Max Lucado Daily: Show Up
After Albert Einstein’s wife died, his sister moved in to help with the household. For fourteen years she cared for him, allowing his valuable research to continue. When she suffered a stroke and lapsed into a coma, Einstein spent two hours every afternoon reading aloud to her. She gave no sign of understanding but he read anyway. If she understood anything, she understood he believed that she was worth his time! He did what love does…he showed up.
Do you believe in your kids? Then show up! At their games. Their plays. Their recitals. It may not be possible to make each one, but it’s sure worth the effort. Show up! Whenever I speak at an area congregation, an elder in our church shows up. He does nothing. He says nothing. He just smiles when we make eye contact. It means a lot to me.
You want to bring out the best in someone? Then just show up!
From A Love Worth Giving
Philippians 1
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons[a]:
2 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thanksgiving and Prayer
3 I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. 8 God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Paul’s Chains Advance the Gospel
12 Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters,[b] that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. 13 As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard[c] and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. 14 And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.
15 It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
Yes, and I will continue to rejoice, 19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.[d] 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! 23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; 24 but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. 25 Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, 26 so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.
Life Worthy of the Gospel
27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit,[e] striving together as one for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.
Footnotes:
Philippians 1:1 The word deacons refers here to Christians designated to serve with the overseers/elders of the church in a variety of ways; similarly in Romans 16:1 and 1 Tim. 3:8,12.
Philippians 1:12 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verse 14; and in 3:1, 13, 17; 4:1, 8, 21.
Philippians 1:13 Or whole palace
Philippians 1:19 Or vindication; or salvation
Philippians 1:27 Or in one spirit
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, February 26, 2016
Read: Isaiah 46:4-13
I will be your God throughout your lifetime—
until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you.
I will carry you along and save you.
5 “To whom will you compare me?
Who is my equal?
6 Some people pour out their silver and gold
and hire a craftsman to make a god from it.
Then they bow down and worship it!
7 They carry it around on their shoulders,
and when they set it down, it stays there.
It can’t even move!
And when someone prays to it, there is no answer.
It can’t rescue anyone from trouble.
8 “Do not forget this! Keep it in mind!
Remember this, you guilty ones.
9 Remember the things I have done in the past.
For I alone am God!
I am God, and there is none like me.
10 Only I can tell you the future
before it even happens.
Everything I plan will come to pass,
for I do whatever I wish.
11 I will call a swift bird of prey from the east—
a leader from a distant land to come and do my bidding.
I have said what I would do,
and I will do it.
12 “Listen to me, you stubborn people
who are so far from doing right.
13 For I am ready to set things right,
not in the distant future, but right now!
I am ready to save Jerusalem[a]
and show my glory to Israel.
Footnotes:
46:13 Hebrew Zion.
INSIGHT:
Isaiah presents a stark contrast between the chief gods of Babylon—Bel (or Baal) and Nebo—and the God of Israel. The Babylonian gods needed their worshipers to care for and protect them (Isa. 46:1–2). But the God of Israel would care for, carry, sustain, and rescue His worshipers even when they were old and gray (v. 4).
How to Grow Old
By Lawrence Darmani
I will sustain you and I will rescue you. Isaiah 46:4
“How are you today, Mama?” I asked casually. My 84-year-old friend, pointing to aches and pains in her joints, whispered, "Old age is tough!" Then she added earnestly, "But God has been good to me."
“Growing old has been the greatest surprise of my life,” says Billy Graham in his book Nearing Home. "I am an old man now, and believe me, it's not easy." However, Graham notes, "While the Bible doesn't gloss over the problems we face as we grow older, neither does it paint old age as a time to be despised or a burden to be endured with gritted teeth.” He then mentions some of the questions he has been forced to deal with as he has aged, such as, “How can we not only learn to cope with the fears and struggles and growing limitations we face but also actually grow stronger inwardly in the midst of these difficulties?"
God will care for us throughout our life.
In Isaiah 46 we have God's assurance: "Even to your old age and gray hairs . . . I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you" (v. 4).
We don’t know how many years we will live on this earth or what we might face as we age. But one thing is certain: God will care for us throughout our life.
Lord, please teach us to number our days so that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (See Psalm 90:12)
Don't be afraid to grow old; God goes with you!
