Psalm 115 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: HERO OF HEAVEN - June 5, 2023

The hero of heaven is God. Angels don’t worship mansions or glittering avenues. God is not the grand marshal of the parade; he is the parade. He’s not the main event; he’s the only event. His Broadway features a single stage and star: himself. He hosts the only production and invites every living soul to attend. At this very moment God issues invitations by the millions. He says, “Come, enjoy me forever.”

Yet many people have no desire to do so. He speaks; they cover their ears. He commands; they scoff. They don’t want him telling them how to live. They regard his son as a joke and the cross as utter folly. They spend their lives telling God to leave them alone.

Jesus offers the invitation in Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Live Loved

Read more Live Loved

Psalm 115

Not for our sake, God, no, not for our sake,

    but for your name’s sake, show your glory.

Do it on account of your merciful love,

    do it on account of your faithful ways.

Do it so none of the nations can say,

    “Where now, oh where is their God?”

3-8 Our God is in heaven

    doing whatever he wants to do.

Their gods are metal and wood,

    handmade in a basement shop:

Carved mouths that can’t talk,

    painted eyes that can’t see,

Tin ears that can’t hear,

    molded noses that can’t smell,

Hands that can’t grasp, feet that can’t walk or run,

    throats that never utter a sound.

Those who make them have become just like them,

    have become just like the gods they trust.

9-11 But you, Israel: put your trust in God!

    —trust your Helper! trust your Ruler!

Clan of Aaron, trust in God!

    —trust your Helper! trust your Ruler!

You who fear God, trust in God!

    —trust your Helper! trust your Ruler!

12-16 O God, remember us and bless us,

    bless the families of Israel and Aaron.

And let God bless all who fear God—

    bless the small, bless the great.

Oh, let God enlarge your families—

    giving growth to you, growth to your children.

May you be blessed by God,

    by God, who made heaven and earth.

The heaven of heavens is for God,

    but he put us in charge of the earth.

17-18 Dead people can’t praise God—

    not a word to be heard from those buried in the ground.

But we bless God, oh yes—

    we bless him now, we bless him always!

Hallelujah!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, June 05, 2023

Today's Scripture

Ecclesiastes 3:1–14

There’s a Right Time for Everything

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

2-8 A 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.

9-13 But 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.

14 I’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.

Insight

While some dispute Solomon’s authorship of Ecclesiastes, there’s good internal evidence to support it. In Ecclesiastes 1:1 we read, “The words of the Teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem.” Solomon was the only son of David to reign as king in Jerusalem, though the author identifies himself as “the Teacher” or “the Preacher.” Whereas Solomon’s sayings in the book of Proverbs offer wisdom for life in a broken world, Ecclesiastes focuses more on the difficulty of living in such a world. By: Bill Crowder

Seasons

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens. Ecclesiastes 3:1

I recently came across a helpful word: wintering. Just as winter is a time of slowing down in much of the natural world, author Katherine May uses this word to describe our need to rest and recuperate during life’s “cold” seasons. I found the analogy helpful after losing my father to cancer, which sapped me of energy for months. Resentful of this forced slowing down, I fought against my winter, praying summer’s life would return. But I had much to learn.

Ecclesiastes famously says there’s “a season for every activity under the heavens”—a time to plant and to harvest, to weep and to laugh, to mourn and to dance (3:1–4). I had read these words for years but only started to understand them in my wintering season. For though we have little control over them, each season is finite and will pass when its work is done. And while we can’t always fathom what it is, God is doing something significant in us through them (v. 11). My time of mourning wasn’t over. When it was, dancing would return. Just as plants and animals don’t fight winter, I needed to rest and let it do its renewing work.

“Lord,” a friend prayed, “would You do Your good work in Sheridan during this difficult season.” It was a better prayer than mine. For in God’s hands, seasons are purposeful things. Let’s submit to His renewing work in each one. By:  Sheridan Voysey

Reflect & Pray

When have you wanted a season to end before its time? What do you think God wants to do in you this season?

Father God, thank You for using every season for Your glory and my good.

For further study, read When God Says No: Broken Dreams to New Beginnings.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, June 05, 2023

God’s Assurance

He Himself has said….So we may boldly say… —Hebrews 13:5-6

My assurance is to be built upon God’s assurance to me. God says, “I will never leave you,” so that then I “may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6). In other words, I will not be obsessed with apprehension. This does not mean that I will not be tempted to fear, but I will remember God’s words of assurance. I will be full of courage, like a child who strives to reach the standard his father has set for him. The faith of many people begins to falter when apprehensions enter their thinking, and they forget the meaning of God’s assurance— they forget to take a deep spiritual breath. The only way to remove the fear from our lives is to listen to God’s assurance to us.

What are you fearing? Whatever it may be, you are not a coward about it— you are determined to face it, yet you still have a feeling of fear. When it seems that there is nothing and no one to help you, say to yourself, “But ‘The Lord is my helper’ this very moment, even in my present circumstance.” Are you learning to listen to God before you speak, or are you saying things and then trying to make God’s Word fit what you have said? Take hold of the Father’s assurance, and then say with strong courage, “I will not fear.” It does not matter what evil or wrong may be in our way, because “He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you….’ ”

Human frailty is another thing that gets between God’s words of assurance and our own words and thoughts. When we realize how feeble we are in facing difficulties, the difficulties become like giants, we become like grasshoppers, and God seems to be nonexistent. But remember God’s assurance to us— “I will never…forsake you.” Have we learned to sing after hearing God’s keynote? Are we continually filled with enough courage to say, “The Lord is my helper,” or are we yielding to fear?

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The root of faith is the knowledge of a Person, and one of the biggest snares is the idea that God is sure to lead us to success. My Utmost for His Highest, March 19, 761 L

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 23-24; John 15

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, June 05, 2023

JESUS - MORE THAN YOU EVER IMAGINED - #9496

All of a sudden The Son of God was in theaters all over the place. Actually, a movie by that name - Son of God. And based on its opening weekend, it was drawing a crowd. Of course that was not the first time something like that had happened. "The Passion of the Christ" turned out to be a blockbuster, too. Who would have guessed that?

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Jesus - More Than You Ever Imagined."

When I was growing up, a movie about Jesus' life wouldn't have shown folks much they didn't know. People knew a lot about Jesus. Not now. Lots of people need an introduction.

A lot of this movie was included in the highly successful TV mini-series called "The Bible." And when it portrayed the torture and the crucifixion of Jesus, the Twittersphere lit up with astonished comments. People were saying, in essence, "I had no idea Jesus went through all of this."

I have a good friend who ministers among his Native American people. He says, "My people consider Jesus an enemy." But he did manage to get a few of them to go with him to see "The Passion of the Christ" which vividly, of course, portrays the unspeakable ordeal that Jesus went through. Afterwards, there was an interesting comment from those folks. They said, "Now we know why you follow Him." Wow! I can tell you this, it sure is why I follow Him.

They didn't take His life. He's the Son of God. He'd have to give it. After all, He made the tree they nailed Him to. He made the men who nailed Him there. In His own words, "I lay down my life...no one takes it from Me" (John 10:17-18).

And all the evidence says that He is, in fact, exactly who He claimed to be - the Son of God. Perfect life, incredible miracles, scores of centuries-old Messianic prophecies fulfilled by His life, and an empty tomb. No religious leader can come back from the grave. That's got to be God.

So it really is the Son of God hanging on that cross. And if the Son of God is going to give His life, it's going to be for something really important. That's where it gets emotional for me, because one of the reasons He went through all that was me.

Along with every other person who has done life their way instead of God's way, which, according to the Bible, is every one of us. The Bible says, "All have sinned and fall short of God's glory" (Romans 3:23). But sadly, even with the visual of a movie, it's still easy to miss the "personal-ness" of what Jesus came to do.

You can look at Jesus and just see a historical figure - which He clearly is. Or you can see Him as a religious figure, starting a religion to follow, and beliefs to believe. But He's so much more. What happened on that cross was intensely personal for each of us. Again, in the Bible's words, "He loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20); my personal Rescuer from the penalty of my personal sin. And He insists on a verdict from each of us about His death for our sins as that being the only hope of being forgiven and of ever entering God's heaven.

One day Jesus did a little "focus group" research with His disciples. He asked, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" They gave Him the results of their latest poll. "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

Nice answer, guys. But then Jesus drills down to what may be the most important question any of us could ever answer. It is our word for today from the Word of God in Matthew 16, verses 15 and 16, "'But what about you? Who do you say I am?' Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'"

My friend, the question has not changed. Jesus still moves in close and says- "What about you? Who do you say I am?" And He extends His nail-pierced hand and He waits for your answer, on which your eternity rests.

When you feel the tug of Jesus in your heart, He's come close to offer you the life that only He can give you. It's wise to grab Him while He's close. This might be that time for you. Would you tell Him, "Jesus, I'm yours."

