Psalm 73 bible reading and devotionals.

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MaxLucado.com: Joys of the Feast

The Thanksgiving meal is over.  My legs are propped up on the hearth.  I have every intention of dozing off very soon.  The turkey’s been attacked.   The giblet gravy has been gobbled.  The table is clear.  The kids are napping.  And the family’s content.  Yesterday’s challenges in the trip getting here were lost in today’s joy.

That’s what Paul meant in 2nd Corinthians when he talked of our light and momentary troubles.  God never said the journey would be easy, but He did say the arrival would be worthwhile.  Remember this:  God may not do what you want, but He will do what is right—and best.  He is the Father of forward motion.

Trust Him. He will get you home.  And the trials of the trip will be lost in the joys of the feast.  Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m a bit tired from the journey and it feels good to rest.

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Corinthians 4:17”

From In the Eye of the Storm

Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.

1 Surely God is good to Israel,
    to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;
    I had nearly lost my foothold.
3 For I envied the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.[a]
5 They are free from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
    they clothe themselves with violence.
7 From their callous hearts comes iniquity[b];
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
8 They scoff, and speak with malice;
    with arrogance they threaten oppression.
9 Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.[c]
11 They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”
12 This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care, they go on amassing wealth.
13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.
14 All day long I have been afflicted,
    and every morning brings new punishments.
15 If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand all this,
    it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.
18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;
    you cast them down to ruin.
19 How suddenly are they destroyed,
    completely swept away by terrors!
20 They are like a dream when one awakes;
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.
21 When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast before you.
23 Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
    but God is the strength of my heart
    and my portion forever.
27 Those who are far from you will perish;
    you destroy all who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
    I will tell of all your deeds.


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: Psalm 36:5-12

5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the skies.
6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
    your justice like the great deep.
    You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
    People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house;
    you give them drink from your river of delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light we see light.
10 Continue your love to those who know you,
    your righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
    nor the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
    thrown down, not able to rise!

The Joy Of A Generous God

November 22, 2012 — by Joe Stowell

They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. —Psalm 36:8

Recently I walked into a hotel lobby that featured the largest arrangement of fresh flowers I have ever seen. It was bursting with color, perfectly arranged, and its fragrance was amazing. It stopped me in my tracks, and I lingered for a moment to admire its beauty. It made me think that there is something about abundance that captures our hearts. Think of the inviting beauty of a bowl overflowing with colorful fruit, or a countertop covered with three or four pies ready for enjoyment after a bountiful Thanksgiving meal.

The joy of abundance reminds me of the generosity of God. He makes our cup overflow (Ps. 23:5); He “is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Eph. 3:20); His grace is sufficient for any difficulty that life brings our way (2 Cor. 12:9); and it is He who kills the fatted calf and calls for the best robe when the prodigal returns (see Luke 15:20-24). No wonder the psalmist rejoices: “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings. They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house” (Ps. 36:7-8). Our God is abundantly good. Let’s overflow with praise for His many blessings.

Lord, thank You for the reminder that far from
being stingy You bless us with good things in
abundance. Thank You for Your presence and
the comfort of the promises in Your Word.
Keep praising God from whom all blessings flow.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
November 22, 2012

Shallow and Profound

Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God —1 Corinthians 10:31

Beware of allowing yourself to think that the shallow aspects of life are not ordained by God; they are ordained by Him equally as much as the profound. We sometimes refuse to be shallow, not out of our deep devotion to God but because we wish to impress other people with the fact that we are not shallow. This is a sure sign of spiritual pride. We must be careful, for this is how contempt for others is produced in our lives. And it causes us to be a walking rebuke to other people because they are more shallow than we are. Beware of posing as a profound person— God became a baby.

To be shallow is not a sign of being sinful, nor is shallowness an indication that there is no depth to your life at all— the ocean has a shore. Even the shallow things of life, such as eating and drinking, walking and talking, are ordained by God. These are all things our Lord did. He did them as the Son of God, and He said, “A disciple is not above his teacher . . .” (Matthew 10:24).

