1 Corinthians 12 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: SIMPLIFIED FAITH - August 23, 2023

How do you simplify your faith? How do you get rid of the clutter? How do you discover a joy worth waking up to? Simple: get rid of the middleman.

There are some who suggest the only way to God is through them. There’s the great teacher who has the final word on Bible teaching. There’s the father who must bless your acts. There’s the spiritual master who’ll tell you what God wants you to do. Jesus’ message for complicated religion is to remove these middlemen.

He’s not saying you don’t need teachers, elders, or counselors. He is saying, however, that we are all brothers and sisters with equal access to the Father. Seek God for yourself. No elaborate channels of command or levels of access. You have a Bible? You can study. You have a heart? You can pray. You have a mind? You can think.

1 Corinthians 12

Spiritual Gifts

1–3  12 What I want to talk about now is the various ways God’s Spirit gets worked into our lives. This is complex and often misunderstood, but I want you to be informed and knowledgeable. Remember how you were when you didn’t know God, led from one phony god to another, never knowing what you were doing, just doing it because everybody else did it? It’s different in this life. God wants us to use our intelligence, to seek to understand as well as we can. For instance, by using your heads, you know perfectly well that the Spirit of God would never prompt anyone to say “Jesus be damned!” Nor would anyone be inclined to say “Jesus is Master!” without the insight of the Holy Spirit.

4–11  God’s various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God’s Spirit. God’s various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful:

wise counsel

clear understanding

simple trust

healing the sick

miraculous acts

proclamation

distinguishing between spirits

tongues

interpretation of tongues.

All these gifts have a common origin, but are handed out one by one by the one Spirit of God. He decides who gets what, and when.

12–13  You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you’re still one body. It’s exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive.

14–18  I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn’t just a single part blown up into something huge. It’s all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, “I’m not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don’t belong to this body,” would that make it so? If Ear said, “I’m not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don’t deserve a place on the head,” would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.

19–24  But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn’t be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, “Get lost; I don’t need you”? Or, Head telling Foot, “You’re fired; your job has been phased out”? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the “lower” the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it’s a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn’t you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair?

25–26  The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don’t, the parts we see and the parts we don’t. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.

27–31  You are Christ’s body—that’s who you are! You must never forget this. Only as you accept your part of that body does your “part” mean anything. You’re familiar with some of the parts that God has formed in his church, which is his “body”:

apostles

prophets

teachers

miracle workers

healers

helpers

organizers

those who pray in tongues.

But it’s obvious by now, isn’t it, that Christ’s church is a complete Body and not a gigantic, unidimensional Part? It’s not all Apostle, not all Prophet, not all Miracle Worker, not all Healer, not all Prayer in Tongues, not all Interpreter of Tongues. And yet some of you keep competing for so-called “important” parts.

But now I want to lay out a far better way for you.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Today's Scripture

Genesis 4:2–11

Then she had another baby, Abel. Abel was a herdsman and Cain a farmer.

3–5  Time passed. Cain brought an offering to God from the produce of his farm. Abel also brought an offering, but from the firstborn animals of his herd, choice cuts of meat. God liked Abel and his offering, but Cain and his offering didn’t get his approval. Cain lost his temper and went into a sulk.

6–7  God spoke to Cain: “Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won’t you be accepted? And if you don’t do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it’s out to get you, you’ve got to master it.”

8  Cain had words with his brother. They were out in the field; Cain came at Abel his brother and killed him.

9  God said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”

He said, “How should I know? Am I his babysitter?”

10–12  God said, “What have you done! The voice of your brother’s blood is calling to me from the ground. From now on you’ll get nothing but curses from this ground; you’ll be driven from this ground that has opened its arms to receive the blood of your murdered brother.

Insight

Genesis, which means “beginning,” is a book of origins. Genesis 1 tells how God created the universe and the first man and woman. Genesis 2 gives us the first wedding. Genesis 3 tells how perfect humanity became the sinful human race. Genesis 4 tells of the first family—the first parents, Adam and Eve; and the first sons, Cain and Abel. Adam and Eve were created by God, but Cain was the first human being conceived and carried in the womb of a woman. We also see the children in worship. Cain and Abel didn’t come empty-handed but brought offerings to worship God, so they must have been taught about Him and how to worship Him (vv. 3–4). By: K. T. Sim

Witnesses

Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Genesis 4:10

In his poem “The Witnesses,” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882) described a sunken slave ship. As he wrote of “skeletons in chains,” Longfellow mourned slavery’s countless nameless victims. The concluding stanza reads, “These are the woes of Slaves, / They glare from the abyss; / They cry from unknown graves, / We are the Witnesses!”

But who do these witnesses speak to? Isn’t such silent testimony futile?

There is a Witness who sees it all. When Cain murdered Abel, he pretended nothing had happened. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” he said dismissively to God. But God said, “Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand” (Genesis 4:9–11).

Cain’s name lives on as a warning. “Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother,” John the disciple cautioned (1 John 3:12). Abel’s name lives on too, but in a dramatically different way. “By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did,” said the writer of Hebrews. “By faith Abel still speaks” (Hebrews 11:4).

Abel still speaks! So do the bones of those long-forgotten slaves. We do well to remember all such victims, and to oppose oppression wherever we see it. God sees it all. His justice will triumph. By:  Tim Gustafson

Reflect & Pray

What situations of injustice and oppression do you know about? What might God be calling you to do today?

Dear Father, You’re the God who sees. Help me to see oppression when it happens and show me what I can do to counter it.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Prayer—Battle in “The Secret Place”

When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. —Matthew 6:6

Jesus did not say, “Dream about your Father who is in the secret place,” but He said, “…pray to your Father who is in the secret place….” Prayer is an effort of the will. After we have entered our secret place and shut the door, the most difficult thing to do is to pray. We cannot seem to get our minds into good working order, and the first thing we have to fight is wandering thoughts. The great battle in private prayer is overcoming this problem of our idle and wandering thinking. We have to learn to discipline our minds and concentrate on willful, deliberate prayer.

We must have a specially selected place for prayer, but once we get there this plague of wandering thoughts begins, as we begin to think to ourselves, “This needs to be done, and I have to do that today.” Jesus says to “shut your door.” Having a secret stillness before God means deliberately shutting the door on our emotions and remembering Him. God is in secret, and He sees us from “the secret place”— He does not see us as other people do, or as we see ourselves. When we truly live in “the secret place,” it becomes impossible for us to doubt God. We become more sure of Him than of anyone or anything else. Enter into “the secret place,” and you will find that God was right in the middle of your everyday circumstances all the time. Get into the habit of dealing with God about everything. Unless you learn to open the door of your life completely and let God in from your first waking moment of each new day, you will be working on the wrong level throughout the day. But if you will swing the door of your life fully open and “pray to your Father who is in the secret place,” every public thing in your life will be marked with the lasting imprint of the presence of God.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

There is no allowance whatever in the New Testament for the man who says he is saved by grace but who does not produce the graceful goods. Jesus Christ by His Redemption can make our actual life in keeping with our religious profession. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 1465 R

Bible in a Year: Psalms 113-115; 1 Corinthians 6

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

The Legacy of Your Life - #9553

The Kentucky Derby always has its share of drama. I remember the 2006 Kentucky Derby. That was a blowout! A horse named Barbaro took the lead in America's most famous race and left every other horse in the dust. Barbaro won the Kentucky Derby by an astounding 6 & 1/2 lengths! Many thought that horse could go on to be one of the few who has ever won the Triple Crown. Well, sadly, an injury ended that dream. But it didn't take away the glory of Barbaro's dramatic Kentucky Derby victory.

The horse was only part of the story that day. In some ways, the bigger story was about Barbaro's trainer, Michael Matz. Eighteen years earlier, Michael Matz had been a passenger on an airplane flight that crashed in an Iowa cornfield. During the flight, he had struck up conversations with three young children who were traveling that day without their parents. Then came the crash. Many died that day as the plane caught fire. Survivors were struggling to find a way out of that burning wreckage, but all Michael Matz could do was think about those three children. He risked his life to find all of them and bring them out alive. And on that day, when the horse Michael trained crossed the finish line, there was jubilant celebration in the box where he was watching. Michael Matz, his wife, and the three (now grownup) children whose lives he had saved eighteen years before. Wow!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Legacy of Your Life."

In our word for today from the Word of God, Paul's thinking ahead to the day when his race will be over; when he'll be in heaven celebrating the lasting legacy of his life. In 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, speaking to people he had introduced to Jesus Christ, Paul says: "What is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy."

So, crossing the finish line to heaven - celebrating being there. First with Jesus, whose death and resurrection got you there, and then, with all those who are there (at least in part) because you helped to rescue them. You did what your Bible said to do: "Snatch others from the fire and save them" (Jude 23). You weren't content to just get you out of that burning wreckage of sin. No, you had to help those around you make it, too. That's going to make heaven even sweeter. Or is it?

