Max Lucado Daily: FOCUS MOST ON GOD
Giants. We must face them. Yet we need not face them alone. Focus first, and most, on God. Read 1 Samuel 17 and list the observations David made about Goliath. I find only two. One to Saul and one to Goliath’s face: “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” David asks nothing about Goliath’s skill, age, or the weight of the spear, or the size of the shield. But he gives much thought to God. The armies of the living God, The Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel.
In all, the God-thoughts outnumber Goliath-thoughts nine to two. How does this ratio compare with yours? Is your list of blessings four times as long as your list of complaints? Are you four times as likely to describe the strength of God as you are the demands of your day? That’s how you face a giant.
Micah 6
What God Is Looking For
Listen now, listen to God:
“Take your stand in court.
If you have a complaint, tell the mountains;
make your case to the hills.
And now, Mountains, hear God’s case;
listen, Jury Earth—
For I am bringing charges against my people.
I am building a case against Israel.
3-5 “Dear people, how have I done you wrong?
Have I burdened you, worn you out? Answer!
I delivered you from a bad life in Egypt;
I paid a good price to get you out of slavery.
I sent Moses to lead you—
and Aaron and Miriam to boot!
Remember what Balak king of Moab tried to pull,
and how Balaam son of Beor turned the tables on him.
Remember all those stories about Shittim and Gilgal.
Keep all God’s salvation stories fresh and present.”
6-7 How can I stand up before God
and show proper respect to the high God?
Should I bring an armload of offerings
topped off with yearling calves?
Would God be impressed with thousands of rams,
with buckets and barrels of olive oil?
Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child,
my precious baby, to cancel my sin?
8 But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,
what God is looking for in men and women.
It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
be compassionate and loyal in your love,
And don’t take yourself too seriously—
take God seriously.
9 Attention! God calls out to the city!
If you know what’s good for you, you’ll listen.
So listen, all of you!
This is serious business.
10-16 “Do you expect me to overlook obscene wealth
you’ve piled up by cheating and fraud?
Do you think I’ll tolerate shady deals
and shifty scheming?
I’m tired of the violent rich
bullying their way with bluffs and lies.
I’m fed up. Beginning now, you’re finished.
You’ll pay for your sins down to your last cent.
No matter how much you get, it will never be enough—
hollow stomachs, empty hearts.
No matter how hard you work, you’ll have nothing to show for it—
bankrupt lives, wasted souls.
You’ll plant grass
but never get a lawn.
You’ll make jelly
but never spread it on your bread.
You’ll press apples
but never drink the cider.
You have lived by the standards of your king, Omri,
the decadent lifestyle of the family of Ahab.
Because you’ve slavishly followed their fashions,
I’m forcing you into bankruptcy.
Your way of life will be laughed at, a tasteless joke.
Your lives will be derided as futile and fake.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, July 17, 2020
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Psalm 18:28–36, 46–49
You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
29 With your help I can advance against a troop[a];
with my God I can scale a wall.
30 As for God, his way is perfect:
The Lord’s word is flawless;
he shields all who take refuge in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;
he causes me to stand on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
and your right hand sustains me;
your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path for my feet,
so that my ankles do not give way.
The Lord lives! Praise be to my Rock!
Exalted be God my Savior!
47 He is the God who avenges me,
who subdues nations under me,
48 who saves me from my enemies.
You exalted me above my foes;
from a violent man you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
I will sing the praises of your name.
Insight
Psalm 18 seems to be a song of retrospective understanding. In many of David’s psalms we find him being pursued and hunted, first by Saul and later by Absalom. During those times of flight and danger, David sometimes questioned God’s faithfulness, love, and care—wondering why God didn’t intervene on his behalf. In Psalm 18, however, we see a more reflective David. He looked back on his journey and saw continuous evidence of the presence and protection of God along the way (vv. 1–3, 16–19, 25–29, 35–36, 47–50)—even in the seasons of life where that evidence seemed scarce. Now, looking back, David affirmed what he’d questioned—the faithfulness of God.
Light in the Dark
You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. Psalm 18:28
A severe thunderstorm passed through our new town, leaving high humidity and dark skies in its wake. I took our dog, Callie, for an evening stroll. The mounting challenges of my family’s cross-country move grew heavier on my mind. Frustrated by the countless ways things had strayed so far from our high hopes and expectations, I slowed to let Callie sniff the grass. I listened to the creek that runs beside our house. Tiny lights flashed on and off while hovering over the patches of wildflowers climbing up the creek’s bank. Fireflies.