I hope you'll visit our website soon and let me show you the rest of the way to begin your personal relationship with Him. It's ANewStory.com. It's time to get this settled.

Psalm 114, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: A Parent's Prayer

Each year God gives millions of parents a gift, a brand new baby.  Like no one else, parents can unlock the door to a child's uncommonness. As dads, we accelerate or stifle…release or repress, our children's giftedness. They will spend much of life benefitting or recovering from our influence. But remember, our kids were God's kids first.  We tend to forget this fact, regarding our children as our children, as though we have the final say in their health and future. We don't. Wise are the parents who regularly give their children back to God.

God never dismisses a parent's prayer.  Keep giving your child to God, and in the right time and the right way, God will give your child back to you!

From Dad Time

Psalm 114

After Israel left Egypt,

    the clan of Jacob left those barbarians behind;

Judah became holy land for him,

    Israel the place of holy rule.

Sea took one look and ran the other way;

    River Jordan turned around and ran off.

The mountains turned playful and skipped like rams,

    the hills frolicked like spring lambs.

What’s wrong with you, Sea, that you ran away?

    and you, River Jordan, that you turned and ran off?

And mountains, why did you skip like rams?

    and you, hills, frolic like spring lambs?

Tremble, Earth! You’re in the Lord’s presence!

    in the presence of Jacob’s God.

He turned the rock into a pool of cool water,

    turned flint into fresh spring water.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Sunday, June 04, 2023

Today's Scripture

John 13:36–38; 21:18–19

36 Simon Peter asked, “Master, just where are you going?”

Jesus answered, “You can’t now follow me where I’m going. You will follow later.”

37 “Master,” said Peter, “why can’t I follow now? I’ll lay down my life for you!”

38 “Really? You’ll lay down your life for me? The truth is that before the rooster crows, you’ll deny me three times.”

17-19 Then he said it a third time: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, “Do you love me?” so he answered, “Master, you know everything there is to know. You’ve got to know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. I’m telling you the very truth now: When you were young you dressed yourself and went wherever you wished, but when you get old you’ll have to stretch out your hands while someone else dresses you and takes you where you don’t want to go.” He said this to hint at the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And then he commanded, “Follow me.”

Insight

Peter’s words to Jesus in John 13:37 show his misunderstanding of who his teacher really was. He sincerely intended to lay his life down for his king—but not if that king went willingly to his death. Peter was prepared to fight Roman oppressors, and he did. Or at least tried to.

In John 18—not long after Jesus had told Peter that he’d deny Him—they stood together in a garden surrounded by Roman soldiers. As if to prove his willingness to die for Jesus, Peter leapt into action, swinging a sword and attacking one of the men.

The disciples—and many believers in Jesus in the years since—didn’t understand His mission. He came not to gain power, dominance, and control but to set all those things aside. As John would write years later in the last book of the Bible, our King isn’t a conquering lion, but a slain lamb (Revelation 5:5–6).

By: Jed Ostoich

Courage to Stand for Jesus

Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Matthew 10:38

In ad 155, the early church father Polycarp was threatened with death by fire for his faith in Christ. He replied, “For eighty and six years I have been his servant, and he has done me no wrong. And how can I now blaspheme my king who saved me?” Polycarp’s response can be an inspiration for us when we face extreme trial because of our faith in Jesus, our King.

Just hours before Jesus’ death, Peter boldly pledged his allegiance to Christ: “I will lay down my life for you” (John 13:37). Jesus, who knew Peter better than Peter knew himself, replied, “Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!” (v. 38). However, after Jesus’ resurrection, the same one who’d denied Him began to serve Him courageously and would eventually glorify Him through his own death (see 21:16–19).

Are you a Polycarp or a Peter? Most of us, if we’re honest, are more of a Peter with a “courage outage”—a failure to speak or act honorably as a believer in Jesus. Such occasions—whether in a classroom, boardroom, or breakroom—needn’t indelibly define us. When those failures occur, we must prayerfully dust ourselves off and turn to Jesus, the One who died for us and lives for us. He’ll help us to be faithful to Him and courageously live for Him daily in difficult places.  By:  Arthur Jackson

Reflect & Pray

When do you need extra doses of courage to stand for Jesus? What do you find helpful in your witness for Him?

Heavenly Father, forgive me when I shrink back in fear and betray You by my words or actions. I need Your strength to live boldly as a believer in Jesus.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, June 04, 2023

The Never-forsaking God

He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." —Hebrews 13:5

What line of thinking do my thoughts take? Do I turn to what God says or to my own fears? Am I simply repeating what God says, or am I learning to truly hear Him and then to respond after I have heard what He says? “For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

“I will never leave you…”— not for any reason; not my sin, selfishness, stubbornness, nor waywardness. Have I really let God say to me that He will never leave me? If I have not truly heard this assurance of God, then let me listen again.

“I will never…forsake you.” Sometimes it is not the difficulty of life but the drudgery of it that makes me think God will forsake me. When there is no major difficulty to overcome, no vision from God, nothing wonderful or beautiful— just the everyday activities of life— do I hear God’s assurance even in these?

We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing— that He is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God’s assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed.

So Send I You

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 21-22; John 14

Psalm 113 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily:Desperate Dads Go to Jesus

In Mark 5:23 we meet Jairus-a leader of the synagogue-one of the most important men in the community. But the man in this story is a humble man, saying again and again, "My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live." He doesn't barter with Jesus. He doesn't negotiate. He doesn't make excuses. He just pleads!

There are times when everything you have to offer is nothing compared to what you're asking to receive. What could a man offer in exchange for his child's life? So there are no games, no haggling. Jairus asks for help. Jesus, who loves the honest heart, goes to give it. And God, who knows what it's like to lose a child, empowers His Son!

From Dad Time

Psalm 113

 Hallelujah!

You who serve God, praise God!

    Just to speak his name is praise!

Just to remember God is a blessing—

    now and tomorrow and always.

From east to west, from dawn to dusk,

    keep lifting all your praises to God!

4-9 God is higher than anything and anyone,

    outshining everything you can see in the skies.

Who can compare with God, our God,

    so majestically enthroned,

Surveying his magnificent

    heavens and earth?

He picks up the poor from out of the dirt,

    rescues the forgotten who’ve been thrown out with the trash,

Seats them among the honored guests,

    a place of honor among the brightest and best.

He gives childless couples a family,

    gives them joy as the parents of children.

Hallelujah!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Saturday, June 03, 2023

Today's Scripture

Psalm 139:1–12

God, investigate my life;

    get all the facts firsthand.

I’m an open book to you;

    even from a distance, you know what I’m thinking.

You know when I leave and when I get back;

    I’m never out of your sight.

You know everything I’m going to say

    before I start the first sentence.

I look behind me and you’re there,

    then up ahead and you’re there, too—

    your reassuring presence, coming and going.

This is too much, too wonderful—

    I can’t take it all in!

7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?

    to be out of your sight?

If I climb to the sky, you’re there!

    If I go underground, you’re there!

If I flew on morning’s wings

    to the far western horizon,

You’d find me in a minute—

    you’re already there waiting!

Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark!

    At night I’m immersed in the light!”

It’s a fact: darkness isn’t dark to you;

    night and day, darkness and light, they’re all the same to you.

Insight

God knows His people personally and intimately. This truth is evident in David’s words in Psalm 139. He says God created our “inmost being” (v. 13) and “all the days ordained for [us] were written in [His] book before one of them came to be” (v. 16). The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah affirmed this truth (Isaiah 49:5; Jeremiah 1:5). Later, Jesus declared, “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me” (John 10:14). In fact, He’s numbered the hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30)! The apostle Paul wrote, we “are God’s temple and . . . God’s Spirit dwells in [us]” (1 Corinthians 3:16). And he added, “Whoever loves God is known by God” (8:3). The best news is that He loved us first (1 John 4:19).  By: Alyson Kieda

Within God’s Reach

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? Psalm 139:7

After an officer searched me, I stepped into the county jail, signed the visitor’s log, and sat in the crowded lobby. I prayed silently, watching adults fidgeting and sighing while young children complained about the wait. Over an hour later, an armed guard called a list of names including mine. He led my group into a room and motioned us to our assigned chairs. When my stepson sat in the chair on the other side of the thick glass window and picked up the telephone receiver, the depth of my helplessness overwhelmed me. But as I wept, God assured me that my stepson was still within His reach.

In Psalm 139, David says to God, “You know me. . . ; you are familiar with all my ways” (vv. 1–3). His proclamation of an all-knowing God leads to a celebration of His intimate care and protection (v. 5). Overwhelmed by the vastness of God’s knowledge and the depth of His personal touch, David asks two rhetorical questions: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (v. 7).

