Max Lucado Daily: Willing to be Used
Willing to be Used
Posted: 20 May 2010 11:01 PM PDT
“The meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Psalm 37:11
The meek are those who are willing to be used by God. Amazed that God would save them, they are just as surprised that God could use them. They are a junior-high-school clarinet section playing with the Boston Pops. They don’t tell the maestro how to conduct; they’re just thrilled to be part of the concert.
Luke 12
Warnings and Encouragements
1Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.
4"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies[y]? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
8"I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man will also acknowledge him before the angels of God. 9But he who disowns me before men will be disowned before the angels of God. 10And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.
11"When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say."
The Parable of the Rich Fool
13Someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me."
14Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?" 15Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
16And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
18"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
21"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."
Do Not Worry
22Then Jesus said to his disciples: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. 24Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[z]? 26Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
27"Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! 29And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. 30For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. 31But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
32"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will not be exhausted, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Watchfulness
35"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36like men waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. I tell you the truth, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night. 39But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
41Peter asked, "Lord, are you telling this parable to us, or to everyone?"
42The Lord answered, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? 43It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. 44I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 45But suppose the servant says to himself, 'My master is taking a long time in coming,' and he then begins to beat the menservants and maidservants and to eat and drink and get drunk. 46The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.
47"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. 48But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
Not Peace but Division
49"I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! 50But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! 51Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. 52From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. 53They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."
Interpreting the Times
54He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. 55And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. 56Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time?
57"Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? 58As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. 59I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.[aa]"
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Philippians 2:1-11
1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion,
2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
I, Me, Mine
May 21, 2010 — by Bill Crowder
Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit. —Philippians 2:3
In 1970, the Beatles began work on a documentary intended to show how their music was made. But instead of revealing the process of musical creativity, the film pulled the curtain back on a display of self-interest and bickering. The band members were more concerned about their own songs than the advancement of the group. Shortly after the project was completed, the group dissolved in disharmony and broken friendships.
It’s an age-old problem. In the first century ad, the apostle Paul feared that the believers in the church at Philippi would fall into the trap of selfishness. He knew that when the desire for personal advancement overrides concern for one another, attitudes quickly become disruptive and divisive.
To counteract this dangerous tendency, Paul wrote, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil. 2:3-4).
What would a documentary of your life reveal? Selfishness or selflessness? We must look out for one another, for selfless concern will prevent division and build unity in our church families.
Lord, let me live from day to day In such a self-forgetful way
That even when I kneel to pray My prayer will be for others. —Meigs
A heart that is focused on others will not be consumed with self.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
May 21, 2010
Having God’s "Unreasonable" Faith
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you —Matthew 6:33
When we look at these words of Jesus, we immediately find them to be the most revolutionary that human ears have ever heard. “. . . seek first the kingdom of God . . . .” Even the most spiritually-minded of us argue the exact opposite, saying, “But I must live; I must make a certain amount of money; I must be clothed; I must be fed.” The great concern of our lives is not the kingdom of God but how we are going to take care of ourselves to live. Jesus reversed the order by telling us to get the right relationship with God first, maintaining it as the primary concern of our lives, and never to place our concern on taking care of the other things of life.
“. . . do not worry about your life. . .” ( Matthew 6:25 ). Our Lord pointed out that from His standpoint it is absolutely unreasonable for us to be anxious, worrying about how we will live. Jesus did not say that the person who takes no thought for anything in his life is blessed— no, that person is a fool. But Jesus did teach that His disciple must make his relationship with God the dominating focus of his life, and to be cautiously carefree about everything else in comparison to that. In essence, Jesus was saying, “Don’t make food and drink the controlling factor of your life, but be focused absolutely on God.” Some people are careless about what they eat and drink, and they suffer for it; they are careless about what they wear, having no business looking the way they do; they are careless with their earthly matters, and God holds them responsible. Jesus is saying that the greatest concern of life is to place our relationship with God first, and everything else second.
It is one of the most difficult, yet critical, disciplines of the Christian life to allow the Holy Spirit to bring us into absolute harmony with the teaching of Jesus in these verses.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Secrets of Super-Sized Prayer - #6095
Friday, May 21, 2010
Someone finally started looking at us Americans and realizing that a bunch of us are a whole lot bigger than we ought to be. And I don't mean we're too tall! You know? I know what the weight battle is all about - I know it's hard, I know your weight has nothing to do with your worth, but it can have something to do with your health. I guess all the talk about our weight and our health has even affected some of the fast-food restaurants - who might conceivably have something to do with the "widening of America." Oh, they're changing, having healthier offerings and reducing fat and sodium. And then, not too long ago, they started to get rid of "super-sizing it." Remember, we'd go in and they would ask you after you'd placed your order, "Would you like to super-size that?" They might as well have asked, "Would you like to super-size you?" In many places, there's no more super-sizing.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Secrets of Super-Sized Prayer."
I'm happy to report that God is still in the super-sizing business. Except He's asking, "Would you like for Me to super-size your life?" He does it through super-sized praying - believing God for things only He can do. Maybe you're in one of those "got to be God" times right now - it's got to be God or it's not going to be! Then you're ready for the secrets of miracle-making prayer. They're actually found in 1 Samuel 1, beginning with verse 10, our word for today from the Word of God.
Hannah is childless. She desperately wants a child. Her prayer, which results ultimately in the birth of Samuel, one of Israel's great leaders, contains those secrets of super-sized prayer. The Bible says, "In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the Lord. And she made a vow saying, 'Lord Almighty, if You will look upon your servant's misery...and give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life...And she kept on praying to the Lord."
Let's stop for some of those secrets of super-sized praying. First, problems turned into prayer. You can turn a problem into many things: worry, resentment, self-pity, negativity, or heartfelt prayer. That's the mountain-moving choice. That's what Hannah did with her problems. The psalmist said, "I pour out my complaint before Him; before Him I tell my trouble" (Psalm 142:2). Admit your bankruptcy in the situation, and He'll open up His bounty. Then, the second secret Hannah shows us is pursuing your all-powerful Lord. She calls God "Lord Almighty" - that's mightier than the mightiest possibility. When you come to Him, come to Him as the one who's got the whole world in His hands.
There's a third secret in this prayer, too - pre-surrendered results. As much as Hannah wants a son, she says, "Lord, if You give him to me, I won't hang onto him. He's Yours." And she kept that promise. God will trust you with what you want so much when you give it back to Him in advance. Otherwise, when you get it, you may make an idol of it or let it come between you and your Lord Almighty. It has to be pre-surrendered. Notice, too, another secret Hannah shows us - persistence in the Throne Room. She "kept on" praying. Faith grows, your spiritual muscles grow, as you wait on the Lord and keep coming to Him trusting Him for your answer.
One final secret of super-sized prayer - Hannah said of her prayer, "I was pouring out my soul to the Lord" (1 Samuel 1:15). God loves it when we come to Him, not with our usual script and our religious self, but all hanging out with our real, true emotions. The deep contents of your soul become the substance of your prayer. Passion in your praying is one of those powerful prayer secrets.
The end of the story? God gives Hannah Samuel, she takes him to the temple and gives him to the Lord's service, and God gives this woman who couldn't have children three more sons, and two daughters! And that name she gave her little answer to prayer, Samuel, means "heard by God." Everywhere Samuel went, he was a walking testimony to a prayer-answering God, and so are you.