Max Lucado Daily: Don't Settle for a Small Destiny
We re-define ourselves according to our catastrophes. As a result, we settle for a small destiny!
Think you've lost it all? You haven't. The truth of Romans 11:29 is that God's gifts and God's call are under full warranty-never canceled, never rescinded.
Here's how it works. Your boss calls you into the office. As kind as it sounds, a layoff is a layoff. How will I pay the bills? Who's going to hire me? Dread dominates your thoughts. But then you remember your destiny. What do I have that I cannot lose? Wait a second- I am still God's child. My life is more than this life. God will make something good out of this. I will work hard, stay faithful, and trust Him-no matter what.
Bingo! You just trusted your destiny. Another victory for God. It begins with a yes to God's call on your life!
From You'll Get Through This
2 Samuel 8
David’s Military Victories
After this, David defeated and subdued the Philistines by conquering Gath, their largest town.[a] 2 David also conquered the land of Moab. He made the people lie down on the ground in a row, and he measured them off in groups with a length of rope. He measured off two groups to be executed for every one group to be spared. The Moabites who were spared became David’s subjects and paid him tribute money.
3 David also destroyed the forces of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, when Hadadezer marched out to strengthen his control along the Euphrates River. 4 David captured 1,000 chariots, 7,000 charioteers,[b] and 20,000 foot soldiers. He crippled all the chariot horses except enough for 100 chariots.
5 When Arameans from Damascus arrived to help King Hadadezer, David killed 22,000 of them. 6 Then he placed several army garrisons in Damascus, the Aramean capital, and the Arameans became David’s subjects and paid him tribute money. So the Lord made David victorious wherever he went.
7 David brought the gold shields of Hadadezer’s officers to Jerusalem, 8 along with a large amount of bronze from Hadadezer’s towns of Tebah[c] and Berothai.
9 When King Toi of Hamath heard that David had destroyed the entire army of Hadadezer, 10 he sent his son Joram to congratulate King David for his successful campaign. Hadadezer and Toi had been enemies and were often at war. Joram presented David with many gifts of silver, gold, and bronze.
11 King David dedicated all these gifts to the Lord, as he did with the silver and gold from the other nations he had defeated— 12 from Edom,[d] Moab, Ammon, Philistia, and Amalek—and from Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
13 So David became even more famous when he returned from destroying 18,000 Edomites[e] in the Valley of Salt. 14 He placed army garrisons throughout Edom, and all the Edomites became David’s subjects. In fact, the Lord made David victorious wherever he went.
15 So David reigned over all Israel and did what was just and right for all his people. 16 Joab son of Zeruiah was commander of the army. Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud was the royal historian. 17 Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son of Abiathar were the priests. Seraiah was the court secretary. 18 Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king’s bodyguard.[f] And David’s sons served as priestly leaders.[g]
Footnotes:
8:1 Hebrew by conquering Metheg-ammah, a name that means “the bridle,” possibly referring to the size of the town or the tribute money taken from it. Compare 1 Chr 18:1.
8:4 As in Dead Sea Scrolls and Greek version (see also 1 Chr 18:4); Masoretic Text reads captured 1,700 charioteers.
8:8 As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 1 Chr 18:8); Hebrew reads Betah.
8:12 As in a few Hebrew manuscripts and Greek and Syriac versions (see also 8:14; 1 Chr 18:11); most Hebrew manuscripts read Aram.
8:13 As in a few Hebrew manuscripts and Greek and Syriac versions (see also 8:14; 1 Chr 18:12); most Hebrew manuscripts read Arameans.
8:18a Hebrew of the Kerethites and Pelethites.
8:18b Hebrew David’s sons were priests; compare parallel text at 1 Chr 18:17.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Read: 1 Corinthians 1:25-31
This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.
26 Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy[a] when God called you. 27 Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. 28 God chose things despised by the world,[b] things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. 29 As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.
30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.”[c]
Footnotes:
1:26 Or high born.
1:28 Or God chose those who are low born.
1:31 Jer 9:24.
INSIGHT:
Paul started the Corinthian church during his second missionary journey (AD 50, Acts 18:1-18). After staying for another 18 months (v. 11), Paul left Apollos to continue the work (Acts 18:27–19:1; 1 Cor. 3:6). Peter may have been in Corinth too (1 Cor. 1:12). Four years later (AD 56), while in Ephesus on his third missionary journey, Paul received two disturbing reports of divisions, disorders, difficulties, and denial of the resurrection in the church (1:10-11; 11:18-22). Paul wrote this letter to address those problems.
he Unlikely
By Bill Crowder
God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. —1 Corinthians 1:27
Fanny Kemble was a British actress who moved to America in the early 1800s and married a southern plantation owner named Pierce Butler. Fanny enjoyed the life afforded by the wealth of the plantation, until she saw the cost of that luxury—a cost paid by the slaves who worked her husband’s plantations.
Having written a memoir of the cruel treatment slaves often suffered, Kemble was eventually divorced from her husband. Her writings were widely circulated among abolitionists and published in 1863 as Journal of a Residence on a Georgian Plantation in 1838–1839. Because of her opposition to slavery, the former wife of a slave owner became known as “The Unlikely Abolitionist.”
