Daily Devotions: Not our way, but Yahweh!: 06/01/2023

Friday, June 30, 2023

Psalm 131, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: EVEN WHEN YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND - June 30, 2023

“…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit’” (Matthew 1:20 NIV).

You’ve stood where Joseph stood, caught between what God says and what makes sense. Each of us knows what it’s like to search the night for light. Perhaps outside an emergency room, on the gravel of a roadside, on the manicured grass of a cemetery. We’ve questioned God’s plan. Let me urge you to do what Joseph did – obey. Because Joseph obeyed, God used him to change the world.

God still looks for Josephs today. Common people who serve an uncommon God. Would you be that kind of person? Will you serve…even when you don’t understand?

They Walked with God

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Psalm 130, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: COME AND DRINK - June 29, 2023

On my list of things I wish I’d learned earlier, this truth hovers near the top. Grace came my way packaged in a church. Congregations and their leaders changed me. But then the churches struggled, even divided. Mature men acted less than that. The box ripped, the faucet clogged, and my heart, for a time, sank.

Not a moment too soon, I heard the invitation of the still-running fountain. “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.”

God describes himself as “the fountain of living water.” Thank him for the faucets, but don’t trust them to nourish you. Thank him for the boxes in which his gifts come, but don’t fail to open them. And most of all, do not fail to read the note: Dear child of mine, are you thirsty? Come and drink. I delight in you. I will never fail you or forsake you!

Come Thirsty

Read more Come Thirsty

Psalm 130

Help, God—I’ve hit rock bottom!

Master, hear my cry for help!

Listen hard! Open your ears!

Listen to my cries for mercy.

3-4 If you, God, kept records on wrongdoings,

who would stand a chance?

As it turns out, forgiveness is your habit,

and that’s why you’re worshiped.

5-6 I pray to God—my life a prayer—

and wait for what he’ll say and do.

My life’s on the line before God, my Lord,

waiting and watching till morning,

waiting and watching till morning.

7-8 O Israel, wait and watch for God—

with God’s arrival comes love,

with God’s arrival comes generous redemption.

No doubt about it—he’ll redeem Israel,

buy back Israel from captivity to sin.

131 God, I’m not trying to rule the roost,

I don’t want to be king of the mountain.

I haven’t meddled where I have no business

or fantasized grandiose plans.

2 I’ve kept my feet on the ground,

I’ve cultivated a quiet heart.

Like a baby content in its mother’s arms,

my soul is a baby content.

3 Wait, Israel, for God. Wait with hope.

Hope now; hope always!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Today's Scripture

Mark 2:13-17

The Tax Collector

13-14 Then Jesus went again to walk alongside the lake. Again a crowd came to him, and he taught them. Strolling along, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, “Come along with me.” He came.

15-16 Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers. The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: “What kind of example is this, acting cozy with the misfits?”

17 Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit.”

Insight

The Pharisees accused Jesus of associating with two groups of “undesirable” people—tax collectors and sinners (Mark 2:16). Tax collectors were despised and hated by the Jews because they were regarded as greedy mercenaries and traitors working for the Roman conquerors. They also collected more money than the mandated Roman tax, pocketing the excess and enriching themselves at the expense of their own people (Luke 3:12–13). “Sinners,” in Jewish parlance, were the notoriously wicked; reprobates who rejected God’s law. The Pharisees also used “sinners” to denote anyone who didn’t meticulously maintain ceremonial purity or follow their rigid pharisaic standards. Tax collectors were deliberately lumped together with sinners to show how degenerate and wicked the tax-collectors were. Jesus was invited to dine with all sorts of people, even with the Pharisees (7:36; 11:37). He ate so often with social and religious outcasts—the scum of society—that He earned the reputation as “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (7:34). By: K. T. Sim

The Gospel in Unexpected Places

Many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him. Mark 2:15

Recently, I found myself someplace I’d seen in movies and on TV more times than I could count: Hollywood, California. There, in the foothills of Los Angeles, those enormous white letters marched proudly across that famous hillside as I viewed them from my hotel window.

Then I noticed something else: down to the left was a prominent cross. I’d never seen that in a movie. And the moment I left my hotel room, some students from a local church began to share Jesus with me.

We might sometimes think of Hollywood as only the epicenter of worldliness, in utter contrast with God’s kingdom. Yet clearly Christ was at work there, catching me by surprise with His presence.

The Pharisees were consistently surprised by where Jesus turned up. He didn’t hang out with the people they expected. Instead, Mark 2:13–17 tells us He spent time with “tax collectors and sinners” (v. 15), people whose lives practically screamed, “Unclean!” Yet there Jesus was, among those who needed Him most (vv. 16–17).

More than two thousand years later, Jesus continues to plant His message of hope and salvation in unexpected places, among the most unexpected of people. And He’s called and equipped us to be a part of that mission. By: Adam Holz

Reflect & Pray

When have you noticed God at work in a place that surprised you? What adjustments might you make to be open to the Spirit leading you into unexpected places?

Heavenly Father, thank You for showing up even in places where I’m tempted to believe You’re absent. Thank You for calling me to be a part of Your mission.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, June 29, 2023

The Strictest Discipline

If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. —Matthew 5:30

Jesus did not say that everyone must cut off his right hand, but that “if your right hand causes you to sin” in your walk with Him, then it is better to “cut it off.” There are many things that are perfectly legitimate, but if you are going to concentrate on God you cannot do them. Your right hand is one of the best things you have, but Jesus says that if it hinders you in following His precepts, then “cut it off.” The principle taught here is the strictest discipline or lesson that ever hit humankind.

When God changes you through regeneration, giving you new life through spiritual rebirth, your life initially has the characteristic of being maimed. There are a hundred and one things that you dare not do— things that would be sin for you, and would be recognized as sin by those who really know you. But the unspiritual people around you will say, “What’s so wrong with doing that? How absurd you are!” There has never yet been a saint who has not lived a maimed life initially. Yet it is better to enter into life maimed but lovely in God’s sight than to appear lovely to man’s eyes but lame to God’s. At first, Jesus Christ through His Spirit has to restrain you from doing a great many things that may be perfectly right for everyone else but not right for you. Yet, see that you don’t use your restrictions to criticize someone else.

The Christian life is a maimed life initially, but in Matthew 5:48 Jesus gave us the picture of a perfectly well-rounded life— “You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

We must keep ourselves in touch, not with theories, but with people, and never get out of touch with human beings, if we are going to use the word of God skilfully amongst them. Workmen of God, 1341 L

Bible in a Year: Job 14-16; Acts 9:22-43

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, June 29, 2023

THE "NOT READY" NIGHTMARE - #9514

I used to think I didn't dream much. But I guess that's scientifically inaccurate. I guess we all dream a lot, but some of us like me don't remember them. Now, my wife? Oh, she dreamed in these Technicolor epics! I mean, I'm lucky if I remember a black and white short subject. Once in a while, though, I do remember a bad dream I've had. Not usually about monsters or murderers. I think you're going to laugh when I tell you what a lot of my nightmares are about. Not being ready. Yeah, you know, stepping up to a microphone totally unprepared; having a huge audience waiting for me to speak in an auditorium. I'm being introduced. I have nothing to say. Some women have told me they've had nightmares about not being ready for a date. Others have told me about their nightmare about not being ready for a meeting, or a board of directors where they have to give an important report.

You know what? If our dreams reflect our fears, then there must be this fear deep down inside of many of us that we won't be ready when an important moment comes.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The 'Not Ready' Nightmare."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from the Old Testament prophet Amos. It's pretty simple, straightforward. Amos 4:12 - "Prepare to meet your God." Wow! Now, if not being ready is nightmare stuff, then not being ready to meet God must be the ultimate nightmare. I mean, meeting Him is the surest date you have.

