Revelation 19, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: ARRIVAL OF THE SAINTS - January 9, 2025

The people of Paradise enjoy a much better, but still incomplete, state. They anticipate the new heaven and earth, the glorified body to be received at the rapture, and—this may surprise you—they look forward to the arrival of the rest of the saints.

In Hebrews chapter eleven the author highlights the lives of Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Rahab the harlot. He writes, “All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised” (Hebrews 11:39 NLT). The writer surprises us by describing how the saints are waiting for the rest of us.

As wonderful as Paradise is, it won’t be complete until all God’s children are home.

What Happens Next

Revelation 19

The Sound of Hallelujahs

1–3  19 I heard a sound like massed choirs in Heaven singing,

Hallelujah!

The salvation and glory and power are God’s—

his judgments true, his judgments just.

He judged the great Whore

who corrupted the earth with her lust.

He avenged on her the blood of his servants.

Then, more singing:

Hallelujah!

The smoke from her burning billows up

to high Heaven forever and ever and ever.

4  The Twenty-four Elders and the Four Animals fell to their knees and worshiped God on his Throne, praising,

Amen! Yes! Hallelujah!

5  From the Throne came a shout, a command:

Praise our God, all you his servants,

All you who fear him, small and great!

6–8  Then I heard the sound of massed choirs, the sound of a mighty cataract, the sound of strong thunder:

Hallelujah!

The Master reigns,

our God, the Sovereign-Strong!

Let us celebrate, let us rejoice,

let us give him the glory!

The Marriage of the Lamb has come;

his Wife has made herself ready.

She was given a bridal gown

of bright and shining linen.

The linen is the righteousness of the saints.

9  The Angel said to me, “Write this: ‘Blessed are those invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.’ ” He added, “These are the true words of God!”

10  I fell at his feet to worship him, but he wouldn’t let me. “Don’t do that,” he said. “I’m a servant just like you, and like your brothers and sisters who hold to the witness of Jesus. The witness of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

A White Horse and Its Rider

11–16  Then I saw Heaven open wide—and oh! a white horse and its Rider. The Rider, named Faithful and True, judges and makes war in pure righteousness. His eyes are a blaze of fire, on his head many crowns. He has a Name inscribed that’s known only to himself. He is dressed in a robe soaked with blood, and he is addressed as “Word of God.” The armies of Heaven, mounted on white horses and dressed in dazzling white linen, follow him. A sharp sword comes out of his mouth so he can subdue the nations, then rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the raging wrath of God, the Sovereign-Strong. On his robe and thigh is written, King of kings, Lord of lords.

17–18  I saw an Angel standing in the sun, shouting to all flying birds in Middle-Heaven, “Come to the Great Supper of God! Feast on the flesh of kings and captains and champions, horses and their riders. Eat your fill of them all—free and slave, small and great!”

19–21  I saw the Beast and, assembled with him, earth’s kings and their armies, ready to make war against the One on the horse and his army. The Beast was taken, and with him, his puppet, the False Prophet, who used signs to dazzle and deceive those who had taken the mark of the Beast and worshiped his image. They were thrown alive, those two, into Lake Fire and Brimstone. The rest were killed by the sword of the One on the horse, the sword that comes from his mouth. All the birds held a feast on their flesh.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, January 09, 2025

by Xochitl Dixon

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Psalm 63

A David Psalm, When He Was out in the Judean Wilderness

1  63 God—you’re my God!

I can’t get enough of you!

I’ve worked up such hunger and thirst for God,

traveling across dry and weary deserts.

2–4  So here I am in the place of worship, eyes open,

drinking in your strength and glory.

In your generous love I am really living at last!

My lips brim praises like fountains.

I bless you every time I take a breath;

My arms wave like banners of praise to you.

5–8  I eat my fill of prime rib and gravy;

I smack my lips. It’s time to shout praises!

If I’m sleepless at midnight,

I spend the hours in grateful reflection.

Because you’ve always stood up for me,

I’m free to run and play.

I hold on to you for dear life,

and you hold me steady as a post.

9–11  Those who are out to get me are marked for doom,

marked for death, bound for hell.

They’ll die violent deaths;

jackals will tear them limb from limb.

But the king is glad in God;

his true friends spread the joy,

While small-minded gossips

are gagged for good.

Today's Insights

David wrote seventy-five psalms, seventy-three of which bear his name. Acts 4:25 confirms he also wrote Psalm 2 and Hebrews 4:7 confirms he wrote Psalm 95.

Psalm 63 includes a note about its historical background. We’re told that David penned it “when he was in the Desert of Judah.” On several occasions, David retreated into the wilderness when he was fleeing from Saul (see 1 Samuel 23:14-15; 24:1) and also when his own son Absalom rebelled to usurp his throne (see 2 Samuel 15:13-30). When he wrote Psalm 63, he was probably fleeing from Absalom because David refers to himself as “the king” (v. 11), and he wasn’t yet king when Saul pursued him.

Better than Life

Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. Psalm 63:3

After another unexpected health setback, I joined my husband and others during a retreat in the mountains. I trudged up the wooden staircase that led to the tiny church on the top of a hill. Alone in the dark, I stopped to rest on a splintered step. “Help me, Lord,” I whispered as the music began. I walked slowly until I stepped into the small room. I breathed through the lingering pain, grateful that God hears us in the wilderness!

Some of the most intimate moments of worshiping God recorded in Scripture took place in the wilderness. While hiding in the Desert of Judah and most likely on the run from his son Absalom, King David sang: “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you” (Psalm 63:1). Having experienced God’s power and glory, David deemed God’s love as “better than life” (v. 3), and it was the reason he committed to a lifetime of worship—even while in the wilderness (vv. 2-6). He said, “Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I cling to you; your right hand upholds me” (vv. 7-8).

Like David, regardless of our circumstances or the fierceness of those standing against us, we can demonstrate confidence in God by praising Him (v. 11). Though we’ll suffer, sometimes by no fault of our own, we can trust that God’s love is always better than life.

Reflect & Pray

How can knowing God loves you help when you’re feeling attacked or defeated? When has praising Him strengthened your faith during hard times?

My God, Your love is better than life!

Wondering if God loves you? Be assured of His unfailing love with this video.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, January 09, 2025

Where God Can Go

May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless. —1 Thessalonians 5:23

Paul’s prayer for the Thessalonians, that they be kept blameless in their whole spirit, soul, and body, is a prayer that can only be answered through the great mystical work of the Holy Spirit.

Far beneath the surface of our personality lies a shadowy region we ourselves can’t get at. This is where our deepest fears and motivations are found, those unconscious forces we haven’t chosen and can’t control. If we are to be made blameless here, we need the Spirit to seek us out: “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me,” writes David in Psalm 139:1. “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (v. 7).

The psalm is a testimony to God’s omnipresence and eternity, his everywhereness and alwaysness. David is saying, “You are the God of the early mornings and the late-at-nights, the God of the mountain peaks and of the sea. But, my God, my soul has further horizons than the early mornings, deeper darknesses than the night, higher peaks than any mountain, greater depths than any sea. You who are God of all these things, be my God. There are motives I cannot understand, dreams I cannot grasp. Please, Lord, search them out.”

Do we believe that God can garrison our imagination far beyond where we can go? As the ancient Romans sent garrisons of soldiers beyond the reaches of their empire, so God sends the Spirit to the outer limits of our soul. It is only when we are garrisoned by God in this way that we are made blameless. Blameless does not mean perfection but preserved in unspotted integrity, undeserving of censure in God’s sight, until Jesus comes.

Genesis 23-24; Matthew 7

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

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

The Philosophy of Sin, 1107 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, January 09, 2025

HOPE WHEN THE PRESSURE'S ON - #9914

I think I've been on a diet since I was about three days old, and I've become somewhat of an expert at what works and what doesn't work at losing weight...or putting it on.

Frankly, I find it very difficult to lose weight, especially during times when I'm under pressure. Oh, many of you will understand this unless maybe you're one of those people who are terminally thin. But maybe you're the one who does understand about losing weight and gaining it; my thorn in the flesh I think is my metabolism. Well, when things are calm and normal - status quo - it's a lot easier to maintain your diet disciplines. Then the crunch comes - extra stress - and out comes the crunch of cookies, and chips, and candy, and an attack of the munchies to help you get through the pressure. Pressure gives you this strangely expanded desire to eat. Now, usually, that's a bad response...usually. In some cases, it's actually a good idea.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Hope When the Pressure's On."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from 2 Corinthians 1, and I'm going to begin reading in verse 8, where we hear about Paul under pressure. I mean a lot of pressure. Listen to his words. He said, "We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so we despaired even of life." Boy, if you've been under pressure, maybe you know that feeling of "beyond my ability to take any more." Then he goes on to say, "This happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God."

