Max Lucado Daily: Too Close to Where You Got In
I like the story of the little boy who fell out of bed. When his mom asked him what happened, he answered, "I don't know. I guess I stayed too close to where I got in."
Easy to do the same with our faith. It's tempting just to stay where we got in and never move. How does your prayer life today compare with then? How about your giving? And Bible study? Can you tell you've grown?
2 Peter 3:18 says, "but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
If a child ceased to develop, the parent would be concerned, right? Doctors would be called and tests would be run. If you're the same Christian you were a few months ago, be careful. You might be wise to get a check up. Not on your body, but on your heart. Not a physical…but a spiritual.
From When God Whispers Your Name
1 Chronicles 12
Now these are they that came to David to Ziklag, while he yet kept himself close because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, his helpers in war. 2They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in slinging stones and in shooting arrows from the bow: they were of Saul’s brethren of Benjamin. 3The chief was Ahiezer; then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite, and Jeziel, and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth, and Beracah, and Jehu the Anathothite, 4and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty, and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite, 5Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite, 6Elkanah, and Isshiah, and Azarel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites, 7and Joelah, and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.
8And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David to the stronghold in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, that could handle shield and spear; whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the roes upon the mountains; 9Ezer the chief, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third, 10Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth, 11Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh, 12Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth, 13Jeremiah the tenth, Machbannai the eleventh. 14These of the sons of Gad were captains of the host: he that was least was equal to a hundred, and the greatest to a thousand. 15These are they that went over the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflowed all its banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west.
16And there came of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the stronghold unto David. 17And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, my heart shall be knit unto you; but if ye be come to betray me to mine adversaries, seeing there is no wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it. 18Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the thirty, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thy helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.
19Of Manasseh also there fell away some to David, when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle: but they helped them not; for the lords of the Philistines upon advisement sent him away, saying, He will fall away to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads. 20As he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh, Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of thousands that were of Manasseh. 21And they helped David against the band of rovers: for they were all mighty men of valor, and were captains in the host. 22For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great host, like the host of God.
23And these are the numbers of the heads of them that were armed for war, who came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of Jehovah. 24The children of Judah that bare shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, armed for war. 25Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valor for the war, seven thousand and one hundred. 26Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred. 27And Jehoiada was the leader of the house of Aaron; and with him were three thousand and seven hundred, 28and Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and of his father’s house twenty and two captains. 29And of the children of Benjamin, the brethren of Saul, three thousand: for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept their allegiance to the house of Saul. 30And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous men in their fathers’ houses. 31And of the half-tribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were mentioned by name, to come and make David king. 32And of the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment. 33Of Zebulun, such as were able to go out in the host, that could set the battle in array, with all manner of instruments of war, fifty thousand, and that could order the battle array, and were not of double heart. 34And of Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear thirty and seven thousand. 35And of the Danites that could set the battle in array, twenty and eight thousand and six hundred. 36And of Asher, such as were able to go out in the host, that could set the battle in array, forty thousand. 37And on the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and of the half-tribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for the battle, a hundred and twenty thousand.
38All these being men of war, that could order the battle array, came with a perfect heart to Hebron, to make David king over all Israel: and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king. 39And they were there with David three days, eating and drinking; for their brethren had made preparation for them. 40Moreover they that were nigh unto them, even as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, victuals of meal, cakes of figs, and clusters of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep in abundance: for there was joy in Israel.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Today's Scripture
Luke 5:12-16
Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy
12 In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.”
13 Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared. 14 Then Jesus instructed him not to tell anyone what had happened. He said, “Go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy.* This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”
15 But despite Jesus’ instructions, the report of his power spread even faster, and vast crowds came to hear him preach and to be healed of their diseases. 16 But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
Insight
Luke 5:16 marks the second occurrence in just a short time that Jesus sought solitude to talk with His Father. We learn from a parallel passage in Mark’s gospel that He’d recently been in a “solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). At that time, He told the people, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns” (Luke 4:43). He was near one of these unnamed Galilean towns when He performed a miracle. Luke says the man Jesus met was “covered with leprosy” (5:12). The law of Moses required people with leprosy to remain “outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:46). They were to have no physical contact with anyone. Yet Jesus, in seeming defiance of Mosaic law, “reached out his hand and touched the man” (Luke 5:13). He could do this because He was the very fulfillment of the law (Matthew 5:17). By: Tim Gustafson
Quiet, Please
Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16
Green Bank, West Virginia, is a tiny community in the rugged Appalachian Mountains. The town resembles dozens of other small towns in the area—with one major exception. None of the 142 residents have access to Wi-Fi. This is to prevent interference from Wi-Fi or cellular phone towers near the Green Bank Observatory, whose telescope is constantly trained on the sky. As a result, Green Bank is one of the most technologically quiet places in North America.
Sometimes quiet is the best environment for moving forward—especially in our relationship with God. Jesus Himself modeled this by retreating to quiet, secluded places to talk with His Father. In Luke 5:16 we read, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Perhaps the key word there is often. This was Christ’s regular practice, and it sets the perfect example for us. If the Creator of the universe was this aware of His dependence upon His Father, how much more do we need Him!
Retreating to a quiet place to be refreshed in God’s presence equips us to go forward in His renewing strength. Where can you find such a place today? By: Bill Crowder
Reflect & Pray
What are some of the distractions that can interrupt your prayer times? How could having a designated quiet place help you stay focused in prayer?
Father, sometimes the background noise of life in this world is deafening, pulling my attention away from You and hindering the time with You. Help me find a place where I can come away from it all and simply enjoy Your wonderful presence.
For further study, see Talking with My Father: Jesus Teaches on Prayer.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Do You See Jesus in Your Clouds?
Behold, He is coming with clouds… —Revelation 1:7
In the Bible clouds are always associated with God. Clouds are the sorrows, sufferings, or providential circumstances, within or without our personal lives, which actually seem to contradict the sovereignty of God. Yet it is through these very clouds that the Spirit of God is teaching us how to walk by faith. If there were never any clouds in our lives, we would have no faith. “The clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:3). They are a sign that God is there. What a revelation it is to know that sorrow, bereavement, and suffering are actually the clouds that come along with God! God cannot come near us without clouds— He does not come in clear-shining brightness.
It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials. Through every cloud He brings our way, He wants us to unlearn something. His purpose in using the cloud is to simplify our beliefs until our relationship with Him is exactly like that of a child— a relationship simply between God and our own souls, and where other people are but shadows. Until other people become shadows to us, clouds and darkness will be ours every once in a while. Is our relationship with God becoming more simple than it has ever been?
There is a connection between the strange providential circumstances allowed by God and what we know of Him, and we have to learn to interpret the mysteries of life in the light of our knowledge of God. Until we can come face to face with the deepest, darkest fact of life without damaging our view of God’s character, we do not yet know Him.
“…they were fearful as they entered the cloud” (Luke 9:34). Is there anyone except Jesus in your cloud? If so, it will only get darker until you get to the place where there is “no one anymore, but only Jesus …” (Mark 9:8; also see verses 2–7).
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: Psalms 49-50; Romans 1