Max Lucado Daily: Someday
There’s a time for extravagant gestures. A time to pour out your affections on the one you love. And when the time comes—seize it. Don’t dismiss it!
“Someday,” we say, “I’ll take her on the cruise.”
“Someday”, we say, “I’ll have time to call and chat.”
“Someday, the children will understand why I was so busy.”
But you know the truth, don’t you? You could say it better than I. Some days never come. And the price of practicality is sometimes higher than extravagance. So, go to the effort…today. Invest the time, today. Make the apology. Take the trip. Purchase the gift. Do it! The seized opportunity renders joy. The neglected brings regret.
From And The Angels Were Silent
Esther 10
The Greatness of Mordecai
King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores. 2 And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.
Accommodations
King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the empire, to its distant shores. 2 And all his acts of power and might, together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Read: Psalm 59:6-16
They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,
and prowl about the city.
7 See what they spew from their mouths—
the words from their lips are sharp as swords,
and they think, “Who can hear us?”
8 But you laugh at them, Lord;
you scoff at all those nations.
9 You are my strength, I watch for you;
you, God, are my fortress,
10 my God on whom I can rely.
God will go before me
and will let me gloat over those who slander me.
11 But do not kill them, Lord our shield,[a]
or my people will forget.
In your might uproot them
and bring them down.
12 For the sins of their mouths,
for the words of their lips,
let them be caught in their pride.
For the curses and lies they utter,
13 consume them in your wrath,
consume them till they are no more.
Then it will be known to the ends of the earth
that God rules over Jacob.
14 They return at evening,
snarling like dogs,
and prowl about the city.
15 They wander about for food
and howl if not satisfied.
16 But I will sing of your strength,
in the morning I will sing of your love;
for you are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.
Footnotes:
Psalm 59:11 Or sovereign
Insight
David did not immediately assume the throne after Samuel the prophet anointed him king of Israel. In fact, despite the promise of God, David had to run for his life. Today’s psalm was written by David while he was fleeing from his predecessor Saul. Here, David describes the actions of evil men (vv.6-7) but expresses confidence in the sovereignty of God (vv.8-10).
The Power Of Music
I will sing of Your power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; for You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble. —Psalm 59:16
In Wales, the music of men’s chorus groups is deeply engrained in the culture. Prior to World War II, one Welsh glee club had a friendly yet competitive rivalry with a German glee club, but that bond was replaced with animosity during and after the war. The tension was gradually overcome, though, by the message on the trophy shared by the two choruses: “Speak with me, and you’re my friend. Sing with me, and you’re my brother.”
The power of music to heal and help is a gift from God that comforts many. Perhaps that is why the Psalms speak so deeply to us. There we find lyrics that connect with our hearts, allowing us to speak to God from the depth of our spirits. “But I will sing of Your power; yes, I will sing aloud of Your mercy in the morning; for You have been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble” (Ps. 59:16). Amazingly, David wrote this song as he was being hunted down by men seeking to kill him! Despite his circumstances, David remembered God’s power and mercy, and singing of them encouraged him to go on.
May our God give us a song today that will remind us of His goodness and greatness, no matter what we may face.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long. —Crosby
“I will make music to the Lord, the God of Israel.” —Judges 5:3 (nlt)
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
February 10, 2014
Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things . . . —Isaiah 40:26
The people of God in Isaiah’s time had blinded their minds’ ability to see God by looking on the face of idols. But Isaiah made them look up at the heavens; that is, he made them begin to use their power to think and to visualize correctly. If we are children of God, we have a tremendous treasure in nature and will realize that it is holy and sacred. We will see God reaching out to us in every wind that blows, every sunrise and sunset, every cloud in the sky, every flower that blooms, and every leaf that fades, if we will only begin to use our blinded thinking to visualize it.
The real test of spiritual focus is being able to bring your mind and thoughts under control. Is your mind focused on the face of an idol? Is the idol yourself? Is it your work? Is it your idea of what a servant should be, or maybe your experience of salvation and sanctification? If so, then your ability to see God is blinded. You will be powerless when faced with difficulties and will be forced to endure in darkness. If your power to see has been blinded, don’t look back on your own experiences, but look to God. It is God you need. Go beyond yourself and away from the faces of your idols and away from everything else that has been blinding your thinking. Wake up and accept the ridicule that Isaiah gave to his people, and deliberately turn your thoughts and your eyes to God.
One of the reasons for our sense of futility in prayer is that we have lost our power to visualize. We can no longer even imagine putting ourselves deliberately before God. It is actually more important to be broken bread and poured-out wine in the area of intercession than in our personal contact with others. The power of visualization is what God gives a saint so that he can go beyond himself and be firmly placed into relationships he never before experienced.
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
The Stuff That Stinks - #706
Monday, February 10, 2014
Our oldest son grew up Mr. Suburban Boy, and he has a very sensitive nose. Okay, those are the two reasons he has never enjoyed a ride through farm country in the spring. Especially after the farmers have fertilized their fields the, shall we say, natural way. It smells, but it works! Like compost; all this dead and decaying stuff mounded up in a pile? Time does not improve the aroma of that, but you put that stuff on your garden and great things are going to grow. The stink? That's not very nice, but what grows from it sure is.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Stuff That Stinks."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Genesis chapter 49. It speaks of the life of Joseph, whose life was filled with so much trial and so much triumph. He was rejected by his brothers, favored by his father, left in a pit by his brothers and taken to a slave trade place and bought by a General in Egypt. He had a wonderful life there; he was living in a mansion. But he was thrown into prison falsely accused, and then ultimately elevated to the second most powerful position in the world as Assistant Pharaoh.
Here's what it says about his life: "Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine near a spring, whose branches climb over a wall. With bitterness archers attacked him; (It was actually his brothers.) they shot at him with hostility. But his bow remained steady. His strong arms stayed limber because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob, because of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel." See, Joseph lived a fruitful life after going through a lot of rotten things. He said to his brothers in chapter 50, verse 20 of Genesis, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."
See, the worst thing - the stinkiest thing that ever happen to Joseph - produced an incredibly, rich outcome. God often works that way. The stuff that stinks often becomes the stuff that grows the most beautiful things. That might just be very important for you to remember right now, because you're in the middle of some ugly things.
If you walk through this with Jesus, it can produce some of the most beautiful fruit you've ever had grow in your life. Like a deep closeness with your Creator. He is, the Bible says, "a very present help in time of trouble." When it's hurting time, you get to know Him as others who have lighter loads never will, because you're driven to Him. You develop an intimacy with the One who loves you the most.
Life's stinky experiences also bring you to a new humility and as a result of humility, a new power that comes from being totally dependent on God. It could be there's some pride blocking God's best. But the pride goes as the Lord pours on the fertilizer of adversity. Other good results grow in the smelly soil of life, like closer relationships with those you love, opportunities for miracles to happen, opportunities to share Christ with people who wouldn't listen to you if it weren't for your pain. Even if it was intended for evil, God plans to use it for good. Don't be alarmed now; just stay tuned for the harvest that God is preparing to send.
If you get a lot of stinky stuff coming your way, remember it's probably God's compost. It stinks right now, but you are going to love the fruit it brings.
