Exodus 2, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: We’ve Figured it Out

Ironic isn’t it?  The more we know, the less we believe! Strange, don’t you think?

We understand how storms are created. We map solar systems and transplant hearts.  We measure the depths of the ocean and send signals to distant planets.  We’re learning how it all works!  And for some, the loss of mystery has led to the loss of majesty!  The more we know, the less we believe.

But knowledge of the workings should not negate wonder. It should stir wonder!  Who has more reason to worship than the astronomer who has seen the stars? Why then should we worship less?  We’re more impressed with our discovery of the light switch than with the one who invented electricity. And rather than worship the Creator, we worship the creation!

No wonder there is no wonder!  We think we have figured it all out!

From Grace for the Moment

Exodus 2

Moses

1–3  2 A man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman. The woman became pregnant and had a son. She saw there was something special about him and hid him. She hid him for three months. When she couldn’t hide him any longer she got a little basket-boat made of papyrus, waterproofed it with tar and pitch, and placed the child in it. Then she set it afloat in the reeds at the edge of the Nile.

4–6  The baby’s older sister found herself a vantage point a little way off and watched to see what would happen to him. Pharaoh’s daughter came down to the Nile to bathe; her maidens strolled on the bank. She saw the basket-boat floating in the reeds and sent her maid to get it. She opened it and saw the child—a baby crying! Her heart went out to him. She said, “This must be one of the Hebrew babies.”

7  Then his sister was before her: “Do you want me to go and get a nursing mother from the Hebrews so she can nurse the baby for you?”

8  Pharaoh’s daughter said, “Yes. Go.” The girl went and called the child’s mother.

9  Pharaoh’s daughter told her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me. I’ll pay you.” The woman took the child and nursed him.

10  After the child was weaned, she presented him to Pharaoh’s daughter who adopted him as her son. She named him Moses (Pulled-Out), saying, “I pulled him out of the water.”

11–12  Time passed. Moses grew up. One day he went and saw his brothers, saw all that hard labor. Then he saw an Egyptian hit a Hebrew—one of his relatives! He looked this way and then that; when he realized there was no one in sight, he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand.

13  The next day he went out there again. Two Hebrew men were fighting. He spoke to the man who started it: “Why are you hitting your neighbor?”

14  The man shot back: “Who do you think you are, telling us what to do? Are you going to kill me the way you killed that Egyptian?”

Then Moses panicked: “Word’s gotten out—people know about this.”

15  Pharaoh heard about it and tried to kill Moses, but Moses got away to the land of Midian. He sat down by a well.

16–17  The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, filling the troughs and watering their father’s sheep. When some shepherds came and chased the girls off, Moses came to their rescue and helped them water their sheep.

18  When they got home to their father, Reuel, he said, “That didn’t take long. Why are you back so soon?”

19  “An Egyptian,” they said, “rescued us from a bunch of shepherds. Why, he even drew water for us and watered the sheep.”

20  He said, “So where is he? Why did you leave him behind? Invite him so he can have something to eat with us.”

21–22  Moses agreed to settle down there with the man, who then gave his daughter Zipporah (Bird) to him for his wife. She had a son, and Moses named him Gershom (Sojourner), saying, “I’m a sojourner in a foreign country.”

23  Many years later the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out. Their cries for relief from their hard labor ascended to God:

24  God listened to their groanings.

God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

25  God saw what was going on with Israel.

God understood.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Saturday, May 31, 2025

by Karen Huang

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Isaiah 55:6-11

Seek God while he’s here to be found,

pray to him while he’s close at hand.

Let the wicked abandon their way of life

and the evil their way of thinking.

Let them come back to God, who is merciful,

come back to our God, who is lavish with forgiveness.

8–11  “I don’t think the way you think.

The way you work isn’t the way I work.”

God’s Decree.

“For as the sky soars high above earth,

so the way I work surpasses the way you work,

and the way I think is beyond the way you think.

Just as rain and snow descend from the skies

and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth,

Doing their work of making things grow and blossom,

producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry,

So will the words that come out of my mouth

not come back empty-handed.

They’ll do the work I sent them to do,

they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.

Today's Insights

Isaiah 55:8-9 affirms God’s supremacy and incomparability. More than a thousand years before Isaiah prophesied, Job’s friend challenged the ancient patriarch: “Can you solve the mysteries of God? Can you discover everything about the Almighty? Such knowledge is higher than the heavens—and who are you? . . . What do you know?” (Job 11:7-8 nlt). An unanswered question asked by God’s people is this: “Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11). God Himself challenged His people: “To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?” (Isaiah 40:25; see v. 18; 46:5). Because God is unlike any other being, our finite minds can never fully understand Him. Yet, this incomparable and incomprehensible God invites us to “come to [Him and] listen, that you may live” (55:3) and “call on him while he is near” (v. 6).

God Knows Best

My ways [are] higher than your ways. Isaiah 55:9

Anxious about a health issue my teenage niece had, I was relieved when I heard of a promising natural remedy. My sister, however, felt it might cause side effects, based on her daughter’s medical history. I wanted to argue but refrained. No matter how concerned I was about my niece, I had to defer to her mom’s authority.

Later, a doctor told us, “That natural remedy would’ve caused a strong allergic reaction.” When it comes to my niece’s welfare, her mom truly knows what’s best for her—in ways that I don’t.   

I remember this incident when I’m anxious about other loved ones, asking God to help them the way I think they should be helped. I remember that God, who loves them and knows them far better than I do, knows best.

In Isaiah 55:9, God says, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.” The Hebrew word here for ways (derek) refers to the moral actions and behavior of God contrasted with that of wicked people. God’s wisdom and righteous ways are far above ours. What happens in a loved one’s life may not be what we want, but we can trust Him to work in their lives as He sees best.

Let’s keep entrusting those we love to God by presenting “[our] requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). He alone is perfect in love, mercy, wisdom, and sovereignty (Isaiah 55:3, 7-11).

Reflect & Pray

What concerns do you have for a loved one? How can you surrender your understanding of the situation to God’s wisdom?

Dear God, I entrust my loved ones into Your care. You alone know what’s best for them.

God's love can bring us through life's hardest moments. Find out more by reading Cherish.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Saturday, May 31, 2025

God First

Jesus would not entrust himself to them, . . . for he knew what was in each person.— John 2:24-25

Put trust in God first. “Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people” (John 2:24). Our Lord trusted no one except God, yet he was never suspicious, never bitter, never in despair about anyone. He simply trusted entirely in what God’s grace could do. If we put our trust in people before God, if we insist on people being something they never can be—absolutely right—we’ll become bitter and end up despairing of everyone. This is why we must never trust in anything but the grace of God.

Put God’s needs first. “Here I am, I have come to do your will” (Hebrews 10:9). Many of us are obedient to whatever we perceive to be a need. We say to ourselves, “The unsaved are dying without God. They need the Lord; they need me to come and preach the gospel.” Jesus was never obedient to a need; he was obedient to the will of his Father. Before we rush off into work for God, we have to make sure that we are honoring God’s will for our own lives. God wants us to be rightly related to him. Once we are, he will open the way for us to meet needs elsewhere.

Put God’s trust first. “And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me” (Matthew 18:5). God entrusts himself to us as an infant. He asks us to turn our personal life into a “Bethlehem,” a place where he may safely dwell, so that we may be slowly transfigured by his life inside us. God’s ultimate purpose for us is that his Son will be manifested in our mortal bodies. Are we honoring the trust he’s placed in us?

2 Chronicles 13-14; John 12:1-26

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

To live a life alone with God does not mean that we live it apart from everyone else. The connection between godly men and women and those associated with them is continually revealed in the Bible, e.g., 1 Timothy 4:10. 

Not Knowing Whither, 867 L

Exodus 1, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THE PROCESS OF FORGIVENESS - May 30, 2025

Ephesians 4:26-27 (ESV) says, “Do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.” The word “opportunity” in this verse means territory or ground. In other words, anger gives ground to the devil. Bitterness invites him to occupy a space in your heart, to rent a room. Believe me, he’ll move in and stink up the place. Gossip, slander, temper—anytime you see these, Satan has claimed a bunk.

Don’t even give him the time of day. Tell him to pack his bags and hit the road. Begin the process of forgiveness. Keep no list of wrongs. Pray for your antagonists rather than plot against them. Outrageous as it may seem, Jesus died for them too. If he thinks they’re worth forgiving, they are.

