Max Lucado Daily: SEEING THE UNSEEN
We can’t see the future. It’s one limitation we all share. In Mark Chapter 5 we read about Jairus, the leader of the synagogue. The Jairus we see in this story was a desperate father begging for Jesus to heal his daughter. His meeting with Jesus was interrupted by a message from home– “Your daughter is dead.” But Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
Faith sometimes begins by ignoring what people say. We have a choice to live by the facts or see by faith. Jairus opted for faith and Jesus. Mark it down! God knows you and I are blind. He knows living by faith and not by sight doesn’t come naturally. And I think that’s one reason he raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead. Not for her sake—she was better off in heaven. But for our sake—to teach us that heaven sees when we trust.
Read more He Still Moves Stones
Psalm 55
A David Psalm
55 1-3 Open your ears, God, to my prayer;
don’t pretend you don’t hear me knocking.
Come close and whisper your answer.
I really need you.
I shudder at the mean voice,
quail before the evil eye,
As they pile on the guilt,
stockpile angry slander.
4-8 My insides are turned inside out;
specters of death have me down.
I shake with fear,
I shudder from head to foot.
“Who will give me wings,” I ask—
“wings like a dove?”
Get me out of here on dove wings;
I want some peace and quiet.
I want a walk in the country,
I want a cabin in the woods.
I’m desperate for a change
from rage and stormy weather.
9-11 Come down hard, Lord—slit their tongues.
I’m appalled how they’ve split the city
Into rival gangs
prowling the alleys
Day and night spoiling for a fight,
trash piled in the streets,
Even shopkeepers gouging and cheating
in broad daylight.
12-14 This isn’t the neighborhood bully
mocking me—I could take that.
This isn’t a foreign devil spitting
invective—I could tune that out.
It’s you! We grew up together!
You! My best friend!
Those long hours of leisure as we walked
arm in arm, God a third party to our conversation.
15 Haul my betrayers off alive to hell—let them
experience the horror, let them
feel every desolate detail of a damned life.
16-19 I call to God;
God will help me.
At dusk, dawn, and noon I sigh
deep sighs—he hears, he rescues.
My life is well and whole, secure
in the middle of danger
Even while thousands
are lined up against me.
God hears it all, and from his judge’s bench
puts them in their place.
But, set in their ways, they won’t change;
they pay him no mind.
20-21 And this, my best friend, betrayed his best friends;
his life betrayed his word.
All my life I’ve been charmed by his speech,
never dreaming he’d turn on me.
His words, which were music to my ears,
turned to daggers in my heart.
22-23 Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders—
he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out.
He’ll never let good people
topple into ruin.
But you, God, will throw the others
into a muddy bog,
Cut the lifespan of assassins
and traitors in half.
And I trust in you.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, March 25, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight: Galatians 6:7-10
Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. What a person plants, he will harvest. The person who plants selfishness, ignoring the needs of others—ignoring God!—harvests a crop of weeds. All he’ll have to show for his life is weeds! But the one who plants in response to God, letting God’s Spirit do the growth work in him, harvests a crop of real life, eternal life.
9-10 So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.
Insight
The idea of perseverance or “keeping at something over time” is expressed twice in Galatians 6:9. First, readers are exhorted to “not become weary in doing good.” The word translated “become weary” (enkakeo) can also be rendered “become tired” or “lose heart.” In Luke 18:1, enkakeo is translated as “not give up” when Jesus told His disciples “they should always pray and not give up.” Each time enkakeo is used in the New Testament it’s expressed as something not to be done.
Second, perseverance is indirectly encouraged in Galatians 6:9 through the words “we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (ekluo). This word can also be translated “tire,” “become weak,” “lose courage,” or “faint.” In Hebrews 12:3, the Lord Jesus is used as the chief example of perseverance for those who are subject to “losing heart.” By: Arthur Jackson
The Blessing Is Coming
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
A friend and I went for a walk with her grandkids. While pushing the stroller, she commented that her steps were being wasted—they weren’t being counted on the activity tracker she wore on her wrist because she wasn’t swinging her arm. I reminded her that those steps were still helping her physical health. “Yeah,” she laughed. “But I really want that electronic gold star!”
I understand how she feels! Working toward something without immediate results is disheartening. But rewards aren’t always immediate or immediately visible.
When that’s the case, it’s easy to feel that the good things we do are useless, even helping a friend or being kind to a stranger. Paul explained to the church in Galatia, however, that “a man reaps what he sows” (Galatians 6:7). But we must “not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest” (v. 9). Doing good isn’t the way to gain salvation, and the text doesn’t specify whether what we reap will be now or in heaven, but we can be assured that there will be “a harvest of blessing” (6:9 nlt).