When we or our loved ones are stuck in situations that leave us feeling hopeless and helpless, God’s hand remains strong and steady. Even when we believe we’ve strayed too far for His loving redemption, we’re always within His reach. By:  Xochitl Dixon

Reflect & Pray

How has knowing the vastness of God’s extensive reach affected your faith? How has He comforted you during a time when you felt hopeless and helpless?

Loving Father, help me to remember that You’re always willing and able to reach me and my loved ones.

Learn more about  trusting God in times of suffering.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Saturday, June 03, 2023

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him… —Psalm 25:14

What is the sign of a friend? Is it that he tells you his secret sorrows? No, it is that he tells you his secret joys. Many people will confide their secret sorrows to you, but the final mark of intimacy is when they share their secret joys with you. Have we ever let God tell us any of His joys? Or are we continually telling God our secrets, leaving Him no time to talk to us? At the beginning of our Christian life we are full of requests to God. But then we find that God wants to get us into an intimate relationship with Himself— to get us in touch with His purposes. Are we so intimately united to Jesus Christ’s idea of prayer— “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10)— that we catch the secrets of God? What makes God so dear to us is not so much His big blessings to us, but the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us— He knows every detail of each of our individual lives.

“Him shall He teach in the way He chooses” (Psalm 25:12). At first, we want the awareness of being guided by God. But then as we grow spiritually, we live so fully aware of God that we do not even need to ask what His will is, because the thought of choosing another way will never occur to us. If we are saved and sanctified, God guides us by our everyday choices. And if we are about to choose what He does not want, He will give us a sense of doubt or restraint, which we must heed. Whenever there is doubt, stop at once. Never try to reason it out, saying, “I wonder why I shouldn’t do this?” God instructs us in what we choose; that is, He actually guides our common sense. And when we yield to His teachings and guidance, we no longer hinder His Spirit by continually asking, “Now, Lord, what is Your will?”

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The Bible is the only Book that gives us any indication of the true nature of sin, and where it came from. The Philosophy of Sin, 1107 R

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 19-20; John 13:21-38

1 Thessalonians 2, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: NO ONE COMPARES - June 2, 2023

Psalm 89:6 asks the question, “Who among the sons of the mighty is like the Lord?” And the answer is: any pursuit of God’s counterpart is vain.

No one and nothing compares to him. No one advises him, no one helps him. You and I may have power, but God is power. Unlike the potter who takes something and reshapes it, God took nothing and created something. God created everything that exists by divine fiat. John said in Revelation, “You, God, created everything, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11).

Even God asks, “To whom will you compare me?” And, as if his question needed an answer, he gives one: “I am God—I alone. I am God. There is no one else like me” (Isaiah 46:9). We can only stand before him with humility and praise his glorious name. Bless you, Lord.

Live Loved

Read more Live Loved

1 Thessalonians 2

 So, friends, it’s obvious that our visit to you was no waste of time. We had just been given rough treatment in Philippi, as you know, but that didn’t slow us down. We were sure of ourselves in God, and went right ahead and said our piece, presenting God’s Message to you, defiant of the opposition.

No Hidden Agendas

3-5 God tested us thoroughly to make sure we were qualified to be trusted with this Message. Be assured that when we speak to you we’re not after crowd approval—only God approval. Since we’ve been put through that battery of tests, you’re guaranteed that both we and the Message are free of error, mixed motives, or hidden agendas. We never used words to butter you up. No one knows that better than you. And God knows we never used words as a smoke screen to take advantage of you.

6-8 Even though we had some standing as Christ’s apostles, we never threw our weight around or tried to come across as important, with you or anyone else. We weren’t standoffish with you. We took you just as you were. We were never patronizing, never condescending, but we cared for you the way a mother cares for her children. We loved you dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did.

9-12 You remember us in those days, friends, working our fingers to the bone, up half the night, moonlighting so you wouldn’t have the burden of supporting us while we proclaimed God’s Message to you. You saw with your own eyes how discreet and courteous we were among you, with keen sensitivity to you as fellow believers. And God knows we weren’t freeloaders! You experienced it all firsthand. With each of you we were like a father with his child, holding your hand, whispering encouragement, showing you step-by-step how to live well before God, who called us into his own kingdom, into this delightful life.

13 And now we look back on all this and thank God, a geyser of thanks! When you got the Message of God we preached, you didn’t pass it off as just one more human opinion, but you took it to heart as God’s true word to you, which it is, God himself at work in you believers!

14-16 Friends, do you realize that you followed in the exact footsteps of the churches of God in Judea, those who were the first to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ? You got the same bad treatment from your countrymen as they did from theirs, the Jews who killed the Master Jesus (to say nothing of the prophets) and followed it up by running us out of town. They make themselves offensive to God and everyone else by trying to keep us from telling people who’ve never heard of our God how to be saved. They’ve made a career of opposing God, and have gotten mighty good at it. But God is fed up, ready to put an end to it.

* * *

17-20 Do you have any idea how very homesick we became for you, dear friends? Even though it hadn’t been that long and it was only our bodies that were separated from you, not our hearts, we tried our very best to get back to see you. You can’t imagine how much we missed you! I, Paul, tried over and over to get back, but Satan thwarted us each time. Who do you think we’re going to be proud of when our Master Jesus appears if it’s not you? You’re our pride and joy!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Friday, June 02, 2023

Today's Scripture

Isaiah 2:1–5

Climb God’s Mountain

The Message Isaiah got regarding Judah and Jerusalem:

There’s a day coming

    when the mountain of God’s House

Will be The Mountain—

    solid, towering over all mountains.

All nations will river toward it,

    people from all over set out for it.

They’ll say, “Come,

    let’s climb God’s Mountain,

    go to the House of the God of Jacob.

He’ll show us the way he works

    so we can live the way we’re made.”

Zion’s the source of the revelation.

    God’s Message comes from Jerusalem.

He’ll settle things fairly between nations.

    He’ll make things right between many peoples.

They’ll turn their swords into shovels,

    their spears into hoes.

No more will nation fight nation;

    they won’t play war anymore.

Come, family of Jacob,

    let’s live in the light of God.

Insight

The prophet Isaiah is well known for writing about two themes: the nature and work of the coming Messiah and prophetic writing that both warns the reader and offers encouragement through hope-filled visions of the days to come.

Today’s reading, Isaiah 2:1–5, falls under prophetic writing. Verse 2 begins with the phrase “in the last days,” or when God’s plan of salvation is about to reach its final fulfillment. Isaiah sets everything he’s about to discuss in a future context. In verses 3–5, three distinct ideas emerge: the supremacy of the mountain of the Lord (v. 3)—the Jerusalem temple—here a symbol for the power and presence of God; the desire of the nations to flock to that mountain to learn from God Himself (v. 3); and God’s relationship to the nations and their disputes (v. 4). Isaiah’s writing challenges the people to join in God’s work and be a part of what’s coming. By: J.R. Hudberg

Uniting Nations

He will judge between the nations. Isaiah 2:4

The longest international border in the world is shared by the United States and Canada, covering an incredible 5,525 miles of land and water. Workers regularly cut down ten feet of trees on both sides of the boundary to make the border line unmistakable. This lengthy ribbon of cleared land, called “the Slash,” is dotted by more than eight thousand stone markers so visitors always know where the dividing line falls.

The physical deforestation of “the Slash” represents a separation of government and cultures. As believers in Jesus, we look forward to a time when God will reverse that and unite all nations across the world under His rule. The prophet Isaiah spoke of a future where His temple will be firmly established and exalted (Isaiah 2:2). People from all nations will gather to learn God’s ways and “walk in his paths” (v. 3). No longer will we rely on human efforts that fail to maintain peace. As our true King, God will judge between nations and settle all disputes (v. 4).

Can you imagine a world without division and conflict? That’s what God promises to bring! Regardless of the disunity around us, we can “walk in the light of the Lord” (v. 5) and choose to give Him our allegiance now. We know that God rules over all, and He will someday unite His people under one banner. By:  Karen Pimpo

Reflect & Pray

What disunity in the world is heavy on your heart today? How does looking forward to God’s eternal kingdom give you strength?

Dear God, I acknowledge Your sovereignty over every power in the world today! You reign above it all.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Friday, June 02, 2023

Are You Obsessed by Something?

Who is the man that fears the Lord? —Psalm 25:12

Are you obsessed by something? You will probably say, “No, by nothing,” but all of us are obsessed by something— usually by ourselves, or, if we are Christians, by our own experience of the Christian life. But the psalmist says that we are to be obsessed by God. The abiding awareness of the Christian life is to be God Himself, not just thoughts about Him. The total being of our life inside and out is to be absolutely obsessed by the presence of God. A child’s awareness is so absorbed in his mother that although he is not consciously thinking of her, when a problem arises, the abiding relationship is that with the mother. In that same way, we are to “live and move and have our being” in God (Acts 17:28), looking at everything in relation to Him, because our abiding awareness of Him continually pushes itself to the forefront of our lives.

