Luke 24:36-53, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: WHAT WE CAN BECOME - May 6, 2026

Jesus is pure; we are greedy. He is peaceful; we are hassled. He is spiritual; we are earthbound. The distance between our hearts and his seems so immense. How could we ever hope to have the heart of Jesus?

Ready for a surprise? You already do. If you have given your life to Jesus, Jesus has given himself to you. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:16 (TLB), “Strange as it seems, we Christians actually do have within us a portion of the very thoughts and mind of Christ.”

God has ambitious plans for us. The same one who saved your soul longs to remake your heart. Let’s imagine what it means to be just like Jesus. Let’s look long into the heart of Christ. Perhaps in seeing him, we will see what we can become.

Just Like Jesus

Luke 24:36-53

While they were saying all this, Jesus appeared to them and said, “Peace be with you.” They thought they were seeing a ghost and were scared half to death. He continued with them, “Don’t be upset, and don’t let all these doubting questions take over. Look at my hands; look at my feet—it’s really me. Touch me. Look me over from head to toe. A ghost doesn’t have muscle and bone like this.” As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. They still couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It was too much; it seemed too good to be true.

41–43  He asked, “Do you have any food here?” They gave him a piece of leftover fish they had cooked. He took it and ate it right before their eyes.

You’re the Witnesses

44  Then he said, “Everything I told you while I was with you comes to this: All the things written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms have to be fulfilled.”

45–49  He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way. He said, “You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations—starting from here, from Jerusalem! You’re the first to hear and see it. You’re the witnesses. What comes next is very important: I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until he arrives, until you’re equipped with power from on high.”

50–51  He then led them out of the city over to Bethany. Raising his hands he blessed them, and while blessing them, took his leave, being carried up to heaven.

52–53  And they were on their knees, worshiping him. They returned to Jerusalem bursting with joy. They spent all their time in the Temple praising God. Yes.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, May 06, 2026

by Arthur Jackson

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Matthew 15:21-28

Healing the People

21–22  From there Jesus took a trip to Tyre and Sidon. They had hardly arrived when a Canaanite woman came down from the hills and pleaded, “Mercy, Master, Son of David! My daughter is cruelly afflicted by an evil spirit.”

23  Jesus ignored her. The disciples came and complained, “Now she’s bothering us. Would you please take care of her? She’s driving us crazy.”

24  Jesus refused, telling them, “I’ve got my hands full dealing with the lost sheep of Israel.”

25  Then the woman came back to Jesus, went to her knees, and begged. “Master, help me.”

26  He said, “It’s not right to take bread out of children’s mouths and throw it to dogs.”

27  She was quick: “You’re right, Master, but beggar dogs do get scraps from the master’s table.”

28  Jesus gave in. “Oh, woman, your faith is something else. What you want is what you get!” Right then her daughter became well.

Today's Insights

The encounter with the Canaanite woman has often perplexed Bible students because Jesus’ treatment of her seems out of character. Why would He be so harsh with this hurting woman? Perhaps His interaction with her regarding her demon-possessed daughter was more for the disciples’ benefit to show them the hardness of their own hearts as they repeatedly pushed Christ to send her away (Matthew 15:23). By communicating with her before His disciples, Jesus gave them a wonderful example of what “great faith” (v. 28) looks like when He healed the gentile woman’s daughter because of her faith in Him. It’s saying that this incident closely follows a debate between Christ and the religious leaders whom He described as formalistic in their religion without a true heart for God (vv. 1-14). Today, as we focus our eyes on Jesus, the object of our faith, we can entrust our cares to Him.

Fueled by Faith

Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” Matthew 15:28

J.D. witnessed amazing sights on his trip to several African nations. His text messages to us from Eastern Zambia included several pictures of faith-filled women who presented their three-year gospel ministry plan. “It is one of the most powerful strategic plan presentations I’ve ever heard in my life. Instead of a whiteboard, they drew in the dirt. Instead of handing out nice copies of what they were going to do, they displayed their plan on poster-sized crumpled paper held up by two of them. It was just incredible!”

They were demonstrating the kind of faith that Jesus values. Matthew 15:21-28 records another example. A daughter’s condition drove a woman to seek Him. “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly” (v. 22). Her “great faith” (v. 28) in Jesus contrasted with the faithlessness of the Jewish leadership whose hearts were far from God (v. 8). While Christ recognized the outward pedigree of those belonging to Abraham, His commendation was for a gentile woman who possessed the faith of Abraham.

What compels you to look to Jesus today? A personal, family or community need? Whatever prompts you to go to Jesus, go—even if you feel that you’re limping. Go to Him because it’s not the size of your faith that matters. What matters is the object of your faith: Jesus and Jesus alone.

