Max Lucado Daily: THAT’S WHAT LOVE DOES - December 16, 2022
Would you do what Jesus did? He exchanged the worship of angels for the company of killers. If you were God, would you? I wouldn’t, but Christ did.
Jesus humbled himself. He went from commanding angels to sleeping in the straw. Why? Because that is what love does. It puts the loved before itself. Your place in heaven was more important to him than his place in heaven, so he gave up his so you could have yours.
It’s time to let his love cover all the things in your life. Every promise broken, every cross word, and harsh word. His love covers all things. Let it. Do it for his sake, for the peace of your heart. Do it for their sake, for the people in your life. Let his love fall on you so yours can fall on them.
Proverbs 10
An Honest Life Is Immortal
Wise son, glad father;
stupid son, sad mother.
2 Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere;
an honest life is immortal.
3 God won’t starve an honest soul,
but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked.
4 Sloth makes you poor;
diligence brings wealth.
5 Make hay while the sun shines—that’s smart;
go fishing during harvest—that’s stupid.
6 Blessings accrue on a good and honest life,
but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.
7 A good and honest life is a blessed memorial;
a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.
8 A wise heart takes orders;
an empty head will come unglued.
9 Honesty lives confident and carefree,
but Shifty is sure to be exposed.
10 An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead,
but an open, face-to-face meeting results in peace.
11 The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well,
but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.
12 Hatred starts fights,
but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.
13 You’ll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight,
but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face.
14 The wise accumulate knowledge—a true treasure;
know-it-alls talk too much—a sheer waste.
The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life
15 The wealth of the rich is their security;
the poverty of the indigent is their ruin.
16 The wage of a good person is exuberant life;
an evil person ends up with nothing but sin.
17 The road to life is a disciplined life;
ignore correction and you’re lost for good.
18 Liars secretly hoard hatred;
fools openly spread slander.
19 The more talk, the less truth;
the wise measure their words.
20 The speech of a good person is worth waiting for;
the blabber of the wicked is worthless.
21 The talk of a good person is rich fare for many,
but chatterboxes die of an empty heart.
Fear-of-God Expands Your Life
22 God’s blessing makes life rich;
nothing we do can improve on God.
23 An empty-head thinks mischief is fun,
but a mindful person relishes wisdom.
24 The nightmares of the wicked come true;
what the good people desire, they get.
25 When the storm is over, there’s nothing left of the wicked;
good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren’t even fazed.
26 A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble;
it’s vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes.
27 The Fear-of-God expands your life;
a wicked life is a puny life.
28 The aspirations of good people end in celebration;
the ambitions of bad people crash.
29 God is solid backing to a well-lived life,
but he calls into question a shabby performance.
30 Good people last—they can’t be moved;
the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow.
31 A good person’s mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom;
a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.
32 The speech of a good person clears the air;
the words of the wicked pollute it.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, December 16, 2022
Today's Scripture
2 Timothy 1:3–5
To Be Bold with God’s Gifts
3-4 Every time I say your name in prayer—which is practically all the time—I thank God for you, the God I worship with my whole life in the tradition of my ancestors. I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful good-bye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion.
5-7 That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith—and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you! And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze! God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.
Insight
Although Paul called Timothy “my true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2), it wasn’t Paul who brought him to faith in Christ. Timothy was of mixed parentage—a gentile father and Jewish mother (Acts 16:1). Following God’s commands to parents and grandparents to teach the Scriptures to the next generation (Genesis 18:19; Deuteronomy 4:9; 6:7; Psalm 78:3–6), Timothy was taught “from infancy . . . the Holy Scriptures, which [were] able to make [him] wise for salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15). He was also nurtured in the faith by his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois (1:5). When Paul first met him, Timothy was already “a disciple” whom “the believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of” (Acts 16:1–2). That Paul sent Timothy to deal with the troublesome Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 4:17) and to take charge of the affairs of the Ephesian church (1 Timothy 1:3) testify to this young man’s spiritual maturity and ministry abilities. By: K. T. Sim
Legacy of Faith
I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice. 2 Timothy 1:5
In 2019, research exploring the spiritual heritage of believers in Jesus in the United States revealed that mothers and grandmothers have a significant influence on spiritual development. Nearly two-thirds of people who claim a legacy of faith credited their mother, and one-third acknowledged that a grandparent (usually a grandmother) also played a significant role.
The report’s editor remarked, “Over and over, this study speaks to the enduring impact of mothers in . . . spiritual development.” It’s an impact we also discover in Scripture.
In Paul’s letter to his protégé Timothy, he acknowledged that Timothy’s faith was modeled to him by his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). It’s a delightful personal detail highlighting the impact of two women on one of the leaders of the early church. Their influence can also be seen in Paul’s encouragement to Timothy: “continue in what you have learned [because] from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures” (3:14–15).
A strong spiritual heritage is a precious gift. But even if our upbringing lacked the kind of positive influences that helped form Timothy’s faith, there are likely others in our life who’ve had a profound impact in helping to shape our spiritual development. Most important, we all have the opportunity to model sincere faith to those around us and leave a lasting legacy. By: Lisa M. Samra
Reflect & Pray
Who’s had a significant impact on your spiritual development? How can you encourage others in faith?
