Max Lucado Daily: THE SERENGETI OF PROPHECY - August 26, 2024
Prophecy is to the Bible what the Serengeti is to Africa—vast, expansive. If Bible prophecy is the Serengeti, some Christians are big game hunters. They find prophecy on every page, symbolism in every story, and clues in every verse.
Somewhere between these two positions is a healthy posture. Believers who avoid utter ignorance on one hand and total arrogance on the other. Who seek what God intends: a deep-seated confidence that our tomorrow is in our Lord’s hands.
The purpose of prophecy is to empower the saint with a sense of God’s sovereignty. As the apostle Paul wrote, “The one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them (1 Corinthians 14:3 NLT). Prophecy prepares us to face the future with faith.
What Happens Next
Ezekiel 20
Get Rid of All the Things You’ve Become Addicted To
1 20 In the seventh year, the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, some of the leaders of Israel came to ask for guidance from God. They sat down before me.
2–3 Then God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, talk with the leaders of Israel. Tell them, ‘God, the Master, says, “Have you come to ask me questions? As sure as I am the living God, I’ll not put up with questions from you. Decree of God, the Master.” ’
4–5 “Son of man, why don’t you do it? Yes, go ahead. Hold them accountable. Confront them with the outrageous obscenities of their parents. Tell them that God, the Master, says:
5–6 “ ‘On the day I chose Israel, I revealed myself to them in the country of Egypt, raising my hand in a solemn oath to the people of Jacob, in which I said, “I am God, your personal God.” On the same day that I raised my hand in the solemn oath, I promised them that I would take them out of the country of Egypt and bring them into a country that I had searched out just for them, a country flowing with milk and honey, a jewel of a country.
7 “ ‘At that time I told them, “Get rid of all the vile things that you’ve become addicted to. Don’t make yourselves filthy with the Egyptian no-god idols. I alone am God, your God.”
8–10 “ ‘But they rebelled against me, wouldn’t listen to a word I said. None got rid of the vile things they were addicted to. They held on to the no-gods of Egypt as if for dear life. I seriously considered inflicting my anger on them in force right there in Egypt. Then I thought better of it. I acted out of who I was, not by how I felt. And I acted in a way that would evoke honor, not blasphemy, from the nations around them, nations who had seen me reveal myself by promising to lead my people out of Egypt. And then I did it: I led them out of Egypt into the desert.
11–12 “ ‘I gave them laws for living, showed them how to live well and obediently before me. I also gave them my weekly holy rest days, my “Sabbaths,” a kind of signpost erected between me and them to show them that I, God, am in the business of making them holy.
13–17 “ ‘But Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They didn’t follow my statutes. They despised my laws for living well and obediently in the ways I had set out. And they totally desecrated my holy Sabbaths. I seriously considered unleashing my anger on them right there in the desert. But I thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the nations who had seen me bring them out. But I did lift my hand in a solemn oath there in the desert and promise them that I would not bring them into the country flowing with milk and honey that I had chosen for them, that jewel among all lands. I canceled my promise because they despised my laws for living obediently, wouldn’t follow my statutes, and went ahead and desecrated my holy Sabbaths. They preferred living by their no-god idols. But I didn’t go all the way: I didn’t wipe them out, didn’t finish them off in the desert.
18–20 “ ‘Then I addressed myself to their children in the desert: “Don’t do what your parents did. Don’t take up their practices. Don’t make yourselves filthy with their no-god idols. I myself am God, your God: Keep my statutes and live by my laws. Keep my Sabbaths as holy rest days, signposts between me and you, signaling that I am God, your God.”
21–22 “ ‘But the children also rebelled against me. They neither followed my statutes nor kept my laws for living upright and well. And they desecrated my Sabbaths. I seriously considered dumping my anger on them, right there in the desert. But I thought better of it and acted out of who I was, not by what I felt, so that I might be honored and not blasphemed by the nations who had seen me bring them out.
23–26 “ ‘But I did lift my hand in solemn oath there in the desert, and swore that I would scatter them all over the world, disperse them every which way because they didn’t keep my laws nor live by my statutes. They desecrated my Sabbaths and remained addicted to the no-god idols of their parents. Since they were determined to live bad lives, I myself gave them statutes that could not produce goodness and laws that did not produce life. I abandoned them. Filthy in the gutter, they perversely sacrificed their firstborn children in the fire. The very horror should have shocked them into recognizing that I am God.’
27–29 “Therefore, speak to Israel, son of man. Tell them that God says, ‘As if that wasn’t enough, your parents further insulted me by betraying me. When I brought them into that land that I had solemnly promised with my upraised hand to give them, every time they saw a hill with a sex-and-religion shrine on it or a grove of trees where the sacred whores practiced, they were there, buying into the whole pagan system. I said to them, “What hill do you go to?” ’ (It’s still called “Whore Hills.”)
30–31 “Therefore, say to Israel, ‘The Message of God, the Master: You’re making your lives filthy by copying the ways of your parents. In repeating their vile practices, you’ve become whores yourselves. In burning your children as sacrifices, you’ve become as filthy as your no-god idols—as recently as today!
