Ecclesiastes 6, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Cry Out to Jesus

My friend Jim has battled a muscular condition much of his adult life. The atrophy slurs his speech and impairs his walk. But it doesn't diminish his faith or erase his smile.

One Sunday we asked church members to park in the back lot and leave the closest spots for guests. As I arrived, I saw Jim. He had parked in the distant corner and was walking toward the sanctuary. His life is an example. I pray that God will heal Jim's body. But until he does, God is using Jim to inspire people like me.

God will do the same with you. He will use your struggle to change others. Or-he may use your struggle to change you! Disease cannot destroy us. And death has lost its sting. Cry out to Jesus in the power of a simple prayer! He will heal you-instantly or gradually or for sure, ultimately!

From Before Amen

Ecclesiastes 6

Things Are Bad

1–26I looked long and hard at what goes on around here, and let me tell you, things are bad. And people feel it. There are people, for instance, on whom God showers everything—money, property, reputation—all they ever wanted or dreamed of. And then God doesn’t let them enjoy it. Some stranger comes along and has all the fun. It’s more of what I’m calling smoke. A bad business.

3–5Say a couple have scores of children and live a long, long life but never enjoy themselves—even though they end up with a big funeral! I’d say that a stillborn baby gets the better deal. It gets its start in a mist and ends up in the dark—unnamed. It sees nothing and knows nothing, but is better off by far than anyone living.

6Even if someone lived a thousand years—make it two thousand!—but didn’t enjoy anything, what’s the point? Doesn’t everyone end up in the same place?

7We work to feed our appetites;

Meanwhile our souls go hungry.

8–9So what advantage has a sage over a fool, or over some poor wretch who barely gets by? Just grab whatever you can while you can; don’t assume something better might turn up by and by. All it amounts to anyway is smoke. And spitting into the wind.

10Whatever happens, happens. Its destiny is fixed.

You can’t argue with fate.

11–12The more words that are spoken, the more smoke there is in the air. And who is any better off? And who knows what’s best for us as we live out our meager smoke-and-shadow lives? And who can tell any of us the next chapter of our lives?

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Saturday, November 14, 2026

by 

Winn Collier

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Proverbs 13:11-23

Easy come, easy go,

but steady diligence pays off.

12Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick,

but a sudden good break can turn life around.

13Ignore the Word and suffer;

honor God’s commands and grow rich.

14The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,

so, no more drinking from death-tainted wells!

15Sound thinking makes for gracious living,

but liars walk a rough road.

16A commonsense person lives good sense;

fools litter the country with silliness.

17Irresponsible talk makes a real mess of things,

but a reliable reporter is a healing presence.

18Refuse discipline and end up homeless;

embrace correction and live an honored life.

19Souls who follow their hearts thrive;

fools bent on evil despise matters of soul.

20Become wise by walking with the wise;

hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.

21Disaster entraps sinners,

but God-loyal people get a good life.

22A good life gets passed on to the grandchildren;

ill-gotten wealth ends up with good people.

23Banks foreclose on the farms of the poor,

or else the poor lose their shirts to crooked lawyers.

Today's Insights

God instructed parents to teach His commandments to the next generation (Deuteronomy 6; Psalm 78:5-7). Solomon, who authored many of the proverbs, often wrote in the form of a life manual from a father to a son, providing guidance for navigating the moral minefields of the world (see Proverbs 1:8-9; ch. 4). In Proverbs 13, he says it’s the wise son who “heeds his father’s instruction” (v. 1) and “righteousness guards the person of integrity” (v. 6). The writer stresses the importance of humility, wisdom, prudence, discipline, and diligence (vv. 10-25). Today, as the Spirit helps us obey the instructions found in Scripture, we can faithfully pass along a legacy of integrity and faithfulness to the next generation.

For additional reflection, read: Paul's Spiritual Legacy: 2 Timothy 1.

Investing in Others

A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children. Proverbs 13:22

When 101-year-old Eugenia Dodson died, no one had any idea how wealthy she was. She’d lived frugally, working as a beautician and investing the nest egg her late husband left her when he’d passed fifty years earlier. But Dodson left $35.6 million for cancer and diabetes research. Both diseases had ravaged her family, and she’d wanted to help others. Dodson used her vast resources to care for future generations she would never meet. One representative said, “She was dead set on doing good for humankind. She had a big heart.”

Proverbs says that if we want to make an impact and live a truly good life, then we’ll think not merely about our own needs but about the needs of those who’ll come after us. “A good person,” Scripture says, “leaves an inheritance for their children’s children” (13:22). This admonition refers to helping our own family, but it also has implications for how we invest spiritually and in other ways in all the generations to come. In Israel’s communal culture, “children’s children” referred to a far wider circle than modern notions of a narrow nuclear family.

There are numerous ways we can invest in the futures of others. Some may be able to pass on a financial inheritance. But as our loving God provides what we need, all of us can pass along a legacy of integrity, share a heritage of faithful prayer, and steward His creation for all who follow (v. 23).

Reflect & Pray

How have others invested in your future? How are you investing in others?

Dear God, please help me to serve others for Your glory.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Saturday, November 14, 2026

Discovering Divine Designs

As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey. —Genesis 24:27

We have to be so one with God that we do not need to continually ask for his guidance. Sanctification means that we have been made God’s children, and the natural life of a child is obedience—until the child wishes to be disobedient. The instant we are disobedient, we get a warning; a kind of intuitive jolt alerts us. In the spiritual domain, this jolt comes from the Spirit of God. When he checks us, we have to stop at once and be renewed in the spirit of our mind so that we may discern God’s will.

If we have been born again of the Spirit, we do not dictate to God where he should guide us. We simply know that “the Lord has led” us on our journey. When we look back, we see the presence of an amazing design, a design which, because we’ve been born of God, we credit entirely to him.

Anyone can see God in exceptional things, but it requires spiritual discipline to see him in every detail. If we have this discipline, we’re ready to discover divine designs everywhere. What appears random and haphazard to most people is to us nothing less than God’s appointed order.

Beware of making a fetish of consistency to your own convictions instead of being devoted to God. If you are following Jesus Christ, you’ll probably find yourself doing things you swore you’d never do, because there was never a more inconsistent being on this earth than our Lord. But he was never inconsistent to his Father. The one consistency of the disciple is loyalty not to a conviction or a principle but to the divine life. It is the divine life which continually makes more and more discoveries about the divine mind. It’s easier to be a fanatic than a faithful soul, because there is something amazingly humbling—particularly to our religious conceit—about being loyal to God.

Lamentations 3-5; Hebrews 10:19-39

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

The main characteristic which is the proof of the indwelling Spirit is an amazing tenderness in personal dealing, and a blazing truthfulness with regard to God’s Word.

Disciples Indeed, 386 R

Ecclesiastes 5, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES - November 13, 2026

You’re gonna regret it.”  I waved away the warning without turning around.  “What was to regret?  I took the shortcut.”  I was on my way to a picnic.  The table sat on the other side of a marsh.  The parks department had kindly constructed a bridge over the marsh. But who needed a bridge?

I ventured in.  The mud swallowed my feet.  Squiggly things swam past me.  I think I saw a set of eyeballs peering in my direction.  I backpedaled, flip-flops sucked into the abyss.  I exited, mud-covered, mosquito-bitten, and red-faced.  I walked over and took my seat at the picnic table.

Made for a miserable picnic, but makes for an apt proverb. Life comes with voices, and voices lead to choices, and choices have consequences.

God Is with You Every Day

Ecclesiastes 5

God’s in Charge, Not You

15Watch your step when you enter God’s house.

Enter to learn. That’s far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice,

Doing more harm than good.

2Don’t shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think.

Don’t be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear.

God’s in charge, not you—the less you speak, the better.

3Overwork makes for restless sleep.

Overtalk shows you up as a fool.

4–5When you tell God you’ll do something, do it—now.

God takes no pleasure in foolish gabble. Vow it, then do it.

Far better not to vow in the first place than to vow and not pay up.

6Don’t let your mouth make a total sinner of you.

When called to account, you won’t get by with

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it.”

Why risk provoking God to angry retaliation?

7But against all illusion and fantasy and empty talk

There’s always this rock foundation: Fear God!

A Salary of Smoke

8–9Don’t be too upset when you see the poor kicked around, and justice and right violated all over the place. Exploitation filters down from one petty official to another. There’s no end to it, and nothing can be done about it. But the good earth doesn’t cheat anyone—even a bad king is honestly served by a field.

10The one who loves money is never satisfied with money,

Nor the one who loves wealth with big profits. More smoke.

11The more loot you get, the more looters show up.

And what fun is that—to be robbed in broad daylight?

