Max Lucado Daily: OUR EVER PRESENT HELP - October 2, 2026
The father may have thought he was walking the road to Capernaum all alone. Quite the contrary. Christ had supernaturally gone into the nobleman’s residence and not only healed the son, but also won the hearts of the entire household. Was the father’s prayer answered? By all means! It was answered in a manner greater than he had requested.
Yours will be as well. Perhaps the answer will come this side of heaven. Perhaps it awaits you on the other side. Either way, this story urges you and me to keep walking and believing in our God who is our ever-present help in trouble.
Ever-present. You’ll never be put on hold or told to check back later. Ever-present. As near as your next breath. Ever-present help. He is here to help. That’s the message of this miracle. That’s the message of the Gospel. Remember friends, you are never alone.
You Are Never Alone: Trust in the Miracle of God's Presence & Power
Proverbs 22
The Cure Comes Through Discipline
1 22 A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich;
a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank.
2 The rich and the poor shake hands as equals—
God made them both!
3 A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks;
a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered.
4 The payoff for meekness and Fear-of-God
is plenty and honor and a satisfying life.
5 The perverse travel a dangerous road, potholed and mud-slick;
if you know what’s good for you, stay clear of it.
6 Point your kids in the right direction—
when they’re old they won’t be lost.
7 The poor are always ruled over by the rich,
so don’t borrow and put yourself under their power.
8 Whoever sows sin reaps weeds,
and bullying anger sputters into nothing.
9 Generous hands are blessed hands
because they give bread to the poor.
10 Kick out the troublemakers and things will quiet down;
you need a break from bickering and griping!
11 God loves the pure-hearted and well-spoken;
good leaders also delight in their friendship.
12 God guards knowledge with a passion,
but he’ll have nothing to do with deception.
13 The loafer says, “There’s a lion on the loose!
If I go out I’ll be eaten alive!”
14 The mouth of a whore is a bottomless pit;
you’ll fall in that pit if you’re on the outs with God.
15 Young people are prone to foolishness and fads;
the cure comes through tough-minded discipline.
16 Exploit the poor or glad-hand the rich—whichever,
you’ll end up the poorer for it.
THE THIRTY PRECEPTS OF THE SAGES
Don’t Move Back the Boundary Lines
17–21 Listen carefully to my wisdom;
take to heart what I can teach you.
You’ll treasure its sweetness deep within;
you’ll give it bold expression in your speech.
To make sure your foundation is trust in God,
I’m laying it all out right now just for you.
I’m giving you thirty sterling principles—
tested guidelines to live by.
Believe me—these are truths that work,
and will keep you accountable
to those who sent you.
1
22–23 Don’t walk on the poor just because they’re poor,
and don’t use your position to crush the weak,
Because God will come to their defense;
the life you took, he’ll take from you and give back to them.
2
24–25 Don’t hang out with angry people;
don’t keep company with hotheads.
Bad temper is contagious—
don’t get infected.
3
26–27 Don’t gamble on the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,
hocking your house against a lucky chance.
The time will come when you have to pay up;
you’ll be left with nothing but the shirt on your back.
4
28 Don’t stealthily move back the boundary lines
staked out long ago by your ancestors.
5
29 Observe people who are good at their work—
skilled workers are always in demand and admired;
they don’t take a backseat to anyone.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, October 02, 2026
By
Patricia Raybon
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE
Philippians 3:10-16
I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.
Focused on the Goal
12–14 I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.
15–16 So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.
Today's Insights
Paul is driven by his urgent passion “to know Christ” (Philippians 3:10). He wants to “know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection” (vv. 10-11). Being transformed to be like the resurrected Jesus requires us to pursue that goal with everything we have (vv. 13-14, 17). Yet even as we “press on toward the goal” (v. 14), we know it’s only possible through complete reliance on God. He’ll help us shape our goals so that we’ll know Him better. One day, we’ll be resurrected and will finally reflect Him perfectly (v. 21).
For further study, read: 3 Tips for Discerning God's Will
Goals Aligned with God
I want to know Christ. Philippians 3:10
After getting fired from his job without prior notice, Wil became so depressed that he admitted himself into an inpatient mental health facility. Then one day, after weeks with no progress, he was taking his daily walk when his therapist, seeing him, smiled and called out, “I bet I’ll beat you to the community room.” Wil recalls, “That small act triggered something inside of me.” Suddenly he felt he had a purpose. Walking fast, he raced his therapist to the room and won. To his surprise, having one inspiring goal and meeting it gave him hope—a key to his recovery.
The apostle Paul understood the power of a clear goal. “I want to know Christ,” he told church members (Philippians 3:10). He wanted to know the power of the resurrected Jesus, for that power would help the apostle become more like Him. To achieve that aim, Paul followed one strategy: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (vv. 13-14). Feel like you’re falling short? God helps us refocus our goals as we “live up to what we have already attained” in Christ (v. 16).