Well, in a sense, Paul's response to pressure in his life was to eat. Not physically, but spiritually; to download spiritual resources he needed to make it through. He ate spiritual protein, not spiritual snacks. See, when you're pushed beyond your ability to take it - to handle it - it's more than you can do, more than you can solve, more than you can provide for. OK, you understand? Well, then it's time to load up on two resources.

In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, he talks about "the father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles with the comfort we have received from God, we are able to comfort those who are in any trouble."

Notice He's the God of all comfort in all situations. It's like a comprehensive insurance policy. You will always have comfort as big as the pain or the hurt. You'll never fully learn the comfort of God though until you're really uncomfortable. That's interesting! So, if you're uncomfortable right now at this time in your life, load up on a heaping helping of the comfort of God; even enough to serve others.

The other resource you eat very aggressively at this time is God's power. That's why he says, "This all happened to us so we could taste God's power and not rely on ourselves." "The God," he says, "who raises the dead." Now, you'll never fully learn the power of God until you're at a point where you're fully powerless. Then comes that sweet surrender to God's working; you've run out of options. And all of a sudden there's a lot of Him and almost none of you. So, you get a big helping of the power of God; working where you're powerless to do anything. And what kind of God? A God who raises the dead! This is a death-reversing, resurrecting, life-giving God in the moments when there's so little you have to give.

Maybe you're in one of them right now. Is that pressure on you right now? Spend quality time in your Lord's presence, even though it may be harder than ever to do it, you've never needed it more. Feed on His resources. Download them. Partake of it. That's why He's brought you to this point. Get the resources you would never experience if the pressure didn't drive you to it.

When the pressure's on, eat heartily from God's shelves. You know what you'll get? You will get stronger than you've ever been!

Nehemiah 11, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: ENDLESS GLORY - January 8, 2025

In Paradise we will ponder the glory of God. “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33 ESV).

Don’t assume we will ever exhaust our study of God. Endless attributes await us. His grace will increasingly stun, wisdom progressively astound, and perfection ever more sharpen into focus. Our minds will be healthy, imaginations pure. Since we are made in the image of our Creator, we will create.

Who would think God would have creative work for us in Paradise? Then again, who would have thought God would give work to Adam? But he did. And Adam put his brand-new brain to work. Can’t we expect to do the same?

What Happens Next

Nehemiah 11

The leaders of the people were already living in Jerusalem, so the rest of the people drew lots to get one out of ten to move to Jerusalem, the holy city, while the other nine remained in their towns. The people applauded those who voluntarily offered to live in Jerusalem.

3–4  These are the leaders in the province who resided in Jerusalem (some Israelites, priests, Levites, Temple staff, and descendants of Solomon’s slaves lived in the towns of Judah on their own property in various towns; others from both Judah and Ben-jamin lived in Jerusalem):

4–6  From the family of Judah:

Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, from the family line of Perez; Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite. The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem numbered 468 valiant men.

7–9  From the family of Ben-jamin:

Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah, and his brothers Gabbai and Sallai: 928 men. Joel son of Zicri was their chief and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in command over the city.

10–14  From the priests:

Jedaiah son of Joiarib; Jakin; Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, supervisor of The Temple of God, along with their associates responsible for work in The Temple: 822 men. Also Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah, and his associates who were heads of families: 242 men; Amashsai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, and his associates, all valiant men: 128 men. Their commander was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim.

15–18  From the Levites:

Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; Shabbethai and Jozabad, two of the leaders of the Levites who were in charge of the outside work of The Temple of God; Mattaniah son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, the director who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his associates; and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun. The Levites in the holy city totaled 284.

19  From the security guards:

Akkub, Talmon, and their associates who kept watch over the gates: 172 men.

20  The rest of the Israelites, priests, and Levites were in all the towns of Judah, each on his own family property.

21  The Temple staff lived on the hill Ophel. Ziha and Gishpa were responsible for them.

22–23  The chief officer over the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. Uzzi was one of Asaph’s descendants, singers who led worship in The Temple of God. The singers got their orders from the king, who drew up their daily schedule.

24  Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, a descendant of Zerah son of Judah, represented the people’s concerns at the royal court.

25–30  Some of the Judeans lived in the villages near their farms:

Kiriath Arba (Hebron) and suburbs

Dibon and suburbs

Jekabzeel and suburbs

Jeshua

Moladah

Beth Pelet

Hazar Shual

Beer-sheba and suburbs

Ziklag

Meconah and suburbs

En Rimmon

Zorah

Jarmuth

Zanoah

Adullam and their towns

Lachish and its fields

Azekah and suburbs.

They were living all the way from Beer-sheba to the Valley of Hinnom.

31–36  The Benjaminites from Geba lived in:

Micmash

Aijah

Bethel and its suburbs

Anathoth

Nob and Ananiah

Hazor

Ramah and Gittaim

Hadid, Zeboim, and Neballat

Lod and Ono and the Valley of the Craftsmen.

Also some of the Levitical groups of Judah were assigned to Ben-jamin.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, January 08, 2025

by Tim Gustafson

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Hebrews 2:9-18

What we do see is Jesus, made “not quite as high as angels,” and then, through the experience of death, crowned so much higher than any angel, with a glory “bright with Eden’s dawn light.” In that death, by God’s grace, he fully experienced death in every person’s place.

10–13  It makes good sense that the God who got everything started and keeps everything going now completes the work by making the Salvation Pioneer perfect through suffering as he leads all these people to glory. Since the One who saves and those who are saved have a common origin, Jesus doesn’t hesitate to treat them as family, saying,

I’ll tell my good friends, my brothers and sisters,

all I know about you;

I’ll join them in worship and praise to you.

Again, he puts himself in the same family circle when he says,

Even I live by placing my trust in God.

And yet again,

I’m here with the children God gave me.

14–15  Since the children are made of flesh and blood, it’s logical that the Savior took on flesh and blood in order to rescue them by his death. By embracing death, taking it into himself, he destroyed the Devil’s hold on death and freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death.

16–18  It’s obvious, of course, that he didn’t go to all this trouble for angels. It was for people like us, children of Abraham. That’s why he had to enter into every detail of human life. Then, when he came before God as high priest to get rid of the people’s sins, he would have already experienced it all himself—all the pain, all the testing—and would be able to help where help was needed.

Today's Insights

Why does Hebrews 2:10 say that Jesus was made “perfect”? As God in human flesh, wasn’t He perfect already? According to scholar Marvin R. Vincent, the Greek word translated “perfect,” teleioo, literally means “to carry to the goal” and possesses the connotative meaning of “consummation.” The idea is that Christ was made “complete” by His suffering and death. He understands in the fullest way possible what we face in this difficult world. This provides us with a greater understanding of His words from the cross: “It is finished” (John 19:30). He’d completed the mission His Father gave Him to do.

A Deaf Heart

[Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of . . .  the devil. Hebrews 2:14

To improve her sign language skills, Leisa immersed herself in the world of the Deaf. Soon she learned the problems they face. The Deaf are awkwardly ignored by hearing people, expected to lip-read flawlessly, and routinely get passed over for promotions at work. Most public events go uninterpreted.

Leisa’s signing steadily improved to the point where she felt at home with the Deaf. At a party, a Deaf person was surprised to learn Leisa could hear. Before Leisa could respond, another friend signed, “She has a Deaf heart.” The key had been Leisa’s willingness to live in their world.

Leisa didn’t “condescend” to be with the Deaf. Except for her hearing, she was like them. But Jesus did stoop to reach all of us—to live in our world. He “was made lower than the angels for a little while” (Hebrews 2:9). Christ “shared in [our] humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil” (v. 14). In doing so, He freed “those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death” (v. 15). More than that, He was “fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God” (v. 17).

Whatever we face, Jesus knows and understands. He hears our heart. He’s with us in every way.

Reflect & Pray

What does it mean to you that Jesus has experienced the same hardships you face? How might you step into someone else’s world for a while?

Thank You, Father, for the gift of Your Son, who brings me into Your family.

Whatever your situation is in life, Jesus is there with you. Check out Walk with Me: Traveling with Jesus and Others on Life’s Road.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, January 08, 2025

Does My Sacrifice Live?

Abraham built an altar there and . . . bound his son Isaac. —Genesis 22:9

Abraham’s intentions in offering his son to God were good, but it was not the offering God wanted. “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” the angel of the Lord told Abraham. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son” (Genesis 22:12). God didn’t want Isaac’s death; he wanted Abraham’s life.

We make a version of Abraham’s mistake. We think that the ultimate thing God wants from us is the sacrifice of death. What God wants from us is the sacrifice through death that enables us to do what Jesus did: sacrifice our lives. The idea isn’t “I am willing to go to death with Jesus,” but “I am willing to be identified with Jesus’s death so that I may sacrifice my life to God.” Nowhere in Scripture does God ask us to give things up simply for the sake of giving them up. He asks us to give things up for the sake of the only thing worth having: a life with him.

