Genesis 34 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: What Pleases a Father

When our daughters were young, Denalyn went away for a couple of days and left me alone with the girls. Though the time was not without the typical children’s quarrels and occasional misbehavior, it went fine.

“How were the girls?” Denalyn asked when she got home. “Good. No problem at all.” Jenna overheard me. “We weren’t good, Daddy,” she objected. “We fought once; we didn’t do what you said once. We weren’t good.”

Jenna and I had different perceptions of what pleases a father. She thought it depended on what she did. It didn’t. We think the same about God. We think His love rises and falls with our performance. It doesn’t. I didn’t love Jenna for what she did. I loved her—and love her still—for whose she is. She’s mine. God loves you for the same reason. He loves you for whose you are; and you are His child!

From Dad Time

Genesis 34

Dinah and the Shechemites

Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. 2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her. 3 His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. 4 And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”

5 When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.

6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob. 7 Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in[e] Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.

8 But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. 9 Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade[f] in it, and acquire property in it.”

11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask. 12 Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”

13 Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. 14 They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us. 15 We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males. 16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you. 17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”

18 Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 19 The young man, who was the most honored of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to speak to the men of their city. 21 “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it; the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours. 22 But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised, as they themselves are. 23 Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.”

24 All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.

25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. 26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left. 27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where[g] their sister had been defiled. 28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields. 29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses.

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read Colossians 3:8-17

But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Insight

Today’s reading reminds us of two influences in our lives (vv.9-10). One is “the old man,” that is, the person we were before trusting Christ. The other is “the new man” who is becoming more like Christ. We are to “put off” the behavior patterns of our old ways and “put on” the new character qualities of Christ.

Restored By The Master

By David C. McCasland

[You] have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. —Colossians 3:10

Over the centuries, many attempts have been made to restore damaged and time-worn masterpieces of art. While some of these efforts have skillfully preserved the original work of artists, others have actually damaged many works of genius, including ancient Greek statues and at least two paintings by da Vinci.

In Paul’s letter to the Christians at Colosse, he described a restoration process that is impossible in the world of art. It’s a restoration of God’s people. Paul wrote, “You have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Col. 3:9-10). This is no attempt at renovating the work of a deceased artist. It is a spiritual renewal from the living God who created us and gave us new life in His Son, Jesus Christ. His forgiveness brightens the colors of our lives while His grace sharpens the lines of His purpose for us.

The canvas of our lives is in the skilled hands of our Lord who knows who and what He designed us to be. No matter how sin-damaged and dirty we may be, there is hope for renewal and restoration. The Master Artist is alive and at work within us.

Praise, my soul, the King of heaven,

To His feet thy tribute bring;

Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,

Evermore His praises sing. —Lyte

Jesus specializes in restoration.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, June 23, 2014

He is . . . a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief —Isaiah 53:3

We are not “acquainted with grief” in the same way our Lord was acquainted with it. We endure it and live through it, but we do not become intimate with it. At the beginning of our lives we do not bring ourselves to the point of dealing with the reality of sin. We look at life through the eyes of reason and say that if a person will control his instincts, and educate himself, he can produce a life that will slowly evolve into the life of God. But as we continue on through life, we find the presence of something which we have not yet taken into account, namely, sin— and it upsets all of our thinking and our plans. Sin has made the foundation of our thinking unpredictable, uncontrollable, and irrational.

We have to recognize that sin is a fact of life, not just a shortcoming. Sin is blatant mutiny against God, and either sin or God must die in my life. The New Testament brings us right down to this one issue— if sin rules in me, God’s life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed. There is nothing more fundamental than that. The culmination of sin was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and what was true in the history of God on earth will also be true in your history and in mine— that is, sin will kill the life of God in us. We must mentally bring ourselves to terms with this fact of sin. It is the only explanation why Jesus Christ came to earth, and it is the explanation of the grief and sorrow of life.

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Pursued By Love - #7161

Monday, June 23, 2014

If you want to ask me the five greatest victories in my life, I'm not sure I can tell you what two, three, four or five would be. But I could sure tell you what number one would be - my wife! See, she wasn't an easy conquest. She was dating this other guy, and I was after her long before she had any romantic thoughts about me. So I really had to work on this one. And I knew it would require almost a military campaign. So I plotted ways to be with her, I plotted ways to impress her. (Don't tell her all this, okay?) I plotted ways to try to help her. Of course this is all under the heading of "Oh, we have a brother and sister relationship."

After several months of this brother/sister thing, I blurted out to her one night, standing by a water fountain-I remember it. We were in college. I said, "I'm tired of this brother/sister thing. I want us to have more than that." See, I loved her before she loved me and I pursued her, and I got her.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Pursued By Love."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from John chapter 1 beginning at verse 45. It's a little known encounter in the life of Jesus, but it's actually loaded with revealing information about what Jesus might be doing in your life right now. Philip has just come to Christ. And it says, "Philip found Nathanael and told him, 'We have found the One Moses wrote about in the law and about whom the prophets also wrote-Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' (Here's what Nathanael says.) 'Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?' 'Come and see' said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, 'Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false.' 'How do you know me?' Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, 'I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.' Then Nathanael declared, 'Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.'"

Okay, you notice here Nathanael's not initially interested in Jesus. But then Jesus says, "I saw you long before you saw me." Well that melted Nathanael's heart and it ultimately made him one of the disciples of Jesus Christ.

Actually, Jesus has had His eye on you for a long time. Here's what the Bible says in Ephesians 1:4 , "He chose us in Christ before the creation of the world." God has had His eye on you since before there was a world. And over the years of your life He's been pursuing you with His love whether you were paying any attention to Him or not. Like this guy I know who pursued this girl, and she was beautiful and attractive. The Bible says we're not beautiful and attractive to God. In fact it says, "While we were yet sinners Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8 ).

God's love for you and me isn't romantic love. It isn't because we're lovable. In fact, we're sinners who've hijacked our life from Him - the life that He gave us. Listen to this description of God's love for you. "This is love. Not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (John 4:10 ).

