Max Lucado Daily: FOR HIS GLORY - May 26, 2023
Proverbs 16:18 reminds us as humility goes before honor, “pride goes before a fall.” Ever wonder why churches are powerful in one generation but empty the next? The Bible says the Lord will tear down the house of the proud (Proverbs 12:5). God hates arrogance. He hates it because we haven’t done anything to be arrogant about. Is there a Pulitzer for ink? Can you imagine a scalpel growing smug after a successful heart transplant? Of course not. They are only tools. So are we. We may be the canvas, the paper, or the scalpel, but we are not the one who deserves the applause.
David declares who does in the twenty-third Psalm. “He makes me, he leads me, he restores my soul…for his name’s sake.” For his name’s sake! No other name. This is all done for God’s glory. He takes the credit, not because he needs it, but because he knows we cannot handle it.
Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Meant to Carry
Read more Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Meant to Carry
Acts 17:16-34
Athens
16 The longer Paul waited in Athens for Silas and Timothy, the angrier he got—all those idols! The city was a junkyard of idols.
17-18 He discussed it with the Jews and other like-minded people at their meeting place. And every day he went out on the streets and talked with anyone who happened along. He got to know some of the Epicurean and Stoic intellectuals pretty well through these conversations. Some of them dismissed him with sarcasm: “What a moron!” But others, listening to him go on about Jesus and the resurrection, were intrigued: “That’s a new slant on the gods. Tell us more.”
19-21 These people got together and asked him to make a public presentation over at the Areopagus, where things were a little quieter. They said, “This is a new one on us. We’ve never heard anything quite like it. Where did you come up with this anyway? Explain it so we can understand.” Downtown Athens was a great place for gossip. There were always people hanging around, natives and tourists alike, waiting for the latest tidbit on most anything.
22-23 So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them. “It is plain to see that you Athenians take your religion seriously. When I arrived here the other day, I was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one inscribed, to the god nobody knows. I’m here to introduce you to this God so you can worship intelligently, know who you’re dealing with.
24-29 “The God who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn’t live in custom-made shrines or need the human race to run errands for him, as if he couldn’t take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures don’t make him. Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living so we could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find him. He doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near. We live and move in him, can’t get away from him! One of your poets said it well: ‘We’re the God-created.’ Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for us, does it?
30-31 “God overlooks it as long as you don’t know any better—but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he’s calling for a radical life-change. He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and everything set right. And he has already appointed the judge, confirming him before everyone by raising him from the dead.”
32-34 At the phrase “raising him from the dead,” the listeners split: Some laughed at him and walked off making jokes; others said, “Let’s do this again. We want to hear more.” But that was it for the day, and Paul left. There were still others, it turned out, who were convinced then and there, and stuck with Paul—among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, May 26, 2023
Today's Scripture
Daniel 3:15–28
Insight
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego’s “no compromise” commitment didn’t begin when they faced the fiery furnace. Their commitment to Jewish dietary protocols (Daniel 1) and their faithfulness to the God who’d prescribed them readied them for an even bigger test in Daniel 3. Indeed, the diet test prepared them for the death test. They passed with flying colors, thereby earning them a place in the annals of faith in Hebrews 11. Though not mentioned by name, Hebrews 11:34 most likely refers to these three, who through faith “quenched the fury of the flames.” By: Arthur Jackson
Jesus Is the Answer
Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods. Daniel 3:25
The tale is told that after yet another stop on Albert Einstein’s lecture tour, his chauffeur mentioned that he’d heard enough of the speech that he could give it. Einstein suggested they switch places at the next college, as no one there had seen his picture. The chauffer agreed and delivered a fine lecture. Then came the question-and-answer period. To one aggressive inquirer, the chauffer replied, “I can see you’re a brilliant professor, but I’m surprised you would ask a question so simple that even my chauffeur could answer it.” Then his “chauffeur”—Albert Einstein himself—did answer it! So ends the fun but fictional story.
Daniel’s courageous three friends were truly on the hot seat. King Nebuchadnezzar threatened to throw them into a blazing furnace if they didn’t worship his idol. He asked, “What god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” (Daniel 3:15). The friends still refused to bow, so the king heated the furnace seven times hotter and had them tossed in.
They didn’t go alone. An “angel” (v. 28), perhaps Jesus Himself, joined them in the fire, keeping them from harm and providing an undeniable answer to the king’s question (vv. 24–25). Nebuchadnezzar praised the “God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego” and conceded that “no other god can save in this way” (vv. 28–29).
At times, we may feel in over our heads. But Jesus stands with those who serve Him. He’ll carry us. By: Mike Wittmer
Reflect & Pray
What problem are you unable to solve? How might Jesus relieve the pressure that you feel to fix your challenge?