Hebrews 9:27 in the Bible says, "It is appointed to man once to die, and after this the judgment." So, the moment you take your last breath, there's God. Earth appointments? They can be postponed. They can be canceled, but God has this one in indelible ink in His calendar. The One who gave you your life is the One you will meet at the end of your life. The question the Bible raises is, "Are you prepared?" You say, "Well, yeah, I'm a good person." Unfortunately, that doesn't answer the question.

Romans 3:20 says this, no one will be justified by observing the law. "No one will be declared righteous in God's sight by observing the law." Not protestant good things, not Catholic good things, not Jewish good things. Unfortunately no one is ready to meet God as long as he or she is still carrying around their sin.

You say, "Well, we've all got sin we're carrying around." Yes, that's what Romans 3:23 says in that same chapter. "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." If sin were something you could repay, maybe you could work it off with a lifetime of good deeds. But it can't be repaid. It's got to be removed!

The penalty for sin is a death penalty; separation from God eternally. And it cannot be paid in good deeds. Somebody's got to die for a death penalty, and I deserve to. But the same place where it says "all of us have fallen short of the glory of God" says, "And we are justified (that means made right) with God, freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Somebody did die for your sins and mine; the One who didn't deserve to. The only One who could - God's Son.

Now, how do you prepare to meet your God? Romans 3:25 says, "He was a sacrifice of atonement (that is to pay for your sin; to cover our sin) through faith in His blood." Faith in Jesus' dying for us. See, you open your heart to the One who paid your bill with God. Like this, "Lord, I put all my hope in Jesus Christ's work on the cross." And once you've told God that, that you're totally trusting in what Christ did, your nightmare is over. With your sins erased, you're ready.

If you say, "Well, I'm not sure I am. How do I get started with this relationship with Jesus? How can I have my sins forgiven?" You tell Jesus, "I'm yours" today. Would you go to our website? I'll do my best there to help you know you belong to Him. It's ANewStory.com.

You've got an appointment with God. You ready? Going into eternity without Christ? That's the ultimate nightmare. If you're not sure, please don't risk another day without Jesus.

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Acts 18, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: TRUST GOD’S PERFECT LOVE - June 28, 2023

Dry mouth. Moist palms. Pulse pounding. Eyes darting over your shoulder. Heart in your throat. You know the feeling. You know the moment. You know exactly what it’s like. Policemen have stirred more prayers than a thousand pulpits! Upward prayers become backward thoughts. What did I do? How fast was I going? The policeman is standing at your door. No one likes the thought of judgment.

1 John 4:18 says, “Perfect love expels all fear.” You need never fear God’s judgment. Not today, not on Judgment Day. With perfect knowledge of the past and perfect vision of the future, God loves you—perfectly—in spite of both. Jesus is speaking on your behalf. “That’s my friend,” he says. And when he does, the door of heaven opens. Trust God’s love, his perfect love. It can handle your fear of judgment. And slower driving can handle your fear of policemen.

Come Thirsty

Read more Come Thirsty

Acts 18

Corinth

After Athens, Paul went to Corinth. That is where he discovered Aquila, a Jew born in Pontus, and his wife, Priscilla. They had just arrived from Italy, part of the general expulsion of Jews from Rome ordered by Claudius. Paul moved in with them, and they worked together at their common trade of tentmaking. But every Sabbath he was at the meeting place, doing his best to convince both Jews and Greeks about Jesus.

5-6 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was able to give all his time to preaching and teaching, doing everything he could to persuade the Jews that Jesus was in fact God’s Messiah. But no such luck. All they did was argue contentiously and contradict him at every turn. Totally exasperated, Paul had finally had it with them and gave it up as a bad job. “Have it your way, then,” he said. “You’ve made your bed; now lie in it. From now on I’m spending my time with the other nations.”

7-8 He walked out and went to the home of Titius Justus, a God-fearing man who lived right next to the Jews’ meeting place. But Paul’s efforts with the Jews weren’t a total loss, for Crispus, the meeting-place president, put his trust in the Master. His entire family believed with him.

8-11 In the course of listening to Paul, a great many Corinthians believed and were baptized. One night the Master spoke to Paul in a dream: “Keep it up, and don’t let anyone intimidate or silence you. No matter what happens, I’m with you and no one is going to be able to hurt you. You have no idea how many people I have on my side in this city.” That was all he needed to stick it out. He stayed another year and a half, faithfully teaching the Word of God to the Corinthians.

12-13 But when Gallio was governor of Achaia province, the Jews got up a campaign against Paul, hauled him into court, and filed charges: “This man is seducing people into acts of worship that are illegal.”

14-16 Just as Paul was about to defend himself, Gallio interrupted and said to the Jews, “If this was a matter of criminal conduct, I would gladly hear you out. But it sounds to me like one more Jewish squabble, another of your endless hairsplitting quarrels over religion. Take care of it on your own time. I can’t be bothered with this nonsense,” and he cleared them out of the courtroom.

17 Now the street rabble turned on Sosthenes, the new meeting-place president, and beat him up in plain sight of the court. Gallio didn’t raise a finger. He could not have cared less.

Ephesus

18 Paul stayed a while longer in Corinth, but then it was time to take leave of his friends. Saying his good-byes, he sailed for Syria, Priscilla and Aquila with him. Before boarding the ship in the harbor town of Cenchrea, he had his head shaved as part of a vow he had taken.

19-21 They landed in Ephesus, where Priscilla and Aquila got off and stayed. Paul left the ship briefly to go to the meeting place and preach to the Jews. They wanted him to stay longer, but he said he couldn’t. But after saying good-bye, he promised, “I’ll be back, God willing.”

21-22 From Ephesus he sailed to Caesarea. He greeted the church there, and then went on to Antioch, completing the journey.

23 After spending a considerable time with the Antioch Christians, Paul set off again for Galatia and Phrygia, retracing his old tracks, one town after another, putting fresh heart into the disciples.

24-26 A man named Apollos came to Ephesus. He was a Jew, born in Alexandria, Egypt, and a terrific speaker, eloquent and powerful in his preaching of the Scriptures. He was well-educated in the way of the Master and fiery in his enthusiasm. Apollos was accurate in everything he taught about Jesus up to a point, but he only went as far as the baptism of John. He preached with power in the meeting place. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and told him the rest of the story.

27-28 When Apollos decided to go on to Achaia province, his Ephesian friends gave their blessing and wrote a letter of recommendation for him, urging the disciples there to welcome him with open arms. The welcome paid off: Apollos turned out to be a great help to those who had become believers through God’s immense generosity. He was particularly effective in public debate with the Jews as he brought out proof after convincing proof from the Scriptures that Jesus was in fact God’s Messiah.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Today's Scripture

Psalm 23

God, my shepherd!

I don’t need a thing.

You have bedded me down in lush meadows,

you find me quiet pools to drink from.

True to your word,

you let me catch my breath

and send me in the right direction.

4 Even when the way goes through

Death Valley,

I’m not afraid

when you walk at my side.

Your trusty shepherd’s crook

makes me feel secure.

5 You serve me a six-course dinner

right in front of my enemies.

You revive my drooping head;

my cup brims with blessing.

6 Your beauty and love chase after me

every day of my life.

I’m back home in the house of God

for the rest of my life.