As you look at the legacy of your life so far, do you see many people you've pointed to Jesus? Can you see some folks who will be in heaven because you were part of helping them go there? How many people understand what Jesus did on the cross for them because you explained it to them? Have you been to some funerals, and looked into the casket and asked yourself, "Why didn't I tell them about Jesus while there was still time?"

You can't have any of those days back. But you do have whatever days God still has ahead for you. And you can decide what kind of difference you want to make with the rest of your life. I hope it's to help as many people be in heaven with you as possible; to give as many people a chance at being rescued by Jesus as you can. Much of what we do and accomplish here won't mean anything, even one moment after our last breath. But there's one thing you can do that will last forever, and that's to help someone else live forever by showing them Jesus.

The prophet Daniel described that day when "multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt." Every person you know is headed for one of those two destinations.

Then he describes ultimate legacy: "Those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:2-3). Why? Because they'll be celebrating forever with people whose lives they've rescued.

Psalm 88 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THE HEART OF A CHILD - August 22, 2023

No child understands the logic of going to bed while there’s energy left in the body. My daughter Andrea was just five. We finally got her to bed. I went in to give her a final kiss, and when she lifted her eyelids she said, “I can’t wait until I wake up!” Oh for the attitude of a five-year-old.

Is it any wonder Jesus said we must have the heart of a child before we can enter the kingdom of heaven? He said, “Believe me, unless you change your whole outlook and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3 Phillips).

In other words, quit looking at life like an adult. See it through the eyes of a child. “I can’t wait to wake up!” are the words of a child’s faith. Andrea could say them because she plays hard, laughs much, and leaves the worries to her father. Let’s do the same.

Psalm 88

A Korah Prayer of Heman

1–9  88 God, you’re my last chance of the day.

I spend the night on my knees before you.

Put me on your salvation agenda;

take notes on the trouble I’m in.

I’ve had my fill of trouble;

I’m camped on the edge of hell.

I’m written off as a lost cause,

one more statistic, a hopeless case.

Abandoned as already dead,

one more body in a stack of corpses,

And not so much as a gravestone—

I’m a black hole in oblivion.

You’ve dropped me into a bottomless pit,

sunk me in a pitch-black abyss.

I’m battered senseless by your rage,

relentlessly pounded by your waves of anger.

You turned my friends against me,

made me horrible to them.

I’m caught in a maze and can’t find my way out,

blinded by tears of pain and frustration.

9–12  I call to you, God; all day I call.

I wring my hands, I plead for help.

Are the dead a live audience for your miracles?

Do ghosts ever join the choirs that praise you?

Does your love make any difference in a graveyard?

Is your faithful presence noticed in the corridors of hell?

Are your marvelous wonders ever seen in the dark,

your righteous ways noticed in the Land of No Memory?

13–18  I’m standing my ground, God, shouting for help,

at my prayers every morning, on my knees each daybreak.

Why, God, do you turn a deaf ear?

Why do you make yourself scarce?

For as long as I remember I’ve been hurting;

I’ve taken the worst you can hand out, and I’ve had it.

Your wildfire anger has blazed through my life;

I’m bleeding, black-and-blue.

You’ve attacked me fiercely from every side,

raining down blows till I’m nearly dead.

You made lover and neighbor alike dump me;

the only friend I have left is Darkness.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Today's Scripture

Ephesians 2:14–22

The Messiah has made things up between us so that we’re now together on this, both non-Jewish outsiders and Jewish insiders. He tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the law code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.

16–18  Christ brought us together through his death on the cross. The Cross got us to embrace, and that was the end of the hostility. Christ came and preached peace to you outsiders and peace to us insiders. He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.

19–22  That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.

Insight

Ephesians 2:14–22 is theologically rich. Like a cord of three strands, the passage brings together three key doctrines of the Christian faith: teaching about Christ (Christology), the church (Ecclesiology), and the Holy Spirit (Pneumatology). Jesus, through His reconciling work, is the source of our peace with God (vv. 14, 16) and through Him two disparate groups—Jew and gentile—have become one new humanity (vv. 14–15). The church is indeed one body and a new family (vv. 14–18) “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone” (v. 20). The Holy Spirit has been and is at work in forming and sustaining the church. He facilitates our decision for salvation (v. 18) and indwells the church that Jesus is building (v. 22). By: Arthur Jackson

God’s Eternal Church

The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matthew 16:18 kjv

“Is church over?” asked a young mother arriving at our church with two children in tow just as the Sunday service was ending. But a greeter told her that a church nearby offered two Sunday services and the second would start soon. Would she like a ride there? The young mother said yes and seemed grateful to travel the few blocks to the other church. Reflecting later, the greeter came to this conclusion: “Is church over? Never. God’s church goes on forever.”

The church isn’t a fragile “building.” It’s the faithful family of God who are “members of his household,” wrote Paul, “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19–22).

Jesus Himself established His church for eternity. He declared that despite challenges or troubles facing His church, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18 kjv).

Through this empowering lens, we can see our local churches—all of us—as a part of God’s universal church, being built “in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” (Ephesians 3:21). By:  Patricia Raybon

Reflect & Pray

What about your local church makes you grateful?  How can you help God’s universal church grow?

As a part of Your church, dear Jesus, keep building me in You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

“I Indeed. . . But He”

I indeed baptize you with water…but He…will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. —Matthew 3:11

Have I ever come to the point in my life where I can say, “I indeed…but He…”? Until that moment comes, I will never know what the baptism of the Holy Spirit means. I indeed am at the end, and I cannot do anything more— but He begins right there— He does the things that no one else can ever do. Am I prepared for His coming? Jesus cannot come and do His work in me as long as there is anything blocking the way, whether it is something good or bad. When He comes to me, am I prepared for Him to drag every wrong thing I have ever done into the light? That is exactly where He comes. Wherever I know I am unclean is where He will put His feet and stand, and wherever I think I am clean is where He will remove His feet and walk away.

Repentance does not cause a sense of sin— it causes a sense of inexpressible unworthiness. When I repent, I realize that I am absolutely helpless, and I know that through and through I am not worthy even to carry His sandals. Have I repented like that, or do I have a lingering thought of possibly trying to defend my actions? The reason God cannot come into my life is that I am not at the point of complete repentance.

“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” John is not speaking here of the baptism of the Holy Spirit as an experience, but as a work performed by Jesus Christ. “He will baptize you….” The only experience that those who are baptized with the Holy Spirit are ever conscious of is the experience of sensing their absolute unworthiness.

“I indeed” was this in the past, “but He” came and something miraculous happened. Get to the end of yourself where you can do nothing, but where He does everything.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

There is no condition of life in which we cannot abide in Jesus. We have to learn to abide in Him wherever we are placed. Our Brilliant Heritage

Bible in a Year: Psalms 110-112; 1 Corinthians 5

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Nothing to Hide - #9552

My wife and I had just visited her father and we were driving on this busy Interstate that's right near a large city. Suddenly everyone was coming to a complete stop, and we immediately thought, "Oh, there's got to be an accident, or maybe construction."

Well, my wife was driving, and as we inch along we see that there is a roadblock ahead that was stopping everything. A man with a hard hat stuck his head in the window and began asking questions. "Where did you begin your journey today? How long have you been driving? Where are you headed?" My wife said, "What's this for?" He replied, "Oh, we're just taking a survey here to see if we need to widen the road."

So, they are stopping the busiest highway in the area to do a survey as the traffic is backing up behind us? Really? My wife then notices this video camera filming the conversation with Mr. Hard Hat, and a woman with a microphone in her hand. And she saw the letters on the microphone. We've got a TV anchor woman here. And suddenly my wife began to think, what any of us would think if we suddenly saw a TV camera filming us, "Oh, what do I look like?" Well, that morning we had hurried to get started on a long drive, so no makeup, no hair grooming, kind of crummy travel clothes. As we pulled away, my wife pulled down the visor mirror and she said, "Is this what they saw?" Well, you never know when folks are going to be seeing you.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Nothing to Hide."

Here's our word for today from the Word of God from chapter 3 in John, beginning at verse 19. "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men love darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been through God."

Now, this verse makes me think about people who have one of life's great freedoms - nothing to hide. "I'm living in the light. I don't care what's exposed. Roll the film, roll the tape. I don't fear discovery." Boy, that's a great way to live isn't it? I mean, you never know when someone will be watching, as my wife discovered on that busy Interstate that day.

You can be sure that God's tape is rolling on every conversation you have, no matter how secret you might think it is. His camera is rolling on every activity, no matter how alone you may think you are, and usually people find that out too. The Bible says, "Be sure your sin will find you out." It's often not right away, but at a later time when the disclosure can do the greatest damage to your family, or your ministry, or to your representation of Christ.