God disciplined Abraham to show him the error of his belief, and the same discipline goes on in our lives. The goal is to loosen the ties that constrict the life of Christ in us, so that we can enter into a relationship with him. We may be challenged and disciplined until we finally understand: it is of no value to God to give him our lives for death. He wants us to be a living sacrifice, to let him have all our vibrant, vital powers. This is the offering that is acceptable to God.

Genesis 20-22; Matthew 6:19-34

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Defenders of the faith are inclined to be bitter until they learn to walk in the light of the Lord. When you have learned to walk in the light of the Lord, bitterness and contention are impossible.

Biblical Psychology

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, January 08, 2025

KNOWING YOU, SEEING GOD - #9913

Usually a total eclipse of the moon seems to happen when I'm counting sheep in the middle of the night. But this one started about 9:00 at night, and this one I got a chance to see. It's a pretty amazing sight to watch that shadow slowly move across the moon until it eventually covers it completely. I said to the friend who was assisting us with ministry that weekend, "I just wish we had binoculars." "Me, too," he said. Then it dawned on him, he said, "Hey, I do have binoculars in my truck!" All of a sudden we moved from seats near the back to something like front row seats on this eclipse. Those binoculars revealed the craters and all the fascinating details of that disappearing moon. What a difference it made to see it up close!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Knowing You, Seeing God."

Whether it's watching the heavens or watching some faraway wildlife right here on earth, binoculars really do make a difference. They make it big by bringing it close, which is exactly what you're supposed to be doing with the God you belong to - making Him big to the people around you by bringing Him close. I guess that would make you binoculars for God.

The famed Westminster Catechism of the Christian faith opens with this powerful summary of why we're all here: "The chief end of man is to glorify God." That's really clear in our word for today from the Word of God in Ephesians 1, beginning with verses 5 and 6. Like the Hubble Telescope, this passage shows us things about our spiritual universe that we could never see without it. Like the purpose for our lives, for example.

The Bible says: "He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ in accordance with his pleasure and will - to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves." Before there was a world, before there was a you, God had a plan for you to rescue you through His Son, so you could live as it says, for "the praise of His glorious grace."

Verses 11 and 12 talk about His plan, "the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will..." And what is His purpose that guides His plan? "...that we might be for the praise of His glory." Later, it says He bought us with blood to be for this ultimate outcome: "To the praise of His glory."

Okay, God believes in what management consultants call MBO - Management By Objective. Since before there was a world, right up to you and me this day and right on through to eternity, God's running His plan by one objective, "the praise of His glory." Since God's the source of everything that exists, our life makes sense and makes a difference when we bring people back to that source. So, what does it mean to "glorify God"? Well, think binoculars. It's making Him look as big as He really is to the people we meet.

They have no idea what an awesome, loving, totally powerful Father He is. We're to live in such a way that we draw attention to the greatness of our Father. And how do we do that? By living in such a way that we bring Him close to people who otherwise might never see Him or never touch Him.

Jesus said we were to be a light shining so "people will see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). So here's one good way to see if you're carrying out the purpose you were made for: When people are around you, do they end up being impressed with your God? If not, you must be filling their view with something else, like with you...how great you are, or how many problems you have, or how stressed you are, or just the trivia of your life.

They may know you as a happy person, a caring person, a strong person, but have you ever told them it's because of what Jesus has done for you? Have you ever prayed with them when they share a need with you so they can taste that relationship with a miracle-working God? Do you ask in every situation, "Lord, how can you use this to draw people to you?"

That's the mind and heart of someone who knows why they're here. God's looking for some human binoculars - like you - that will bring Him close so people can see how very big and how very close He really is.

Nehemiah 10, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: ALL WOUNDS WILL BE HEALED - January 7, 2025

In Jesus’ story of the rich man and Lazarus, the latter was a beggar. His body was covered in ulcerated, open wounds. Each day he was loaded in a cart, carried to the property of the mansion, placed on the ground, and left there. And when the servants threw scraps on the street, Lazarus hoped to snatch what he could. The sores on his flesh were horrendous, but the sores on his spirit? Daily reminded of how little he mattered in society.

But then, in a moment, destinies were reversed. Both men died, and Lazarus was “carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22 NKJV). Lazarus was comforted and healed. All wounds will be healed in Paradise.

What Happens Next

Nehemiah 10

The sealed document bore these signatures:

Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah,

Zedekiah, Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

Pashhur, Amariah, Malkijah,

Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah.

These were the priests.

9–13  The Levites:

Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

and their kinsmen: Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

14–27  The heads of the people:

Parosh, Pahath-Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai,

Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

Ahiah, Hanan, Anan,

Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.

28–30  The rest of the people, priests, Levites, security guards, singers, Temple staff, and all who separated themselves from the foreign neighbors to keep The Revelation of God, together with their wives, sons, daughters—everyone old enough to understand—all joined their noble kinsmen in a binding oath to follow The Revelation of God given through Moses the servant of God, to keep and carry out all the commandments of God our Master, all his decisions and standards. Thus:

We will not marry our daughters to our foreign neighbors nor let our sons marry their daughters.

31  When the foreign neighbors bring goods or grain to sell on the Sabbath we won’t trade with them—not on the Sabbath or any other holy day.

Every seventh year we will leave the land fallow and cancel all debts.

32–33  We accept the responsibility for paying an annual tax of one-third of a shekel (about an eighth ounce) for providing The Temple of our God with

bread for the Table

regular Grain-Offerings

regular Whole-Burnt-Offerings

offerings for the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts

Dedication-Offerings

Absolution-Offerings to atone for Israel

maintenance of The Temple of our God.

34  We—priests, Levites, and the people—have cast lots to see when each of our families will bring wood for burning on the Altar of our God, following the yearly schedule set down in The Revelation.

35–36  We take responsibility for delivering annually to The Temple of God the firstfruits of our crops and our orchards, our firstborn sons and cattle, and the firstborn from our herds and flocks for the priests who serve in The Temple of our God—just as it is set down in The Revelation.

37–39  We will bring the best of our grain, of our contributions, of the fruit of every tree, of wine, and of oil to the priests in the storerooms of The Temple of our God.

We will bring the tithes from our fields to the Levites, since the Levites are appointed to collect the tithes in the towns where we work. We’ll see to it that a priest descended from Aaron will supervise the Levites as they collect the tithes and make sure that they take a tenth of the tithes to the treasury in The Temple of our God. We’ll see to it that the People of Israel and Levites bring the grain, wine, and oil to the storage rooms where the vessels of the Sanctuary are kept and where the priests who serve, the security guards, and the choir meet.

We will not neglect The Temple of our God.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, January 07, 2025

by Tom Felten

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Job 42:1-6

Job answered God:

“I’m convinced: You can do anything and everything.

Nothing and no one can upset your plans.

You asked, ‘Who is this muddying the water,

ignorantly confusing the issue, second-guessing my purposes?’

I admit it. I was the one. I babbled on about things far beyond me,

made small talk about wonders way over my head.

You told me, ‘Listen, and let me do the talking.

Let me ask the questions. You give the answers.’

I admit I once lived by rumors of you;

now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears!

I’m sorry—forgive me. I’ll never do that again, I promise!

I’ll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor.”

Today's Insights

Job’s friends insisted that his suffering was caused by his sins (Job 3-37). Job relentlessly defended his innocence and sought his vindication from God (23:1-7). Instead of answering his questions, however, God asked Job a series of questions pertaining to His creation (chs. 38-41). Instead of providing an explanation as to why He permitted evil and suffering in this world, God revealed His character.

Job didn’t need to fully understand God’s ways, for no man can (Isaiah 55:8-9). He only needed to humble himself, seek to know God deeply, and trust Him wholeheartedly. His suffering taught him to run to God as the only sure place of refuge—the safest place to go for comfort, sustenance, and strength (Job 42:2-6). Job wasn’t given a reason for suffering, but he discovered that when life comes out short, God is enough (see Psalm 23:1, 4).

Find out more about why we believe in a God who allows suffering.

Seeing God in Creation

My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Job 42:5

Kenny stood before the congregation he’d left years before after he’d lost faith in God. He shared that his belief had been restored. How? God had touched his heart through the beauty and design he saw in creation. Kenny was in awe of Him once more through the witness of God’s general revelation seen in the natural world, and he now embraced the wisdom found in the special revelation of Scripture. After sharing his story, Kenny stepped into the tank of water at the front of the sanctuary. His father, tears of joy in his eyes, baptized him based on his faith in Jesus.