We are safeguarded by the shallow things of life. We have to live the surface, commonsense life in a commonsense way. Then when God gives us the deeper things, they are obviously separated from the shallow concerns. Never show the depth of your life to anyone but God. We are so nauseatingly serious, so desperately interested in our own character and reputation, we refuse to behave like Christians in the shallow concerns of life.

Make a determination to take no one seriously except God. You may find that the first person you must be the most critical with, as being the greatest fraud you have ever known, is yourself.


A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

The Man Who Saved Thanksgiving - #6749

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Our nine-year-old granddaughter says she loves Thanksgiving. Since her daddy is our son and her mommy is Native American, she has a unique perspective on Turkey Day. She tells us she's a Thanksgiving fan because "I'm a Pilgrim and an Indian!"

Actually, there were Pilgrims because there were Indians; one Indian in particular - Squanto. So many of our Pilgrim forefathers and mothers died that first winter; something like half of the Mayflower survivors. The survival of the Pilgrims was in serious doubt. And then came their brown-skinned miracle - an Indian, who somehow spoke English.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Man Who Saved Thanksgiving."

Now, a few years earlier, young Squanto had been carried off to England by traders who worked the Massachusetts coast. He learned English, as well as the Bible. And then, thanks to a compassionate benefactor, he made it back home on another English trading vessel, only to find that his entire village had been wiped out by disease.

But God had amazingly equipped him to save the lives of another people. Oh, he knew what the Pilgrims did not know - how to plant, and cultivate, and harvest and survive in their new land. And because of what Squanto taught them, they reaped the bountiful harvest that made the difference, and sparked the gratitude in their hearts that brought together the Pilgrims and their Native American neighbors for, yes, that first Thanksgiving.

In a sense, those Pilgrims are my people. And the lives of "my people" were saved by some of the first Americans. Now it's our turn. So many Native Americans are dying so young. All we've taken from them has left a harvest of pain and grief and brokenness.

Now, in our word for today from the Word of God, Matthew 25:35-45, you can see that Jesus takes very seriously how we respond to those who are wounded and hurting. Jesus says there, "'For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed Me. I was sick and you looked after Me. I was in prison; you came to visit Me.' And then the righteous will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?' And the King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me.'" Jesus identifies with the wounded and the hurting.

Now, it isn't that Native Americans need non-Native people to come swooping in like white mini-saviors. No, they need for us to support them so they can fight for their own people. I've been privileged to be a part of watching that happen. Our ministry has seen the amazing potential of Native American young people whose lives have been radiated with hope by Jesus Christ - modern-day "Squantos." We've seen what happens when they go to reservations on our On Eagles' Wings teams and tell their Native brothers and sisters about a brown-skinned Savior named Jesus. Hope is born where hope's been needed for so long. I have been an eye-witness to thousands of Native Americans coming to Christ through them.

But those young spiritual warriors are enabled to go by non-Native Jesus-followers who stand behind them with their prayer and their giving. It's like a holy, life-saving partnership. And the "children of the Pilgrims" are helping to save the lives of the "children of the first Americans." It's long overdue, but, thank God, it's happening. For Jesus has said, "He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners..." (Isaiah 61:1)

Look, you may not have any Native Americans at your Thanksgiving table this week, but you can take a little time to talk to God on their behalf. For most Americans, they're just not on our radar. But they are surely on God's radar when He "...determined the exact places every nation of man should live" (Acts 17:26), He made the people we call Indians the first Americans.

And just as my people battled to survive many years ago in Plymouth, so Native Americans are battling for survival today. We can't be blind to their pain. This Thanksgiving, wouldn't this be a good time to ask, "Lord, is there something you'd like me to do?" At minimum, He'll want you to fight for them in prayer. Because there is a battle raging for their lives, and prayer is the most powerful weapon there is.

So, in a spiritual sense, you can have some Native Americans at your table this Thanksgiving as you bring them to the Throne Room of our Father in heaven, who sent His Son for their people and my people.