Reflect & Pray

How would you describe your faith today? How might you refuel your trust in Jesus?

Dear Jesus, please help me to grow in my faith as You provide what I need.

For further study, read Fear, Faith, and the True Cost of Not Trusting God.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, May 06, 2026

Freedom through Christ

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. — Galatians 5:1

Spiritually-minded people will never demand that you believe a certain thing or hold a certain opinion; they’ll demand that you square your life with the standards of Jesus. We aren’t asked to believe the Bible; we are asked to believe the One the Bible reveals. In John 5, Jesus highlights the difference: “You study the Scriptures diligently … yet you refuse to come to me to have life” (vv. 39–40). Jesus is calling us to liberty of conscience, not liberty of opinion. If we are free with the freedom of Christ, others will be brought into this same freedom: the freedom of realizing the dominance of Jesus Christ.

Always measure your life by the standards of Jesus. Bow to his yoke and to no other, and be careful that you never fasten a yoke on someone else that isn’t placed there by Jesus Christ. It takes God a long time to cure us of the idea that if people don’t see things the way we do, they must be wrong. That is never God’s view. There is only one freedom: the freedom of Jesus at work in our conscience, enabling us to do what is right.

Don’t get impatient with others. Remember how God has dealt with you, with patience and gentleness. This doesn’t mean you should water down God’s truth. Let his truth have its way, and never apologize for it. Simply recall what Jesus said: “Go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). He never said, “Make converts to your opinions.”

1 Kings 21-22; Luke 23:26-56

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

We are in danger of being stern where God is tender, and of being tender where God is stern. 

The Love of God—The Message of Invincible Consolation, 673 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, May 06, 2026

Seen In Your Desert - #10256

May 4, 2026

Ron Hutchcraft

Scripture:  Genesis 16:7

Nantucket - a romantic island off the coast of Massachusetts. Waterbrook - a humble cabin in the woods in the mountains north of New York City. Long Beach Island - a little house by the Jersey shore. See, those are places where my wife has been her most beautiful. That's not because she had new makeup on, or was all dressed up, or did her hair differently. Those are just some places where we've gone to be alone, and where I finally slowed down and noticed her again. She was beautiful all the time, but I didn't notice it all the time, because I saw her best when we were alone. If you're in a lonely time right now, let's talk.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Seen In Your Desert."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Genesis 16:7. It tells the story of a young woman named Hagar. Maybe you remember that Abraham and Sarah got impatient for God to send the son that He had promised, and Sarah was getting older and older. The baby didn't come, so Sarah, going along with the customs of that day, suggested that Abraham sleep with Hagar, her maidservant, and then Hagar would be the surrogate mother through whom a child would come. They couldn't wait for God to do it His way, so they had to figure out a way they were going to do it. It's not how God wanted it done, and after Hagar gets pregnant, Sarah gets a little jealous. And Hagar gets a little caustic about it.

Now we find her out in the desert all alone because guess what? She's been driven there by her mistress, Sarah. Here she is used, rejected, deserted, she's pregnant, she's alone in the desert, she's the picture of abandonment; all alone, or so she thinks.

Genesis 16, verse 7: "The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert. The angel of the Lord said to her, 'You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery.'" He goes on to describe some of what to expect from this son, and then she gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her. "'You are the God who sees me,' for she said, 'I have now seen the One who sees me.' That's why the well is called Beer Lahai Roi." Which, by the way, means "the well of the Living One who sees me."

It's interesting the name of God here, "I have seen the One who sees me." Maybe right now you're in the desert; it's a very lonely desert. God sees you in your loneliness, and He has heard your tears. We keep hearing our desire to be seen...Oh, here is the God who sees you. The broken relationship, the lost loved one, the years of living alone, the collapse of your family; God sees you. Do you see Him? She said, "I have now seen the One who has been seeing me." When no one sees, when no one knows, when no one understands, Ishmael. You know what that name means? God hears.

And guess where we tend to see God best? Yeah, in the deserts of our lives. Not until we are stripped of all the other supports in our life, that's when Hagar finally saw the God who had been seeing her all along. That's when we see Him. That's when you dig deep into His resources; you see what He can do. You feel His love, and you let His love be enough. Paul said, "When everybody had abandoned him" (2 Timothy 4:17), "the Lord stood by my side."

I told you when I noticed my wife's beauty and wisdom the most - when there was no one else around. Well, it's the same in a relationship with the Lord Jesus. When it's just the two of you, maybe like it is right now, you can see Him as you've never seen Him before.