After he’d lost much in life, Job’s faith had also been shaken. He said, “I cry to you, O God, but you don’t answer. I stand before you, but you don’t even look” (Job 30:20 nlt). God “spoke to Job out of the storm” (38:1), declaring that it wasn’t about Him not seeing Job but that Job’s vision needed to be expanded as he considered God’s amazing, intricate creation. The “earth’s foundation” and the “morning stars” (vv. 4, 7) and all the creatures, plants, and waters found between (vv. 8-41), pointed to the one whom Job could trust—the God of amazing love and power. Job responded by saying, “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you” (42:5).

When doubts threaten your faith in Christ, consider the magnificence of God’s creation. He reveals Himself in it if we only have eyes to see.

Reflect & Pray

How has God revealed Himself in creation? How are awe of God and faith in Him linked?

Creator God, thank You for helping me see You in creation.

Dive into the backstory of Jesus by reading Origin Story: Following Jesus Back to the Beginning.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, January 07, 2025

Intimate with Jesus

Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip?” —John 14:9

Jesus’s words to Philip weren’t said with criticism, or even with surprise. They were an invitation: Jesus wanted Philip to embrace a more intimate relationship with him.

Before Pentecost, the disciples knew Jesus as someone who gave them power to conquer demons and start a revival (Luke 10:18–20). The intimacy they felt with him was wonderful. But there was a much closer intimacy to come. Jesus said, “I have called you friends” (John 15:15). Friendship—true friendship—is rare on earth. It involves two people identifying with each other in thought and heart and spirit. Friendship with Jesus is the whole point of spiritual discipline, yet it is often the last thing we actually seek. We receive his blessings and know his word, but do we know him?

Jesus said, “It is for your good that I am going away” (16:7). He went so that he could lead his friends to ever greater heights and purposes. It is a joy to Jesus when we follow, when we move toward closer intimacy with him. The result is always abundance: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit” (15:5).

When we are intimate with Jesus, we are never lonely, never need sympathy. We can give tirelessly, pouring ourselves out. The impression we leave behind is never of ourselves, only of the strong, calm sanity of our Lord, a sign that our souls have been entirely satisfied by him.

Genesis 18-19; Matthew 6:1-18

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

It is impossible to read too much, but always keep before you why you read. Remember that “the need to receive, recognize, and rely on the Holy Spirit” is before all else.

Approved Unto God, 11 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, January 07, 2025

Lit Up From the Inside - #9912

You don't have to watch TV very long to find out how to be a beautiful woman. They will tell you about hair, skin, mascara, teeth, and all the rest. But every once in a while, you meet a woman and there is this very special kind of beauty about her. There's a quality that is hard to put into words but really makes her special. It's kind of like a beach ball I saw the other night. You say the other night? Yeah. Actually you can use this beach ball in the dark. It has a light inside of it. It's pretty cool! It's the light inside that makes it distinctive.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Lit Up From the Inside."

There is a manual on beauty from the Inventor of men and women. And it tells us guys a lot about what it means to be a guy. As the inventor of man and woman He should know a lot about what He considers the beauty He's built in right? He knows what looks best on a man, He knows what looks best on a woman, and He knows what most appeals to a quality man. And He talks about it in our word for today from the Word of God in 1 Peter 3. I'll begin reading at verse 2. He talks about - and in this case He's speaking to women - people seeing the purity and reverence of your lives. "Your beauty," He says, "should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair (which I guess was big then), and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead it should be that of your inner self (that's that light inside); the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."

There's an echo of this in Proverbs 31 - the description of a woman who has everything going her way. It says, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised." Every once in a while you'll meet a woman who has more than just lip gloss beauty or mascara beauty. There's a glow, there's a freshness, there's a radiance that comes from deep down inside. She's lit up from the inside, you might say, and it's hard to mistake that glow. They're rare. But you know when something's rare, it's valuable, and that's almost irresistible.

But you know what, there's something wonderful about an outward beauty that is backed by a beautiful spirit. That inner glow - that magnet on the inside - first of all comes from purity this passage says, and then a sense of softness and innocence that sometimes we find less and less. There's a hardness that comes in men and women from using and being used. And then there's the glow that comes from reverence; a woman who starts her day in the presence of Almighty God. There is something, for a man or a woman, that happens inside of them over a consistent time, being with Jesus every day. You start to be like Him.

And man or woman, there's something beautiful about being a person who makes other people feel important instead of calling attention to yourself. You live to give attention, not to get attention. When Jesus takes over your life, there's a beauty treatment on the inside.

When we let Christ do a makeover - He's really good at those. And many a woman with Christ in her heart has a radiance, a magnetic glow that comes through her. That is genuine beauty. It is timeless beauty. It is unfading beauty. A solid gold woman, beautiful, not because they're made up on the outside, but because they're lit up by Jesus on the inside.

Revelation 18, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: AT HOME WITH THE LORD - January 6, 2025

When do we leave for Paradise? Immediately upon death. This was the promise Jesus gave the thief on the cross. The thief went from torture to triumph in the blink of an eye. The spirit of the believer journeys home while the body of the believer awaits the resurrection.

Paul said, “We…would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8 NIV). At the rapture our bodies will be resurrected, but Paul was not speaking of the rapture. He was describing a phase after our death and before the resurrection of our bodies. During this time we will be “at home with the Lord.” The moment believers take their final breath on earth, they have their first glimpse of Paradise.

What Happens Next

Revelation 18

Doom to the City of Darkness

1–8  18 Following this I saw another Angel descend from Heaven. His authority was immense, his glory flooded earth with brightness, his voice thunderous:

Ruined, ruined, Great Babylon, ruined!

A ghost town for demons is all that’s left!

A garrison of carrion spirits,

garrison of loathsome, carrion birds.

All nations drank the wild wine of her whoring;

kings of the earth went whoring with her;

entrepreneurs made millions exploiting her.

Just then I heard another shout out of Heaven:

Get out, my people, as fast as you can,

so you don’t get mixed up in her sins,

so you don’t get caught in her doom.

Her sins stink to high Heaven;

God has remembered every evil she’s done.

Give her back what she’s given,

double what she’s doubled in her works,

double the recipe in the cup she mixed;

Bring her flaunting and wild ways

to torment and tears.

Because she gloated, “I’m queen over all,

and no widow, never a tear on my face,”

In one day, disasters will crush her—

death, heartbreak, and famine—

Then she’ll be burned by fire, because God,

the Strong God who judges her,

has had enough.

9–10  “The kings of the earth will see the smoke of her burning, and they’ll cry and carry on, the kings who went night after night to her brothel. They’ll keep their distance for fear they’ll get burned, and they’ll cry their lament:

Doom, doom, the great city doomed!

City of Babylon, strong city!

In one hour it’s over, your judgment come!

11–17  “The traders will cry and carry on because the bottom dropped out of business, no more market for their goods: gold, silver, precious gems, pearls; fabrics of fine linen, purple, silk, scarlet; perfumed wood and vessels of ivory, precious woods, bronze, iron, and marble; cinnamon and spice, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine and oil, flour and wheat; cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots. And slaves—their terrible traffic in human lives.

Everything you’ve lived for, gone!

All delicate and delectable luxury, lost!

Not a scrap, not a thread to be found!

“The traders who made millions off her kept their distance for fear of getting burned, and cried and carried on all the more:

Doom, doom, the great city doomed!

Dressed in the latest fashions,

adorned with the finest jewels,

in one hour such wealth wiped out!

17–19  “All the ship captains and travelers by sea, sailors and toilers of the sea, stood off at a distance and cried their lament when they saw the smoke from her burning: ‘Oh, what a city! There was never a city like her!’ They threw dust on their heads and cried as if the world had come to an end:

Doom, doom, the great city doomed!

All who owned ships or did business by sea

Got rich on her getting and spending.

And now it’s over—wiped out in one hour!

20  “O Heaven, celebrate! And join in, saints, apostles, and prophets! God has judged her; every wrong you suffered from her has been judged.”

21–24  A strong Angel reached for a boulder—huge, like a millstone—and heaved it into the sea, saying,

Heaved and sunk, the great city Babylon,

sunk in the sea, not a sign of her ever again.

Silent the music of harpists and singers—

you’ll never hear flutes and trumpets again.

Artisans of every kind—gone;

you’ll never see their likes again.

The voice of a millstone grinding falls dumb;

you’ll never hear that sound again.

The light from lamps, never again;

never again laughter of bride and groom.

Her traders robbed the whole earth blind,

and by black-magic arts deceived the nations.

The only thing left of Babylon is blood—

the blood of saints and prophets,

the murdered and the martyred.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, January 06, 2025

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Matthew 2:1-11

by Alyson Kieda

Today's Insights

Matthew’s gospel emphasizes gentile (non-Jewish) inclusion into God’s redemption story. His genealogy, for example, highlights three gentile women—Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth (Matthew 1:3, 5). And Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, was previously married to a gentile, Uriah the Hittite (v. 6). In Matthew 2, gentiles—the magi (who may have been members of the Persian royal court)—come to worship Jesus (vv. 1-2). By highlighting gentile inclusion in Christ’s story, Matthew leads his readers to the good news that God’s redemption is for all people and His followers are called to “make disciples of all nations” (28:19).