If we are obsessed by God, nothing else can get into our lives— not concerns, nor tribulation, nor worries. And now we understand why our Lord so emphasized the sin of worrying. How can we dare to be so absolutely unbelieving when God totally surrounds us? To be obsessed by God is to have an effective barricade against all the assaults of the enemy.

“He himself shall dwell in prosperity…” (Psalm 25:13). God will cause us to “dwell in prosperity,” keeping us at ease, even in the midst of tribulation, misunderstanding, and slander, if our “life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). We rob ourselves of the miraculous, revealed truth of this abiding companionship with God. “God is our refuge…” (Psalm 46:1). Nothing can break through His shelter of protection.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

God created man to be master of the life in the earth and sea and sky, and the reason he is not is because he took the law into his own hands, and became master of himself, but of nothing else.  The Shadow of an Agony, 1163 L

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 17-18; John 13:1-20

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Friday, June 02, 2023

WHEN YOU CAN'T SEE THE WAY TO GO - #9495

Our local high school band worked hard to put on some great performances at our football games. I know. Our daughter was one of the trumpet players. I also remember going to band competitions at different schools. We have some precious memories of sitting on the top bleacher with a wind chill that would have made a polar bear go inside. My teeth were chattering loud enough to be in the percussion section! Our band also got to perform in several local parades. But, there's just a handful of high school bands that get invited to play in one of America's really big parades. You know, like the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. You know, the Mountain Home, Arkansas, band - not too far from us - they had that thrill.

Inside this exciting adventure for a small town band was a wonderful true story. The band had a tuba player that you might never expect to be in a marching band. He's blind. As you think about that, it raises a lot of questions, doesn't it - about how he could possibly participate in a marching band's maneuvers. The answer is a young woman who dedicated herself to being his guide. She doesn't play an instrument. But anytime that band makes a move, she slips her arm in David's arm and directs him wherever he needs to go. And on Thanksgiving Day, there they were, doing their band routine in the middle of Manhattan's Herald Square - the blind tuba player and the one who guided him there.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "When You Can't See the Way To Go."

Some might have thought there was no way that a blind tuba player could ever march with the band. But that would not take into account the one who made it possible - one person always there to guide him.

You have a person like that for the many times when you can't see the way to go. The sightless band member was able to go places he could otherwise never go, and do things he otherwise could never do because of the one who directed him. That's your story, too. It's my story. Because, if you belong to Christ, God's promised that you will never be left in the dark, and never be left clueless.

If you're at one of those anxious, confusing times when the road ahead isn't clear, have I got a promise for you! Oh yeah, it's one of my favorites. It's recorded in Isaiah 42:16. It's our word for today from the Word of God.

It happens to be an anchor verse for me. Your Lord says: "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." Wow!

See. this is your promise to claim! You have nothing to fear from the unknown because you belong to the One who can see it all. And how will He show you the way? First, He'll use personalized Scriptures; verses that He will, upon request, guide you to. Verses that will seem like they have your name on them, or in them, and that will be that "light for your path" that the Bible talks about (Psalm 119:105). Secondly, He'll guide you through what I call prayer-time peace. Trust what you feel most consistently in the times when you are alone with God, when other voices are not there to confuse you. God says to "let the peace of Christ rule in your heart" (Colossians 3:15). And thirdly, God will show you the way to go through confirming circumstances - open doors, recurring counsel from godly people, events that echo the Scriptures that He's been giving you.

The "don't know" times are God's instrument to drive you deeper into Him, to surrender any self-reliance for a desperate dependency on your God. You may not know which way to go, but you don't have to stand there fearful, paralyzed or marching in circles. Your Lord, your Shepherd is placing His arm inside yours to lead you where you could never go without Him.

Psalm 112, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: GOD’S ONE GOAL - June 1, 2023

God has one goal: God. God says in Isaiah 48:11, “I have my reputation to keep up” (The Message). Surprised? Isn’t such an attitude self-centered self-promotion? Why does God broadcast himself? For the same reason the pilot of the lifeboat does.

Think of it this way: you’re floundering neck-deep in a dark, cold sea. Ship sinking, life jacket deflating, strength waning. Through the darkness comes the voice of a lifeboat pilot. But you cannot see him. What do you want the pilot to do? Be quiet? Say nothing? You need volume. Amp it up, buddy! In biblical language, you want him to show his glory. You need to hear him say, “I’m here, I’m strong, I have room for you!”

Don’t we want God to do the same? We’re going down fast, and only one message matters – his! We need to see God’s glory.

Live Loved

Read more Live Loved

Psalm 112

 Hallelujah!

Blessed man, blessed woman, who fear God,

Who cherish and relish his commandments,

Their children robust on the earth,

And the homes of the upright—how blessed!

Their houses brim with wealth

And a generosity that never runs dry.

Sunrise breaks through the darkness for good people—

God’s grace and mercy and justice!

The good person is generous and lends lavishly;

No shuffling or stumbling around for this one,

But a sterling and solid and lasting reputation.

Unfazed by rumor and gossip,

Heart ready, trusting in God,

Spirit firm, unperturbed,

Ever blessed, relaxed among enemies,

They lavish gifts on the poor—

A generosity that goes on, and on, and on.

An honored life! A beautiful life!

Someone wicked takes one look and rages,

Blusters away but ends up speechless.

There’s nothing to the dreams of the wicked. Nothing.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, June 01, 2023

Today's Scripture

1 Thessalonians 5:12–28

The Way He Wants You to Live

12-13 And now, friends, we ask you to honor those leaders who work so hard for you, who have been given the responsibility of urging and guiding you along in your obedience. Overwhelm them with appreciation and love!

13-15 Get along among yourselves, each of you doing your part. Our counsel is that you warn the freeloaders to get a move on. Gently encourage the stragglers, and reach out for the exhausted, pulling them to their feet. Be patient with each person, attentive to individual needs. And be careful that when you get on each other’s nerves you don’t snap at each other. Look for the best in each other, and always do your best to bring it out.

16-18 Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.

19-22 Don’t suppress the Spirit, and don’t stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil.

23-24 May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!

25-27 Friends, keep up your prayers for us. Greet all the followers of Jesus there with a holy embrace. And make sure this letter gets read to all the brothers and sisters. Don’t leave anyone out.

28 The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you!

Insight

The church at Thessalonica was one that benefited from Paul’s personal ministry. Thessalonica was a major city made up primarily of local Greeks and transplanted Romans. There was also a substantial enough Jewish population to necessitate and support a synagogue there (Acts 17:1). As was often his practice, Paul began his gospel ministry in the synagogue—proclaiming Jesus as the promised Messiah (vv. 3–4). Those who responded in faith formed the nucleus of the new church family, apparently meeting in the home of a local man named Jason (vv. 5, 7). Opposition from some of the local Jewish population forced the apostle to leave Thessalonica and make his way from there to Berea and ultimately to Athens. By: Bill Crowder

In God’s Hands

The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Turning eighteen ushered in a new era in my daughter’s life: legally an adult, she now had the right to vote in future elections and would soon embark on life after graduating from high school. This shift had instilled in me a sense of urgency—I would have precious little time with her under my roof to impart to her the wisdom she’d need to face the world on her own: how to manage finances, stay alert to world issues, and make sound decisions.

My sense of duty to equip my daughter to handle her life was understandable. After all, I loved her and desired for her to flourish. But I realized that while I had an important role, it wasn’t solely—or even primarily—my job. In Paul’s words to the Thessalonians—a group of people he considered his children in the faith because he’d taught them about Jesus—he urged them to help one another (1 Thessalonians 5:14–15), but ultimately he trusted their growth to God. He acknowledged that God would “sanctify [them] through and through” (v. 23).

Paul trusted God to do what he couldn’t: prepare them—“spirit, soul and body”—for the eventual return of Jesus (v. 23). Though his letters to the Thessalonians contained instructions, his trust in God for their well-being and preparedness teaches us that growth in the lives of those we care for is ultimately in His hands (1 Corinthians 3:6). By:  Kirsten Holmberg

Reflect & Pray

How have you observed God helping you to grow in Him? Whose growth do you need to entrust to Him?

Father, thank You for being the initiator and finisher of my spiritual growth. Please help me to trust You for that good work.

For further study, read Heart, Soul, and Mind: Raising Kids to Know and Love God.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, June 01, 2023

The Staggering Question

He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" —Ezekiel 37:3

Can a sinner be turned into a saint? Can a twisted life be made right? There is only one appropriate answer— “O Lord God, You know” (Ezekiel 37:3). Never forge ahead with your religious common sense and say, “Oh, yes, with just a little more Bible reading, devotional time, and prayer, I see how it can be done.”