Insight

A key metaphor in this much-loved psalm is that of God’s “rod” and “staff” (23:4). The Hebrew word for “rod” is shevet, and as used here refers to a shepherd’s staff. But it can also mean the rod of a leader or a military weapon. As such, shevet connotes God’s discipline, correction, and leadership. We might think of such an image as negative—something to be avoided—but David sees it as a source of comfort. “The Lord disciplines the one he loves,” said the writer of Hebrews (12:6). God’s discipline is a sign that we’re His children. David was often pursued by his enemies, yet in this psalm he notes how he can eat in safety “in the presence of my enemies” (Psalm 23:5). Rather than being pursued by his enemies, it was God’s “goodness and love” that followed him (v. 6). By: Tim Gustafson

When You’re Lonely

You are with me. Psalm 23:4

At 7 p.m., Hui-Liang was in his kitchen, eating rice and leftover fish balls. The Chua family in the apartment next door was having dinner too, and their laughter and conversation cut through the silence of Hui-Liang’s unit, where he had lived alone since his wife died. He’d learned to live with loneliness; over the years, its stabbing pain had become a dull ache. But tonight, the sight of the one bowl and pair of chopsticks on his table pierced him deeply.

Before he went to bed that night, Hui-Liang read Psalm 23, his favorite psalm. The words that mattered most to him are only four syllables: “You are with me” (v. 4). More than the shepherd’s practical acts of care toward the sheep, it was his steadfast presence and loving gaze over every detail of the life of the sheep (vv. 2-5) that gave Hui-Liang peace.

Just knowing that someone is there, that someone is with us, brings great comfort in those lonely moments. God promises His children that His love will always be with us (Psalm 103:17), and that He’ll never leave us (Hebrews 13:5). When we feel alone and unseen—whether in a quiet kitchen, on the bus going home from work, or even in a crowded supermarket—we can know that the Shepherd’s gaze is always on us. We can say, “You are with me.”

By: Karen Huang

Reflect & Pray

When do you usually feel lonely? How does Psalm 23 encourage you?

Loving God, thank You for always being with me.

For further study, read The Lord Is My Shepherd: Rest and Renewal from Psalm 23.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Held by the Grip of God

I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. —Philippians 3:12

Never choose to be a worker for God, but once God has placed His call on you, woe be to you if you “turn aside to the right hand or to the left” (Deuteronomy 5:32). We are not here to work for God because we have chosen to do so, but because God has “laid hold of” us. And once He has done so, we never have this thought, “Well, I’m really not suited for this.” What you are to preach is also determined by God, not by your own natural leanings or desires. Keep your soul steadfastly related to God, and remember that you are called not simply to convey your testimony but also to preach the gospel. Every Christian must testify to the truth of God, but when it comes to the call to preach, there must be the agonizing grip of God’s hand on you— your life is in the grip of God for that very purpose. How many of us are held like that?

Never water down the Word of God, but preach it in its undiluted sternness. There must be unflinching faithfulness to the Word of God, but when you come to personal dealings with others, remember who you are— you are not some special being created in heaven, but a sinner saved by grace.

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do…I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

A fanatic is one who entrenches himself in invincible ignorance. Baffled to Fight Better, 59 R

Bible in a Year: Job 11-13; Acts 9:1-21

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

FIGHTING FOR THE PERSON YOU LOVE - #9513

Anne had ridden her mountain bike through a California wilderness park a lot of times before, but the ride this day would change her life. She was attacked by a mountain lion that hours earlier had actually killed another biker. As the cat literally held her in his jaws by the back of her neck, all she could do was pray. Humanly speaking, her friend Debbie was her only hope. Debbie jumped off her bike, grabbed Anne's leg, and screamed for help just kicking at the mountain lion. Imagine that!!! Thankfully, Debbie's screams finally brought the help of some men who had been biking with them. Debbie continued to hang on as the men pelted that lion with rocks. Suddenly the animal released his victim, and Anne's life was saved. Debbie just gave everything she had to keep the promise she had made to her friend in the middle of that struggle. She had just screamed, "I'll never let go of you!"

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Fighting for The Person You Love."

There are people you know whose lives depend on you being a friend like that - a friend who loves them enough to fight the lion for them - whatever it takes. In the Bible, God calls the devil "a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8). The lion's ultimate goal is to take people you work with, people you go to school with, people in your personal world, to hell. If he can just keep them from ever putting their trust in the Savior who died to save them. If he can just keep them from ever really understanding what Jesus did for them. If he can just keep you from telling them. Humanly speaking, their only hope may be someone who will fight for their life, and since you know Jesus and you know them, that someone is probably you.

The command of Proverbs 24:11 is our very important word for today from the Word of God. "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, 'But we knew nothing about this,' does not he who weighs the heart perceive it...Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?" The Bible makes it plain. It says, "He that does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:12). I'm sure you know some folks who don't have the Son of God in their heart. Which means no real life here and no eternal life when they die.

Don't just let the lion have them right before your very eyes. Fight for them! Jude 23 commands us, "Snatch others from the fire and save them." Put the name of someone you know in that verse, "Snatch (there's the name) from the fire and save that person." Someone you want to have in Heaven with you who probably isn't headed there right now.

How can you fight for their eternal soul? First, you show love to them in ways that will mean something to them, that displays God's love but in a way that communicates it in their language of love. Show them the difference Jesus makes by being like Jesus in ways that will stand out to them in contrast to the other people that they know in that same environment. The real fight for them, though, is in the Throne Room of Almighty God. Keep storming heaven, praying for their rescue every day. Pray for them by name. Don't let them go.

Ask God to open a door, which is a natural opportunity for you to explain your relationship with Jesus and the difference He makes. Pray that He will open their heart to Him and to you, and pray He'll open your mouth to tell them about Him. I call it the 3-open prayer. "Lord, open a door. Lord, open their heart. Lord, open my mouth."

Saving them is going to take a friend who will take the risks, pay the price, and make the changes necessary to rescue them, and to never, never let go. As long as there's breath, there is hope! And for your friend, this fight is life or death!

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Psalm 129, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: GOD IS USING YOUR STRUGGLE - June 27, 2023

God is using your struggle to toughen you up! It’s like viewing a movie after you’ve read the book. When something bad happens, everyone else gasps at the crisis on the screen. But not you. Why? You’ve read the book. You know how the good guy gets out of the tight spot.

God views your life with the same confidence. He’s not only read your story, he wrote it. His perspective is different, and his purpose is clear. One of God’s cures for weak faith? A good, healthy struggle. Consider it a gift when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. Under pressure, your faith life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. Scripture says, “let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way” (James 1:4 The Message). Join with Isaiah who resolved, “I will trust in him and not be afraid!”

Come Thirsty

Read more Come Thirsty

Psalm 129

“They’ve kicked me around ever since I was young”

—this is how Israel tells it—

“They’ve kicked me around ever since I was young,

but they never could keep me down.

Their plowmen plowed long furrows

up and down my back;

But God wouldn’t put up with it,

he sticks with us.

Then God ripped the harnesses

of the evil plowmen to shreds.”

5-8 Oh, let all those who hate Zion

grovel in humiliation;

Let them be like grass in shallow ground

that withers before the harvest,

Before the farmhands can gather it in,

the harvesters get in the crop,

Before the neighbors have a chance to call out,

“Congratulations on your wonderful crop!

We bless you in God’s name!”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Today's Scripture

Proverbs 25:18–23

Anyone who tells lies against the neighbors

in court or on the street is a loose cannon.

19 Trusting a double-crosser when you’re in trouble

is like biting down on an abscessed tooth.

20 Singing light songs to the heavyhearted

is like pouring salt in their wounds.

21-22 If you see your enemy hungry, go buy him lunch;

if he’s thirsty, bring him a drink.

Your generosity will surprise him with goodness,

and God will look after you.