12Hard and honest work earns a good night’s sleep,

Whether supper is beans or steak.

But a rich man’s belly gives him insomnia.

13–17Here’s a piece of bad luck I’ve seen happen:

A man hoards far more wealth than is good for him

And then loses it all in a bad business deal.

He fathered a child but hasn’t a cent left to give him.

He arrived naked from the womb of his mother;

He’ll leave in the same condition—with nothing.

This is bad luck, for sure—naked he came, naked he went.

So what was the point of working for a salary of smoke?

All for a miserable life spent in the dark?

Make the Most of What God Gives

18–20After looking at the way things are on this earth, here’s what I’ve decided is the best way to live: Take care of yourself, have a good time, and make the most of whatever job you have for as long as God gives you life. And that’s about it. That’s the human lot. Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, accepting what’s given and delighting in the work. It’s God’s gift! God deals out joy in the present, the now. It’s useless to brood over how long we might live.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Friday, November 13, 2026

by Patricia Raybon

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

1 Peter 3:8-12

Suffering for Doing Good

8–12Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.

Whoever wants to embrace life

and see the day fill up with good,

Here’s what you do:

Say nothing evil or hurtful;

Snub evil and cultivate good;

run after peace for all you’re worth.

God looks on all this with approval,

listening and responding well to what he’s asked;

But he turns his back

on those who do evil things.

Today's Insights

Peter’s call to kindness in 1 Peter 3:8-9 is a call to Christlikeness. An examination of the life of Jesus in the Gospels shows that He epitomized what we see here. The five characteristics listed in verse 8 are beneficial individually and collectively: “Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble” (the message). Paul writes something similar in Ephesians 4:31-32 but reverses Peter’s pattern. He begins with what not to do before listing positive encouragement: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Included in both passages is the word compassionate from the Greek word eusplagchnos, which means “well-compassioned” and “tenderhearted.” Kind actions are rooted in a kind heart. In our interactions with others, God can help us react with kindness instead of anger.

For additional reflection, read: The Marks of Real Love.

Kindness Instead

Repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called. 1 Peter 3:9

When Denis started his candy company in an economically depressed neighborhood, a potential investor asked about his rate of “churn.” Churn is how many employees quit because they hate their job. “Not one person,” Denis said. The investor was surprised. But Denis’ low churn described the workplace he’d set out to build—a kind place where he’d learned everyone’s name, greeted each worker every workday, and ensured all felt seen and valued. He’d created an atmosphere where “everybody felt recognized, safe, and respected.”

His commitment to creating a kind workplace isn’t unlike the harmony the apostle Peter urged believers in Jesus to live out in our homes, churches, and communities. “All of you,” he wrote, should “be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult” (1 Peter 3:8-9).

This instruction was sent to first-century church members scattered throughout Asia Minor, where persecution, put-downs, and poor treatment of believers in Jesus were common. But in response, “repay evil with blessing” and “seek peace and pursue it” (vv. 9-11), said Peter.

In a world where online anger, workplace wrath, road rage, political fury, and family flare-ups seem sadly common, we can ask God to tone down any rage within us. As believers in Christ, His Spirit can fill us with His love and light.

Reflect & Pray

When are you tempted to react with rage or evil actions? How can you offer kindness instead?

Please help me show Your compassion, loving God, and soften any rage within me.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Friday, November 13, 2026

Faith and Experience

I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. — Galatians 2:20

We have to battle through our moods into absolute devotion to Jesus Christ, to get out of the hole of our own experience into abandoned devotion to him. Think about what the New Testament says about Jesus Christ, and then think about the trifling, inadequate faith many of us have. The New Testament says that Jesus Christ can present us faultless before the throne of God, unutterably pure, absolutely rectified, and profoundly justified. It says that he has “become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Yet we base our faith not in him but in our experiences. We complain that this or that hasn’t happened to us, and we talk about all the difficult things we’ve done on his behalf. How can we talk of making sacrifices for the Son of God? He has saved us from hell and perdition, and we talk about making sacrifices!

We have to continually move beyond our experiences into faith in Jesus Christ. We have to seek the New Testament Jesus Christ—not a prayer meeting Jesus Christ or a book Jesus Christ, but the Jesus Christ who is God incarnate, the Christ whose majesty so overwhelms us that we fall at his feet as if dead (Revelation 1:17). Our faith must be not in our experience but in the One from whom our experience springs. We can never directly experience Jesus Christ nor even hold him within the compass of our hearts, but we can build our faith in strong, emphatic confidence in him.

No wonder the Holy Spirit has such a rugged impatience with unbelief. He knows that all our fears are wicked, and that we fear because we won’t nourish ourselves in our faith. How can anyone who is identified with Jesus Christ suffer from doubt or fear! Our lives in him should be psalms of irrepressible, triumphant belief.

Lamentations 1-2; Hebrews 10:1-18 

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

The life of Abraham is an illustration of two things: of unreserved surrender to God, and of God’s complete possession of a child of His for His own highest end.

Not Knowing Whither, 901 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Friday, November 13, 2026

Twenty-Six Words That Can Change Your Forever - #10395

Scripture:  John 3:16

We hear millions of words in our life…especially if you spend much time around me or our family. We forget most of the words we hear, don't we, except for some that are just too important to forget. Like our baby’s first words, or the last words of someone we love, or the words that end up changing our life. Our five-year-old grandson called me one day and he said, “Granddad, I stayed up extra late tonight till I could call and talk to you and tell you what I memorized.” It took me a while to recover from what he said, and turns out I’ll never forget it.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Twenty-Six Words That Can Change Your Forever.”

What my grandson quoted to me happens to be from the Bible, and perhaps the most important words in that whole book that’s filled with important words. And they’re our word for today from the Word of God. It’s 26 words—words you may have heard a thousand times, or maybe you’ve never heard before. Whatever the case, would you listen as if your life depends on them. It does. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Those words are the key to everything you’ve been looking for your whole life…the answer to your greatest need…the deciding factor in whether you will spend eternity in heaven or hell. They really are the 26 words that change everything.

Nearly a century ago, a ruined man was walking along South State Street in downtown Chicago. He headed for Lake Michigan where he was going to end his alcoholic, drug-addicted life. Suddenly he heard a familiar song coming from a building that he was walking by. The building was Pacific Garden Mission and the song was one his mother had sung to him as a little boy. As he entered, one of the workers greeted him and began to share with him those 26 life-changing words from John 3:16.

That night Bill Ward opened his life to the Man who died for all his sin, Jesus Christ. And he would testify for the rest of his life that, from that moment on, he never needed or wanted another drink or another drug. My wife is Bill Ward’s granddaughter, and she would not have ever been here if it were not for the night he traded death for life.

For years, Bill Ward and his wife traveled this country, pulling a trailer with 26 words lettered on the side: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” The same words his great-great grandson quoted to me on that wonderful night I'll never forget.

When I told him that every time I tell a group of people about Jesus, I tell them those words, he said, “Well, if I keep going to Sunday School and learning more Bible stories, maybe someday I can be a preacher and I can tell them those words.”

Well, now those words have come to you, demanding the same verdict that they have demanded for 2,000 years. God’s Son has died to pay for your sins. Now what are you going to do with Him? There are only two choices. You can abandon all hope in any religion or self-righteousness and you pin all your hopes on God’s “one and only Son” who paid your death penalty.

See, agreeing with Jesus won’t do it. Liking Him, knowing all about Him isn’t enough. Either you grab Jesus in total trust, or you reject Him and you pay forever for the sins He already paid for. This is your life-or-death decision—eternal life or death. Would you let this be the day that you commit yourself totally to Jesus, making the same choice that has transformed five generations of our family and so many lives for so many years?

Just tell him right where you are, "Jesus, I'm yours." And let me urge you to go to our website, because there you're going to find the information I've put there that just simply explains how you can be sure you have begun this relationship with Jesus Christ. The website is ANewStory.com.

Right now Jesus is waiting with open arms to welcome you home to the relationship that He died to give you.

Ecclesiastes 4, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: RESIST TEMPTATION - November 12, 2026

Satan and the Son of God stood on the southeastern wall of the temple, more than a hundred feet above the Kidron Valley, and Satan told Jesus to jump into the arms of God.  Jesus refused.  Not because God wouldn’t catch him. He refused because he didn’t have anything to prove to anyone, much less the devil.

Neither do you. In church of all places, Satan will do with you what he did with Jesus.  He will urge you to do tricks, to impress others with your service, to make a show of your faith, to call attention to your good deeds. Satan loves to turn church assemblies into Las Vegas presentations where people show off their abilities rather than boast in God’s.

Don’t be suckered.  You don’t have anything to prove.