It is much easier to do something than to trust in God; we see the activity and mistake panic for inspiration. That is why we see so few fellow workers with God, yet so many people working for God. We would much rather work for God than believe in Him. Do I really believe that God will do in me what I cannot do? The degree of hopelessness I have for others comes from never realizing that God has done anything for me. Is my own personal experience such a wonderful realization of God’s power and might that I can never have a sense of hopelessness for anyone else I see? Has any spiritual work been accomplished in me at all? The degree of panic activity in my life is equal to the degree of my lack of personal spiritual experience.

“Behold, O My people, I will open your graves…” (Ezekiel 37:12). When God wants to show you what human nature is like separated from Himself, He shows it to you in yourself. If the Spirit of God has ever given you a vision of what you are apart from the grace of God (and He will only do this when His Spirit is at work in you), then you know that in reality there is no criminal half as bad as you yourself could be without His grace. My “grave” has been opened by God and “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells” (Romans 7:18). God’s Spirit continually reveals to His children what human nature is like apart from His grace.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The Bible does not thrill; the Bible nourishes. Give time to the reading of the Bible and the recreating effect is as real as that of fresh air physically.  Disciples Indeed, 387 R

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 15-16; John 12:27-50

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, June 01, 2023

HERO ON THE FIELD, BUT HERO AT HOME? - #9494

It was one of those years when my New York Giants decided they didn't want to show up for the playoffs that year. Oh, the Super Bowl was always in their stadium, but sadly no blue and white on the field. The odds makers had been predicting that Denver was going to win by one point. They lost 43-8.

Denver Broncos defensive end Shaun Phillips managed to emerge from that blowout a winner still, where it really counts. See, Shaun texted his son Jaylen and said, "Sorry I let you down." His son's answer changed everything. "It's OK Daddy. You are still my hero." Wow! That's perspective. Playing in the Super Bowl - big accomplishment. Being a super dad - that's the biggest victory a man can win.

And suddenly, Shaun was reminded of where putting points on the board matters most. He told his son, "Well, at least we get to hang out now." That little exchange on Super Bowl Sunday was a message for every one of us that someone calls "Dad."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Hero on the Field, But Hero At Home?"

You can be a hero "on the field" - whatever your field is - and be a zero at home. But if you're a hero at home, you can weather the blowouts in all the other parts of your life.

My son tells me, "Dad, it doesn't matter how crazy my workday has been, I'll walk in the door of my house and five minutes with my kids reminds me of what really matters." It's true! I smiled when he said that. He and his siblings did that for me more times than I can count.

Of course, some dads come home to just another battlefield. But the man of the house has more effect on the climate of that house than anybody else. Beginning in the Garden of Eden, God has held the man ultimately responsible for what happens in his family. It's a classic case of "a man reaps what he sows."

That's our word for today from the Word of God, Galatians 6:7, "A man reaps what he sows." So, if you sow unselfishness, you'll start to reap unselfishness. If you sow "I come first," you'll reap a family of people who are all about themselves. So much of that depends on the seed sown by dad. That's why the Bible warns fathers to "not embitter your children or they will become discouraged" (Colossians 3:21). And it says, "fathers do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).

I came to realize that I was the thermostat in my family, setting the temperature; my wife was the thermometer, reflecting the temperature I set; and my children were the seismograph, registering every disturbance.

Clearly, the central arena of a man's best efforts is to be in his home. And the weight of that life-shaping assignment - with so much potential for being life-scarring instead - has driven me to seek outside help from the God who told us to call Him "our Father."

It was being a husband and being a dad that showed me that I am not enough. My family had needs I couldn't meet because I hadn't figured out how to meet those needs in me. That the things that troubled me in my kids mirrored my own weaknesses. My own baggage. My own sin. That's when the word "Savior" becomes intensely personal. I need a Rescuer from the dark side of me that God calls sin. A dark side that becomes a spreading infection when you have a wife and children.

So I reached out to Jesus. I grabbed Him like a drowning man would grab a rescuer, because, as the Bible says, "the Lord Jesus Christ...gave Himself for our sins to rescue us" (Galatians 1:3). And there I found that this self-centered sinner of a dad could become what the Bible calls "a new creation in Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:17). With God's power, anyone can win the game that matters more than any other - winning the hearts of the children that He gave you.

If you've never begun your relationship with this life-changing Savior, for your sake, for your family's sake would you open your heart to Him today? Go to our website. I think I can help you get started in that relationship. Go to ANewStory.com. It could be the beginning of a new story for you and for those you love.

Psalm 111, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: YOU’RE NOT ALONE - May 31, 2023

Have you ever gone to the grocery on an empty stomach? You’re a sitting duck when you do. You buy everything you don’t need. Doesn’t matter if it’s good for you—you just want to fill your tummy!

When you’re lonely, you do the same in life. Pulling stuff off the shelf, not because you need it, but because you’re hungry for love. Why do we do it? Because we fear facing life alone. For fear of not fitting in, we take the drugs. For fear of standing out, we wear the clothes. For fear of appearing small, we go into debt and buy the house. For fear of sleeping alone, we sleep with anyone. For fear of not being loved, we search for love in all the wrong places.

But all that changes when we discover God’s perfect love. 1 John 4:18 says, “Perfect love casts out fear.” You are not alone!

Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Meant to Carry

Read more Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Meant to Carry

Psalm 111

 Hallelujah!

I give thanks to God with everything I’ve got—

Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation.

God’s works are so great, worth

A lifetime of study—endless enjoyment!

Splendor and beauty mark his craft;

His generosity never gives out.

His miracles are his memorial—

This God of Grace, this God of Love.

He gave food to those who fear him,

He remembered to keep his ancient promise.

He proved to his people that he could do what he said:

Hand them the nations on a platter—a gift!

He manufactures truth and justice;

All his products are guaranteed to last—

Never out-of-date, never obsolete, rust-proof.

All that he makes and does is honest and true:

He paid the ransom for his people,

He ordered his Covenant kept forever.

He’s so personal and holy, worthy of our respect.

The good life begins in the fear of God—

Do that and you’ll know the blessing of God.

His Hallelujah lasts forever!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Today's Scripture

Ezra 3:8–13

 In the second month of the second year after their arrival at The Temple of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua son of Jozadak, in company with their brother priests and Levites and everyone else who had come back to Jerusalem from captivity, got started. They appointed the Levites twenty years of age and older to direct the rebuilding of The Temple of God. Jeshua and his family joined Kadmiel, Binnui, and Hodaviah, along with the extended family of Henadad—all Levites—to direct the work crew on The Temple of God.

10-11 When the workers laid the foundation of The Temple of God, the priests in their robes stood up with trumpets, and the Levites, sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise God in the tradition of David king of Israel. They sang antiphonally praise and thanksgiving to God:

Yes! God is good!

Oh yes—he’ll never quit loving Israel!

11-13 All the people boomed out hurrahs, praising God as the foundation of The Temple of God was laid. As many were noisily shouting with joy, many of the older priests, Levites, and family heads who had seen the first Temple, when they saw the foundations of this Temple laid, wept loudly for joy. People couldn’t distinguish the shouting from the weeping. The sound of their voices reverberated for miles around.

Insight

The book of Ezra captures the return of the Jews from Babylonian exile. Ezra 1–6 tells of the first return of fifty thousand led by Zerubbabel (538 bc). They rebuilt the altar (ch. 3), reinstituted the sacrifices, and attempted to rebuild the temple (536 bc). But the temple work stalled for sixteen years because of strong opposition from enemies (chs. 4–5). Under the ministry of Haggai and Zechariah, the temple was eventually completed in 516 bc. Ezra 7–10 records the second return of five thousand Jews eighty years later, now led by Ezra himself (458 bc). The third return led by Nehemiah (444 bc) is recorded in the book of Nehemiah. By: K. T. Sim

Sorrow and Joy

No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping. Ezra 3:13

Angela’s family reeled with sorrow as they experienced three bereavements in just four weeks. After the one involving the sudden death of their nephew, Angela and her two sisters gathered around the kitchen table for three days, only leaving to buy an urn, get takeout, and attend the funeral. As they wept over his death, they also rejoiced over the ultrasound photos of the new life growing within their youngest sister.

In time, Angela found comfort and hope from the Old Testament book of Ezra. It describes God’s people returning to Jerusalem after the Babylonians destroyed the temple and deported them from their beloved city (see Ezra 1). As Ezra watched the temple being rebuilt, he heard joyful praises to God (3:10–11). But he also listened to the weeping of those who remembered life before exile (v. 12).

One verse especially consoled Angela: “No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise” (v. 13). She realized that even if she was drenched in deep sorrow, joy could still appear.

We too might grieve the death of a loved one or mourn a different loss. If so, we can express our cries of pain along with our moments of rejoicing to God, knowing that He hears us and gathers us in His arms. By:  Amy Boucher Pye

Reflect & Pray

Why do you think you can experience both joy and sorrow at the same time? How can you cultivate joy today?

