Max Lucado Daily: GOD USES FAILURES
Psalm 40:3 says, “He has given me a new song to sing…” Have you heard voices of failure? When you lost your job, flunked the exam, or dropped out of school? When your marriage went south…when you failed? The voices began to howl—and you joined them! Failure finds us all.
Bookstores overflow with volumes on how to succeed. But you’ll look a long time before you find a section called, “How to Succeed at Failing.” Maybe no one knows what to say. But God does. His book is written for failures. David was a moral failure, yet God used him. Elijah was an emotional train wreck after Mount Carmel, but God blessed him. Perfect people? No. Perfect messes? You bet. Yet God used them. A surprising and welcome discovery of the Bible is this: God uses failures!
From God is With You Every Day
1 Chronicles 17
God’s Promise to David
After David was settled in his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of the covenant of the Lord is under a tent.”
2 Nathan replied to David, “Whatever you have in mind, do it, for God is with you.”
3 But that night the word of God came to Nathan, saying:
4 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. 5 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up out of Egypt to this day. I have moved from one tent site to another, from one dwelling place to another. 6 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their leaders[a] whom I commanded to shepherd my people, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’
7 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 8 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name like the names of the greatest men on earth. 9 And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed. Wicked people will not oppress them anymore, as they did at the beginning 10 and have done ever since the time I appointed leaders over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies.
“‘I declare to you that the Lord will build a house for you: 11 When your days are over and you go to be with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will never take my love away from him, as I took it away from your predecessor. 14 I will set him over my house and my kingdom forever; his throne will be established forever.’”
15 Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation.
David’s Prayer
16 Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said:
“Who am I, Lord God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? 17 And as if this were not enough in your sight, my God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You, Lord God, have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men.
18 “What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant, 19 Lord. For the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises.
20 “There is no one like you, Lord, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. 21 And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth whose God went out to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for yourself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? 22 You made your people Israel your very own forever, and you, Lord, have become their God.
23 “And now, Lord, let the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house be established forever. Do as you promised, 24 so that it will be established and that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty, the God over Israel, is Israel’s God!’ And the house of your servant David will be established before you.
25 “You, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. So your servant has found courage to pray to you. 26 You, Lord, are God! You have promised these good things to your servant. 27 Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, Lord, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever.”
Footnotes:
1 Chronicles 17:6 Traditionally judges; also in verse 10
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Read: Acts 2:1–12
The Holy Spirit Comes
On the day of Pentecost[a] all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages,[b] as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
5 At that time there were devout Jews from every nation living in Jerusalem. 6 When they heard the loud noise, everyone came running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by the believers.
7 They were completely amazed. “How can this be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee, 8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own native languages! 9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia, 10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism), Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” 12 They stood there amazed and perplexed. “What can this mean?” they asked each other.
Footnotes:
2:1 The Festival of Pentecost came 50 days after Passover (when Jesus was crucified).
2:4 Or in other tongues.
INSIGHT:
Hours before Jesus went to the cross, He promised His disciples He would send “another advocate to help [them] and be with [them] forever—the Spirit of truth” (John 14:16–17). Before ascending to heaven, Jesus restated His promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4–5). What Jesus promised, the Father fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (2:1–12). The Feast of Pentecost is also called the Festival of Harvest (Ex. 23:16) or the Festival of Weeks (Deut. 16:10). It is celebrated fifty days after Passover to express thanks to the Lord for the blessing of the harvest (Lev. 23:15–22). Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples on the day He died (Mark 14:12; Luke 22:15; John 18:28), and the Holy Spirit was sent fifty days later.
True Communication
By Amy Boucher Pye
A crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Acts 2:6
Walking in my North London neighborhood, I can hear snatches of conversation in many languages—Polish, Japanese, Hindi, Croatian, and Italian, to name a few. This diversity feels like a taste of heaven, yet I can’t understand what they’re saying. As I step into the Russian café or the Polish market and hear the different accents and sounds, I sometimes reflect on how wonderful it must have been on the day of Pentecost when people of many nations could understand what the disciples were saying.
On that day, pilgrims gathered together in Jerusalem to celebrate the festival of the harvest. The Holy Spirit rested on the believers so that when they spoke, the hearers (who had come from all over the known world) could understand them in their own languages (Acts 2:5–6). What a miracle that these strangers from different lands could understand the praises to God in their own tongues! Many were spurred on to find out more about Jesus.
Lord, give us eyes to see those around us as You see them.
We may not speak or understand many languages, but we know that the Holy Spirit equips us to connect with people in other ways. Amazingly, we are God’s hands and feet—and mouth—to further His mission. Today, how might we—with the Spirit’s help—reach out to someone unlike us?