Little Town of Bethlehem

Bethlehem, . . . out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. Matthew 2:6

Phillips Brooks wrote the lyrics to the beloved carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem” after visiting Bethlehem. Brooks, pastor of a church in the United States, was so moved by his experience that he wrote this to his Sunday school students: “I remember . . . on Christmas Eve, when I was standing in the old church at Bethlehem, close to the spot where Jesus was born, when the whole church was ringing hour after hour with the splendid hymns of praise to God, how again and again it seemed as if I could hear voices that I knew well, telling each other of the ‘Wonderful Night’ of the Savior’s birth.”

In 1868, Brooks put his thoughts into a poem, and his church organist set it to music. The song spoke stillness and peace into the unsettling aftermath of the American Civil War: “O little town of Bethlehem / How still we see thee lie! / . . . The hopes and fears of all the years / Are met in thee tonight.”

Matthew wrote of our Savior’s birth in Bethlehem in Matthew 2. When the “Magi from the east” (v. 1) followed the star to Bethlehem (see Micah 5:2), “they were overjoyed” to find Jesus (Matthew 2:10).

Today, as we celebrate Epiphany, we too need the glorious news of our Savior’s birth. As the hymn reminds us, He came to “cast out our sin and enter in” and “be born in us.” In Him, we find peace.

Reflect & Pray

Where in your life do you need the peace the Savior offers? What aspect of Jesus’ story touches you most?

Dear Jesus, thank You for the hope and peace You’ve brought to me.

True peace can only be found in Jesus, learn more by reading The Peace that Jesus Brings.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, January 06, 2025

Worship

He . . . pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord. —Genesis 12:8

Bethel is the symbol of communion with God; Ai is the symbol of the world. Abraham pitched his tent between the two, knowing that the value of his public activity for God depended on the moments of profound private communion spent with him.

The two things—private worship and public work—went together in Abraham’s life, just as they did in the life of Christ. Too many of us think that in order to worship we have to drop out of our everyday lives, to flee Ai and go deep into Bethel, that quiet fortress where nothing and no one can disturb us.

This way of thinking may be a trap. There is always time to worship, no matter where we are or what we’re doing. Rush is wrong every time. Instead of jumping around like spiritual frogs, from working to waiting to worshipping, we should strive to live as Jesus did: unhurrying and unyielding, his entire existence an act of worship.

Worship is giving God the best he has given you. Be careful what you do with the best you have. If you try to keep a blessing for yourself, it will turn into spiritual rot, just as the manna rotted when the Israelites hoarded it (Exodus 16). Offer it back to God as a love gift, in a deliberate act of worship, and he will make it a blessing to others.

Genesis 16-17; Matthew 5:27-48

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Sincerity means that the appearance and the reality are exactly the same.

Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, January 06, 2025

The Hug of a Holy God - #9911

I don't think I've ever "teared up" during a President's State of the Union Address to Congress - until that unforgettable moment during President George W. Bush's State of the Union early in 2005. For me, it had absolutely nothing to do with politics. It was just an intensely human moment that almost transcended politics.

At one point in his speech, he paid tribute to the Iraqi people for their courage in going to the polls in the face of incredible danger. Then, the President introduced a guest that was sitting in the gallery next to the First Lady - a woman who had been an Iraqi freedom activist for eleven years at that time - since Saddam Hussein had her father executed. She stood with her index finger in the air, still tinted with that identifying purple dye of someone who had voted. She was very moved by the standing ovation from everyone in that chamber.

And then a few moments later, the President paid tribute to the soldiers who had died in Iraq and then to their grieving families. At that point, he introduced a couple seated behind the woman from Iraq - their Marine son had died in the Fallujah campaign. They stood as representatives of all those families who had lost a son or daughter in Iraq. And then that mother leaned over to the front row and embraced the martyr's daughter from Iraq. They remained there just crying together, buried in each other's arms as the elected national leadership of the United States stood to their feet in a long and thunderous ovation. That's when I lost it.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Hug of a Holy God."

What a picture! The one whose son died embracing one he died for. I think one reason I found that so moving is because I can see myself in that picture - embraced by the God whose Son died, and I'm the one that He died for, and so are you. The question is have you ever acknowledged the sacrifice that was made for you? Have you ever stepped into your Heavenly Father's waiting arms? He's got so much love He's been waiting to give you. He's got the love you may have spent a whole life looking for.

God's welcoming embrace cost Him the most precious thing He had - His one and only Son. Listen to these beautiful words from 1 John 4, beginning with verse 9, our word for today from the Word of God. "This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him." Why don't you put your name in that verse? "He sent His one and only Son that (there's your name) might live through Him. He loved (there's your name) and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." Like that mother at the State of the Union Address, God's the One whose Son died. But God's Son chose to die, because it was the only way your sins could be paid for other than you paying for them forever in hell.

The cross was for you. To ignore that sacrifice will cost you heaven. To depend on the good things you try to do for God instead of the amazing thing God did for you means you will pay the death penalty for your sin that Jesus already died to pay.

And now the One whose Son died waits to embrace the one He died for. In fact, He's been waiting for you for a long time. Let today be the day you finally experience His awesome love for yourself. Tell Him you know you've broken His laws and you've run your life your way, and that you want to change. Tell Him you're pinning all your hopes for eternity on the Savior who died for you. What an unforgettable day this could be for you.

I would love to help walk you through beginning that relationship. That's what our website is there for. Would you go there today? It's ANewStory.com. I want you to know when you go to bed tonight beyond any shadow of a doubt that you belong to Jesus Christ.

God gave His very best for you. Don't walk away from His waiting arms. Not after the price that He paid to love you.

Nehemiah 9, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado: Doubt—An Unwanted Visitor

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. Hebrews 10:23

Doubt. He’s a lousy neighbor. An unwanted visitor. An obnoxious guest. And he’ll pester you. He’ll irritate you. He’ll criticize your judgment.

His aim is not to convince you, but to confuse you. He doesn’t offer solutions. Doubt only raises questions.

Had any visit from this fellow lately? If you find yourself going to church in order to be saved and not because you’re saved, then you’ve been listening to him.

If you find yourself doubting that God could forgive you again for that, you’ve been sold some snake oil.

If you’re more cynical about Christians than sincere about Christ, then guess who came to dinner?

I suggest you put a lock on your gate. I suggest you post a “Do not enter” sign on your door! Say no to doubt.

Nehemiah 9

 Then on the twenty-fourth day of this month, the People of Israel gathered for a fast, wearing burlap and faces smudged with dirt as signs of repentance. The Israelites broke off all relations with foreigners, stood up, and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their parents. While they stood there in their places, they read from the Book of The Revelation of God, their God, for a quarter of the day. For another quarter of the day they confessed and worshiped their God.

4–5  A group of Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani—stood on the platform and cried out to God, their God, in a loud voice. The Levites Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, “On your feet! Bless God, your God, for ever and ever!”

5–6  Blessed be your glorious name,

exalted above all blessing and praise!

You’re the one,

God, you alone;

You made the heavens,

the heavens of heavens, and all angels;

The earth and everything on it,

the seas and everything in them;

You keep them all alive;

heaven’s angels worship you!

7–8  You’re the one, God, the God

who chose Abram

And brought him from Ur of the Chaldees

and changed his name to Abraham.

You found his heart to be steady and true to you

and signed a covenant with him,

A covenant to give him the land of the Canaanites,

the Hittites, and the Amorites,

The Perizzites, Jebusites, and Girgashites,

—to give it to his descendants.

And you kept your word

because you are righteous.

9–15  You saw the anguish of our parents in Egypt.

You heard their cries at the Red Sea;

You amazed Pharaoh, his servants, and the people of his land

with wonders and miracle-signs.

You knew their bullying arrogance against your people;

you made a name for yourself that lasts to this day.

You split the sea before them;

they crossed through and never got their feet wet;

You pitched their pursuers into the deep;

they sank like a rock in the storm-tossed sea.

By day you led them with a Pillar of Cloud,

and by night with a Pillar of Fire

To show them the way

they were to travel.

You came down onto Mount Sinai,

you spoke to them out of heaven;

You gave them instructions on how to live well,

true teaching, sound rules and commands;

You introduced them

to your Holy Sabbath;

Through your servant Moses you decreed

commands, rules, and instruction.

You gave bread from heaven for their hunger,

you sent water from the rock for their thirst.

You told them to enter and take the land,

which you promised to give them.

16–19  But they, our ancestors, were arrogant;

bullheaded, they wouldn’t obey your commands.