Loving God, in this world we experience pain and suffering. Spark joy in me as I look to You for hope and peace.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Put God First

Jesus did not commit Himself to them…for He knew what was in man. —John 2:24-25

Put Trust in God First. Our Lord never put His trust in any person. Yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, and never lost hope for anyone, because He put His trust in God first. He trusted absolutely in what God’s grace could do for others. If I put my trust in human beings first, the end result will be my despair and hopelessness toward everyone. I will become bitter because I have insisted that people be what no person can ever be— absolutely perfect and right. Never trust anything in yourself or in anyone else, except the grace of God.

Put God’s Will First. “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:9).

A person’s obedience is to what he sees to be a need— our Lord’s obedience was to the will of His Father. The rallying cry today is, “We must get to work! The heathen are dying without God. We must go and tell them about Him.” But we must first make sure that God’s “needs” and His will in us personally are being met. Jesus said, “…tarry…until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The purpose of our Christian training is to get us into the right relationship to the “needs” of God and His will. Once God’s “needs” in us have been met, He will open the way for us to accomplish His will, meeting His “needs” elsewhere.

Put God’s Son First. “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me” (Matthew 18:5).

God came as a baby, giving and entrusting Himself to me. He expects my personal life to be a “Bethlehem.” Am I allowing my natural life to be slowly transformed by the indwelling life of the Son of God? God’s ultimate purpose is that His Son might be exhibited in me.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

I have no right to say I believe in God unless I order my life as under His all-seeing Eye. Disciples Indeed, 385 L

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 13-14; John 12:1-26

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, May 31, 2023

SPIRITUAL VETERANS, DANGER ZONE - #9493

I remember speaking at a baseball chapel years ago, and our boys were actually blown away. I mean, it's a while back, but they got to go with me to the Yankees chapel. And they said, "Oh, there's Don Mattingly!" Yeah, we're talking Hall of Fame here. He was a hero around our house since our kids were little. He was a Yankees first baseman. His home runs and batting average and consistent fielding made him possibly one of baseball's all time greats.

Interestingly enough, we were impressed at our house, not just by his baseball ability. But to this day, our guys talk about his attitude, which was a pretty refreshing one. See, he always, even though he was a well paid star, he didn't seem to fall prey to that well paid star attitude. He always seemed to be amazed and appreciative that he was where he was. You'd hear Don Mattingly being interviewed and he would say something like this, "I just love baseball. I still love it like when I was a kid. I feel so lucky to be wearing this uniform." He'd get to spring training early. He'd take extra batting practice. See, there's something really special about a seasoned veteran's ability that is coupled with kind of a positive rookie attitude, but it's hard to have both of those.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Spiritual Veterans, Danger Zone."

Our word for today from the Word of God, John 9:16. It's about the man who was blind from birth. He's been healed by Jesus; the Pharisees are more interested though in analyzing the miracle. "Some of the Pharisees said, 'This man is not from God, for He does not keep the Sabbath.'" Jesus had healed on the Sabbath. Verse 24: "A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. 'Give glory to God,' they said. 'We know this man (speaking of Jesus) is a sinner.'"

Well, the conversation continues and they say, "'We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don't even know where He comes from.'" The man answered, 'Now that is remarkable! You don't know where He comes from, yet He opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does His will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, He could do nothing.'"

You know what you've got here? A clash between spiritual veterans - the Pharisees - and a spiritual rookie. The Pharisees are Bible experts - religious professionals. But they are confronted with an amazing supernatural intervention. Are they excited? Are they celebrating? Are they seeking the Lord who did it? No, they're analyzing, debating, they're trying to protect their position. See, that's the danger of being around Jesus for a while, being professional where you used to be passionate in your faith. It happens to athletes. After a while their youthful enthusiasm fades, and they become hard and cynical and calculating sometimes, all about themselves. And they lose the wonder of the rookie.

The blind man here? He's a rookie. He's fresh from being touched by Jesus. He's excited, he's expectant. But the veterans...they just make it all complicated. It's simple for a rookie. "I was changed, and Jesus did it." Sometimes the rookie who has just experienced Christ knows more instinctively than the veterans who are analyzing Christ.

And it could be that for all your years of being around Christian things you've missed Jesus. You've missed Christ, because it's all been a head trip. He's in your head, but He's not in your heart, because you've never moved Him from your head to your heart. Let this be the day He becomes your Savior from your sins.

Now, here's a question: Have you gone from experiencing God's working to just analyzing it? Maybe what used to be the simplicity of a warm give-and-take love with Jesus has become the complexity of rules and organization and politics and theological hairsplitting. A veteran should be the most excited of all. They've had the most years to have it all happen to them. There's something very special about someone who's got that seasoned veteran ability and a positive rookie attitude. Listen, don't ever lose the wonder.

Psalm 106, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: GIVE GOD YOUR FEAR - May 30, 2023

How did Jesus endure the terror of the crucifixion? He went first to the Father with his fears. He modeled the words of Psalm 56:3: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”

Do the same with your fears. Enter them—just don’t enter them alone. And while there, be honest. Pounding the ground is permitted. Tears are allowed.“Take this cup” Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Give God your fears. Give God the number of the flight. Share the details of the job transfer. He has plenty of time. He also has plenty of compassion. He won’t tell you to “buck up” or “get tough.” He knows how you feel.

That’s why we punctuate our prayers as Jesus did: “Father, if you’re willing….” Was God willing? Yes and no. He didn’t take away the cross from Christ, but he took the fear. Who’s to say he won’t do the same for you?

Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Meant to Carry

Read more Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Meant to Carry

Psalm 106

 Hallelujah!

Thank God! And why?

    Because he’s good, because his love lasts.

But who on earth can do it—

    declaim God’s mighty acts, broadcast all his praises?

You’re one happy man when you do what’s right,

    one happy woman when you form the habit of justice.

4-5 Remember me, God, when you enjoy your people;

    include me when you save them;

I want to see your chosen succeed,

    celebrate with your celebrating nation,

    join the Hallelujahs of your pride and joy!

6-12 We’ve sinned a lot, both we and our parents;

    We’ve fallen short, hurt a lot of people.

After our parents left Egypt,

    they took your wonders for granted,

    forgot your great and wonderful love.

They were barely beyond the Red Sea

    when they defied the High God

    —the very place he saved them!

    —the place he revealed his amazing power!

He rebuked the Red Sea so that it dried up on the spot

    —he paraded them right through!

    —no one so much as got wet feet!

He saved them from a life of oppression,

    pried them loose from the grip of the enemy.

Then the waters flowed back on their oppressors;

    there wasn’t a single survivor.

Then they believed his words were true

    and broke out in songs of praise.

13-18 But it wasn’t long before they forgot the whole thing,

    wouldn’t wait to be told what to do.

They only cared about pleasing themselves in that desert,

    provoked God with their insistent demands.

He gave them exactly what they asked for—

    but along with it they got an empty heart.

One day in camp some grew jealous of Moses,

    also of Aaron, holy priest of God.

The ground opened and swallowed Dathan,

    then buried Abiram’s gang.

Fire flared against that rebel crew

    and torched them to a cinder.

19-22 They cast in metal a bull calf at Horeb

    and worshiped the statue they’d made.

They traded the Glory

    for a cheap piece of sculpture—a grass-chewing bull!

They forgot God, their very own Savior,

    who turned things around in Egypt,

Who created a world of wonders in the Land of Ham,

    who gave that stunning performance at the Red Sea.

23-27 Fed up, God decided to get rid of them—

    and except for Moses, his chosen, he would have.

But Moses stood in the gap and deflected God’s anger,

    prevented it from destroying them utterly.

They went on to reject the Blessed Land,

    didn’t believe a word of what God promised.

They found fault with the life they had

    and turned a deaf ear to God’s voice.

Exasperated, God swore

    that he’d lay them low in the desert,

Scattering their children here and there,

    strewing them all over the earth.

28-31 Then they linked up with Baal Peor,

    attending funeral banquets and eating idol food.

That made God so angry

    that a plague spread through their ranks;

Phinehas stood up and pled their case

    and the plague was stopped.

This was counted to his credit;

    his descendants will never forget it.

32-33 They angered God again at Meribah Springs;

    this time Moses got mixed up in their evil;

Because they defied God yet again,

    Moses exploded and lost his temper.

34-39 They didn’t wipe out those godless cultures

    as ordered by God;

Instead they intermarried with the heathen,

    and in time became just like them.

They worshiped their idols,

    were caught in the trap of idols.

They sacrificed their sons and daughters

    at the altars of demon gods.

They slit the throats of their babies,

    murdered their infant girls and boys.

They offered their babies to Canaan’s gods;

    the blood of their babies stained the land.

Their way of life reeked;

    they lived like prostitutes.

40-43 And God was furious—a wildfire anger;

    he couldn’t stand even to look at his people.