It's a good idea to never leave home without making sure you look okay inside. Each new day, why don't we deal with the attitudes that we don't want recorded that day, the compromises, the selfish way we get things done, the immoral thoughts. See, repentance is what makes you a camera-ready person who's got nothing to hide. "Hey, I've confessed it to Jesus. I've let Him clean me up today." And repentance honestly should be a regular part of getting dressed spiritually every morning. It just feels so good to know that you can welcome the light. You don't need to hide in a dark corner because somebody might find out.

Maybe God's using our visit today to speak to you about that dark secret. Would you listen to His voice? It's not mine; it's His. By the way, the Bible says that when Jesus comes and when we stand before Him that "all men's secrets will be revealed." And we will be judged based on the things that were in the dark. Wouldn't it be wonderful to have all that erased from God's Book, forgiven so you would never meet them on Judgment Day? There's one man who can do that; the man who died to make it happen. That's Jesus. The day you say, "Jesus, I'm Yours" that's the day every sin of your life is forgiven forever.

I'd love to help you know how to make that happen. Would you visit our website? It's ANewStory.com. The cameras are rolling in heaven and they're rolling on earth, in public and in private. So let Jesus give you a picture that you could be proud of.

Psalm 87, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: HOW TO BE MADE RIGHT WITH GOD - August 21, 2023

How would you fill in this blank: A person is made right with God through…? Simple statement, yet don’t let its brevity fool you. How you complete it is critical. It reflects the nature of your faith.

A person is made right with God through… Being good. Giving sandwiches to the poor. Christian conduct, that’s the secret! Suffering, there’s the answer. Sleep on dirt floors. Malaria, poverty, bare feet. The greater the pain, the greater the saint. No, no, no. The way to be made right with God? Doctrine. Airtight theology which explains every mystery. Inspiration clarified.

How are we made right with God? All the above are tried, all are demonstrated, but none are from God. Romans 3:28 says, “A person is made right with God through faith.” Through faith in God’s sacrifice on the cross. It’s not what you do, it’s what he did.

Psalm 87

A Korah Psalm

1–3  87 He founded Zion on the Holy Mountain—

and oh, how God loves his home!

Loves it far better than all

the homes of Jacob put together!

God’s hometown—oh!

everyone there is talking about you!

4  I name them off, those among whom I’m famous:

Egypt and Babylon,

also Philistia,

even Tyre, along with Cush.

Word’s getting around; they point them out:

“This one was born again here!”

5  The word’s getting out on Zion:

“Men and women, right and left,

get born again in her!”

6  God registers their names in his book:

“This one, this one, and this one—

born again, right here.”

7  Singers and dancers give credit to Zion:

“All my springs are in you!”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, August 21, 2023

Today's Scripture

1 Samuel 23:14–23

  David continued to live in desert hideouts and the backcountry wilderness hills of Ziph. Saul was out looking for him day after day, but God never turned David over to him. David kept out of the way in the wilderness of Ziph, secluded at Horesh, since it was plain that Saul was determined to hunt him down.

16–18  Jonathan, Saul’s son, visited David at Horesh and encouraged him in God. He said, “Don’t despair. My father, Saul, can’t lay a hand on you. You will be Israel’s king and I’ll be right at your side to help. And my father knows it.” Then the two of them made a covenant before God. David stayed at Horesh and Jonathan went home.

19–20  Some Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Did you know that David is hiding out near us in the caves and canyons of Horesh? Right now he’s at Hakilah Hill just south of Jeshimon. So whenever you’re ready to come down, we’d count it an honor to hand him over to the king.”

21–23  Saul said, “God bless you for thinking about me! Now go back and check everything out. Learn his routines. Observe his movements—where he goes, who he’s with. He’s very shrewd, you know. Scout out all his hiding places. Then meet me at Nacon and I’ll go with you. If he is anywhere to be found in all the thousands of Judah, I’ll track him down!”

Insight

The central feature of 1 Samuel 23:14–23 is the “Jonathan visit”—a friend-to-friend encounter at a very critical time. Though God can use casual, unplanned meetings with those we may or may not know, Jonathan’s visit was rooted in a deep, lasting friendship (see 18:1–4). This meeting is believed to have been their last. The depth of their relationship comes through in the lyrics of David’s lament for Jonathan (see 2 Samuel 1:25–27). Selfless, brief, timely visitations like these can be a real gift to those needing encouragement from God. By: Arthur Jackson

The Gift of Encouragement

Encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

“Your bees are swarming!” My wife stuck her head inside the door and gave me news no beekeeper wants to hear. I ran outside to see thousands of bees flying up from the hive to the top of a tall pine, never to return.

I was a little behind in reading the clues that the hive was about to swarm; more than a week of storms had hampered my inspections. The morning the storms ended, the bees left. The colony was new and healthy, and the bees were actually dividing the colony to start a new one. “Don’t be hard on yourself,” an experienced beekeeper told me cheerfully after seeing my disappointment. “This can happen to anyone!”

Encouragement is a winsome gift. When David was disheartened because Saul was pursuing him to take his life, Saul’s son Jonathan encouraged David. “Don’t be afraid,” Jonathan said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this” (1 Samuel 23:17).

Those are surprisingly selfless words from someone next in line to the throne. It’s likely Jonathan recognized that God was with David, so he spoke out of a humble heart of faith.

All around us are people who need encouragement. God will help us help them as we humble ourselves before Him and ask Him to love them through us. By:  James Banks

Reflect & Pray

Who do you know who needs encouragement? How might you humbly serve them today?

Dear God, You give me eternal encouragement and good hope. Help me to show Your love to someone today.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, August 21, 2023

The Ministry of the Unnoticed

Blessed are the poor in spirit… —Matthew 5:3

The New Testament notices things that do not seem worthy of notice by our standards. “Blessed are the poor in spirit….” This literally means, “Blessed are the paupers.” Paupers are remarkably commonplace! The preaching of today tends to point out a person’s strength of will or the beauty of his character— things that are easily noticed. The statement we so often hear, “Make a decision for Jesus Christ,” places the emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him— something very different. At the foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is the genuine loveliness of those who are commonplace. I am truly blessed in my poverty. If I have no strength of will and a nature without worth or excellence, then Jesus says to me, “Blessed are you, because it is through your poverty that you can enter My kingdom.” I cannot enter His kingdom by virtue of my goodness— I can only enter it as an absolute pauper.

The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. Conscious influence is prideful and unchristian. If I wonder if I am being of any use to God, I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness of the touch of the Lord. “He who believes in Me…out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). And if I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord.

Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

We are in danger of being stern where God is tender, and of being tender where God is stern.  The Love of God—The Message of Invincible Consolation, 673 L

Bible in a Year: Psalms 107-109; 1 Corinthians 4

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, August 21, 2023

The Price of Withholding - #9551

Gross and net. Yeah, that's the words that you can use to describe what you really can use from your paycheck. Gross, of course, is the total amount you get in the paycheck. Then, of course, that's not what you can use, because net is the amount that's left after taxes, right? That's what you've still got in the net. You've never even seen the government's share... and that's what's gross. Well, they call what goes to the government withholding tax. Now, it's not just the government that's in the withholding business. No, you and I are too, and it's gross.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Price of Withholding."

Our word for today from the Word of God is in Genesis 22; it's the story of Abraham being asked to sacrifice the most precious thing in his life. It is a test to clarify Abraham's love for God. You may remember that there was a son for whom he waited many, many years and miraculously God gave him a son in Isaac; the son of his and Sarah's old age. And Isaac was to be the one through whom a whole nation would come - a nation that God had promised to Abraham.

Now God says to him, "I want you to take him to the mountain and sacrifice him." Now, as I said, it was a test to clarify Abraham's love. You see, it's easy for one of God's gifts to become an idol that we love more than Him. And so here is the call to sacrifice his son. Of course, as you may remember, God provides a ram that he can sacrifice instead. But He calls on him to sacrifice his son, and it is a call that later God himself would respond to; only He would go all the way with the sacrifice, and sacrifice His Son on a cross for us.

Now, we go to Genesis 22 and we learn about withholding. In fact, it's a key word of the passage. Genesis 22:12 - "'Do not lay a hand on the boy,' God says. 'Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God because you have not withheld from Me your son... your only son.'" Verse 16: "I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you." Did you notice, "You have not withheld."

Now we know that in our tax system, the money the government takes out of our paycheck is because they have prior claim to it. We don't even consider hanging onto that money. Now, with our most precious relationships and possessions, we have a choice. The government doesn't give us a choice, but we have a choice about withholding these precious things. But God has a prior claim to that loved one that you're holding onto so tightly. He made them. He paid for them. They're His. He has a prior claim to that house, that car, that possession you may have hung onto for yourself. He has a prior claim to the money you want to spend mostly on your kingdom instead of His.

