Max Lucado Daily: A RELATIONSHIP OF ASSURANCE - July 22, 2025
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (Romans 8:14 NLT). The father-child relationship is one of assurance. In the Old Testament, God is described as a father only fifteen times. In the New Testament he is referred to as our father more than two hundred times. So what happened between the Old and New?
Christ happened. His death on the cross was the final payment for our sins. As far as the east is from the west so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12 NIV). If you travel north or south, you’ll eventually reach the North or South Pole and change directions. But east and west have no turning points. Neither does God. His forgiveness is irreversible. Headline this truth: when God sees you, he does not see your sin.
Help Is Here
Mark 2
A Paraplegic
1–5 2 After a few days, Jesus returned to Capernaum, and word got around that he was back home. A crowd gathered, jamming the entrance so no one could get in or out. He was teaching the Word. They brought a paraplegic to him, carried by four men. When they weren’t able to get in because of the crowd, they removed part of the roof and lowered the paraplegic on his stretcher. Impressed by their bold belief, Jesus said to the paraplegic, “Son, I forgive your sins.”
6–7 Some religion scholars sitting there started whispering among themselves, “He can’t talk that way! That’s blasphemy! God and only God can forgive sins.”
8–12 Jesus knew right away what they were thinking, and said, “Why are you so skeptical? Which is simpler: to say to the paraplegic, ‘I forgive your sins,’ or say, ‘Get up, take your stretcher, and start walking’? Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both …” (he looked now at the paraplegic), “Get up. Pick up your stretcher and go home.” And the man did it—got up, grabbed his stretcher, and walked out, with everyone there watching him. They rubbed their eyes, incredulous—and then praised God, saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this!”
The Tax Collector
13–14 Then Jesus went again to walk alongside the lake. Again a crowd came to him, and he taught them. Strolling along, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, “Come along with me.” He came.
15–16 Later Jesus and his disciples were at home having supper with a collection of disreputable guests. Unlikely as it seems, more than a few of them had become followers. The religion scholars and Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company and lit into his disciples: “What kind of example is this, acting cozy with the riffraff?”
17 Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting the sin-sick, not the spiritually-fit.”
Feasting or Fasting?
18 The disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees made a practice of fasting. Some people confronted Jesus: “Why do the followers of John and the Pharisees take on the discipline of fasting, but your followers don’t?”
19–20 Jesus said, “When you’re celebrating a wedding, you don’t skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but not now. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!”
21–22 He went on, “No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put your wine in cracked bottles.”
23–24 One Sabbath day he was walking through a field of ripe grain. As his disciples made a path, they pulled off heads of grain. The Pharisees told on them to Jesus: “Look, your disciples are breaking Sabbath rules!”
25–28 Jesus said, “Really? Haven’t you ever read what David did when he was hungry, along with those who were with him? How he entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, with the Chief Priest Abiathar right there watching—holy bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat—and handed it out to his companions?” Then Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made to serve us; we weren’t made to serve the Sabbath. The Son of Man is no lackey to the Sabbath. He’s in charge!”
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
by Amy Boucher Pye
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE
Luke 18:1-8
The Story of the Persistent Widow
1–3 18 Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’
4–5 “He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.’ ”
6–8 Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”
Today's Insights
As in Luke 18, Jesus stressed persistence and boldness in prayer in a story He told His disciples after teaching them the Lord’s Prayer (11:1-4). He said to imagine a man knocking on his friend’s door at midnight to borrow bread because an unexpected visitor had arrived. Even though the man is reluctant to get out of bed, he gets up because of the other man’s persistence. In the same way, we’re to ask God for what we need: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (v. 9). We’re to pray confidently and continually, knowing God hears: Paul said, “In every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
Visit ODBU.org/learning-library/praying-with-persistence/ to hear from James Banks about persisting in prayer.
Persisting in Prayer
Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Luke 18:7
When Royston’s daughter Hannah suffered a brain bleed that resulted in a coma, he and his family repeatedly turned to God in prayer. Over months of waiting, they clung to each other—and to God. The family’s faith awakened, as Royston reflected: “Never has God felt closer.” Throughout the ordeal, they were given “a renewal of faith to persist in prayer” like the “widow of Luke 18.”
Royston referred to Jesus’ story about a widow who continually sought justice from the town’s official, which He gave to illustrate “that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). This woman appealed repeatedly to the judge, who in weariness finally relented. Jesus contrasted that uncaring judge with God, saying, “Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?” (v. 7).
Although Christ’s story addresses an unjust judge, the family members felt spurred on by it to pray for Hannah, asking the truly just and loving God for relief and help. They found themselves being drawn ever closer to Him: “As we seek God . . . it’s almost as if we’re the ones really waking up from our slumber.” After many months, Hannah woke from the coma and is slowly recovering.