23 A north wind brings stormy weather,

and a gossipy tongue stormy looks.

Insight

The first verse of Proverbs 25 tells us that the proverbs in chapters 25–29 were “of Solomon, compiled by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah.” You may recall Hezekiah as the good king who fought against idolatry and the Assyrians and led the people in following God (2 Kings 18:1–8).

The various sections of the book of Proverbs (including today’s reading) usually don’t have an obvious theme. They’re simply “collections” of wise sayings by which we may live. So, it’s interesting to note that of the five proverbs in 25:18–23, four are warnings against the negative fallout of imprudent behavior (vv. 18, 19, 20, 23). Such evil actions are likely to create animosity. The proverb contained in verses 21–22 stands in contrast to the warnings against such unwise (or evil) actions. By: Tim Gustafson

Heaping Coals on Enemies

Give [your enemy] food to eat. . . . In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. Proverbs 25:21–22

Dan endured daily beatings from the same prison guard. He felt compelled by Jesus to love this man, so one morning, before the beating was about to begin, Dan said, “Sir, if I’m going to see you every day for the rest of my life, let’s become friends.” The guard said, “No sir. We can never be friends.” Dan insisted and reached out his hand.

The guard froze. He began to shake, then grabbed Dan’s hand and wouldn’t let go. Tears streamed down his face. He said, “Dan, my name is Rosoc. I would love to be your friend.” The guard didn’t beat Dan that day, or ever again.

Scripture tells us, “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you” (Proverbs 25:21–22). The “coals” imagery may reflect an Egyptian ritual in which a guilty person showed his repentance by carrying a bowl of hot coals on his head. Similarly, our kindness may cause our enemies to become red in the face from embarrassment, which may lead them to repentance.

Who is your enemy? Whom do you dislike? Dan discovered that the kindness of Christ was strong enough to change any heart—his enemy’s and his own. We can too. By: Mike Wittmer

Reflect & Pray

What kind act might you do today to “heap burning coals” on your enemy’s head? How might you pray specifically for them?

Dear Jesus, I praise You that Your kindness leads me to repentance and inspires me to be kind to my enemies.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

The Overshadowing of God’s Personal Deliverance

"…I am with you to deliver you," says the Lord. —Jeremiah 1:8

God promised Jeremiah that He would deliver him personally— “…your life shall be as a prize to you…” (Jeremiah 39:18). That is all God promises His children. Wherever God sends us, He will guard our lives. Our personal property and possessions are to be a matter of indifference to us, and our hold on these things should be very loose. If this is not the case, we will have panic, heartache, and distress. Having the proper outlook is evidence of the deeply rooted belief in the overshadowing of God’s personal deliverance.

The Sermon on the Mount indicates that when we are on a mission for Jesus Christ, there is no time to stand up for ourselves. Jesus says, in effect, “Don’t worry about whether or not you are being treated justly.” Looking for justice is actually a sign that we have been diverted from our devotion to Him. Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it. If we look for justice, we will only begin to complain and to indulge ourselves in the discontent of self-pity, as if to say, “Why should I be treated like this?” If we are devoted to Jesus Christ, we have nothing to do with what we encounter, whether it is just or unjust. In essence, Jesus says, “Continue steadily on with what I have told you to do, and I will guard your life. If you try to guard it yourself, you remove yourself from My deliverance.” Even the most devout among us become atheistic in this regard— we do not believe Him. We put our common sense on the throne and then attach God’s name to it. We do lean to our own understanding, instead of trusting God with all our hearts (see Proverbs 3:5-6).

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Sincerity means that the appearance and the reality are exactly the same.

Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

Bible in a Year: Job 8-10; Acts 8:26-40

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

YOUR IRREPLACEABLE GIFT - #9512

It's a big deal when a child can finally start buying gifts with his or her own money. I remember one of the first gifts I was able to buy for my mom. It was a corsage for Mother's Day. I was doing this all on my own. I was so proud. I saved up my allowances, and I rode my bike about six blocks to the florist. I picked out these two carnations. I still remember - one was pink, one was white. Then I got on my bike and I held the white box on my handlebars. I was so proud of this gift, and then I hit a bump. In one very depressing moment, that white box went flying off the handlebars in front of my bike and I ran over it. So there I was, this forlorn little guy, bike on the ground, looking very sadly at my gift with a tire mark right down the middle. Sniff...

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Your Irreplaceable Gift."

Our word for today from the Word of God is from 1 Thessalonians 4. I'll begin reading at verse 3. It says, "It is God's will that you should be sanctified;..." That means kept special, reserved for special purposes. "It is God's will that you should be sanctified; that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable." Now notice the sequence here. Stay special. You do that by avoiding sexual immorality - sexual sin - and you do that by controlling your passions.

See, God's given this unique gift to you to give to the person that you commit your love to for a lifetime - your husband or wife. And there's no greater joy than to present that gift to your permanent lifetime partner. Take it from the boy who ran over the gift that he wanted to be special. It really hurts when you ruin it.

If you're in a position to influence young people about sexual purity, would you use the approach God uses - a positive morality. Not a negative, not a condemning one. It's all about the beauty of the gift of sex, not the dirtiness of it. It's too good to ruin. And you ruin it when you open it early or you run over it. The best of sex and the best of love are reserved for those who keep it special.

And if you're single and you're facing the pressure to have sex outside of marriage, assume God had you tune in today. He's whispering two words in your heart to build your morality on, "No regrets." What might give you some short-term sense of relief or closeness or even love will give you a very long-term sense of guilt and loss. See, you can only give your purity for the first time - one time.

You say, "Well, Ron, I've already run over the gift." Don't believe the lie that it doesn't matter what you do now. It does. Here's great news. First John 1:7, "The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, purifies us from all sin." In Joel 2:25 He says, "He will restore the years the locusts have eaten." Bring your sexuality; bring your sexual sin to the Lord, and let Him purify you and let Him begin to restore your spiritual and emotional virginity.

See, when you understand what a priceless, irreplaceable gift God gave you in the gift of sex, you commit yourself to keep it special. And if you've never experienced the wonderful, spiritual shower of knowing you've been forgiven by God for every wrong thing, every dirty thing, every sinful thing you have ever done, the place that happens is at the cross where Jesus paid for what you wish you had not done; for every sin of your life.

Today you say, "Jesus I'm Yours." And He comes into your life and erases every sin of your life from God's Book. Let it happen today, my friend. I think our website can help you get started with Him. It's ANewStory.com. Go there today.

It hurts a lot to ruin a valuable gift, so hold it close. It will be worth the wait when you present that unspoiled gift to your lifetime love. But if you need to be forgiven for what you've already done, this is your day to meet Jesus, who says He will make you "a new creation in Christ" - a new beginning.

Monday, June 26, 2023

Psalm 128, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: FOUND: POTBELLIED PIG - June 26, 2023

The sign said Found: Potbellied Pig. Did I just read what I think I read? I’d never seen such an announcement. Similar ones, sure. But Found: Potbellied Pig? Who loses a pig? The sign presupposes a curious moment. Someone spots the pig lumbering down the sidewalk. “Poor thing. Climb in little piggy. The street is no place for you. I’ll take you home.” Man, I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t claim one. But God would, and God did. God did when he claimed us.

We assume God cares for the purebreds of the world, the tidy-living. But what about the rest of us? Do we warrant his oversight? Psalm 91 offers a rousing yes! “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty…The Lord says, ‘I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.'” Even we, Potbellied Pigs.

Come Thirsty

Read more Come Thirsty

Psalm 128

All you who fear God, how blessed you are!

how happily you walk on his smooth straight road!

