Max Lucado Daily: A GUILT-FREE ZONE - October 12, 2023
Paul’s past was quicksand. The more he struggled, the deeper he sank. Just when we think he’s about to go under, he announced, “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!…Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 7:25; 8:1 NIV).
Paul discovered a guilt-free zone. Through Jesus, every chain and shackle fell to the ground. Paul moved past his past. He trusted God with his future. Do likewise!
The remedy for our sin is not our work, but God’s work. Tell Christ what you did. You were not made to carry this weight. Only Jesus can take it away. Ask him to do so. And you know how he will respond: “Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NASB). God never gives up on you.
2 Chronicles 22
King Ahaziah
1–6 22 The people of Jerusalem made Ahaziah, Jehoram’s youngest son, king. Raiders from the desert, who had come with the Arabs against the settlement, had killed all the older sons. That’s how Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah became king. Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, but reigned only one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, granddaughter of Omri. He lived and ruled just like the Ahab family had done, his mother training him in evil ways. God also considered him evil, related by both marriage and sin to the Ahab clan. After the death of his father, he attended the sin school of Ahab, and graduated with a degree in doom. He did what they taught him, went with Joram son of Ahab king of Israel in the war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. Joram, wounded by the Arameans, retreated to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he received in Ramah in his war with Hazael king of Aram. Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah paid a visit to Joram son of Ahab on his sickbed at Jezreel.
7–9 The fate of Ahaziah when he went to visit was God’s judgment on him. When Ahaziah arrived at Jezreel, he and Joram met with Jehu son of Nimshi, whom God had already authorized to destroy the dynasty of Ahab. Jehu, already at work, executing doom on the dynasty of Ahab, came upon the captains of Judah and Ahaziah’s nephews, part of the Ahaziah delegation, and killed them outright. Then he sent out a search party looking for Ahaziah himself. They found him hiding out in Samaria and hauled him back to Jehu. And Jehu killed him.
They didn’t, though, just leave his body there. Out of respect for his grandfather Jehoshaphat, famous as a sincere seeker after God, they gave him a decent burial. But there was no one left in Ahaziah’s family capable of ruling the kingdom.
Queen Athaliah
10–12 When Ahaziah’s mother Athaliah saw that her son was dead, she took over. She began by massacring the entire royal family. Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah’s son Joash, and kidnapped him from among the king’s sons slated for slaughter. She hid him and his nurse in a private room away from Athaliah. So Jehosheba, daughter of King Jehoram and Ahaziah’s sister—she was also the wife of Jehoiada the priest—saved Joash from the murderous Queen Athaliah. He was there with her, hidden away for six years in The Temple of God. Athaliah, oblivious to his existence, ruled the country.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, October 12, 2023
Today's Scripture
2 Samuel 9:1–10
An Open Table for Mephibosheth
1 9 One day David asked, “Is there anyone left of Saul’s family? If so, I’d like to show him some kindness in honor of Jonathan.”
2 It happened that a servant from Saul’s household named Ziba was there. They called him into David’s presence. The king asked him, “Are you Ziba?”
“Yes sir,” he replied.
3 The king asked, “Is there anyone left from the family of Saul to whom I can show some godly kindness?”
Ziba told the king, “Yes, there is Jonathan’s son, lame in both feet.”
4 “Where is he?”
“He’s living at the home of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
5 King David didn’t lose a minute. He sent and got him from the home of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.
6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan (who was the son of Saul), came before David, he bowed deeply, abasing himself, honoring David.
David spoke his name: “Mephibosheth.”
“Yes sir?”
7 “Don’t be frightened,” said David. “I’d like to do something special for you in memory of your father Jonathan. To begin with, I’m returning to you all the properties of your grandfather Saul. Furthermore, from now on you’ll take all your meals at my table.”
8 Shuffling and stammering, not looking him in the eye, Mephibosheth said, “Who am I that you pay attention to a stray dog like me?”
9–10 David then called in Ziba, Saul’s right-hand man, and told him, “Everything that belonged to Saul and his family, I’ve handed over to your master’s grandson. You and your sons and your servants will work his land and bring in the produce, provisions for your master’s grandson. Mephibosheth himself, your master’s grandson, from now on will take all his meals at my table.” Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.
Insight
David and Jonathan offer a glimpse of what a true friendship looks like. Though Jonathan was King Saul’s son, he sought to protect David from the king’s irrational anger and bitter hatred. Upon hearing news of Jonathan’s death, David wrote of the pain, loss, and despair over the death of a dear friend. Yet, even during his grief for Jonathan, he also grieved over Saul (2 Samuel 1:24). Saul had pursued David like a common criminal, but David still grieved the king’s death. By: Bill Crowder
Knowing and Loving
I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. 2 Samuel 9:7
In the powerful article “Does My Son Know You?” sportswriter Jonathan Tjarks wrote of his battle with terminal cancer and his desire for others to care well for his wife and young son. The thirty-four-year-old wrote the piece just six months prior to his death. Tjarks, a believer in Jesus whose father had died when he was a young adult, shared Scriptures that speak of care for widows and orphans (Exodus 22:22; Isaiah 1:17; James 1:27). And in words directed to his friends, he wrote, “When I see you in heaven, there’s only one thing I’m going to ask—Were you good to my son and my wife? . . . Does my son know you?”
