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.
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