Now does that make forgiveness easy? No. Quick? Seldom. Forgive your enemies? You can try—forgive them. You will get through this!

You'll Get Through This: Hope and Help for Turbulent Times

Exodus 1

These are the names of the Israelites who went to Egypt with Jacob, each bringing his family members:

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

Issachar, Zebulun, and Ben-jamin,

Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

Seventy persons in all generated by Jacob’s seed. Joseph was already in Egypt.

6–7  Then Joseph died, and all his brothers—that whole generation. But the children of Israel kept on reproducing. They were very prolific—a population explosion in their own right—and the land was filled with them.

“A New King … Who Didn’t Know Joseph”

8–10  A new king came to power in Egypt who didn’t know Joseph. He spoke to his people in alarm, “There are way too many of these Israelites for us to handle. We’ve got to do something: Let’s devise a plan to contain them, lest if there’s a war they should join our enemies, or just walk off and leave us.”

11–14  So they organized them into work-gangs and put them to hard labor under gang-foremen. They built the storage cities Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh. But the harder the Egyptians worked them the more children the Israelites had—children everywhere! The Egyptians got so they couldn’t stand the Israelites and treated them worse than ever, crushing them with slave labor. They made them miserable with hard labor—making bricks and mortar and back-breaking work in the fields. They piled on the work, crushing them under the cruel workload.

15–16  The king of Egypt had a talk with the two Hebrew midwives; one was named Shiphrah and the other Puah. He said, “When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the sex of the baby. If it’s a boy, kill him; if it’s a girl, let her live.”

17–18  But the midwives had far too much respect for God and didn’t do what the king of Egypt ordered; they let the boy babies live. The king of Egypt called in the midwives. “Why didn’t you obey my orders? You’ve let those babies live!”

19  The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; they’re vigorous. Before the midwife can get there, they’ve already had the baby.”

20–21  God was pleased with the midwives. The people continued to increase in number—a very strong people. And because the midwives honored God, God gave them families of their own.

22  So Pharaoh issued a general order to all his people: “Every boy that is born, drown him in the Nile. But let the girls live.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Friday, May 30, 2025

by Sheridan Voysey

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Psalm 69:6-15

 Don’t let those who look to you in hope

Be discouraged by what happens to me,

Dear Lord! God of the armies!

Don’t let those out looking for you

Come to a dead end by following me—

Please, dear God of Israel!

7  Because of you I look like an idiot,

I walk around ashamed to show my face.

8  My brothers shun me like a bum off the street;

My family treats me like an unwanted guest.

9  I love you more than I can say.

Because I’m madly in love with you,

They blame me for everything they dislike about you.

10  When I poured myself out in prayer and fasting,

All it got me was more contempt.

11  When I put on a sad face,

They treated me like a clown.

12  Now drunks and gluttons

Make up drinking songs about me.

13  And me? I pray.

God, it’s time for a break!

God, answer in love!

Answer with your sure salvation!

14  Rescue me from the swamp,

Don’t let me go under for good,

Pull me out of the clutch of the enemy;

This whirlpool is sucking me down.

15  Don’t let the swamp be my grave, the Black Hole

Swallow me, its jaws clenched around me.

Today's Insights

Psalm 69’s vivid description of a “servant” (v. 17) of God enduring unjust suffering parallels Isaiah’s description of a suffering servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). Although the psalmist refers to personal “guilt” (Psalm 69:5), this could be an indirect way of confessing general innocence—that is, God knows everything the psalmist is guilty of and knows none of it could justify such treatment. 

In the New Testament, Psalm 69 is frequently quoted in reference to Jesus. He was hated without cause (Psalm 69:4; John 15:25), consumed by zeal for God’s house (Psalm 69:9; John 2:17), carried insults intended for God (Psalm 69:9; Romans 15:3), and given vinegar to drink as He neared death (Psalm 69:21; Matthew 27:34, 48; Mark 15:36; Luke 23:36; John 19:29). Jesus knew “the depths” as no one else could, and He helps us as we face them.

In the Depths

Do not let the floodwaters engulf me or the depths swallow me up. Psalm 69:15

San Fruttuoso Abbey is nestled in a cove off Italy’s northwest coast. Accessible only by boat or foot, it’s a secluded gem. But even more treasure hides in its bay. As divers venture into the sea and descend fifty feet down, the figure of a man starts coming into view. This is Christ of the Abyss, the world’s first underwater statue, placed in 1954. The bronze figure depicts Jesus in the depths, His hands raised to heaven.

The depths. Maybe you’ve experienced them. “I sink in the miry depths,” Psalm 69 says, “I am worn out calling for help” (vv. 2-3). Mocked by his foes and estranged from his family (vv. 4, 7-12), the psalmist found no comfort in others (v. 20) and feared his misery would “swallow” him up (v. 15). Whether it’s sin or sadness that takes us there, the depths are life’s moments of dark despair.

Thankfully this isn’t the last word on the depths. For while they’re cold and lonely, there is one who can be found in them (139:8). And He will rescue us from their chilly waters. “I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths” (30:1).

As that sculpture reminds us, when we’re sinking under the world’s weight, we’re not alone. Jesus by the Spirit is there in the depths, His hands raised high—ready to meet us and lift us out in time.

Reflect & Pray

How have you experienced “the depths” in the past? How might Psalm 69:15 be pivotal in getting through them?

Dear Jesus, thank You for meeting me in the depths. Please lift me out with Your love, grace, and power.

Gain more wisdom from the book of Pslams.

RELATED CONTENT

ARTICLE

The Price of Peace: Jesus’s and David’s Responses to Injustice - Psalm 69

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Friday, May 30, 2025

“Yes, But . . . !”

I will follow you, Lord; but . . .— Luke 9:61

Suppose God tells you to do something that doesn’t square with your common sense. What are you going to do? Hang back? If this is your inclination, watch out. If you develop the habit of avoidance in your physical life, the habit will rule you until you break it. The same is true in your spiritual life. Again and again you will come to what Jesus Christ wants from you, and again and again you will turn back. “But suppose I obey God in this matter,” you say. “What about my concerns? I can only obey God if his command follows common sense. Don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.”

Jesus Christ demands that we display the same reckless, daring attitude in spiritual life that the boldest among us display in natural life. If you’re going to do anything worthwhile, sometimes you have to risk everything and leap. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you leap into what he says, risking everything common sense has taught you. The instant you do, you’ll find that his command makes perfect spiritual sense.

Measured by the standard of common sense, Jesus Christ’s statements may seem insane. But if you measure them by the standard of faith, you will find that they are the words of God. Trust entirely in God, and when he brings you to the precipice of a challenge . . . leap. We act like pagans in a crisis: only one in a crowd is daring enough to risk everything on the character of God.

2 Chronicles 10-12; John 11:30-57

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

The life of Abraham is an illustration of two things: of unreserved surrender to God, and of God’s complete possession of a child of His for His own highest end.

Not Knowing Whither

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Friday, May 30, 2025

THE LESSONS THAT SHAPE YOUR CHILD'S LIFE - #10015

Our son's first word was the name he called me, "Da!" I know it's supposed to be "da da," but it was good enough for me. Now, our grandson's first word was "mama," which he liked so much that he just kept it rolling, "ma-ma-ma-ma-ma." Sort of the opposite of "da!" The first words children learn reflect what's going on around them. If they see Mama all the time, you can expect them to say her name early on. Sometimes, those first words aren't happy words. Our friends were dedicated missionaries in a war-torn part of the Middle East for years. Not long after their daughter was born, their area became a place where frequent bombardments and violence erupted all around them. Some of her first words told the story: "bomb," "gun."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Lessons That Shape Your Child's Life."

Children learn what they live, for better or worse. For all our words as parents, it's ultimately what our children live that makes them into the people they become. And God doesn't give a human being any greater trust, any greater responsibility than the shaping of a little person that He made in His image.

God, who asks us to call Him our Heavenly Father, has left us parents and grandparents some great help in the book He wrote. The Bible passes along some valuable instructions given to a generation of parents who were trying to raise their children in a culture that had no use for the values they were teaching their children. And in a setting where their children were being given what their parents had to work for. Sounds kind of familiar, doesn't it?