Jesus, You’re the answer when there’s no answer.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, May 26, 2023
Thinking of Prayer as Jesus Taught
Pray without ceasing… —1 Thessalonians 5:17
Our thinking about prayer, whether right or wrong, is based on our own mental conception of it. The correct concept is to think of prayer as the breath in our lungs and the blood from our hearts. Our blood flows and our breathing continues “without ceasing”; we are not even conscious of it, but it never stops. And we are not always conscious of Jesus keeping us in perfect oneness with God, but if we are obeying Him, He always is. Prayer is not an exercise, it is the life of the saint. Beware of anything that stops the offering up of prayer. “Pray without ceasing…”— maintain the childlike habit of offering up prayer in your heart to God all the time.
Jesus never mentioned unanswered prayer. He had the unlimited certainty of knowing that prayer is always answered. Do we have through the Spirit of God that inexpressible certainty that Jesus had about prayer, or do we think of the times when it seemed that God did not answer our prayer? Jesus said, “…everyone who asks receives…” (Matthew 7:8). Yet we say, “But…, but….” God answers prayer in the best way— not just sometimes, but every time. However, the evidence of the answer in the area we want it may not always immediately follow. Do we expect God to answer prayer?
The danger we have is that we want to water down what Jesus said to make it mean something that aligns with our common sense. But if it were only common sense, what He said would not even be worthwhile. The things Jesus taught about prayer are supernatural truths He reveals to us.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The vital relationship which the Christian has to the Bible is not that he worships the letter, but that the Holy Spirit makes the words of the Bible spirit and life to him. The Psychology of Redemption, 1066 L
Bible in a Year: 1 Chronicles 28-29; John 9:24-41
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, May 26, 2023
PEACE IN THE CHAOS - #9490
There's almost nothing more chaotic than moving. Some years ago we moved our office to something more suitable that God had wonderfully provided. The result was terrific! The process - horrendous.
Unfortunately, the work didn't stop just because it was time to move. We had to press on and not let all the inconveniences stop our work. I had some real deadlines to meet. So as the files and the furniture were flying, I just retreated to my office. Pretty soon my office started to go. I moved my little computer to a small tray in the corner, and I just kept typing, like Schroeder on his piano. I had to! At one point, someone literally carried my desk away while I was typing away on my little tray. In the midst of this growing chaos, I actually managed to carve out my own little peaceful corner.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Peace In the Chaos."
Our word for today from the Word of God, right from the lips of Jesus Christ, John 14:27 - "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." Boy, I've got to tell you, this was not spoken at some quiet, spiritual retreat in the mountains. The soldiers were on their way to arrest Jesus; His cross was coming.
And yet in the middle of this chaos, Jesus is talking about peace. "I will give you peace; an island of sanity in an otherwise insane situation." But He's saying that this peace won't come from what's going on around you; that's the kind the world gives. This island of sanity will be in you; deeply anchored in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, which nothing can touch.
I was on a plane some years ago, and they announced that we were suddenly being re-routed; flying from Chicago to Newark. Suddenly we were headed to Detroit, because we had hydraulic problems. The guy two seats over went, "That's it! That's it! That's the landing gear." That really helped. "Thank you, sir." Next to me was this little grandma. She was terrified. I mean, this was really scary to her. And the flight attendants? They're running back and forth saying, "Seat belts. Seat belts. Seat belts."
I just kept working, because I really didn't feel any particular panic. I kind of tried to calm down this grandma next to me. I said, "Hey, we're going to Detroit and they're not charging anything extra." She laughed. I kept trying to provide some calm for her. Well, it ended up we landed amid this fleet of emergency vehicles, but we were safe. After it was all over she said, "How can you stay so calm?" I said, "Well, I have to tell you, it's because of a personal relationship that I have with Jesus. See, when you have that - the peace doesn't come from what is going on around you, but the peace comes from what's going on inside you...actually who's going on inside you." When you have this all-knowing, all-powerful Savior you've got nothing to fear.
The Bible says this of Jesus, "He Himself is our peace." I've tested that peace over and over: when we've been very concerned about a child, when the finances have been impossible, the day my wife was suddenly gone. Jesus has been that peaceful corner, like that chaotic moving day. He wants to be your island of sanity.
If you're not sure you belong to this one the Bible calls the Prince of Peace, would you open your heart to Him today. The Bible says until we have our sin forgiven, there is "no peace." But when you put your total trust in this man who died for your sin, that wall between you and God comes down and you have what you've chased all these years - real peace.
If you want to belong to Him, would you go to our website. It's all about how to begin a relationship with Him. Would you check it out? It's ANewStory.com. In our stressful world, it's like moving day every day. There's no peace except in a heart where Jesus has come to live at your invitation, because beyond the chaos, there will always be His peace.