Now, I know on a finite level what it means to love someone before that person responds; to pursue the one you love. Well, the God of the universe has been doing that with you. He's been waiting for you while you've been checking out all those other options for your heart. Today, again, He's knocking on the door of your heart saying, "Isn't it time you opened your heart; opened your life to Me?"

He won't wait forever. That's why the Bible says, "Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near." Today's really the only day you can be sure He'll still be found. Don't run from the love of Jesus any longer. He's pursued you one more time to find you right where you are right now.

See, you can't have a one-way love affair. You need to respond to God's love by committing yourself to Jesus Christ with all your heart. How I would love; how I would be honored to help you get that settled this very day. I want to encourage you to meet me at our website ANewStory.com. And there in just a very few minutes I think I can walk you through beginning your relationship with Jesus Christ.

Christ has loved you enough to sacrifice His life for yours; to pursue you with His love, and now to wait patiently for you to respond. Don't risk losing the love that your heart was made for.

Genesis 33, and daily devotions:

Max Lucado Daily: He Wants You To Fly

“If you believe, you will get anything you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22

Don’t reduce this grand statement to the category of new cars and paychecks . . .

God wants you to fly. He wants you to fly free of yesterday’s guilt. He wants you to fly free of today’s fears. He wants you to fly free of tomorrow’s grave. Sin, fear, and death. These are the mountains he has moved. These are the prayers he will answer.

Genesis 33

Jacob Meets Esau

Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men; so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants. 2 He put the female servants and their children in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph in the rear. 3 He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground seven times as he approached his brother.

4 But Esau ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. And they wept. 5 Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.

Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.”

6 Then the female servants and their children approached and bowed down. 7 Next, Leah and her children came and bowed down. Last of all came Joseph and Rachel, and they too bowed down.

8 Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”

“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,” he said.

9 But Esau said, “I already have plenty, my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”

10 “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes, accept this gift from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God, now that you have received me favorably. 11 Please accept the present that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me and I have all I need.” And because Jacob insisted, Esau accepted it.

12 Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”

13 But Jacob said to him, “My lord knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young. If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. 14 So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.”

15 Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”

“But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”

16 So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir. 17 Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth, where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.[a]

18 After Jacob came from Paddan Aram,[b] he arrived safely at the city of Shechem in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. 19 For a hundred pieces of silver,[c] he bought from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem, the plot of ground where he pitched his tent. 20 There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.[d]

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: 1 Timothy 1:15-17

 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Insight

Many followers of Christ would take exception to Paul’s self-assessment that he was the chief of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). Considering the sacrifices Paul made for the gospel, the churches he planted, and the books of the New Testament he wrote, we might prefer to think of him as chief among the saints! Paul, however, was no doubt thinking of who he had been and would be without Christ. He also affirmed, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find” (Rom. 7:18). Like Paul, all of us are desperately in need of Christ.

The Day My Dad Met Jesus

By Randy Kilgore

I obtained mercy . . . as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. —1 Timothy 1:16

My grandfather, my father, and his brothers were all tough men who, understandably, didn’t appreciate people who “got up in their faces about faith.” When my father, Howard, was diagnosed with a rapid and deadly cancer, I was so concerned that I took every opportunity to talk to him about Jesus’ love. Inevitably he would end the discussion with a polite but firm: “I know what I need to know.”

I promised not to raise the issue again and gave him a set of cards that shared the forgiveness God offers, which he could read when he wanted. I entrusted Dad to God and prayed. A friend also asked God to keep my dad alive long enough to know Jesus.

One afternoon the call came telling me Dad was gone. When my brother met me at the airport, he said, “Dad told me to tell you he asked Jesus to forgive his sin.” “When?” “The morning he passed,” Mark replied. God had shown him “mercy” as He had shown us (1 Tim. 1:16).

Sometimes we talk about the gospel, other times we share our story, still other times we just show a silent Christlike example, and always we pray. We know that salvation is ultimately a work of God and not something we can do for another. God is a gracious God, and no matter what the outcome of our prayers, He can be trusted.

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling—

Calling for you and for me;

Patiently Jesus is waiting and watching—

Watching for you and for me! —Thompson

We plant and water, but God gives the increase.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, June 22, 2014

The Unchanging Law of Judgment

With what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you —Matthew 7:2

This statement is not some haphazard theory, but it is an eternal law of God. Whatever judgment you give will be the very way you are judged. There is a difference between retaliation and retribution. Jesus said that the basis of life is retribution— “with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” If you have been shrewd in finding out the shortcomings of others, remember that will be exactly how you will be measured. The way you pay is the way life will pay you back. This eternal law works from God’s throne down to us (see Psalm 18:25-26).

Romans 2:1 applies it in even a more definite way by saying that the one who criticizes another is guilty of the very same thing. God looks not only at the act itself, but also at the possibility of committing it, which He sees by looking at our hearts. To begin with, we do not believe the statements of the Bible. For instance, do we really believe the statement that says we criticize in others the very things we are guilty of ourselves? The reason we see hypocrisy, deceit, and a lack of genuineness in others is that they are all in our own hearts. The greatest characteristic of a saint is humility, as evidenced by being able to say honestly and humbly, “Yes, all those, as well as other evils, would have been exhibited in me if it were not for the grace of God. Therefore, I have no right to judge.”

Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). He went on to say, in effect, “If you do judge, you will be judged in exactly the same way.” Who of us would dare to stand before God and say, “My God, judge me as I have judged others”? We have judged others as sinners— if God should judge us in the same way, we would be condemned to hell. Yet God judges us on the basis of the miraculous atonement by the Cross of Christ.

Matthew 20:1-16, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: He Leads

Worrying is one job you can’t farm out, but you can overcome it. There’s no better place to begin than in Psalm 23:2. “He leads me beside the still waters,” David declares. “He leads me.”  God isn’t behind me, yelling, “Go!”  He’s ahead of me bidding, “Come!”  He’s in front, clearing the path, cutting the brush. Standing next to the rocks, He warns, “Watch your step there.”

