Max Lucado Daily: DEFINE YOURSELF IN GOD’S TRUTH
Every person you see was created by God to bear his image and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. Imagine the impact this promise would have on the society that embraced it. What civility it would engender. What kindness it would foster. Racism will not flourish when people believe their neighbors bear God’s image. Will society write off the indigent, the mentally ill, the inmate or the refugee? Not if we believe, truly believe, that every human being is God’s idea. And he has no bad ideas.
High IQ or low standing—doesn’t matter. First string or cut from the squad—doesn’t matter. You are a diamond, a rose, and a jewel; purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ. And because his promises are unbreakable, our hope is unshakable!
Read more Unshakable Hope
Luke 6:1-26
In Charge of the Sabbath
6 1-2 On a certain Sabbath Jesus was walking through a field of ripe grain. His disciples were pulling off heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands to get rid of the chaff, and eating them. Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing that, breaking a Sabbath rule?”
3-4 But Jesus stood up for them. “Have you never read what David and those with him did when they were hungry? How he entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat? He also handed it out to his companions.”
5 Then he said, “The Son of Man is no slave to the Sabbath; he’s in charge.”
6-8 On another Sabbath he went to the meeting place and taught. There was a man there with a crippled right hand. The religion scholars and Pharisees had their eye on Jesus to see if he would heal the man, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath infraction. He knew what they were up to and spoke to the man with the crippled hand: “Get up and stand here before us.” He did.
9 Then Jesus addressed them, “Let me ask you something: What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?”
10-11 He looked around, looked each one in the eye. He said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out—it was as good as new! They were beside themselves with anger, and started plotting how they might get even with him.
The Twelve Apostles
12-16 At about that same time he climbed a mountain to pray. He was there all night in prayer before God. The next day he summoned his disciples; from them he selected twelve he designated as apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter,
Andrew, his brother,
James,
John,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
Thomas,
James, son of Alphaeus,
Simon, called the Zealot,
Judas, son of James,
Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
You’re Blessed
17-21 Coming down off the mountain with them, he stood on a plain surrounded by disciples, and was soon joined by a huge congregation from all over Judea and Jerusalem, even from the seaside towns of Tyre and Sidon. They had come both to hear him and to be cured of their ailments. Those disturbed by evil spirits were healed. Everyone was trying to touch him—so much energy surging from him, so many people healed! Then he spoke:
You’re blessed when you’ve lost it all.
God’s kingdom is there for the finding.
You’re blessed when you’re ravenously hungry.
Then you’re ready for the Messianic meal.
You’re blessed when the tears flow freely.
Joy comes with the morning.
22-23 “Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like!—for even though they don’t like it, I do . . . and all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this.
Give Away Your Life
24 But it’s trouble ahead if you think you have it made.
What you have is all you’ll ever get.
25 And it’s trouble ahead if you’re satisfied with yourself.
Your self will not satisfy you for long.
And it’s trouble ahead if you think life’s all fun and games.
There’s suffering to be met, and you’re going to meet it.
26 “There’s trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them. Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Read: Isaiah 43:1–7
Israel's Only Savior
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
4 Because you are precious in my eyes,
and honored, and I love you,
I give men in return for you,
peoples in exchange for your life.
5 Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your offspring from the east,
and from the west I will gather you.
6 I will say to the north, Give up,
and to the south, Do not withhold;
bring my sons from afar
and my daughters from the end of the earth,
7 everyone who is called by my name,
whom I created for my glory,
whom I formed and made.”
INSIGHT
In today’s passage, God declares, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you” (Isaiah 43:2). In the New Testament, we see this promise of God’s care displayed in two stories of literal storms. In one, Jesus is sound asleep in a boat when awakened by His disciples who are frightened by a sudden storm. He calms the storm and the disciples’ fears (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25). In a similar story, the disciples are alone in a boat when a furious squall begins. Jesus walks out to them on the water (Matthew 14:22-33; John 6:16-21) and assures them, “It is I; don’t be afraid” (v. 20). The Lord “commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him” (Luke 8:25). - Alyson Kieda
Riding the Rapids
By Kirsten Holmberg
When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. Isaiah 43:2
The rafting guide escorted our group to the river’s edge and directed us all to put on life jackets and grab paddles. As we climbed into the boat, he assigned us seats to balance the boat’s weight, providing stability when we encountered rapids. After highlighting the thrills the watery voyage ahead would hold for us, he detailed a series of directions we could expect to hear—and would need to follow—to effectively steer the boat through the white water. He assured us that even though there might be tense moments on the way, our journey would be both exciting and safe.
Sometimes life feels like a white-water rafting trip, one that contains more rapids than we might like. God’s promise to Israel, through the prophet Isaiah, can guide our feelings when we fear the worst is happening: “When you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you” (Isaiah 43:2). The Israelites faced an overwhelming fear of rejection by God as they went into exile as a consequence of their sin. Yet instead, He affirms them and promises to be with them because He loves them (vv. 2, 4).
