Max Lucado Daily: DO YOU CHOOSE INHERITANCE OR CIRCUMSTANCES?
One of the most famous stories in the Bible has to do with inheritance. The Hebrews had just been delivered from Egyptian captivity. God led them and Moses to the edge of the promised land and made this offer: “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders” (Numbers 13:1-2).
God didn’t tell the Israelites to conquer, invade, or secure the land. No, He told them he was giving it to them. Their choice was clear– promises or circumstances? The circumstances said, “No way…stay out….there are giants in the land!” God’s promise said, “The land is yours. The victory is yours…take it.”
Circumstances say, cower to your fears. Your inheritance says otherwise: You are a child of the King. And because God’s promises are unbreakable our hope is unshakable!
Unshakable Hope
2 Chronicles 18
But even though Jehoshaphat was very rich and much honored, he made a marriage alliance with Ahab of Israel. Some time later he paid a visit to Ahab at Samaria. Ahab celebrated his visit with a feast—a huge barbecue with all the lamb and beef you could eat. But Ahab had a hidden agenda; he wanted Jehoshaphat’s support in attacking Ramoth Gilead. Then Ahab brought it into the open: “Will you join me in attacking Ramoth Gilead?” Jehoshaphat said, “You bet. I’m with you all the way; you can count on me and my troops.”
4 Then Jehoshaphat said, “But before you do anything, ask God for guidance.”
5 The king of Israel got the prophets together—all four hundred of them—and put the question to them: “Should I attack Ramoth Gilead or should I hold back?”
“Go for it,” they said. “God will hand it over to the king.”
6 But Jehoshaphat dragged his feet, “Is there another prophet of God around here we can consult? Let’s get a second opinion.”
7 The king of Israel told Jehoshaphat, “As a matter of fact, there is another. But I hate him. He never preaches anything good to me, only doom, doom, doom—Micaiah son of Imlah.”
“The king shouldn’t talk about a prophet like that!” said Jehoshaphat.
8 So the king of Israel ordered one of his men, “Quickly, get Micaiah son of Imlah.”
9-11 Meanwhile, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat were seated on their thrones, dressed in their royal robes, resplendent in front of the Samaria city gates. All the prophets were staging a prophecy-performance for their benefit. Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had even made a set of iron horns, and brandishing them, called out, “God’s word! With these horns you’ll gore Aram until there’s nothing left of them!” All the prophets chimed in, “Yes! Go for Ramoth Gilead! An easy victory! God’s gift to the king!”
12 The messenger who went to get Micaiah told him, “The prophets have all said Yes to the king. Make it unanimous—vote Yes!”
13 But Micaiah said, “As sure as God lives, what God says, I’ll say.”
14 With Micaiah before him, the king asked him, “So, Micaiah—do we attack Ramoth Gilead? Or do we hold back?”
“Go ahead,” he said, “an easy victory! God’s gift to the king.”
15 “Not so fast,” said the king. “How many times have I made you promise under oath to tell me the truth and nothing but the truth?”
16 “All right,” said Micaiah, “since you insist . . .
I saw all of Israel scattered over the hills,
sheep with no shepherd.
Then God spoke, ‘These poor people
have no one to tell them what to do.
Let them go home and do
the best they can for themselves.’”
17 The king of Israel turned to Jehoshaphat, “See! What did I tell you? He never has a good word for me from God, only doom.”
18-21 Micaiah kept on, “I’m not done yet; listen to God’s word:
I saw God enthroned,
and all the Angel Armies of heaven
standing at attention,
ranged on his right and his left.
And God said, “How can we seduce Ahab
into attacking Ramoth Gilead?”
Some said this,
and some said that.
Then a bold angel stepped out,
stood before God, and said,
“I’ll seduce him.”
“And how will you do it?” said God.
“Easy,” said the angel,
“I’ll get all the prophets to lie.”
“That should do it,” said God;
“On your way—seduce him!”
22 “And that’s what has happened. God filled the mouths of your puppet prophets with seductive lies. God has pronounced your doom.”
23 Just then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah came up and slapped Micaiah in the face, saying, “Since when did the Spirit of God leave me and take up with you?”
24 Micaiah said, “You’ll know soon enough; you’ll know it when you’re frantically and futilely looking for a place to hide.”