Yeah, God has prior claim to that position you hold or aspire to hold, to your gifts, to your talents, the opportunities He's entrusted to you. They're His! He has prior claim to your children. Could it be you're withholding them from God? Are you hanging onto something or someone you love? You have plans. You have dreams, and security riding on it as Abraham did. But God's hands are reaching your way saying, "Can you trust Me with what you love so much?"

Two thousand years after this incident, God proved that He could be trusted by sacrificing His Son on that very mountain. And if you give what you love to Him, He will either improve it or replace it with something better.

Can you hear God saying, "You have not withheld from Me what you love so much. Surely I will bless you." I hope so. After all, God has prior claim, so withholding from Him is stealing from God.

1 Corinthians 11:17-34, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: One Option: God

When you recognize God as Creator, you will admire Him. When you recognize His wisdom, you will learn from Him. When you discover His strength, you will rely on Him. But only when He saves you will you worship Him.

It's a "before and after" scenario. Before your rescue, He was high on your priority list, but He shared the spot with others. Then came the storm, the rage, the fight. Despair fell like a fog. Could you turn to your career for help? Only if you want to hide from the storm, not escape it. Lean on your status for strength? A storm isn't impressed with your title. Suddenly you're left with one option-God. And when you ask, genuinely ask, He will come. And from that moment on, He is not just a deity to admire, or a master to obey. He is the Savior.  The Savior to be worshiped!

From In the Eye of the Storm

 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Regarding this next item, I’m not at all pleased. I am getting the picture that when you meet together it brings out your worst side instead of your best! First, I get this report on your divisiveness, competing with and criticizing each other. I’m reluctant to believe it, but there it is. The best that can be said for it is that the testing process will bring truth into the open and confirm it.

20–22  And then I find that you bring your divisions to worship—you come together, and instead of eating the Lord’s Supper, you bring in a lot of food from the outside and make pigs of yourselves. Some are left out, and go home hungry. Others have to be carried out, too drunk to walk. I can’t believe it! Don’t you have your own homes to eat and drink in? Why would you stoop to desecrating God’s church? Why would you actually shame God’s poor? I never would have believed you would stoop to this. And I’m not going to stand by and say nothing.

23–26  Let me go over with you again exactly what goes on in the Lord’s Supper and why it is so centrally important. I received my instructions from the Master himself and passed them on to you. The Master, Jesus, on the night of his betrayal, took bread. Having given thanks, he broke it and said,

This is my body, broken for you.

Do this to remember me.

After supper, he did the same thing with the cup:

This cup is my blood, my new covenant with you.

Each time you drink this cup, remember me.

What you must solemnly realize is that every time you eat this bread and every time you drink this cup, you reenact in your words and actions the death of the Master. You will be drawn back to this meal again and again until the Master returns. You must never let familiarity breed contempt.

27–28  Anyone who eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Master irreverently is like part of the crowd that jeered and spit on him at his death. Is that the kind of “remembrance” you want to be part of? Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe.

29–32  If you give no thought (or worse, don’t care) about the broken body of the Master when you eat and drink, you’re running the risk of serious consequences. That’s why so many of you even now are listless and sick, and others have gone to an early grave. If we get this straight now, we won’t have to be straightened out later on. Better to be confronted by the Master now than to face a fiery confrontation later.

33–34  So, my friends, when you come together to the Lord’s Table, be reverent and courteous with one another. If you’re so hungry that you can’t wait to be served, go home and get a sandwich. But by no means risk turning this Meal into an eating and drinking binge or a family squabble. It is a spiritual meal—a love feast.

The other things you asked about, I’ll respond to in person when I make my next visit.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Sunday, August 20, 2023

Today's Scripture

Exodus 33:1–4, 7–11

God said to Moses: “Now go. Get on your way from here, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt. Head for the land which I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I will send an angel ahead of you and I’ll drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. It’s a land flowing with milk and honey. But I won’t be with you in person—you’re such a stubborn, hard-headed people!—lest I destroy you on the journey.”

4  When the people heard this harsh verdict, they were plunged into gloom and wore long faces. No one put on jewelry.

No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won’t put up with the irreverent use of his name.

8–11  Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don’t do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.

Insight

Moses spoke with God “face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11). God highlighted this privilege when He rebuked Aaron and Miriam and said “with [Moses] I speak face to face” (Numbers 12:8). But Moses wasn’t the only person to have such a deep friendship with God. Abraham too was called “God’s friend” (2 Chronicles 20:7; Isaiah 41:8; James 2:23). And now, because of Christ, this privilege is ours also. Jesus says, “You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants . . . . Instead, I have called you friends” (John 15:14–15). By: K. T. Sim

Finding Open Spaces

The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Exodus 33:11

In his book Margin, Dr. Richard Swenson writes, “We must have some room to breathe. We need freedom to think and permission to heal. Our relationships are being starved to death by velocity. . . . Our children lay wounded on the ground, run over by our high-speed good intentions. Is God now pro-exhaustion? Doesn’t He lead people beside the still waters anymore? Who plundered those wide-open spaces of the past, and how can we get them back?” Swenson says we need some quiet, fertile “land” in life where we can rest in God and meet with Him.

Does that resonate? Seeking open spaces is something Moses lived out well. Leading a nation of “stubborn and rebellious” people (Exodus 33:5 nlt), he often withdrew to find rest and guidance in God’s presence. And in his “tent of meeting” (v. 7), “the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (v. 11). Jesus also “often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). Both He and Moses realized the importance of spending time alone with the Father.  

We too need to build margin into our lives, some wide and open spaces spent in rest and in God’s presence. Spending time with Him will help us make better decisions—creating healthier margins and boundaries in our life so we have the bandwidth available to love Him and others well.

Let’s seek God in open spaces today. By:  Tom Felten

Reflect & Pray

Why do you need margin in your life? How will you build some space into your schedule to spend time with God?

Jesus, help me to seek some quiet moments with You each day.

For further study, read In His Presence: Spending Time with God.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, August 20, 2023

Christ-Awareness

…and I will give you rest. —Matthew 11:28

Whenever anything begins to disintegrate your life with Jesus Christ, turn to Him at once, asking Him to re-establish your rest. Never allow anything to remain in your life that is causing the unrest. Think of every detail of your life that is causing the disintegration as something to fight against, not as something you should allow to remain. Ask the Lord to put awareness of Himself in you, and your self-awareness will disappear. Then He will be your all in all. Beware of allowing your self-awareness to continue, because slowly but surely it will awaken self-pity, and self-pity is satanic. Don’t allow yourself to say, “Well, they have just misunderstood me, and this is something over which they should be apologizing to me; I’m sure I must have this cleared up with them already.” Learn to leave others alone regarding this. Simply ask the Lord to give you Christ-awareness, and He will steady you until your completeness in Him is absolute.

A complete life is the life of a child. When I am fully conscious of my awareness of Christ, there is something wrong. It is the sick person who really knows what health is. A child of God is not aware of the will of God because he is the will of God. When we have deviated even slightly from the will of God, we begin to ask, “Lord, what is your will?” A child of God never prays to be made aware of the fact that God answers prayer, because he is so restfully certain that God always answers prayer.

If we try to overcome our self-awareness through any of our own commonsense methods, we will only serve to strengthen our self-awareness tremendously. Jesus says, “Come to Me…and I will give you rest,” that is, Christ-awareness will take the place of self-awareness. Wherever Jesus comes He establishes rest— the rest of the completion of activity in our lives that is never aware of itself.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The great point of Abraham’s faith in God was that he was prepared to do anything for God.

Not Knowing Whither

Bible in a Year: Psalms 105-106; 1 Corinthians 3

Psalm 85, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Lists

Everyone likes a list. Lists are reassuring. They comfort us. To list is to understand, solve, and even control. Moses brought a list down from the mountain. There are lists of the gifts of the Spirit. Lists of good fruit and bad. I've compiled a list of some God-given, time-tested truths that define the way to navigate life.  May I share it with you?

"    When no one is watching, live as if someone is.

"    Succeed at home first.

"    Pray twice as much as you fret.

"    Listen twice as much as you speak.

"    God has forgiven you; you'd be wise to do the same.

"    Once a week, let a child take you on a walk.

"    Only harbor a grudge when God does.

"    Never let the important be the victim of the trivial.

Those are just a few ideas on my list. Why don't you compile your own?

From In the Eye of the Storm

Psalm 85

A Korah Psalm

1–3  85 God, you smiled on your good earth!

You brought good times back to Jacob!

You lifted the cloud of guilt from your people,

you put their sins far out of sight.

You took back your sin-provoked threats,

you cooled your hot, righteous anger.

4–7  Help us again, God of our help;

don’t hold a grudge against us forever.

