Max Lucado Daily: Time in His Workshop
The highlight of my Cub Scout career was the Soap Box Derby. My plan was to construct a genuine red roadster like the one in the Scout manual. Armed with a saw and hammer, lumber and high ambition, I set out to be the Henry Ford of Troop 169. My efforts weren't a pretty sight. At some point dad mercifully intervened, and told me to follow him into his workshop.
I kept my bike in there but I never noticed the tools. But then again, I'd never tried to build anything before. Over the next couple of hours he introduced me to the magical world of sawhorses, squares, tape measures, and drills. I was amazed. Within an afternoon, we had constructed a pretty decent vehicle. I didn't leave the race with a trophy, but I did leave with a greater admiration for my father. Why? Because I'd spent time in his workshop!
From Dad Time
Exodus 10
Strike Eight: Locusts
1–2 10 God said to Moses: “Go to Pharaoh. I’ve made him stubborn, him and his servants, so that I can force him to look at these signs and so you’ll be able to tell your children and grandchildren how I toyed with the Egyptians, like a cat with a mouse; you’ll tell them the stories of the signs that I brought down on them, so that you’ll all know that I am God.”
3–6 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “God, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘How long are you going to refuse to knuckle under? Release my people so that they can worship me. If you refuse to release my people, watch out; tomorrow I’m bringing locusts into your country. They’ll cover every square inch of ground; no one will be able to see the ground. They’ll devour everything left over from the hailstorm, even the saplings out in the fields—they’ll clear-cut the trees. And they’ll invade your houses, filling the houses of your servants, filling every house in Egypt. Nobody will have ever seen anything like this, from the time your ancestors first set foot on this soil until today.’ ”
Then he turned on his heel and left Pharaoh.
7 Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long are you going to let this man harass us? Let these people go and worship their God. Can’t you see that Egypt is on its last legs?”
8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. He said to them, “Go ahead then. Go worship your God. But just who exactly is going with you?”
9 Moses said, “We’re taking young and old, sons and daughters, flocks and herds—this is our worship-celebration of God.”
10–11 He said, “I’d sooner send you off with God’s blessings than let you go with your children. Look, you’re up to no good—it’s written all over your faces. Nothing doing. Just the men are going—go ahead and worship God. That’s what you want so badly.” And they were thrown out of Pharaoh’s presence.
12 God said to Moses: “Stretch your hand over Egypt and signal the locusts to cover the land of Egypt, devouring every blade of grass in the country, everything that the hail didn’t get.”
13 Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt. God let loose an east wind. It blew that day and night. By morning the east wind had brought in the locusts.
14–15 The locusts covered the country of Egypt, settling over every square inch of Egypt; the place was thick with locusts. There never was an invasion of locusts like it in the past, and never will be again. The ground was completely covered, black with locusts. They ate everything, every blade of grass, every piece of fruit, anything that the hail didn’t get. Nothing left but bare trees and bare fields—not a sign of green in the whole land of Egypt.
16–17 Pharaoh had Moses and Aaron back in no time. He said, “I’ve sinned against your God and against you. Overlook my sin one more time. Pray to your God to get me out of this—get death out of here!”
18–19 Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to God. God reversed the wind—a powerful west wind took the locusts and dumped them into the Red Sea. There wasn’t a single locust left in the whole country of Egypt.
20 But God made Pharaoh stubborn as ever. He still didn’t release the Israelites.
Strike Nine: Darkness
21 God said to Moses: “Stretch your hand to the skies. Let darkness descend on the land of Egypt—a darkness so dark you can touch it.”
22–23 Moses stretched out his hand to the skies. Thick darkness descended on the land of Egypt for three days. Nobody could see anybody. For three days no one could so much as move. Except for the Israelites: they had light where they were living.
24 Pharaoh called in Moses: “Go and worship God. Leave your flocks and herds behind. But go ahead and take your children.”
25–26 But Moses said, “You have to let us take our sacrificial animals and offerings with us so we can sacrifice them in worship to our God. Our livestock has to go with us with not a hoof left behind; they are part of the worship of our God. And we don’t know just what will be needed until we get there.”
27 But God kept Pharaoh stubborn as ever. He wouldn’t agree to release them.
28 Pharaoh said to Moses: “Get out of my sight! And watch your step. I don’t want to ever see you again. If I lay eyes on you again, you’re dead.”
29 Moses said, “Have it your way. You won’t see my face again.”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
by Anne Cetas
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE
2 Corinthians 5:1-10
For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven—God-made, not hand-made—and we’ll never have to relocate our “tents” again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move—and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what’s coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we’re tired of it! We’ve been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what’s ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we’ll never settle for less.
6–8 That’s why we live with such good cheer. You won’t see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don’t get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. It’s what we trust in but don’t yet see that keeps us going. Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we’ll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.
9–10 But neither exile nor homecoming is the main thing. Cheerfully pleasing God is the main thing, and that’s what we aim to do, regardless of our conditions. Sooner or later we’ll all have to face God, regardless of our conditions. We will appear before Christ and take what’s coming to us as a result of our actions, either good or bad.
Today's Insights
In 2 Corinthians 5:6-9, Paul describes the tension of living on earth (“at home in the body,” v. 6) and life after death for believers in Jesus (“at home with the Lord,” v. 8). Metaphors like “jars of clay” (4:7) and “earthly tent” (5:1) point to our mortality. But Paul assures us that “we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself” (v. 1 nlt). We will “put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing” (v. 2 nlt).
As we answer the call to serve Christ, our goal is “to please” Him (v. 9). We’ll receive or suffer the loss of rewards depending on how we’ve lived (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). And by staying ready and serving in God’s strength, we’ll truly live well.