His instructions to parents are recorded in Deuteronomy 11, beginning with verse 13, and it's our word for today from the Word of God. He begins by saying, "Love the Lord your God and...serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul." Parents need to give their children more than a religion. They need to show them a personal love relationship with the God who made them and a life that makes God the sun in your universe and everything else the planets that revolve around that sun.

Then God says: "Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds...teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses...so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land." In short, live your life in such a way your kids keep bumping into God wherever they turn; a real God that they see in real life situations.

It isn't enough for your child to hear the truth. He or she needs to see what the truth looks like in your life. You teach them faith by how you handle the storms and the stresses that hit your family. You teach them loving their neighbor by seeing your compassion for hurting people. They learn about forgiveness by you forgiving them and asking them to forgive you. They learn that lying is wrong from a parent who always tells the truth. They learn about managing anger when they see you always make things right before your day ends. They learn to love God's Word when they see you meeting with God with His book in your lap.

The truth is, children grow up thinking God is like whatever their parents are like, and that's scary. Especially if you know you have a dark side that all too often is what your kids see; a dark side that continually causes you to hurt most the people you love most. Honestly, your child is your mirror. And if you don't like what you see in that mirror, it's time for you to know the Savior of mommies and daddies. That's Jesus, who died for our sins so they could be forgiven, who rose from His grave with the power to help us change what we could never change about ourselves. Our children show us a truth we may have been able to run from before. We need a Savior. We need Jesus.

This might be the day to make this Savior your Savior. I'd love to help you with that, that's why our website is there. Go to ANewStory.com.

You can't begin to imagine how different your home could be - how different you could be - if Jesus lives there, in you.

Matthew 23:23-39, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: A REDEMPTIVE PATTERN - May 29, 2025

It’s the repeated pattern in Scripture: Evil. God. Good.

Evil came to Job. Tempted him, tested him. Job struggled, but God countered. He spoke truth, declared sovereignty. Job, in the end, chose God. Satan’s prime target became came God’s star witness, and good resulted. Evil came to David; he committed adultery. Evil came to Daniel; he was dragged to a foreign land. To Nehemiah; the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed. But God countered. Because he did, David wrote songs of grace, Daniel ruled in a foreign land, and Nehemiah rebuilt Jerusalem with Babylonian money. Good happened.

And Jesus. The Bethlehem innkeeper told Jesus’ parents to try their luck in the barn. That was bad. God entered the world in the humblest place on earth. That was good. With Jesus bad became good like night becomes day—regularly, reliably, refreshingly. And redemptively.

You'll Get Through This: Hope and Help for Turbulent Times

Matthew 23:23-39

  “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You keep meticulous account books, tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God’s Law, things like fairness and compassion and commitment—the absolute basics!—you carelessly take it or leave it. Careful bookkeeping is commendable, but the basics are required. Do you have any idea how silly you look, writing a life story that’s wrong from start to finish, nitpicking over commas and semicolons?

25–26  “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You burnish the surface of your cups and bowls so they sparkle in the sun, while the insides are maggoty with your greed and gluttony. Stupid Pharisee! Scour the insides, and then the gleaming surface will mean something.

27–28  “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You’re like manicured grave plots, grass clipped and the flowers bright, but six feet down it’s all rotting bones and worm-eaten flesh. People look at you and think you’re saints, but beneath the skin you’re total frauds.

29–32  “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You build granite tombs for your prophets and marble monuments for your saints. And you say that if you had lived in the days of your ancestors, no blood would have been on your hands. You protest too much! You’re cut from the same cloth as those murderers, and daily add to the death count.

33–34  “Snakes! Reptilian sneaks! Do you think you can worm your way out of this? Never have to pay the piper? It’s on account of people like you that I send prophets and wise guides and scholars generation after generation—and generation after generation you treat them like dirt, greeting them with lynch mobs, hounding them with abuse.

35–36  “You can’t squirm out of this: Every drop of righteous blood ever spilled on this earth, beginning with the blood of that good man Abel right down to the blood of Zechariah, Barachiah’s son, whom you murdered at his prayers, is on your head. All this, I’m telling you, is coming down on you, on your generation.

37–39  “Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the ones who brought you God’s news! How often I’ve ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you wouldn’t let me. And now you’re so desolate, nothing but a ghost town. What is there left to say? Only this: I’m out of here soon. The next time you see me you’ll say, ‘Oh, God has blessed him! He’s come, bringing God’s rule!’ ”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, May 29, 2025

by Lisa M. Samra

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Acts 1:1-9

To the Ends of the World

1–5  1 Dear Theophilus, in the first volume of this book I wrote on everything that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he said good-bye to the apostles, the ones he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God. As they met and ate meals together, he told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but “must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. John baptized in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon.”

6  When they were together for the last time they asked, “Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?”

7–8  He told them, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.”

9–11  These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud.

Today's Insights

The book of Luke ends with Jesus’ ascension into heaven (Luke 24:50-53). The book of Acts, also written by Luke, begins with him reminding his reader, Theophilus, of that earlier account by referring to “my former book” (Acts 1:1). Luke then affirms the truth of Christ’s resurrection: “After his suffering, [Jesus] presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive” (v. 3). Luke concludes his introduction by assuring us of Christ’s return: “This same Jesus . . . will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (v. 11). The reality of Jesus’ triumph over death and His promised return are foundational to our faith—faith that allows us to live out His power in our lives.

God’s Great Power

You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses . . . to the ends of the earth. Acts 1:8

Our city fell almost dark after a massive ice storm took down miles of power lines, leaving many of our friends without electricity to heat their homes in the dead of a frigid winter. Families longed to see repair trucks in their neighborhoods working to restore power. Later, I learned that a church parking lot served as a temporary command center for the vehicles being sent out to assist those in need.  

Hearing about the repair trucks brought to mind Jesus’ command to His disciples in the book of Acts. For forty days after His resurrection, Christ appeared to His disciples to encourage and teach them about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). Before Jesus’ return to heaven, He gave them one last promise: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (v. 8).

Christ promised that God’s incomparably great power would be available to the disciples through His Spirit. But the purpose of having power wasn’t to keep it to themselves. Instead, the disciples let God empower them in the mission of telling others how to experience once more the connection to God’s power and love that was broken by sin.

As we go out into our communities, we have the same power and calling. Empowered by God’s Spirit, we can care for those who are suffering and share how they too can have access to God’s power.

Reflect & Pray

How have you experienced the power of God’s Spirit to help you? How might you share that message with others? 

Dear God, thank You for the gift of Your power and love.

Check out this simple prayer you can use to connect with the Holy Spirit.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Undisturbed Relationship

In that day you will ask in my name. . . . The Father himself loves you because you have loved me.— John 16:26-27

“You will ask in my name.” By “name,” Jesus means “nature.” He isn’t saying, “You will use my name as a magic word to get what you want from the Father.” He’s saying, “You will be so intimate with me that you will be one with me.”

“In that day . . .” The day Jesus is speaking of isn’t a day in the future; it’s here and now. It’s a day of undisturbed relationship between God and his child. Just as Jesus stood blameless in the presence of his Father, so by the baptism of the Spirit are we lifted into relationship with him: “. . . that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us” (John 17:21).

“The Father himself loves you.” The union is complete and absolute. Our Lord doesn’t mean that your external life will be free of complexity and confusion, but that just as he knew the Father’s heart and mind, you too will know it. By the baptism of the Holy Spirit, he will lift you into the heavenly places, where he can reveal God’s counsels to you.

“My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (16:23). Jesus is saying that God will recognize our prayers. What a challenge! By the power of the resurrection and the ascension, by the sent-down Holy Spirit, we can be lifted into such a relationship with the Father that we are at one with his sovereign will, just as Jesus was. In this wonderful position, we can pray to God in his name—in his nature—which is gifted to us by the Holy Spirit, and whatever we ask will be given.

2 Chronicles 7-9; John 11:1-29

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

We are not fundamentally free; external circumstances are not in our hands, they are in God’s hands, the one thing in which we are free is in our personal relationship to God. We are not responsible for the circumstances we are in, but we are responsible for the way we allow those circumstances to affect us; we can either allow them to get on top of us, or we can allow them to transform us into what God wants us to be. 

Conformed to His Image, 354 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Personally Bankrupt, Spiritually Rich - #10014

Funny things happen when church youth groups go on summer missions trips. Suddenly these comfortable American kids are facing a totally unfamiliar situation, maybe for the first time in their lives!