They turned a deaf ear, they refused

to remember the miracles you had done for them;

They turned stubborn, got it into their heads

to return to their Egyptian slavery.

And you, a forgiving God,

gracious and compassionate,

Incredibly patient, with tons of love—

you didn’t dump them.

Yes, even when they cast a sculpted calf

and said, “This is your god

Who brought you out of Egypt,”

and continued from bad to worse,

You in your amazing compassion

didn’t walk off and leave them in the desert.

The Pillar of Cloud didn’t leave them;

daily it continued to show them their route;

The Pillar of Fire did the same by night,

showed them the right way to go.

20–23  You gave them your good Spirit

to teach them to live wisely.

You never stinted with your manna,

gave them plenty of water to drink.

You supported them forty years in that desert;

they had everything they needed;

Their clothes didn’t wear out

and their feet never blistered.

You gave them kingdoms and peoples,

establishing generous boundaries.

They took over the country of Sihon king of Heshbon

and the country of Og king of Bashan.

You multiplied children for them,

rivaling the stars in the night skies,

And you brought them into the land

that you promised their ancestors

they would get and own.

24–25  Well, they entered all right,

they took it and settled in.

The Canaanites who lived there

you brought to their knees before them.

You turned over their land, kings, and peoples

to do with as they pleased.

They took strong cities and fertile fields,

they took over well-furnished houses,

Cisterns, vineyards, olive groves,

and lush, extensive orchards.

And they ate, grew fat on the fat of the land;

they reveled in your bountiful goodness.

26–31  But then they mutinied, rebelled against you,

threw out your laws and killed your prophets,

The very prophets who tried to get them back on your side—

and then things went from bad to worse.

You turned them over to their enemies,

who made life rough for them.

But when they called out for help in their troubles

you listened from heaven;

And in keeping with your bottomless compassion

you gave them saviors:

Saviors who saved them

from the cruel abuse of their enemies.

But as soon as they had it easy again

they were right back at it—more evil.

So you turned away and left them again to their fate,

to the enemies who came right back.

They cried out to you again; in your great compassion

you heard and helped them again.

This went on over and over and over.

You warned them to return to your Revelation,

they responded with haughty arrogance:

They flouted your commands, spurned your rules

—the very words by which men and women live!

They set their jaws in defiance,

they turned their backs on you and didn’t listen.

You put up with them year after year

and warned them by your spirit through your prophets;

But when they refused to listen

you abandoned them to foreigners.

Still, because of your great compassion,

you didn’t make a total end to them.

You didn’t walk out and leave them for good;

yes, you are a God of grace and compassion.

32–37  And now, our God, the great God,

God majestic and terrible, loyal in covenant and love,

Don’t treat lightly the trouble that has come to us,

to our kings and princes, our priests and prophets,

Our ancestors, and all your people from the time

of the Assyrian kings right down to today.

You are not to blame

for all that has come down on us;

You did everything right,

we did everything wrong.

None of our kings, princes, priests, or ancestors

followed your Revelation;

They ignored your commands,

dismissed the warnings you gave them.

Even when they had their own kingdom

and were enjoying your generous goodness,

Living in that spacious and fertile land

that you spread out before them,

They didn’t serve you

or turn their backs on the practice of evil.

And here we are, slaves again today;

and here’s the land you gave our ancestors

So they could eat well and enjoy a good life,

and now look at us—no better than slaves on this land.

Its wonderful crops go to the kings

you put over us because of our sins;

They act like they own our bodies

and do whatever they like with our cattle.

We’re in deep trouble.

38  “Because of all this we are drawing up a binding pledge, a sealed document signed by our princes, our Levites, and our priests.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Sunday, January 05, 2025

by Marvin Williams

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Psalm 139:1-12

God, investigate my life;

get all the facts firsthand.

I’m an open book to you;

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

You know when I leave and when I get back;

I’m never out of your sight.

You know everything I’m going to say

before I start the first sentence.

I look behind me and you’re there,

then up ahead and you’re there, too—

your reassuring presence, coming and going.

This is too much, too wonderful—

I can’t take it all in!

7–12  Is there any place I can go to avoid your Spirit?

to be out of your sight?

If I climb to the sky, you’re there!

If I go underground, you’re there!

If I flew on morning’s wings

to the far western horizon,

You’d find me in a minute—

you’re already there waiting!

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

At night I’m immersed in the light!”

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

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

Today's Insights

Psalm 139 is one of the most intimate of the psalms. Such closeness comes through in David’s extensive use of second- and first-person pronouns. John Stott makes this observation in his book Authentic Christianity: “ Psalm 139 is arguably the most radical statement in the Old Testament of God’s personal relationship to the individual. Personal pronouns and possessives occur in the first person (I, me, my) forty-six times and in the second person (you, yours) thirty-two times.” This intimacy prompts the psalmist’s praise (vv. 14, 17-18) and prayers that consider his and God’s enemies (vv. 19-22) and his desire for deeper communion with Him: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (vv. 23-24).

God Knows Everything

You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. Psalm 139:3 nlt

God truly knows all. But according to an article in The Wall Street Journal, the National Security Agency knows a great deal about us as well through our smartphone data trails. Everyone who owns a cell phone creates “metadata” that leaves a “digital trail.” While each individual crumb of data might seem insignificant, when it’s combined and analyzed, it provides “one of the most powerful investigative tools ever devised.” By tracing our metadata, investigators can pinpoint where we’ve been or where we are at any given moment.

Far more superior than the NSA’s digital trail analysis, David said God knows where we are in relation to Him. In Psalm 139, he addresses a prayer to God, the one who alone can search and examine what’s going on inside of us (v. 1). The psalmist wrote, “Search me, God, and know my heart” (v. 23). He knows everything about us (vv. 2-6), is present everywhere (vv. 7-12), and “created [our] inmost being” (vv. 13-16). His thoughts are higher than our human understanding (vv. 17-18), and He’s even with us as we face our enemies (vv. 19-22).  

Because God is all-knowing, ever-present, and all-powerful, He knows exactly where we’ve been, what we’ve been doing, and what we’re made of. But He’s also a loving Father who will help us walk in His ways. Let’s follow Him down the trail of life today.

Reflect & Pray

How does it encourage you to know God truly knows you? How are you walking with Him?

Dear God, thank You for loving me even though You know all about me. Please help me to walk well with You.

Discover how God knows and sees all with this video.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, January 05, 2025

Not Now, but Later

Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later. —John 13:36

When Peter first encountered Jesus, he was fascinated. Jesus said, “Follow me,” and Peter went easily. Then he denied Jesus three times, his heart broke, and fascination turned to shame. When Jesus called to him again, Peter could go only because he’d received the Holy Spirit. The first time Peter followed, there was nothing mystical about it. The second was based on a supernatural change, an internal martyrdom made possible by the Spirit (John 21:18).

Between these two moments, Peter denied Jesus with oaths and curses. He came to the limits of himself, the end of his human power. Destitute and empty, realizing he could no longer trust himself, he was finally ready to receive the gift of the Spirit. “[Jesus] breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (20:22). Now, when Peter looked to Jesus, all he saw was Jesus: not the dreams that had enchanted him before, not a vision of himself playing the devoted follower. God had changed Peter, awakening shame and self-knowledge inside him. Yet even these changes Peter knew not to count on. He’d learned to count only on a person—on Jesus himself—and on the Spirit he gives.

“Receive the Holy Spirit”: it is an invasion, one that cannot happen until we come to the end of ourselves. We must come to this end not just in our imaginations but really. When we do, we realize that, in fact, we never did have any power of our own. That’s why all our vows and resolutions ended in failure.

Now, on the other side of that failure, we see clearly. Only one star shines in our sky—our lodestar, Jesus Christ.

Genesis 13-15; Matthew 5:1-26

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

We must keep ourselves in touch, not with theories, but with people, and never get out of touch with human beings, if we are going to use the word of God skilfully amongst them. 

Workmen of God, 1341 L

Nehemiah 8,Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado: God’s Best Idea

Grace is God’s best idea.  Rather than tell us to change, he creates the change!  Do we clean up so God can accept us?  No, he accepts us and begins cleaning us up.  His dream isn’t just to get you into heaven, but to get heaven into you. Can’t forgive your enemy?  Can’t face tomorrow? Can’t forgive your past?  Christ can.  Forgiven people, forgive people.  Deep sighs of relief happen when grace happens.  We still stumble aplenty, but we despair seldom.  Grace changes everything!  To be saved by grace is to be saved by Christ—not by an idea, doctrine, or church membership, but by Jesus Himself. I have no tips on how to get grace. Truth is, we don’t get grace. But it sure can get us!  If you wonder whether God can do something with the mess of your life, then grace is what you need.

“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!  Amen. Ephesians 3:20?