2 Samuel 2, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THE HEART OF JESUS - May 5, 2026

The heart of Jesus was pure. Peter traveled with Jesus for three and a half years, and he described Jesus as a “lamb, unblemished and spotless” (1 Peter 1:19). The heart of Jesus was peaceful. The disciples shouted for fear in the storm, but Jesus slept through it. Peter drew his sword to fight the soldiers, but Jesus lifted his hand to heal.

The heart of Jesus was purposeful. He aimed at one goal—to save humanity from its sin. “The Son of man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). His heart was spiritual. He took his instructions from God. It was his habit to go to worship. He memorized scripture. His times of prayer guided him. John 5:19 says, “The Son does whatever the Father does.” The heart of Jesus was spiritual. Let ours be the same.

Just Like Jesus

2 Samuel 2

After all this, David prayed. He asked God, “Shall I move to one of the cities of Judah?”

God said, “Yes, move.”

“And to which city?”

“To Hebron.”

2–3  So David moved to Hebron, along with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. David’s men, along with their families, also went with him and made their home in and around Hebron.

4–7  The citizens of Judah came to Hebron, and then and there made David king over the clans of Judah.

A report was brought to David that the men of Jabesh Gilead had given Saul a decent burial. David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead: “God bless you for this—for honoring your master, Saul, with a funeral. God honor you and be true to you—and I’ll do the same, matching your generous act of goodness. Strengthen your resolve and do what must be done. Your master, Saul, is dead. The citizens of Judah have made me their king.”

8–11  In the meantime, Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul’s army, had taken Saul’s son Ish-Bosheth to Mahanaim and made him king over Gilead, over Asher, over Jezreel, over Ephraim, over Ben-jamin—king, as it turns out, over all Israel. Ish-Bosheth Saul’s son, was forty years old when he was made king over Israel. He lasted only two years. But the people of Judah stuck with David. David ruled the people of Judah from Hebron for seven and a half years.

12–13  One day Abner son of Ner set out from Mahanaim with the soldiers of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, headed for Gibeon. Joab son of Zeruiah, with David’s soldiers, also set out. They met at the Pool of Gibeon, Abner’s group on one side, Joab’s on the other.

14  Abner challenged Joab, “Put up your best fighters. Let’s see them do their stuff.”

Joab said, “Good! Let them go at it!”

15–16  So they lined up for the fight, twelve Benjaminites from the side of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve soldiers from David’s side. The men from each side grabbed their opponents’ heads and stabbed them with their daggers. They all fell dead—the whole bunch together. So, they called the place Slaughter Park. It’s right there at Gibeon.

17–19  The fighting went from bad to worse throughout the day. Abner and the men of Israel were beaten to a pulp by David’s men. The three sons of Zeruiah were present: Joab, Abishai, and Asahel. Asahel, as fast as a wild antelope on the open plain, chased Abner, staying hard on his heels.

20  Abner turned and said, “Is that you, Asahel?”

“It surely is,” he said.

21  Abner said, “Let up on me. Pick on someone you have a chance of beating and be content with those spoils!” But Asahel wouldn’t let up.

22  Abner tried again, “Turn back. Don’t force me to kill you. How would I face your brother Joab?”

23–25  When he refused to quit, Abner struck him in the belly with the blunt end of his spear so hard that it came out his back. Asahel fell to the ground and died at once. Everyone who arrived at the spot where Asahel fell and died stood and gaped—Asahel dead! But Joab and Abishai kept up the chase after Abner. As the sun began to set, they came to the hill of Ammah that faced Giah on the road to the backcountry of Gibeon. The Benjaminites had taken their stand with Abner there, deployed strategically on a hill.

26  Abner called out to Joab, “Are we going to keep killing each other till doomsday? Don’t you know that nothing but bitterness will come from this? How long before you call off your men from chasing their brothers?”

27–28  “As God lives,” said Joab, “if you hadn’t spoken up, we’d have kept up the chase until morning!” Then he blew the ram’s horn trumpet and the whole army of Judah stopped in its tracks. They quit chasing Israel and called off the fighting.

29  Abner and his soldiers marched all that night up the Arabah Valley. They crossed the Jordan and, after a long morning’s march, arrived at Mahanaim.

30–32  After Joab returned from chasing Abner, he took a head count of the army. Nineteen of David’s men (besides Asahel) were missing. David’s men had cut down 360 of Abner’s men, all Benjaminites—all dead. They brought Asahel and buried him in the family tomb in Bethlehem. Joab and his men then marched all night, arriving in Hebron as the dawn broke.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, May 05, 2026

by Anne Cetas

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Ecclesiastes 7:1-10

Don’t Take Anything for Granted

1  7 A good reputation is better than a fat bank account.

Your death date tells more than your birth date.

2  You learn more at a funeral than at a feast—

After all, that’s where we’ll end up. We might discover something from it.