There's money they don't quite understand. There's a language that's different from theirs. Surroundings that are really different from their comfy little room back home. Unusual places to sleep, food they're not used to eating.

And suddenly, teenagers who seldom have quiet time in the Bible, are up early every morning for devotions. Amazing! In fact if you look, there's a teenager with a Bible on every rock. It's not quite like that back home is it? What is happening? And kids who find prayer back home kind of boring? Well, now they want prayer meetings. Some who have never prayed aloud before, suddenly find the words. What's going on here? Maybe the same thing that's happening where you are.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Personally Bankrupt, Spiritually Rich."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from 2 Corinthians 1, and I'm beginning to read at verse 8. Paul is struggling. He says, "We are under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure." Maybe that's something you can relate to. He goes on to say, "so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts, we felt the sentence of death. But this happened so that..."

Okay, pause for a moment. He's finding the reason for this heavy pressure, getting to the end of his rope, this despairing even of life, why has God allowed this to happen; what's the reason? He says, "It happened so that we might not rely on ourselves but on God." And then he adds, "...who raises the dead." Wow!

Paul says, "I'm bankrupt, man! I have no resources left. Why? How did I get to this point? I had run out of me to depend on. I totally abandoned me and the situation to God." What happened? The next verse says, "He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us."

I told you about the mission trip scenario. Kids are stripped of everything they usually can depend on, and so they're forced to grab Jesus as if their lives depended on Him. Well, it isn't that you suddenly started needing the Lord when you're bankrupt. You just don't realize it until you're bankrupt. Then something very intimate happens in your love relationship with Jesus. You experience His unlimited power at the point of your total powerlessness. In a sense, you don't really know the Lord until you really need the Lord.

Our safe, predictable, well resourced Christianity insulates us from really living by faith.

And then God allows the bottom to drop out, just so He can hold you up. And you find out what He can do when there's none of you and it's all God. And then you can learn that He's enough. He fills up your empty bankrupt account and in a paradox that only God could reveal to us.

Are you ready for it? Here it is: in your bankruptcy you can finally be rich.

Genesis 50, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THE STEADY DRUMBEAT OF FAITH - May 28, 2025

Life turns every person upside down. No one escapes unscathed. Not the woman who discovers her husband is in an affair. Not the teenager who discovers a night of romance has resulted in a surprise pregnancy. Not the pastor who feels his faith shaken by questions of suffering and fear. We’d be foolish to think we’re invulnerable. But we’d be just as foolish to think evil wins the day.

The Bible vibrates with the steady drumbeat of faith: God recycles evil into righteousness. I don’t have an easy solution or a magic wand, but I have found something—or someone—far better. God himself. And when he gets in the middle of life, evil becomes good. Can I urge you? Trust God. No, really trust him. He will get you through this. Will it be easy or quick? I hope so, but it seldom is. Yet God will make good out of this mess.

You'll Get Through This: Hope and Help for Turbulent Times

Genesis 50

Joseph threw himself on his father, wept over him, and kissed him.

2–3  Joseph then instructed the physicians in his employ to embalm his father. The physicians embalmed Israel. The embalming took forty days, the period required for embalming. There was public mourning by the Egyptians for seventy days.

4–5  When the period of mourning was completed, Joseph petitioned Pharaoh’s court: “If you have reason to think kindly of me, present Pharaoh with my request: My father made me swear, saying, ‘I am ready to die. Bury me in the grave plot that I prepared for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Please give me leave to go up and bury my father. Then I’ll come back.”

6  Pharaoh said, “Certainly. Go and bury your father as he made you promise under oath.”

7–9  So Joseph left to bury his father. And all the high-ranking officials from Pharaoh’s court went with him, all the dignitaries of Egypt, joining Joseph’s family—his brothers and his father’s family. Their children and flocks and herds were left in Goshen. Chariots and horsemen accompanied them. It was a huge funeral procession.

10  Arriving at the Atad Threshing Floor just across the Jordan River, they stopped for a period of mourning, letting their grief out in loud and lengthy lament. For seven days, Joseph engaged in these funeral rites for his father.

11  When the Canaanites who lived in that area saw the grief being poured out at the Atad Threshing Floor, they said, “Look how deeply the Egyptians are mourning.” That is how the site at the Jordan got the name Abel Mizraim (Egyptian Lament).

12–13  Jacob’s sons continued to carry out his instructions to the letter. They took him on into Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah facing Mamre, the field that Abraham had bought as a burial plot from Ephron the Hittite.

14–15  After burying his father, Joseph went back to Egypt. All his brothers who had come with him to bury his father returned with him. After the funeral, Joseph’s brothers talked among themselves: “What if Joseph is carrying a grudge and decides to pay us back for all the wrong we did him?”

16–17  So they sent Joseph a message, “Before his death, your father gave this command: Tell Joseph, ‘Forgive your brothers’ sin—all that wrongdoing. They did treat you very badly.’ Will you do it? Will you forgive the sins of the servants of your father’s God?”

When Joseph received their message, he wept.

18  Then the brothers went in person to him, threw themselves on the ground before him and said, “We’ll be your slaves.”

19–21  Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid. Do I act for God? Don’t you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people. Easy now, you have nothing to fear; I’ll take care of you and your children.” He reassured them, speaking with them heart-to-heart.

22–23  Joseph continued to live in Egypt with his father’s family. Joseph lived 110 years. He lived to see Ephraim’s sons into the third generation. The sons of Makir, Manasseh’s son, were also recognized as Joseph’s.

24  At the end, Joseph said to his brothers, “I am ready to die. God will most certainly pay you a visit and take you out of this land and back to the land he so solemnly promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

25  Then Joseph made the sons of Israel promise under oath, “When God makes his visitation, make sure you take my bones with you as you leave here.”

26  Joseph died at the age of 110 years. They embalmed him and placed him in a coffin in Egypt.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

by Alyson Kieda

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

2 Timothy 1:6-14

And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze! God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.

8–10  So don’t be embarrassed to speak up for our Master or for me, his prisoner. Take your share of suffering for the Message along with the rest of us. We can only keep on going, after all, by the power of God, who first saved us and then called us to this holy work. We had nothing to do with it. It was all his idea, a gift prepared for us in Jesus long before we knew anything about it. But we know it now. Since the appearance of our Savior, nothing could be plainer: death defeated, life vindicated in a steady blaze of light, all through the work of Jesus.

11–12  This is the Message I’ve been set apart to proclaim as preacher, emissary, and teacher. It’s also the cause of all this trouble I’m in. But I have no regrets. I couldn’t be more sure of my ground—the One I’ve trusted in can take care of what he’s trusted me to do right to the end.

13–14  So keep at your work, this faith and love rooted in Christ, exactly as I set it out for you. It’s as sound as the day you first heard it from me. Guard this precious thing placed in your custody by the Holy Spirit who works in us.

Today's Insights

The Great Fire of Rome occurred in ad 64, around the time that Paul wrote 2 Timothy. Emperor Nero blamed believers in Jesus for it and persecuted them. Paul was in prison and his death imminent when he wrote this letter to encourage Timothy to persevere in preaching the gospel (4:2-8). He wasn’t to be afraid or ashamed but to boldly witness and be prepared to suffer for Christ (1:7-8). Because God had empowered him to live a holy life (v. 9), he didn’t need to fear death because Jesus had destroyed death and would come back again to vindicate his faith (vv. 10-12). And that kind of faith allows us to boldly share our faith with others.

Go and Tell

Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord . . . . Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel. 2 Timothy 1:8

Elliot is passionate about telling others about Jesus. During a week spent teaching from 2 Timothy for church leaders in a South Asian country, he reminded them of Paul’s farewell to Timothy. He urged them not to be ashamed of the good news but instead to embrace suffering and persecution for the gospel’s sake as did Paul (1:8-9). A few days later, Elliot learned that evangelism and Christian conversion had been banned in that country. With deep concern for their welfare, he prayed for these leaders to persevere and to boldly and with urgency continue to proclaim the gospel.

Paul understood the danger inherent in proclaiming the good news. He spent time in prison (vv. 8, 16) and had suffered in many other ways because of his teaching (vv. 11-12)—including being beaten, whipped, and stoned (see 2 Corinthians 11:23-29). But nothing kept Paul from telling others about Jesus. His philosophy? “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). He lived to tell others about Christ, but he knew that if he died, he would be with Jesus. Paul reminded Timothy that the Holy Spirit would empower him (2 Timothy 1:7).