God won’t abandon us in the rough waters. We can trust Him to guide us through the rapids—our deepest fears and most painful troubles—because He also loves us and promises to be with us.
Thank You, Lord, for being my guide through troubled waters. Help me to trust You even when the journey is wild and scary.
Has the Lord guided you through a difficult time? Share your story at Facebook.com/ourdailybread.
God steers us through difficult times.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
The Discipline of the Lord
My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him. —Hebrews 12:5
It is very easy to grieve the Spirit of God; we do it by despising the discipline of the Lord, or by becoming discouraged when He rebukes us. If our experience of being set apart from sin and being made holy through the process of sanctification is still very shallow, we tend to mistake the reality of God for something else. And when the Spirit of God gives us a sense of warning or restraint, we are apt to say mistakenly, “Oh, that must be from the devil.”
“Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19), and do not despise Him when He says to you, in effect, “Don’t be blind on this point anymore— you are not as far along spiritually as you thought you were. Until now I have not been able to reveal this to you, but I’m revealing it to you right now.” When the Lord disciplines you like that, let Him have His way with you. Allow Him to put you into a right-standing relationship before God.
“…nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him.” We begin to pout, become irritated with God, and then say, “Oh well, I can’t help it. I prayed and things didn’t turn out right anyway. So I’m simply going to give up on everything.” Just think what would happen if we acted like this in any other area of our lives!
Am I fully prepared to allow God to grip me by His power and do a work in me that is truly worthy of Himself? Sanctification is not my idea of what I want God to do for me— sanctification is God’s idea of what He wants to do for me. But He has to get me into the state of mind and spirit where I will allow Him to sanctify me completely, whatever the cost (see 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. My Utmost for His Highest, March 19, 761 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
Fighting For Life - #8242
Kaitlin just lost her long battle for life. She was born with a defective valve in her heart, and that weakness in her heart pursued her through her all-too-short life. Although she had multiple surgeries and times of physical limitation, she had a really positive spirit and often a pretty normal life. Then, after seventeen years, that heart just gave out. They said her only hope was a heart transplant before that, and she eventually got one, but it just didn't work out for her. In her last weeks, she sometimes battled just to breathe, but she never stopped fighting. And in Kaitlin's dying, her aunt-a relatively young woman herself-learned a powerful lesson about life.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Fighting For Life."
Kaitlin's aunt, in the past, has reached the end of her rope and more than once tried to commit suicide. When Kaitlin graduated from life on earth to life in heaven, her aunt went to Kaitlin's mother and said, "I'm so sorry for the times I tried to kill myself. After seeing how Kaitlin fought so hard to stay alive, how could I just throw my life away?"
When you see someone fighting for just a little more life, you realize how priceless life really is. When you see how much Jesus paid with His life to save ours, you see how priceless life really is. And you begin to understand the stark challenge God lays down to us in Deuteronomy 30:19. It's our word for today from the Word of God. The Lord says, "I have set before you life and death...so choose life that you may live, and your descendants."
Life is always the right choice. Only God has the right to choose anything else. Life's the right choice when you're considering throwing yours away. Life is the right choice when you're considering throwing away the life of an unborn baby. We just can't decide to end a life that God has created; that only the Creator of life can choose to end.
David's prayer in Psalm 139 is so revealing. He says to God, "You formed my inward parts; You wove me together in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made...Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were written all the days that were ordained for me when as yet there was not one of them."
A baby is the unique, handmade creation of God, "fearfully and wonderfully made" the Bible says. The circumstances of conception have nothing to do with the value of the life God made. And we have no right to take into our hands the decision as to when our life ends or when any other life ends. God has ordained the number of our days before we even lived our first day. Who are we to interfere with that sovereign choice?
A life-no matter how new, no matter how old, no matter how difficult-is a treasure from God that none of us has the right to throw away. To do so is open defiance of the One who created us and every other life. It may be that it's been a struggle for you to choose life, and many people at that wall that they've hit at the end of their rope, have finally found the Savior who said, "I have come that you may have life and have it to the full." He said of the devil, "The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I come to give you life."
Today you can experience that eternal life that-that life with meaning that He died to give you if you'll let Him forgive your sin. You know, He died to do that. And then let this living Savior come into your life. Would you tell Him, "Jesus, I'm here at the end of my rope. Life's not looking really good right now. But I believe you died to give me a life I could never find without you. And so beginning today, I'm Yours."
That's the reason we call our website ANewStory.com, because it really is the beginning of a whole new story for you. It doesn't have to be like it's always been. Would you go to that website - ANewStory.com?
When you know how people fight to live one more day, when you know what we will spend to save a little baby's life, when you remember how much Jesus paid for our lives, how can you do anything but choose life!