3  Crying is better than laughing.

It blotches the face but it scours the heart.

4  Sages invest themselves in hurt and grieving.

Fools waste their lives in fun and games.

5  You’ll get more from the rebuke of a sage

Than from the song and dance of fools.

6  The giggles of fools are like the crackling of twigs

Under the cooking pot. And like smoke.

7  Brutality stupefies even the wise

And destroys the strongest heart.

8  Endings are better than beginnings.

Sticking to it is better than standing out.

9  Don’t be quick to fly off the handle.

Anger boomerangs. You can spot a fool by the lumps on his head.

10  Don’t always be asking, “Where are the good old days?”

Wise folks don’t ask questions like that.

Today's Insights

The Teacher in Ecclesiastes (1:1) offers the bleak perspective that for human beings, who are destined to die, attempting to grasp a firm understanding of life’s meaning is futile, like trying to take hold of the wind (v. 14). Yet the Teacher doesn’t conclude that pursuing wisdom is pointless. Chapter 7 emphasizes that some paths in life are “better” than others (vv. 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 10). Death’s finality (vv. 1-2, 4) clarifies the relative greater value of some things over others—such as a life guided by wisdom instead of foolishness (v. 11). Still, Ecclesiastes contains an unresolved tension: Wisdom has value, yet death erases the permanence of all that’s valuable. The New Testament offers a fuller answer to the questions death raises—insisting that Jesus defeated death’s power through His death and resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:54-57; 2 Timothy 1:10). Through Christ, all of life regains meaning in light of eternity.

Life and Death

Death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart. Ecclesiastes 7:2

Besides attending ceremonies and signing policies after taking the oath of office, new US presidents are greeted with a cold reality: They start making their own funeral plans. That way the country will be prepared to celebrate their lives when they die. George H. W. Bush was asked if it was “weird” to be planning his own memorial. He replied, “You kind of get used to it.” Historians will write about their legacies, but presidents get to plan the personal and traditional parts of their services and the ways they will be remembered.

Death is a sobering reality we all must face. King Solomon, who searched for the meaning of life in pleasure, work, and knowledge, and came up empty, said, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting” (Ecclesiastes 7:2). Negative situations give more perspective than happy times. If we face the reality of death, we can better prepare for what comes after. Verse two adds, “Death is the destiny of everyone; the living should take this to heart.” We should ponder it and plan on it.

Preparation comes from receiving forgiveness of sin from Jesus, who died for us and rose again. Everyone dies because death came when the first man, Adam, disobeyed God, and we have followed his ways. But “everyone who belongs to Christ will be given new life” (1 Corinthians 15:22 nlt).

Reflect & Pray

How have you prepared to face death? How do you want to be remembered?

Thank You, saving God, for promising that in Christ all who die will be made alive again.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, May 05, 2026

Judgment through Love

For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household. — 1 Peter 4:17

The Christian disciple must never forget that salvation is God’s thought, not humanity’s; it is something we can never hope to fathom. Salvation is not an experience. Experience is merely the gateway by which we become conscious of our salvation. Never preach the experience; preach the great thought of God.

When we preach, we aren’t proclaiming how humanity can be saved from hell and be made moral and pure; we are conveying good news about God. Our role as preachers is to present his truth, not to give sympathy. We are never to sympathize with a soul who finds it difficult to get to God. God isn’t to blame, nor is it for us to find out the reason for the difficulty. We are simply to deliver his truth, so that his Spirit can show what’s wrong. The gold standard of preaching is that it brings all who hear to judgment in the Spirit. The Spirit reveals each soul to itself.

In the teachings of Jesus Christ, the element of judgment is always prevalent. God’s judgment is the sign of his love, an overflowing mercy that separates right from wrong. If the salvation of Jesus Christ is alive and active inside us, it always takes the form of a judgment, one that brings an understanding of God’s justice, even in his severest statements.

Do you find the requirements of Jesus severe? If our Lord ever gave a command he couldn’t enable us to fulfill, he would be a liar. When we make our inability a barrier to obedience, we are telling God there is something he hasn’t taken into account. We can do nothing through our own abilities; we must allow the power of God to slay every ounce of self-reliance. Complete weakness and dependence will allow the Spirit of God to manifest his power.

1 Kings 19-20; Luke 23:1-25

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

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, May 05, 2026

Scripture:  John 10:27

If you've ever checked your suitcase when you're about to take a trip by airplane, you know what they do with our luggage. No, not lose it. Not usually. The ticket agent determines what your final destination will be, he prints out an adhesive sticker with that destination on it, and he puts it around your suitcase handle. And then you settle back in your seat, knowing that bag will meet you at the other end of the trip. With the millions of bags the airlines handle daily, it's amazing that most do go straight to the right destination. Now there are some exceptions. Like the one I checked in Idaho. Oh, I checked it through to my final destination - Newark, New Jersey. To this day it's still floating somewhere out there in the Baggage Twilight Zone. Like I said, most of the time they get it to your final destination.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Guaranteeing Heaven."