In the body of Christ, God often wonderfully surprises us. He regularly uses the unlikely—people and circumstances—to accomplish His purposes. Paul wrote, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen” (1 Cor. 1:27-28).
This reminds us that God, in His grace, can use anyone. If we will allow His work to be done in us, we might be surprised at what He can do through us!
How will you let God use you today?
God desires willing hearts ready to be used.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
And After That What’s Next To Do?
…seek, and you will find… —Luke 11:9
Seek if you have not found. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss…” (James 4:3). If you ask for things from life instead of from God, “you ask amiss”; that is, you ask out of your desire for self-fulfillment. The more you fulfill yourself the less you will seek God. “…seek, and you will find….” Get to work— narrow your focus and interests to this one thing. Have you ever sought God with your whole heart, or have you simply given Him a feeble cry after some emotionally painful experience? “…seek, [focus,] and you will find….”
“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters…” (Isaiah 55:1). Are you thirsty, or complacent and indifferent— so satisfied with your own experience that you want nothing more of God? Experience is a doorway, not a final goal. Beware of building your faith on experience, or your life will not ring true and will only sound the note of a critical spirit. Remember that you can never give another person what you have found, but you can cause him to have a desire for it.
“…knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). “Draw near to God…” (James 4:8). Knock— the door is closed, and your heartbeat races as you knock. “Cleanse your hands…” (James 4:8). Knock a bit louder— you begin to find that you are dirty. “…purify your hearts…” (James 4:8). It is becoming even more personal— you are desperate and serious now— you will do anything. “Lament…” (James 4:9). Have you ever lamented, expressing your sorrow before God for the condition of your inner life? There is no thread of self-pity left, only the heart-rending difficulty and amazement which comes from seeing what kind of person you really are. “Humble yourselves…” (James 4:10). It is a humbling experience to knock at God’s door— you have to knock with the crucified thief. “…to him who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11:10).
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
I was twelve years old when I was baptized. And I thought getting in that baptismal tank at our church was hard! Well, my wife was nine years old when she was baptized, and she grew up in the Ozarks where they baptized folks the John the Baptist way - in the creek (or crick).
Well, her Mom helped her get this white baptismal gown on, and then my wife (little girl then) stood on the bank as the pastor prepared to baptize her. She didn't move. The pastor thought maybe she was having a spiritual struggle over getting baptized. That never crossed her mind. What did cross her mind was the only other time she had been in a creek like this. She'd been swimming and encountered the little beady eyes of a poisonous water moccasin snake. Now, when she contemplated going into that water for Jesus, she couldn't help but also contemplate the possibility of those little beady eyes.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Why You Don't Have To Be Afraid."
Well, did she or didn't she? She did! Here's how my wife tells it: She says, "I decided that if I could trust Jesus to save me forever, I guess I could trust Him to protect me from the snakes." She knew God wanted her to step into that water for Him. She also knew the danger that could be there. All of us have moments like that. Maybe you're at one of those "faith versus fear" crossroads right now.
Our word for today from the Word of God, Isaiah 40:1-3, and it starts with the ultimate answer to the fear that could be holding you back right now. "Fear not" God says, "I have redeemed you. I have summoned you by name. You are mine." See, my wife moved into that scary water because she decided she could totally trust the One who had redeemed her.
God says, "You belong to Me. I paid for you with the life of my Son. Do you really think I'll let you be hurt by obeying Me?" Then He goes on to say, "When you pass through the waters I will be with you. When you pass through the rivers they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze, for I am the Lord your God, the holy One of Israel, your Savior."
Notice it says here, "When you pass through the waters and the fire." There's no exemption from going through the deep waters or the fire. It doesn't say "if you do". It says, "when". But a promise from the Lord is here, from your God, your Savior, that you will not be overwhelmed by them or destroyed by them. You may get wet. You may get hot, but you won't get drowned and you won't get burned up.
As David was hiding in a cave from a king who was trying to kill him, he made this amazing statement in Psalm 34:4, one that has answered my wife's fears and my own fears so many times. Psalm 34:4, "I sought the Lord and He heard me and He delivered me from all my fears." Wow!
You could put your fear in there. "He delivered me from my fear of ______." Maybe today you're standing on the bank, knowing God wants you to step in but you've been focused on the risks of obeying Him. As long as you focus on the dangers and the scary possibilities, fear is going to be your master. But like a little girl learned on the banks of an Ozark creek, if you focus on the One who rescued you from an eternal hell, the One who holds you in His strong and loving arms, then faith will win. If Jesus is strong enough to take you to heaven, isn't He strong enough to take care of the snakes?
You know, David said in the famous 23rd Psalm, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for You are with me. I wonder if you have that kind of an intimate and personal relationship with the God of heaven? Because with Him, you can even walk through the valley of the shadow of death - the most fearful stretch of all - and say, "I know that Jesus died for me. I know my sins have been forgiven, for I have put my life in His hands."
If you've never done that, would you do that today? Go to our website and find out more about how you can be sure of this relationship. It's ANewStory.com. And trade your fears for the peace of Christ.