God calls all of us who believe, wherever we are—at home or abroad—to tell others about Jesus. We may suffer, but He is right there with us.

Reflect & Pray

What helps you to tell others about Jesus? How have you suffered for telling someone the good news?

Dear God, I want others to know You as I do! Please empower me through Your Holy Spirt to tell them the great news about You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

Unquestioned Revelation

In that day you will no longer ask me anything.— John 16:23

When is “that day”? It is when the resurrection life of Jesus manifests itself inside you, and the ascended Lord makes you one with the Father. Then, says Jesus, “you will no longer ask me anything.”

Until the resurrection life of Jesus is manifested inside you, you may often find yourself confused and wanting to ask questions. After his life has been established in you, the questions begin to fade, until finally none remain. At this point, you know that you have come to the place of complete reliance on the resurrection life of Jesus, a place of perfect contact with God’s purposes. Are you living that life now?

In this place of perfect contact, you find that many things are still dark to your understanding—yet none have the ability to come between your heart and God. That is why Jesus says that, in that day, “you will no longer ask me anything.” You will not ask because you will not need to ask. The command given in John 14:1—“Do not let your hearts be troubled”—will describe the real state of your heart, and you will know, beyond a doubt, that God is working everything out according to his purpose.

If something is a mystery to you and it is coming between you and God, don’t look for the explanation in your intellect; look for it in your disposition. Your disposition is what is wrong. When you have submitted yourself entirely to the life of Jesus, your understanding will be perfectly clear. You will have come to the place where there is no distance between the Father and his child, because the Lord has made you one.

2 Chronicles 4-6; John 10:24-42

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

We are all based on a conception of importance, either our own importance, or the importance of someone else; Jesus tells us to go and teach based on the revelation of His importance. “All power is given unto Me.… Go ye therefore ….” 

So Send I You, 1325 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, May 28, 2025

NO TURF IN HIS KINGDOM - #10013

Ahhh, Nantucket! My wife and I had some wonderful, romantic times on that picturesque little island 30 miles off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. The little village of Nantucket is just full of colonial charm. And everywhere you look you find reminders of its glory days in the whaling industry. I was surprised to learn, though, that during those glory days most of the town actually burned to the ground, right to the docks. It was a tragedy that nearly put Nantucket out of business. But it was a tragedy that never had to happen. It was an ugly, four-letter word that ultimately destroyed Nantucket, and the word wasn't fire. It's a word that's still destroying things.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "No Turf In His Kingdom."

Turf. Yep, that's what destroyed Nantucket Village many years ago. See, when the fire companies arrived at the site of the blaze that day, the fire was still small. But the firefighters got into an argument over who got to use the fire hydrants. They all wanted to be the heroes. Duh! And while they were fighting over turf, literally, the fire spread and they lost the town. That's hard to believe isn't it? But it's true. Or is it that hard to believe? Losing the town while the rescuers fight over turf. That's still happening today, and it's not a new problem.

It's talked about in our word for today in the Word of God, 1 Corinthians 1:10-13. "I appeal to you, brothers," Paul said," in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some of Chloe's household have informed me there are quarrels among you." Sadly, this tendency for God's people to fragment into camps and different groups, to focus on their differences, to get entangled in quarrels, has infected Christ's church for 2,000 years.

And we tend to operate as if only our group, our leader, is right. Paul said here, "One of you says, 'I follow Paul'; another, 'I follow Apollos'; another, 'I follow Cephas"; and still another, 'I follow Christ'" (that was the really spiritual group.) "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?" The apostle seems to be saying, "Folks, can't you see? It's all about Jesus! This turf thing is tearing His Body apart!"

It was this turf pride that allowed a fire to destroy Nantucket Village while the rescuers argued with each other. Well, today our world is burning down. Lost people are farther from Christ than ever, but we have more means of rescuing them than ever before! So where are the spiritual firefighters? They're fighting over turf.

We're so concerned about our organization, our denomination, our church, our group's doctrinal distinctives, the agenda of our group, getting the credit so we can get the glory, or maybe the donations, or loyalty to human leaders rather than to the Lord who raised up those leaders. And meanwhile, a lost world is burning down around us. This has to break the heart of God.

There's probably 90% Bible-based Christians agree on, maybe 10% we disagree on. Why do we have to spend 90% of our energy on the 10% we disagree on? That's what makes us "us." We're surrounded by a life-or-death situation! And like the people at Ground Zero when the towers came down, we need to pull together for a desperate rescue operation! Turf does not matter when people are dying!

It's time to unite our resources to defeat a militant and united enemy; to get the attention of neighbors who know nothing about the cross, replacing "My kingdom come" with "Thy kingdom come!"

There's no stopping God's people when they're united; there's no stomaching God's people when they're divided into hundreds of little personal kingdoms. The town's on fire, folks! The firemen have got to work together!

Genesis 49, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE - May 27, 2025

You sleep alone in a double bed. You walk the hallways of a silent house. You catch yourself calling out his name or reaching for her hand. Goodbye is the challenge of your life. To get through this is to get through this raging loneliness, this strength-draining grief. Just the separation has exhausted your spirit. You feel quarantined, isolated.

May I give you some hope? If heaven’s throne room has a calendar, one day is circled in red and highlighted in yellow. The Bible says, “The Master himself will give the command. Archangel thunder! God’s trumpet blast! He will come down from heaven and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then the rest of us who are still alive will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the Master” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 MSG). What a day that will be! We’ll be walking on air. And there will be one huge family reunion.

You'll Get Through This: Hope and Help for Turbulent Times

Genesis 49

Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather around. I want to tell you what you can expect in the days to come.”

2  Come together, listen sons of Jacob,

listen to Israel your father.

3–4  Reuben, you’re my firstborn,

my strength, first proof of my manhood,

at the top in honor and at the top in power,

But like a bucket of water spilled,

you’ll be at the top no more,

Because you climbed into your father’s marriage bed,

mounting that couch, and you defiled it.

5–6  Simeon and Levi are two of a kind,

ready to fight at the drop of a hat.

I don’t want anything to do with their vendettas,

want no part in their bitter feuds;

They kill men in fits of temper,

slash oxen on a whim.

7  A curse on their uncontrolled anger,

on their indiscriminate wrath.

I’ll throw them out with the trash;

I’ll shred and scatter them like confetti throughout Israel.

8–12  You, Judah, your brothers will praise you:

Your fingers on your enemies’ throat,

while your brothers honor you.

You’re a lion’s cub, Judah,

home fresh from the kill, my son.

Look at him, crouched like a lion, king of beasts;

who dares mess with him?

The scepter shall not leave Judah;

he’ll keep a firm grip on the command staff

Until the ultimate ruler comes

and the nations obey him.

He’ll tie up his donkey to the grapevine,

his purebred prize to a sturdy branch.

He will wash his shirt in wine

and his cloak in the blood of grapes,

His eyes will be darker than wine,

his teeth whiter than milk.

13  Zebulun settles down on the seashore;

he’s a safe harbor for ships,

right alongside Sidon.

14–15  Issachar is one tough donkey

crouching between the corrals;

When he saw how good the place was,

how pleasant the country,

He gave up his freedom

and went to work as a slave.

16–17  Dan will handle matters of justice for his people;

he will hold his own just fine among the tribes of Israel.

Dan is only a small snake in the grass,

a lethal serpent in ambush by the road

When he strikes a horse in the heel,

and brings its huge rider crashing down.

18  I wait in hope

for your salvation, God.

19  Gad will be attacked by bandits,

but he will trip them up.

20  Asher will become famous for rich foods,

candies and sweets fit for kings.

21–26  Naphtali is a deer running free

that gives birth to lovely fawns.

Joseph is a wild donkey,

a wild donkey by a spring,

spirited donkeys on a hill.

The archers with malice attacked,

shooting their hate-tipped arrows;

But he held steady under fire,

his bow firm, his arms limber,

With the backing of the Champion of Jacob,

the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.

The God of your father—may he help you!

And may The Strong God—may he give you his blessings,

Blessings tumbling out of the skies,

blessings bursting up from the Earth—

blessings of breasts and womb.