If you belong to Jesus Christ, God has placed a final destination sticker on you. It says "Heaven." And I am happy to report to you that, unlike human delivery systems, God's batting a thousand on getting His there.

Our word for today from the Word of God starts with John 10:27 - in a sense, it's kind of your personal life insurance policy...for eternal life. "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand."

Jesus says, "I know the ones who are Mine, and I've put My final destination sticker on them. It says 'Eternal Life.' No one is going to get them away from Me. I won't stop until I've delivered them safely home." Isn't that awesome? Your getting to heaven is not up to you. That's what the Bible means when it says it is "not by works" but that it is "by grace you have been saved through faith" (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Now it may be that you have often questioned whether or not you really belong to Jesus and whether it really is settled. Those recurring doubts could be for one of two reasons. One is that you really don't belong to Jesus yet. He's in your head but He's not in your heart. Even though you have a lot of Christianity, maybe you've missed Christ! You know He died on the cross to pay the death penalty for the sinning you've done - you know that you need Him as your personal Savior.

But somehow you've missed that actual moment of commitment, that transaction, when you stand at Jesus' cross and say, "For me, Jesus. What you did here is for me. Right now I'm giving me to You."

If you asked me if I was married all these years it would be an easy question to answer. Yeah, there was a time I made a conscious commitment of my life to Karen. If you have committed yourself to Jesus, you should know you have. If you don't know you have, you probably haven't. And it's important you get it settled today because this is eternity. Do it before your heart turns harder. Don't risk another day without Jesus.

The other reason you may not be sure of your final destination is that you've fallen for the devil's big lie. He knows that, based on your trust in Jesus Christ, God has put His "Heaven" sticker on you. Satan's lost you - so he's now reduced to making you wonder if you're really going to heaven. Your enemy wants you to spend your whole life wondering if you belong to Jesus instead of living like you do! Don't fall for it any longer!

If you're not sure there's been a time when you've begun your relationship with Jesus, make sure today - once and for all. You can wonder if God has ever marked you for heaven before today, but at least you'll know He did it today if He's never done it before.

I'd love to invite you to go to our website where an awful lot of people have confirmed the beginning of their relationship with Jesus. That's why it's there. So go to ANewStory.com.

Then, enjoy the trip each new day. He will deliver you safely to your destination in heaven. After all, He paid your fare with His life!

2 Samuel 1, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: JESUS WANTS TO CHANGE YOUR HEART - May 4, 2026

The love of people often increases with performance and decreases with mistakes. Not so with God’s love. He loves you right where you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. And so he cleanses us of filth:  immorality, dishonesty, prejudice, bitterness, greed. He wants us to be just like Jesus. Isn’t that good news? You aren’t stuck with today’s personality. You are tweakable!

Where did we get the idea we cannot change? Why do we say things such as, “It’s my nature to worry,” or “I’ll always be pessimistic; I’m just that way,” or, “I have a bad temper; I can’t help the way I react.” Who says? If our bodies malfunction, we seek help. Shouldn’t we do the same for our hearts? Can’t we seek aid for our sour attitudes? Of course we can! Jesus wants to change our hearts. Can you imagine a better offer?

Just Like Jesus

2 Samuel 1

Shortly after Saul died, David returned to Ziklag from his rout of the Amalekites. Three days later a man showed up unannounced from Saul’s army camp.

2–3  Disheveled and obviously in mourning, he fell to his knees in respect before David. David asked, “What brings you here?”

He answered, “I’ve just escaped from the camp of Israel.”

4  “So what happened?” said David. “What’s the news?”

He said, “The Israelites have fled the battlefield, leaving a lot of their dead comrades behind. And Saul and his son Jonathan are dead.”

5  David pressed the young soldier for details: “How do you know for sure that Saul and Jonathan are dead?”

6–8  “I just happened by Mount Gilboa and came on Saul, badly wounded and leaning on his spear, with enemy chariots and horsemen bearing down hard on him. He looked behind him, saw me, and called me to him. ‘Yes sir,’ I said, ‘at your service.’ He asked me who I was, and I told him, ‘I’m an Amalekite.’ ”

9  “Come here,” he said, “and put me out of my misery. I’m nearly dead already, but my life hangs on.”

10  “So I did what he asked—I killed him. I knew he wouldn’t last much longer anyway. I removed his royal headband and bracelet, and have brought them to my master. Here they are.”

