Psalm 123, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Jesus Knows

Denalyn and I have been married for 35 years. We no longer converse; we communicate in code. She walks into the kitchen while I'm making a sandwich.
"Denalyn?" I ask. "No, I don't want one," she says.
I'll open the refrigerator and stare for a few moments.
"Denalyn?" She'll answer, "Mayo on the top shelf. Pickles on the door."
She knows me better than anyone. She's an authority on Max. How much more does Jesus know God? When Jesus says in Matthew 10:31, "You are worth more than many sparrows," you can trust him. Jesus knows the value of every creature. When Jesus says, "In my Father's house are many mansions," you can count on it. He knows. He has walked them.
For God so loved the world. . .that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish.
And when Jesus speaks about God, he is the ultimate authority.  Trust him.
From: 3:16

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

1 I lift up my eyes to you,
    to you who sit enthroned in heaven.
2 As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord our God,
    till he shows us his mercy.
3 Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
    for we have endured no end of contempt.
4 We have endured no end
    of ridicule from the arrogant,
    of contempt from the proud.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Read: Luke 12:22-34

Teaching about Money and Possessions

 Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. 23 For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. 24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 26 And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?

27 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

29 “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. 30 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. 31 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.

32 “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

33 “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. 34 Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

INSIGHT:
The familiar words “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34) are found in an interesting context. They are uttered after Jesus tells those listening not to worry about the cares of this world because the heavenly Father will take care of their needs. His provision allows us to seek the kingdom of God and not become excessively preoccupied with our temporary earthly needs. J.R. Hudberg

Heart Check
By Joe Stowell

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

When commuting into Chicago on the train, I always followed the “unwritten codes of conduct”—such as, no conversations with people sitting next to you if you don’t know them. That was tough on a guy like me who has never met a stranger. I love talking to new people! Although I kept the code of silence, I realized that you can still learn something about people based on the section of the newspaper they read. So I’d watch to see what they turned to first: The business section? Sports? Politics? Current events? Their choices revealed their interests.

Our choices are always revealing. Of course, God doesn’t need to wait to see our choices in order for Him to know what’s in our hearts. But the things that occupy our time and attention are telling. As Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34). Regardless of what we want Him to think of us, the true condition of our heart becomes clear based on how we use our time, our money, and our talents. When we invest these resources in the things He cares about, then it reveals that our hearts are in tune with His.

The true condition of our heart becomes clear based on how we use our time, our money, and our talents.
God’s heart is with the needs of people and the advancement of His kingdom. What do your choices tell Him and others about where your heart is?

Lord, I want my heart to be in tune with Yours. Forgive me for giving it to things of far less value, and teach me the joy of investing my time in opportunities to serve You. Thank You.

Where is your treasure?

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
What To Do When Your Burden Is Overwhelming

Cast your burden on the Lord… —Psalm 55:22

We must recognize the difference between burdens that are right for us to bear and burdens that are wrong. We should never bear the burdens of sin or doubt, but there are some burdens placed on us by God which He does not intend to lift off. God wants us to roll them back on Him— to literally “cast your burden,” which He has given you, “on the Lord….” If we set out to serve God and do His work but get out of touch with Him, the sense of responsibility we feel will be overwhelming and defeating. But if we will only roll back on God the burdens He has placed on us, He will take away that immense feeling of responsibility, replacing it with an awareness and understanding of Himself and His presence.

Many servants set out to serve God with great courage and with the right motives. But with no intimate fellowship with Jesus Christ, they are soon defeated. They do not know what to do with their burden, and it produces weariness in their lives. Others will see this and say, “What a sad end to something that had such a great beginning!”

“Cast your burden on the Lord….” You have been bearing it all, but you need to deliberately place one end on God’s shoulder. “…the government will be upon His shoulder” (Isaiah 9:6). Commit to God whatever burden He has placed on you. Don’t just cast it aside, but put it over onto Him and place yourself there with it. You will see that your burden is then lightened by the sense of companionship. But you should never try to separate yourself from your burden.

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
Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Unimaginable Love - #7633

One August night every member of our family got a new name. It was the night our daughter gave birth to her first child – a little boy. And that tiny eight-pound bundle made our daughter "Mommy," and our son-in-law "Daddy," and our boys were suddenly uncles, and my wife became "Grandma." And I became "Husband of Grandma." It was quite a night – and my wife and I were privileged to be able to be with our little grandson right in the birthing room only minutes after he was born. Those are moments I'll never forget. Seeing our daughter, the baby we once held, holding her first baby. And his Daddy, not knowing what other children would come, held that little guy in his arms and said five precious words: "My one and only son."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Unimaginable Love."

I'll tell you this, our son-in-law would not have given up his only son at that moment for any cause, any person on earth. Thinking about that makes our word for today from the Word of God all the more amazing. Maybe it's the most famous, and many would say most important statement in the Bible. It's found in John 3:16. Maybe you've heard these words a thousand times. Maybe you've never heard them before. But would you listen as if your life depends on them, because ultimately it does.

"God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son." Now why would God make this sacrifice that any of us human fathers would consider unimaginable? It says, "God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." As I watched our son-in-law holding and loving our new grandson – his "one and only son" at that point – the love that God has for us seemed greater than ever before.

If you took the message of the entire Bible and summed it up in three little words, here's what they probably would be: God loves you. Maybe you think God is mad at you. Maybe you think God condemns you or He's far from you. But the giving of His one and only Son settles once and for all how God feels about you. God so loves you so much that He would sacrifice His Son for you. He doesn't want to lose you.

The Bible tells us that we're all away from God and we were made for Him, we were made by Him, but all of us have basically run our own lives. And the life with "I" in the middle is sin. That's s-I-n. And that kind of rebellion against our Creator carries the eternal death penalty. God's Book says "we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way." All those "my way" choices have put a wall between us and God; a wall that no religion, no spirituality, no moral life can remove.

But listen to the rest of that "gone astray" verse. "And the Lord has laid on Him (that's Jesus) the wrongdoing of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). See, God in His great love for you and for me took our sin and its death penalty and placed it all on His Son when He died on the cross.

And now God is standing ready to give you not the death penalty you deserve, but the eternal life in heaven you could never deserve. If you will put all your trust in His Son to be your Rescuer from your sin, that life is yours. This very moment, God stands waiting to see what you will do with His Son.

This could be your day to have your death penalty canceled, to have the wall between you and God removed forever, and to experience the most awesome love a human being can ever experience. Please reach out to Him now. He's talking to you about it now. He's tugging on your heart now. Tell Him, "Jesus, I'm yours from this day on."

Our website is there to support you, encourage you, and give you the information you need to get started with Jesus. Would you go there right away – ANewStory.com?

God has only one Son and He gave Him to die for you. That's how much God loves you. And He will never forget what you do with His Son.