May the blessings of your father

exceed the blessings of the ancient mountains,

surpass the delights of the eternal hills;

May they rest on the head of Joseph,

on the brow of the one consecrated among his brothers.

27  Ben-jamin is a ravenous wolf;

all morning he gorges on his kill,

at evening divides up what’s left over.

28  All these are the tribes of Israel, the twelve tribes. And this is what their father said to them as he blessed them, blessing each one with his own special farewell blessing.

29–32  Then he instructed them: “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, the cave in the field of Machpelah facing Mamre in the land of Canaan, the field Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burial plot. Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried there; Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried there; I also buried Leah there. The field and the cave were bought from the Hittites.”

33  Jacob finished instructing his sons, pulled his feet into bed, breathed his last, and was gathered to his people.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

by Arthur Jackson

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Luke 11:27-32

While he was saying these things, some woman lifted her voice above the murmur of the crowd: “Blessed the womb that carried you, and the breasts at which you nursed!”

28  Jesus commented, “Even more blessed are those who hear God’s Word and guard it with their lives!”

Keep Your Eyes Open

29–30  As the crowd swelled, he took a fresh tack: “The mood of this age is all wrong. Everybody’s looking for proof, but you’re looking for the wrong kind. All you’re looking for is something to titillate your curiosity, satisfy your lust for miracles. But the only proof you’re going to get is the Jonah-proof given to the Ninevites, which looks like no proof at all. What Jonah was to Nineveh, the Son of Man is to this age.

32,31  “On Judgment Day the Ninevites will stand up and give evidence that will condemn this generation, because when Jonah preached to them they changed their lives. A far greater preacher than Jonah is here, and you squabble about ‘proofs.’ On Judgment Day the Queen of Sheba will come forward and bring evidence that condemns this generation, because she traveled from a far corner of the earth to listen to wise Solomon. Wisdom far greater than Solomon’s is right in front of you, and you quibble over ‘evidence.’

Today's Insights

In Luke 11:31, Jesus says that “someone greater than Solomon is here” (nlt). The uniqueness of Christ’s words and works inspired faith and wonder in the people of His day. One word that captured their response is amazed, translated from the Greek word thaumazo, which means “wonder, marvel, admire.” After speaking at the synagogue in Nazareth, Luke said of Jesus: “All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips” (4:22). Regarding His works, after Christ delivered a boy from demonic power, “everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did” (9:43).

Another word used in reference to Jesus’ awe-inspiring ministry is existemi, which means “to amaze, astonish, throw into wonderment.” In response to Christ raising a little girl from the dead, “they were completely astonished” (Mark 5:42). The Message renders it: “They . . . were all beside themselves with joy.”

Wow!

Now someone greater than Solomon is here. Luke 11:31 nlt

Luke 11:27-32

“Wow!” was the response of our team members who toured a retreat center—purchased at great cost by a person with a vision for the refreshment and encouragement of people serving in ministry. We were amazed by double-decker, queen-sized bunks and bedroom suites with king-sized beds. The exquisitely equipped kitchen and dining area also generated wide-eyed delight. And, just when you thought that you’d seen it all, there were more surprises—including a full-sized, indoor basketball court. Every “wow” was warranted.

The Queen of Sheba had a similar “wow” response when she visited King Solomon in ancient Jerusalem. When she “saw all the wisdom of Solomon and the palace he had built . . . she was overwhelmed” (1 Kings 10:4-5). Centuries later, another royal son of David—Jesus—appeared, and He amazed people in other ways. Everywhere He went, people recognized the wonder of His wisdom and works (Luke 4:36), and He urged them to see that “someone greater than Solomon” had stepped onto the scene (11:31 nlt). The stunning ministry of Jesus grants forgiveness of sin—purchased at great cost, His death. He welcomes anyone who will to come to Him. And those who do will experience His beauty and grace and will sing His praises now and throughout eternity. Wow!

Reflect & Pray

What about Jesus compels you to say, “Wow!”? If you haven’t yet experienced the goodness of God through Jesus, what’s keeping you from getting to know Him?

Dear Jesus, please continue to open my eyes and heart to see how amazing You are.

Learn to see the goodness of God, even in the everyday moments of life by reading this prayer from Reclaim Today.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

The Life That Lives

Stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.— Luke 24:49

When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive life itself from the ascended Lord. The baptism of the Spirit isn’t what changes us; it’s the power of the ascended Christ coming into our lives through the Spirit. Too often we separate what the New Testament never separates. The baptism of the Holy Spirit isn’t something we experience separately from Jesus Christ; it’s the evidence of the ascended Christ coming to dwell within us.

Are you still waiting to receive the Spirit? If you are, it isn’t because of God. In Luke 24, the disciples are told to wait in Jerusalem to receive the Spirit—to be “clothed with power from on high”—but there is a specific reason why they must wait: “The Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified” (John 7:39). As soon as our Lord was glorified, what happened? “Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear” (Acts 2:33).

We have to embrace the revelation that the Holy Spirit is here, now, among us. After our Lord was glorified, the Spirit came into this world, and he has been with us ever since. This means that, unlike the disciples, we do not have to wait. If you haven’t yet received the Spirit, it isn’t because God is holding the Spirit back from you; it’s because of your lack of fitness. Openness to the Holy Spirit is the maintained attitude of the believer.

If you are still waiting for the Spirit, consider what you’re denying yourself. The baptism of the Holy Spirit isn’t for time or eternity; it is one amazing, glorious now. “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Begin to know him now, and never stop.

2 Chronicles 1-3; John 10:1-23

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Both nations and individuals have tried Christianity and abandoned it, because it has been found too difficult; but no man has ever gone through the crisis of deliberately making Jesus Lord and found Him to be a failure.

The Love of God—The Making of a Christian, 680 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, May 27, 2025

WIMPY WEAPONS FOR YOUR BIGGEST BATTLES - #10012

Back when my sons were young, they were watching Saturday morning television. One morning I walked by the living room and they were watching Superman. I'll tell you, I got hooked! It brought back memories.

Superman was originally on in the mid '50s, and Fred Flintstone was there in school with me at that time. You might remember that. Television was a brand new thing! We had this little seven-inch screen in our home. I could barely put words together, but I used to watch Superman. Oh, I never missed those 30 minutes. It was always amusing to watch the crooks try to stop Superman. Did you ever see that? They'd be firing this gun as many times as they could find bullets for it, and every bullet would bounce off Superman, and they'd kind of look at their gun quizzically, and he stands there like he's not even aware of anything...like the bullets were mosquitoes bouncing off of him.

Or they would come up and stab him with a knife and the knife bent and it hits them. Or they try to break a pipe over his head, and of course the pipe breaks and nothing happens to him. They sure did waste a lot of ammunition on Superman. But once in a while a clever criminal would discover Superman's one weakness. Kryptonite! That's right; that ore from his original planet. And if you could use a little of that ore on Superman, he would fall to his knees, powerless, and he was beatable.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Wimpy Weapons for Our Biggest Battles."

Well, Ephesians 6 is where we find our word for today from the Word of God. It's a very revealing chapter. It reveals the real battle that we're fighting; the spiritual warfare that you and I are involved in. And it gives us a description of the armor that you can put on to protect your heart and your mind from what is called the Devil's flaming arrows. Then it goes on to reveal to us the only weapon he fears.

I'm reading from Ephesians 6:18. After you've got all the armor on, "pray in the Spirit on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Now, the comparison between Satan and Superman is pretty inadequate. Satan is no hero. He is the Prince of Death. Superman was fiction; Satan is very real, very active around us. But there is a parallel when it comes to wasted bullets and spiritual kryptonite.

Prayer in Jesus' name renders Satan powerless. But unfortunately we usually fight our battles with wimpier weapons. We try to do God's work on the strength of good management, our great plans, our cleverness, our power of persuasion, more committee meetings, human charisma. We try to get God's work done with abundant programs, new buildings and persuasion. And the Devil laughs. Those bullets bounce right off of him.

How much time and money do we throw away on wasted bullets? We're trying to win a personal battle with schemes, and endless discussions, and phone calls, and emails, and back room politics, and personal determination. Those bullets are bouncing right off our enemy.

Our last resort, usually, is prevailing prayer. The kind when we get on our knees, we confess our total bankruptcy in the situation, we surrender all our schemes, we allow a total Holy Spirit takeover, we invoke the cross and the blood of Christ against our enemy. When you do that, Satan crumbles to his knees. He's rendered powerless by the spiritual kryptonite of fervent prayer.

