let your inadequacies and limitations and your failures convince you that you must not have much value.
What a mistake! And it leads to so many other mistakes. You end up trashing yourself or settling for less than God intended for you because you think that's all your deserve. But our Creator says, "We are God's workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10). You are a unique, handmade original, made by a God who only does masterpieces. All those people who treated you like you don't matter have no idea who you really are! No one on earth gave you your worth and no one on earth can take it away!
Knowing how much you're really worth comes from being close to the God who gave you your worth. But we've trashed ourselves by doing things our way instead of God's way: lying, hurting others, dirtying sex, living selfishly. Our sin has separated us from the One who made us. But then Jesus came. He showed how much we matter to God. In 1 John 4:9-10, our word for today from the Word of God, He says, "This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. He sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins."
God paid for the sin that you've done against Him with the life of His one and only Son. You're never going to be close to your Creator; you will never experience His love or your worth until you belong to the One who thought you were worth dying for. And that is a relationship you could begin this very day if you will just tell Jesus, "I am Yours from this day on. You died to pay for my sin, and I am putting my life totally in Your hands." Now, if that's what you want, then I would encourage you to visit our website and check out some information I call Yours For Life there. It might help you be sure that you have begun a relationship with Jesus Christ. It's helped many others do that. The web address is YoursForLife.net. Or I'd be glad to send you the booklet called "Yours For Life" if you just call for it toll free at 877-741-1200.
Why don't you surrender your life to the One who loves you the most, and experience for yourself what it is like to be loved by God!