He turned them over to the heathen

    so that the people who hated them ruled them.

Their enemies made life hard for them;

    they were tyrannized under that rule.

Over and over God rescued them, but they never learned—

    until finally their sins destroyed them.

44-46 Still, when God saw the trouble they were in

    and heard their cries for help,

He remembered his Covenant with them,

    and, immense with love, took them by the hand.

He poured out his mercy on them

    while their captors looked on, amazed.

47-48 Save us, God, our God!

    Gather us back out of exile

So we can give thanks to your holy name

    and join in the glory when you are praised!

Blessed be God, Israel’s God!

Bless now, bless always!

Oh! Let everyone say Amen!

Hallelujah!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Today's Scripture

Ezekiel 37:4–14

He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones: ‘Dry bones, listen to the Message of God!’”

5-6 God, the Master, told the dry bones, “Watch this: I’m bringing the breath of life to you and you’ll come to life. I’ll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You’ll come alive and you’ll realize that I am God!”

7-8 I prophesied just as I’d been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone. I kept watching. Sinews formed, then muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them. But they had no breath in them.

9 He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath. Prophesy, son of man. Tell the breath, ‘God, the Master, says, Come from the four winds. Come, breath. Breathe on these slain bodies. Breathe life!’”

10 So I prophesied, just as he commanded me. The breath entered them and they came alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army.

11 Then God said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Listen to what they’re saying: ‘Our bones are dried up, our hope is gone, there’s nothing left of us.’

12-14 “Therefore, prophesy. Tell them, ‘God, the Master, says: I’ll dig up your graves and bring you out alive—O my people! Then I’ll take you straight to the land of Israel. When I dig up graves and bring you out as my people, you’ll realize that I am God. I’ll breathe my life into you and you’ll live. Then I’ll lead you straight back to your land and you’ll realize that I am God. I’ve said it and I’ll do it. God’s Decree.’”

* * *

Insight

We don’t know specific details about the valley that Ezekiel describes he was transported to “by the Spirit of the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:1). It could have been a vision of a valley that was the scene of a major tragedy or battle because having so many unburied bones in one place suggests a battle. God tells Ezekiel that this valley of bones symbolizes the nation of Israel as a whole (v. 11). Even the despair and death they were experiencing could be reversed by God’s Spirit breathing new life into them (v. 6) and returning them to their land (v. 12). By: Monica La Rose

The God Who Restores

I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. Ezekiel 37:5

On November 4, 1966, a disastrous flood swept through Florence, Italy, submerging Giorgio Vasari’s renowned work of art The Last Supper under a pool of mud, water, and heating oil for more than twelve hours. With its paint softened and its wooden frame significantly damaged, many believed that the piece was beyond repair. However, after a tedious fifty-year conservation effort, experts and volunteers were able to overcome monumental obstacles and restore the valuable painting.

When the Babylonians conquered Israel, the people felt hopeless—surrounded by death and destruction and in need of restoration (see Lamentations 1). During this period of turmoil, God took the prophet Ezekiel to a valley and gave him a vision where he was surrounded by dry bones. “Can these bones live?” God asked. Ezekiel responded, “Lord, you alone know” (Ezekiel 37:3). God then told him to prophesy over the bones so they might live again. “As I was prophesying,” Ezekiel recounted, “there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together” (v. 7). Through this vision, God revealed to Ezekiel that Israel’s restoration could only come through Him.

When we feel as if things in life have been broken and are beyond repair, God assures us He can rebuild our shattered pieces. He’ll give us new breath and new life. By:  Adam Holz

Reflect & Pray

What’s broken in your life? How might you rely on God to bring restoration?

Dear God, parts of my life seem like they’ll never be restored. I’ve tried to fix them on my own, but my only hope of restoration is found in You.

For further study, read Wounded in Worship.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Yes—But…! Lord, I will follow You, but... —Luke 9:61

Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender. Yet we tend to say, “Yes, but— suppose I do obey God in this matter, what about…?” Or we say, “Yes, I will obey God if what He asks of me doesn’t go against my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.”

Jesus Christ demands the same unrestrained, adventurous spirit in those who have placed their trust in Him that the natural man exhibits. If a person is ever going to do anything worthwhile, there will be times when he must risk everything by his leap in the dark. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold on to or believe through common sense, and leap by faith into what He says. Once you obey, you will immediately find that what He says is as solidly consistent as common sense.

By the test of common sense, Jesus Christ’s statements may seem mad, but when you test them by the trial of faith, your findings will fill your spirit with the awesome fact that they are the very words of God. Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis— only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the character of God.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

God created man to be master of the life in the earth and sea and sky, and the reason he is not is because he took the law into his own hands, and became master of himself, but of nothing else.  The Shadow of an Agony, 1163 L

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 10-12; John 11:30-57

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

REPLAYING YOUR FALLS - #9492

There's reality TV. And then there's the real reality TV called the Olympics. And, you know, when you watch that, you see the real deal. I mean, you've got the triple axles on the ice, you've got amazing jumps on the ski slopes, you've got those gravity-defying flights of the snowboarders. Oh, yeah, and the falls and the crashes.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Replaying Your Falls."

I'm fine with showing the good stuff again and again. It's the replays of what they did wrong that bother me. Probably because I've been working with young people and their families for so long. And, over and over, I've seen the damage that's done when parents keep replaying their children's mistakes. Sometimes too seldom replaying what their son or daughter did right.

Consequently, there are a lot of young people who know very well what's wrong with them. But they have a hard time thinking what's right with them, so they don't feel like they're worth much. They act like they're not worth much. You can see it in the friends they choose, the music they listen to, the way they retreat into themselves. The things they'll do for attention. For just a few minutes of feeling better about themselves.

Oh, there's a lot that goes into our feelings of value or worthlessness. But we moms and dads, we have life-shaping power like nobody else. Our son or daughter's perception of how much we think they're worth is a huge factor in how much they think they're worth.

Too often, we use the replays of our kids' shortcomings to somehow get them to change, to do better just to vent our frustrations. And yet, how many of us still carry in our head those critical, negative words that our parents said over and over to us? They still hurt. They're still part of our adult struggle to feel right about ourselves. What was constantly replayed by our parents has shaped our life. And so it is with our children. It's part of the legacy we leave them, and it's one that it's never too late to change.

That's why this one statement from the Bible went deep into my soul as a parent. It says in Ephesians 4:29, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths" - that would be words that tear them down - "but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs." So you've got construction and you've got demolition. My words to my children are one or the other.

I don't need much help seeing where I've blown it. I'm painfully aware of how I've failed. What saves me, literally, is that my Father, my Heavenly Father, does not replay all the dark episodes of my life. Of all the people who could nail me for my many sins, God has that undisputed right. He gave me this life. So often, I've dissed the One who made me and I've done what I want to do. I've defied this sinless, totally holy God.

I would run from Him, except for one thing. What the Bible tells me about Him. It'sI our word for today from the Word of God in Psalm 130:3, "If You, O Lord, kept a record of sins, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness." What a word! Forgiveness. What an expensive word. Not for me, but for the God I've sinned against, because of what His Son did so I would never meet my sins on Judgment Day.

The Bible says, "He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him" (Isaiah 53:5-6). My sins removed, never again to be replayed, by a God who loved me so much He would do whatever it took not to lose me. And it took His very best. It took His Son.

This full pardon from an all-perfect God is within anyone's reach. It's within your reach if you'll take for yourself what Jesus died to give you. That's what our website's about. I would encourage you to go there. It's ANewStory.com. Today could be the day that all the falls, all the mistakes, all the regrets, all the sins are erased from God's Book forever. And you'll never meet your sins when you stand before God. Because Jesus paid it all for you on the cross.

1 Thessalonians 1, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: WORTH BRAGGING ABOUT - May 29, 2023

God loves humility. Could that be the reason he offers so many tips on cultivating it? May I (ahem) humbly articulate a few? Do you want to be humble? Assess yourself honestly. Don’t take success too seriously. Celebrate the significance of others. Don’t demand your own parking place. Never announce your success before it occurs. Speak humbly. And one last thought: live at the foot of the cross.

Paul said in Galatians 6:14, “The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ is my only reason for bragging.” Do you feel a need for affirmation? Does your self-esteem need attention? You don’t need to drop names or show off. You need only pause at the base of the cross and be reminded of this: the maker of the stars would rather die for you than live without you. And that’s a fact. So if you need to brag, brag about that!

Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Meant to Carry

Read more Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Meant to Carry

1 Thessalonians 1

 I, Paul, together here with Silas and Timothy, send greetings to the church at Thessalonica, Christians assembled by God the Father and by the Master, Jesus Christ. God’s amazing grace be with you! God’s robust peace!