You worked hard and deserve all you’ve got coming.

Enjoy the blessing! Soak in the goodness!

3-4 Your wife will bear children as a vine bears grapes,

your household lush as a vineyard,

The children around your table

as fresh and promising as young olive shoots.

Stand in awe of God’s Yes.

Oh, how he blesses the one who fears God!

5-6 Enjoy the good life in Jerusalem

every day of your life.

And enjoy your grandchildren.

Peace to Israel!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, June 26, 2023

Today's Scripture

2 Kings 5:20–27

Elisha said, “Everything will be all right. Go in peace.”

But he hadn’t gone far when Gehazi, servant to Elisha the Holy Man, said to himself, “My master has let this Aramean Naaman slip through his fingers without so much as a thank-you. By the living God, I’m going after him to get something or other from him!” And Gehazi took off after Naaman.

Naaman saw him running after him and jumped down from his chariot to greet him, “Is something wrong?”

22 “Nothing’s wrong, but something’s come up. My master sent me to tell you: ‘Two young men just showed up from the hill country of Ephraim, brothers from the guild of the prophets. Supply their needs with a gift of 75 pounds of silver and a couple of sets of clothes.’”

23 Naaman said, “Of course, how about 150 pounds?” Naaman insisted. He tied up the money in two sacks and gave him the two sets of clothes; he even gave him two servants to carry the gifts back with him.

24 When they got to the fort on the hill, Gehazi took the gifts from the servants, stored them inside, then sent the servants back.

25 He returned and stood before his master. Elisha said, “So what have you been up to, Gehazi?”

“Nothing much,” he said.

26-27 Elisha said, “Didn’t you know I was with you in spirit when that man stepped down from his chariot to greet you? Tell me, is this a time to look after yourself, lining your pockets with gifts? Naaman’s skin disease will now infect you and your family, with no relief in sight.”

Gehazi walked away, his skin flaky and white like snow.

Insight

The king of Aram offered a reward to anyone who could heal Naaman of leprosy (2 Kings 5:5–6). After God used Elisha to heal Naaman, Elisha refused to take any reward. However, Elisha’s servant, Gehazi, was greedy and abused his trusted position. He deceitfully solicited 75 pounds of silver and two sets of clothing from Naaman (vv. 22–24 nlt). For his greed and deceit, Gehazi was severely disciplined (v. 27).

Scripture makes it clear that greed is improper for a believer in Jesus (Ephesians 5:3; Colossians 3:5), especially one who professes to serve God (1 Timothy 3:3, 8; Titus 1:7).

Learn more about a biblical perspective of money.

By: K. T. Sim

Easy Money

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

In the late 1700s, a young man discovered a mysterious depression on Nova Scotia’s Oak Island. Guessing that pirates—perhaps even Captain Kidd himself—had buried treasure there, he and a couple of companions started digging. They never found any treasure, but the rumor took on a life of its own. Over the centuries, others continued digging at the site—expending a great amount of time and expense. The hole is now more than one hundred feet (thirty meters) deep.

Such obsessions betray the emptiness in the human heart. A story in the Bible shows how one man’s behavior revealed just such a void in his heart. Gehazi had long been a reliable servant of the great prophet Elisha. But when Elisha declined the lavish gifts of a military commander whom God had healed of leprosy, Gehazi concocted a story to get some of the loot (2 Kings 5:22). When Gehazi returned home, he lied to the prophet (v. 25). But Elisha knew. He asked him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you?” (v. 26). In the end, Gehazi got what he wanted, but lost what was important (v. 27).

Jesus taught us not to pursue this world’s treasures and to instead “store up . . . treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20).

Beware of any shortcuts to your heart’s desires. Following Jesus is the way to fill the emptiness with something real.

By: Tim Gustafson

Reflect & Pray

What do you long for the most? What pursuits and obsessions have left you feeling empty?

Dear God, I give my desires over to You. Please help me crave the treasures that You value.

For further study, read Compassion: When Jesus Asks for More than We Have.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, June 26, 2023

Drawing on the Grace of God— Now

By Oswald Chambers

We…plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. —2 Corinthians 6:1

The grace you had yesterday will not be sufficient for today. Grace is the overflowing favor of God, and you can always count on it being available to draw upon as needed. “…in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses”— that is where our patience is tested (2 Corinthians 6:4). Are you failing to rely on the grace of God there? Are you saying to yourself, “Oh well, I won’t count this time”? It is not a question of praying and asking God to help you— it is taking the grace of God now. We tend to make prayer the preparation for our service, yet it is never that in the Bible. Prayer is the practice of drawing on the grace of God. Don’t say, “I will endure this until I can get away and pray.” Pray now — draw on the grace of God in your moment of need. Prayer is the most normal and useful thing; it is not simply a reflex action of your devotion to God. We are very slow to learn to draw on God’s grace through prayer.

“…in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors…” (2 Corinthians 6:5)— in all these things, display in your life a drawing on the grace of God, which will show evidence to yourself and to others that you are a miracle of His. Draw on His grace now, not later. The primary word in the spiritual vocabulary is now. Let circumstances take you where they will, but keep drawing on the grace of God in whatever condition you may find yourself. One of the greatest proofs that you are drawing on the grace of God is that you can be totally humiliated before others without displaying even the slightest trace of anything but His grace.

“…having nothing….” Never hold anything in reserve. Pour yourself out, giving the best that you have, and always be poor. Never be diplomatic and careful with the treasure God gives you. “…and yet possessing all things”— this is poverty triumphant (2 Corinthians 6:10).

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Jesus Christ is always unyielding to my claim to my right to myself. The one essential element in all our Lord’s teaching about discipleship is abandon, no calculation, no trace of self-interest.

Disciples Indeed

Bible in a Year: Job 5-7; Acts 8:1-25

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, June 26, 2023

How to Have a Peaceful Relationship - #9511

I love those old westerns! Things were so simple then. You know, the good guys were good, and the bad guys were bad. The hero only kissed his horse. And the most he did with a girl was probably sing some trail song to her. And there was always a predictable showdown with the head good guy and the head bad guy. One of the classic lines usually came as the Marshal stared down Bad Bart. And he said something like this, "I want you out of town by sundown." Great line. By the way, it's a great way to keep peace in town - or anywhere for that matter. I don't mean asking people to leave, but setting a deadline like that.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How to Have a Peaceful Relationship."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God is from Ephesians 4:26, one of my favorites. "In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." I've often thought, "Boy, that would be a great sign to put over every married couple's bed." Huh?

It's talking here about how to have peace and keep peace in a relationship. It has to be anchored to this determination not to let any conflict last until tomorrow. "Get out of here by sundown!" Yep, that's the message! It takes work to keep peace in a marriage, or a family, or in a friendship, or a group of people who are working together, or in a ministry, or in a church.

Earlier in this chapter, in chapter 4 verse 3, it says, "Make every effort..." Okay, that means work hard. "Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." What kind of effort? Well, there are three efforts that keep peace in a relationship. Number one, deal with the conflict quickly. If you've ever been to Disney World, you may know it's a very clean amusement park in spite of the millions of people who go there. You get the feeling that if you drop something, they're going to pick it up before it hits the ground. They're going to catch it. And you know what happens? Clean breeds clean. They pick something up immediately. Their theory is, "Don't let a mess get started, and there won't be a big one."

That's a pretty good idea for keeping relationships clean. Don't wait until it's built into a crisis. Deal with the first strain, the first miscommunication, or misunderstanding, or hurt. Deal with conflict quickly.