You aren’t going to keep this up, are you?

scowling and angry, year after year?

Why not help us make a fresh start—a resurrection life?

Then your people will laugh and sing!

Show us how much you love us, God!

Give us the salvation we need!

8–9  I can’t wait to hear what he’ll say.

God’s about to pronounce his people well,

The holy people he loves so much,

so they’ll never again live like fools.

See how close his salvation is to those who fear him?

Our country is home base for Glory!

10–13  Love and Truth meet in the street,

Right Living and Whole Living embrace and kiss!

Truth sprouts green from the ground,

Right Living pours down from the skies!

Oh yes! God gives Goodness and Beauty;

our land responds with Bounty and Blessing.

Right Living strides out before him,

and clears a path for his passage.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Saturday, August 19, 2023

Today's Scripture

Mark 4:35–41

The Wind Ran Out of Breath

35–38  Late that day he said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side.” They took him in the boat as he was. Other boats came along. A huge storm came up. Waves poured into the boat, threatening to sink it. And Jesus was in the stern, head on a pillow, sleeping! They roused him, saying, “Teacher, is it nothing to you that we’re going down?”

39–40  Awake now, he told the wind to pipe down and said to the sea, “Quiet! Settle down!” The wind ran out of breath; the sea became smooth as glass. Jesus reprimanded the disciples: “Why are you such cowards? Don’t you have any faith at all?”

41  They were in absolute awe, staggered. “Who is this, anyway?” they asked. “Wind and sea at his beck and call!”

Insight

Many of the disciples were experienced fishermen who would have faced many storms, but Mark describes this one as uniquely terrifying and life-threatening (Mark 4:37–38). In Jewish belief, the sea was associated with the chaotic forces of evil and destruction, adding an extra level of terror. Jesus and the disciples’ lives were under siege by forces of evil.

But Jewish faith also described God as the Creator who brings order out of chaos (Genesis 1:2–3, 6–9), who stills not only “the roaring of the seas” but “the turmoil of the nations” (Psalm 65:7). Jesus’ calm rebuke of the wind and waves was unmistakable evidence that the power of God was at work in Him. Through Christ, God’s kingdom was coming, and the forces of evil would be powerless to resist Him. The disciples couldn’t yet grasp this and were “terrified” by Jesus’ power (Mark 4:41). By: Monica La Rose

The Power of Christ

Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him. Mark 4:41

In 2013, about six hundred on-site spectators watched aerialist Nik Wallenda walk on a tightrope across a 1,400-foot-wide gorge near the Grand Canyon. Wallenda stepped onto the 2-inch-thick steel cable and thanked Jesus for the view as his head camera pointed toward the valley below. He prayed and praised Jesus as he walked across the gorge as calmly as if he was strolling on a sidewalk. When the wind became treacherous, he stopped and crouched. He rose and regained his balance, thanking God for “calming that cable.” With every step on that tightrope, he displayed his dependence on the power of Christ to everyone listening then and now as the video is watched across the world.

When the winds of a storm caused waves to overtake the disciples on the Sea of Galilee, fear seeped through their pleas for help (Mark 4:35–38). After Jesus stilled the squall, they knew He controlled the winds and everything else (vv. 39–41). Slowly they learned to grow in their trust of Him. Their personal experiences could help others recognize Jesus' intimate availability and extraordinary might.

As we experience life’s storms or walk on the tightropes of trust stretched over the deep valleys of affliction, we can demonstrate confident faith in the power of Christ. God will use our faith-walk to inspire others to hope in Him. By:  Xochitl Dixon

Reflect & Pray

How has witnessing Christ’s power in the lives of others strengthened your faith? How can prayer help you walk with confident faith?

Thank You, Father, for calming my heart as I trust You through life’s stormy seasons.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Saturday, August 19, 2023

Self-Awareness

Come to Me… —Matthew 11:28

God intends for us to live a well-rounded life in Christ Jesus, but there are times when that life is attacked from the outside. Then we tend to fall back into self-examination, a habit that we thought was gone. Self-awareness is the first thing that will upset the completeness of our life in God, and self-awareness continually produces a sense of struggling and turmoil in our lives. Self-awareness is not sin, and it can be produced by nervous emotions or by suddenly being dropped into a totally new set of circumstances. Yet it is never God’s will that we should be anything less than absolutely complete in Him. Anything that disturbs our rest in Him must be rectified at once, and it is not rectified by being ignored but only by coming to Jesus Christ. If we will come to Him, asking Him to produce Christ-awareness in us, He will always do it, until we fully learn to abide in Him.

Never allow anything that divides or destroys the oneness of your life with Christ to remain in your life without facing it. Beware of allowing the influence of your friends or your circumstances to divide your life. This only serves to sap your strength and slow your spiritual growth. Beware of anything that can split your oneness with Him, causing you to see yourself as separate from Him. Nothing is as important as staying right spiritually. And the only solution is a very simple one— “Come to Me….” The intellectual, moral, and spiritual depth of our reality as a person is tested and measured by these words. Yet in every detail of our lives where we are found not to be real, we would rather dispute the findings than come to Jesus.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

God does not further our spiritual life in spite of our circumstances, but in and by our circumstances.  Not Knowing Whither, 900 L

Bible in a Year: Psalms 103-104; 1 Corinthians 2

Psalm 73, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: WHAT MAN DARED NOT DREAM - August 18, 2023

God did what we wouldn’t dare dream. He did what we couldn’t imagine. He became a man so we could trust him. He became a sacrifice so we could know him. And he defeated death so we could follow him.

It defies logic. It’s a divine insanity. A holy incredibility. Only a God beyond systems and common sense could create a plan as absurd as this. Yet, it’s the very impossibility of it all that makes it possible. It’s the wildness of the story that is its strongest witness. For only a God could create a plan this mad. Only a Creator beyond the fence of logic could offer a gift, such a gift of love.  What man cannot do, God does.

When it comes to eternity, forgiveness, purpose, and truth, go to the manger, kneel with the shepherds. Worship the God who dared to do what man dared not dream!

Psalm 73

An Asaph Psalm

1–5  73 No doubt about it! God is good—

good to good people, good to the good-hearted.

But I nearly missed it,

missed seeing his goodness.

I was looking the other way,

looking up to the people

At the top,

envying the wicked who have it made,

Who have nothing to worry about,

not a care in the whole wide world.

6–10  Pretentious with arrogance,

they wear the latest fashions in violence,

Pampered and overfed,

decked out in silk bows of silliness.

They jeer, using words to kill;

they bully their way with words.

They’re full of hot air,

loudmouths disturbing the peace.

People actually listen to them—can you believe it?

Like thirsty puppies, they lap up their words.

11–14  What’s going on here? Is God out to lunch?

Nobody’s tending the store.

The wicked get by with everything;

they have it made, piling up riches.

I’ve been stupid to play by the rules;

what has it gotten me?

A long run of bad luck, that’s what—

a slap in the face every time I walk out the door.

15–20  If I’d have given in and talked like this,

I would have betrayed your dear children.

Still, when I tried to figure it out,

all I got was a splitting headache …

Until I entered the sanctuary of God.

Then I saw the whole picture:

The slippery road you’ve put them on,

with a final crash in a ditch of delusions.

In the blink of an eye, disaster!

A blind curve in the dark, and—nightmare!

We wake up and rub our eyes.… Nothing.

There’s nothing to them. And there never was.

21–24  When I was beleaguered and bitter,

totally consumed by envy,

I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox

in your very presence.

I’m still in your presence,

but you’ve taken my hand.

You wisely and tenderly lead me,

and then you bless me.

25–28  You’re all I want in heaven!

You’re all I want on earth!

When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,

God is rock-firm and faithful.

Look! Those who left you are falling apart!

Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again.

But I’m in the very presence of God—

oh, how refreshing it is!

I’ve made Lord God my home.

God, I’m telling the world what you do!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Friday, August 18, 2023

Today's Scripture

Deuteronomy 16:9–16

Starting from the day you put the sickle to the ripe grain, count out seven weeks. Celebrate the Feast-of-Weeks to God, your God, by bringing your Freewill-Offering—give as generously as God, your God, has blessed you. Rejoice in the Presence of God, your God: you, your son, your daughter, your servant, your maid, the Levite who lives in your neighborhood, the foreigner, the orphan and widow among you; rejoice at the place God, your God, will set aside to be worshiped.

12  Don’t forget that you were once a slave in Egypt. So be diligent in observing these regulations.

13–15  Observe the Feast-of-Booths for seven days when you gather the harvest from your threshing-floor and your wine-vat. Rejoice at your festival: you, your son, your daughter, your servant, your maid, the Levite, the foreigner, and the orphans and widows who live in your neighborhood. Celebrate the Feast to God, your God, for seven days at the place God designates. God, your God, has been blessing you in your harvest and in all your work, so make a day of it—really celebrate!