Hey, for once, put all the other meetings on the back burner. You need a prayer meeting. You may need many prayer meetings. Without that, all our other weapons? They're wasted bullets.

Matthew 23:1-22, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: FROM MOURNFUL TO HOPEFUL - May 26, 2025

In May of 2008, Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, lost their five-year-old daughter in an automobile accident. They were deluged by messages of kindness. One in particular gave Steven strength. It was from a pastor friend who had lost his son in an auto accident. “Remember, your future with your daughter will be greater than your past with her.”

Death seems to take so much. We bury the wedding that never happened, the golden years we never knew. We bury dreams. But in heaven these dreams will come true. Acts 3:21 says that God has promised a “restoration of all things.” And all things include all relationships. Our final home will hear no “goodbyes.”  Gone forever. Let the promise change you. From sagging to seeking, from mournful to hopeful, from dwellers in the land of goodbyes to a heaven of hellos! You’ll get through this.

You'll Get Through This: Hope and Help for Turbulent Times

Matthew 23:1-22

Religious Fashion Shows

1–3  23 Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. “The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God’s Law. You won’t go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don’t live it. They don’t take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It’s all spit-and-polish veneer.

4–7  “Instead of giving you God’s Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn’t think of lifting a finger to help. Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called ‘Doctor’ and ‘Reverend.’

8–10  “Don’t let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don’t set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of ‘Father’; you have only one Father, and he’s in heaven. And don’t let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ.

11–12  “Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you’ll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you’re content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.

Frauds!

13  “I’ve had it with you! You’re hopeless, you religion scholars, you Pharisees! Frauds! Your lives are roadblocks to God’s kingdom. You refuse to enter, and won’t let anyone else in either.

15  “You’re hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! Frauds! You go halfway around the world to make a convert, but once you get him you make him into a replica of yourselves, double-damned.

16–22  “You’re hopeless! What arrogant stupidity! You say, ‘If someone makes a promise with his fingers crossed, that’s nothing; but if he swears with his hand on the Bible, that’s serious.’ What ignorance! Does the leather on the Bible carry more weight than the skin on your hands? And what about this piece of trivia: ‘If you shake hands on a promise, that’s nothing; but if you raise your hand that God is your witness, that’s serious’? What ridiculous hairsplitting! What difference does it make whether you shake hands or raise hands? A promise is a promise. What difference does it make if you make your promise inside or outside a house of worship? A promise is a promise. God is present, watching and holding you to account regardless.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, May 26, 2025

by Tim Gustafson

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Psalm 144:1-2, 9-15

Blessed be God, my mountain,

who trains me to fight fair and well.

He’s the bedrock on which I stand,

the castle in which I live,

my rescuing knight,

The high crag where I run for dear life,

while he lays my enemies low.

9–10  O God, let me sing a new song to you,

let me play it on a twelve-string guitar—

A song to the God who saved the king,

the God who rescued David, his servant.

11  Rescue me from the enemy sword,

release me from the grip of those barbarians

Who lie through their teeth,

who shake your hand

then knife you in the back.

12–14  Make our sons in their prime

like sturdy oak trees,

Our daughters as shapely and bright

as fields of wildflowers.

Fill our barns with great harvest,

fill our fields with huge flocks;

Protect us from invasion and exile—

eliminate the crime in our streets.

15  How blessed the people who have all this!

How blessed the people who have God for God!

Today's Insights

Quick to wield the weapons of war, David rose to prominence after killing Goliath with a sling and a stone (see 1 Samuel 17). Although he was God’s anointed to lead Israel into battle, David was prohibited from building the temple for God (see 1 Chronicles 17) partly due to how “much blood” he had “shed” (22:8). Despite his military prowess, he knew he couldn’t rely on military strength. In Psalm 20 he wrote, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (v. 7). And as we trust Him, we can find the strength to promote peace wherever we are.

From the Deadly Sword

I will sing a new song to you, my God. Psalm 144:9

Sabin Howard’s remarkable sculpture A Soldier’s Journey breathes with vitality and anguish. Thirty-eight bronze figures lean forward across a fifty-eight-foot bas-relief that traces the life of a World War I soldier. Completed in 2024, the panorama begins with a heartrending goodbye to family, leads us through the naive elation of departure, and moves into the horrors of battle. Finally the sculpture returns us home, where the veteran’s daughter peers into his upturned helmet—only to foresee World War II.

Howard sought “to find the thread that runs through humanity—that human beings can reach great heights, and they can sink to the level of the animal.” War reveals this reality.

The psalmist David knew well the bloody consequences of war. Aware of its tragic necessity to confront evil, he praised the God who “trains my hands for war” (Psalm 144:1). Yet he also recoiled from combat, praying, “From the deadly sword deliver me” (vv. 10-11). David looked forward to the time when the young won’t die in war, but sons “will be like well-nurtured plants” and daughters “like pillars carved to adorn a palace” (v. 12). On that day “there will be no breaching of walls, no going into captivity, no cry of distress in our streets” (v. 14).

Looking back, we remember those who’ve fallen in battle. Looking ahead, we sing with David, “I will sing a new song to you, my God” (v. 9).

Reflect & Pray

How has war affected you? What can you do to work for peace?

Father, we remember those who’ve died in war. We long for Your lasting peace.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, May 26, 2025

Think as Jesus Taught

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.— 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

We think rightly or wrongly about prayer according to the idea of prayer we have in our minds. If we think of prayer as the breath in our lungs and the blood in our hearts, we think rightly. The breathing continues ceaselessly; the blood flows ceaselessly. We’re not always conscious of these activities, but they are always going on. This is how it ought to be with prayer. We might not be conscious of Jesus keeping us in perfect, prayerful harmony with God, but if we are obeying him, he always is. Prayer isn’t an exercise; it’s life. To “pray continually” means to keep the childlike habit of spontaneous prayer in our hearts at all times.

Jesus never mentioned unanswered prayer. He had the boundless certainty that prayer is always answered. Do we, through the Holy Spirit, share Jesus’s certainty? Or do we always think of the times when it seemed God didn’t answer? Jesus taught that “everyone who asks receives” (Matthew 7:8). “But, but, but . . .” we say. We forget that God answers prayer in the best way—not sometimes but every time. His answer might not come immediately, nor in the exact way we want, but it does come.

Do we truly expect God to answer prayer? The danger with many of us is that we want to water down what Jesus said. We want to make his words mean something that agrees with common sense. If what Jesus said is only common sense, it wasn’t worthwhile for him to say it. The things Jesus said about prayer are supernatural revelations.

1 Chronicles 28-29; John 9:24-41

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

There is nothing, naturally speaking, that makes us lose heart quicker than decay—the decay of bodily beauty, of natural life, of friendship, of associations, all these things make a man lose heart; but Paul says when we are trusting in Jesus Christ these things do not find us discouraged, light comes through them.

The Place of Help

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, May 26, 2025

YOUR CRISIS OF CONTROL - #10011

It's a well known fact that men are never lost, right? We just find alternative routes - scenic routes. I've found more than my share, but my choice of a wrong road has never led to deadly consequences. It did for Comair Flight 5191 out of Lexington, Kentucky some years ago. Somehow, the pilot went down the wrong runway; one half the length of the runway from which he'd been cleared to take off. He ran out of runway, he hit a row of trees, and tragically, 49 of the 50 people aboard died in that crash. As the investigation of the crash unfolded, we found out that the one flight controller in the tower wasn't looking when the plane turned onto that fatal runway. He had what was described as "administrative duties" to tend to, and he turned his back, and moments later - disaster.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Your Crisis of Control."

No matter what season of your life you're in, you've got tons of choices to make about money, your job, your family, your relationships. At any given point, you could probably make a list of at least a dozen important decisions you need to make, any one of which can significantly affect your life if you get it wrong.

We need a flight controller; someone who can see what we can't see. We're stuck looking out our little window, trying to choose a runway based on the little that we can see. The good news from the Bible is that we can have a flight controller like that; one who has promised He will never turn His back. One of His many promises to His children is recorded in Psalm 32:8, and it's our word for today from the Word of God. God says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."