God Is with You Every Day

Ecclesiastes 4

Slow Suicide

1–34Next I turned my attention to all the outrageous violence that takes place on this planet—the tears of the victims, no one to comfort them; the iron grip of oppressors, no one to rescue the victims from them. So I congratulated the dead who are already dead instead of the living who are still alive. But luckier than the dead or the living is the person who has never even been, who has never seen the bad business that takes place on this earth.

4Then I observed all the work and ambition motivated by envy. What a waste! Smoke. And spitting into the wind.

5The fool sits back and takes it easy,

His sloth is slow suicide.

6One handful of peaceful repose

Is better than two fistfuls of worried work—

More spitting into the wind.

Why Am I Working Like a Dog?

7–8I turned my head and saw yet another wisp of smoke on its way to nothingness: a solitary person, completely alone—no children, no family, no friends—yet working obsessively late into the night, compulsively greedy for more and more, never bothering to ask, “Why am I working like a dog, never having any fun? And who cares?” More smoke. A bad business.

9–10It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.

Share the work, share the wealth.

And if one falls down, the other helps,

But if there’s no one to help, tough!

11Two in a bed warm each other.

Alone, you shiver all night.

12By yourself you’re unprotected.

With a friend you can face the worst.

Can you round up a third?

A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.

13–16A poor youngster with some wisdom is better off than an old but foolish king who doesn’t know which end is up. I saw a youth just like this start with nothing and go from rags to riches, and I saw everyone rally to the rule of this young successor to the king. Even so, the excitement died quickly, the throngs of people soon lost interest. Can’t you see it’s only smoke? And spitting into the wind?

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, November 12, 2026

by Nancy Gavilanes

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

2 Kings 6:1-7

One day the guild of prophets came to Elisha and said, “You can see that this place where we’re living under your leadership is getting cramped—we have no elbow room. Give us permission to go down to the Jordan where each of us will get a log. We’ll build a roomier place.”

Elisha said, “Go ahead.”

3One of them then said, “Please! Come along with us!”

He said, “Certainly.”

4–5He went with them. They came to the Jordan and started chopping down trees. As one of them was felling a timber, his axhead flew off and sank in the river.

“Oh no, master!” he cried out. “And it was borrowed!”

6The Holy Man said, “Where did it sink?”

The man showed him the place.

He cut off a branch and tossed it at the spot. The axhead floated up.

7“Grab it,” he said. The man reached out and took it.

Today's Insights

Of the many miracles the prophet Elisha performed, many involved everyday things and ordinary people, demonstrating God’s protection and provision. The miracle of the “iron axhead” (2 Kings 6:5) is one example. The iron ax was an expensive tool. Such a loss would’ve been costly for the prophet, and its restoration saved him from a huge financial debt. We see other examples of God’s care in the miracle of the abundant olive oil, which redeemed a widow’s debts (4:1-7); a young son restored to life (vv. 8-37); the provision of edible stew for hungry prophets (v. 38); and twenty loaves of bread feeding one hundred men (vv. 42-44). God cares about the everyday issues that trouble us. Jesus tells us to “look at the birds of the air . . . [and how your] heavenly Father feeds them” (Matthew 6:26). We can turn our everyday concerns to God knowing that He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7).

For additional reflection, read: How Not to Pray.

God’s Unexpected Ways

“Oh no, my lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!” 2 Kings 6:5

When the Bible that Matt Williams kept in the back of his car was stolen, he feared he’d never see it again, and the precious photos he kept tucked in its case would be lost. So he offered a short prayer: “Lord, it breaks my heart. I got a lot of stuff in there that means a lot to me, and I’d like to get it back. But not my will but yours, like you always say.” Just days later, Williams was stunned to learn that his Bible was found in a stolen car. It had been placed next to a Bible the original car owner kept on her passenger seat. Being reunited with his prized possession seemed impossible, but God answered Williams’ prayer.

In 2 Kings 6:1-7, we read about the prophet Elisha facing a seemingly impossible situation. He and a group of prophets were by the Jordan River getting wood to build a larger meeting place. As one of the prophets cut down a tree, “the iron axhead fell into the water. ‘Oh no, my lord!’ he cried out. ‘It was borrowed!’” (v. 5). The distressed prophet showed the prophet Elisha where it fell. “Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float” (v. 6). The prophet was miraculously reunited with the valuable lost item.

No care or concern is too small to bring before God in prayer. We can pray and ask God for help in any circumstance, and He can answer our prayers in unexpected ways.

Reflect & Pray

When has God answered your prayer in unexpected ways? What can you pray about today?

Dear God, thank You that I can pray about anything.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, November 12, 2026

The Transfigured Life

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. — 2 Corinthians 5:17

What is your idea of salvation? The experience of salvation means that in your life things have actually been changed. When you are saved, you no longer look at things as you used to. Your desires are new. The things which used to rule you have lost their power.

A key question in this experience is, Has God changed the things that matter? If you still long for old things, it’s absurd to talk about being born from above. When you are born again, the Spirit of God manifests a change in your mind and life. Afterward, when a crisis arises, you are the most amazed person on earth at the wonderful difference in you. There is no possibility of imagining that you caused this difference; you know beyond a doubt that it was the Spirit of God. This complete and amazing change is the evidence that you are a saved soul.

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud” (1 Corinthians 13:4). What difference has salvation and sanctification made in me? Can I walk tall in the light of 1 Corinthians 13, or do I have to shuffle? The salvation that is worked out in me by the Holy Spirit emancipates me entirely. As long as I walk in the light as God is in the light, he sees nothing to censure, because his life is working through every aspect of my own—not only those aspects I am conscious of but also those that lie deeper than my consciousness.

Jeremiah 51-52; Hebrews 9

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

It is an easy thing to argue from precedent because it makes everything simple, but it is a risky thing to do. Give God “elbow room”; let Him come into His universe as He pleases. If we confine God in His working to religious people or to certain ways, we place ourselves on an equality with God. 

Baffled to Fight Better, 51 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, November 12, 2026

Fatal Distraction - #10394

Scripture:  Luke 17:26-30

For many years Americans were not very quick to catch on to soccer. It’s been the world’s game; not so much America’s game. We did have the World Cup finals here, then again recently. And for many Americans they began to understand most of what the world already knew. It’s the greatest sports obsession in the world. Obsession may seem a little strong, but, well consider what happened in Thailand a few years ago. One night during the World Cup games the streets were empty in this particular city. “Hey, the World Cup is on. Why would I be out on the street?” In fact, even the security guard at the bank left to watch the game. And while the guard and the city lost themselves in a soccer game, yep, you wanna guess? Some thief cleaned out the bank. Now, I don’t know who won the match, but I know who lost their money.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Fatal Distraction.”

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Luke 17. I’ll be reading verses 26-30. It’s an unsettling example that Jesus uses to describe how people will be living just before Jesus Christ comes back. Here’s what it says, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying, being given in marriage up till the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying, selling, planting, building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.”

What were these people doing? Does it say they were doing real sinful stuff? Well, they were, but that’s not what it says here. They were doing everyday stuff. Planting, building, marrying, eating, drinking; that’s not real terrible stuff. They were just so busy with little stuff that they missed some of the biggest stuff in history. Sounds like our Thai soccer fans. It’s sort of a fatal distraction; all hypnotized by a comparatively trivial thing while they’re losing what’s really valuable. Maybe like some of us.

There are some little things in terms of eternity that have become big things, and it ends up causing us to treat the really big things far too lightly. Take sports for example. Now, I’m not some pharisaical prude who doesn’t care about sports. I’ve got my teams I like and root for. Ask my sons; I yell as loud as anybody for our home team. But for some of us we spend entirely too much time talking about, thinking about, watching our teams. We even get angry, depressed, and delirious over it.

But if we take a step back, how much does it really matter who got a ball through a hoop more times? Or who got a ball into a net, or who can get the pointed ball from one end of the field to the other the most times?

We can become addicted to fitness, or our favorite TV shows, or our favorite music. We can get addicted to cars, antiques, and recreation. Actually for most of us, there is some fatal distraction that tends to take us over and push everything else aside and then take a disproportionate chunk of our time, money or energy. Now, I’m not suggesting we eliminate all the diversions from our lives. I’m suggesting we ask ourselves, “Is there something that has more of me than it should?”

See, Jesus suggested that the trivial can become consuming and cause us to miss what He’s doing or what He wants to do in our lives. Obsessions that may cost us our relationship with God.

God wants us to think of ourselves as soldiers. A real soldier is focused on his mission; his commander, and not on a trivial pursuit (2 Timothy 2:4). We’re living in incredible times, maybe end times. It’s time to take inventory and make sure the best of our energy and our resources is going to the things that are going to matter 100 million years from now.