11–12  In lament, David ripped his clothes to ribbons. All the men with him did the same. They wept and fasted the rest of the day, grieving the death of Saul and his son Jonathan, and also the army of God and the nation Israel, victims in a failed battle.

13  Then David spoke to the young soldier who had brought the report: “Who are you, anyway?”

“I’m from an immigrant family—an Amalekite.”

14–15  “Do you mean to say,” said David, “that you weren’t afraid to up and kill God’s anointed king?” Right then he ordered one of his soldiers, “Strike him dead!” The soldier struck him, and he died.

16  “You asked for it,” David told him. “You sealed your death sentence when you said you killed God’s anointed king.”

17–18  Then David sang this lament over Saul and his son Jonathan, and gave orders that everyone in Judah learn it by heart. Yes, it’s even inscribed in The Book of Jashar.

19–21  Oh, oh, Gazelles of Israel, struck down on your hills,

the mighty warriors—fallen, fallen!

Don’t announce it in the city of Gath,

don’t post the news in the streets of Ashkelon.

Don’t give those coarse Philistine girls

one more excuse for a drunken party!

No more dew or rain for you, hills of Gilboa,

and not a drop from springs and wells,

For there the warriors’ shields were dragged through the mud,

Saul’s shield left there to rot.

22  Jonathan’s bow was bold—

the bigger they were the harder they fell.

Saul’s sword was fearless—

once out of the scabbard, nothing could stop it.

23  Saul and Jonathan—beloved, beautiful!

Together in life, together in death.

Swifter than plummeting eagles,

stronger than proud lions.

24–25  Women of Israel, weep for Saul.

He dressed you in finest cottons and silks,

spared no expense in making you elegant.

The mighty warriors—fallen, fallen

in the middle of the fight!

Jonathan—struck down on your hills!

26  O my dear brother Jonathan,

I’m crushed by your death.

Your friendship was a miracle-wonder,

love far exceeding anything I’ve known—

or ever hope to know.

27  The mighty warriors—fallen, fallen.

And the arms of war broken to bits.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, May 04, 2026

by Bill Crowder

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Revelation 1:1-2, 12-18

A revealing of Jesus, the Messiah. God gave it to make plain to his servants what is about to happen. He published and delivered it by Angel to his servant John. And John told everything he saw: God’s Word—the witness of Jesus Christ!

I turned and saw the voice.

I saw a gold menorah

with seven branches,

And in the center, the Son of Man,

in a robe and gold breastplate,

hair a blizzard of white,

Eyes pouring fire-blaze,

both feet furnace-fired bronze,

His voice a cataract,

right hand holding the Seven Stars,

His mouth a sharp-biting sword,

his face a perigee sun.

I saw this and fainted dead at his feet. His right hand pulled me upright, his voice reassured me:

17–20  “Don’t fear: I am First, I am Last, I’m Alive. I died, but I came to life, and my life is now forever. See these keys in my hand? They open and lock Death’s doors, they open and lock Hell’s gates.

Today's Insights

John’s vision of Jesus in Revelation 1:12-18 reveals Christ’s divine authority, holiness, and power. The imagery of white hair, blazing eyes, and a voice like “rushing waters” (v. 15) emphasizes His purity, wisdom, and majesty. Scholars agree that the seven golden lamp stands (see chs. 2-3) symbolize His presence among the churches, affirming both His nearness and His role as their protector and judge. The “sharp, double-edged sword” from His mouth (1:16) represents the power of His word to convict and save. Christ identifies Himself as “the Living One” (v. 18) who triumphed over death. Believers in Jesus don’t need to fear the future because the risen Christ holds the ultimate authority over life and eternity.

No Fear of an Apocalypse

The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. Revelation 1:1

In 1859, the largest solar storm in recorded history took place. Known as the Carrington Event, it produced a massive geomagnetic disturbance blamed for disrupting the telegraph system. The website Space.com says, “It’s been conjectured that a storm on the scale of the Carrington event, if it happened today, could cause an internet apocalypse.”

The ominous word apocalypse intrigues us. It’s the Greek title of the book of Revelation (apokalypsis). But the word doesn’t only mean a catastrophe or the end of the world. As the title Revelation implies, it also refers to an unveiling, a revealing.

The book opens, “The revelation from Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:1). Revelation reveals Jesus as the Lamb of God, a term John uses in the book more than twenty-five times to describe Him. Revelation also reveals Christ as one whose “eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters” (vv. 14-15). When John first saw the Lamb of God, he “fell at his feet as though dead” (v. 17). But this Lamb touched him and said, “Do not be afraid. . . . I am alive for ever and ever!” (v.v 17-18).