In other words, God's offering to direct you each day in every area of your life. And face it, He's so much smarter than we are; He can see the whole picture. He has the plans that He made you for. He talks about them in Jeremiah 29:11, "I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." That's security. That's safety from a God who is not going to let you crash.

Here's the problem. We'd rather navigate our own life. Listen to God's statement right after the "I will instruct and teach you" verse. "Do not be like the horse or the mule which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit or bridle or they will not come to you." That's us. We'll give God money, we'll give Him time, belief; we'll give Him everything but one thing - control. We want a God who bails us out but not a God who calls the shots. So here we are, trying to call our own shots from our own little cockpit window, and missing the runway we're designed for.

If we refuse to let the Divine Flight Controller direct our path, we will die. In the Bible's words, "The wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). That's eternal death, as in "hell." But that's not what God wants. In spite of the fact that we've chosen to reject His Creator-right to run our life, He loves us so much that He chose to pay that death penalty Himself. His Son was butchered on a cross, dying as your substitute, taking the punishment for your sin so you could be forgiven; so you could belong to the God that you can't really live without. The God you sure don't want to die without.

He's coming to you today, down in your heart, to invite you to finally let Him be God for your life. The life He made you for, the moment you tell His Son, "Jesus, I'm Yours. You died for me. You came back from the grave to prove You can give life forever, and I am Yours beginning today."

Listen, if that's what you want I would love to help you be sure you belong to Him before this day is over. That's what our website is there for. Please go there - it's ANewStory.com.

You've tried doing it your way long enough. It hasn't taken you where you want to go. It never will. You were made to live with God as your Flight Controller, the One who will never turn His back on you. Let Him call the shots before you crash.

Genesis 48, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Follow Me

“‘Follow Me,’” [Jesus] told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.” Matthew 2:9, NIV

You gotta wonder what Jesus saw in Matthew . . .

Whatever it was, it must’ve been something. Matthew heard the call and never went back. He spent the rest of his life convincing folks that the carpenter was the King. Jesus gave the call and never took it back. He spent his life dying for people like Matthew, convincing a lot of us that if he had a place for Matthew, he just might have a place for us.

Genesis 48

 Some time after this conversation, Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” He took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to Jacob. When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come,” he roused himself and sat up in bed.

3–7  Jacob said to Joseph, “The Strong God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. He said, ‘I’m going to make you prosperous and numerous, turn you into a congregation of tribes; and I’ll turn this land over to your children coming after you as a permanent inheritance.’ I’m adopting your two sons who were born to you here in Egypt before I joined you; they have equal status with Reuben and Simeon. But any children born after them are yours; they will come after their brothers in matters of inheritance. I want it this way because, as I was returning from Paddan, your mother Rachel, to my deep sorrow, died as we were on our way through Canaan when we were only a short distance from Ephrath, now called Bethlehem.”

8  Just then Jacob noticed Joseph’s sons and said, “Who are these?”

9–11  Joseph told his father, “They are my sons whom God gave to me in this place.”

“Bring them to me,” he said, “so I can bless them.” Israel’s eyesight was poor from old age; he was nearly blind. So Joseph brought them up close. Old Israel kissed and embraced them and then said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has let me see your children as well!”

12–16  Joseph took them from Israel’s knees and bowed respectfully, his face to the ground. Then Joseph took the two boys, Ephraim with his right hand setting him to Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand setting him to Israel’s right, and stood them before him. But Israel crossed his arms and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim who was the younger and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, the firstborn. Then he blessed them:

The God before whom walked

my fathers Abraham and Isaac,

The God who has been my shepherd

all my life long to this very day,

The Angel who delivered me from every evil,

Bless the boys.

May my name be echoed in their lives,

and the names of Abraham and Isaac, my fathers,

And may they grow

covering the Earth with their children.

17–18  When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he thought he had made a mistake, so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s, saying, “That’s the wrong head, Father; the other one is the firstborn; place your right hand on his head.”

19–20  But his father wouldn’t do it. He said, “I know, my son; but I know what I’m doing. He also will develop into a people, and he also will be great. But his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will enrich nations.” Then he blessed them both:

Israel will use your names to give blessings:

May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.

In that he made it explicit: he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

21–22  Israel then said to Joseph, “I’m about to die. God be with you and give you safe passage back to the land of your fathers. As for me, I’m presenting you, as the first among your brothers, the ridge of land I took from Amorites with my sword and bow.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Sunday, May 25, 2025

by Jasmine Goh

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

1 Thessalonians 5:4-15

But friends, you’re not in the dark, so how could you be taken off guard by any of this? You’re sons of Light, daughters of Day. We live under wide open skies and know where we stand. So let’s not sleepwalk through life like those others. Let’s keep our eyes open and be smart. People sleep at night and get drunk at night. But not us! Since we’re creatures of Day, let’s act like it. Walk out into the daylight sober, dressed up in faith, love, and the hope of salvation.

9–11  God didn’t set us up for an angry rejection but for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether we’re awake with the living or asleep with the dead, we’re alive with him! So speak encouraging words to one another. Build up hope so you’ll all be together in this, no one left out, no one left behind. I know you’re already doing this; just keep on doing it.

The Way He Wants You to Live

12–13  And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!

13–15  Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.

Today's Insights

Paul urges his readers to “[put] on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet” (1 Thessalonians 5:8). His use of this imagery might sound familiar. He expands on this idea in Ephesians 6 when he urges believers in Jesus to “put on the full armor of God” (v. 13), including “the belt of truth” (v. 14), “feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace” (v. 15), the “shield of faith” (v. 16), and “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (v. 17). As we put on God’s armor, we’re better prepared to serve God and to come alongside those who need encouragement.

Hope Renewed

Encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:14

Thia was puzzled. Why was his eighteen-year-old son spending so much time in the library these days? His son, who was autistic and rarely spoke to anyone, would usually return straight home after class. What changed? When pressed, his son finally replied: “Studying with Navin.”

Navin, it turned out, was a classmate who'd noticed that Thia’s son was struggling in class and had invited him to study together. This budding friendship—the first in eighteen years—greatly encouraged the disheartened father, who’d given up hope of his son ever having a friend.

Hope was renewed because one person cared enough to come alongside another who needed help. In Paul’s ministry to the early church, he knew this also applied to our hope of salvation. For believers in Jesus to “be awake and sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6), living in the hope of His return, they had to help one another (v. 11), especially those who were struggling.

That’s why, even though these believers led lives of love that pleased God (4:1, 10), Paul reminded them to “encourage the disheartened, help the weak” (5:14). When we notice believers in Christ who are fearful, anxious, or despondent, and we come alongside them—whether to listen, offer a kind word, or sit quietly together—God can use us to give them the strength and courage to hold on to their hope in Jesus.

Reflect & Pray

Who in your community can you come alongside this week? What can you do to show them care and attention?

 

Dear God, please help me to care for the disheartened and the weak so that their hope in Jesus may be renewed.

Learn how we can prioritze others over our own busyness by reading this article from Reclaim Today.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, May 25, 2025

The Test of Self-Interest

Abram said to Lot, “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me. . . . If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”— Genesis 13:8-9

As soon as you begin to live the life of faith in God, rich and fascinating possibilities open up before you. These things are yours by right, but if you are living the life of faith, you will exercise your right to waive your rights. You will let God choose for you.

In Genesis 13, Abraham declines to choose a parcel of land, even though choosing would seem the wisest thing for him to do. Even though it is Abraham’s right to choose, even though people will consider him a fool for not choosing, Abraham lets God decide.

God sometimes allows you to be tested in a way that requires you to sacrifice your own well-being. At such times, it seems only right for you to think about yourself, to put your needs first. But if you are living a life of faith, you will joyfully set aside your right and allow God to direct your path. This is the discipline by which the natural is transformed into the spiritual, through obedience to the voice of God.

Whenever we allow rights and entitlements to guide us, we dull our spiritual insight. The great enemy of the life of faith in God isn’t sin; it’s the good which isn’t good enough. The good is always the enemy of the best.

Many of us fail to progress spiritually because we prefer to choose what seems right instead of relying on God to choose for us. We have to learn to walk according to the standard which keeps its eye on God: “Walk before me” (Genesis 17:1).

1 Chronicles 25-27; John 9:1-23

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Civilization is based on principles which imply that the passing moment is permanent. The only permanent thing is God, and if I put anything else as permanent, I become atheistic. I must build only on God (John 14:6).

The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption, 565 L