Paul’s goal, therefore, wasn’t focused on earthly things. He knew that “our citizenship is in heaven” (v. 20). With this eternal perspective in view, we find new hope to thrive in Christ.
Reflect & Pray
What goals do you have? How might you need to change them to align with Christ’s purpose?
Please shape my goals, dear Father, so they inspire me to know Jesus.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, October 02, 2026
The Sphere of Humiliation
“If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” — Mark 9:22
After every period of exaltation, we are brought down with a sudden rush into things as they are, where it is neither beautiful nor poetic nor thrilling. The height of the mountaintop is measured by the drudgery of the valley—but it’s in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God. When we are on the mountaintop, we see the glory of God, but we cannot live for it. Only in the depths of the valley, in the realm of humiliation, do we discover our true worth to God; only there is our faithfulness revealed.
Most of us can do all sorts of difficult things when we are filled with a sense of heroism. But this is only because of the natural selfishness of our hearts, our desire to be useful and adored. God wants us to relinquish the heroic frame of mind. He wants us to live in the valley according to our personal relationship to him.
“Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain. . . . And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses” (Mark 9:2, 4). After witnessing the vision of Elijah and Moses, Peter wanted to stay up on the mountain. But Jesus took him and the other disciples back down into the valley, the place where the meaning of the vision would be explained.
“‘If you can’? . . .” Look back at your own experience, and you will find that until you learned who Jesus was, you were skeptical of his power. When you were on the mountaintop, you could believe anything. But what about when you were up against facts in the valley? You may be able to give testimony about your miraculous spiritual experiences, but what about the thing that is humiliating you just now? The last time you were on the mountain with God, you saw that all power in heaven and earth belonged to Jesus. Will you see it now in the valley?
Isaiah 14-16; Ephesians 5:1-16
WISDOM FROM OSWALD
It is impossible to read too much, but always keep before you why you read. Remember that “the need to receive, recognize, and rely on the Holy Spirit” is before all else.
Approved Unto God, 11 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, October 02, 2026
The Most Surprised People in Hell - #10365
Scripture: Luke 13:24
When you have a commercial flight to catch at a major airport, it's important to pay attention. There are so many flights, so many gates, so many people, and there's only one plane you want to board; the one that's going to your destination. Right? Well, I guess folks must have made mistakes over the years. I mean, that's got to be the reason the boarding agent or the flight attendant gets on the plane and often says something like this: "This is a destination check. You're on Flight 88 to Atlanta. If Atlanta is not your destination today, this would be a good time for you to deplane." Yeah, I guess. In other words, this buggy ain't going where you want to end up!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Most Surprised People in Hell."
It's one of the most chilling truths in the Bible: there are people who are sure their destination is going to be heaven and they're never going to get there. Unless, you might say, they get off the wrong plane and get on the right plane.
Would you listen to these sobering words from Jesus Himself in Luke 13, beginning with verse 24. It's our word for today from the Word of God. "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' But He will answer, 'I don't know you' ... Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with You, and You taught in our streets.' But He will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from Me...'"
Jesus then concludes by describing this heartbreaking scene: "There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrust out." These are tough verses, but they're here so none of us will end up being one of the most surprised people in hell. They're here because Jesus loves us too much to let us live and die with the spiritual fantasy that we're ready for eternity when we are not.
It is dangerously easy to know all the "Jesus words" and still miss Jesus; to have Him in your head, but not in your heart, to be in a religion that's all about Jesus, but miss Jesus, to have lots of Christianity but never have Christ. It's easy to mistake agreeing with Jesus for commitment to Jesus.
I have a number of friends that I agree with on many things, but I'm not married to them. You know, my marriage to my wife was not because of my agreement with her, but because of my total commitment to her. It's the same with Jesus. The question is this: Has there been a time in your life when you have consciously given yourself completely to Jesus, when you've committed yourself to live for the One who died for your sins? If you know you've done that, you belong to Jesus. If you don't know you've done that, you probably haven't. And you probably need to sooner rather than later.
Heaven and hell are nothing to gamble with. Please don't let your religious pride cost you heaven. Tell Jesus this very day, "Lord, I've known about you a long time, I've never really known You. But I want to, beginning right now. I'm putting my trust in You and not in my Christianity. I know I’ll never get to heaven without Your forgiveness. All my trust is in You, Jesus and what You did on the cross to erase my sins. Beginning today, Jesus, I am Yours."
Wow! This could be the for real day when you really know Him for real. Get it settled. Let's get this done while you're hearing His voice in your heart. I would encourage you to go to our website - ANewStory.com. It's all about securing your relationship with Jesus Christ and you need that right now.
It's time for an eternal destination check while there's still time to go the way that will get you where you want to be forever.
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