Lord, give us eyes to see those around us as You see them. Give us ears to hear their stories; give us hearts to share Your love.
Share your story of how you've helped others at odb.org
Love is the language everybody understands.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Get Moving! (2)
Also…add to your faith… —2 Peter 1:5
In the matter of drudgery. Peter said in this passage that we have become “partakers of the divine nature” and that we should now be “giving all diligence,” concentrating on forming godly habits (2 Peter 1:4-5). We are to “add” to our lives all that character means. No one is born either naturally or supernaturally with character; it must be developed. Nor are we born with habits— we have to form godly habits on the basis of the new life God has placed within us. We are not meant to be seen as God’s perfect, bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of His grace. Drudgery is the test of genuine character. The greatest hindrance in our spiritual life is that we will only look for big things to do. Yet, “Jesus…took a towel and…began to wash the disciples’ feet…” (John 13:3-5).
We all have those times when there are no flashes of light and no apparent thrill to life, where we experience nothing but the daily routine with its common everyday tasks. The routine of life is actually God’s way of saving us between our times of great inspiration which come from Him. Don’t always expect God to give you His thrilling moments, but learn to live in those common times of the drudgery of life by the power of God.
It is difficult for us to do the “adding” that Peter mentioned here. We say we do not expect God to take us to heaven on flowery beds of ease, and yet we act as if we do! I must realize that my obedience even in the smallest detail of life has all of the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it. If I will do my duty, not for duty’s sake but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience all of the magnificent grace of God is mine through the glorious atonement by the Cross of Christ.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Crises reveal character. When we are put to the test the hidden resources of our character are revealed exactly. Disciples Indeed, 393 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
The Power of One Lonely Light - #7678
It was one of those many nights with our team of young Native Americans when God had dramatically shown His power. We were in the middle of a major outreach on a reservation basketball court when some huge storms started to surround us. There were predictions of severe thunderstorms, and it appeared that they were bearing right down on us. Then the storms did something that the locals said storms don't do around there – they stopped. Two hours later, when we had had the time to help many Native young people there begin a relationship with Jesus Christ, the storms roared through. By then we were having our team debriefing in a church fellowship hall. Suddenly, in the middle of our sharing time, all the lights went out. We were in total darkness. In a matter of moments, someone had found some candles, and as soon as we lit a candle, things changed in the room. We could see each other again, even if it was a little dimly. It was just one light, but it wasn't totally dark anymore.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Power of One Lonely Light."
That lonely light in a dark place might be you. Maybe you're in a place where dishonesty seems is the norm, or talking dirty, or talking trash against other people. Where sin is a laughing matter and a way of life people don't even give much thought to. And then there's you. You're the living proof that there's another way to be; that there's hope, not just despair. There's integrity, not just deceit. There's looking out for others, not just looking out for yourself. There's joy, not being negative all the time. You are the light.
That's exactly what our Lord said we were supposed to be. In Matthew 5, beginning with verse 14, our word for today from the Word of God, Jesus said, "You are the light of the world." You certainly are meant to be the light for at least your little corner of the world. "A city on a hill..." He said, "...cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."
One thing I saw that night when we were in total darkness is this: it only takes a little light to make a big difference. That's true where you are. You may not feel like you're making much of a difference, but take you out of that place, and it is total darkness. You are the conscience there. You are the face, the voice, and the hands of Jesus there. You are the hope of something better.
And you can be sure Satan is doing everything possible to blow out your light, isn't he? He's pushing all your buttons to discourage you, to get you to compromise, or even to bail out.
But you can't let your light flicker. You can't let your light go dim or go out. When our daughter-in-law was expecting our grandchild, she suddenly gave up something we've kiddingly said she's addicted to – a certain soft drink. Why should she suddenly change her behavior like that? Because she knew that now another life was being affected by her choices. That's how it is where Jesus has placed you as His light. If you flicker, if you go out, it's going to make other lives darker. Whether you realize it or not, whether they realize it or not, you are their best hope.
Some Christians just try to put all the lights together and withdraw the light from dark places. Can you imagine a dark house where you put all the light fixtures in one room and leave the rest of the house dark? You need to spread the light into all the dark places. And if your Savior has placed you in one of those dark places, realize He has trusted you to be His light there. It's a holy trust. It's a life-saving mission. Don't fail them. Don't fail Him by letting your light flicker or go out, or abandoning the darkness.
In a totally dark place one night, I saw the power of one lonely light – it was a very different place because of it. You may be that one lonely light. Burn brightly, because without you it's total darkness.