When we draw close to God, He hears our requests and answers according to His grace. He invites us to cry out to Him day or night.
Reflect & Pray
How can you turn your struggles into prayer? How have you seen God answer your pleas and requests?
Loving God, I thank You that You’re not like the unjust and uncaring judge but that You love and care for me.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
The Death Side of Sanctification
It is God’s will that you should be sanctified. —1 Thessalonians 4:3
In sanctification, God has to deal with us on the death side as well as on the life side. On the death side of sanctification, I identify myself with the death of Jesus Christ, allowing him to crucify my old life for the sake of the new. There is always a battle royal before sanctification, always something that tugs at us with resentment against the demands of Jesus Christ. The battle begins the instant the Spirit of God shows us what sanctification entails: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26).
In the process of sanctification, the Spirit of God strips me until I have nothing left but myself—no father, no sister, no friends, no self-interest. Am I willing to be simply ready for death? Sanctification requires it. No wonder Jesus said that he “did not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34). This is where the battle comes, and where so many of us faint. We refuse to be identified with the death of Jesus. “It’s too severe,” we say. “He can’t want me to do that.” Our Lord is severe, and he does want us to do that.
Am I willing to reduce myself simply to me? To strip away everything my friends think of me, everything I think of myself? To hand that naked self over to God? The moment I do, he will sanctify me wholly, and my life will be free from all attachment that is not in him.
If I pray, “Lord, show me what sanctification means,” he will show me. It means being made one with Jesus. Sanctification isn’t some quality or ability that Jesus Christ puts into me. It is him in me.
Psalms 31-32; Acts 23:16-35
WISDOM FROM OSWALD
The great word of Jesus to His disciples is Abandon. When God has brought us into the relationship of disciples, we have to venture on His word; trust entirely to Him and watch that when He brings us to the venture, we take it.
Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 1459 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, July 22, 2025
WHY GOD WILL LET YOU IN - #10052
If you're a frequent flyer, as I have been in the past, they give you frequent flyer miles that eventually add up to a free ticket. Well, they give their really frequent flyers a few fringe benefits. The benefits aren't quite what they used to be, but like sometimes you can do early boarding. When one of our leaders and I were flying a lot together, it helped if we could board early. Because we could kind of get set up for a lot of work to get done on the flight. Now, he didn't have all the miles I did, but the boarding agents were pretty nice to him, because he boarded with me. My ticket, well, it has this special stamp that would indicate my high-mileage status. And on one occasion, they actually offered early boarding to us guys that they see all the time. They took my ticket and then he was following right behind me. He said, "I'm with him. Is that OK?" Yep. We went together.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Why God Will Let You In."
Sometimes the one way you can get in is on the strength of who you know. "I'm with him." Well, for sure, it's the only way any of us will ever get into heaven the day we die.
That important fact is dramatically demonstrated in our word for today from the Word of God from Luke 23 beginning at verse 42. The scene is that skull-shaped hill where Jesus is dying on the cross, with a criminal on a cross on either side of him.
Now the Bible says of one of those men, "Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.' Jesus answered him, 'I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in paradise.'" When this man died and kept his appointment with God, I could just see him grabbing Jesus and saying to God, "I'm with Him."
Now we know from Jesus Himself that that man is in heaven. Not because he was baptized. He wasn't. Not because he was confirmed. There was no time for that. Not because he was religious or righteous. He wasn't. He would go to heaven when he died for one reason. He had put his total trust in Jesus to forgive his sins and take him to heaven. It's the only way that thief could go to heaven. It's the only way I can; it's the only way you can.
God puts it this way. "There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men" (1 Timothy 2:5). A ransom is the price you pay to get someone back, right? When Jesus died on that cross, He was absorbing all the guilt and all the punishment, all the hell of every sin you have ever committed. He was paying the price to get you back - the ransom. And no one else did that; no one else could. That's why your eternity depends on whether or not you grab Jesus to rescue you like a drowning person would grab a lifeguard.
You might wonder if God can forgive some of the things you've done. Well that dying thief, with his life of crime, might well have wondered the same thing until he heard Jesus say of the men who had executed Him, "Father, forgive them." If Jesus would forgive the men who nailed Him to that cross, is there anything He won't forgive? He will forgive you!
Don't wait another day to make sure you're going to heaven when you die. You just don't know when your date with God is. Say to Jesus, "Lord, remember me. Forgive me. Be the Savior for my sin." Your sins will be forgiven, and your name will be entered in His book of those who have eternal life in heaven that the Bible describes.
This is the day to say, "Jesus, I'm yours. I want to be ready for eternity whenever it comes." I've laid out simply the path to begin your relationship with Him at our website. I urge you to go check it out today. It's ANewStory.com.
Let today be the day you settle your eternity. So that when you meet God, you can say, "I'm with Him." And you'll hear Jesus say, "Today you will be with Me in paradise - and forever."