“ ‘Am I going to put up with questions from people like you, Israel? As sure as I am the living God, I, God, the Master, refuse to be called into question by you!
32 “ ‘What you’re secretly thinking is never going to happen. You’re thinking, “We’re going to be like everybody else, just like the other nations. We’re going to worship gods we can make and control.”
33–35 “ ‘As sure as I am the living God, says God, the Master, think again! With a mighty show of strength and a terrifying rush of anger, I will be King over you! I’ll bring you back from the nations, collect you out of the countries to which you’ve been scattered, with a mighty show of strength and a terrifying rush of anger. I’ll bring you to the desert of nations and haul you into court, where you’ll be face-to-face with judgment.
36–38 “ ‘As I faced your parents with judgment in the desert of Egypt, so I’ll face you with judgment. I’ll scrutinize and search every person as you arrive, and I’ll bring you under the bond of the covenant. I’ll cull out the rebels and traitors. I’ll lead them out of their exile, but I won’t bring them back to Israel.
“ ‘Then you’ll realize that I am God.
39–43 “ ‘But you, people of Israel, this is the Message of God, the Master, to you: Go ahead, serve your no-god idols! But later, you’ll think better of it and quit throwing filth and mud on me with your pagan offerings and no-god idols. For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, I, God, the Master, tell you that the entire people of Israel will worship me. I’ll receive them there with open arms. I’ll demand your best gifts and offerings, all your holy sacrifices. What’s more, I’ll receive you as the best kind of offerings when I bring you back from all the lands and countries in which you’ve been scattered. I’ll demonstrate in the eyes of the world that I am The Holy. When I return you to the land of Israel, the land that I solemnly promised with upraised arm to give to your parents, you’ll realize that I am God. Then and there you’ll remember all that you’ve done, the way you’ve lived that has made you so filthy—and you’ll loathe yourselves.
44 “ ‘But, dear Israel, you’ll also realize that I am God when I respond to you out of who I am, not by what I feel about the evil lives you’ve lived, the corrupt history you’ve compiled. Decree of God, the Master.’ ”
Nobody Will Put Out the Fire
45–46 God’s Message came to me: “Son of man, face south. Let the Message roll out against the south. Prophesy against the wilderness forest of the south.
47–48 “Tell the forest of the south, ‘Listen to the Message of God! God, the Master, says, I’ll set a fire in you that will burn up every tree, dead trees and live trees alike. Nobody will put out the fire. The whole country from south to north will be blackened by it. Everyone is going to see that I, God, started the fire and that it’s not going to be put out.’ ”
49 And I said, “O God, everyone is saying of me, ‘He just makes up stories.’ ”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, August 26, 2024
Today's Scripture
Deuteronomy 2:1-7
Then we turned around and went back into the wilderness following the route to the Red Sea, as God had instructed me. We worked our way in and around the hills of Seir for a long, long time.
2–6 Then God said, “You’ve been going around in circles in these hills long enough; go north. Command the people, You’re about to cut through the land belonging to your relatives, the People of Esau who settled in Seir. They are terrified of you, but restrain yourselves. Don’t try and start a fight. I am not giving you so much as a square inch of their land. I’ve already given all the hill country of Seir to Esau—he owns it all. Pay them up front for any food or water you get from them.”
7 God, your God, has blessed you in everything you have done. He has guarded you in your travels through this immense wilderness. For forty years now, God, your God, has been right here with you. You haven’t lacked one thing.
Insight
Valuable lessons can come from some of the strangest places. For ancient Israel, one of those places was the uninhabited zone known as the wilderness (Deuteronomy 2:1-7). The value that comes from trekking through such unwelcomed territory is described in chapter 8: “Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart . . . . He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna . . . to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (vv. 2-3). True safety isn’t determined by our location (lions’ den, fiery furnace, valley of the shadow of death, passing through fire or water). It comes with trust in the One who goes with us regardless of where we are. By: Arthur Jackson
Desert Places
The Lord . . . has watched over your journey through this vast wilderness. Deuteronomy 2:7
When I was a young believer, I thought “mountaintop” experiences were where I would meet Jesus. But those highs rarely lasted or led to growth. Author Lina AbuJamra says it’s in the desert places where we meet God and grow. In her Bible study Through the Desert, she writes, “God’s aim is to use the desert places in our lives to make us stronger.” She continues, “God’s goodness is meant to be received in the midst of your pain, not proven by the absence of pain.”
It’s in the hard places of sorrow, loss, and pain that God helps us to grow in our faith and become closer to Him. As Lina learned, “The desert is not an oversight in God’s plan but an integral part of [our] growth process.”
God led many Old Testament patriarchs to the desert. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all had wilderness experiences. It was in the desert that God prepared Moses’ heart and called him to lead His people out of slavery (Exodus 3:1-2, 9-10). And it was in the desert that God “watched over [the Israelites’] journey” for forty years with His help and guidance (Deuteronomy 2:7).