16–17  All your men must appear before God, your God, three times each year at the place he designates: at the Feast-of-Unraised-Bread (Passover), at the Feast-of-Weeks, and at the Feast-of-Booths. No one is to show up in the Presence of God empty-handed;

Insight

Each of the festivals in Deuteronomy 16 celebrated an event in Israel’s recent history. The Festival of Weeks, also known as Pentecost, reminded the people of their time at Sinai when they received the Law (vv. 9–12). The Festival of Tabernacles (vv. 13–16) recalled God’s provision in the wilderness. But the first festival was Passover (vv. 1–8) and observed the event in which He preserved the firstborn son in homes that were covered by the blood of a spotless lamb. Together these festivals were a timeless reminder of God’s providential rescue of His people and pointed to ultimate rescue through the Messiah—Jesus. By: Tim Gustafson

Festivals of Worship

Rejoice before the Lord your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name. Deuteronomy 16:11

Attending a large event might change you in a surprising way. After interacting with more than 1,200 people at multiday gatherings in the UK and US, researcher Daniel Yudkin and his colleagues learned that large festivals can impact our moral compass and even affect our willingness to share resources with others. Their research found that 63 percent of attendees had a “transformative” experience at the festival that also left them feeling more connected to humanity and more generous toward friends, family, and even complete strangers.

When we gather with others to worship God, however, we can experience more than merely the social “transformation” of a secular festival; we commune with God Himself. God’s people undoubtedly experienced that connection to Him when they gathered in Jerusalem in ancient times for their sacred festivals throughout the year. They traveled—without modern conveniences—to be present at the temple three times a year for “the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Weeks and the Festival of Tabernacles” (Deuteronomy 16:16). These gatherings were times of solemn remembrance, worship, and rejoicing “before the Lord” with family, servants, foreigners, and others (v. 11).

Let’s gather with others for worship to help one another to continue to enjoy Him and trust in His faithfulness. By:  Kirsten Holmberg

Reflect & Pray

How have you experienced a sense of connection with God when gathering with others for worship? How has the presence of others helped?

Thank You, God, for inviting Your people to worship You together.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Friday, August 18, 2023

Have You Ever Been Speechless with Sorrow?

When he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. —Luke 18:23

The rich young ruler went away from Jesus speechless with sorrow, having nothing to say in response to Jesus’ words. He had no doubt about what Jesus had said or what it meant, and it produced in him a sorrow with no words with which to respond. Have you ever been there? Has God’s Word ever come to you, pointing out an area of your life, requiring you to yield it to Him? Maybe He has pointed out certain personal qualities, desires, and interests, or possibly relationships of your heart and mind. If so, then you have often been speechless with sorrow. The Lord will not go after you, and He will not plead with you. But every time He meets you at the place where He has pointed, He will simply repeat His words, saying, “If you really mean what you say, these are the conditions.”

“Sell all that you have…” (Luke 18:22). In other words, rid yourself before God of everything that might be considered a possession until you are a mere conscious human being standing before Him, and then give God that. That is where the battle is truly fought— in the realm of your will before God. Are you more devoted to your idea of what Jesus wants than to Jesus Himself? If so, you are likely to hear one of His harsh and unyielding statements that will produce sorrow in you. What Jesus says is difficult— it is only easy when it is heard by those who have His nature in them. Beware of allowing anything to soften the hard words of Jesus Christ.

I can be so rich in my own poverty, or in the awareness of the fact that I am nobody, that I will never be a disciple of Jesus. Or I can be so rich in the awareness that I am somebody that I will never be a disciple. Am I willing to be destitute and poor even in my sense of awareness of my destitution and poverty? If not, that is why I become discouraged. Discouragement is disillusioned self-love, and self-love may be love for my devotion to Jesus— not love for Jesus Himself.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Jesus Christ is always unyielding to my claim to my right to myself. The one essential element in all our Lord’s teaching about discipleship is abandon, no calculation, no trace of self-interest. Disciples Indeed, 395 L

Bible in a Year: Psalms 100-102; 1 Corinthians 1

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Friday, August 18, 2023

How the Captain Can Sink a Family - #9550

It was one of those scenes in the news that's hard to forget. It was the image of a Korean ferry just rolling into the sea with all the passengers disappearing with it beneath the waves. It was heartbreaking to look at all those loved ones on the dock grieving inconsolably over children who would never come home again. What was outrageous was that the captain was one of the first to abandon ship. They charged him with negligence of duty and abandoning people in need. Sadly, there are a lot of captains that can be charged with crimes like that.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How the Captain Can Sink a Family."

See, I'm talking about being the captain of your family. The ship starts to drift...the crew gets confused...the vessel is in danger of a fatal turn when Dad keeps "abandoning the ship."

When the cruise ship Costa Concordia shipwrecked off the coast of Italy, again it was the captain who was charged. A maritime lawyer said at that time: "The captain is the master of the vessel. Every crew member looks to the captain for guidance and leadership. It's the captain's responsibility to know the waters and avoid coming close to any shoals and reefs."

Sad to say, I've sometimes gotten too busy to know the waters that our family ship was navigating; when this captain was "below decks" at a critical point. We know there's a devastating epidemic of fatherlessness in families these days. But it isn't just dads who are physically absent. You can be emotionally absent, and that may be even more damaging; around your family but not with your family. There, but not really there. "Abandoning people in need."

A daughter, missing her father's love, ends up looking for that love in all the wrong places. A son who can't get his father's approval or attention, growing angrier by the day. A wife who's left to run things alone. In many ways, that ferry disaster mirrors the family disaster caused by a "captain's" three tragic mistakes.

Number one - leaving the wheel. It appears that the ferry captain left the ship in the hands of a third mate at a decisive turning point. How many of us husbands have forfeited leadership when the going got rough, when finances were turbulent, when discipline was needed, when hard choices had to be made? Criminal negligence.

Our word for today from the Word of God, Proverbs 27:23-24. Here's what they say: "Be sure you know the condition of your flocks." (May I say your family.) "Give careful attention to your herds. For riches do not endure forever and a crown is not secure for all generations." Translation: Take care of it or risk losing it all.

There's a second way a captain can sink his family ship - looking out for me. Apparently, that ferry captain was so concerned about himself that he left his passengers to fend for themselves. "Me first" while those he was responsible for were going down. Consumed with our personal pursuits, our work, our recreation, our sports, our hobby, our toys; effectively oblivious to the leadership that we're abandoning.

And then there's a third way that any captain can sink his ship. There are rocks to avoid. There are crises requiring direction. And a husband - a father - cannot be AWOL when a steady hand at the wheel is needed. Along with a wise, reassuring guide when the water is rising.

I have to confess this to you. I don't know how in the world to be a dad today without the power of Jesus Christ. If I didn't have Jesus as my Savior, being a dad would have driven me to my knees to find Him. Being a dad is when you find out you are not enough by yourself. You're not in control. You're not in charge. You need a Savior.

Today if you're a dad, and maybe the ship is not going the right direction, let this be the day your family gets a new dad, as you turn that dad over to Jesus Christ. Want to know how? Would you go to our website, and boy, we can help you know that - how you can be sure you belong to Him. It's ANewStory.com.

For the beginning of your new story could be the beginning of a new story for the people you love too.

1 Corinthians 11:1-16, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: WATCH YOUR MOUTH - August 17, 2023

There are those in God’s family who find a controversy and stake their claim to it. Every church has at least one stubborn soul who’s mastered a minutiae of the message and made a mission out of it. As long as Christians split hairs, Christians will split churches.

Religious leaders thought they could manipulate Jesus with their controversies, but they were wrong. He was not trapped by their trickery, flattered by their flattery, or fooled by their hypothesis.

Perhaps we should take note. I’d like to say to you what I need someone to say to me when I get territorial about my opinions. Look around you. Let go of your territory for a while. Scout some new regions. Explore some new reefs.  Much is gained by closing your mouth and opening your eyes every so often.

1 Corinthians 11:1-16

To Honor God

1–2  11 It pleases me that you continue to remember and honor me by keeping up the traditions of the faith I taught you. All actual authority stems from Christ.

3–9  In a marriage relationship, there is authority from Christ to husband, and from husband to wife. The authority of Christ is the authority of God. Any man who speaks with God or about God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of Christ, dishonors Christ. In the same way, a wife who speaks with God in a way that shows a lack of respect for the authority of her husband, dishonors her husband. Worse, she dishonors herself—an ugly sight, like a woman with her head shaved. This is basically the origin of these customs we have of women wearing head coverings in worship, while men take their hats off. By these symbolic acts, men and women, who far too often butt heads with each other, submit their “heads” to the Head: God.

