Psalm 52, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Why Mary Magdalene? - July 13, 2022

Jesus had just ripped the gates of hell off their hinges. He’d just yanked the fangs out of Satan’s mouth. He’d just turned BC into AD! Jesus was the undisputed King of the universe, and what was his first act? To whom did he go? To Mary Magdalene, the weeping, heartbroken woman who once had seven demons. Why her? Perhaps to send this message to all the heavyhearted people: “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5 NLT).

The greatest news in the world is not that God made the world but that God loves the world, and he loves you my friend. You have never lived one unloved day. God loves you, and because he does, you can be assured that joy will come. It came to Mary Magdalene, and it will come to you. Joy comes with the morning.

Psalm 52

 Why do you brag of evil, “Big Man”?
    God’s mercy carries the day.
You scheme catastrophe;
    your tongue cuts razor-sharp,
    artisan in lies.
You love evil more than good,
    you call black white.
You love malicious gossip,
    you foul-mouth.

5
God will tear you limb from limb,
    sweep you up and throw you out,
Pull you up by the roots
    from the land of life.

6-7
Good people will watch and
    worship. They’ll laugh in relief:
“Big Man bet on the wrong horse,
    trusted in big money,
    made his living from catastrophe.”

8
And I’m an olive tree,
    growing green in God’s house.
I trusted in the generous mercy
    of God then and now.

9
I thank you always
    that you went into action.
And I’ll stay right here,
    your good name my hope,
    in company with your faithful friends.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Today's Scripture
Mark 8:27–30

The Messiah

27     Jesus and his disciples headed out for the villages around Caesarea Philippi. As they walked, he asked, “Who do the people say I am?”

28     “Some say ‘John the Baptizer,’ ” they said. “Others say ‘Elijah.’ Still others say ‘one of the prophets.’ ”

29     He then asked, “And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?”

Peter gave the answer: “You are the Christ, the Messiah.”

30–32     Jesus warned them to keep it quiet, not to breathe a word of it to anyone.

Insight

We can observe two things from the disciples’ response to Jesus’ question, “Who do people say I am?” (Mark 8:27). First, the disciples knew what the people were saying about who Jesus was: “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets” (v. 28). They weren’t simply an isolated and insulated group, oblivious to the culture and people around them. His disciples continued to interact with and understand the people to whom Christ was reaching out. One day soon, they’d be sent to continue His message. Second, the people’s various answers to who Jesus was illustrated that even people who heard and saw Him had different opinions about Him. But Jesus wasn’t content with general answers to the question of who He was. He asked His disciples this question directly. Peter answered, “You are the Messiah” (v. 29).

Take a class on the New Testament. By: J.R. Hudberg

Who Is Jesus?

Who do people say I am?
Mark 8:27

Who do people believe Jesus is? Some say He was a good teacher, but just a man. Author C. S. Lewis wrote, “Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher.” These now-famous words from Mere Christianity propound that Jesus would not have been a great prophet if He falsely claimed to be God. That would be the ultimate heresy.

While talking with His disciples as they walked between villages, Jesus asked them, “Who do people say I am?” (Mark 8:27). Their answers included John the Baptist, Elijah, and one of the prophets (v. 28). But Jesus wanted to know what they believed: “Who do you say I am?” Peter got it right. “You are the Messiah” (v. 29), the Savior.

But who do we say Jesus is? Jesus could not have been a good teacher or prophet if what He said about Himself—that He and the Father (God) are “one” (John 10:30)—wasn’t true. His followers and even the demons declared His divinity as the Son of God (Matthew 8:29; 16:16; 1 John 5:20). Today, may we spread the word about who Christ is as He provides what we need. By:  Alyson Kieda

Reflect & Pray

Who do you say Jesus is? If you believe He’s the Son of God, then how can you share who He is with others?

Dear Jesus, thank You for being the way, the truth, and the life. I’m glad I can cling to You. Help me to share with others the good news of who You are.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, July 13, 2022

The Price of the Vision

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord… —Isaiah 6:1

Our soul’s personal history with God is often an account of the death of our heroes. Over and over again God has to remove our friends to put Himself in their place, and that is when we falter, fail, and become discouraged. Let me think about this personally— when the person died who represented for me all that God was, did I give up on everything in life? Did I become ill or disheartened? Or did I do as Isaiah did and see the Lord?