25-26 The king of Israel had heard enough: “Get Micaiah out of here! Turn him over to Amon the city magistrate and to Joash the king’s son with this message: ‘King’s orders! Lock him up in jail; keep him on bread and water until I’m back in one piece.’”
27 Micaiah said,
If you ever get back in one piece,
I’m no prophet of God.
He added,
When it happens, O people,
remember where you heard it!
28-29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went ahead and attacked Ramoth Gilead. The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Wear my kingly robe; I’m going into battle disguised.” So the king of Israel entered the battle in disguise.
30 Meanwhile, the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders (there were thirty-two of them), “Don’t bother with anyone whether small or great; go after the king of Israel and him only.”
31-32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they said, “There he is! The king of Israel!” and took after him. Jehoshaphat yelled out, and the chariot commanders realized they had the wrong man—it wasn’t the king of Israel after all. God intervened and they let him go.
33 Just then someone, without aiming, shot an arrow into the crowd and hit the king of Israel in the chink of his armor. The king told his charioteer, “Turn back! Get me out of here—I’m wounded.”
34 All day the fighting continued, hot and heavy. Propped up in his chariot, the king watched from the sidelines. He died that evening.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, February 21, 2020
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Ephesians 3:14–21
A Prayer for the Ephesians
14 For this reason I kneeld before the Father, 15 from whom every familya in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious richese he may strengthen you with powerf through his Spirit in your inner being,g 17 so that Christ may dwell in your heartsh through faith. And I pray that you, being rootedi and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,j to grasp how wide and long and high and deepk is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledgel—that you may be filledm to the measure of all the fullness of God.n
20 Now to him who is ableo to do immeasurably more than all we askp or imagine, according to his powerq that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.r
Insight
Because Paul led the Ephesian believers to faith (Acts 19:1–10), he considers them his spiritual children and is unwaveringly committed to pray fervently for their spiritual growth (see Philippians 1:3–6; 2 Thessalonians 1:11–12). Ephesians 3:14–21 is one of the few recorded prayers of Paul in the New Testament (see also Philippians 1:9–11; Colossians 1:9–12), and is the second of two prayers in Ephesians (also Ephesians 1:15–23). In these prayers, Paul doesn’t pray for their material well-being but focuses on their spiritual development and maturity.
In the first prayer, which emphasizes knowledge, Paul prays they’ll have “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation” so that they may “know the hope to which [God] has called [them]” (1:17–18). In his second prayer (3:14–21), he focuses on love and prays that having been “rooted and established in love” they’ll “grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ” (vv. 17–18).
A Place of Belonging
So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Ephesians 3:17
Some years after the tragic loss of their first spouses, Robbie and Sabrina fell in love, married, and combined their two families. They built a new home and named it Havilah (a Hebrew word meaning “writhing in pain” and “to bring forth”). It signifies the making of something beautiful through pain. The couple says they didn’t build the home to forget their past but “to bring life from the ashes, to celebrate hope.” For them, “it is a place of belonging, a place to celebrate life and where we all cling to the promise of a future.”
That’s a beautiful picture of our life in Jesus. He pulls our lives from the ashes and becomes for us a place of belonging. When we receive Him, He makes His home in our hearts (Ephesians 3:17). God adopts us into His family through Jesus so that we belong to Him (1:5–6). Although we’ll go through painful times, He can use even those to bring good purposes in our lives.
Daily we have opportunity to grow in our understanding of God as we enjoy His love and celebrate what He’s given us. In Him, there’s a fullness to life that we couldn’t have without Him (3:19). And we have the promise that this relationship will last forever. Jesus is our place of belonging, our reason to celebrate life, and our hope now and forever. By: Anne Cetas
Reflect & Pray
In what ways has Jesus changed your life? What does it mean for you to belong to Jesus?
I’m grateful that I belong to You, Jesus. Thank You for a life of hope for now and forever.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, February 21, 2020
Do You Really Love Him?
She has done a good work for Me. —Mark 14:6
If what we call love doesn’t take us beyond ourselves, it is not really love. If we have the idea that love is characterized as cautious, wise, sensible, shrewd, and never taken to extremes, we have missed the true meaning. This may describe affection and it may bring us a warm feeling, but it is not a true and accurate description of love.