Those Asian soccer fans might make this recommendation: let’s not get hypnotized by things that ultimately don’t matter while we’re losing what’s really valuable. Or in the words of Jesus, “Seek first the Kingdom of God.”

Acts 9:1-22, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: BLESSINGS IN OBEDIENCE - November 11, 2026

Obedience leads to blessing. Disobedience leads to trouble. Remember Jesus’ parable about the two builders who each built a house? One built on cheap, easy-to-access sand. The other built on costly, difficult-to-reach rock. The second construction project demanded more time and expense. But when the spring rains turned the creek into a gully washer, guess which builder enjoyed a blessing and which experienced trouble?

According to Jesus, the wise builder is whoever hears these sayings of mine and does them. The difference between the two was not knowledge and ignorance, but obedience and disobedience. Security comes when we put God’s precepts into practice, we’re only as strong as our obedience.

God Is with You Every Day

Acts 9:1-22

The Blinding of Saul

1–29All this time Saul was breathing down the necks of the Master’s disciples, out for the kill. He went to the Chief Priest and got arrest warrants to take to the meeting places in Damascus so that if he found anyone there belonging to the Way, whether men or women, he could arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem.

3–4He set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was suddenly dazed by a blinding flash of light. As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?”

5–6He said, “Who are you, Master?”

“I am Jesus, the One you’re hunting down. I want you to get up and enter the city. In the city you’ll be told what to do next.”

7–9His companions stood there dumbstruck—they could hear the sound, but couldn’t see anyone—while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found himself stone-blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into Damascus. He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing.

10There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to him in a vision: “Ananias.”

“Yes, Master?” he answered.

11–12“Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He’s there praying. He has just had a dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him so he could see again.”

13–14Ananias protested, “Master, you can’t be serious. Everybody’s talking about this man and the terrible things he’s been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he’s shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us.”

15–16But the Master said, “Don’t argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I’m about to show him what he’s in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job.”

17–19So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind Saul, and said, “Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal.

Plots Against Saul

19–21Saul spent a few days getting acquainted with the Damascus disciples, but then went right to work, wasting no time, preaching in the meeting places that this Jesus was the Son of God. They were caught off guard by this and, not at all sure they could trust him, they kept saying, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem among the believers? And didn’t he come here to do the same thing—arrest us and drag us off to jail in Jerusalem for sentencing by the high priests?”

22But their suspicions didn’t slow Saul down for even a minute. His momentum was up now and he plowed straight into the opposition, disarming the Damascus Jews and trying to show them that this Jesus was the Messiah.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

by Dave Branon

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

John 20:11-18

But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus’ body had been laid. They said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?”

13–14“They took my Master,” she said, “and I don’t know where they put him.” After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn’t recognize him.

15Jesus spoke to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?”

She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, “Mister, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him.”

16Jesus said, “Mary.”

Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” meaning “Teacher!”

17Jesus said, “Don’t cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.’ ”

18Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciples: “I saw the Master!” And she told them everything he said to her.

Today's Insights

In addition to Mary the mother of Jesus, the New Testament mentions several other women named Mary. One of them is Mary Magdalene (from the Galilean town of Magdala). Luke records that she was among those who followed Christ: “The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out” (Luke 8:1-2). Her personal experience with Jesus, along with witnessing His words and works, undoubtedly fueled her devotion, a devotion that didn’t end after she stood near the cross during Christ’s crucifixion (Matthew 27:55-56; Mark 15:40; John 19:25). The last time she’s mentioned in the Bible is when Jesus appears to her at the tomb (John 20:11-18). Mary’s story is a reminder to us of God’s faithfulness and can help us also become people who stand for Him.

For additional reflection, read: Shephelah - Why the Stories of the Bible Need to be Shared.

Inspired by Bible Stories

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb. John 20:1

While reading a book about World War II, I found the story of the Battle for Hill 609 in Northern Africa, in which my dad was severely wounded. I already knew of the event, but as I read a graphic account of what he had gone through that day, I gained a new understanding of him.

Is this also what can happen when we read about people in the Bible? For instance, we could hear someone say that Mary Magdalene was an example of loyalty to Jesus. But our understanding of her faith grows as we read the story of her dedication to Him on resurrection morning: “Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb” (John 20:1). Next, we sense her pain and sadness as we read of her bewilderment that the stone had been “removed from the entrance.” Finally, we sense the absolute wonder felt when He called her by name: “Jesus said to her, ‘Mary’ ” (v. 16).

Reading true biblical accounts awakens us to the realities of God’s faithfulness. We sense Deborah’s courage (Judges 4-5), Gideon’s bravery (ch. 6), and Paul’s fearlessness (Acts 22) as we immerse ourselves in their stories.

God has provided heroic Bible stories as beacons of hope for us—helping us become people called and equipped by Him and standing for Him.

Reflect & Pray

How has a Bible story inspired you to trust in God’s faithfulness? Why is it vital for us to share stories of His faithfulness with others?

Heavenly Father, the Scriptures are amazing. Please help me read the stories contained within them and learn more about You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

The Supreme Climb

Take your son . . . — Genesis 22:2

When God commanded Abraham to take his son Isaac to the mountain and “sacrifice him there as a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:2), he meant that Abraham should take Isaac now. God’s commands to us are always meant for right now. Climbing to the height God shows us can never be done later.

It’s extraordinary how we debate and procrastinate. We know that what God wants us to do is right, but we find excuses for not doing it. Where we should be resolved, we have a failure of will. The sacrifice must be made in our will before we do it in actuality.

“Early the next morning Abraham got up and . . . set out for the place God had told him about” (v. 3). The wonderful simplicity of Abraham! When God spoke, Abraham didn’t debate or “consult any human being” (Galatians 1:16). Beware if, when God tells you to do something, you find yourself consulting another person—especially if that person is yourself. Your own sympathies and insight will compete with your obedience to God, as will anything that isn’t based in your personal relationship with him.

Always guard against self-chosen service for God. Self-sacrifice may be a disease. If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; if he has made it bitter, drink it in communion with him. When the providential order of God for you is a time of hardship, go through it. But never choose the scene of your martyrdom. Abraham didn’t choose the sacrifice he would make; God chose for him. And Abraham did not protest. He simply went through it.

If you aren’t living in touch with God, it’s easy to pass a rash verdict on him. You must go through the crucible before you have any right to issue a verdict, because in the crucible you learn to know God better. Once you do know God, you recognize that he is working toward his highest ends and will continue to do so until his purpose and humanity’s purpose become one.

Jeremiah 50; Hebrews 8

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

We never enter into the Kingdom of God by having our head questions answered, but only by commitment.

The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption, 565 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Fear That Costs Lives - #10393

Scripture:  1 John 5:11-12

It happened too often. I’ve seen it a lot but I guess I remember this one in particular. Flags flying at half-staff, national leaders pausing for a moment of silence at the White House, the Capitol steps, and even seasoned news reporters that day struggled with the pain the anguish the devastating moments when a mall parking lot suddenly became a killing field.

The heart rending toll of one lone gunman's rampage. It was in Tucson, Arizona. Six people dead, 14 others wounded. And then in that Tucson hospital, Representative Gabrielle Giffords, apparently the intended target, battled for her life with a critical head wound.

As horrible as the losses were, thank God she recovered to some extent, we now know that there could have been many more. When the shots began, as often happens, the everyday heroes stepped up.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Fear That Costs Lives."

Gabby Giffords' 20-year-old intern, Daniel Hernandez, ignored the bullets to reach the side of the wounded. And when he saw the Congresswoman contorted on the ground, he sat her upright to keep her from asphyxiating. Then, with his bare hands, he applied the pressure to her head wound that may have saved her life. As he ran by her gurney to a waiting ambulance, he was covered with her blood.

Patricia Maisch, described as looking like a "storybook grandmother," first hit the ground, and then dove for the second ammunition magazine the shooter was about to load - with 31 more shots. That act of selfless bravery allowed two survivors to tackle and subdue that assailant. We will never know how many lives they saved.

And then the doctor in the crowd pitched in. Followed by a flood of first responders. Whatever each person's plans had been for that destiny Saturday morning, suddenly only one thing mattered. Saving the people whose lives hung in the balance. I mean, does anything else really matter when people are dying? You drop everything to do what you can to save them. It’s that life-saving instinct that could be the difference between life or death for people all around me, all around you. Eternal life or death.

The need for life-saving action is so blatantly obvious when the danger is physical. But the Bible leaves no doubt that there are so many people in a mortal danger that is not visible, but still horrifically real. It’s a life-threat that can cost a person much more than another thirty or forty more years on earth. This threat can cost you heaven forever.

