Max Lucado Daily: HE GIVES US WHAT WE NEED
One morning my wife, Denalyn, was with me in the car. “I’m about to remind you why you married me,” I told her as we drew near to the intersection. “See that long line of cars? See that humdrum of humanity? It’s not for me. Hang on!” I swerved from the six-lane onto the one-lane and shared with my sweetheart my secret expressway to freedom.
“What do you think?” I asked, awaiting her worship. “I think you broke the law,” she said. “What?” I was perplexed. She responded, “You just went the wrong way on a one-way street!” I did! I missed the “do not enter” sign.
Before coming to Christ, we all had our share of shortcuts. What we consider shortcuts God sees as disasters. He doesn’t give laws for our pleasure. He gives them for our protection. He knows what we need!
From Lucado Inspirational Reader
Matthew 9:1-17
Who Needs a Doctor?
1-3 Back in the boat, Jesus and the disciples recrossed the sea to Jesus’ hometown. They were hardly out of the boat when some men carried a paraplegic on a stretcher and set him down in front of them. Jesus, impressed by their bold belief, said to the paraplegic, “Cheer up, son. I forgive your sins.” Some religion scholars whispered, “Why, that’s blasphemy!”
4-8 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why this gossipy whispering? Which do you think is simpler: to say, ‘I forgive your sins,’ or, ‘Get up and walk’? Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both. . . .” At this he turned to the paraplegic and said, “Get up. Take your bed and go home.” And the man did it. The crowd was awestruck, amazed and pleased that God had authorized Jesus to work among them this way.
9 Passing along, Jesus saw a man at his work collecting taxes. His name was Matthew. Jesus said, “Come along with me.” Matthew stood up and followed him.
10-11 Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew’s house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus’ followers. “What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and riffraff?”
12-13 Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.”
Kingdom Come
14 A little later John’s followers approached, asking, “Why is it that we and the Pharisees rigorously discipline body and spirit by fasting, but your followers don’t?”
15 Jesus told them, “When you’re celebrating a wedding, you don’t skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but not now. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!”
16-17 He went on, “No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put your wine in cracked bottles.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, November 01, 2017
Read: Mark 4:35–41
Jesus Calms the Storm
35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”
39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
INSIGHT
Mark’s gospel record is filled with mystery and subtlety, yet moves to a clear destination—declaring the identity of Jesus. Throughout his account, Mark provides indicators of Jesus’s identity, beginning with the opening statement of his record, “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). He continues to present his case through events like Jesus’s baptism, where the heavenly voice declares, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased” (v. 11); and Jesus’s transfiguration when the heavenly voice confirms, “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” (9:7). Finally, what Mark has asserted and the Father has declared is affirmed. But, shockingly, this affirmation comes from a Roman centurion. Following the miraculous events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus, this military officer agrees, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (15:39).
Who is Jesus? The Son of God who is worthy of all praise.
To consider further the identity of Jesus, check out the Discovery Series booklet Is Jesus God? -Bill Crowder
Who Is This?
By Arthur Jackson
They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” Mark 4:41
“Remove everything from your desks, take out a piece of paper and pencil.” When I was a student these dreaded words announced that “test time” had come.
In Mark 4, we read that Jesus’s day, which started with teaching by the seaside (v. 1), ended with a time of testing on the sea (v. 35). The boat that had been used as a teaching platform was used to transport Jesus and a handful of His followers to the other side of the sea. During the journey (while an exhausted Jesus slept in the back of the boat), they encountered a swirling storm (v. 37). Drenched disciples woke Jesus with the words, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (v. 38). Then it happened. The One who had exhorted the crowds to “Listen!” earlier in the day (v. 3), uttered a simple, powerful command to the winds of nature—“Quiet! Be still!” (v. 39).
Jesus, please help me to listen to You and to trust that You are in control.
The wind obeyed and the wonder of fear-filled disciples was displayed with the words, “Who is this?” (v. 41). The question was a good one but it would take them a while to honestly and correctly conclude that Jesus was God’s Son. Sincere, honest, open-hearted questions and experience lead people to the same conclusion today. He is more than a teacher to listen to; He is the God to be worshiped.
Father, thank You for Your Word that helps us to see Jesus as Your Son. Please help me to listen to You and to trust that You are in control.
Our Daily Bread welcomes writer Arthur Jackson! Meet Arthur and all our authors at odb.org/all-authors.
“Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Matthew 8:19
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, November 01, 2017
“You Are Not Your Own”
Do you not know that…you are not your own? —1 Corinthians 6:19
There is no such thing as a private life, or a place to hide in this world, for a man or woman who is intimately aware of and shares in the sufferings of Jesus Christ. God divides the private life of His saints and makes it a highway for the world on one hand and for Himself on the other. No human being can stand that unless he is identified with Jesus Christ. We are not sanctified for ourselves. We are called into intimacy with the gospel, and things happen that appear to have nothing to do with us. But God is getting us into fellowship with Himself. Let Him have His way. If you refuse, you will be of no value to God in His redemptive work in the world, but will be a hindrance and a stumbling block.
The first thing God does is get us grounded on strong reality and truth. He does this until our cares for ourselves individually have been brought into submission to His way for the purpose of His redemption. Why shouldn’t we experience heartbreak? Through those doorways God is opening up ways of fellowship with His Son. Most of us collapse at the first grip of pain. We sit down at the door of God’s purpose and enter a slow death through self-pity. And all the so-called Christian sympathy of others helps us to our deathbed. But God will not. He comes with the grip of the pierced hand of His Son, as if to say, “Enter into fellowship with Me; arise and shine.” If God can accomplish His purposes in this world through a broken heart, then why not thank Him for breaking yours?
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Sincerity means that the appearance and the reality are exactly the same. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 1449 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, November 01, 2017
Eating Like a Baby - #8038
It had been a long time since Karen and I did the baby thing, but then our kids started having kids. And our first grandchild came. Our wonderful grandson, and I forgot how those little guys could eat! I assure you there was nothing wrong with this boy's appetite. You could tell the first couple of days on earth. He'd start crying to make his announcement that it was time to eat, and he wouldn't stop crying until he had his fill. Of course, I'm like that sometimes. And then that second day, he had just eaten, and right away here he is again announcing he still needed to eat some more. We were able to distract him briefly. You know, we could play or sing or change positions, but only briefly. Nope! Pretty soon he was at it again – until he got fed some more.
Now even though our grandson was very special, I don't think the appetite thing is particularly unique. No, believe me, babies are going to get their milk!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Eating Like a Baby."
Now it's interesting that God uses the appetite of a newborn to actually describe the relationship of His children to His Word. It's in our word for today from the Word of God in 1 Peter 2:2-3 where God says, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation."
Now listen, I saw newborn babies craving milk in our family. This picture is still pretty graphic.. The baby not only has an appetite, he has an insistent appetite! I mean, not satisfied till he's got his milk! He will get his milk! And he needs that milk. Without it, he would never have been more than a helpless, eight-pound bundle. But with that, well, he could start growing into all he was created to be.
God says, "I want you to be like that newborn baby when it comes to getting into My Word." If you're spiritually healthy, then you have a God-given, insatiable appetite to read what He's written to you in the Bible, to understand it, to use it. Medically, we know the one sign you're not healthy is a poor appetite. Right? Well, spiritually, one sign that you're not healthy is a poor appetite for God's Word.
So, how's your appetite? I mean, can you honestly say, "I can't wait for my next time to get into God's words? I really miss it when I don't have that time." See if your appetite for what God says is something less than strong and insistent, think about what might be affecting your appetite.
For example, you can ruin your appetite for the good stuff by filling up on the other stuff. Right? Could it be that you are so full of the internet, television, business, sports, and reading other things, and entertainment-maybe you've even let some serious junk food into your soul, and you just don't have much appetite left for God's Word? You've dulled your spiritual senses by disproportionate time gobbling up other stuff.
Or maybe you have little appetite because of little exercise. If you're not using what you read in your everyday life, you won't miss not having it. When you read God's Word, do you connect it to something that's going on in your life that day? Do you actually use it to transform how you handle that part of your day? And are you out of your comfort zone, actively serving your Savior in something that really challenges you? That kind of spiritual activity, listen, it works up a spiritual appetite. When you are really letting God change you, when you are really letting God use you, you need His Word. And when you don't have it, you miss it.
If your appetite for God and His words to you isn't what it should be, ask Him to give you an appetite. The kind that I saw years ago our first grandchild had for physical milk, and all of those grandchildren since. Nothing could stop him from getting his nourishment!
Look, as you grow up in Jesus, don't ever lose that insistent appetite of a little baby!