Doing good is difficult, especially when we don’t see or know what the “harvest” will be. But as with my friend who still gained the physical benefit from walking, it’s worth continuing to do good because the blessing is coming! By Julie Schwab
Today's Reflection
Are you discouraged? Ask God to help you trust Him to be faithful in what He’s called you to do. What good thing can you do for someone today?
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, March 25, 2019
Maintaining the Proper Relationship
…the friend of the bridegroom… —John 3:29
Goodness and purity should never be traits that draw attention to themselves, but should simply be magnets that draw people to Jesus Christ. If my holiness is not drawing others to Him, it is not the right kind of holiness; it is only an influence which awakens undue emotions and evil desires in people and diverts them from heading in the right direction. A person who is a beautiful saint can be a hindrance in leading people to the Lord by presenting only what Christ has done for him, instead of presenting Jesus Christ Himself. Others will be left with this thought— “What a fine person that man is!” That is not being a true “friend of the bridegroom”— I am increasing all the time; He is not.
To maintain this friendship and faithfulness to the Bridegroom, we have to be more careful to have the moral and vital relationship to Him above everything else, including obedience. Sometimes there is nothing to obey and our only task is to maintain a vital connection with Jesus Christ, seeing that nothing interferes with it. Only occasionally is it a matter of obedience. At those times when a crisis arises, we have to find out what God’s will is. Yet most of our life is not spent in trying to be consciously obedient, but in maintaining this relationship— being the “friend of the bridegroom.” Christian work can actually be a means of diverting a person’s focus away from Jesus Christ. Instead of being friends “of the bridegroom,” we may become amateur providences of God to someone else, working against Him while we use His weapons.
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
Monday, March 25, 2019
Bring Your Bowl and I'll Feed You - #8401
I was with some missionaries in Guadalajara, Mexico, and David was there leading a team that was reaching young Latin Americans through a historic youth broadcast we had going. Now David is a big guy and I had my picture taken with him; he was wearing a tie - I was wearing a sport shirt. It looked like "bring your son to work day." Guess who looked like the son. Because of the crime rate in David's area, he and his family needed a guard dog, and they had one; a big one that's a match even for his master, David. The dog was appropriately named General and he was pretty much in charge at the house. When David came home from a night of ministry, General was right there at the gate, waiting to play. Playing with this aggressive German Shepherd could cost you a finger or two if you're not careful. But, somehow, David had done a good job of mastering the dog. In fact, I heard him tell General, "Get your bowl, and I'll feed you!" General just wanted his master to give him food, but David wanted him to go for it. So, this German Shepherd bolted up the walk to his big, empty plastic bowl, grabbed it in his iron jaws, and trotted up to his master with it. Sure enough, if he got his bowl, his master would fill it.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Bring Your Bowl and I'll Feed You."
God has so much more He wants to give you. So much more He wants to do for you than you've experienced yet. But He might be waiting for you to take a step in that direction first. Psalm 81:10, our word for today from the Word of God - I love this verse: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." Sound familiar? In a sense, God's saying "Bring your bowl and I'll feed you." He wants us to want it; to pursue it.
Here's the sad reaction God often receives from His people though. The passage goes on to say, "But My people would not listen to Me; Israel would not submit to Me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. If My people would but listen to Me, if they would follow My ways, how quickly I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes. You would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." God's saying, "I have so much to give you, but you're too busy going your own way to pursue it."
But I believe there is someone listening right now whose heart condition could be described in one word - restless. You go to God's meetings, you believe God's beliefs, you work in God's work, you eat what's served to you spiritually, but your heart's not satisfied is it? Here's why. Deuteronomy 8:3 - "I caused you to hunger so I could feed you with manna neither you nor your fathers have tasted." God said to His ancient people, "I made you hungry, I made you want more, I made you restless, so you'd be ready for something more amazing than anything you or your parents have ever experienced."
So, are you hungry for God's "something more"? He's more than ready to pour it into your life, if you'll open up to it. That means you'll have to say goodbye to spiritual business as usual - mediocrity. Are you willing to say, "Lord, I want more of You than I've ever experienced, whatever it takes. I want to make more of a difference than I've ever made whatever it takes"? Then, start to pray that way. Immerse yourself in His Book with this appetite for a new touch from God. Be with others who want a personal revival. Go after the sin in your life aggressively.
When my friend told his dog to "Get your bowl and I'll feed you," the dog dropped his toys, stopped everything else he was doing and did what he had to do to get what his master wanted to give him. Your Master is saying to you, "There's so much more for your marriage, your relationships, your ministry, your relationship with Me."
It's time to drop every other trivial pursuit and go for God's banquet. Jesus said it, those who "hunger and thirst after righteousness," He said they're the ones who'll be filled.
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