King David wondered if there was “anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom [he could] show kindness for [his dear friend] Jonathan’s sake” (2 Samuel 9:1). A son of Jonathan, Mephibosheth, who was “lame in both feet” (v. 3) due to an accident (see 4:4), was brought to the king. David said to him, “I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table” (9:7). David showed loving care for Mephibosheth, and it’s likely that in time the king truly got to know him (see 19:24–30).
Jesus has called us to love others just as He loves us (John 13:34). As He works in and through us, let’s truly get to know and love them well. By: Tom Felten
Reflect & Pray
How can you know others more deeply? What will it look like for you to love them the way God loves you?
Heavenly Father, help me to honor You by striving to truly know and love others.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, October 12, 2023
Getting into God’s Stride
Enoch walked with God… —Genesis 5:24
The true test of a person’s spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening. A person’s worth is revealed in his attitude toward the ordinary things of life when he is not under the spotlight (see John 1:35-37 and John 3:30). It is painful work to get in step with God and to keep pace with Him— it means getting your second wind spiritually. In learning to walk with God, there is always the difficulty of getting into His stride, but once we have done so, the only characteristic that exhibits itself is the very life of God Himself. The individual person is merged into a personal oneness with God, and God’s stride and His power alone are exhibited.
It is difficult to get into stride with God, because as soon as we start walking with Him we find that His pace has surpassed us before we have even taken three steps. He has different ways of doing things, and we have to be trained and disciplined in His ways. It was said of Jesus— “He will not fail nor be discouraged…” (Isaiah 42:4) because He never worked from His own individual standpoint, but always worked from the standpoint of His Father. And we must learn to do the same. Spiritual truth is learned through the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning. It is God’s Spirit that changes the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and then things begin to be possible which before were impossible. Getting into God’s stride means nothing less than oneness with Him. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it. Don’t give up because the pain is intense right now— get on with it, and before long you will find that you have a new vision and a new purpose.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
Wherever the providence of God may dump us down, in a slum, in a shop, in the desert, we have to labour along the line of His direction. Never allow this thought—“I am of no use where I am,” because you certainly can be of no use where you are not! Wherever He has engineered your circumstances, pray. So Send I You, 1325 L
Bible in a Year: Isaiah 39-40; Colossians 4
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, October 12, 2023
How Your Weakest Time Can Be Your Best Time - #9589
Sometime when you're tired of pushing your way through the mall, just sit down somewhere and watch the children play. Yeah, playing the amateur psychologist, I've observed children relating to their parents there on three different levels. First, there are the kids who are running ahead of their parents - until they suddenly realize they are lost in a sea of legs. Now, at my height, I can relate to that feeling. Then there are also those children who are walking along, holding Mom or Dad's hand - they know the mall is not for the small, so they hang onto a tall. But my favorites are the little ones who are totally exhausted and sort of collapsed in their parents' arms. Their legs have gone on strike and their parents are carrying them. In fact, the child is often sleeping soundly with his head embedded in his parent's shoulder. You've seen them all. Sometimes, I've even said to a parent carrying a child like that - "Now that's the way to travel, isn't it?" It really is.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "How Your Weakest Time Can Be Your Best Time."
In those little children collapsed in their parents' arms is a helpful picture of how God may want you to be traveling right now. After all, you're pretty tired aren't you? It's been a long walk, a lot of pushing and shoving - your resources are pretty depleted.
Enter the Apostle Paul in our word for today from the Word of God beginning in 2 Corinthians 12:7. Paul says, "There was given me a thorn in my flesh... Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me." We don't know what Paul's thorn was, but, whatever it was, it was something that limited him, that frustrated him, that caused him pain. Paul thought what God would do was to miraculously remove it. God had a better idea.
Paul continues, "But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Now, Paul's first reaction to the thing that makes him weak, that's beyond his control is pretty much the same as ours - he struggles with it. But eventually, he ends up celebrating it! Why? Because he has discovered a power he could never touch when he was strong. Like that child in the mall with no strength left - he's experiencing in his Daddy's arms a strength and stride he could never experience on his own two legs.
Those kids in the mall? They're a picture of how we experience God in a deeper and deeper way. First, we're running around, not caring where God is - until we realize we're lost and our Father finds us. Then, we move into walking along holding His hand, allowing the Lord to help us - I know I can't make it alone, but I'm still walking in my own strength. Then the "thorn" hits - something in my life that levels me. I can do nothing about it. It leaves me limp. It leaves me powerless.
That's when I discover how strong a Heavenly Father I have. Not just one who saves me, not just one who or helps me - but my Father who carries me. Now it's all Him! And you can go farther and faster in His arms than you could ever go on your legs! So you can honestly look at your powerlessness and say, "I'm glad I can't."
You see, at that point, you are about to taste God's grace and power as only powerless people can - and your struggle will become your platform for talking about a Savior who is all you need when you have nothing. Maybe you're still trying to get there on your own. Isn't it time to look up and say, "Daddy, carry me"? Because you're never stronger than when your Father is carrying you.