Max Lucado Daily: A Guide in the Storm
There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death. Prov. 14:12
NKJV
Don’t make a decision in a storm that you wouldn’t make in calm weather.
I have a friend who recently learned to fly. His teacher wanted to train him to trust the instrument panel because storms and fog can distort the pilot’s judgment. She may think she’s flying safely when actually the plane is descending toward the earth. It can have devastating consequences.
The same happens to us. Circumstances and struggles bounce us around. Our perspective gets distorted and our equilibrium gets out of whack. Do we cheat? Or stay honest? Do we compromise? Or take a stand?
Can we trust our instincts in the storm? The Bible says we can’t. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Prov. 14:12 NKJV).
We need an outside force. A guide that is unaffected by storms.
John 2
Jesus Changes Water Into Wine
1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Woman,[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b]
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.
Jesus Clears the Temple Courts
13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[c]
18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[d] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Romans 5:1-11
Peace and Hope
1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
The World Of More
November 23, 2011 — by Anne Cetas
Eye has not seen . . . the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. —1 Corinthians 2:9
My cable company sent a postcard inviting me to check out its latest improvements in TV channels. The card indicated that I needed to contact the company to get the necessary new digital equipment and explained how to hook it up and activate it. After that, the ad said I was just to “sit back and enjoy the World of More.”
The card made me think of the “World of More” that Christians are privileged to live in. When God transports people from the darkness of sin “into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9), a whole new life opens up.
Romans 5 tells us some of the more that we have in Christ: We have been “reconciled to God through the death of His Son” (v.10) and therefore have “peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (v.1). We have access to God and His grace (v.2). Rejoicing in trouble is now possible because we understand that it’s an opportunity to grow in our character through trusting Him (vv.3-4). Additionally, the Holy Spirit, who has been given to live in us, pours the love of God into our hearts (v.5). And sin no longer has the same hold on us (6:18).
As Christians, we have unlimited access to a real “World of More.” Wouldn’t it be selfish not to invite others to join us in that special world?
The world seeks fulfillment in
The pleasures they adore;
But those who follow Jesus Christ
Are given so much more. —Sper
Belonging to God brings boundless blessings.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
The Distraction of Contempt
Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt —Psalm 123:3
What we must beware of is not damage to our belief in God but damage to our Christian disposition or state of mind. “Take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously” (Malachi 2:16). Our state of mind is powerful in its effects. It can be the enemy that penetrates right into our soul and distracts our mind from God. There are certain attitudes we should never dare to indulge. If we do, we will find they have distracted us from faith in God. Until we get back into a quiet mood before Him, our faith is of no value, and our confidence in the flesh and in human ingenuity is what rules our lives.
Beware of “the cares of this world . . .” (Mark 4:19). They are the very things that produce the wrong attitudes in our soul. It is incredible what enormous power there is in simple things to distract our attention away from God. Refuse to be swamped by “the cares of this world.”
Another thing that distracts us is our passion for vindication. St. Augustine prayed, “O Lord, deliver me from this lust of always vindicating myself.” Such a need for constant vindication destroys our soul’s faith in God. Don’t say, “I must explain myself,” or, “I must get people to understand.” Our Lord never explained anything— He left the misunderstandings or misconceptions of others to correct themselves.
When we discern that other people are not growing spiritually and allow that discernment to turn to criticism, we block our fellowship with God. God never gives us discernment so that we may criticize, but that we may intercede.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
You Got Mail...For Thanksgiving - #6488
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Okay. So they won't deliver mail on Thanksgiving. But it still might be a good day for someone you love to get mail. Possibly hand-delivered by you!
Now, in our world, you know rare means something is valuable: antiques, baseball cards, all kinds of collectibles. The less there is of something, the more valuable it is.
Like "thank you" for example. When Jesus healed ten lepers of their deadly, defacing disease, only one came back to say thanks. That seems to be how it always is with thank you's. Maybe one thanks for every ten things you should be grateful for to God; to each other.
That's why you can really light up someone's life this Thanksgiving by giving them some thanks in writing, where it can really sink in; where they can go back to it on a dark day.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "You Got Mail - For Thanksgiving."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Ephesians 4:29. It's a favorite of mine. Many years ago we had our family memorize it, and we wanted everybody to kind of program their heart, and their mind, and their relationships--including me--with this verse. It simply says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is useful for building others up." Now, the Bible encourages us to use our words to build other people up. We should be in the construction business. And nothing can be more powerful in building people up than words of encouragement, words of gratitude, words that say "thank you," and this is a great time to be doing that.
Now, here's the kind of letter you might write. It might be to someone very close to you, or someone you used to be close to until something happened; or someone you pray for but you can't seem to break through to. In any case, it's just hard to be hard when someone is thanking you for who you are.
Now, we're pretty good at thinking of things we don't like about someone. But something good happens in your heart when you make yourself sit down and you start writing about that person's strengths, and their contributions to your life, to others' lives. And something good happens in their life when they get your gratitude in a letter. You are indeed building them up.
Now, I've seen hard hearts begin to thaw. I've seen closed hearts begin to open when someone who loved them dared to write a letter that, well, went something like this - I'll give you the parts of the letter:
First of all, "I love you..." Just expressing your affection; your love for them. Now, you've got to fill in the blanks. I can start it for you. "I love you..." You take it from there. Second part of the letter is, "Thank you for..." You've got to do the rest. Think about specific qualities that you appreciate about them, or experiences or actions, maybe just small things. Maybe they were recent; maybe they were years ago, but something and some things you are thankful for. The third part of the letter goes, "I'm sorry for..." What are some things you wished you'd done differently? "I'm sorry for..."
And then, "I wish we could..." (how you'd like your relationship to be in the future). However it's been recently, however it has been in the past, how would you like your relationship to be in the future? "I wish we could..." See, if you will open your heart like this, there's a chance they might open theirs. And honestly, there's no better time than Thanksgiving to reach out with this gift that... well, only you can give. Because no one can hear all those nice things people say about them at their funeral.
Why don't you give them their bouquets while they can still smell the flowers, and don't wait for the funeral?