Max Lucado Daily: He Calls You His Child
You may know what it's like to carry a stigma. Each time your name is mentioned, your calamity follows.
"Have you heard from John lately? You know, the fellow who got divorced?"
"We got a letter from Jerry. Remember him, the alcoholic?"
"I saw Melissa today. I don't know why she can't keep a job."
Like a pesky sibling, your past follows you wherever you go. Isn't there anyone who sees you for who you are and not what you did? Yes, there is One who does, your king. When God speaks of you, he doesn't mention your plight, pain, or problem; he lets you share in His glory. He calls you His child.
God proved His love for us by sacrificing His Son. Psalm 103:12 says, He has "taken our sins away from us as far as the east is from the west." Christ died for us while we were still sinners.
From In the Grip of Grace
You may know what it's like to carry a stigma. Each time your name is mentioned, your calamity follows.
"Have you heard from John lately? You know, the fellow who got divorced?"
"We got a letter from Jerry. Remember him, the alcoholic?"
"I saw Melissa today. I don't know why she can't keep a job."
Like a pesky sibling, your past follows you wherever you go. Isn't there anyone who sees you for who you are and not what you did? Yes, there is One who does, your king. When God speaks of you, he doesn't mention your plight, pain, or problem; he lets you share in His glory. He calls you His child.
God proved His love for us by sacrificing His Son. Psalm 103:12 says, He has "taken our sins away from us as far as the east is from the west." Christ died for us while we were still sinners.
From In the Grip of Grace
Psalm 11
I’ve already run for dear life
straight to the arms of God.
So why would I run away now
when you say,
“Run to the mountains; the evil
bows are bent, the wicked arrows
Aimed to shoot under cover of darkness
at every heart open to God.
The bottom’s dropped out of the country;
good people don’t have a chance”?
4-6 But God hasn’t moved to the mountains;
his holy address hasn’t changed.
He’s in charge, as always, his eyes
taking everything in, his eyelids
Unblinking, examining Adam’s flesh and blood
inside and out, not missing a thing.
He tests the good and the bad alike;
if anyone cheats, God’s outraged.
Fail the test and you’re out,
out in a hail of firestones,
Drinking from a canteen
filled with hot desert wind.
7 God’s business is putting things right;
he loves getting the lines straight,
Setting us straight. Once we’re standing tall,
we can look him straight in the eye.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, September 24, 2022
Today's Scripture
Genesis 17:1–8, 15–16
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, God showed up and said to him, “I am The Strong God, live entirely before me, live to the hilt! I’ll make a covenant between us and I’ll give you a huge family.”
3–8 Overwhelmed, Abram fell flat on his face.
Then God said to him, “This is my covenant with you: You’ll be the father of many nations. Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, meaning that ‘I’m making you the father of many nations.’ I’ll make you a father of fathers—I’ll make nations from you, kings will issue from you. I’m establishing my covenant between me and you, a covenant that includes your descendants, a covenant that goes on and on and on, a covenant that commits me to be your God and the God of your descendants. And I’m giving you and your descendants this land where you’re now just camping, this whole country of Canaan, to own forever. And I’ll be their God.”
God continued speaking to Abraham, “And Sarai your wife: Don’t call her Sarai any longer; call her Sarah. I’ll bless her—yes! I’ll give you a son by her! Oh, how I’ll bless her! Nations will come from her; kings of nations will come from her.”
Insight
At age seventy-five, God promised Abram he would be the father of “a great nation” and his descendants would possess Canaan (Genesis 12:2, 7). In Genesis 13:15–16, God elaborated on these two promises. Responding to his doubts, God assured Abram that his heir would come from his own body (15:3–5). God then incorporated these two promises into the Abrahamic covenant: “On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram” (v. 18). This is the first time the word covenant was used of God’s promises to Abram. Thirteen years later, He enlarged the posterity blessing, making Abram “the father of many nations” and changing his name from Abram to Abraham (17:4–5).
Learn more about the covenants of the Old Testament.
By: K. T. Sim
The Power of a Name
Your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.
Genesis 17:5
Seeking to affirm some children who live on the streets in Mumbai, India, Ranjit created a song of their names. Coming up with a unique melody for each name, he taught them the tune, hoping to give them a positive memory related to what they’re called. For children who don’t regularly hear their name spoken in love, he bestowed on them a gift of respect.
Names are important in the Bible, often reflecting a person’s character traits or new role. For instance, God changed the names of Abram and Sarai when He made a covenant of love with them, promising that He would be their God and they would be His people. Abram, which means “exalted father,” became Abraham, which means “father of many.” And Sarai, which means “princess,” became Sarah, which means “princess of many” (see Genesis 17:5, 15).
God’s new names included the gracious promise that they would no longer be childless. When Sarah gave birth to their son, they were overjoyed and named him Isaac, which means “he laughs”: “Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me’ ” (Genesis 21:6).
We show honor and respect to people when we call them by name and affirm who God has created them to be. A loving nickname that affirms someone’s unique qualities as one created in the image of God can do the same.
By: Amy Boucher Pye
Reflect & Pray
How do you feel about your name? When have you been able to name something in a friend or family member that reflects who they are?
God of all names, You made me in Your image and love me. Shape me and mold me to be more like You.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, September 24, 2022
The “Go” of Preparation
If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. —Matthew 5:23-24
It is easy for us to imagine that we will suddenly come to a point in our lives where we are fully prepared, but preparation is not suddenly accomplished. In fact, it is a process that must be steadily maintained. It is dangerous to become settled and complacent in our present level of experience. The Christian life requires preparation and more preparation.
The sense of sacrifice in the Christian life is readily appealing to a new Christian. From a human standpoint, the one thing that attracts us to Jesus Christ is our sense of the heroic, and a close examination of us by our Lord’s words suddenly puts this tide of enthusiasm to the test. “…go your way. First be reconciled to your brother….” The “go” of preparation is to allow the Word of God to examine you closely. Your sense of heroic sacrifice is not good enough. The thing the Holy Spirit will detect in you is your nature that can never work in His service. And no one but God can detect that nature in you. Do you have anything to hide from God? If you do, then let God search you with His light. If there is sin in your life, don’t just admit it— confess it. Are you willing to obey your Lord and Master, whatever the humiliation to your right to yourself may be?
Never disregard a conviction that the Holy Spirit brings to you. If it is important enough for the Spirit of God to bring it to your mind, it is the very thing He is detecting in you. You were looking for some big thing to give up, while God is telling you of some tiny thing that must go. But behind that tiny thing lies the stronghold of obstinacy, and you say, “I will not give up my right to myself”— the very thing that God intends you to give up if you are to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are all based on a conception of importance, either our own importance, or the importance of someone else; Jesus tells us to go and teach based on the revelation of His importance. “All power is given unto Me.… Go ye therefore ….” So Send I You, 1325 R
Bible in a Year: Song of Solomon 4-5; Galatians 3