The second effort to keep the peace is, "Tell how you feel." For example, I never knew I had been hurting my wife. I had inadvertently been interrupting and correcting her in public conversation some years ago. I didn't know until she told me. Well, don't just expect people will know. And you can say, "Well, they ought to know." Well, tell them how you feel. Express it as a feeling - not an accusation. Tell them how you feel!

And the third effort to keep the peace is to admit being wrong. That might be the toughest one of all for some of us. Be willing to apologize. Powerful words, "I was wrong." Some of us are like Fonzi, we can't get those words out. "I was wro..wro..wrong." We just can't say it. But those are three of the most healing words in the English language.

James 5:16, "Confess your faults to one another, that you may be healed." When we let conflict and hurt stay overnight in town - maybe many overnights - we destroy peace, we erode love, we create resentment. we erode trust.

Unresolved anger is always a bad guy in town. And you know what to tell a bad guy, right? "I want you out of here by sundown."

Sunday, June 25, 2023

Psalm 127, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Our Ability to Hear

When our daughter Jenna was five years old, I took her to get a bike. And Andrea, age three, decided she wanted one as well. I explained to her she was too young for a two-wheeler. That when she was older she would get a bike too. No luck. She still wanted a bike. She turned her head and said nothing. Finally I sighed and said this time her daddy knew best.

Her response? She screamed it loud enough for everyone in the store to hear…“Then I want a new daddy!” Andrea, with three-year-old reasoning powers, couldn’t believe that a new bike would be anything less than ideal for her. And the one to grant that bliss was sitting on his hands.

If you’ve heard the silence of God, you may learn that the problem is not as much in God’s silence as it is in your ability to hear and your capacity to understand!

From Dad Time

Psalm 127

If God doesn’t build the house,

the builders only build shacks.

If God doesn’t guard the city,

the night watchman might as well nap.

It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late,

and work your worried fingers to the bone.

Don’t you know he enjoys

giving rest to those he loves?

3-5 Don’t you see that children are God’s best gift?

the fruit of the womb his generous legacy?

Like a warrior’s fistful of arrows

are the children of a vigorous youth.

Oh, how blessed are you parents,

with your quivers full of children!

Your enemies don’t stand a chance against you;

you’ll sweep them right off your doorstep.

128 1-2 All you who fear God, how blessed you are!

how happily you walk on his smooth straight road!

You worked hard and deserve all you’ve got coming.

Enjoy the blessing! Soak in the goodness!

3-4 Your wife will bear children as a vine bears grapes,

your household lush as a vineyard,

The children around your table

as fresh and promising as young olive shoots.

Stand in awe of God’s Yes.

Oh, how he blesses the one who fears God!

5-6 Enjoy the good life in Jerusalem

every day of your life.

And enjoy your grandchildren.

Peace to Israel!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Sunday, June 25, 2023

Today's Scripture

1 Corinthians 11:23–28

Let me go over with you again exactly what goes on in the Lord’s Supper and why it is so centrally important. I received my instructions from the Master himself and passed them on to you. The Master, Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, took bread. Having given thanks, he broke it and said,

This is my body, broken for you.

Do this to remember me.

After supper, he did the same thing with the cup:

This cup is my blood, my new covenant with you.

Each time you drink this cup, remember me.

What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt.

27-28 Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death. Is that the kind of “remembrance” you want to be part of? Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe.

Insight

The Greek word epaineo means “to applaud—commend, laud, praise.” The word is used six times in the New Testament; it occurs four times in 1 Corinthians 11, where it’s translated “praise” (vv. 2, 17, 22 [2x]). Paul “praised” the Corinthians for their mindfulness of him and for following his teaching (vv. 2–16), but there was no such commendation (vv. 17–34) for the way they observed the Lord’s Supper. The self-centered indulgence that was going on among them was inconsiderate and harmful (vv. 18–22). What they were (supposedly) commemorating was the self-giving sacrifice of Jesus, yet they’d lost sight of it. Such irony and inconsistency compelled Paul to write, “So then, when you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat” (v. 20). His warning—for the Corinthians and for us—is that those who take Communion without due consideration for Christ and others do so in an unworthy manner. By: Arthur Jackson

Remembering the Sacrifice

Whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 1 Corinthians 11:26

Following the Sunday morning worship service, my Moscow host took me to lunch at a restaurant outside the Kremlin. Upon arrival, we noticed a line of newlywed couples in wedding garb approaching the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside the Kremlin wall. The happiness of their wedding day intentionally included remembering the sacrifices others had made to help make such a day possible. It was a sobering sight as the couples took pictures by the memorial before laying wedding flowers at its base.

All of us have cause to be thankful for others who’ve made sacrifices to bring a measure of fullness to our lives. None of those sacrifices are unimportant, but neither are those sacrifices the most important. It’s only at the foot of the cross where we see the sacrifice Jesus made for us and begin to understand how thoroughly our lives are indebted to the Savior.

Coming to the Lord’s Table to take Communion reminds us of Jesus’ sacrifice—pictured in the bread and cup. Paul wrote, “whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). May our times at His Table remind us to live every day in remembrance and gratitude of all Jesus has done in us and for us. By: Bill Crowder

Reflect & Pray

When you approach the Lord’s Table, how do you view it? How can you use it as an opportunity to give thanks for Christ’s sacrifice on your behalf?

Loving God, nothing could ever repay the priceless display of love evidenced in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Help me to display my gratitude for what He’s done for me.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, June 25, 2023

Receiving Yourself in the Fires of Sorrow

…what shall I say? "Father, save Me from this hour"? But for this purpose I came to this hour. "Father, glorify Your name." —John 12:27-28

As a saint of God, my attitude toward sorrow and difficulty should not be to ask that they be prevented, but to ask that God protect me so that I may remain what He created me to be, in spite of all my fires of sorrow. Our Lord received Himself, accepting His position and realizing His purpose, in the midst of the fire of sorrow. He was saved not from the hour, but out of the hour.

We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and we have to accept and receive ourselves in its fires. If we try to evade sorrow, refusing to deal with it, we are foolish. Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life, and there is no use in saying it should not be. Sin, sorrow, and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them.

Sorrow removes a great deal of a person’s shallowness, but it does not always make that person better. Suffering either gives me to myself or it destroys me. You cannot find or receive yourself through success, because you lose your head over pride. And you cannot receive yourself through the monotony of your daily life, because you give in to complaining. The only way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow. Why it should be this way is immaterial. The fact is that it is true in the Scriptures and in human experience. You can always recognize who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, and you know that you can go to him in your moment of trouble and find that he has plenty of time for you. But if a person has not been through the fires of sorrow, he is apt to be contemptuous, having no respect or time for you, only turning you away. If you will receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth. The Place of Help, 1005 R

Bible in a Year: Job 3-4; Acts 7:44-60

Saturday, June 24, 2023

2 Thessalonians 3, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: What Pleases a Father

When our daughters were young, Denalyn went away for a couple of days and left me alone with the girls. Though the time was not without the typical children’s quarrels and occasional misbehavior, it went fine.

“How were the girls?” Denalyn asked when she got home. “Good. No problem at all.” Jenna overheard me. “We weren’t good, Daddy,” she objected. “We fought once; we didn’t do what you said once. We weren’t good.”

Jenna and I had different perceptions of what pleases a father. She thought it depended on what she did. It didn’t. We think the same about God. We think His love rises and falls with our performance. It doesn’t. I didn’t love Jenna for what she did. I loved her—and love her still—for whose she is. She’s mine. God loves you for the same reason. He loves you for whose you are; and you are His child!