10–12  Don’t, by the way, read too much into the differences here between men and women. Neither man nor woman can go it alone or claim priority. Man was created first, as a beautiful shining reflection of God—that is true. But the head on a woman’s body clearly outshines in beauty the head of her “head,” her husband. The first woman came from man, true—but ever since then, every man comes from a woman! And since virtually everything comes from God anyway, let’s quit going through these “who’s first” routines.

13–16  Don’t you agree there is something naturally powerful in the symbolism—a woman, her beautiful hair reminiscent of angels, praying in adoration; a man, his head bared in reverence, praying in submission? I hope you’re not going to be argumentative about this. All God’s churches see it this way; I don’t want you standing out as an exception.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, August 17, 2023

Today's Scripture

2 Corinthians 5:11–20

That keeps us vigilant, you can be sure. It’s no light thing to know that we’ll all one day stand in that place of Judgment. That’s why we work urgently with everyone we meet to get them ready to face God. God alone knows how well we do this, but I hope you realize how much and deeply we care. We’re not saying this to make ourselves look good to you. We just thought it would make you feel good, proud even, that we’re on your side and not just nice to your face as so many people are. If I acted crazy, I did it for God; if I acted overly serious, I did it for you. Christ’s love has moved me to such extremes. His love has the first and last word in everything we do.

A New Life

14–15  Our firm decision is to work from this focused center: One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in his death so that everyone could also be included in his life, a resurrection life, a far better life than people ever lived on their own.

16–20  Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. God put the world square with himself through the Messiah, giving the world a fresh start by offering forgiveness of sins. God has given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives. God uses us to persuade men and women to drop their differences and enter into God’s work of making things right between them. We’re speaking for Christ himself now: Become friends with God; he’s already a friend with you.

Insight

Second Corinthians 5:18–19 speaks of Jesus’ commission to reconcile us to God through His death and resurrection and our commission as His representatives. God took our sins and placed them on the sinless Christ and imputed His righteousness to us (v. 21; see Romans 3:23–26; 4:22–25). Paul said that our commission flows from Jesus’. God has given us “the ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18). He’s “given us the task of telling everyone what he is doing. We’re Christ’s representatives” (vv. 19–20 the message). Our mission is the Great Commission (Mark 16:15). We’re Christ’s “witnesses, telling people about [Him] everywhere” (Acts 1:8 nlt). By: K. T. Sim

More Than Brand Ambassadors

We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors . . . . We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20

Competition in the internet age has become fierce. Increasingly, companies are developing creative ways to attract customers. Take Subaru vehicles, for instance. Subaru owners are famously loyal, so the company has invited “Subbie superfans” to become “brand ambassadors” of the vehicles.

The company’s website says, “Subaru Ambassadors are an exclusive group of energetic individuals who volunteer their passion and enthusiasm to spread the word about Subaru and help shape the future of the brand.” The company wants Subaru ownership to become a part of people’s very identity—something they’re so passionate about that they can’t help but share.

In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul describes a different “ambassador” program, one of inviting others to follow Jesus. “Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others” (v. 11). Paul then adds, “He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (vv. 19–20).

Many products promise to meet deep needs, to give us a sense of happiness, wholeness, and purpose. But only one message—the message of reconciliation entrusted to us as believers in Jesus—is truly good news. And we have the privilege of delivering that message to a desperate world. By:  Adam Holz

Reflect & Pray

What do you think of the idea of being an ambassador for Jesus? How can you practically live out that calling?

Dear Jesus, thank You for inviting me to be an ambassador for You. 

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, August 17, 2023

Are You Discouraged or Devoted?

…Jesus…said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have…and come, follow Me." But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich. —Luke 18:22-23

Have you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven’t, I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all. Jesus says a tremendous amount to us that we listen to, but do not actually hear. And once we do hear Him, His words are harsh and unyielding.

Jesus did not show the least concern that this rich young ruler should do what He told him, nor did Jesus make any attempt to keep this man with Him. He simply said to him, “Sell all that you have…and come, follow Me.” Our Lord never pleaded with him; He never tried to lure him— He simply spoke the strictest words that human ears have ever heard, and then left him alone.

Have I ever heard Jesus say something difficult and unyielding to me? Has He said something personally to me to which I have deliberately listened— not something I can explain for the sake of others, but something I have heard Him say directly to me? This man understood what Jesus said. He heard it clearly, realizing the full impact of its meaning, and it broke his heart. He did not go away as a defiant person, but as one who was sorrowful and discouraged. He had come to Jesus on fire with zeal and determination, but the words of Jesus simply froze him. Instead of producing enthusiastic devotion to Jesus, they produced heartbreaking discouragement. And Jesus did not go after him, but let him go. Our Lord knows perfectly well that once His word is truly heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later. What is so terrible is that some of us prevent His words from bearing fruit in our present life. I wonder what we will say when we finally make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point? One thing is certain— He will never throw our past failures back in our faces.

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: Psalms 97-99; Romans 16

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, August 17, 2023

It's Not Yours to Break - #9549

Now, I haven't seen my son angry very often, but I remember one time. And I think it's safe to say that he was "fit to be tied." See, he had this elaborate race car set that his grandparents had given him, and it was all set up in the basement. Then the cars raced with each other and they did these loops, and went around these curves. He loved that! I mean, he loved this thing. And there were dump trucks that could be loaded and unloaded with gravel, and he had all kinds of lights and sounds, and bells and whistles.

Well, one day we had some company over to our house and they had two sons. And they were getting a little bored just listening to adult conversation, so they went downstairs to play with my son's race car set. It was never the same; and I didn't think he would be. See, after they left, my son went down to the basement and he found that one of the race cars wouldn't work - which means there's not much of a race when you've only got one car. The gravel loader? That didn't work any more. Basically, the set was generally wrecked! And he could never really use it quite the same after that. Well, he wasn't angry, of course. No, he was righteously indignant. He said, "Dad, if they want to break their own toys, that's okay. But they have no business breaking what belongs to me." I agree with that. Wouldn't you? Well then, why do we do it so often?

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "It's Not Yours to Break."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Corinthians 6, and I'm going to be reading verses 19 and 20. "Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you; whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body." In this passage before Paul writes these words, he's been discussing sex outside of God's fence of marriage. And basically what he's saying is, "What right do you have to use God's property for something He hates... for something that breaks His heart?" He says, "You are not your own; you've been bought and paid for."

I saw my son's distress over someone misusing what he owned. And I know a little bit of how God feels when He sees what you and I do with these bodies of ours. It's a startling realization when you look in the mirror and say, "That's not your body. It has been bought and paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ."

Years ago I remember when we closed on our house. And from that moment, the former owner had no say about where the furniture went, or how the rooms would be used, or what color the walls would be. It was mine by right of purchase.

You are Jesus' property by right of purchase; a high price, an expensive price, an unthinkable price - His life on the cross for your body and for your soul so it could be restored to what it was made for - to glorify God. How are you taking care of God's blood-bought body? Have you been cheapening it by what you've been doing sexually? Has His body been over-eating and damaging itself that way, or overworking and not getting the rest that God asks us to get? How about the garbage you've been putting into His body; or the times, maybe, when you've turned it over to the control of a chemical or to alcohol? Hey, that's His body!

Augustine was tempted to plunge back into his old life and he said, "Thou fool, doest thou not know that thou art carrying God around with thee?" This is His body. It's made by Him; paid for by Him. Cared for, like a temple where God himself lives, because it is. And honestly, it's just not yours to break.

Psalm 50, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 

Max Lucado Daily: WE QUICKLY FORGET - August 16, 2023

Take this quiz. Name the ten wealthiest men in the world. Name the last ten Heisman Trophy winners. Name eight people who’ve won the Nobel Prize. How about the last ten Academy Award winners for best picture? Or the last decade’s worth of World Series winners?

How’d you do? I didn’t do well either. Surprising how quickly we forget, isn’t it? And what I’ve mentioned are no second-rate achievements. These are the best in their fields.

Here’s another quiz; see how you do on this one. Think of three people you enjoy spending time with. Name ten people who’ve taught you something worthwhile. Name five friends who’ve helped you in a difficult time. List a few teachers who’ve aided your journey through high school. Easier? It was for me, too. The lesson? The people who make a difference are not the ones with credentials, but the ones with the concern.

Psalm 50

An Asaph Psalm

1–3  50 The God of gods—it’s God!—speaks out, shouts, “Earth!”

welcomes the sun in the east,

farewells the disappearing sun in the west.

From the dazzle of Zion,

God blazes into view.

Our God makes his entrance,

he’s not shy in his coming.

Starbursts of fireworks precede him.

4–5  He summons heaven and earth as a jury,

he’s taking his people to court:

“Round up my saints who swore

on the Bible their loyalty to me.”

6  The whole cosmos attests to the fairness of this court,

that here God is judge.