God's Word tells us that "God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:11-12). Since only Jesus died to pay for the sin that keeps us from God and from heaven, only those who "have the Son" are ready for eternity when it comes.

God uses some sobering and unmistakable language to open our eyes to the condition of the people around us. "Lost," "without hope and without God in the world" (Ephesians 2:12) and so on. The Bible reveals the mortal danger of people around us who don’t belong to Jesus - and, in so doing, it summons us who know Him to do whatever we can to save them.

That's why the Bible commands us to "snatch others from the fire and save them" (Jude 23) and to "rescue those being led away to death" (Proverbs 24:11). Each Jesus-follower - you- each one is a divinely positioned person to be the life-saving difference for the people they know

My prayer needs to be, "Jesus, help me see the people around me through Your eyes." He sees so much more than neighbors or coworkers or teammates or friends. He sees them as the future inhabitants of eternity. In heaven or in hell.

There is a life-saving emergency right in front of each of us my friend. Those of us who know Jesus, we can't wait for a "rescue professional" to get there. If you're with a person in danger of dying, you're responsible right then and right there.

If anything stops us, you know what it’s going to be, it’s going to be fear. And Daniel Hernandez reflected on taking action while the bullets were still flying, he said, "Of course, you're afraid. But you have to do what you can."

Yes, you do. Especially when someone's eternity is in the balance.

Ecclesiastes 3, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: CHOOSE BELIEF - November 10, 2026

When forced to stand at the crossroads of belief and unbelief, God’s people choose belief. God’s people risk believing. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in Joshua’s story. You could argue that the central message of the book of Joshua is this headline: God keeps His promises. Trust Him.

Three times, Joshua declares God did what he said he would do. The Lord gave all he had sworn to give. The Lord gave rest according to all he had sworn to their fathers. Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken. All came to pass.

Learn from Joshua. Take a risk. Believe in God. He will do what he has said he will do.

God Is with You Every Day

Ecclesiastes 3

There’s an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth:

2–8A right time for birth and another for death,

A right time to plant and another to reap,

A right time to kill and another to heal,

A right time to destroy and another to construct,

A right time to cry and another to laugh,

A right time to lament and another to cheer,

A right time to make love and another to abstain,

A right time to embrace and another to part,

A right time to search and another to count your losses,

A right time to hold on and another to let go,

A right time to rip out and another to mend,

A right time to shut up and another to speak up,

A right time to love and another to hate,

A right time to wage war and another to make peace.

9–13But in the end, does it really make a difference what anyone does? I’ve had a good look at what God has given us to do—busywork, mostly. True, God made everything beautiful in itself and in its time—but he’s left us in the dark, so we can never know what God is up to, whether he’s coming or going. I’ve decided that there’s nothing better to do than go ahead and have a good time and get the most we can out of life. That’s it—eat, drink, and make the most of your job. It’s God’s gift.

14I’ve also concluded that whatever God does, that’s the way it’s going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God’s done it and that’s it. That’s so we’ll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear.

15Whatever was, is.

Whatever will be, is.

That’s how it always is with God.

God’s Testing Us

16–18I took another good look at what’s going on: The very place of judgment—corrupt! The place of righteousness—corrupt! I said to myself, “God will judge righteous and wicked.” There’s a right time for every thing, every deed—and there’s no getting around it. I said to myself regarding the human race, “God’s testing the lot of us, showing us up as nothing but animals.”

19–22Humans and animals come to the same end—humans die, animals die. We all breathe the same air. So there’s really no advantage in being human. None. Everything’s smoke. We all end up in the same place—we all came from dust, we all end up as dust. Nobody knows for sure that the human spirit rises to heaven or that the animal spirit sinks into the earth. So I made up my mind that there’s nothing better for us men and women than to have a good time in whatever we do—that’s our lot. Who knows if there’s anything else to life?

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

by Adam R. Holz

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

1 Corinthians 9:20-27

religious, nonreligious, meticulous moralists, loose-living immoralists, the defeated, the demoralized—whoever. I didn’t take on their way of life. I kept my bearings in Christ—but I entered their world and tried to experience things from their point of view. I’ve become just about every sort of servant there is in my attempts to lead those I meet into a God-saved life. I did all this because of the Message. I didn’t just want to talk about it; I wanted to be in on it!

24–25You’ve all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. You’re after one that’s gold eternally.

26–27I don’t know about you, but I’m running hard for the finish line. I’m giving it everything I’ve got. No sloppy living for me! I’m staying alert and in top condition. I’m not going to get caught napping, telling everyone else all about it and then missing out myself.

Today's Insights

Paul’s commitment to sharing the good news of Jesus compelled him to live as the Jewish people lived when trying to reach them (1 Corinthians 9:20). But he put that aside to live like the gentiles when ministering to non-Jews (v. 19). In fact, he lived “like one not having the law” (v. 21). Yet he noted, “I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law” (v. 21)—the law of love. “I am not seeking my own good but the good of many,” the apostle said (10:33). Because of Christ’s great salvation, we, like the apostle, should live disciplined lives “for the sake of the gospel” (9:23).

For additional reflection, watch: Carried By Grace.

A Disciplined Life

[Athletes] do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 1 Corinthians 9:25

Tom Cruise has built his film career on a megawatt smile . . . and incredible stunts. The signature stunt in the seventh Mission: Impossible spy action film featured Cruise riding a motorcycle off a cliff and parachuting to safety.

In other Mission: Impossible films, he’s hung off an airplane, held his breath underwater for more than six minutes, and performed high-altitude jumps. We might call him crazy. But Cruise’s commitment—for the sake of telling the best cinematic story—is remarkable.

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul identified another group whose training demanded everything of them: competitive athletes. He praised their discipline: “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training” (v. 25). He said they were compelled by temporal glory—“to get a crown that will not last”—while believers in Jesus are compelled by a calling with eternal value: “to get a crown that will last forever” (v. 25).

Are we as committed to our faith as a disciplined athlete—or a famous actor—might be? “Run in such a way as to get the prize,” Paul said (v. 24). Because of God’s grace, we will receive the crown of life as sons and daughters of the King. That changes everything about how we spend our days here.

Reflect & Pray

How do being saved by grace and living a disciplined life relate? How has God used disciplines to transform you?

Dear Father, thank You for sending Jesus to live and die on my behalf. Please help me live today as a response to that gift, offering everything fully to You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Co-Worker in God’s Service

We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ. — 1 Thessalonians 3:2

After I am sanctified and become a “co-worker in God’s service,” I will probably find it difficult to state what my aim in life is. This is because the Lord has taken me up into a purpose which he alone knows. All my goings are organized by him, which means I can never understand them. What I do know is that he is using me for his purposes throughout the world, just as he used his Son for the purpose of our salvation.

If I seek great things for myself—“God has called me for this and that”—and cling to purposes of my own, I put a barrier between myself and God and make it impossible for him to use me. As long as I have an interest in my own character or in any set ambition, I won’t be able to fully identify myself with God’s interests. I can only get through to total identification by losing forever any idea of myself and by letting God take me out into his purpose for the world.

I have to learn that the aim of life is God’s, not mine. God is using me from his great personal standpoint. All he asks of me is that I have implicit faith in him and in his goodness, such faith that I never say, “Lord, this gives me such heartache.” To talk in that way makes me an impediment to him. When I stop telling God what I want, he can take me up for what he wants without hindrance. He can crumple me or exalt me. He can do anything he chooses.

Self-pity is of the devil. If I go down that road, I cannot be used by God for his purpose, because I live in my own private sphere, a little “world within the world.” God will never be able to get me to come out into his world, because I’m too afraid of what I’ll encounter. I have to set aside my selfishness and fear and become entirely identified with him.

Jeremiah 48-49; Hebrews 7

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth.

The Place of Help

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

When Winning Is Dangerous - #10392

Scripture:  Luke 4:5

Some of our greatest ministry times have been among the wonderful Navajo people in Arizona and New Mexico. While we were there we had a chance to explore this majestic canyon known as Canyon Desha. Actually our son was there first. He and his friend, Michael, went there a year before us to do some youth outreach and later he brought his pictures out of his visit to the canyon. Here are these beautiful rock ledges and outcroppings that hover high above the canyon below. And we were enjoying these scenic photos until we got to the ones where my son and his friend Michael were acting like the college students that they were.

Yes, they were perched precariously in various positions on the edge of some of those rock formations. Our minds immediately rushed to the tragedies and the deadly falls we knew of that resulted from getting too close to the edge of a cliff. Needless to say, our son was treated to an unwelcome parental treatise on what might have happened. The view is so nice from those pinnacles! No one really wants to hear about the dangers.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “When Winning Is Dangerous.”