From Dad Time

2 Thessalonians 3

Those Who Are Lazy

One more thing, friends: Pray for us. Pray that the Master’s Word will simply take off and race through the country to a groundswell of response, just as it did among you. And pray that we’ll be rescued from these troublemakers who are trying to do us in. I’m finding that not all “believers” are believers. But the Master never lets us down. He’ll stick by you and protect you from evil.

4-5 Because of the Master, we have great confidence in you. We know you’re doing everything we told you and will continue doing it. May the Master take you by the hand and lead you along the path of God’s love and Christ’s endurance.

6-9 Our orders—backed up by the Master, Jesus—are to refuse to have anything to do with those among you who are lazy and refuse to work the way we taught you. Don’t permit them to freeload on the rest. We showed you how to pull your weight when we were with you, so get on with it. We didn’t sit around on our hands expecting others to take care of us. In fact, we worked our fingers to the bone, up half the night moonlighting so you wouldn’t be burdened with taking care of us. And it wasn’t because we didn’t have a right to your support; we did. We simply wanted to provide an example of diligence, hoping it would prove contagious.

10-13 Don’t you remember the rule we had when we lived with you? “If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” And now we’re getting reports that a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings are taking advantage of you. This must not be tolerated. We command them to get to work immediately—no excuses, no arguments—and earn their own keep. Friends, don’t slack off in doing your duty.

14-15 If anyone refuses to obey our clear command written in this letter, don’t let him get by with it. Point out such a person and refuse to subsidize his freeloading. Maybe then he’ll think twice. But don’t treat him as an enemy. Sit him down and talk about the problem as someone who cares.

16 May the Master of Peace himself give you the gift of getting along with each other at all times, in all ways. May the Master be truly among you!

17 I, Paul, bid you good-bye in my own handwriting. I do this in all my letters, so examine my signature as proof that the letter is genuine.

18 The incredible grace of our Master, Jesus Christ, be with all of you!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Saturday, June 24, 2023

Today's Scripture

John 6:5–13

When Jesus looked out and saw that a large crowd had arrived, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy bread to feed these people?” He said this to stretch Philip’s faith. He already knew what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered, “Two hundred silver pieces wouldn’t be enough to buy bread for each person to get a piece.”

8-9 One of the disciples—it was Andrew, brother to Simon Peter—said, “There’s a little boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But that’s a drop in the bucket for a crowd like this.”

10-11 Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” There was a nice carpet of green grass in this place. They sat down, about five thousand of them. Then Jesus took the bread and, having given thanks, gave it to those who were seated. He did the same with the fish. All ate as much as they wanted.

12-13 When the people had eaten their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the leftovers so nothing is wasted.” They went to work and filled twelve large baskets with leftovers from the five barley loaves.

Insight

Stating there were twelve baskets of leftovers (John 6:13) is a remarkable detail in an account that begins with the seeming impossibility of feeding the crowd. The disciple Philip notes that it would take “more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” (v. 7). Even if they had the means to buy that much bread, it would likely have been impossible to find that much available from local villages and towns, which wouldn’t have been expecting so many buyers.

The miracle has some parallels to the account in 2 Kings 4:42–44. There, during a time of famine (v. 38), God multiplied twenty loaves of barley bread. Like the disciple Andrew (John 6:8-9), Elisha’s servant questioned putting a small amount of food before so many. But in both miracles, there was enough for all—with leftovers (2 Kings 4:44; John 6:12–13)! By: Monica La Rose

He Makes Us New

Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted. John 6:12

As a traveling executive, Shawn Seipler wrestled with an odd question. What happens to leftover soap in hotel rooms? Thrown out as trash for landfills, millions of soap bars could instead find new life, Seipler believed. So he launched Clean the World, a recycling venture that has helped more than eight thousand hotels, cruise lines, and resorts turn millions of pounds of discarded soap into sterilized, newly molded soap bars. Sent to people in need in more than one hundred countries, the recycled soap helps prevent countless hygiene-related illnesses and deaths.

As Seipler said, “I know it sounds funny, but that little bar of soap on the counter in your hotel room can literally save a life.”

The gathering up of something used or dirty to give it new life is also one of the most loving traits of our Savior, Jesus. In that manner, after He fed a crowd of five thousand with five small barley loaves and two small fish, He still said to His disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted” (John 6:12).

In our lives, when we feel “washed up,” God sees us not as wasted lives but as His miracles. Never throwaways in His sight, we have divine potential for new kingdom work. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17). What makes us new? Christ within us. By: Patricia Raybon

Reflect & Pray

When have you felt you possessed little value? How has Jesus given you new life?

When I feel worthless, dear Father, help me see my new life in You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Saturday, June 24, 2023

Reconciling Yourself to the Fact of Sin

By Oswald Chambers

This is your hour, and the power of darkness. —Luke 22:53

Not being reconciled to the fact of sin— not recognizing it and refusing to deal with it— produces all the disasters in life. You may talk about the lofty virtues of human nature, but there is something in human nature that will mockingly laugh in the face of every principle you have. If you refuse to agree with the fact that there is wickedness and selfishness, something downright hateful and wrong, in human beings, when it attacks your life, instead of reconciling yourself to it, you will compromise with it and say that it is of no use to battle against it. Have you taken this “hour, and the power of darkness” into account, or do you have a view of yourself which includes no recognition of sin whatsoever? In your human relationships and friendships, have you reconciled yourself to the fact of sin? If not, just around the next corner you will find yourself trapped and you will compromise with it. But if you will reconcile yourself to the fact of sin, you will realize the danger immediately and say, “Yes, I see what this sin would mean.” The recognition of sin does not destroy the basis of friendship— it simply establishes a mutual respect for the fact that the basis of sinful life is disastrous. Always beware of any assessment of life which does not recognize the fact that there is sin.

Jesus Christ never trusted human nature, yet He was never cynical nor suspicious, because He had absolute trust in what He could do for human nature. The pure man or woman is the one who is shielded from harm, not the innocent person. The so-called innocent man or woman is never safe. Men and women have no business trying to be innocent; God demands that they be pure and virtuous. Innocence is the characteristic of a child. Any person is deserving of blame if he is unwilling to reconcile himself to the fact of sin.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

It is an easy thing to argue from precedent because it makes everything simple, but it is a risky thing to do. Give God “elbow room”; let Him come into His universe as He pleases. If we confine God in His working to religious people or to certain ways, we place ourselves on an equality with God. Baffled to Fight Better, 51 L

Bible in a Year: Job 1-2; Acts 7:22-43

Friday, June 23, 2023

Psalm 125 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily:WORRY IS OPTIONAL - June 23, 2023 Some of us have postgraduate degrees from the University of Anxiety. We go to sleep worried that we won’t wake up. We wake up worried that we didn’t sleep. We worry that someone will discover that lettuce was fattening all along. Wouldn’t you love to stop worrying? Could you use a strong shelter from life’s harsh elements?

God offers you just that. The possibility of a worry-free life. Not just less worry, but no worry. Philippians 4:7 says, “His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Worry is an option, not an assignment. Be quick to pray. Rather than worry about anything, Scripture says, “pray about everything.” Focus less on the problems ahead and more on the victories behind. In everything let your requests be made known to God! Do your part, and God will for sure do his.

Psalm 125

Those who trust in God  are like Zion Mountain: Nothing can move it, a rock-solid mountain  you can always depend on. Mountains encircle Jerusalem,  and God encircles his people—  always has and always will. The fist of the wicked  will never violate What is due the righteous,  provoking wrongful violence. Be good to your good people, God,  to those whose hearts are right! God will round up the backsliders,  corral them with the incorrigibles. Peace over Israel!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion Today's Scripture:

Exodus 14:21–23, 26–31

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and God, with a terrific east wind all night long, made the sea go back. He made the sea dry ground. The seawaters split.