7–15  “Are you listening, dear people? I’m getting ready to speak;

Israel, I’m about ready to bring you to trial.

This is God, your God,

speaking to you.

I don’t find fault with your acts of worship,

the frequent burnt sacrifices you offer.

But why should I want your blue-ribbon bull,

or more and more goats from your herds?

Every creature in the forest is mine,

the wild animals on all the mountains.

I know every mountain bird by name;

the scampering field mice are my friends.

If I get hungry, do you think I’d tell you?

All creation and its bounty are mine.

Do you think I feast on venison?

or drink draughts of goats’ blood?

Spread for me a banquet of praise,

serve High God a feast of kept promises,

And call for help when you’re in trouble—

I’ll help you, and you’ll honor me.”

16–21  Next, God calls up the wicked:

“What are you up to, quoting my laws,

talking like we are good friends?

You never answer the door when I call;

you treat my words like garbage.

If you find a thief, you make him your buddy;

adulterers are your friends of choice.

Your mouth drools filth;

lying is a serious art form with you.

You stab your own brother in the back,

rip off your little sister.

I kept a quiet patience while you did these things;

you thought I went along with your game.

I’m calling you on the carpet, now,

laying your wickedness out in plain sight.

22–23  “Time’s up for playing fast and

loose with me.

I’m ready to pass sentence,

and there’s no help in sight!

It’s the praising life that honors me.

As soon as you set your foot on the Way,

I’ll show you my salvation.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Today's Scripture

Luke 18:1–8

The Story of the Persistent Widow

1–3  18 Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’

4–5  “He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.’ ”

6–8  Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”

Insight

Luke 18 is filled with stories of power. It begins with the power of the widow’s persistence (vv. 1–8), then continues with the story of the tax collector and the Pharisee (vv. 9–14), which displays the power of a humble, repentant heart. Jesus’ parable of the rich ruler (vv. 18–30) shows the negative power of possessions that can pull us away from God. The chapter concludes with Jesus’ healing power on full display as He heals the blind beggar Bartimaeus (vv. 35–43; see Mark 10:46). These are some of Jesus’ final acts and teachings before reaching the destination in His “journey to Jerusalem” (see August 1 Insight). Then, Luke 19 opens with the story of Zacchaeus (vv. 1–10), whose redeemed heart shows the kind of generosity that the rich ruler had lacked (18:18–30) and mirrors the humility of the tax collector (vv. 9–14). Clearly these stories are intended to be read and understood together. By: Bill Crowder

The Power of Persistence

They should always pray and not give up. Luke 18:1

In 1917, a young seamstress was thrilled to get admitted to one of New York City’s most renowned fashion design schools. But when Ann Lowe Cone arrived from Florida to register for classes, the school director told her she wasn’t welcome. “To be blunt, Mrs. Cone, we didn’t know that you were a Negro,” he said. Refusing to leave, she whispered a prayer: Please let me stay here. Seeing her persistence, the director let Ann stay, but segregated her from the whites-only classroom leaving the back door open “for [her] to hear.”

Undeniably talented, Ann still graduated six months early and attracted high-society clients including former First Lady of the United States Jacqueline Kennedy, whose world-famous wedding gown she designed. She made the gown twice, seeking God’s help after a pipe burst above her sewing studio, ruining the first dress.

Persistence like that is powerful, especially in prayer. In Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow, a widow pleads repeatedly for justice from a corrupt judge. At first, he refused her, but “because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice” (Luke 18:5).

With far more love, “will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?” (v. 7). He will, said Jesus (v. 8). As He inspires us, let’s seek to persistently pray and never give up. In His time and perfect way, God will answer. By:  Patricia Raybon

Reflect & Pray

What helps you to be persistent in prayer? What request will you keep pleading?

Dear Jesus, I thank You for answering my persistent prayers.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Does He Know Me?

He calls his own…by name… —John 10:3

When I have sadly misunderstood Him? (see John 20:11-18). It is possible to know all about doctrine and still not know Jesus. A person’s soul is in grave danger when the knowledge of doctrine surpasses Jesus, avoiding intimate touch with Him. Why was Mary weeping? Doctrine meant no more to her than the grass under her feet. In fact, any Pharisee could have made a fool of Mary doctrinally, but one thing they could never ridicule was the fact that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her (see Luke 8:2); yet His blessings were nothing to her in comparison with knowing Jesus Himself. “…she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus….Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ ” (John 20:14, 16). Once He called Mary by her name, she immediately knew that she had a personal history with the One who spoke. “She turned and said to Him, ‘Rabboni!’ ” (John 20:16).

When I have stubbornly doubted? (see John 20:24-29). Have I been doubting something about Jesus— maybe an experience to which others testify, but which I have not yet experienced? The other disciples said to Thomas, “We have seen the Lord” (John 20:25). But Thomas doubted, saying, “Unless I see…I will not believe” (John 20:25). Thomas needed the personal touch of Jesus. When His touches will come we never know, but when they do come they are indescribably precious. “Thomas…said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ ” (John 20:28).

When I have selfishly denied Him? (see John 21:15-17). Peter denied Jesus Christ with oaths and curses (see Matthew 26:69-75), and yet after His resurrection Jesus appeared to Peter alone. Jesus restored Peter in private, and then He restored him publicly before the others. And Peter said to Him, “Lord…You know that I love You” (John 21:17).

Do I have a personal history with Jesus Christ? The one true sign of discipleship is intimate oneness with Him— a knowledge of Jesus that nothing can shake.

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: Psalms 94-96; Romans 15:14-33

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

Maui Fires - A Landscape of Loss...and One Symbol of Hope

Words fail at a time like this. I mean even words like "apocalyptic"... "war zone"... "total devastation."

I mean those racing flames in the iconic Lahaina community of Maui just consumed everything in its path and left just ash where there had been a building there before.

Fire doesn't care what it destroys. Even if it's centuries of royal and religious history, the lives and livelihoods of countless Hawaiians. The number of lives lost? We don't even know yet, maybe we never will.

That charming tourist magnet and idyllic community has suddenly become a desolate landscape of loss.

Except for the tree. The 150-year-old banyan tree that soars to 60 feet and covers an entire city block. It is badly charred and its future is uncertain.

But today it stands as one surviving symbol of hope amidst all the sadness and ruin.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Maui fires - A Landscape of Loss...and One Symbol of Hope."

One survivor said, "Everything is gone." But the tree is still standing.

Which, I realized as I prayed for Lahaina, is just how I felt on that May day when my "everything" was gone. My Karen. The love of my life since I was 19. The only person on earth who had done my whole adult life with me. Our family treasure. Gone. Suddenly gone.

But one thing was still standing. The Tree. The cross where Jesus died a death that has changed millions of lives ever since. I'm one of them. That cross became an anchor on the darkest day of my life.

I know my days of life-altering loss certainly aren't unique to me. Some time or another, the fire comes for all of us.

Maybe in the form of a devastating diagnosis, a disease, ora disaster that destroys our treasures. Maybe desertion or divorce that leaves us emotionally "homeless."

And, of course, the ultimate hope-robber. Death.

I've been to a lot of funerals. But the one at that windswept burial ground on a Native American reservation is one I'll never forget. Danny's brother had died suddenly and tragically. And Danny wasn't only grieving - he was broken. After we had all passed by the open grave and thrown in our handful of dirt, and as people were leaving, there was Danny at the head of his brother's grave. Hugging as he wept, the rugged wooden cross that had been placed there. It just seemed like that cross was literally holding him up that day. The "fire" that burned through his life must have seemed like everything was gone.

But the Tree was still standing. As it has for millions of broken people for 2,000 years. People like me.

Some stunning things happened on that grotesque day when the Son of God was nailed to a criminal's cross. From that cross, He declared, "It is finished!" The spiritual penalty for every sin of every person on this planet had been paid for by the only One who could.

In the Bible's words: 'He personally carried our sins in His own body on the cross...He died for sinners to bring you safely home to God" (1 Peter 2:24, 3:18). Safely home. When it feels like I've lost everything, I'm still "safely home" in the unlosable love of God. I have an anchor relationship that is fireproof... disaster-proof... death-proof! Our word for today from the word of God - Romans 8:39 - assures us that, "Nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." That is God's personal guarantee to those who belong to Him.

If you're not sure you do. If you've never given your life to this Jesus. If you've never experienced that unloseable love. Can I invite you to go to our website? Because there I've laid out how you can begin that relationship for a lifetime and a forever lifetime. It's ANewStory.com.

As I stood by my Karen's fresh grave, I didn't stand alone. My Jesus was there.

Lahaina's banyan tree has an uncertain future. But God's "safely home" Tree is there forever. It's Indestructible.

That Tree says I am forever loved. I'm forever forgiven. I'm forever safe. I'm never alone. And no fire can take that away.