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Luke 4 where the Devil three times is coming to Jesus and interrupting Him face to face. Beginning at verse 5, the second temptation, “The Devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to Him, ‘I will give You all the authority and splendor for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.’ So if You worship me Jesus, it will all be Yours.’” Jesus answered, “It is written, worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.”

Well, the Devil took Jesus to a high place to tempt Him. He’s still doing that. He’s trying that strategy on people like you and me. He loves to exploit high places to get you to fall. He also likes to use the low places. He tried that first with Jesus when he was really hungry for 40 days and he tried to get Jesus to meet a legitimate need, but outside of God’s boundaries. But when Satan can’t get us to compromise when we’re down, he goes after us when we’re up. Like a time when you’ve really done something well or you’ve been given recognition or a good position.

A high place could be a time when your dream is finally starting to come true, or when a relationship you wanted is starting to click, or when the career or the money is starting to happen, when you’ve just had a great spiritual experience or victory. You feel as if you’re looking at kingdoms that could be yours. You’re perched on the edge. The view is great and you’re in no mood to hear about the dangers. But that’s what makes you a prime candidate to fall.

One danger is that you’ll compromise to get to a place you really want to be. Just a little bending of the knee the Devil would say, a sexual compromise, an integrity compromise, a family compromise. He’s saying, “Hey, it’s almost in your grasp. If you’ll just stretch a little morally, you can be yours.”

Listen, if the Devil gets you to the top, you can be sure he’s going to push you over the cliff. It’s also tempting to compromise to stay in a good spot once you’ve gotten there. You’ve waited a long time to get to this point and you don’t want to lose it. The Devil knows that, and he’ll try to use that to get you to sacrifice something that you would otherwise never sacrifice. The problem with high places is that we depend on ourselves when we’re there. In the low places we were really trusting God, but now we’re on a roll. So we tend to push Jesus to the edge. It’s easy to be full of ourselves when things are looking good. But that’s when you are on the edge of a deadly fall.

Maybe God has brought you to a high place; maybe the Devil has brought you to a high place. But either way, you can bet the Devil is trying to exploit it. He is showing you what kingdom could be yours if you would just step a little closer to the edge where he can push you off.

Ecclesiastes 2, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: YOU ARE GOD’S IDEA - November 9, 2026

You are so much more than a few days between the womb and the tomb. Paul the Apostle says, “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone” (Ephesians 1:11-12 MSG).

Above and around us, God directs a grander saga, written by His hand, orchestrated by His will, and unveiled according to His calendar. Your life emerges from the greatest mind, the kindest heart in the history of the universe, the mind and heart of God. You are God’s idea. And remember, God doesn’t have any bad ideas.

God Is with You Every Day

Ecclesiastes 2

1–3I said to myself, “Let’s go for it—experiment with pleasure, have a good time!” But there was nothing to it, nothing but smoke.

What do I think of the fun-filled life? Insane! Inane!

My verdict on the pursuit of happiness? Who needs it?

With the help of a bottle of wine

and all the wisdom I could muster,

I tried my level best

to penetrate the absurdity of life.

I wanted to get a handle on anything useful we mortals might do

during the years we spend on this earth.

I Never Said No to Myself

4–8Oh, I did great things:

built houses,

planted vineyards,

designed gardens and parks

and planted a variety of fruit trees in them,

made pools of water

to irrigate the groves of trees.

I bought slaves, male and female,

who had children, giving me even more slaves;

then I acquired large herds and flocks,

larger than any before me in Jerusalem.

I piled up silver and gold,

loot from kings and kingdoms.

I gathered a chorus of singers to entertain me with song,

and—most exquisite of all pleasures—

voluptuous maidens for my bed.

9–10Oh, how I prospered! I left all my predecessors in Jerusalem far behind, left them behind in the dust. What’s more, I kept a clear head through it all. Everything I wanted I took—I never said no to myself. I gave in to every impulse, held back nothing. I sucked the marrow of pleasure out of every task—my reward to myself for a hard day’s work!

I Hate Life

11Then I took a good look at everything I’d done, looked at all the sweat and hard work. But when I looked, I saw nothing but smoke. Smoke and spitting into the wind. There was nothing to any of it. Nothing.

12–14And then I took a hard look at what’s smart and what’s stupid. What’s left to do after you’ve been king? That’s a hard act to follow. You just do what you can, and that’s it. But I did see that it’s better to be smart than stupid, just as light is better than darkness. Even so, though the smart ones see where they’re going and the stupid ones grope in the dark, they’re all the same in the end. One fate for all—and that’s it.

15–16When I realized that my fate’s the same as the fool’s, I had to ask myself, “So why bother being wise?” It’s all smoke, nothing but smoke. The smart and the stupid both disappear out of sight. In a day or two they’re both forgotten. Yes, both the smart and the stupid die, and that’s it.

17I hate life. As far as I can see, what happens on earth is a bad business. It’s smoke—and spitting into the wind.

18–19And I hated everything I’d accomplished and accumulated on this earth. I can’t take it with me—no, I have to leave it to whoever comes after me. Whether they’re worthy or worthless—and who’s to tell?—they’ll take over the earthly results of my intense thinking and hard work. Smoke.

20–23That’s when I called it quits, gave up on anything that could be hoped for on this earth. What’s the point of working your fingers to the bone if you hand over what you worked for to someone who never lifted a finger for it? Smoke, that’s what it is. A bad business from start to finish. So what do you get from a life of hard labor? Pain and grief from dawn to dusk. Never a decent night’s rest. Nothing but smoke.

24–26The best you can do with your life is have a good time and get by the best you can. The way I see it, that’s it—divine fate. Whether we feast or fast, it’s up to God. God may give wisdom and knowledge and joy to his favorites, but sinners are assigned a life of hard labor, and end up turning their wages over to God’s favorites. Nothing but smoke—and spitting into the wind.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, November 09, 2026

by Alyson Kieda

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Genesis 25:19-26

Jacob and Esau

19–20This is the family tree of Isaac son of Abraham: Abraham had Isaac. Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan Aram. She was the sister of Laban the Aramean.

21–23Isaac prayed hard to God for his wife because she was barren. God answered his prayer and Rebekah became pregnant. But the children tumbled and kicked inside her so much that she said, “If this is the way it’s going to be, why go on living?” She went to God to find out what was going on. God told her,

Two nations are in your womb,

two peoples butting heads while still in your body.

One people will overpower the other,

and the older will serve the younger.

24–26When her time to give birth came, sure enough, there were twins in her womb. The first came out reddish, as if snugly wrapped in a hairy blanket; they named him Esau (Hairy). His brother followed, his fist clutched tight to Esau’s heel; they named him Jacob (Heel). Isaac was sixty years old when they were born.

Today's Insights

As the chosen son of the Abrahamic covenant, Isaac carried the burden of ensuring that Abraham would have countless descendants (Genesis 17:1-8). But there were obstacles to overcome. Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah (25:20), and she was barren (v. 21). But unlike his father Abraham with Hagar (see 16:1-4), Isaac didn’t try to help God out. Instead, he turned his predicament over to God, prayed, and asked Him to intervene (25:21). Isaac persevered in his prayers and unwaveringly trusted God. Many years later, God answered his prayer when Rebekah became pregnant (v. 21). Isaac was sixty years old when Jacob and Esau were born (v. 26). Whatever difficult challenges or trials we face, we can bring them to God. Jesus said “to always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1). Trusting God means waiting patiently for Him to act. As we bring our struggles to Him, He’ll comfort us as we wait.

For additional reflection, read: A Recipe in Waiting.

Time and Struggles

Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife. Genesis 25:21

Josephine Cochrane (1839-1913) was tired of having her dishes damaged by handwashing, so she decided to create a dishwasher. Shortly after she began her design, her husband passed away, leaving her in debt. Those circumstances reinforced her need to succeed. In 1886, with a mechanic’s help, she built and then patented the first commercially successful hand-powered dishwasher. At first her dishwasher didn’t sell, but then hotels and restaurants began purchasing them. It wasn’t until the 1950s that dishwashers became popular in homes.

Sometimes it takes time and struggles for plans to come to fruition. The same is also sometimes true of God’s promises. Abraham and his descendants were promised they’d become a great nation, yet Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob never saw it happen. Abraham was one hundred years old when Sarah gave birth to a son, Isaac (Genesis 21), and Isaac was sixty when Rebekah finally gave birth (25:20-21, 26). When Jacob settled in Egypt during a famine, his family numbered only seventy persons (46:27). It wasn’t until the time of Moses (about 400 years later) that the Israelites became a great nation.

