Max Lucado Daily: REGARDING OTHERS AS MORE IMPORTANT
When Paul writes, “consider others better than yourselves” he uses a verb that means “to calculate,” “to reckon” (Philippians 2:3 NIV). To consider others better than yourself, is not to say you have no place; it is to say that you know your place.
Scripture says: “Don’t cherish exaggerated ideas of yourself or your importance, but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities by the light of the faith that God has given to you” (Romans 12:3 Phillips).
Make people a priority. Accept your part in his plan. Be quick to share applause. And most of all, regard others as more important than yourself. Think of it this way: If I think you are more important than I am, and you think I am more important than you are—then in the end we all feel important, but no one acts important! Hmmm. Do you think that’s what God had in mind?
From A Love Worth Giving
Ezekiel 25
Acts of Vengeance
1-5 God’s Message came to me:
“Son of man, face Ammon and preach against the people: Listen to the Message of God, the Master. This is what God has to say: Because you cheered when my Sanctuary was desecrated and the land of Judah was devastated and the people of Israel were taken into exile, I’m giving you over to the people of the east. They’ll move in and make themselves at home, eating the food right off your tables and drinking your milk. I’ll turn your capital, Rabbah, into pasture for camels and all your villages into corrals for flocks. Then you’ll realize that I am God.
6-7 “God, the Master, says, Because you clapped and cheered, venting all your malicious contempt against the land of Israel, I’ll step in and hand you out as loot—first come, first served. I’ll cross you off the roster of nations. There’ll be nothing left of you. And you’ll realize that I am God.”
8-11 “God, the Master, says: Because Moab said, ‘Look, Judah’s nothing special,’ I’ll lay wide open the flank of Moab by exposing its lovely frontier villages to attack: Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim. I’ll lump Moab in with Ammon and give them to the people of the east for the taking. Ammon won’t be heard from again. I’ll punish Moab severely. And they’ll realize that I am God.”
12-14 “God, the Master, says: Because Edom reacted against the people of Judah in spiteful revenge and was so criminally vengeful against them, therefore I, God, the Master, will oppose Edom and kill the lot of them, people and animals both. I’ll waste it—corpses stretched from Teman to Dedan. I’ll use my people Israel to bring my vengeance down on Edom. My wrath will fuel their action. And they’ll realize it’s my vengeance. Decree of God the Master.”
15-17 “God, the Master, says: Because the Philistines were so spitefully vengeful—all those centuries of stored-up malice!—and did their best to destroy Judah, therefore I, God, the Master, will oppose the Philistines and cut down the Cretans and anybody else left along the seacoast. Huge acts of vengeance, massive punishments! When I bring vengeance, they’ll realize that I am God.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Read: Genesis 14:17–24
17-20 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and his allied kings, the king of Sodom came out to greet him in the Valley of Shaveh, the King’s Valley. Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine—he was priest of The High God—and blessed him:
Blessed be Abram by The High God,
Creator of Heaven and Earth.
And blessed be The High God,
who handed your enemies over to you.
Abram gave him a tenth of all the recovered plunder.
21 The king of Sodom said to Abram, “Give me back the people but keep all the plunder for yourself.”
22-24 But Abram told the king of Sodom, “I swear to God, The High God, Creator of Heaven and Earth, this solemn oath, that I’ll take nothing from you, not so much as a thread or a shoestring. I’m not going to have you go around saying, ‘I made Abram rich.’ Nothing for me other than what the young men ate and the share of the men who went with me, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; they’re to get their share of the plunder.”
INSIGHT:
A benediction is a prayer that asks for God’s blessing. In this passage, Melchizedek, priest-king of Jerusalem, blessed Abraham with a benediction, attributing Abraham’s victory to the power of God (vv. 19–20). In many churches the pastor often closes the worship service by reciting the words of Numbers 6:24–26 as a prayer of blessing, assuring the congregation of God’s presence, pardon, protection, and peace. The biblical writers underscored this privilege of blessing others when throughout their letters they sprinkled prayers of blessing upon their readers (see Rom. 15:13; 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 Thess. 3:11–13; 2 Thess. 2:16–17; Heb. 13:20–21; Jude 1:24–25).
This week, why not use one of the biblical benedictions as a prayer of blessing for a loved one.
Being a True Friend
By David H. Roper |
Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. Genesis 14:18
Poet Samuel Foss wrote, “Let me live by the side of the road and be a friend to man” (“The House by the Side of the Road”). That’s what I want to be—a friend of people. I want to stand by the way, waiting for weary travelers. To look for those who have been battered and wronged by others, who carry the burden of a wounded and disillusioned heart. To nourish and refresh them with an encouraging word and send them on their way. I may not be able to “fix” them or their problems, but I can leave them with a blessing.
Melchizedek, both the king of Salem and a priest, blessed Abram when he was returning weary from battle (Gen. 14). A “blessing” is more than a polite response to a sneeze. We bless others when we bring them to the One who is the source of blessing. Melchizedek blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth” (v. 19).
Jesus, teach us to be a friend of people as You are with us.
We can bless others by praying with them; we can take them with us to the throne of grace to find help in time of need (Heb. 4:16). We may not be able to change their circumstances, but we can show them God. That’s what a true friend does.