Isn’t this what God gave the children of Israel? He promised to supply them with manna each day. But He told them to collect only one day’s supply at a time. Matthew 6:34 says, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.  God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

God is leading you! Leave tomorrow’s problems until tomorrow!

From Traveling Light

Matthew 20:1-16

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Footnotes:

Matthew 20:2 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer.


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: Luke 10:38-42

At the Home of Martha and Mary

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Footnotes:

Luke 10:42 Some manuscripts but only one thing is needed

Insight
The “certain village” unidentified in today’s reading is Bethany (v.38), a small village on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives (Mark 11:1), about 2 miles from Jerusalem (John 11:18). Home to three siblings—Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (vv.38-39; John 11)—this was probably the home where Jesus stayed whenever he was in Jerusalem (Matt. 21:17; Mark 11:11; John 11:1; 12:1). Bethany was where Lazarus was raised from the dead (John 11), where Simon the leper held a feast to honor Jesus (Mark 14:3), and where, during that dinner, Mary anointed Jesus with an expensive perfume to prepare Him for His death (vv.3-9). Jesus’ ascension also took place in Bethany (Luke 24:50-52).

World’s Fastest Walkers
By Poh Fang Chia

She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. —Luke 10:39

According to a study measuring the pace of life of cities in 32 countries, people in the biggest hurry live here in Singapore. We walk 60 feet in 10:55 seconds, compared to 12:00 seconds for New Yorkers and 31:60 seconds for those living in the African city of Blantyre, Malawi.

But regardless of where you live, the study shows that walking speeds have increased by an average of 10 percent in the past 20 years. And if walking speed is any indicator for the pace of life, we are certainly much busier than before.

Are you caught up in the frenzy of a busy life? Pause and consider Jesus’ words to Martha: “You are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).

Notice Jesus’ gentle words. He didn’t rebuke Martha for wanting to be a good host but rather reminded her about her priorities. Martha had allowed the necessary to get out of proportion. And, in the process, she was so busy doing good that she didn’t take time to sit at Jesus’ feet.

In our drive to be productive for the Lord, let’s remember the one thing worth being concerned about—enjoying time with our Savior.

Jesus longs for our fellowship even more than we long for His.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, June 20, 2014

The Ministry of the Inner Life

You are . . . a royal priesthood . . . —1 Peter 2:9
By what right have we become “a royal priesthood”? It is by the right of the atonement by the Cross of Christ that this has been accomplished. Are we prepared to purposely disregard ourselves and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? The continual inner-searching we do in an effort to see if we are what we ought to be generates a self-centered, sickly type of Christianity, not the vigorous and simple life of a child of God. Until we get into this right and proper relationship with God, it is simply a case of our “hanging on by the skin of our teeth,” although we say, “What a wonderful victory I have!” Yet there is nothing at all in that which indicates the miracle of redemption. Launch out in reckless, unrestrained belief that the redemption is complete. Then don’t worry anymore about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ has said, in essence, “Pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints of God, and pray for all men.” Pray with the realization that you are perfect only in Christ Jesus, not on the basis of this argument: “Oh, Lord, I have done my best; please hear me now.”

How long is it going to take God to free us from the unhealthy habit of thinking only about ourselves? We must get to the point of being sick to death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God might tell us about ourselves. We cannot reach and understand the depths of our own meagerness. There is only one place where we are right with God, and that is in Christ Jesus. Once we are there, we have to pour out our lives for all we are worth in this ministry of the inner life.

Exodus 16, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: A FRIEND FOR LIFE - June 20, 2025

I spent too much of a high school summer working in the old field. We donned gas masks, waded into ankle deep, contaminated mire. My mom burned my work clothes. The stink stuck!

Yours can do the same. Linger too long in the stench of your hurt, and you’ll smell like the toxin you despise. The better option?  Join with David as he announces, “The Lord lives. Blessed be my Rock…It is God who avenges me…He delivers me from my enemies…Therefore, I will give thanks to You, O Lord” (Psalm 18:46-49 NKJV).

Wander daily through the gallery of God’s goodness. Catalog his kindnesses. Look at what you have. Let Jesus be the friend you need. Talk to him. Spare no details. Disclose your fear, describe your dread. You just found a friend for life in Jesus Christ. What could be better than that?

Facing Your Giants: God Still Does the Impossible

Exodus 16

On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt, the whole company of Israel moved on from Elim to the Wilderness of Sin which is between Elim and Sinai. The whole company of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron there in the wilderness. The Israelites said, “Why didn’t God let us die in comfort in Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat? You’ve brought us out into this wilderness to starve us to death, the whole company of Israel!”

4–5  God said to Moses, “I’m going to rain bread down from the skies for you. The people will go out and gather each day’s ration. I’m going to test them to see if they’ll live according to my Teaching or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they have gathered, it will turn out to be twice as much as their daily ration.”

6–7  Moses and Aaron told the People of Israel, “This evening you will know that it is God who brought you out of Egypt; and in the morning you will see the Glory of God. Yes, he’s listened to your complaints against him. You haven’t been complaining against us, you know, but against God.”

8  Moses said, “Since it will be God who gives you meat for your meal in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, it’s God who will have listened to your complaints against him. Who are we in all this? You haven’t been complaining to us—you’ve been complaining to God!”

9  Moses instructed Aaron: “Tell the whole company of Israel: ‘Come near to God. He’s heard your complaints.’ ”

10  When Aaron gave out the instructions to the whole company of Israel, they turned to face the wilderness. And there it was: the Glory of God visible in the Cloud.

11–12  God spoke to Moses, “I’ve listened to the complaints of the Israelites. Now tell them: ‘At dusk you will eat meat and at dawn you’ll eat your fill of bread; and you’ll realize that I am God, your God.’ ”

13–15  That evening quail flew in and covered the camp and in the morning there was a layer of dew all over the camp. When the layer of dew had lifted, there on the wilderness ground was a fine flaky something, fine as frost on the ground. The Israelites took one look and said to one another, man-hu (What is it?). They had no idea what it was.