As Isaac waited for a son, he did what we’re all called to do: He “prayed to the Lord” (25:21). Bring your hopes and struggles to God. He’ll bring you comfort, guidance, strength, and blessings as you wait.

Reflect & Pray

When have you waited for a desire to be fulfilled? What was the result?

Dear God, please help us to trust You with our dreams as we seek to live for You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, November 09, 2026

Sacramental Service

I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions. — Colossians 1:24

As Christian workers, we have to be like sacramental go-betweens—so identified with our Lord and the reality of his redemption that he can continually bring his creating life through us. This doesn’t mean that Christ superimposes his personality on ours or overwhelms us with his strength. It means that his real presence comes through every element of our lives and of the work we do for him.

When we preach the historical facts of the life and death of our Lord as they are conveyed in the New Testament, our words become like holy vessels. God uses them on the ground of his redemption to create something in those who listen—something which would not be created otherwise. If we preach the effects of the redemption on human life instead of preaching the revelation about Jesus, the result in those who listen won’t be rebirth but merely refined spiritual culture. The Spirit of God isn’t able to witness through this type of preaching, because such preaching belongs to a different domain, a worldly domain. We have to make sure that we are in such living sympathy with God that through our preaching he can create in other souls the things which he alone can do.

“What a wonderful personality!” “What a fascinating speaker!” “What fantastic insight!” What chance does the gospel of God have in all that noise? It can’t get through because the line of attraction is always the line of appeal. If a preacher tries to attract with his or her personality, the appeal will be his or her personality. But if a preacher is identified with the Lord’s personality, then the appeal will be what Jesus Christ can do. The danger is to lift up human beings. Jesus says we are to elevate him: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32).

Jeremiah 46-47; Hebrews 6

 WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth.

The Place of Help

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, November 09, 2026

The One Step We Miss With God - #10391

Scripture:  Acts 3:19

It all started with an SOS from a counselor who was talking with a young woman after a meeting where I had spoken. Her frustrated counselor just said, “Boy, this one’s really hard.” And, sure enough, Kelly really did seem shut down. I said, “Kelly, do you want to have a relationship with Jesus?” When she said yes, I asked her why. She said, “Because part of me is missing, and I know it’s Him. But if you only knew how many times I have tried to accept Christ, and nothing happens.” Well, I was stuck – until the Lord gave me one question for Kelly, and it changed everything. It might change everything for you.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about “The One Step We Miss With God.”

I asked this young woman, who really wanted to know Jesus but could never seem to get the relationship off the ground, this question: “Have you ever told the Lord you are really sorry for your sin and so sorry that you’re ready to change?” She had said yes to Jesus – but she missed an important ingredient in turning to God – saying no to sin.

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Acts 3:19; a roadmap to belonging to Jesus Christ. Here is what it says, “Repent, then, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Now, when you turn to Jesus, you’re turning from the sins that He died for. That’s repentance. You can’t hold Jesus in one hand and the junk that killed Him in the other. You can’t turn to the West to watch the sunset without turning your back on the East. In the process of turning to the West, you are automatically turning your back on the East. You can’t face two directions at the same time.

When you start to name the sins of your life – even of the past couple weeks – you realize what it is you need a Savior for. Then you visit the cross of Jesus to be saved; rescued from that sin. Unfortunately, repentance is the missing page in many a Gospel presentation. We skip over the cancer of sin lightly and we go right to the cure before the person has faced their disease. It could be that the reason that your commitment to Christ has really never gotten off the ground is because you never really repented of your sins when you turned to the One who died for your sins.

There’s no real power in your life as a Christian until you let your heart be broken over your sin. It's the sin that broke our Savior. When Kelly heard the step that she had missed, the tears started coming. She bowed her head and said, “God, I’m sick of the junk.” That’s when the confession began. And, in her case, I believe that might have been when saving faith began.

Could it be that the reality you’ve been looking for begins with really being sorry for the sin that is breaking God’s heart? It is, after all, that sin that killed His one and only son on the cross. I’m not sure a Savior can mean all that much to you until you see the seriousness of the sin that He died to save you from.

You want Jesus. You believe in Jesus. Maybe repentance may be the one step you’re missing. But you can tell Jesus right now, right where you are, “When I look at that cross and I see you dying there, Jesus, I see how awful my sin was. I see what an awful thing you had to go through to have me forgiven. I'm ready to change Lord. I'm turning to you. Please, Jesus, forgive me. Please, change me." Right there, that's your new beginning.

Speaking of new beginnings, our website would be a great next step for you. It's actually called ANewStory.com. If you go there, that might be the beginning of yours, it’s ANewStory.com.

This is the moment Jesus waits to say to you, "Finally, welcome home."

Ecclesiastes 1, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Not Eloquent Prayers-Honest Ones

For two years, I've asked God to remove the pain in my writing hand. After writing thirty-plus books in longhand, the repeated motion has restricted my movement. I stretch my fingers. I avoid the golf course. But most of all, I pray.

Better said, I argue. Shouldn't God heal my hand? So far he hasn't healed me. Or has he? These days I pray more as I write. Not eloquent prayers, but honest ones. "Lord, I need help. . .Father; my hand is stiff." The discomfort humbles me. I'm not Max, the author. I'm Max, the guy whose hand is wearing out. I want God to heal my hand. Thus far he has used my hand to heal my heart!

Here's my challenge to you! Join me at BeforeAmen.com-then every day for 4 weeks, pray 4 minutes. It'll change your life!

From Before Amen

Ecclesiastes 1

The Quester

11These are the words of the Quester, David’s son and king in Jerusalem

2–11Smoke, nothing but smoke. [That’s what the Quester says.]

There’s nothing to anything—it’s all smoke.

What’s there to show for a lifetime of work,

a lifetime of working your fingers to the bone?

One generation goes its way, the next one arrives,

but nothing changes—it’s business as usual for old

planet earth.

The sun comes up and the sun goes down,

then does it again, and again—the same old round.

The wind blows south, the wind blows north.

Around and around and around it blows,

blowing this way, then that—the whirling, erratic wind.

All the rivers flow into the sea,

but the sea never fills up.

The rivers keep flowing to the same old place,

and then start all over and do it again.

Everything’s boring, utterly boring—

no one can find any meaning in it.

Boring to the eye,

boring to the ear.

What was will be again,

what happened will happen again.

There’s nothing new on this earth.

Year after year it’s the same old thing.

Does someone call out, “Hey, this is new”?

Don’t get excited—it’s the same old story.

Nobody remembers what happened yesterday.

And the things that will happen tomorrow?

Nobody’ll remember them either.

Don’t count on being remembered.

I’ve Seen It All

12–14Call me “the Quester.” I’ve been king over Israel in Jerusalem. I looked most carefully into everything, searched out all that is done on this earth. And let me tell you, there’s not much to write home about. God hasn’t made it easy for us. I’ve seen it all and it’s nothing but smoke—smoke, and spitting into the wind.

15Life’s a corkscrew that can’t be straightened,

A minus that won’t add up.

16–17I said to myself, “I know more and I’m wiser than anyone before me in Jerusalem. I’ve stockpiled wisdom and knowledge.” What I’ve finally concluded is that so-called wisdom and knowledge are mindless and witless—nothing but spitting into the wind.

18Much learning earns you much trouble.

The more you know, the more you hurt.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Sunday, November 08, 2026

by Sheridan Voysey

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

1 Timothy 6:17-19

Tell those rich in this world’s wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they’ll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.

Today's Insights

The command to “be rich in good deeds” (1 Timothy 6:18) isn’t just for those who are “rich in this present world” (v. 17). The first reference to good deeds in the New Testament appears in the teaching of Jesus: “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). While our standing with God isn’t based on what we do (Ephesians 2:8-9), we’ve been “created . . . to do good works” (v. 10) because God has graciously saved us. The apostle Paul also spoke about “good deeds” (things that benefit people and honor God) when writing to Titus. Believers are to be “eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14), to be “ready to do . . . good” (3:1), and to “devote themselves to doing what is good” (v. 8). We honor God when we use our God-given resources to invest in the lives of others.

For further study, read: The Community of Christ

Rich in Good Deeds

Command them to . . . be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 1 Timothy 6:18

Ross-on-Wye is a scenic town in Herefordshire, England. Marked by its high church spire and old market house, a hilltop park provides a stunning view of the nearby River Wye. As you wander Ross’ streets, one name stands out: John Kyrle.

Born in 1637 to a wealthy family, John put his inheritance to good use. He built that hilltop park not for himself but for the community—an uncommon act at the time. He made a promenade along the river for public enjoyment, brought running water to the town, funded schools, sponsored apprenticeships for the unemployed, opened his home to the poor, and distributed bread from the market house.

