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Max Lucado Daily: Do it God’s Way
In the game of golf, logic says, “Don’t go for the green.” Golf 101 says, “Don’t go for the green.” But I say, “Give me my driver, I’m going for the green!” Golf reveals a lot about a person. I don’t need advice—whack! I can handle this myself—clang!
Can you relate? We want to do things our way. Forget the easy way and forget the best way. Forget God’s way. Too much stubbornness. Too much independence. Too much self-reliance. All I needed to do was apologize, but I had to argue. All I needed to do was listen, but I had to open my big mouth. All I needed to do was be patient, but I had to take control. All I had to do was give it to God, but I tried to fix it myself.
Scripture says, “Do it God’s way.” Experience says, “Do it God’s way.” And every so often, we do! We might even make the green.
From Traveling Light
Nahum 2
Nineveh to Fall
2 [d]An attacker advances against you, Nineveh.
Guard the fortress,
watch the road,
brace yourselves,
marshal all your strength!
2 The Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob
like the splendor of Israel,
though destroyers have laid them waste
and have ruined their vines.
3 The shields of the soldiers are red;
the warriors are clad in scarlet.
The metal on the chariots flashes
on the day they are made ready;
the spears of juniper are brandished.[e]
4 The chariots storm through the streets,
rushing back and forth through the squares.
They look like flaming torches;
they dart about like lightning.
5 Nineveh summons her picked troops,
yet they stumble on their way.
They dash to the city wall;
the protective shield is put in place.
6 The river gates are thrown open
and the palace collapses.
7 It is decreed[f] that Nineveh
be exiled and carried away.
Her female slaves moan like doves
and beat on their breasts.
8 Nineveh is like a pool
whose water is draining away.
“Stop! Stop!” they cry,
but no one turns back.
9 Plunder the silver!
Plunder the gold!
The supply is endless,
the wealth from all its treasures!
10 She is pillaged, plundered, stripped!
Hearts melt, knees give way,
bodies tremble, every face grows pale.
11 Where now is the lions’ den,
the place where they fed their young,
where the lion and lioness went,
and the cubs, with nothing to fear?
12 The lion killed enough for his cubs
and strangled the prey for his mate,
filling his lairs with the kill
and his dens with the prey.
13 “I am against you,”
declares the Lord Almighty.
“I will burn up your chariots in smoke,
and the sword will devour your young lions.
I will leave you no prey on the earth.
The voices of your messengers
will no longer be heard.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: 2 Timothy 2:10-18
New International Version (NIV)
10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
11 Here is a trustworthy saying:
If we died with him,
we will also live with him;
12 if we endure,
we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
he will also disown us;
13 if we are faithless,
he remains faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.
Dealing With False Teachers
14 Keep reminding God’s people of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16 Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17 Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18 who have departed from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.
Guarding Hearts
June 7, 2013 — by Randy Kilgore
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. —2 Timothy 2:15
For years I taught adult Bible-study classes in a local church and took great pains to consider Scripture carefully before answering questions during the lessons. Later, during a lecture in my first semester of seminary at age 40, I learned that I’d given a woman who had attended one of my classes a terrible answer to her heartfelt question. I was certain my response had been causing her distress over the 2 years since I had seen her, and I was eager to correct myself for her sake.
Racing home, I called her and instantly burst into an apology. A long pause was followed by her saying in a puzzled tone: “I’m sorry, but I’m having trouble placing you right now.” I was neither as memorable nor as damaging as I had believed! It was then I realized God is at work guarding His truth even as we grow in our understanding of His Word. I’m thankful He protected this woman’s heart.
We are human and will make mistakes sometimes as we share God’s Word with others. But we have an obligation to diligently seek His truth and exercise care when we talk about it (2 Tim. 2:15). Then we may boldly proclaim Him, praying that His Spirit will guard not only our hearts but also the hearts of those we seek to serve. God and His Word are deserving of the greatest care.
The words I spoke but yesterday
Are changed as I read Your Word;
I see more clearly Your perfect way,
And my heart is deeply stirred. —Kilgore
Let God’s Word fill your memory, rule your heart, and guide your words.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 7, 2013
The Greatest Source of Power
Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do . . . —John 14:13
Am I fulfilling this ministry of intercession deep within the hidden recesses of my life? There is no trap nor any danger at all of being deceived or of showing pride in true intercession. It is a hidden ministry that brings forth fruit through which the Father is glorified. Am I allowing my spiritual life to waste away, or am I focused, bringing everything to one central point— the atonement of my Lord? Is Jesus Christ more and more dominating every interest of my life? If the central point, or the most powerful influence, of my life is the atonement of the Lord, then every aspect of my life will bear fruit for Him.