Jesus, teach us to be a friend of people as You are with us. Give us eyes to see others and their needs and to take the time to listen. Help us to take them to You, the source of life.
A big part of loving is listening.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
The Habit of Recognizing God’s Provision
…you may be partakers of the divine nature… —2 Peter 1:4
We are made “partakers of the divine nature,” receiving and sharing God’s own nature through His promises. Then we have to work that divine nature into our human nature by developing godly habits. The first habit to develop is the habit of recognizing God’s provision for us. We say, however, “Oh, I can’t afford it.” One of the worst lies is wrapped up in that statement. We talk as if our heavenly Father has cut us off without a penny! We think it is a sign of true humility to say at the end of the day, “Well, I just barely got by today, but it was a severe struggle.” And yet all of Almighty God is ours in the Lord Jesus! And He will reach to the last grain of sand and the remotest star to bless us if we will only obey Him. Does it really matter that our circumstances are difficult? Why shouldn’t they be! If we give way to self-pity and indulge in the luxury of misery, we remove God’s riches from our lives and hinder others from entering into His provision. No sin is worse than the sin of self-pity, because it removes God from the throne of our lives, replacing Him with our own self-interests. It causes us to open our mouths only to complain, and we simply become spiritual sponges— always absorbing, never giving, and never being satisfied. And there is nothing lovely or generous about our lives.
Before God becomes satisfied with us, He will take everything of our so-called wealth, until we learn that He is our Source; as the psalmist said, “All my springs are in You” (Psalm 87:7). If the majesty, grace, and power of God are not being exhibited in us, God holds us responsible. “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you…may have an abundance…” (2 Corinthians 9:8)— then learn to lavish the grace of God on others, generously giving of yourself. Be marked and identified with God’s nature, and His blessing will flow through you all the time.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Beware of bartering the Word of God for a more suitable conception of your own. Disciples Indeed, 386 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
The Wounds Behind the Mask - #7917
I think we all do it at times. We walk past a store window, and we look at more than the merchandise. We look at our own reflection, or we glance in every convenient mirror. "How am I doing?" "How am I looking?" It's just natural - checking yourself out, want to impress, want to look good. It's natural to talk up our wins, our good stuff. And then I read these show-stopping words in the Bible. They challenge our whole image-driven "How do I look" way of living. Actually I think I understand these words now in a way I could not have only months ago.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Wounds Behind the Mask."
Which brings us to our word for today from the Word of God in 2 Corinthians 11:30: "If I must boast," Paul said, "I would rather boast about the things that show how weak I am."
Excuse me? I want to tell you about how weak I am?
These startling words were written by a man named Paul, the man who exploded the Gospel of Jesus across the world; who wrote half the books of the New Testament. But here's this giant saying, "You need to know how weak I am." Earlier, this apparently fearless apostle confesses, "I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling" (1 Corinthians 2:3). I think I'd do my everything I could to cover that up!
He even refers to his crippling disability this way: "I will boast about my weaknesses" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Why? Well, he says because they made room for God's power to be unleashed and displayed in his life. I think I'm fairly normal in this "want to look good" game. We church folks are especially good at it. No matter how we're hurting, struggling, we're "fine." When, honestly, we're faking.
But I'm learning there's something beautiful about being broken. Not pleasant, but beautiful. Because when you're willing to be honest about your battles, your pain, some beautiful things happen. You give other people permission to be real. You open closed hearts with your transparency. You draw people to you. And, if you're a Jesus-follower, you draw them to your Jesus. Because they need to know He's for broken people. Messed up people. Like me. Like them.
Right after Jesus took my Karen to heaven last spring, I had a decision to make. Would I just spout the "Christian talking points," or would I be honest about how wounded and how bleeding I am? I chose – as I'm choosing now – to honestly represent the stark realities of a devastating loss. And then to give equally honest testimony to the decisive difference the hope and the presence of Jesus are making.
Because my Jesus conquered death – and because my baby loved and lived for Him – I now she's doing awesome now and that I will see her again. I've been transparent about the ferocity of the storm, and I'm equally transparent when I say with conviction, "The anchor holds."
I'm convinced that those who are secure in Jesus should be able to be the most transparent people of all. Being willing to tell a son or daughter, a husband or wife, "I was wrong. I need your forgiveness." That's how healing begins - un-stuffing the painful past that we've concealed. It's defined us for too long.
Letting people in means we can be free and maybe others can be, too. Telling how Jesus has changed you, not in safe generalities, but explaining specifically what kind of "lost" you really were. That's when you become living proof of a living Savior. Letting the folks at church know that you fight some very real battles, not just displaying your medals all the time. Your openness might just be the truth that sets them free.
The Bible says God stands ready to "give a crown of beauty for ashes" (Isaiah 61:3). When we allow our "ashes" to offer hope and healing to others, our brokenness becomes something beautiful.
I'm forever grateful that Jesus didn't live to look good. No, the Bible says "His appearance was disfigured beyond that of any man...He was pierced for our transgressions...crushed...led like a lamb to the slaughter" (Isaiah 52, 53).
If He had said, "No cross," there would have been no hope. There would have been no heaven for me. Brokenness heals. Brokenness liberates. Brokenness saves.