Stay Ready
We make it our goal to please [Christ]. 2 Corinthians 5:9
Betty is ready. She began following Jesus as a teenager and has taken opportunities her whole life to serve and please Him. She attends Bible studies, worship services, and prayer meetings. She’s taught studies, visited mission fields, worked in the nursery, served alongside her pastor-husband, and she loves being with God’s people every chance she gets. And remarkably she’s 102 years old and is still ready to do whatever pleases God. She’s an inspiration to many who might not feel like gathering with other believers some days. Then they remember, Betty will be there. I certainly can get there! Betty now says she’s eager to get to heaven to be with her Savior. She says, “I’m ready to see Jesus; I love Him so.”
The apostle Paul said he “would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). But he knew God had work for him to do in encouraging believers in many churches (Philippians 1:23-24). So he kept serving and living “by faith” and “not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Paul remained ready and kept serving under God’s direction.
Whatever our age and stage in life, let’s ask God to help us make it our heart’s goal “to please [Christ]” (v. 9) and stay ready. Betty is ready. And if someday she isn’t ready, it’s because she’s already seeing Jesus face-to-face.
Reflect & Pray
In what ways can you practice answering God’s call to service? How can you become more ready for His call to heaven?
Dear God, I love You with all my heart and want to please You in whatever ways You want. I look forward to seeing You soon!
Use this resource to find and follow your God-given calling.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Getting There
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. — Matthew 11:28
Do I want to get to this place of rest? I can, right now. The questions that matter in life are remarkably few, and they are all answered by the words “Come to me.” Not “Do this, don’t do that” but “Come to me.” If I will simply come to Jesus, my life will be brought into accordance with my deepest desires. I will cease sinning, and I will hear the song of the Lord begin.
Have you ever come to Jesus? Watch the stubbornness of your heart. You will do anything besides the simple, childlike thing. But if you want to stop sinning, you must be simple enough to come and commit yourself to what Jesus says. The attitude of coming is one of complete surrender; you let go of everything and commit all to him.
Jesus Christ makes himself the touchstone for our lives. Look at how he uses the word come. At the most unexpected moments, he whispers, “Come to me.” The instant you hear his voice, you are drawn to him, changed by him. Personal contact with Jesus changes everything.
“And I will give you rest.” Jesus isn’t saying that he’ll put you to bed, hold your hand, and sing you to sleep. He’s saying, “I will get you out of bed—out of the inertia and the exhaustion, out of the state of being half dead while you are alive.” He’s saying, “I will fill you with the spirit of life, and you will be sustained by the perfection of vital activity.”
Sometimes we get pathetic; instead of accepting the will of the Lord with confidence, we start talking about “suffering” it. Where is the majestic vitality of the Son of God in that?
Ezra 1-2; John 19:23-42
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
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
THE CAUSE THAT'S CALLING YOU - #10023
I was in downtown Oklahoma City, and I had the privilege to visit the scene of the Oklahoma City bombing back in April of 1995. I don't think any of us who were alive at that time will ever forget the images of the day that that Federal Office Building was destroyed by a terrorist bomb. The images of that devastated building and of the frantic rescue efforts there, a baby in a fireman's arms. It was a day of heart-wrenching tragedy and it was a day of incredible heroism. Literally, an entire city dropped everything to respond in whatever way they could to this life-or-death situation. The job was clear that day: rescue the dying whatever it takes.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Cause That's Calling You."
When Jesus came, the job was clear: rescue the dying whatever it takes. Our word for today from the Word of God is in Luke 19:10. "The Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." God's Son came here to aggressively pursue and rescue lost people like those rescuers going into the wreckage of that building. The "save" word here isn't just a theological concept - it's a rescue word as in what those rescuers did in Oklahoma City or at Ground Zero some years later. If they didn't get to the people trapped in that building and save them, they would die.
Then Jesus says to us in John 20:21, "As the Father has sent Me, I'm sending you." Our job is clear - to rescue the dying people around us whatever it takes. Paul makes our responsibility very clear when he says in 2 Corinthians 5:20, "We are Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you..." Notice the passion here, the urgency "We implore you on Christ's behalf. Be reconciled to God."
See, that's why you are where you are - in your school, in that neighborhood. Jesus put you there to be His personal representative to that group of people. It's a divine assignment. So, how are you doing? He's put you there to, well as they say in kindergarten, "show and tell" them about Jesus. You need to show them what Jesus is like by your attitude and your actions and your treatment of them. But you can't just show - you have to tell.
Look, they're never going to guess that Jesus died on the cross to pay for their sins just because you're a nice person. You have to tell them. And it really is a life-or-death assignment. See, sin carries an eternal death penalty which can only be canceled one way - by a person putting their total trust in the One who paid that penalty for them - in Jesus. Jesus took their hell so they don't have to, but chances are they don't know that. It's up to you to lovingly deliver that life-saving message. God put you in their life! Rescue the dying whatever it takes. It's easy to forget that most important mission of all.
But they didn't forget that mission that day in Oklahoma City, or that awful day in Ground Zero in New York City, because they knew the lives of dying people were at stake. They dropped everything. And I think that's what we've forgotten - that the people in hell will look just like the people we work with, we live near. They don't look like they're spiritually dying, but the sentence for sin is very clear.
You have to ask Jesus to give you His broken heart for those people; His eyes to see what He sees when He looks at the people around you. Would you dare to pray this prayer? "Go ahead, God, and break my heart for the lost people in my personal world."
Churches forget what our life-or-death mission is and all of us rescuers tend to forget it. We do what's easy - just talk to the people who are already safe. But when you realize that people's lives, people's eternities are in the balance, you put everything on hold to save them.
The job is clear, my friend, rescue the dying whatever it takes.
No comments:
Post a Comment