Convictions of Steel

2-5 Every time we think of you, we thank God for you. Day and night you’re in our prayers as we call to mind your work of faith, your labor of love, and your patience of hope in following our Master, Jesus Christ, before God our Father. It is clear to us, friends, that God not only loves you very much but also has put his hand on you for something special. When the Message we preached came to you, it wasn’t just words. Something happened in you. The Holy Spirit put steel in your convictions.

5-6 You paid careful attention to the way we lived among you, and determined to live that way yourselves. In imitating us, you imitated the Master. Although great trouble accompanied the Word, you were able to take great joy from the Holy Spirit!—taking the trouble with the joy, the joy with the trouble.

7-10 Do you know that all over the provinces of both Macedonia and Achaia believers look up to you? The word has gotten around. Your lives are echoing the Master’s Word, not only in the provinces but all over the place. The news of your faith in God is out. We don’t even have to say anything anymore—you’re the message! People come up and tell us how you received us with open arms, how you deserted the dead idols of your old life so you could embrace and serve God, the true God. They marvel at how expectantly you await the arrival of his Son, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescued us from certain doom.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, May 29, 2023

Today's Scripture

Habakkuk 3:11–19

God, is it River you’re mad at?

    Angry at old River?

Were you raging at Sea when you rode

    horse and chariot through to salvation?

You unfurled your bow

    and let loose a volley of arrows.

    You split Earth with rivers.

Mountains saw what was coming.

    They twisted in pain.

Flood Waters poured in.

    Ocean roared and reared huge waves.

Sun and Moon stopped in their tracks.

    Your flashing arrows stopped them,

    your lightning-strike spears impaled them.

Angry, you stomped through Earth.

    Furious, you crushed the godless nations.

You were out to save your people,

    to save your specially chosen people.

You beat the stuffing

    out of King Wicked,

Stripped him naked

    from head to toe,

Set his severed head on his own spear

    and blew away his army.

Scattered they were to the four winds—

    and ended up food for the sharks!

You galloped through the Sea on your horses,

    racing on the crest of the waves.

When I heard it, my stomach did flips.

    I stammered and stuttered.

My bones turned to water.

    I staggered and stumbled.

I sit back and wait for Doomsday

    to descend on our attackers.

* * *

17-19 Though the cherry trees don’t blossom

    and the strawberries don’t ripen,

Though the apples are worm-eaten

    and the wheat fields stunted,

Though the sheep pens are sheepless

    and the cattle barns empty,

I’m singing joyful praise to God.

    I’m turning cartwheels of joy to my Savior God.

Counting on God’s Rule to prevail,

    I take heart and gain strength.

I run like a deer.

    I feel like I’m king of the mountain!

Insight

The context of Habakkuk 3:11–19 is Habakkuk’s prayer in verse 2: “Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord.” The prophet implored God to perform such mighty acts once again. Included among these miracles for the benefit of God’s people are the plagues against Egypt (v. 5; see also Exodus 7–13), Gideon’s victory over Midian (Habakkuk 3:7; Judges 6–7), the stopping of the sun in the sky as Joshua’s army fought the Amorites (Habakkuk 3:11; Joshua 10:12–14), and the deliverance of the Israelites through the Red Sea (Habakkuk 3:15; Exodus 14). Habakkuk had an appropriate fear of his powerful God, and he knew he could trust Him to the end in any circumstance (Habakkuk 3:16–19). By: Tim Gustafson

Hope That Holds

I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. Habakkuk 3:18

“I know Daddy’s coming home because he sent me flowers.” Those were my seven-year-old sister’s words to our mother when Dad was missing in action during wartime. Before Dad left for his mission, he preordered flowers for my sister’s birthday, and they arrived while he was missing. But she was right: Dad did come home—after a harrowing combat situation. And decades later, she still keeps the vase that held the flowers as a reminder to always hold on to hope.

Sometimes holding on to hope isn’t easy in a broken, sinful world. Daddies don’t always come home, and children’s wishes sometimes go unfulfilled. But God gives hope in the most difficult circumstances. In another time of war, the prophet Habakkuk predicted the Babylonian invasion of Judah (Habakkuk 1:6; see 2 Kings 24) but still affirmed that God is always good (Habakkuk 1:12–13). Remembering God’s kindness to His people in the past, Habakkuk proclaimed: “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior” (3:17–18).  

Some commentators believe Habakkuk’s name means “to cling.” We can cling to God as our ultimate hope and joy even in trials because He holds on to us and will never let go. By:  James Banks

Reflect & Pray

How does rejoicing in God help you in difficult times? What can you do to praise Him today?

Father, thank You that come what may, my future is bright with You!

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, May 29, 2023

Untroubled Relationship

In that day you will ask in My name…for the Father Himself loves you… —John 16:26-27

“In that day you will ask in My name…,” that is, in My nature. Not “You will use My name as some magic word,” but— “You will be so intimate with Me that you will be one with Me.” “That day” is not a day in the next life, but a day meant for here and now. “…for the Father Himself loves you…”— the Father’s love is evidence that our union with Jesus is complete and absolute. Our Lord does not mean that our lives will be free from external difficulties and uncertainties, but that just as He knew the Father’s heart and mind, we too can be lifted by Him into heavenly places through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, so that He can reveal the teachings of God to us.

“…whatever you ask the Father in My name…” (John 16:23). “That day” is a day of peace and an untroubled relationship between God and His saint. Just as Jesus stood unblemished and pure in the presence of His Father, we too by the mighty power and effectiveness of the baptism of the Holy Spirit can be lifted into that relationship— “…that they may be one just as We are one…” (John 17:22).

“…He will give you” (John 16:23). Jesus said that because of His name God will recognize and respond to our prayers. What a great challenge and invitation— to pray in His name! Through the resurrection and ascension power of Jesus, and through the Holy Spirit He has sent, we can be lifted into such a relationship. Once in that wonderful position, having been placed there by Jesus Christ, we can pray to God in Jesus’ name— in His nature. This is a gift granted to us through the Holy Spirit, and Jesus said, “…whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.” The sovereign character of Jesus Christ is tested and proved by His own statements.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

It is perilously possible to make our conceptions of God like molten lead poured into a specially designed mould, and when it is cold and hard we fling it at the heads of the religious people who don’t agree with us.

Disciples Indeed

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 7-9; John 11:1-29

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, May 29, 2023

How to Know Where You're Going When You Can't See a Thing

Hooper Bay, Alaska! It's not the first remote place we went with the outreach teams of Native young people that we go with, but it's a tough one. Each Summer of Hope, it's our privilege to take these teams of Indian and Native Alaskan spiritual warriors to the reservations and the villages where America's most devastated young people live and die too young. The suicide rate among young Native Americans is something like three or four times that of the rest of America's young. And in some places in Alaska, it's twenty times greater. Hooper Bay, Alaska, is one of the hardest places in this country to grow up. We had to take our team there.

But getting there the first time was a real adventure. My wife was on the first plane into this village 400 miles from the nearest road. Sitting in the co-pilot's seat, she should have had a great view as they approached over the Bering Sea. But there was no view. It was like zero visibility. But those missionary pilots - they are amazing! My wife watched him with his flight plan on his knee, constantly comparing it to the readings on his instruments. Looking out the window sure wasn't going to help find this flight, I'll tell you. That ain't going to help you find a landing strip. Ultimately, they were so close to the ocean their propellers were whipping up the ocean around them. A Native Alaskan in the back just kept praying over and over, "Oh, Jesus, Jesus, help us!" Suddenly, right below my wife's window, she saw the landing strip, and they landed right where they were supposed to land!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How to Know Where You're Going When You Can't See a Thing."

Maybe that's how you feel right now, like, about the flight of your life; you're flying blind. There's no clear path ahead. Visibility is close to zero, and it's scary. It would be easy to make a big mistake right now and you can't afford one.

I'm happy to report there is a flight plan, laid out by the God who says in the Bible, "I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11). You don't want to miss that. But your feelings are all over the map, your circumstances are up for grabs, and you could crash if you don't know where you're supposed to go. Take a lesson from the pilot in the fog over that Native Alaskan village. He knew he couldn't trust his feelings. He couldn't trust His surroundings. He could trust only one thing - what His instruments were saying. He kept checking his course by the unfailing accuracy of the one thing that was not affected by the environment - his instruments.

For you, that's the Bible, the unchanging Word of God. Here's His promise in Psalm 119:105, our word for today from the Word of God, His Word is "a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." And that psalm says, "Your Word, O Lord...stands firm in the heavens." It won't change if the earth melts away. And you're going to make it if you risk everything, if you base everything on what God's Word, His unchanging, eternal Word says to you, each new day. No matter what your feelings are saying; no matter what your surroundings are saying to you.

Through His forever trustworthy words, God will keep His promise for the days when you can't see where you're going. You can stake everything on this promise: Isaiah 42:16 - you're going to love this: "I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them."

That, my brother, my sister, is all you need to know to land exactly where you're supposed to land!