God was with Moses and the Israelites each step of their way through the desert, and He’s with you and me in ours. In the desert, we learn to rely on God. There He meets us—and there we grow. By: Alyson Kieda
Reflect & Pray
When has God met you in a desert place? What happened as a result?
Dear God, thank You for being with me in the difficult desert experiences of my life. You’re faithful and compassionate.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, August 26, 2024
Are You Ever Disturbed?
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. — John 14:27
There are times when our sense of peace is based on ignorance. We may be filled with calm delight about the world, but only because our eyes are closed to its cruelties. When we awaken to the facts of life, inner peace is impossible—that is, unless we receive it from Jesus. When our Lord speaks peace, he makes peace; his words are forever Spirit and life (John 6:63). Have I ever received the peace of Jesus? It comes from looking into his face and realizing his undisturbed calm.
Are you painfully disturbed right now, distracted by the waves and billows of God’s providential permission? Have you been examining your beliefs, searching them for a bit of peace and joy and comfort and finding none? Then look up and receive the undisturbedness of the Lord. Reflected peace is proof that you are all right with God, because you are at liberty to turn your mind to him. If you aren’t right with God, you can never turn your mind anywhere but on yourself. If you allow anything to hide the face of Jesus Christ from you, either you are disturbed or you have a false sense of security.
Are you looking to Jesus right now, in a matter that is urgently pressing, and receiving peace from him? If so, he will be a gracious blessing of peace in and through you. But try to worry it out and you will obliterate him from your life and deserve what you get. We become disturbed because we haven’t been considering Jesus Christ. When we turn to him, our perplexity vanishes, because he has no perplexity; our only concern then is to abide in him.
Bring all your troubles and worries to Jesus; lay them out before him. In the midst of difficulty, bereavement, and sorrow, hear him say, “Do not let your hearts be troubled” (John 14:1).
Psalms 119:89-176; 1 Corinthians 8
WISDOM FROM OSWALD
There is no allowance whatever in the New Testament for the man who says he is saved by grace but who does not produce the graceful goods. Jesus Christ by His Redemption can make our actual life in keeping with our religious profession.
Studies in the Sermon on the Mount
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, August 26, 2024
NO SUCH THING AS RETIRE - #9816
If you've ever spent a lot of time in the city, you may have had the experience of waiting for a bus. You've got a couple of packages, it's cold, some weird people are starting to cruise by for the second time, and suddenly you see the dim outline of a bus on the horizon. Biblically "your heart leapeth within you" as you see the bus approaching. Finally it gets close enough for you to read the sign in the window, and there are three words "Out of Service." Oh! Three very discouraging words.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "No Such Thing As Retire."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 2 Timothy 4:6-7, a very interesting valedictory on Paul's life. Now, if you've ever tried to ride a bus, you may know how it feels to need a vehicle and find out that it's out of service. You know, not available for you to use? Well, God knows that feeling too.
And that takes us to Paul here at the end of his lifetime run. He has every right to rest. I mean, he has served the Lord with all his heart. He has every right to retire; move to Florida. He has every right to leave the battles to someone else; to hang out his sign that says, "Out of Service." Well, listen to what he says. "I am being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." Wow!
Paul's picture at the end of his life, after 30 years of giving all he had to give, he said, "I still am. I'm still being poured out like a drink offering." I picture here an Olympic runner with veins bulging and every sweat gland pumping, fully extended, nothing left. He says, "When I cross the finish line into Jesus' arms, I want to collapse into His arms with nothing left in my pockets, nothing left in my energy. I will give it all to the finish line." Man!
Paul simply will not retire spiritually until he gets retired by his Lord to heaven. Well, that's the attitude we all should share, but we don't sometimes. Right? Oh, maybe you've worked hard for the Lord, you've done a lot of the jobs there are to do, and you're kind of tired. Now you're saying, "I think I've earned a little time out; I think I've earned a rest. Let's pass it on to others. I served my time."
Whoa! We don't have enough time to serve. Maybe 70 or 80 years is all we've got to make our mark for eternity. Please! There's too much to do; there's too few to do it. Time is too short. We need seasoned leaders. Yeah, they're tired, but you've got experience. You are needed. Don't hang out an "Out of Service" sign. Not now. Not with so much to give.
Maybe you're just really busy surviving. You say, "I don't have any time to serve the Lord. Maybe later, but, you know, right now someone else." Are you out of service? This life; this brief 70 years or whatever is all we have to do God's work on earth; to build something that we'll have for 100 million years - to make a difference.
We're here, like Paul, to live poured out lives, holding nothing back. We might retire to a different location, we might have some physical limitations that change what we can do, but will never retire from being on call for God to use us to tell people about our Jesus. To share our hope story. We don't retire until God calls us home. The Bible says "all the days ordained for me were written in God's book before one of them came to be." That means, you know when you go home? When your work is done. If you're still here, then you've still got work to do! You retire by putting on new tires so you can keep going. You get re-tired.
God is looking for human vehicles that He can use for heaven's sake. Don't pull up in front of Jesus with a sign that says "I'm out of Service."
