July 9Th

PRAISE THE SOVEREIGN LORD - July 9, 2026

By Max Lucado

The next time you fear the future, rejoice in the Lord’s sovereignty. Rejoice in what he has accomplished. Rejoice that he is able to do what you cannot do. Fill your mind with thoughts of God.

“He is the Creator, who is blessed forever” (Romans 1:25).

“He is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

“His years will never end” (Psalm 102:27).

He is king, supreme ruler, absolute monarch, and overlord of all history. An arch of his eyebrow and a million angels will pivot and salute! Every throne is a footstool to his. Every crown is papier-mache next to his. He consults no advisers. He needs no congress. He reports to no one. He is in charge.

Sovereignty gives the saint the inside track to peace. Others see the problems of the world and wring their hands. We see the problems of the world and bend our knees.

 Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World

Psalm 20

The Message

20 1-4 God answer you on the day you crash,

The name God-of-Jacob put you out of harm’s reach,

Send reinforcements from Holy Hill,

Dispatch from Zion fresh supplies,

Exclaim over your offerings,

Celebrate your sacrifices,

Give you what your heart desires,

Accomplish your plans.

5 When you win, we plan to raise the roof

    and lead the parade with our banners.

May all your wishes come true!

6 That clinches it—help’s coming,

    an answer’s on the way,

    everything’s going to work out.

7-8 See those people polishing their chariots,

    and those others grooming their horses?

    But we’re making garlands for God our God.

The chariots will rust,

    those horses pull up lame—

    and we’ll be on our feet, standing tall.

9 Make the king a winner, God;

    the day we call, give us your answer.

Our daily bread:

Today's Scripture & Insight :

Romans 12:3-8

The Message

3 I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

4-6 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.

6-8 If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.

Insight

Spiritual (grace) gifts are listed in Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; and 1 Corinthians 12:28. No two lists are identical, which indicates they aren’t exhaustive. The purpose of listing the gifts isn’t to enumerate how many types of gifts there are but rather to teach us to use them in a loving way that promotes growth and unity in the church (1 Corinthians 12:12-27; 13:1-13; 1 Peter 4:10). Spiritual gifts equip God’s people to do His work, to edify and build up the church (Ephesians 4:11-16), and to serve others and bring glory to God (1 Peter 4:10-11). To achieve this, Paul tells us not to think too highly or too lowly of ourselves but to use our spiritual giftedness in humility (Romans 12:3). With our diverse gifts (vv. 4-6), we can serve others in sincere love (v. 9) and mutual respect (v. 10). Today, God helps us humbly use our gifts to serve others. 

By KT Sim

Sharing Our Spiritual Gifts

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. Romans 12:6

“You’re good at playing the guitar,” I said to a new friend at church. “Thanks,” he said. “That’s my ministry.” There was that word again. Ministry. I didn’t know what that was or how someone “got” a ministry. But my friend was simply using the musical ability he’d been given to serve others. When I later discovered that one of my gifts was exhortation, or encouragement, I was a bit disappointed. It felt too plain. But soon I realized that as the care leader of our small group, I delighted in writing encouraging notes or calling our members. I’d been using one of my spiritual gifts without even knowing it.

As believers in Jesus, we’re each given spiritual gifts to serve in the church (1 Corinthians 12:6). Sometimes we don’t know what they are, so we simply serve where there’s need. The Holy Spirit will do the rest (vv. 4-6, 8-11).

Just as our human body has many parts with different functions, in Christ, “we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us” (Romans 12:5-6). Teaching, encouraging, giving, and showing mercy are just some of the spiritual gifts mentioned in the passage from the book of Romans (vv. 6-8). Whatever spiritual gifts the Holy Spirit entrusts us with, let’s use them to serve others in the church—the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27).

By:  Nancy Gavilanes

Reflect & Pray

What’s one of your spiritual gifts? How can you use it to bless others?

Dear God, please help me use my spiritual gifts to serve others.

The Great Examination

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

EDITION

Modern ClassicUpdatedClassic

Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the Lord. . . . He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.” —Joshua 24:19

Do you have the slightest reliance on anything other than God? Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural virtue, any set of circumstances? When it comes to the new dilemma God has put before you, are you relying on yourself in any way?