15–16  So Moses told them, “It’s the bread God has given you to eat. And these are God’s instructions: ‘Gather enough for each person, about two quarts per person; gather enough for everyone in your tent.’ ”

17–18  The People of Israel went to work and started gathering, some more, some less, but when they measured out what they had gathered, those who gathered more had no extra and those who gathered less weren’t short—each person had gathered as much as was needed.

19  Moses said to them, “Don’t leave any of it until morning.”

20  But they didn’t listen to Moses. A few of the men kept back some of it until morning. It got wormy and smelled bad. And Moses lost his temper with them.

21–22  They gathered it every morning, each person according to need. Then the sun heated up and it melted. On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, about four quarts per person.

Then the leaders of the company came to Moses and reported.

23–24  Moses said, “This is what God was talking about: Tomorrow is a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to God. Whatever you plan to bake, bake today; and whatever you plan to boil, boil today. Then set aside the leftovers until morning.” They set aside what was left until morning, as Moses had commanded. It didn’t smell bad and there were no worms in it.

25–26  Moses said, “Now eat it; this is the day, a Sabbath for God. You won’t find any of it on the ground today. Gather it every day for six days, but the seventh day is Sabbath; there won’t be any of it on the ground.”

27  On the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather anyway but they didn’t find anything.

28–29  God said to Moses, “How long are you going to disobey my commands and not follow my instructions? Don’t you see that God has given you the Sabbath? So on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. So, each of you, stay home. Don’t leave home on the seventh day.”

30  So the people quit working on the seventh day.

31  The Israelites named it manna (What is it?). It looked like coriander seed, whitish. And it tasted like a cracker with honey.

32  Moses said, “This is God’s command: ‘Keep a two-quart jar of it, an omer, for future generations so they can see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness after I brought you out of Egypt.’ ”

33  Moses told Aaron, “Take a jar and fill it with two quarts of manna. Place it before God, keeping it safe for future generations.”

34  Aaron did what God commanded Moses. He set it aside before The Testimony to preserve it.

35  The Israelites ate the manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle down. They ate manna until they reached the border into Canaan.

36  According to ancient measurements, an omer is one-tenth of an ephah.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Friday, June 20, 2025

by Adam R. Holz

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Matthew 6:25-34

 “If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

27–29  “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

30–33  “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34  “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Today's Insights

Three times in Matthew 6, Jesus counsels His hearers about money and material possessions. First, He addresses giving to the poor, advising us to give discreetly “so that your giving may be in secret” (v. 4). Then He cautions against hoarding: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth” (v. 19), adding, “You cannot serve both God and money” (v. 24). In today’s reading, Christ notes the futility of fretting about our daily needs: “Do not worry about your life” (v. 25). God’s care for creation reminds us that He’s good, and we can trust Him to provide for us (v. 26).

RELATED CONTENT

And God Sent . . . Moths?

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Matthew 6:26

“AaaaAAAAHHHK!” my daughter shrieked. “DaaaaDDDYY! Get UP here!”

I knew what was wrong: a moth. Every spring, an armada of these dusty insects migrates from the plains of Nebraska to the mountains of Colorado, where they summer. Each year, we brace for their arrival. This year had been especially bad.

To humans, miller moths are unwanted pests that often fly right into your face. But to birds, well, it’s a feast. Doing a little research, I learned that the moths provide incredible nutrition for the region’s swallows. As annoying as they are, these moths are veritable “manna” for the birds.

I don’t know if Israel had moth migrations in Jesus’ day. But Christ took note of God’s provision for the birds there, saying in the Sermon on the Mount, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26).

So these days, I look at moths differently. Not as dirty pests but as winged reminders of God’s provision for His creation—and as a living metaphor for His provision for me too. If God provides so richly for the swallows, how much more does He care for me and for you?

Reflect & Pray

How do you see God’s provision for creation where you live? How might that serve as a reminder of His care for you too?

Father, the beauty of Your provision is ever on display. Thank You for the richness of Your creation. Please give me eyes to see Your handiwork, and let it remind me of Your goodness.

Learn more about God's creation by reading Get Outside - Life from Discovery Series..

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Friday, June 20, 2025

Have You Come to “After” Yet?

After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes. — Job 42:10

A self-centered, pleading prayer—the kind of prayer in which I vow to “get right” with God if only he’ll help me—is never found in the New Testament. Am I telling God that I’ll purify my heart if he’ll hear my plea? That I’ll make myself good and righteous if he’ll extend his grace to me? I have to realize I can’t make myself right with God; I can’t make my life perfect, no matter how I plead. The only way I can be right with God is by accepting the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ as an absolute gift.

Am I humble enough to accept the gift Jesus bought for me on the cross? I have to stop every effort I’m making and leave myself entirely alone in God’s hands. If I find myself constantly trying to get right with him, it’s a sign that I’m rebelling against the atonement. Many prayers are made in total disbelief of the atonement. We beg Jesus to save us, forgetting he already has. Asking him to do it again is an insult.

“After Job had prayed for his friends . . .” If your fortunes haven’t been restored, if you aren’t getting insight into God’s word, stop praying in a self-centered way and start praying for others. Intercessory prayer is the real business of your life as a saved soul. Wherever God places you, no matter the circumstances, pray immediately for those around you. Pray that the atonement will be realized for others as it has for you. Pray for your friends; pray for your acquaintances; pray for all whose lives have been brought into contact with your own.

Esther 1-2; Acts 5:1-21

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

There is nothing, naturally speaking, that makes us lose heart quicker than decay—the decay of bodily beauty, of natural life, of friendship, of associations, all these things make a man lose heart; but Paul says when we are trusting in Jesus Christ these things do not find us discouraged, light comes through them. 

The Place of Help, 1032 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Friday, June 20, 2025

CHAMPIONS WITH NO TROPHY - #10030

Okay, I admit it. I talk pretty fast. But maybe that's because I lived in the New York area for so long. Everyone there talks fast! Or maybe it's because I always have so much to say before the time runs out. But I am sort of a, I guess, a verbal machine gun. But I did come across someone who finally succeeded in slowing me down by about maybe two-thirds.