Father, thank You for the men and women in my life that have modeled sincere faith.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, December 16, 2022
Wrestling Before God
Take up the whole armor of God…praying always… —Ephesians 6:13,18
You must learn to wrestle against the things that hinder your communication with God, and wrestle in prayer for other people; but to wrestle with God in prayer is unscriptural. If you ever do wrestle with God, you will be crippled for the rest of your life. If you grab hold of God and wrestle with Him, as Jacob did, simply because He is working in a way that doesn’t meet with your approval, you force Him to put you out of joint (see Genesis 32:24-25). Don’t become a cripple by wrestling with the ways of God, but be someone who wrestles before God with the things of this world, because “we are more than conquerors through Him…” (Romans 8:37). Wrestling before God makes an impact in His kingdom. If you ask me to pray for you, and I am not complete in Christ, my prayer accomplishes nothing. But if I am complete in Christ, my prayer brings victory all the time. Prayer is effective only when there is completeness— “take up the whole armor of God….”
Always make a distinction between God’s perfect will and His permissive will, which He uses to accomplish His divine purpose for our lives. God’s perfect will is unchangeable. It is with His permissive will, or the various things that He allows into our lives, that we must wrestle before Him. It is our reaction to these things allowed by His permissive will that enables us to come to the point of seeing His perfect will for us. “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God…” (Romans 8:28)— to those who remain true to God’s perfect will— His calling in Christ Jesus. God’s permissive will is the testing He uses to reveal His true sons and daughters. We should not be spineless and automatically say, “Yes, it is the Lord’s will.” We don’t have to fight or wrestle with God, but we must wrestle before God with things. Beware of lazily giving up. Instead, put up a glorious fight and you will find yourself empowered with His strength.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
There is nothing, naturally speaking, that makes us lose heart quicker than decay—the decay of bodily beauty, of natural life, of friendship, of associations, all these things make a man lose heart; but Paul says when we are trusting in Jesus Christ these things do not find us discouraged, light comes through them.
The Place of Help
Bible in a Year: Amos 4-6; Revelation 7
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, December 16, 2022
HOW CHARLIE BROWN ALMOST MISSED CHRISTMAS - #9375
The little kid with the round head and the pitiful tree! He's become a regular part of America's Christmas. Our kids watched "The Charlie Brown Christmas" when they were little, and that thing's been around so long, their kids love it and their parents never stopped loving it.
We can all hear Charlie Brown's angst-ridden question ringing out above the Christmas mayhem, "Isn't there anybody who can tell me what Christmas is all about?" Enter blanket boy. Yes, Linus to the rescue. As he steps into the spotlight on that little stage, he turns the spotlight on Jesus. "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord." But did you know that line almost didn't happen?
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How Charlie Brown Almost Missed Christmas."
Charles Schulz, the creator of "Peanuts," was honestly under pressure to leave the Jesus part out of his first attempt at a TV special. But he stood his ground. He said, "If we don't do this, who will?" That's a little known story, but you know the rest is history. In our post-Christian culture, Linus' little speech about "to you is born a Savior" may be the only fragment of the Gospel some people have ever heard.
But you don't have to be a prime-time TV producer to feel the pressure to not bring up Jesus. Most of us who've ever tried to live for Him have experienced that pressure. Oh, it's OK to talk about church, and family values, and even God. But Jesus is the problem. How many times in a spiritual conversation have we choked when we got to the name of Jesus? So it comes out "God" that we talk about, which allows the listener to think whatever "God" means to them. But Jesus, well, there's not much mistaking who He is.
This should not come as a surprise. Satan has been trying to edit out Jesus for 2,000 years! The early disciples were hauled in by the same religious leaders who had arranged for the crucifixion of Jesus. And they were ordered to never again mention "The Name" in their preaching. The disciples' response? It says, "They never stopped teaching and proclaiming the Good News that Jesus is the Christ" (Acts 5:42 ). Why?
Well, as it says in our word for today from the Word of God, in Acts 4:12, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name, no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 ). Well, hell knows that. Heaven knows that. And we must never again choke on that name. He wasn't ashamed of me. How can I be ashamed of Him? The power, the salvation is in the name. No Jesus, no heaven. That's why our enemy can't stand to hear the Name.
And, my friend, it may be that here we are in this Christmas season. And you may celebrate the fact that Jesus came into our world. But has He ever come into your life by your invitation to be your Savior from your sin? We were told when He was born, "Unto you is born a Savior!" And He came for you. Not just for the world; He came for you, to die for your sin. And there is no other way to get to heaven. Even a religion about Jesus will not get you to heaven. You need to pin all your hopes on Him in order to be with Him forever.
If you've never done that, there's no better time in the year that you can do it than this time when He came. Say, "Jesus, I'm yours." You can do it right where you are, wherever you are. And then go to our website, because we're set up there really to help you know that you belong to Him. Let's get this settled. Go to our website. It's ANewStory.com.
Listen, my brother in Christ, we can't afford to leave out Jesus. His name is where the power is. His name is where the hope is. His name is where the heaven is. Many Christmases ago a cartoonist made a courageous choice and refused to edit the Name. This Christmas would be a good time for you to make that same choice.