Max Lucado Daily: Quiet Kindness
Quiet Kindness
When we have the opportunity to help anyone, we should do it.” Galatians 6:10
Kind hearts are quietly kind. They let the car cut into traffic and the young mom with three kids move up in the checkout line.
The pick up the neighbor’s trash can that rolled into the street. And they are especially kind at church. They understand that perhaps the neediest person they’ll meet all week is the one standing in the foyer or sitting on the row behind them in worship.
Leviticus 19
Various Laws
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.
3 “‘Each of you must respect your mother and father, and you must observe my Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God.
4 “‘Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God.
5 “‘When you sacrifice a fellowship offering to the LORD, sacrifice it in such a way that it will be accepted on your behalf. 6 It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it or on the next day; anything left over until the third day must be burned up. 7 If any of it is eaten on the third day, it is impure and will not be accepted. 8 Whoever eats it will be held responsible because they have desecrated what is holy to the LORD; they must be cut off from their people.
9 “‘When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God.
11 “‘Do not steal.
“‘Do not lie.
“‘Do not deceive one another.
12 “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
13 “‘Do not defraud or rob your neighbor.
“‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight.
14 “‘Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD.
15 “‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
16 “‘Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
“‘Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor’s life. I am the LORD.
17 “‘Do not hate a fellow Israelite in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.
18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
19 “‘Keep my decrees.
“‘Do not mate different kinds of animals.
“‘Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed.
“‘Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.
20 “‘If a man sleeps with a female slave who is promised to another man but who has not been ransomed or given her freedom, there must be due punishment.[a] Yet they are not to be put to death, because she had not been freed. 21 The man, however, must bring a ram to the entrance to the tent of meeting for a guilt offering to the LORD. 22 With the ram of the guilt offering the priest is to make atonement for him before the LORD for the sin he has committed, and his sin will be forgiven.
23 “‘When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden.[b] For three years you are to consider it forbidden[c]; it must not be eaten. 24 In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD. 25 But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the LORD your God.
26 “‘Do not eat any meat with the blood still in it.
“‘Do not practice divination or seek omens.
27 “‘Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard.
28 “‘Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.
29 “‘Do not degrade your daughter by making her a prostitute, or the land will turn to prostitution and be filled with wickedness.
30 “‘Observe my Sabbaths and have reverence for my sanctuary. I am the LORD.
31 “‘Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God.
32 “‘Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the LORD.
33 “‘When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. 34 The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.
35 “‘Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. 36 Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah[d] and an honest hin.[e] I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt.
37 “‘Keep all my decrees and all my laws and follow them. I am the LORD.’”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: 1 Chronicles 16:7-10,23-36
1 Chronicles 16:7-10
7 That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise to the LORD in this manner:
8 Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.
9 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.
10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
1 Chronicles 16:23-36
23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
25 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
26 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy are in his dwelling place.
28 Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
29 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering and come before him.
Worship the LORD in the splendor of his[a] holiness.
30 Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.
31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!”
32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
33 Let the trees of the forest sing,
let them sing for joy before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.
34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.
35 Cry out, “Save us, God our Savior;
gather us and deliver us from the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name,
and glory in your praise.”
36 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the LORD.”
Gracias!
March 23, 2011 — by Anne Cetas
Oh, give thanks to the Lord! —1 Chronicles 16:8
When I visited Mexico, I wished I knew how to speak Spanish. I could say gracias (thank you), muy bien (very good), and hola (hello). But that was about it. I grew tired of just saying gracias to everyone who talked with me or did something for me.
But we should never grow tired of giving words of thanks to God. David knew the importance of saying thanks. After he became king over Israel and had a tent constructed to house the ark of the covenant (where God’s presence dwelt), he appointed some of the Levites “to commemorate, to thank, and to praise the Lord” (1 Chron. 16:4). Many people remained there to offer sacrifices and give thanks to God daily (vv.37-38).
David also committed to Asaph and his associates a song of thanks (1 Chron. 16:8-36). His psalm gave thanks for what the Lord had done: “His deeds among the peoples” (v.8), “His wondrous works” (v.9), “His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth” (v.12), and His “salvation” (v.35). David’s song also gave praise for who the Lord was: good, merciful, and holy (vv.34-35).
Like David, we should never grow tired of saying gracias to God for who He is and for all He’s done for us. Take time today to offer your sacrifice of praise to Him.
Praise, my soul, the King of heaven,
To His feet thy tribute bring;
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
Evermore His praises sing. —Lyte
The heart filled with praise brings pleasure to God.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
March 23rd, 2011
Am I Carnally Minded?