22–25 The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground with the waters a wall to the right and to the left. The Egyptians came after them in full pursuit, every horse and chariot and driver of Pharaoh racing into the middle of the sea.

God said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea and the waters will come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots, over their horsemen.”

27–28 Moses stretched his hand out over the sea: As the day broke and the Egyptians were running, the sea returned to its place as before. God dumped the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. The waters returned, drowning the chariots and riders of Pharaoh’s army that had chased after Israel into the sea. Not one of them survived.

29–31 But the Israelites walked right through the middle of the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall to the right and to the left. God delivered Israel that day from the oppression of the Egyptians. And Israel looked at the Egyptian dead, washed up on the shore of the sea, and realized the tremendous power that God brought against the Egyptians. The people were in reverent awe before God and trusted in God and his servant Moses.

Insight

Some critics attempt to read a contradiction into Exodus 14:21, claiming that it first says Moses parted the sea, and then the text says God did it. However, there’s no contradiction. It was God who commanded Moses, “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water” (v. 16). God did something similar in Exodus 4, when Moses’ staff became a snake (vv. 2–4). God often used the staff or hand of Moses or Aaron to initiate the plagues (see chs. 7–10). But it was always God who accomplished these supernatural acts.

By: Tim Gustafson

God’s Mighty Power

When the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord . . . [they] put their trust in him.

Exodus 14:31

The seemingly impossible happened when hurricane-force winds changed the flow of the mighty Mississippi River. In August 2021, Hurricane Ida came ashore on the coast of Louisiana, and the astonishing result was a “negative flow,” meaning water actually flowed upriver for several hours.

Experts estimate that over its life cycle a hurricane can expend energy equivalent to ten thousand nuclear bombs! Such incredible power to change the course of flowing water helps me understand the Israelites’ response to a far more significant “negative flow” recorded in Exodus.

While fleeing the Egyptians who’d enslaved them for centuries, the Israelites came to the edge of the Red Sea. In front of them was a wide body of water and behind them was the heavily armored Egyptian army. In that seemingly impossible situation, “the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land . . . and the Israelites went through the sea” (Exodus 14:21–22). Rescued in that incredible display of power, “the people feared the Lord” (v. 31).

Responding with awe is natural after experiencing the immensity of God’s power. But it didn’t end there; the Israelites also “put their trust” in Him (v. 31).

As we experience God’s power in creation, we too can stand in awe of His might and place our trust in Him.

By: Lisa M. Samra

Reflect & Pray

When have you experienced a display of God’s power in creation? How did that lead to a greater trust in Him?

Creator God, please help me to trust You more when I see awesome displays of Your power.

For further study, read Get Outside: Knowing God Through His Creation. https://discoveryseries.org/Q1128

My Utmost to his highest devotional

“Acquainted With Grief”

By Oswald Chambers

He is…a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. —Isaiah 53:3

We are not “acquainted with grief” in the same way our Lord was acquainted with it. We endure it and live through it, but we do not become intimate with it. At the beginning of our lives we do not bring ourselves to the point of dealing with the reality of sin. We look at life through the eyes of reason and say that if a person will control his instincts, and educate himself, he can produce a life that will slowly evolve into the life of God. But as we continue on through life, we find the presence of something which we have not yet taken into account, namely, sin— and it upsets all of our thinking and our plans. Sin has made the foundation of our thinking unpredictable, uncontrollable, and irrational.

We have to recognize that sin is a fact of life, not just a shortcoming. Sin is blatant mutiny against God, and either sin or God must die in my life. The New Testament brings us right down to this one issue— if sin rules in me, God’s life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed. There is nothing more fundamental than that. The culmination of sin was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and what was true in the history of God on earth will also be true in your history and in mine— that is, sin will kill the life of God in us. We must mentally bring ourselves to terms with this fact of sin. It is the only explanation why Jesus Christ came to earth, and it is the explanation of the grief and sorrow of life.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The attitude of a Christian towards the providential order in which he is placed is to recognize that God is behind it for purposes of His own. Biblical Ethics, 99 R

Bible in a Year: Esther 9-10; Acts 7:1-21

A Word With You by Ron Hutchcraft

WORTH THE WEIGHT - #9510

I think there's like this five-year-old kid that comes out in everybody when they get to Disney World. I'm going to have to confess that the little boy inside of me is still alive and even though it's been awhile since I've been like in Disney World, I mean, we did enjoy the times when our family visited the Magic Kingdom some years ago.

Now, it's good to get to places like that early. I mean, all the attractions are great, but you've got to wait for them, even though you probably don't want to spend your time just standing in long lines most of the time. I remember when I was there years ago, one of the most exciting rides we used to take was called Space Mountain. It was one of our favorite things to do. But there was this warning you had to read before you took the ride. Something like this, "If you have a heart condition, bad back, ingrown toenail, or whatever, don't get on this ride."

It's a wild ride through this outer space environment, in total darkness. So, you look at the line, and you see it's one of the longest lines in the park. At least it was then. And you go, "How long is this wait?" They say, "About an hour." No! Are we going to wait an hour? We did, and we even went back other times. It was great! It was worth it! You've got to wait for the best that they have.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Worth the Weight."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from the Old Testament prophet Habakkuk. There are only a few chapters, but there's a lot in it. He told God's children back in that day that he was actually struggling with God's calling. He wanted justice. He's going, "God, why don't you stop the sin in our nation? How come it's taking so long?" And God says, "I'm going to answer your prayer in My time." Then the dreaded word in chapter 2, verse 3, "For the revelation awaits an appointed time." There's that word!

Well, Habakkuk learns a beautiful lesson, because He says near the end of the book in chapter 3, verse 16, "I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will rejoice in God my Savior."

Habakkuk has learned a solid gold lesson about following the Lord. Doing God's best is a lot like riding the best ride in a place like Disney World. You have to wait to get the best. The Bible is full of instances where people couldn't wait for God's answer. Like Abraham. He goes with Hagar, his wife's handmaid. He cannot wait for the promised son to come through him and Sarah, and he causes a horrible situation. Ishmael comes along, and today the descendants of Isaac, who would later come as the son of Abraham and Sarah, and Ishmael the descendant of Abraham and Hagar are still today fighting it out in the Middle East because Abraham couldn't wait.

Moses tried to deliver the Jews by killing an Egyptian. He had the right idea, "My people should go free." God agreed, but not that way. He had to wander in the wilderness for forty years because he acted too soon. He acted his way... tried it his way. Created a forty year mess. See, God's best always comes after a wait. Look, a baby takes nine months.

Suppose you need an answer, but you can't wait for it. How different the result could be if you could get an instant answer. Wait! You don't want a premature answer. You want God's full term. Maybe you're tired of waiting, but God's answer is worth the wait; it's the best. You may have spent a whole life waiting for a love you couldn't lose. You've been waiting for a peace that would sustain you in every storm. You've been waiting for the assurance that when you die you will be in heaven.

Well, today God is coming your way with the offer of Jesus, His Son, who died to make all that happen. Who walked out of His grace to prove He can. Maybe you've never had a day when you've made Jesus your Savior. Maybe you've never opened your heart to Him. If you want to and you need to know how, would you come to our website and find that out? It's ANewStory.com. It could all begin there.

A lifetime of waiting for the love that will fill your heart could be over now and that love could begin today.

Confirming One’s Calling and Election

Friday, June 30, 2023

Thursday, June 29, 2023

Wednesday, June 28, 2023

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Monday, June 26, 2023

Sunday, June 25, 2023

Saturday, June 24, 2023

Friday, June 23, 2023