He's a Russian doctor who had recently immigrated to the United States. He hadn't planned to come here, but persecution and the prospect of threatened imprisonment in the days of the Cold War had driven him to America. I groped for words that he would understand, and he groped for what would be the English word to express his feelings. It was kind of a long conversation. It took a while to exchange just basic information, but it was worth the effort.

The doctor - a committed Christian, and for years he was secretly copying the scriptures and Christian literature when that door was closed in his country. He also ran a network of people who did the same - getting precious scriptures out to people. All that time he risked his secure, professional position to be spreading the Gospel. Finally, he had to leave, and he was trying to find some place to work in the United States.

And I said to him, "You know, you are one of God's heroes." And he had kind of a pained look on his face like he didn't understand. I said, "Winner! One of God's champions. Olympics!" I was trying to be understood. And then I realized that his pained expression wasn't because he didn't understand; it was because he did. Then in this one line of broken English he gave me a Christ-like perspective on all the work we do.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Champions With No Trophy."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Mark 14:3. "While Jesus was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar (very expensive perfume, that is). She broke the jar and poured the perfume on His head." Now, there is some criticism for that. After that in verse 8 He says, "She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body and forehead to prepare for my burial. I tell you the truth, wherever the Gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.'" And sure enough we just did it today again, didn't we? We talked about her.

Now, in a sense, what the doctor said about his serving the Lord at such a great price in the Soviet Union is what we all ought to say. He said in his broken English, "I only do what I could." He didn't want to be a hero. He said, "I've only done what I could. No big deal."

You know, I think the ultimate epitaph for our life would be what Jesus said about this woman, "She/he has done what she/he could." I wonder if that could be said about your life? My Russian friend knew that that's really all God expects. Now, He does expect all we have to give as this woman literally lavished her most expensive possession on the Lord. But He also wants us to know that it's no big deal to give Him all you have.

Jesus thinks it's a big enough deal to reward though. It's important that we don't think that it's that big of a sacrifice. We shouldn't think, "Wow! Look what I just did." But on the other hand, He'll never forget it. Maybe you've got a sense of inadequacy right now, you compare yourself. You say, "Well, I don't have much to give. I'm not as talented. I can't do as much for the Lord as somebody else can." Are you giving what you have for Jesus' sake? That's all He asks.

Lavish what you have...all the little or all the much on Jesus. Maybe the problem is pride. But then, how could you do any less for the Lord. Don't be proud, it's no big deal to give all the little that you have for the much that He gave for you. That Russian doctor? He didn't think he was a hero. None of us should.

But if you just give it, don't be surprised if Jesus welcomes you in heaven with a hero's welcome.

Matthew 26:36-75, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: FOR THE MISFITS - June 19, 2025

1 Samuel 16:7 (NKJV) says, “…man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Those words were written for misfits and outcasts. God uses them all. Moses ran from justice, but God used him. Jonah ran from God, but God used him. Rahab ran a brothel, Sarah ran out of hope, Lot ran with the wrong crowd, but God used them all. And David? Human eyes saw a gangly teenager, smelling like sheep. Yet the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is the one!” (1 Samuel 16:12 NKJV).

God saw what no one else saw: a God-seeking heart. David took after God’s heart, because he stayed after God’s heart. And in the end, that’s all God wants or needs. Others measure your waist size or wallet. Not God. He examines hearts. And when he finds one set on him, he calls it and claims it.

Facing Your Giants: God Still Does the Impossible

Matthew 26:36-75

Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, “Stay here while I go over there and pray.” Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow. Then he said, “This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me.”

39  Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, “My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?”

40–41  When he came back to his disciples, he found them sound asleep. He said to Peter, “Can’t you stick it out with me a single hour? Stay alert; be in prayer so you don’t wander into temptation without even knowing you’re in danger. There is a part of you that is eager, ready for anything in God. But there’s another part that’s as lazy as an old dog sleeping by the fire.”

42  He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, “My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I’m ready. Do it your way.”

43–44  When he came back, he again found them sound asleep. They simply couldn’t keep their eyes open. This time he let them sleep on, and went back a third time to pray, going over the same ground one last time.

45–46  When he came back the next time, he said, “Are you going to sleep on and make a night of it? My time is up, the Son of Man is about to be handed over to the hands of sinners. Get up! Let’s get going! My betrayer is here.”

With Swords and Clubs

47–49  The words were barely out of his mouth when Judas (the one from the Twelve) showed up, and with him a gang from the high priests and religious leaders brandishing swords and clubs. The betrayer had worked out a sign with them: “The one I kiss, that’s the one—seize him.” He went straight to Jesus, greeted him, “How are you, Rabbi?” and kissed him.

50–51  Jesus said, “Friend, why this charade?”

Then they came on him—grabbed him and roughed him up. One of those with Jesus pulled his sword and, taking a swing at the Chief Priest’s servant, cut off his ear.

52–54  Jesus said, “Put your sword back where it belongs. All who use swords are destroyed by swords. Don’t you realize that I am able right now to call to my Father, and twelve companies—more, if I want them—of fighting angels would be here, battle-ready? But if I did that, how would the Scriptures come true that say this is the way it has to be?”

55–56  Then Jesus addressed the mob: “What is this—coming out after me with swords and clubs as if I were a dangerous criminal? Day after day I have been sitting in the Temple teaching, and you never so much as lifted a hand against me. You’ve done it this way to confirm and fulfill the prophetic writings.”

Then all the disciples cut and ran.

False Charges

57–58  The gang that had seized Jesus led him before Caiaphas the Chief Priest, where the religion scholars and leaders had assembled. Peter followed at a safe distance until they got to the Chief Priest’s courtyard. Then he slipped in and mingled with the servants, watching to see how things would turn out.

59–60  The high priests, conspiring with the Jewish Council, tried to cook up charges against Jesus in order to sentence him to death. But even though many stepped up, making up one false accusation after another, nothing was believable.