From GRACE

Nehemiah 8

Ezra and The Revelation

1  8 By the time the seventh month arrived, the People of Israel were settled in their towns. Then all the people gathered as one person in the town square in front of the Water Gate and asked the scholar Ezra to bring the Book of The Revelation of Moses that God had commanded for Israel.

2–3  So Ezra the priest brought The Revelation to the congregation, which was made up of both men and women—everyone capable of understanding. It was the first day of the seventh month. He read it facing the town square at the Water Gate from early dawn until noon in the hearing of the men and women, all who could understand it. And all the people listened—they were all ears—to the Book of The Revelation.

4  The scholar Ezra stood on a wooden platform constructed for the occasion. He was flanked on the right by Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, and on the left by Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

5–6  Ezra opened the book. Every eye was on him (he was standing on the raised platform) and as he opened the book everyone stood. Then Ezra praised God, the great God, and all the people responded, “Oh Yes! Yes!” with hands raised high. And then they fell to their knees in worship of God, their faces to the ground.

7–8  Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, all Levites, explained The Revelation while people stood, listening respectfully. They translated the Book of The Revelation of God so the people could understand it and then explained the reading.

9  Nehemiah the governor, along with Ezra the priest and scholar and the Levites who were teaching the people, said to all the people, “This day is holy to God, your God. Don’t weep and carry on.” They said this because all the people were weeping as they heard the words of The Revelation.

10  He continued, “Go home and prepare a feast, holiday food and drink; and share it with those who don’t have anything: This day is holy to God. Don’t feel bad. The joy of God is your strength!”

11  The Levites calmed the people, “Quiet now. This is a holy day. Don’t be upset.”

12  So the people went off to feast, eating and drinking and including the poor in a great celebration. Now they got it; they understood the reading that had been given to them.

13–15  On the second day of the month the family heads of all the people, the priests, and the Levites gathered around Ezra the scholar to get a deeper understanding of the words of The Revelation. They found written in The Revelation that God commanded through Moses that the People of Israel are to live in booths during the festival of the seventh month. So they published this decree and had it posted in all their cities and in Jerusalem: “Go into the hills and collect olive branches, pine branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and any other leafy branches to make booths, as it is written.”

16–17  So the people went out, brought in branches, and made themselves booths on their roofs, courtyards, the courtyards of The Temple of God, the Water Gate plaza, and the Ephraim Gate plaza. The entire congregation that had come back from exile made booths and lived in them. The People of Israel hadn’t done this from the time of Joshua son of Nun until that very day—a terrific day! Great joy!

18  Ezra read from the Book of The Revelation of God each day, from the first to the last day—they celebrated the feast for seven days. On the eighth day they held a solemn assembly in accordance with the decree.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Saturday, January 04, 2025

by Xochitl Dixon

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

1 Chronicles 29:10-16

David blessed God in full view of the entire congregation:

Blessed are you, God of Israel, our father

from of old and forever.

To you, O God, belong the greatness and the might,

the glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor;

Yes! Everything in heaven, everything on earth;

the kingdom all yours! You’ve raised yourself high over all.

Riches and glory come from you,

you’re ruler over all;

You hold strength and power in the palm of your hand

to build up and strengthen all.

And here we are, O God, our God, giving thanks to you,

praising your splendid Name.

14–19  “But me—who am I, and who are these my people, that we should presume to be giving something to you? Everything comes from you; all we’re doing is giving back what we’ve been given from your generous hand. As far as you’re concerned, we’re homeless, shiftless wanderers like our ancestors, our lives mere shadows, hardly anything to us. God, our God, all these materials—these piles of stuff for building a house of worship for you, honoring your Holy Name—it all came from you! It was all yours in the first place!

Today's Insights

David gathered “all the officials of Israel” (1 Chronicles 28:1) to address the temple project (ch. 28; 29:1-9) and to crown Solomon as king (29:21-25). David provided large amounts of the kingdom’s resources and also gave “[his] personal treasures of gold and silver . . . over and above everything [he’d] provided” (v. 3). Following his example, the leaders also gave their resources “freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord” (v. 9). He then led the whole assembly in heartfelt worship—praising God and extolling His greatness, eternality, power, glory, and sovereignty (vv. 10-13). David humbly acknowledged that God owns everything! Whatever they gave back to Him was simply returning to Him what He’d generously given to them in the first place (vv. 14-16).

Giving Back to God

Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand. 1 Chronicles 29:14

One year, the leaders of our congregation invited us to give gifts, in addition to our regular weekly offerings, to build a new gymnasium—a space we could use to minister to the families in our community. After prayerfully considering the medical expenses caused by living with a disability, I asked my husband, “Are you sure we can do this?” He nodded. “We’re not giving God anything that’s not already His,” he said. “He’ll provide all we need.” And He did! Over a decade later, our church family still has the privilege of serving Jesus by serving people in that facility.

In 1 Chronicles 29, King David showed the leaders of Israel his commitment to support his son Solomon as his God-chosen successor and the builder of the temple (vv. 1-5). Everyone followed suit, “gave willingly,” and “rejoiced” (vv. 6, 9). David praised God and declared that “everything in heaven and earth” belonged to Him (v. 11). He prayed: “Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you” (v. 16).

As we consider all God has done and given to us, specifically the gift of a personal relationship with Jesus, we can express our worship and show our gratitude and love by simply giving back to God, the Giver of all good things!

Reflect & Pray

How does acknowledging that all things belong to God change the way you view giving? How can expressing your gratitude through giving change you? 

Loving God, thank You for being a generous and faithful provider.

Join Discover the Word in their discussion on how Generosity Is The Cure For Selfishness.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Saturday, January 04, 2025

Why Can’t I Follow Now?

Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now?” —John 13:37

There are times when we can’t do what we want, and we don’t understand why. When this happens, wait. It is God who brings these blank spaces into our lives, and it is God who must fill them.

A blank space might come before we are sanctified, to teach us what sanctification means. Or it might come after, to teach us what service means. Whatever the reason, we must not try to fill it on our own. Never run before God’s guidance. If there is the slightest doubt, then he is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt, don’t.

Sometimes, we have a clear picture of an outcome God wants for us—the end of a certain friendship or business relationship, for example—but we are not sure about how God wants to accomplish it. If it isn’t clear that God wishes us to act, we must wait. If we act impulsively, on a feeling, we will end up causing difficulties that could take years to put right. Wait for God, and he will accomplish the task without any heartbreak or disappointment.

In John 13, Peter doesn’t want to wait. “I will lay down my life for you,” he declares to Jesus (v. 37). It’s an honest declaration, but an ignorant one: Peter doesn’t know himself as Jesus does. “Jesus answered . . . ‘Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!’” (v. 38). The feeling Peter wants to act on, his natural devotion to Jesus, is a good one. But Jesus wants him to act on something else—not devotion but discipleship. He uses the blank space, the “not now,” to discipline Peter and bring about the thing Peter wants in the proper way and at the proper time.

Genesis 10-12; Matthew 4

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

We are all based on a conception of importance, either our own importance, or the importance of someone else; Jesus tells us to go and teach based on the revelation of His importance. “All power is given unto Me.… Go ye therefore ….” 

So Send I You, 1325 R

Nehemiah 7, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: WHERE IS PARADISE? - January 3, 2025

Where is Paradise? Well the Bible refers to three kinds of heaven. There is an atmospheric heaven—the sky, the breathable atmosphere that blankets the earth. There is a planetary heaven that encompasses our mighty and majestic universe.

And then there is the third heaven: Paradise. It exists outside our physical universe. Paul was privileged to have a peek into this realm. What he experienced was so otherworldly that he was prohibited to share the details. Paradise is not the domain of the dead but the land of superabundant life. It is almost heaven, but not quite. It is grand, but temporary lodging. A universe forever purged of sin and populated by lovers of God.

What Happens Next

Nehemiah 7

The Wall Rebuilt: Names and Numbers

1–2  7 After the wall was rebuilt and I had installed the doors, and the security guards, the singers, and the Levites were appointed, I put my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the captain of the citadel, in charge of Jerusalem because he was an honest man and feared God more than most men.

3  I gave them this order: “Don’t open the gates of Jerusalem until the sun is up. And shut and bar the gates while the guards are still on duty. Appoint the guards from the citizens of Jerusalem and assign them to posts in front of their own homes.”

4  The city was large and spacious with only a few people in it and the houses not yet rebuilt.

5  God put it in my heart to gather the nobles, the officials, and the people in general to be registered. I found the genealogical record of those who were in the first return from exile. This is the record I found:

6–60  These are the people of the province who returned from the captivity of the Exile, the ones Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried off captive; they came back to Jerusalem and Judah, each going to his own town. They came back in the company of Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, and Baanah.

