Psalm 97 bible reading and devotions.

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MaxLucado.com: Jesus Honors You

You are valuable just because you exist! Remember that the next time some trickster tries to hang a bargain basement price tag on your self-worth.

Just think about the way Jesus honors you—and smile!  I do.  I smile because I know I don’t deserve a love like that.  None of us do.

When you get right down to it, any contribution any of us makes is pretty puny. All of us, even the purest of us, deserve heaven about as much as that crook on the cross did.

It makes me smile to think there’s a grinning thief walking the golden streets of heaven who knows more about grace than a thousand theologians.

No one else would have given the thief on the cross a prayer. But in the end that is all he had. And in the end, that is all it took!

No wonder they call Jesus the Savior.    (taken from Cast of Characters)

Psalm 97

1 The Lord reigns, let the earth be glad;
    let the distant shores rejoice.
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him
    and consumes his foes on every side.
4 His lightning lights up the world;
    the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
    before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
    and all peoples see his glory.
7 All who worship images are put to shame,
    those who boast in idols —
    worship him, all you gods!
8 Zion hears and rejoices
    and the villages of Judah are glad
    because of your judgments, Lord.
9 For you, Lord, are the Most High over all the earth;
    you are exalted far above all gods.
10 Let those who love the Lord hate evil,
    for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
    and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light shines[b] on the righteous
    and joy on the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the Lord, you who are righteous,
    and praise his holy name.



Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: Psalm 100

A psalm. For giving grateful praise.

1 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
2     Worship the Lord with gladness;
    come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
    It is he who made us, and we are his[a];
    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
    and his courts with praise;
    give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Serve Well With Joy

August 28, 2012 — by Dave Branon

Serve the Lord with gladness. —Psalm 100:2

Nine years ago today a good friend went out for a lunchtime jog and never came back. Kurt De Haan, who was the managing editor of Our Daily Bread, died of a heart attack on that sunny Thursday. Some of us who worked with Kurt still keep mementos of him in our offices.

For instance, on one wall of my cubicle, I display the last memo I received from Kurt. It reminds me of his thoroughness as an editor—striving to represent God’s Word accurately and well. Another co-worker displays the last paper wad Kurt threw in her direction, reminding her of his eagerness to enjoy life.

Each time we talk about Kurt and how much we miss him, we discuss his combination of a quest for excellence mixed with an enjoyable personality. He worked hard and loved life. He strove to teach God’s Word with integrity while living his life with joy.

Remembering Kurt and his example is refreshing and challenging. It reminds us that others are watching us and can tell if we’re serving “the Lord with gladness” (Ps. 100:2), and if our love for Jesus is coming through in our good works (Eph. 2:10). Serve well. Serve with joy. Does that describe our work for the Savior?

Help me, dear Jesus, to live out the joy
and peace You’ve given to me. May those who work
with and know me see that joy. And may I always
stand for truth and righteousness.
For joy that will last, always put Christ first.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
August 28, 2012

The Purpose of Prayer

. . . one of His disciples said to Him, ’Lord, teach us to pray . . .’ —Luke 11:1

Prayer is not a normal part of the life of the natural man. We hear it said that a person’s life will suffer if he doesn’t pray, but I question that. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a person is born again from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve or nourish that life. Prayer is the way that the life of God in us is nourished. Our common ideas regarding prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.

“Ask, and you will receive . . .” (John 16:24). We complain before God, and sometimes we are apologetic or indifferent to Him, but we actually ask Him for very few things. Yet a child exhibits a magnificent boldness to ask! Our Lord said, “. . . unless you . . . become as little children . . .” (Matthew 18:3). Ask and God will do. Give Jesus Christ the opportunity and the room to work. The problem is that no one will ever do this until he is at his wits’ end. When a person is at his wits’ end, it no longer seems to be a cowardly thing to pray; in fact, it is the only way he can get in touch with the truth and the reality of God Himself. Be yourself before God and present Him with your problems— the very things that have brought you to your wits’ end. But as long as you think you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything.

To say that “prayer changes things” is not as close to the truth as saying, “Prayer changes me and then I change things.” God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things. Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person’s inner nature.


A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

You Don't Know When You Were Born? - #6687

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Birthdays have changed for me over the years. When I was little, my parents always made it a big deal with a party, and friends, and hats, and cake with candles and all the rest.

Today my birthday just isn't a big hoopla it used to be. Many times I have the quiet kind with cards, a couple of gifts, and a nice family dinner together. Actually, it's getting to the point where my wife is hesitant to put candles on my cake. She says there's so many it might set off the smoke detectors in our house. Come on! But it is getting tougher.

The observance varies from year to year, but one thing is for sure - I always know when it's my birthday. You say, "Oh, well, congratulations! Most people do." In fact, I have to write it on a lot of forms many times a year. And then, I know when I was married too. Aren't you proud of me? I can even remember that, and I'd better remember the anniversary for sure. Hey, look, important beginnings; you know when they were, or you should.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "You Don't Know When You Were Born?"

Now, when you go flying - that is in an airplane, you don't try to talk your way on board. I do a lot of flying, and you don't say, "Listen, don't you think I'm good looking? Don't you think I'm a nice guy? Would you let me on board?" They'd say, "No, sir. Where is your ticket?" Did you know it's the same thing when it comes to getting into God's heaven? One day you and I are going to stand before God and hope that we'll spend forever in that wonderful place. Got your ticket?

Well, what's your ticket? John 3:3 - basically He says, "Here's the ticket." Jesus says, "I'll tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God (woah!) unless he is born again." Well, how do you do that? If that's the only ticket to get into God's heaven, you want to make sure that you are born again. So, how does that happen? When does it happen?

Our word for today from the Word of God, John 1:12 says this, "To all who received Christ, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become the children of God." In other words, to get born into His family. Now, on my first birthday I was born into the Hutchcraft family; I know when that happened. On your second birth, you get born into God's family when you place your total trust in Christ and tell Him you want Him to enter the control room of your life.

There's no way to do that without knowing you did it. Now, do you know when you were born into God's family? Okay, you may not remember a date - not everybody does - but you've got to remember that you did it, to know that you did. If not, you might not be in God's family. You say, "Well, I've been around Him for years; I must have picked Him up somewhere." You don't get Jesus by osmosis. "Well, I believe it all." But see, agreement is not commitment. "Well, I can't remember not knowing about Him." That doesn't mean you've given yourself to Him any more than knowing and even loving a person for 50 years means you married them.

Like birth, there's a day when no life becomes life. Like Mary, choosing Christ is a conscious choice. You know you did it. You may have Christian beliefs, a Christian pedigree, a Christian reputation, even a Christian position and not have Christ. When were you born? If you don't know...if you're not sure there's a day you began to be in God's family, well, maybe you're not in it. But you know what? You could consciously, today, receive Him and get this settled. Just don't be so proud that you won't make sure. Religious pride is going to cost a lot of people heaven.

If you're not sure you belong to Him, why not have a day when you make sure? Why not let this be the day? The Bible says, "Today is your day of salvation." Reach out and say, "Jesus, beginning today, consciously I give myself to You. I am Yours."

Go to our website. A lot of people go there, and you can find there how to be sure you belong to Him. The website's YoursForLife.net. And when you do finally tell Him that for sure, this could be the most special day of your life.

You let Christ in today, and your Heavenly Father will be the first to wish you "Happy Birthday!"