Where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal . . . ? —1 Corinthians 3:3
The natural man, or unbeliever, knows nothing about carnality. The desires of the flesh warring against the Spirit, and the Spirit warring against the flesh, which began at rebirth, are what produce carnality and the awareness of it. But Paul said, “Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). In other words, carnality will disappear.
Are you quarrelsome and easily upset over small things? Do you think that no one who is a Christian is ever like that? Paul said they are, and he connected these attitudes with carnality. Is there a truth in the Bible that instantly awakens a spirit of malice or resentment in you? If so, that is proof that you are still carnal. If the process of sanctification is continuing in your life, there will be no trace of that kind of spirit remaining.
If the Spirit of God detects anything in you that is wrong, He doesn’t ask you to make it right; He only asks you to accept the light of truth, and then He will make it right. A child of the light will confess sin instantly and stand completely open before God. But a child of the darkness will say, “Oh, I can explain that.” When the light shines and the Spirit brings conviction of sin, be a child of the light. Confess your wrongdoing, and God will deal with it. If, however, you try to vindicate yourself, you prove yourself to be a child of the darkness.
What is the proof that carnality has gone? Never deceive yourself; when carnality is gone you will know it-it is the most real thing you can imagine. And God will see to it that you have a number of opportunities to prove to yourself the miracle of His grace. The proof is in a very practical test. You will find yourself saying, “If this had happened before, I would have had the spirit of resentment!” And you will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Life's Most Expensive "If Onlys" - #6313
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
My friend was telling me about the investment he bailed out of just before it really took off. He said, "I have a habit of doing that." I said, "Why?" He said, "Well, it kind of runs in the family." And then he told me an unforgettable story. He said, "My dad was approached by the founders of ServiceMaster, which is this of course, huge multi-million dollar corporation in America. And they were neighbors, and they came to him when they were just starting and they said, 'Hey, would you like to get in on the ground floor and help us get started?' He said, 'Well, guys, why don't you just go clean your carpets, um, no thanks.'"
Well, that wasn't all. Another one of their neighbors was a man named Ray Croc. You might recognize that name; he was the founder of McDonald's! He came to this same man and said, "Would you be interested? We're opening our fourth little hamburger thing called McDonald's Golden Arches. Would you like to get in on the fourth store?" "No, I'm not into hamburgers." He came back to him another time and said, "Hey, it's going pretty well. You know we're opening our seventh one. Would you like to get in on it?" "No, I'm not interested."
How many times did you think about, wow, what did I miss? I guess you just add those to the list of life's "if only's," huh? Of course, you've got your own list. Maybe not opportunities to make a million, but a lot of missed opportunities.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Life's Most Expensive 'If Onlys.'"
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Ephesians chapter 5. I'll be reading at verse 15. "Be very careful about how you live, not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity because the days are evil." I like those words, "making the most of every opportunity." Those turn out to be if you don't take them, life's "if onlys...if only I had." It's interesting that this challenge to not miss opportunities is followed by a description of spirit-filled family life: husbanding, wifeing, parenting, childing. And those are the "if onlys" that you can't afford to miss.
How many times have I had a parent say to me, "Ron, what can I do to get my rebellious son or daughter back?" Maybe they've been rushed to the hospital with a suicide attempt, or they're actively rebelling; breaking their parent's heart. Well, for me to give them the really honest answer, I'd have to say, "What I'm going to tell you is something that needed to be done years ago." Remember the song "Cat's In the Cradle and the Silver Spoon." Dad was too busy, and then when he had time later, the son was too busy for his dad?
See, each day is filled with opportunities to listen, to hug, to debrief, to teach, and they'll never come again. It's true in marriage, too. Days without being close become weeks, and months, and years. And one day you wish you could have those days back. They're gone forever. The Bible says, "Make the most of every opportunity."
Your son or daughter is feeling feelings now that really need your perspective. But this will pass and become a part of who they are, whether they get to share it or not. They're making choices, they're making friends, they're developing a sense of humor; trying to find out where God fits in everyday life. They need you there. There'll be many things more urgent but none more important. Everyone else will scream for your attention; they'll only whisper.
My friend watched his father miss some golden opportunities with golden arches. But that was only to make money. We're talking about the opportunity to mark lives here. And it happens in the little golden moments that don't seem that important at the time. "If only I had taken the time."
When it comes to your marriage partner, your children, your parents, those are life's most expensive "if onlys."