Have you ever been driven to do something for God not because you felt that it was useful or your duty to do so, or that there was anything in it for you, but simply because you love Him? Have you ever realized that you can give things to God that are of value to Him? Or are you just sitting around daydreaming about the greatness of His redemption, while neglecting all the things you could be doing for Him? I’m not referring to works which could be regarded as divine and miraculous, but ordinary, simple human things— things which would be evidence to God that you are totally surrendered to Him. Have you ever created what Mary of Bethany created in the heart of the Lord Jesus? “She has done a good work for Me.”
There are times when it seems as if God watches to see if we will give Him even small gifts of surrender, just to show how genuine our love is for Him. To be surrendered to God is of more value than our personal holiness. Concern over our personal holiness causes us to focus our eyes on ourselves, and we become overly concerned about the way we walk and talk and look, out of fear of offending God. “…but perfect love casts out fear…” once we are surrendered to God (1 John 4:18). We should quit asking ourselves, “Am I of any use?” and accept the truth that we really are not of much use to Him. The issue is never of being of use, but of being of value to God Himself. Once we are totally surrendered to God, He will work through us all the time.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The great thing about faith in God is that it keeps a man undisturbed in the midst of disturbance. Notes on Isaiah, 1376 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, February 21, 2020
Genealogies, Graveyards, and Grandkids - #8640
There's been a run on graveyards these past years. Not because more people are dying, but because more people are connecting the dots in their family tree. There were some TV programs that show famous people pursuing the story of their family's past, and those have fueled an explosion of interest in genealogy research. Just ask the librarians who are welcoming visitors from all over to their newly-enhanced genealogy resources.
How do I know? Oh, my wife and I were in some of those libraries, courthouses and graveyards. Not because of a recent fad, but because of a longtime interest in the roots and the heritage of our family. Apparently, God has some interest in it. Just look at all those genealogy lists in the Bible! Apparently, it matters where you come from.
I've been blessed to discover faith in my family tree. Not in every branch, but at the root. Recently, I held in my hand the 240-year-old will of the first Hutchcraft in America. I've got to confess my eyes filled with tears when I read what he wrote about where he had placed his hopes for eternity. Old Thomas said, "in the pardon for my sin through the merits of my Blessed Savior Jesus Christ." It looks like great-great-great-great-great-great Granddad and I are going to be spending some time together in Heaven.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Genealogies, Graveyards and Grandkids."
Lights have gone on in my soul as I've stood back from the daily drama of my life and I've looked at the bigger panorama that's represented by my family tree. And I've seen that God is working on something so much bigger than the limited landscape I can see from where I stand. And some things that have loomed too large suddenly look smaller against that huge divine tapestry.
I see the exciting prospect of how a seed of faith planted in one generation can blossom for generations I'll never see - or imagine. Apparently, that seed in our family may have gone dormant at some points, but has always germinated again. As it did on the day my daddy found Jesus. When I did. When my children did. When my grandchildren did - or will.
These centuries of God-sightings were what the psalmist envisioned when he said: "Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the Lord" (Psalm 102:18). I was that "people not yet created" when my six-great grandfather wrote about his blessed Savior. I'm thinking, "What more could I be doing to actively sow Jesus in the hearts of my children and my grandchildren?" And even if it's hard to find love for Jesus in your family history, isn't it amazing to think that you can plant His seed in your generation - and help change your family forever, for generations?
Learning about those who've gone before me has made me start asking, "Could it be that I am living the answers to the prayers of those who came before me?" And could it be that my grandchildren, who I love more than I can say, are - and will be - living the answers to my prayers if I rise to the challenge to faithfully intercede for them in the Throne Room of the God who is faithful to all generations?
I've also found myself adoring my God as the One who has been "our dwelling place throughout all generations" (Psalm 90:1). He is the glue, the continuity, the Sovereign Lord who is, in these seemingly "random" events of my life, putting together something beyond my imagination. Infusing my everyday with ete
rnity.
One day I was about to spend some time climbing the family tree, my Bible study time led me to this amazing affirmation. It's our word for today from the Word of God in Isaiah 41:4, "Who has done this and carried through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord - with the first of them and with the last - I am He." Wow!
"O, Lord, help me to play my position in a way that will bless You and those generations yet to come. And may those who come behind me find me faithful."