Max Lucado Daily: Don't Be Jealous
Suppose you spotted a flame in your house. How would you react? Would you shrug your shoulders and walk away, saying, "A little fire never hurt any house." Of course not. You would put it out! Why? Because you know left untended, fire consumes all that's consumable. For the sake of your house, you don't play with fire.
For the sake of your heart, the same is true. The name of the fire? Solomon tagged it in Song of Solomon 8:6. "Jealousy is cruel as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire." Do you know what causes jealousy? Distrust. Do you know what is the cure for jealousy? It is trust. Is the flame of jealousy beginning to consume your heart? Are you jealous of someone's success or possessions? Then, ask God for deeper trust. He will help put out the fire.
From A Love Worth Giving
Amos 9
Israel to Be Destroyed
I saw the Lord standing by the altar, and he said:
“Strike the tops of the pillars
so that the thresholds shake.
Bring them down on the heads of all the people;
those who are left I will kill with the sword.
Not one will get away,
none will escape.
2 Though they dig down to the depths below,
from there my hand will take them.
Though they climb up to the heavens above,
from there I will bring them down.
3 Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel,
there I will hunt them down and seize them.
Though they hide from my eyes at the bottom of the sea,
there I will command the serpent to bite them.
4 Though they are driven into exile by their enemies,
there I will command the sword to slay them.
“I will keep my eye on them
for harm and not for good.”
5 The Lord, the Lord Almighty—
he touches the earth and it melts,
and all who live in it mourn;
the whole land rises like the Nile,
then sinks like the river of Egypt;
6 he builds his lofty palace[f] in the heavens
and sets its foundation[g] on the earth;
he calls for the waters of the sea
and pours them out over the face of the land—
the Lord is his name.
7 “Are not you Israelites
the same to me as the Cushites[h]?”
declares the Lord.
“Did I not bring Israel up from Egypt,
the Philistines from Caphtor[i]
and the Arameans from Kir?
8 “Surely the eyes of the Sovereign Lord
are on the sinful kingdom.
I will destroy it
from the face of the earth.
Yet I will not totally destroy
the descendants of Jacob,”
declares the Lord.
9 “For I will give the command,
and I will shake the people of Israel
among all the nations
as grain is shaken in a sieve,
and not a pebble will reach the ground.
10 All the sinners among my people
will die by the sword,
all those who say,
‘Disaster will not overtake or meet us.’
Israel’s Restoration
11 “In that day
“I will restore David’s fallen shelter—
I will repair its broken walls
and restore its ruins—
and will rebuild it as it used to be,
12 so that they may possess the remnant of Edom
and all the nations that bear my name,[j]”
declares the Lord, who will do these things.
13 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman
and the planter by the one treading grapes.
New wine will drip from the mountains
and flow from all the hills,
14 and I will bring my people Israel back from exile.[k]
“They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them.
They will plant vineyards and drink their wine;
they will make gardens and eat their fruit.
15 I will plant Israel in their own land,
never again to be uprooted
from the land I have given them,”
says the Lord your God.
Footnotes:
Amos 9:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.
Amos 9:6 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
Amos 9:7 That is, people from the upper Nile region
Amos 9:7 That is, Crete
Amos 9:12 Hebrew; Septuagint so that the remnant of people / and all the nations that bear my name may seek me
Amos 9:14 Or will restore the fortunes of my people Israel
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, February 04, 2016
Read: Proverbs 2:1-5
The Benefits of Wisdom
My child,[a] listen to what I say,
and treasure my commands.
2 Tune your ears to wisdom,
and concentrate on understanding.
3 Cry out for insight,
and ask for understanding.
4 Search for them as you would for silver;
seek them like hidden treasures.
5 Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,
and you will gain knowledge of God.
Footnotes:
2:1 Hebrew My son.
INSIGHT:
The book of Proverbs shows us how to live wisely. King Solomon, who was the wisest person in his day (1 Kings 4:29–34), wrote most of the proverbs. The New Living Translation Study Bible likens this book to “a compass that helps us navigate the murky waters of life. . . . Proverbs shows us that the source of all wisdom is a right relationship with God.” In the first nine chapters, a father advises his son how to live successfully by pursuing wisdom, understanding, and discernment—which can come only from God and His Word. Solomon desires his son to understand what it means to fear the Lord, for “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (9:10).
Hidden Treasure
By Cindy Hess Kasper
Search for [insight and understanding] as for hidden treasure. Proverbs 2:4
My husband and I read in different ways. Since English is a second language for Tom, he has a tendency to read slowly, word-for-word. I often speed-read by skimming. But Tom retains more than I do. He can easily quote something he read a week ago, while my retention can evaporate seconds after I turn away from the screen or book.
Skimming is also a problem when I’m reading the Bible—and not just the genealogies. I’m tempted to skim familiar passages, stories I’ve heard since I was a child, or a psalm that is part of a familiar chorus.
We come to know God and His wisdom when we search for it with our whole heart.