Rather than fearing any apocalypse, we can embrace Revelation for showing us the glorified, resurrected Christ. He’s the one we worship.

Reflect & Pray

What are your fears about the future? How does Jesus help you transcend those fears?

Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Your Son Jesus to me.

Learn more about the book of Revelation.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, May 04, 2026

Vicarious Intercession

Since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, . . . let us draw near to God with a sincere heart. — Hebrews 10:19, 22

Our ability to approach God is entirely due to what our Lord did on the cross: he identified himself with sin, and then sacrificed himself to atone for that sin. Beware of the idea that interceding for others in prayer means bringing our personal sympathies into the presence of God and demanding he do what we ask. To draw near to God “with a sincere heart” is to approach God with all humility, remembering that it is only “by the blood of Jesus” that we can enter the holy of holies.

Spiritual stubbornness is the greatest barrier to interceding for others in the way we should. If we are spiritually stubborn, we sympathize with something in ourselves or in others which doesn’t need sympathy; rather, it needs to be atoned for by the blood of Christ. Generally, this is something that seems right and virtuous, something we can’t imagine needs to be handed over to God for atonement.

If we get stuck in this mindset, we no longer identify ourselves with God’s interest in others. We fall in love with our own ideas and constantly put them forward, becoming sullen and sulky if we don’t get our way. Soon, prayer for others has become nothing more than the glorification of our natural sympathies. We have to realize that Jesus’s identification with sin, and our identification with him, requires a radical alteration of all our sympathies. Vicarious intercession means that we deliberately substitute our natural sympathy with others for God’s interest in them.

1 Kings 16-18; Luke 22:47-71

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

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

Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, May 04, 2026

Looking for What's Right There - #10255

How did we know it was a stupid question? Our family was in Alaska some years ago and we asked some of the folks there what seemed like a reasonable question, "Where can we go to see a moose?" Turns out seeing a moose is really no big deal in Alaska. In fact, some people we talked to had hit one recently! So, they're everywhere. Sure. While I was busy speaking, my wife and kids drove all over the countryside looking for some moose. Nada. Maybe people hit them all! They even went to the Moose Sanctuary and they saw no moose there; frustrated, tired of looking, and pretty sure those moose were only in pictures in the tourist brochures. One morning we walked out of the house where we were staying, piled in the car, and started driving down the driveway. Suddenly, one of the kids shouted, "Moose!" And sure enough, there were three members of the antler gang right there at the bottom of our driveway! What we'd been looking for all that time was right in front of us!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Looking for What's Right There."

You know this is a time when spirituality is important to more and more people, there's a word you hear a lot and folks use it to describe themselves spiritually - I'm a "seeker" or I'm "searching spiritually." And that's a good thing to be doing. We're created with this eternity dimension by a God who is eternal, and we'll only find life's real meaning by shopping in the store called "spiritual answers." That part is right.

Today, as never before, there's a spiritual cafeteria to choose from. Our search for the truth can carry us to many different religions or a blend of several religions; into New Age spirituality, into ourselves to find the power within us. But like our family hunting for moose, we're looking, but often not finding what we're looking for. Much searching - still no lasting peace, no security about eternity.

It was a number of years ago where 39 members of the "Heaven's Gate" cult committed suicide. It was really unsettling because these were bright people, competent people; sincere spiritual seekers hoping to graduate from earth to, believe it or not, a waiting spaceship. That was their unusual belief. But listen, this is what I wanted to share with you - what one national news magazine observed about them and about us. It said, "Subtract the spaceship and the mass suicide, and you have a yearning and a search familiar to millions of Americans."  That's true.

That magazine pointed out what they called universal needs that many people are trying to meet: "the craving to belong, the wish to connect to something larger than oneself, the secret hope of finding an all-caring parent who offers protection and comfort." I'll tell you what, those needs were built into us by our Creator. 

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Colossians 1:16. "All things were created by Him and for Him." That simple statement from God could be the beginning of the end of your spiritual search. He says you were created by Jesus; you were created for Jesus. The Savior who's been pretty much in front of you all the time, but maybe you've passed him by because you get Jesus confused with all the religious baggage attached to His name because you thought it was some new spirituality you needed.

But only Jesus died to remedy our central spiritual problem: we're away from God because of our sin. And only the One who paid for that sin with His life can put you and God together. Without that, all spiritual searching must, sooner or later, turn up empty. The day you find is the day you say, "Jesus, You died and it was for me, for my sin. And today, I am Yours." 

He's been here all the time, but you've missed Him. Why don't you make today the day you find Him? Make a trip to our website and find out there how to be sure you belong to Him. It's ANewStory.com. 