This is the kind of rigorous self-examination God expects. When you say to yourself, “I can’t live a holy life,” you let yourself off the hook too easily. It’s true that you can’t make yourself holy, but you can always decide to let Jesus make you holy. Perhaps, like the Israelites in Joshua 24:19, you “are not able to serve the Lord” because your sinfulness and rebellion are too great. Yet it is always possible for God’s almighty power to work through you. You simply have to put yourself in the proper place—the place where you are right with him. Are you sufficiently right with God to expect him to manifest his wonderful life through you?

“The people said to Joshua, ‘No! We will serve the Lord’” (v. 21). The decision to serve isn’t an impulse but a deliberate commitment. You say, “God can’t possibly have called me to this. I’m too unworthy. He can’t mean me.” He does mean you. The weaker you are, the better. The person who has something besides God to trust in doesn’t come anywhere close to saying, “I will serve the Lord.”

We say, “If only I could truly believe.” The point is “If only I will believe.” No wonder Jesus Christ puts so much emphasis on the sin of unbelief: “He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith” (Matthew 13:58). If we really believed that God meant what he said, what would we be like? Do I dare let God be to me all he says he will?

Job 38-40; Acts 16:1-21

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. 

My Utmost for His Highest, March 19, 761 L

A word with you:

God-Shaped Days - #10304

By Ron Hutchcraft

Scripture:  Ephesians 2:10

I think in a way, life is kind of like 365 deaths and resurrections every year. You know, you go to bed at night. It’s kind of like you die, and then you come back to life the next morning. Now I know some mornings those resurrections look a little doubtful, like they may not happen. There’s the sound of a buzzer, or a bell, or a radio going on, and then no signs of life. But eventually, sooner or later, there are signs of stirring and the dead person returns to life - another new start in a lifetime full of new starts. Whether or not you find those early moments of your day a little tough, I think I’ve got something that just might help you get out of the gate each morning.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “God-Shaped Days.”

Our word for today from the Word of God is found in Ephesians 2:10. I think this is I guess I’d call it a cosmically exciting verse. Listen to this: “For we are God’s workmanship.” Well, that’s pretty good, but he’s not done yet. “…created in Christ Jesus…” Okay, it’s getting better. “…to do good works.” All right. “…which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Now, think about this. The Word of God is saying that you are uniquely crafted by God. You’re His workmanship. All the experiences, the education, the people, even the hurts of your life (maybe especially the hurts of your life) have shaped you for some special assignments from God. He’s given you gifts that will enable you to go and make a difference in your world. You have “make a difference” equipment that God has literally built into you.

And now this verse tells us that there are, throughout your life, assignments specially prepared for you to do. I can’t do them; they were prepared for you. Now, he doesn’t say great works. He says good works. We’re sometimes waiting around for some giant thing to do. “I want something big to do for God.” He says, “I just want you to do a lot of little good works.”

See, God is daily bringing into your life people that He’s planned for you to touch; to help with what you know; to help with what you can do. He’s daily setting you up for a cup of cold water that you were destined to give in His name to someone. Or a compliment, or a word of encouragement that you were destined to give, an insight that maybe will lift someone’s load or change their life. A pre-destined contact with someone who needs what you uniquely can give them.

So when you’re starting a new day and resurrecting from the night before, you don’t have to say, “Oh, here we go again! Seen one day, seen them all.” Uh-uh! No way! You can wake up and say, “This is the day the Lord has made.” Not, “This is the day the boss has made, or the weather has made, or that my husband or wife has made, or my kids have made, or my To Do List has made. No, “This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!”

Right now God is maneuvering your life and someone else’s so that they will intersect at just the right time; so they will come together for His glory today. But you can miss it. You have to look for it. You have to expect it each new day, because God promised “good works that were prepared in advance for you to do.”

Today you will discover the good works He’s prepared in advance for you to do. That should help you resurrect each morning. That daily destiny? That’s something worth getting up for.