60–61  Finally two men came forward with this: “He said, ‘I can tear down this Temple of God and after three days rebuild it.’ ”

62  The Chief Priest stood up and said, “What do you have to say to the accusation?”

63  Jesus kept silent.

Then the Chief Priest said, “I command you by the authority of the living God to say if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

64  Jesus was curt: “You yourself said it. And that’s not all. Soon you’ll see it for yourself:

The Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Mighty One,

Arriving on the clouds of heaven.”

65–66  At that, the Chief Priest lost his temper, ripping his robes, yelling, “He blasphemed! Why do we need witnesses to accuse him? You all heard him blaspheme! Are you going to stand for such blasphemy?”

They all said, “Death! That seals his death sentence.”

67–68  Then they were spitting in his face and banging him around. They jeered as they slapped him: “Prophesy, Messiah: Who hit you that time?”

Denial in the Courtyard

69  All this time, Peter was sitting out in the courtyard. One servant girl came up to him and said, “You were with Jesus the Galilean.”

70  In front of everybody there, he denied it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

71  As he moved over toward the gate, someone else said to the people there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene.”

72  Again he denied it, salting his denial with an oath: “I swear, I never laid eyes on the man.”

73  Shortly after that, some bystanders approached Peter. “You’ve got to be one of them. Your accent gives you away.”

74–75  Then he got really nervous and swore. “I don’t know the man!”

Just then a rooster crowed. Peter remembered what Jesus had said: “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” He went out and cried and cried and cried.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, June 19, 2025

by Lisa M. Samra

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Galatians 3:26-29

By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God. Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe—Christ’s life, the fulfillment of God’s original promise.

In Christ’s Family

28–29  In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises.

Today's Insights

In Galatians 3-4, Paul makes an extended argument for the exalted position of believers in Jesus as members of the family of God. He says that through Christ, we’re no longer treated like minors but have become full heirs to the promises of God (3:23-29; 4:1-7).

The apostle makes the declaration that we’re all “children of God” (3:26). Everyone who comes to Jesus—Jews and gentiles, slave and free, male and female—receives the privileged status of sonship (v. 28). Those who follow Christ share in His full inheritance with all its blessings (v. 29). For an infant church populated with people of all different backgrounds, social standings, and levels of wealth, the promise of the gospel is that all receive the same blessing through the Son of God and are one in Him.

One in Christ

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

Phillis Wheatley, the first published African American poet, used biblical themes to persuade believers in Jesus to abolish slavery. Born around 1753 in western Africa, Wheatley was sold to a slave trader at only seven years of age. Quicky distinguishing herself as a remarkable student, she finally secured her emancipation in 1773. In her poems and correspondence, Wheatley pressed her readers to embrace the scriptural affirmation of the equality of all people. She wrote, “In every human Breast, God has implanted a Principle, which we call Love of Freedom; It is impatient of Oppression, and pants for Deliverance; and . . . the same Principle lives in us.”

Equality before God is a truth emphasized by Paul when he wrote, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Because we’re “all children of God through faith” (v. 26), differences such as race, ethnicity, gender, or social status shouldn’t lead to discrimination in the church.

Even as equal recipients of God’s love, we still struggle to live out this principle. But Scripture teaches that diverse peoples united through faith in Christ best reflect God’s heart and is His plan for life in eternity. That reality can help us to celebrate the diversity in our communities of faith now.

Reflect & Pray

How does diversity better represent God? How can you celebrate diversity in Christ?

Dear Jesus, please help me love my brothers and sisters through the unity only made possible in You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, June 19, 2025

The Service of Passionate Devotion

Do you love me? . . . Feed my sheep. — John 21:17

Jesus doesn’t say, “Make converts to your way of thinking.” He says, “Look after my sheep. Make sure they are nourished with knowledge of me.” We think that the work we do in Christian ministry counts as service; Jesus Christ says that service is what we are to him, not only what we do for him. Christianity is not devotion to a work or a cause or a doctrine; it is devotion to a person.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). Jesus doesn’t argue or compel. He simply says that if we wish to be his disciples, we must be devoted to him. When we are touched by the Spirit of God, we see suddenly who Jesus is, and this becomes the source of our devotion.

Today, we’ve substituted ideological belief for personal belief. This is why so many are devoted to causes and so few to him. People don’t want to be devoted to Jesus; they want to be devoted to the cause he started. Jesus Christ the person is deeply offensive to the educated mind of today, to those who don’t want to see him as anything other than a champion of their cause.

Our Lord’s obedience was to the will of the Father, not to the needs of humanity. The saving of humanity was the natural outcome of that obedience. If we are devoted only to humanity, our love will falter, and we will soon be exhausted. But if we love Jesus, personally and passionately, we will be able to serve humanity, even if people treat us like doormats.

The secret of the disciple’s life is devotion to Jesus Christ; its hallmark is unobtrusiveness. It is like a kernel of wheat that falls to the ground and dies, then springs up, transforming the entire landscape (John 12:24).

Nehemiah 12-13; Acts 4:23-37

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

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, 946 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, June 19, 2025

CURING CANCER OF THE HEART - #10029

It's the word you hope you'll never hear when you're in your doctor's office - cancer. Recently, though, there's been a beautiful four-letter word that may go with that ugly word. It's the word "cure." At least they're hoping so. The possible breakthroughs have to do with one of the greatest killers of women - breast cancer. But the discoveries may turn out to open up ways to cure other cancers, too. This entirely new approach to fighting cancer - one that has so far shown promising results in lengthening the lives of terminally ill cancer patients has been described as "attacking cancer at its genetic roots."

The gene is called HER-2, and it produces this protein on the surface of our cells that ultimately helps accelerate that abnormal growth that becomes cancer. Scientists have developed a treatment that attacks this genetic malfunction that causes some cancers. One researcher offers hope to millions who have cancer or may develop cancer when he puts it this way, "If we understand what is broken in the malignant cell, we might be able to fix it." They're calling this one of the hottest areas of cancer research, and it makes sense - stop the cancer by stopping its genetic root.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Curing Cancer of the Heart."