Proverbs 2 encourages us to make the effort to know God better by carefully seeking a heart of understanding. When we read the Bible carefully and invest time memorizing Scripture, we absorb its truths more deeply (vv. 1-2). Sometimes reading the Word aloud helps us to hear and understand the wisdom of God more fully. And when we pray the words of Scripture back to God and ask Him for “insight and understanding” (v. 3), we enjoy a conversation with the Author.
We come to know God and His wisdom when we search for it with our whole heart. We find understanding when we seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure.
Dear Lord, help me to slow down and listen to what You want to teach me through Your Word so I can be the person You want me to be.
For further study, check out this guide for how to grasp the truths of Scripture: at A Message for All Time
Read the Bible carefully and study it prayerfully.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, February 04, 2016
The Compelling Majesty of His Power
The love of Christ compels us… —2 Corinthians 5:14
Paul said that he was overpowered, subdued, and held as in a vise by “the love of Christ.” Very few of us really know what it means to be held in the grip of the love of God. We tend so often to be controlled simply by our own experience. The one thing that gripped and held Paul, to the exclusion of everything else, was the love of God. “The love of Christ compels us….” When you hear that coming from the life of a man or woman it is unmistakable. You will know that the Spirit of God is completely unhindered in that person’s life.
When we are born again by the Spirit of God, our testimony is based solely on what God has done for us, and rightly so. But that will change and be removed forever once you “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” (Acts 1:8). Only then will you begin to realize what Jesus meant when He went on to say, “…you shall be witnesses to Me….” Not witnesses to what Jesus can do— that is basic and understood— but “witnesses to Me….” We will accept everything that happens as if it were happening to Him, whether we receive praise or blame, persecution or reward. No one is able to take this stand for Jesus Christ who is not totally compelled by the majesty of His power. It is the only thing that matters, and yet it is strange that it’s the last thing we as Christian workers realize. Paul said that he was gripped by the love of God and that is why he acted as he did. People could perceive him as mad or sane— he did not care. There was only one thing he lived for— to persuade people of the coming judgment of God and to tell them of “the love of Christ.” This total surrender to “the love of Christ” is the only thing that will bear fruit in your life. And it will always leave the mark of God’s holiness and His power, never drawing attention to your personal holiness.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are all based on a conception of importance, either our own importance, or the importance of someone else; Jesus tells us to go and teach based on the revelation of His importance. “All power is given unto Me.… Go ye therefore ….” So Send I You, 1325 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, February 04, 2016
Gift Wrapped Good News - #7584
I really enjoy picking out gifts for the people I love; thinking what they like and what they need. Well, and then I enjoy giving the gift. I don't enjoy wrapping the gift. In fact, they wouldn't enjoy the gift I wrapped if I wrapped it. In fact, it's tempting just to hand them the present, but it just isn't really special to get a gift in a K-Mart bag, you know. It's nicer to have it wrapped in wrapping paper and bows, right?
There's something about my motor coordination. I guess the lines must be down between my brain and my hands. They can make it to my mouth, but somehow that's as far as it gets, so I usually prevail upon my wife, or if it's for her, my sister-in-law. See, wrapping is extra trouble, but a nice gift should come in a nice package.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Gift Wrapped Good News."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Peter 3:15, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." Now, here's what God's saying, "You have a message of hope to give to people, and I want you to do that." But it isn't just the message that matters. It's the spirit, the tone in which you deliver the message.
Don't just give them the gift. It needs to be gift wrapped. And what do you wrap it with? Well, according to Peter here, "with gentleness and respect." See, often it is the package that sells the product, and we say we've got the best product in the world. We've got hope, and love, and life eternal in Jesus Christ, but how about the package you present it in? This isn't a debate. This is not an argument for you to win. This is not a notch on your belt.
I saw a debate some years ago between one of the leading atheists in the world and an outstanding Christian leader. The atheist was mean and illogical and I thought, man, if the Christian would be just like a Christian he'll win, but he wasn't. He fell into her trap, her tone. I thought they both lost.
We do that sometimes in our personal witness or our preaching. We bomb people with the Gospel. We condemn people with the Gospel. Sometimes there's a meanness, an edge in our package. There is a tendency to see witness as winning an argument. It's not. It's winning a heart. You can win the argument and lose the heart. You can win the point and lose the person. Maybe it's happened.
Paul prayed for boldness in Colossians 4:6 and then he said, "Let your speech always be seasoned with grace." Boldness, yes, but boldness with grace. Peter said "gentleness and respect." People should not feel attacked by the Gospel. Your approach should make them feel more important, not less important.
When you share Christ with someone it should make them feel big and valued by God, by you, not small. They should feel cared for by you sharing, not belittled by it. They should feel loved, not judged. Listen to their views when you talk to them. Affirm where you can agree with them, affirm where they're right, and assure them that your motive is love and not winning. I like that old saying, "I'm a beggar, you're a beggar. I'm just a beggar who happened to find bread, telling you where I found it."
You have the Good News about the Savior. Don't just thrust it in their face and say, "Here, take it or leave it." No, wrap the gift in love, in grace, in gentleness and respect. In a relationship that gives them the respect that God says they have; that says, "I think you're important."
If lost people are not attracted to the package, they may never take the gift of Eternal Life.
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