The Lord wrapped me in peace as I watched the blinking lights cutting through the darkness. I thought of the psalmist David singing, “You, Lord, keep my lamp burning” (Psalm 18:28). Proclaiming that God turns his darkness into light, David demonstrated confident faith in the Lord’s provision and protection (vv. 29–30). With God’s strength, he could handle anything that came his way (vv. 32–35). Trusting the living Lord to be with him through all circumstances, David promised to praise Him among the nations and sing the praises of His name (vv. 36–49).
Whether we’re enduring the unpredictable storms in life or enjoying the stillness after the rains have passed, the peace of God’s constant presence lights our way through the darkness. Our living God will always be our strength, our refuge, our sustainer, and our deliverer. By: Xochitl Dixon
Reflect & Pray
What verses help you trust God’s constant presence? How can relying on God’s sovereign goodness help you walk through storms with confident faith?
Father, please help me trust Your goodness and love even when I sometimes can’t see You in the dark circumstances in life.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, July 17, 2020
The Miracle of Belief
My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom… —1 Corinthians 2:4
Paul was a scholar and an orator of the highest degree; he was not speaking here out of a deep sense of humility, but was saying that when he preached the gospel, he would veil the power of God if he impressed people with the excellency of his speech. Belief in Jesus is a miracle produced only by the effectiveness of redemption, not by impressive speech, nor by wooing and persuading, but only by the sheer unaided power of God. The creative power of redemption comes through the preaching of the gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher.
Real and effective fasting by a preacher is not fasting from food, but fasting from eloquence, from impressive diction, and from everything else that might hinder the gospel of God being presented. The preacher is there as the representative of God— “…as though God were pleading through us…” (2 Corinthians 5:20). He is there to present the gospel of God. If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get close to Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the gospel will result in making me a traitor to Jesus, and I prevent the creative power of His redemption from doing its work.
“And I, if I am lifted up…, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32).
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The Bible does not thrill; the Bible nourishes. Give time to the reading of the Bible and the recreating effect is as real as that of fresh air physically. Disciples Indeed, 387 R
Bible in a Year: Psalms 18-19; Acts 20:17-38
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, July 17, 2020
The Strongest Words in the World - #8745
I've had the privilege of playing several different positions. Not on a baseball or football team, but on a wedding team. I've been the groom, I've been the officiating minister, I've been an usher, and I've been the best man. (Not all at the same wedding by the way.) And on more than one occasion, it's been my job to make sure the paperwork gets done while everyone else is "receptioning." The officiating minister has to sign the marriage license, the bride and groom have to sign it of course (the groom, if the groom is still conscious I mean), and two more important people - the witnesses. The powers that be want it on record that there were some people there who witnessed all these wonderful promises being made by the young lovers.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Strongest Words in the World."
Now, when serious business is being transacted, they sometimes require that the signatures be witnessed by a notary public. This witness thing is important when important commitments are being made. Someone cares if you keep your promises. Actually, there is an extremely important person serving as a witness for every promise you make.
In our word for today from the Word of God, Jesus spells out how seriously He takes your commitments whether you do or not. In Matthew 5:37, Jesus simply says, "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes' and your 'No' be 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the "evil one." Whoa! That's pretty sobering. Jesus says once you've said "Yes," you'd better keep your commitment. It's OK to say "No," but it's not OK to say "Yes" and have it end up being a "No." In fact, Jesus seems to tell us here that unkept promises are the devil's idea. Jesus intends for your "Yes" and your "No" to be some of the strongest words in the world.
And the Lord is standing there as a witness to your promises. In the Book of Malachi, some believers are at the altar. They're weeping and wailing over why God hasn't responded to them. There's obviously a breakdown between them and God, but they can't figure out what it is. Until God says: "You weep and wail because (the Lord) no longer pays attention to your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands."
"You ask, 'Why?' It is because the Lord is acting as the witness between you and the wife of your youth, because you have broken faith with her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant." No, you won't find God's signature as a witness on your marriage certificate. But He was there, and He was watching. And He says, "The problem between Me and you is because of the problem between you and her or you and him. You're not doing what you promised to do. Until that relationship is right, our relationship won't be right."
Again, God cares deeply about whether or not you do what you've promised to do in your marriage, or in any area where you said a "Yes" or a "No." You not only lose ground with God when you don't keep your commitments, you lose ground with the people around you. They lose respect for you. They find it hard to take you seriously. They find it hard to trust you. And I'll tell you, it hurts a lot to be an untrusted person.
In Ecclesiastes 5:4, the Lord talks about promises you make to Him, and the warning He applies to any promise you make. "God has no pleasure in fools," it says, "fulfill your vow. It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. Do not let your mouth lead you into sin."
Satan, who is the inventor of broken promises, loves it when you join his club. God, the One who never lies, really cares if you keep your promises. If you say you'll do it, do it. Whatever it costs, keep your commitments, because it will cost you a whole lot more not to.