The numbers of the men of the People of Israel by families of origin:

Parosh, 2,172

Shephatiah, 372

Arah, 652

Pahath-Moab (sons of Jeshua and Joab), 2,818

Elam, 1,254

Zattu, 845

Zaccai, 760

Binnui, 648

Bebai, 628

Azgad, 2,322

Adonikam, 667

Bigvai, 2,067

Adin, 655

Ater (sons of Hezekiah), 98

Hashum, 328

Bezai, 324

Hariph, 112

Gibeon, 95.

Israelites identified by place of origin:

Bethlehem and Netophah, 188

Anathoth, 128

Beth Azmaveth, 42

Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth, 743

Ramah and Geba, 621

Micmash, 122

Bethel and Ai, 123

Nebo (the other one), 52

Elam (the other one), 1,254

Harim, 320

Jericho, 345

Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 721

Senaah, 3,930.

Priestly families:

Jedaiah (sons of Jeshua), 973

Immer, 1,052

Pashhur, 1,247

Harim, 1,017.

Levitical families:

Jeshua (sons of Kadmiel and of Hodaviah), 74.

Singers:

Asaph’s family line, 148.

Security guard families:

Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai, 138.

Families of support staff:

Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,

Keros, Sia, Padon,

Lebana, Hagaba, Shalmai,

Hanan, Giddel, Gahar,

Reaiah, Rezin, Nekoda,

Gazzam, Uzza, Paseah,

Besai, Meunim, Nephussim,

Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,

Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,

Barkos, Sisera, Temah,

Neziah, and Hatipha.

Families of Solomon’s servants:

Sotai, Sophereth, Perida,

Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,

Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and Amon.

The Temple support staff and Solomon’s servants added up to 392.

61–63  These are those who came from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer. They weren’t able to prove their ancestry, whether they were true Israelites or not:

The sons of Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, 642.

Likewise with these priestly families:

The sons of Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai, who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and took that name.

64–65  They looked high and low for their family records but couldn’t find them. And so they were barred from priestly work as ritually unclean. The governor ruled that they could not eat from the holy food until a priest could determine their status by using the Urim and Thummim.

66–69  The total count for the congregation was 42,360. That did not include the male and female slaves who numbered 7,337. There were also 245 male and female singers. And there were 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

70–72  Some of the heads of families made voluntary offerings for the work. The governor made a gift to the treasury of 1,000 drachmas of gold (about nineteen pounds), 50 bowls, and 530 garments for the priests. Some of the heads of the families made gifts to the treasury for the work; it came to 20,000 drachmas of gold and 2,200 minas of silver (about one and a third tons). Gifts from the rest of the people totaled 20,000 drachmas of gold (about 375 pounds), 2,000 minas of silver, and 67 garments for the priests.

73  The priests, Levites, security guards, singers, and Temple support staff, along with some others, and the rest of the People of Israel, all found a place to live in their own towns.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Friday, January 03, 2025

by Karen Huang

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

John 16:31-33

Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”

Today's Insights

In John 16, as Jesus addressed His disciples’ fears and the grief and suffering that would come during and after His death, it’s noteworthy that nowhere did He suggest they’d be rescued from experiencing fear and pain. As Christ faced death, they’d abandon Him in terror—“leave [Him] all alone” (John 16:32). The grief they’d experience from His death was unavoidable—they’d “weep and mourn while the world [rejoiced]” (v. 20).

Instead of a comfort based on escaping suffering, however, Jesus offered His disciples hope rooted in His resurrection (16:22). They couldn’t avoid the pain they’d experience, but because Christ has “overcome the world” (16:33), their suffering would be like that of childbirth—the pain wouldn’t be purposeless but would “turn to joy” (v. 20)—tremendous joy that “no one will take away” (v. 22).

Fear of the Unknown

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Fear woke me at 3 a.m. on the first day of the new year. The year ahead weighed heavily on me, overwhelming me with dread. Illness in the family had long wearied me, and now, thoughts of the future made me afraid. Will more bad things happen? I wondered.

Jesus’ disciples understood the fear of bad things happening. Even though their Master had prepared and reassured them the day before He died, they were still afraid. They fled when He was arrested (Matthew 26:56); Peter denied Him (John 18:15-17, 25-27), and they went into hiding (20:19). Their fear during the upheaval of Jesus’ arrest and crucifixion, as well as of persecution, led them to act contrary to His command to “take heart” and His promise, “I have overcome the world” (16:33).

But Christ’s death and resurrection proved His authority and power over life and death. He has the ultimate victory. Even though the sinful state of our world makes suffering a certainty, we can rest in the truth that all things are subject to the authority of our wise and loving God. Jesus’ presence is with us (16:32-33), just as it was with His disciples, who later confidently went on to share the gospel to the world. May God’s promise that He’s in control strengthen our hearts to trust Him in this new year and be courageous even when we don’t know what the future will bring.

Reflect & Pray

What’s your response to difficulty, suffering, and trials? What would “taking heart” look like for you?

Thank You, Jesus, for helping me with my fears and for showing me how to live courageously.

Visit ODBU.org/OT315 for further study on suffering and trials from the book of Job.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Friday, January 03, 2025

The Grace of God’s Forgetting

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. —Ephesians 2:8

No one can be saved by their own efforts. We have the sneaking idea that we can earn God’s favor by praying or by believing, by obeying or by repenting. But the only way we get into his favor is by the free gift of his almighty grace.

It takes some of us a long time to understand that we don’t deserve to be saved, and that nothing we do can make us deserving. We say to God, “I really am sorry for what I’ve done. I really am sick of myself.” If only this were true! We have to become sick to death of ourselves, even to the point of despair, even to the point where we can do nothing. Then we will be in the exact right state for receiving his overflowing grace. “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace” (Ephesians 1:7).

Think of what God’s forgiveness means: it means he forgets away all our sins. Forgetting, in the human mind, may be a defect; in the divine mind it is an attribute. God illustrates it through vibrant images drawn from his creation: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist” (Isaiah 44:22).

When we think of forgetting in human terms, we place limits on God’s grace that don’t exist. His overflowing grace never ends. When God forgets our sins, he forgets them completely: “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool” (Isaiah 1:18). This is the grace of God’s forgetting.

Genesis 7–9; Matthew 3

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Defenders of the faith are inclined to be bitter until they learn to walk in the light of the Lord. When you have learned to walk in the light of the Lord, bitterness and contention are impossible.

Biblical Psychology, 199 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Friday, January 03, 2025

THE RIGHT WORD FOR SEX - #9910

It's amazing how creative parents can become when it's time to explain the facts of life to a child, and they really get creative when it comes to the vocabulary they choose. Now, we tell our kids that an ear is an ear, a leg is a leg, an elbow is an elbow and so on. But when it comes time to explain the more private parts of the body and the facts-of-life talk, we have a hard time using the right words. Frankly, I've heard some pretty weird names for human anatomy. Words invented, I guess, by a red-faced parent, but not recognized by any doctor on the planet. You know, it's good to use the right words when it comes to sex, especially the one that really counts - the Bible does.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Right Word For Sex."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from the very beginning of man and woman, Genesis 4:1. It says, "Adam knew his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain." Now, the word "knew" obviously is referring to their sexual relationship - sexual intercourse between a man and a woman - Adam and Eve. We are looking in the book of Genesis at sex before it got spoiled, and ruined, and devalued; sex as it was meant to be, still unspoiled, still the best. And the word that's used for a sexual relationship between a man and woman is the word "know"... "Adam knew Eve."

When two people join themselves together physically, it's designed by God to be the ultimate "knowing" of two people. And when two people have sex that isn't based on a deep, intimate friendship and commitment, they don't go all the way. They don't go one-eighth of the way, because they don't have a lifetime of knowing each other that they're expressing through this awesome language of love. The Hebrew word is "yadah." It speaks of an intimacy of two people who know each other as they really are; a deep, personal, intimate, experiential knowledge of another person. That's why God designed sex for a lifetime commitment. He put a fence around sex called marriage.

And ironically, when you take sex out of marriage, outside the fence, it actually slows down or even eliminates the "knowing" process. It keeps you from getting to know a person, because the physical just takes over. The relationship becomes more self-centered. Couples stop talking, and often they end up marrying a stranger, because they've never really had a friend of the opposite sex. It's not knowing, it's using. The result is lonely relationships and even lonely marriages; people who have never had a friendship with the opposite sex and maybe never will.

And when the physical starts to be strong in a relationship, it will often mask the weaknesses in that relationship. Many people have married the wrong person because their passion blinded them. They were kept from really ever knowing the other person, and they made a life-long mistake. Remember, the Inventor always knows best, and the Inventor of sex knows best: two people in a lifetime committed knowing experience.

Anything less is a cheap, twisted, disappointing counterfeit. The Bible says to know someone as your best friend forever... now, that's the right word for sex.