Max Lucado Daily: WE HIDE, HE SEEKS - July 14, 2023
We eat our share of forbidden fruit. We say what we shouldn’t say, go where we shouldn’t go, pluck fruit from trees we shouldn’t touch. And when we do, the shame tumbles in. And we hide. We sew fig leaves. We cover ourselves in good works and good deeds. But one gust of the wind of truth, and we are naked in our own failure.
So what does God do? Exactly what he did for our parents in the garden. He sheds innocent blood. He offers the life of his Son. And from the scene of the sacrifice the Father takes a robe—the robe of righteousness. He dresses us with himself. “You were all baptized into Christ, and so you were all clothed with Christ” (Galatians 3:26-27 NCV).
We hide; he seeks. Cast yourself upon the grace of Christ and Christ alone.
Calm Moments for Anxious Days
Read more Calm Moments for Anxious Days
Psalm 150
Hallelujah!
Praise God in his holy house of worship,
praise him under the open skies;
Praise him for his acts of power,
praise him for his magnificent greatness;
Praise with a blast on the trumpet,
praise by strumming soft strings;
Praise him with castanets and dance,
praise him with banjo and flute;
Praise him with cymbals and a big bass drum,
praise him with fiddles and mandolin.
Let every living, breathing creature praise God!
Hallelujah!
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, July 14, 2023
Today's Scripture
Proverbs 20:4-5, 24–25
A farmer too lazy to plant in the spring
has nothing to harvest in the fall.
5 Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart;
a wise person draws from the well within.
The very steps we take come from God;
otherwise how would we know where we’re going?
25 An impulsive vow is a trap;
later you’ll wish you could get out of it.
Insight
Proverbs are wisdom-sayings derived from life observations. When Solomon asked God for wisdom to rule His people, God granted it to him (1 Kings 3:5–9; 4:29–31). Part of that wisdom may have been supernatural insight where God miraculously gave him what he needed at any given moment (Proverbs 20:24). However, God might also have allowed him to see life clearly and to understand it in a way that no one else could.
Solomon “spoke three thousand proverbs” (1 Kings 4:32) and is the author of many of them in the book of Proverbs. By: J.R. Hudberg
Deep Waters
The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters. Proverbs 20:5
When Bill Pinkney sailed solo around the world in 1992—taking the hard route around the perilous Great Southern Capes—he did it for a higher purpose. His voyage was to inspire and educate children. That included students at his former inner-city Chicago elementary school. His goal? To show how far they could go by studying hard and making a commitment—the word he chose in naming his boat. When Bill takes schoolkids on the water in Commitment, he says, “They’ve got that tiller in their hand and they learn about control, self-control, they learn about teamwork . . . all the basics that one needs in life to be successful.”
Pinkney’s words paint a portrait of Solomon’s wisdom. “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out” (Proverbs 20:5). He invited others to examine their life goals. Otherwise, “it is a trap,” said Solomon, “to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one’s vows” (v. 25).
In contrast, William Pinkney had a clear purpose that eventually inspired thirty thousand students across the United States to learn from his journey. He became the first African American inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame. “Kids were watching,” he said. With similar purpose, let’s set our course by the deep counsel of God’s instructions to us. By: Patricia Raybon
Reflect & Pray
In your life, what is the why for your work or ministry? What legacy do you hope to leave by what you accomplish?
Inspire me, faithful God, to commit to working with a purpose that glorifies You.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, July 14, 2023
Suffering Afflictions and Going the Second Mile
I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. —Matthew 5:39
This verse reveals the humiliation of being a Christian. In the natural realm, if a person does not hit back, it is because he is a coward. But in the spiritual realm, it is the very evidence of the Son of God in him if he does not hit back. When you are insulted, you must not only not resent it, but you must make it an opportunity to exhibit the Son of God in your life. And you cannot imitate the nature of Jesus— it is either in you or it is not. A personal insult becomes an opportunity for a saint to reveal the incredible sweetness of the Lord Jesus.
The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is not, “Do your duty,” but is, in effect, “Do what is not your duty.” It is not your duty to go the second mile, or to turn the other cheek, but Jesus said that if we are His disciples, we will always do these things. We will not say, “Oh well, I just can’t do any more, and I’ve been so misrepresented and misunderstood.” Every time I insist on having my own rights, I hurt the Son of God, while in fact I can prevent Jesus from being hurt if I will take the blow myself. That is the real meaning of filling “up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ…” (Colossians 1:24). A disciple realizes that it is his Lord’s honor that is at stake in his life, not his own honor.
Never look for righteousness in the other person, but never cease to be righteous yourself. We are always looking for justice, yet the essence of the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is— Never look for justice, but never cease to give it.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The Bible is the only Book that gives us any indication of the true nature of sin, and where it came from. The Philosophy of Sin, 1107 R
Bible in a Year: Psalms 10-12; Acts 19:1-20
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, July 14, 2023
The Myth of the Honorary Chairman - #9525
You know, some people who financially support Christian ministry also like to play golf. I don't happen to be one of them. If you'd seen the one time I did play golf, when I hit my partner in the head with a club, you would understand why I've been banned from golf courses.
But there are those who get together to play golf in a benefit tournament on behalf of the cause they support. In one major city they asked the local NFL quarterback, probably the best known guy in town, to be the chairman. Well, actually, they asked him to be the honorary chairman. They put his name on the invitation, on the letterhead, and that was pretty impressive. It made the event feel more important. But don't kid yourself. That quarterback had absolutely no say in how that day was organized. See, he was the honorary chairman. Translation: Big title - no authority.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Myth of the Honorary Chairman."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Luke 6, and I'll begin reading in verse 46. Jesus is describing here a relationship that seems to be alright with Him, but it has a major problem. He says, "Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to Me and hears My words and puts them into practice. He's like a man building a house who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. And when a flood came, a torrent struck that house but could not shake it because it was well built. But the one who hears My words and does not put them into practice, is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house (you guessed the outcome) it collapsed, and its destruction was complete."
So, Jesus is describing in this passage a man headed for a collapse, someone who calls Jesus "Lord, Lord," but doesn't do what He says. In other words, Jesus has become that man's honorary chairman. See, that happens to us. Oh we still have Jesus' name on the letterhead, He's still got top billing, He's got the title. He's still got our official allegiance, but He doesn't have any real authority over the choices that really matter to us, that make up our days.
It's easy for that to happen after you've followed Christ for a while. Oh, there was a time when you gave Him everything about you. You knew how much you needed Him. But see, there's a lot more in your life now. I mean, you've got business decisions, you've got a much larger life, relationships that weren't there before. You've got a reputation maybe you didn't have before, needs that weren't there when you gave Him all of you. Your family is different, your financial position is different.
It could be that His lordship may not have grown with your life - maybe it hasn't expanded daily as each day's new experiences have emerged. It could be that you're depending on a commitment that was deep and meaningful at one time and it was difficult to make then, because you were giving it your all. But now what was once passion has sort of become professional - what was alive has become official. What was warm...it's gotten cold. It could be it's time to return to that altar where you totally surrendered. Oh, it will be harder this time because you've got more to give.
But Jesus paid with His life, not to have the title of Lord, but to have the authority. Authority that is daily expanded through you giving Him new ground from that 24-hour period of your life. You make Him Lord of the stuff of that day and then again tomorrow He'd do it again.
Why don't you light the fire again - the fire that's kindled not when Jesus is honorary chairman, but when He is the hands-on Lord of every choice you make.