Now you may be one of the blessed people like me who when you hear about cancer, you can say, "Well, not me so far." I wish I could say that about the cancer that infects every single one of us - the deadliest cancer there is. You might call it heart cancer. It's that spiritual cancer in the human heart that causes so much hurt, guilt, shame, and brokenness. The Bible calls it sin, with the middle letter "I."

We were created by God to live life His way. According to the Bible, we've all said, "No. No God's way. My way." That's the root of our deadly spiritual cancer. And it is always terminal. No matter how religious or how nice we are, God makes it clear, "the wages of our sin is death" (Romans 6:23) - that's death as in being eternally cut off from God, from His life and from His love.

This is the spiritual cancer that devastates our self-respect, our family, the people we love - and that's the ones we hurt the most. It takes away our inner peace, and it destroys our eternity. And like mankind's battle against physical cancer, the battle against this disease of "me" has been going on for a long time.

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Romans 7:15. "What I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do." Sound familiar? That's our losing battle against the dark disease in our heart. The writer of these words is desperate for a cure, and he asks, "Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24) Just like us, he's found no cure that can get at the root cause of all the dark things that come out of us.

Then comes the announcement of the breakthrough, as this fellow-sinner asks, "Who will rescue me?" He answers, "Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" Jesus has pioneered the cure for this spiritual cancer that has seemed so unstoppable, so incurable. He shed His blood on the cross, absorbed all the sin, all the punishment, and attacked the root causes of the actions and the attitudes we hate - and He broke the power of sin by taking all its punishment.

So many people - maybe even people you know - have opened their lives to Jesus and they have found forgiveness and moral victory that is changing their lives and their homes. And it's within your reach today if you will say, "Jesus, I'm trusting you to be my savior for my sin."

You know our website is all about beginning to win the battle by beginning a relationship with Him. It's ANewStory.com - I hope you'll go there today.

The disease of me is a ravaging spiritual cancer and it's terminal. But the cure is within your reach. The only reason you would go one more day still dying is if you refuse to reach out to Jesus for this cure He paid for with his life.

Exodus 15, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: FIRST AND MOST - June 18, 2025

Giants. We must face them, yet we need not face them alone. Focus first, and most, on God.

Read 1 Samuel 17 and list the observations David made about Goliath. I find only two. One to Saul and one to Goliath’s face. “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” David asks nothing about Goliath’s skill, age, or the weight of the spear, or the size of the shield. But he gives much thought to God—”the armies of the living God; the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel.” In all, the God-thoughts outnumber Goliath-thoughts nine to two.

Is your list of blessings four times as long as your list of complaints? Are you four times as likely to describe the strength of God as you are the demands of your day? That’s how you face a giant.

Facing Your Giants: God Still Does the Impossible

Exodus 15

Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to God, giving voice together,

I’m singing my heart out to God—what a victory!

He pitched horse and rider into the sea.

God is my strength, God is my song,

and, yes! God is my salvation.

This is the kind of God I have

and I’m telling the world!

This is the God of my father—

I’m spreading the news far and wide!

God is a fighter,

pure God, through and through.

Pharaoh’s chariots and army

he dumped in the sea,

The elite of his officers

he drowned in the Red Sea.

Wild ocean waters poured over them;

they sank like a rock in the deep blue sea.

Your strong right hand, God, shimmers with power;

your strong right hand shatters the enemy.

In your mighty majesty

you smash your upstart enemies,

You let loose your hot anger

and burn them to a crisp.

At a blast from your nostrils

the waters piled up;

Tumbling streams dammed up,

wild oceans curdled into a swamp.

9  The enemy spoke,

“I’ll pursue, I’ll hunt them down,

I’ll divide up the plunder,

I’ll glut myself on them;

I’ll pull out my sword,

my fist will send them reeling.”

10–11  You blew with all your might

and the sea covered them.

They sank like a lead weight

in the majestic waters.

Who compares with you

among gods, O God?

Who compares with you in power,

in holy majesty,

In awesome praises,

wonder-working God?

12–13  You stretched out your right hand

and the Earth swallowed them up.

But the people you redeemed,

you led in merciful love;

You guided them under your protection

to your holy pasture.

14–18  When people heard, they were scared;

Philistines writhed and trembled;

Yes, even the head men in Edom were shaken,

and the big bosses in Moab.

Everybody in Canaan

panicked and fell faint.

Dread and terror

sent them reeling.

Before your brandished right arm

they were struck dumb like a stone,

Until your people crossed over and entered, O God,

until the people you made crossed over and entered.

You brought them and planted them

on the mountain of your heritage,

The place where you live,

the place you made,

Your sanctuary, Master,

that you established with your own hands.

Let God rule

forever, for eternity!

19  Yes, Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and riders went into the sea and God turned the waters back on them; but the Israelites walked on dry land right through the middle of the sea.

20–21  Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine, and all the women followed her with tambourines, dancing. Miriam led them in singing,

Sing to God—

what a victory!

He pitched horse and rider

into the sea!

Traveling Through the Wilderness

22–24  Moses led Israel from the Red Sea on to the Wilderness of Shur. They traveled for three days through the wilderness without finding any water. They got to Marah, but they couldn’t drink the water at Marah; it was bitter. That’s why they called the place Marah (Bitter). And the people complained to Moses, “So what are we supposed to drink?”

25  So Moses cried out in prayer to God. God pointed him to a stick of wood. Moses threw it into the water and the water turned sweet.

26  That’s the place where God set up rules and procedures; that’s where he started testing them.

God said, “If you listen, listen obediently to how God tells you to live in his presence, obeying his commandments and keeping all his laws, then I won’t strike you with all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians; I am God your healer.”

27  They came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. They set up camp there by the water.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

by Bill Crowder

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Titus 3:1-11

He Put Our Lives Together

1–2  3 Remind the people to respect the government and be law-abiding, always ready to lend a helping hand. No insults, no fights. God’s people should be bighearted and courteous.

3–8  It wasn’t so long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn, dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back. But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God’s gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there’s more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.