My vision of God is dependent upon the condition of my character. My character determines whether or not truth can even be revealed to me. Before I can say, “I saw the Lord,” there must be something in my character that conforms to the likeness of God. Until I am born again and really begin to see the kingdom of God, I only see from the perspective of my own biases. What I need is God’s surgical procedure— His use of external circumstances to bring about internal purification.

Your priorities must be God first, God second, and God third, until your life is continually face to face with God and no one else is taken into account whatsoever. Your prayer will then be, “In all the world there is no one but You, dear God; there is no one but You.”

Keep paying the price. Let God see that you are willing to live up to the vision.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

The fiery furnaces are there by God’s direct permission. It is misleading to imagine that we are developed in spite of our circumstances; we are developed because of them. It is mastery in circumstances that is needed, not mastery over them. The Love of God—The Message of Invincible Consolation, 674 R

Bible in a Year: Psalms 7-9; Acts 18

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Why You Are Where You Are - #9263

Hey. it's a huge job to try to keep the roadsides of interstates and major highways from looking like garbage dumps. That's why someone came up with this great idea: have clubs, and churches, and schools, and civic organizations volunteer to maintain just one mile of the road near them. You've probably seen the signs: "This mile maintained by the Forest Grove Garden Club, or a Boy Scout troop, or the Busy Hands Presby-Baptist Church, or whatever. Maybe it's a family. Separately, none of those groups could ever maintain the entire roadside in their county, but they could do a mile. And if each group makes sure their mile is covered, the whole area will end up looking a whole lot better.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Why You Are Where You Are."

Someone could look at the miles and miles of highway running through their area and say, "How in the world are we going to take care of all this?" But it's getting done because many people say, "I'll take care of the area around me."

Now the job of highway cleanup is nothing compared to the assignment left to us by the Lord Jesus, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation" (Mark 16:15). Wow! Well, each generation of believers is responsible for their generation of lost people. How in the world are we going to reach the lost people of our generation? The same way you clean up a long highway; we each take the responsibility for our stretch of the road.

In our word for today from the Word of God, the Old Testament leader, Nehemiah, has called the people of Judah to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem - a massive job - like telling our town about Jesus. Yes, it is a massive job! They were surrounded by people who were hostile to them, didn't want them to accomplish that mission, like our world today. But here's how it got done; Nehemiah 3:23 and following. Now, here's some names you haven't heard, but let's go with it. "Beyond them, Benjamin, and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house, and next to them, Azariah made repairs beside his house. The priests made repairs, each in front of his house. Zadok made repairs opposite his house." You think, "What are we doing here?" Well, here's the idea. The entire city wall got rebuilt by each person taking care of the area around them.

Which brings us to your piece of the eternal rescue work Jesus gave to all of us. There's a reason you live where you live. Jesus assigned you there to that block, that neighborhood, that apartment complex to be His personal representative among the people who live there. The reason you work where you work, go to school where you go to school, belong to the organizations and clubs you belong to is because Jesus wanted you to be those people's link to Him. In Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 5:20, "We are Christ's ambassadors."

So how are you doing with your stretch of the road? Jesus gave His life on the cross for the people on your stretch. He's left you responsible for them finding that out. And while you may think He should get someone better, guess what? He decided you're the one for those people. And they're a lot more likely to listen to someone who walks their road and lives their lives and their issues - a peer like you - than to some skilled evangelist they've never met.

So let me challenge you to begin to claim the people on your block for Jesus, on your team, in your building, in your office, at the gym, your workplace, in your circle at school. Begin by praying for them every day. And on more and more blocks across the country, I know believers are picking up the challenge of going on a Prayer Walk to pray for the residents of each home to hear about Christ there.

Also, band together with any other believers you can find on your "stretch of the road." Pray with them. Plan outreach dinner parties or block parties or video outreaches. Find ways to love them, serve them in ways that would really mean something to them. Ask them to let you know if there's anything they would like you to pray for. And pray for natural opportunities to tell them about life's most important relationship.

Imagine what would happen if every believer said, "Lord, I will step up to praying for and sharing Christ with the lost people on my stretch of the road."