However, I must take the time to realize what this central point of power is. Am I willing to give one minute out of every hour to concentrate on it? “If you abide in Me . . . “— that is, if you continue to act, and think, and work from that central point— “you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). Am I abiding? Am I taking the time to abide? What is the greatest source of power in my life? Is it my work, service, and sacrifice for others, or is it my striving to work for God? It should be none of these— what ought to exert the greatest power in my life is the atonement of the Lord. It is not on what we spend the greatest amount of time that molds us the most, but whatever exerts the most power over us. We must make a determination to limit and concentrate our desires and interests on the atonement by the Cross of Christ.
“Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do . . . .” The disciple who abides in Jesus is the will of God, and what appears to be his free choices are actually God’s foreordained decrees. Is this mysterious? Does it appear to contradict sound logic or seem totally absurd? Yes, but what a glorious truth it is to a saint of God.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Becoming Eyes - #6890
Friday, June 7, 2013
I remember the time my daughter volunteered to clean house, and it was a mess! Now, it wasn't our house, it wasn't her house, it was the house that her college boyfriend and some other guys wanted to move in to. Now when I use the word mess, that's charitable. This is no exaggeration! There were four college guys who lived there before, and frankly they did a lot of partying and they did very little cleaning.
Well, after two years of those guys living there, there were layers of dirt, trash everywhere, and holes in the walls. It was filthy! Well, I saw her at the end of a very hard-working day. She was beat, she was sweaty, but she was satisfied. I asked her, "What kept you going all those hours?" She said, "Well, Dad, it was really depressing to look at, but I kept seeing what it could be."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Becoming Eyes."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from John 1:42. Andrew has just discovered who the Messiah is. He knows now it's Jesus Christ. He decides to bring his big brother, Simon the fisherman, to Jesus. And it says, "He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, 'You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas' (which, when translated, is Peter)." Let me go just one step beyond that verse and tell you what Peter means when it is translated. It means "the rock".
Now, a lot of people I think looked at Simon and they just saw John's son. He's this unstable, brazen, loud mouth, sometimes just impulsive guy. But Jesus looked at him and said, "He's going to be a rock." Some other people might have said, "Well, that's funny! I see a flake! He's Simon the flake not Simon the rock." But Jesus has becoming eyes. He looks at you and sees what you can become. Others look at what you are; Jesus looks at what you could be.
Remember the Apostle John? He was called the Son of Thunder. Sounds like something that would be on the back of a black, leather jacket on a motorcycle doesn't it? He tried to call down fire from heaven on the Samaritans that wouldn't let him come to their village, remember? He's an angry young man. But he becomes, when Jesus gets hold of him, the Apostle of Love of the New Testament church. He goes from Son of Thunder to Apostle of Love.
See, when Jesus looks at you, it's through His becoming eyes. Maybe you've lived most of your life not feeling highly valued by people. They've picked on your handicaps, they've emphasized your failures, and they've attacked your weaknesses. Maybe you think more about what you aren't than what you are.
I want to invite you today to look at yourself through Jesus' eyes. He's like my daughter walking into that dirty old house. She saw what could be. Maybe you're feeling like a nobody, but Jesus says, "You shall be a person who makes a difference in other people's lives." You say, "Well, I think I'm impatient." Jesus says, "You are, but I'm going to make you patient. I see a patient man that could be there." You say, "I'm pretty self-centered." Yeah, but Jesus said, "You shall be someone who puts other people first." You say, "Well, I've been a victim most of my life." Jesus says, "Well, you're going to be a victor when I'm done with you."
See, the Bible makes this great promise in 2 Corinthians 5:17. It says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone; a new life has begun." This is what happens when you go to the cross where Jesus died to pay for the sin that warps and distorts what we were meant to be. And He forgives you, He cleans you up, He moves inside of you and starts to make you what you were created to be.
I hope you've had that day where you've turned your life over to Him. My life is divided between B.C. and A.D. just like human history; before Christ and after. One event, asking Christ in, changes everything. By the way, if you've never done that, let me invite you to join me in our website YoursForLife.net. Let's get that taken care of.
See, if you've pinned your hopes on Jesus, you're being re-built. You're being remodeled by the Master Carpenter. Maybe this catches you on a day when you feel discouraged, defeated, or small. But Jesus is changing you. He isn't finished with you yet. He sees the mess, but He sees beyond it. Thank Him that He sees a rock. No matter what anyone else has seen, He is making something beautiful out of your life.