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, February 26, 2016
The woman said to Him, "Sir, You have nothing to draw [water] with, and the well is deep." —John 4:11
Have you ever said to yourself, “I am impressed with the wonderful truths of God’s Word, but He can’t really expect me to live up to that and work all those details into my life!” When it comes to confronting Jesus Christ on the basis of His qualities and abilities, our attitudes reflect religious superiority. We think His ideals are lofty and they impress us, but we believe He is not in touch with reality— that what He says cannot actually be done. Each of us thinks this about Jesus in one area of our life or another. These doubts or misgivings about Jesus begin as we consider questions that divert our focus away from God. While we talk of our dealings with Him, others ask us, “Where are you going to get enough money to live? How will you live and who will take care of you?” Or our misgivings begin within ourselves when we tell Jesus that our circumstances are just a little too difficult for Him. We say, “It’s easy to say, ‘Trust in the Lord,’ but a person has to live; and besides, Jesus has nothing with which to draw water— no means to be able to give us these things.” And beware of exhibiting religious deceit by saying, “Oh, I have no misgivings about Jesus, only misgivings about myself.” If we are honest, we will admit that we never have misgivings or doubts about ourselves, because we know exactly what we are capable or incapable of doing. But we do have misgivings about Jesus. And our pride is hurt even at the thought that He can do what we can’t.
My misgivings arise from the fact that I search within to find how He will do what He says. My doubts spring from the depths of my own inferiority. If I detect these misgivings in myself, I should bring them into the light and confess them openly— “Lord, I have had misgivings about You. I have not believed in Your abilities, but only my own. And I have not believed in Your almighty power apart from my finite understanding of it.”
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Defenders of the faith are inclined to be bitter until they learn to walk in the light of the Lord. When you have learned to walk in the light of the Lord, bitterness and contention are impossible.
Biblical Psychology
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, February 26, 2016
Short Misery, Long Joy - #7600
It was hard to believe. Our daughter was pregnant. My wife was going to be a grandmother! And I was going to be...married to a grandmother! Our daughter and son-in-law had a lot of fun surprising both families with this wonderful news.
But for my daughter, that's where most of the fun stopped – at least for the first three months of her pregnancy. Some of you understand what I'm saying. She was in bed a lot for the first three months, and frankly she had some difficult morning sickness. The doctor assured her she was having a very healthy pregnancy, it was just that she didn't feel very healthy. But then something happened that really helped.
She called me in Mexico to tell me about it. I could tell right away she was glowing on the other end. She said, "Dad, I want you to hear something." After which she proceeded to play a tape of some rhythmic, whooshing sounds. And with an enthusiasm I hadn't heard for the past three months, she said, "Dad, that's the baby's heartbeat!" Well, that was worth a call to Mexico for sure! When I got home, my wife and I got to see the video version of our daughter hearing that heartbeat for the first time. And her face was absolutely radiant! Up to this point, she had experienced mostly the grief of pregnancy. Suddenly, she had this wonderful reminder of what or who it was all for!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Short Misery, Long Joy."
My daughter reminded us all of how God brings about most of the great things He does in our life. In fact, we should get the message from how our lives begin in the first place! That baby's heartbeat reminded us all of how our Father works; a difficult process that produces a beautiful result.
Our Word for today from the Word of God, John 16:20-22. The disciples were heading into a painful season, their spiritual collapse, and the death of Jesus which will make no sense to them. And then, after His resurrection, the One they've depended on will go back to heaven. There will be long, uncertain days in Jerusalem, waiting and praying for what God will do next. And Jesus prepares them – and us – for the difficult process by talking about a woman expecting and delivering a baby.
He says, "You will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve (Now here's where I think of the radiance I saw on my daughter's face as she heard the baby she was carrying.), but your grief will turn to joy." Of course, the sickness and the heartbeat were only a foretaste of the really difficult process and the really glorious result. "A woman giving birth to a child (Jesus said) has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born, she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy" (John 16:21, 22).
There it is. Difficult process – beautiful result. That's God's consistent pattern for producing new life. But like my daughter weathering the discomfort of pregnancy, it's easy to forget the beautiful result that's coming when all you can feel is the pain of the process. That may be where you are in the processes of God right now. And today God wanted you to hear there is a heartbeat, there is new life that will come out of this hard time.
So stay faithful and keep your eyes on the prize. Even if you can't see any prize, keep your eyes on the Prize-Giver. Sometimes it's tempting for a pregnant woman to take medications that would make her feel better but might damage the baby, the beautiful result. Maybe you've been tempted to relieve the pain with some choices that might make you feel better. Don't do it. You could ruin what God is doing.
If this is the painful part, don't let go of the hope God has for you. The hope that there's going to be a wonderful outcome produced by this difficult season, if you remain faithful through the pain. The pain will last a relatively short time. The joy will last a long time.
Listen for the heartbeat of God while you endure the grief of this process and let Him light up your soul with the joy of knowing this will be worth it all!
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