As a longtime worshiper at Ross’ church, I wonder if today’s Scripture passage had anything to do with Kyrle’s philanthropy so many years ago. In those verses, Paul counsels the well-off in Timothy’s church to avoid taking pride in their wealth but instead to use it to do good (1 Timothy 6:17-18). While other lords built grand manors full of exotic possessions, Kyrle amassed heavenly treasure by investing in others (v. 19).

Each of us has a certain amount of time, talent, and resources at our disposal, which we are called to use well. Whether a little or a lot, John Kyrle can be an example to us as we glorify God by investing in others’ lives.

Reflect & Pray

What amount of time, talent, and resources do you have right now? Where could you “invest” them in your community to God’s glory?

Dear God, please show me how to steward what I have to bless others.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, November 08, 2026

The Unrivaled Power of Prayer

We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. —Romans 8:26

Many of us know what it means to pray in the Spirit; we know that the Holy Spirit energizes us for prayer. But how many of us realize that the Holy Spirit prays prayers in us, prayers which we cannot utter? When we are born again of God and are indwelled by his Spirit, he expresses the unutterable for us.

“The Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:27). God searches your heart when you pray, but not to discover your own conscious prayers. Rather, God seeks to discover the prayers of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside you.

“Your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Holy Spirit needs the body of the individual believer in order to offer his intercession, and he needs our bodies to be temples, kept as shrines for him. When Jesus Christ cleaned the temple, he “would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts” (Mark 11:16). Neither will the Spirit of God allow you to use your body for your own convenience. Jesus ruthlessly cast out all who bought and sold in the temple. He said, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:13).

Have we recognized that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? If so, we must be careful to keep them undefiled for him. We have to remember that our conscious life, although it only makes up a tiny bit of our personality, is to be regarded by us as a temple of the Holy Spirit. He will look after the unconscious part that we know nothing about, but we must make sure to guard the conscious part, for which we are responsible.

Jeremiah 43-45; Hebrews 5

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

There is no allowance whatever in the New Testament for the man who says he is saved by grace but who does not produce the graceful goods. Jesus Christ by His Redemption can make our actual life in keeping with our religious profession.

Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

Acts 8:26-40 , bible reading and daily devotionals.

Max Lucado Daily: More Dinghy than Cruise Ship?

Are you more dinghy. . .than cruise ship? Or in my case, more blue jeans than blue blood? Well congratulations, God changes the world with folks like you!

The next time you say, “I don’t think God could use me!”—stop right there!  Satan’s going to try to tell you that God has an IQ requirement.  That he employs only experts and high-powered personalities.  When you hear Satan whispering that lie—hit him with this:  God stampeded the first-century society with swaybacks, not thoroughbreds.  Before Jesus came along, the disciples were loading trucks, coaching soccer, and selling Slurpee drinks at the convenience store!

But what they had going for them was a willingness to take a step when Jesus said, “Follow me.”

So what do you think?  More plumber than executive?  More stand-in than movie star? Yeah—congratulations!  God uses people like you…and me.

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  Matthew 16:24?

From Max on Life

Acts 8:26-40

The Ethiopian Eunuch

26-28 Later God’s angel spoke to Philip: “At noon today I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza.” He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the road. The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was returning to Ethiopia, where he was minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah.

29-30 The Spirit told Philip, “Climb into the chariot.” Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”

31-33 He answered, “How can I without some help?” and invited Philip into the chariot with him. The passage he was reading was this:

As a sheep led to slaughter,

    and quiet as a lamb being sheared,

He was silent, saying nothing.

    He was mocked and put down, never got a fair trial.

But who now can count his kin

    since he’s been taken from the earth?

34-35 The eunuch said, “Tell me, who is the prophet talking about: himself or some other?” Philip grabbed his chance. Using this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to him.

36-39 As they continued down the road, they came to a stream of water. The eunuch said, “Here’s water. Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the chariot to stop. They both went down to the water, and Philip baptized him on the spot. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of God suddenly took Philip off, and that was the last the eunuch saw of him. But he didn’t mind. He had what he’d come for and went on down the road as happy as he could be.

40 Philip showed up in Azotus and continued north, preaching the Message in all the villages along that route until he arrived at Caesarea.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Saturday, November 7, 2026

by John Blase

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Micah 6:6-9

How can I stand up before God

and show proper respect to the high God?

Should I bring an armload of offerings

topped off with yearling calves?

Would God be impressed with thousands of rams,

with buckets and barrels of olive oil?

Would he be moved if I sacrificed my firstborn child,

my precious baby, to cancel my sin?

* * *

8But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,

what God is looking for in men and women.

It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,

be compassionate and loyal in your love,

And don’t take yourself too seriously—

take God seriously.

9Attention! God calls out to the city!

If you know what’s good for you, you’ll listen.

So listen, all of you!

This is serious business.

Today's Insights

Micah, whose name means “Who is like Yahweh?” was a contemporary of prophets Isaiah and Hosea. He prophesied to the nations of Israel and Judah, who were guilty of covenantal unfaithfulness—idolatry, corruption, injustice, exploitation, and oppression of the poor. Micah prophesied judgment and punishment (1:6; 3:12) but also promised redemption and restoration (2:12-13; 4:1-8; 5:2-15; 7:7-20). To encourage repentance with the hope of averting impending judgment, Micah asked “the Lord” on behalf of His people how they might do what was right and honor Him (6:6-8). The prophet warned that God isn’t pleased with our external piety and lavish sacrifices while we, at the same, time neglect the weightier issues of justice, mercy, compassion, and humility (v. 8). Other prophets dispensed the same exhortation: “Give up your evil ways. Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed” (Isaiah 1:16-17 nlt; see Zechariah 7:9-10). We honor God when we “act justly . . . love mercy and . . . walk humbly” (Micah 6:8).

For further study, read: God's Expectations

What God Requires

What does the Lord require of you? Micah 6:8

You’ve probably seen the signs: No Shirt. No Shoes. No Service. Or if expressed in the positive: Shirt and Shoes Required. Such signs came to widespread prominence in the West in opposition to the counterculture movement of the 1960s. Business owners were looking for ways to keep long-haired and often shoeless hippies out of their establishments. They were (usually) willing to serve anyone, but there were two absolutes to get in the door: shirt and shoes—required attire.

The words from Micah 6 are well-known: “Act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (v. 8). Much has been written and preached on these points. Yet there’s a tendency to skip past a crucial word that precedes those phrases, a word that sets the tone for all that follows: “What does the Lord require of you?” (v. 8). If you’re serious about living a Christ-honoring life, this is what is essential. Sacrifices may seem impressive, but that’s not what God requires. If there’s no justice, no mercy, and no humility, then God says, “That’s no good.”

This doesn’t mean that the reason God accepts us is based on what we do. He accepts us out of His great love. But it has everything to do with how we live if we’re serious about pleasing Him. We serve and honor Him when we do what He requires.

Reflect & Pray

When you hear the word required, what thoughts or emotions come to mind? How have you read Micah 6:8—as suggestions for better living or as required?

Dear Father, I know what’s required. Please give me the courage to do it.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Saturday, November 7, 2026

The Undetected Sacredness of Circumstances

BY OSWALD CHAMBERS

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God… —Romans 8:28

The circumstances of a saint’s life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance. God by His providence brings you into circumstances that you can’t understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands. God brings you to places, among people, and into certain conditions to accomplish a definite purpose through the intercession of the Spirit in you. Never put yourself in front of your circumstances and say, “I’m going to be my own providence here; I will watch this closely, or protect myself from that.” All your circumstances are in the hand of God, and therefore you don’t ever have to think they are unnatural or unique. Your part in intercessory prayer is not to agonize over how to intercede, but to use the everyday circumstances and people God puts around you by His providence to bring them before His throne, and to allow the Spirit in you the opportunity to intercede for them. In this way God is going to touch the whole world with His saints.

Am I making the Holy Spirit’s work difficult by being vague and unsure, or by trying to do His work for Him? I must do the human side of intercession— utilizing the circumstances in which I find myself and the people who surround me. I must keep my conscious life as a sacred place for the Holy Spirit. Then as I lift different ones to God through prayer, the Holy Spirit intercedes for them.

Your intercessions can never be mine, and my intercessions can never be yours, “…but the Spirit Himself makes intercession” in each of our lives (Romans 8:26). And without that intercession, the lives of others would be left in poverty and in ruin.

Jeremiah 40-42; Hebrews 4

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

The main characteristic which is the proof of the indwelling Spirit is an amazing tenderness in personal dealing, and a blazing truthfulness with regard to God’s Word.

Disciples Indeed, 386 R