8–11  I want you to put your foot down. Take a firm stand on these matters so that those who have put their trust in God will concentrate on the essentials that are good for everyone. Stay away from mindless, pointless quarreling over genealogies and fine print in the law code. That gets you nowhere. Warn a quarrelsome person once or twice, but then be done with him. It’s obvious that such a person is out of line, rebellious against God. By persisting in divisiveness he cuts himself off.

Today's Insights

Titus, a gentile (non-Jew) who came to faith in Jesus through Paul, became the apostle’s “partner and co-worker” in his ministry (2 Corinthians 8:23). In the apostle’s letter addressed to Titus, he calls him “my true son in our common faith” (Titus 1:4). Titus proved to be especially useful in straightening out problems in the church of Corinth (2 Corinthians 7:13-15; 12:17-18). In 2 Timothy 4:10, we learn that Titus served in Dalmatia (a Roman province on the east shore of the Adriatic Sea). He also served on the island of Crete (Titus 1:5). It’s likely he strived to show respect to everyone—something we should do in God’s strength as well.

No Ordinary People

Remind them . . . to show perfect courtesy toward all people. Titus 3:1-2 esv

The statement on the wall of my bank declares that its corporate principles could be summed up in a single word: courtesy. And how refreshing it was to find courtesy in the teller who helped me with my transaction there!

In a harsh and unkind world, to be driven by courtesy is a big idea. We find this concept in the apostle Paul’s letter to his friend Titus. He instructed Titus to remind his congregation “to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people” (Titus 3:2 esv). This idea of courtesy is also rendered as “peaceable and considerate” (niv) or “showing every consideration” (nasb).

How we treat others reveals whether we see them as image bearers of God or not. C. S. Lewis wrote of this in The Weight of Glory: “There are no ordinary people,” he said. “You have never talked to a mere mortal.” Lewis anticipated eternity, where we’ll either enjoy God’s presence or be banished from Him forever. So he reminds us, “It is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendors.”

May we allow the Spirit to enable us to treat those around as what they truly are—image bearers of God.

Reflect & Pray

What effect does the absence of courtesy have on your interactions? How might you intentionally bring more courtesy into those interactions?

Dear God, it’s easy to get frustrated with people. Please give me a patient spirit and a heart of kindness that I might treat everyone with dignity and courtesy.

For further study, read Cleaning Under the Rug.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Don’t Think Now, Take the Road

Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid. — Matthew 14:29-30

The wind was wild and the waves were high, but at first Peter didn’t notice. Fixing his eyes on Jesus, he stepped out in recognition of his Lord and walked on the water. It was only when Peter began to pay attention to his surroundings that fear and doubt set in. The instant this happened, down he went.

Sometimes we step right out in faith and walk happily along. Then self-consideration comes in, and down we go. If we are keeping our sights on our Lord, it doesn’t occur to us to worry about ourselves or our circumstances. The circumstances of our lives simply are. It’s only when we focus on them that we become overwhelmed. We lose sight of Jesus and receive his rebuke: “Why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31).

Let circumstances be what they are. Keep looking to Jesus, maintaining complete reliance on him. If you begin to debate when God has spoken, it’s all over. Never say, “I wonder if that really was God speaking.” Be reckless. The second you hear God’s voice, fling yourself out in faith. You do not know when God’s voice will come, but whenever you sense it, even in the faintest way imaginable, recklessly abandon all to him. It is only by abandoning yourself that you learn to trust the Lord. You will hear his voice more clearly through recklessness.

Nehemiah 10-11; Acts 4:1-22

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

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, 388 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

LIFTING PEOPLE UP - #10028

It seems as if the movie comes around again about once a year on TV, and we get a chance to see that charming story called "The Wizard of Oz." What a quartet! I mean, Dorothy, the little Kansas farm girl blown into the Land of Oz. She wants to see the Wizard to get help to get home. Then remember, there's a Scarecrow, he wants to see the Wizard to get some brains. And the Tin Woodsman, well, he's looking for a heart. And last but not least, there's that lovable feline, the Cowardly Lion. Now I know some people who could use some brains, I know some people who could use a little more heart; but we're surrounded by people who could use more of what that Cowardly Lion was looking for. Remember, "I need courage."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Lifting People Up."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Hebrews 10, and I'm going to begin reading at verse 24: "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Okay, so we're supposed to be in the business of spurring people on to be what they need to be, to do what they need to do. In other words, people should be better off because they've been around you. That was the effect Jesus had on the people that He was around.

How will that happen? Well, it happens when we do this: "Let us encourage one another." I was thinking the other day about what encourage means. Just reverse it - courage in. It means you're putting courage in people. It's like a gasoline fill-up except it's a motivation fill-up. When you encourage someone, you literally put courage in them. You give them courage to take a risk, to trust God, maybe just to get through a very tough day.

You put courage in someone when you stop and you pray with them. I said with them, by the way, not just for them. An arm around them says, "Wait, let's stop and pray about your situation right now." I have seen people literally change before my eyes when I would just take a moment to pray with them.

You encourage a person when you give them specific praise for something they did or more importantly for something they are. Sometimes the courage injection comes from a scripture verse you share with them, or a spontaneous note or an email you write, or a text, maybe just a minute spent honestly inquiring how they're really doing. I can't tell you how many times someone's word, or note, or prayer of encouragement has literally put courage in me on a day when courage was really needed. And the encourager could never have known how much I needed it. But they were literally the channel for God to say to me, "Ron, I love you. It's going to be okay. Take courage, man."

Encouragement restores your perspective when it's been battered and beat up by the pressures of the day. The great thing about the ministry of putting courage in people is that anybody can do it. It doesn't require any great gifts. It doesn't require any musical ability, or speaking or leadership, or a seminary degree - just a heart. It takes a genuine interest and it looks for ways to give that person encouragement, to build them up.

That Cowardly Lion finally got his courage largely from being with three other friends who carried him through the tough times. People around you don't need a wizard to give them courage. But they may very well need some courage to take the next step on the road of their life. They just need somebody like you. They need the courage-giving love of a Jesus follower...maybe you.