Searching is good. Finding is better. Your long search will end in the loving arms of the One who's been patiently waiting for you all this time. Jesus - the end of your search.

Luke 24, bible reading and devotions

 Max Lucado Daily: God Calls the Shots

Every time Satan sets out to score for evil, he ends up scoring a point for good.  Consider Paul.  Satan hoped prison would silence his pulpit, and it did, but it also unleashed his pen.  The letters to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians were all written in a jail cell.

Satan is the Colonel Klink of the Bible.  Remember Klink? He was the fall guy for Hogan on the television series, Hogan’s Heroes. Klink supposedly ran a German POW camp during World War 2. Those inside the camp, however, knew better. They knew who really ran the camp:  the prisoners. They listened to Klink’s calls and read his mail. They even gave Klink ideas, all the while using him for their own cause.

Over and over the Bible makes it clear who really runs the earth. Satan may strut and prance, but it is God who calls the shots.

from The Great House of God

Luke 24:1-35 The Message

Looking for the Living One in a Cemetery

24 1-3 At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn’t find the body of the Master Jesus.

4-8 They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?” Then they remembered Jesus’ words.

9-11 They left the tomb and broke the news of all this to the Eleven and the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them kept telling these things to the apostles, but the apostles didn’t believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up.

12 But Peter jumped to his feet and ran to the tomb. He stooped to look in and saw a few grave clothes, that’s all. He walked away puzzled, shaking his head.

The Road to Emmaus

13-16 That same day two of them were walking to the village Emmaus, about seven miles out of Jerusalem. They were deep in conversation, going over all these things that had happened. In the middle of their talk and questions, Jesus came up and walked along with them. But they were not able to recognize who he was.

17-18 He asked, “What’s this you’re discussing so intently as you walk along?”

They just stood there, long-faced, like they had lost their best friend. Then one of them, his name was Cleopas, said, “Are you the only one in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard what’s happened during the last few days?”

19-24 He said, “What has happened?”

They said, “The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene. He was a man of God, a prophet, dynamic in work and word, blessed by both God and all the people. Then our high priests and leaders betrayed him, got him sentenced to death, and crucified him. And we had our hopes up that he was the One, the One about to deliver Israel. And it is now the third day since it happened. But now some of our women have completely confused us. Early this morning they were at the tomb and couldn’t find his body. They came back with the story that they had seen a vision of angels who said he was alive. Some of our friends went off to the tomb to check and found it empty just as the women said, but they didn’t see Jesus.”

25-27 Then he said to them, “So thick-headed! So slow-hearted! Why can’t you simply believe all that the prophets said? Don’t you see that these things had to happen, that the Messiah had to suffer and only then enter into his glory?” Then he started at the beginning, with the Books of Moses, and went on through all the Prophets, pointing out everything in the Scriptures that referred to him.

28-31 They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on but they pressed him: “Stay and have supper with us. It’s nearly evening; the day is done.” So he went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared.

32 Back and forth they talked. “Didn’t we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?”

A Ghost Doesn’t Have Muscle and Bone

33-34 They didn’t waste a minute. They were up and on their way back to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and their friends gathered together, talking away: “It’s really happened! The Master has been raised up—Simon saw him!”

35 Then the two went over everything that happened on the road and how they recognized him when he broke the bread.

Our daily bread devotional:

Deuteronomy 11:13-21

View Full Chapter

13-15From now on if you listen obediently to the commandments that I am commanding you today, love God, your God, and serve him with everything you have within you, he’ll take charge of sending the rain at the right time, both autumn and spring rains, so that you’ll be able to harvest your grain, your grapes, your olives. He’ll make sure there’s plenty of grass for your animals. You’ll have plenty to eat.

16-17But be vigilant, lest you be seduced away and end up serving and worshiping other gods and God erupts in anger and shuts down Heaven so there’s no rain and nothing grows in the fields, and in no time at all you’re starved out—not a trace of you left on the good land that God is giving you.

18-21Place these words on your hearts. Get them deep inside you. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder. Teach them to your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning until you fall into bed at night. Inscribe them on the doorposts and gates of your cities so that you’ll live a long time, and your children with you, on the soil that God promised to give your ancestors for as long as there is a sky over the Earth.

Today's Insights

Deuteronomy derives from the Greek word deuteronomion, which means “second law.” Most of the book of Deuteronomy repeats the law of Moses given to Israel on Mount Sinai forty years earlier. The generation that had agreed to that law (Exodus 24:7) decades earlier, however, had died in the wilderness. Now, the law needed to be rehearsed for a new generation preparing to enter the promised land. The law instructed them not only how to relate to God but also to one another. Today, as we study the Scriptures, we also learn how to share His love and truth with others.

Love That Goes the Distance by James Banks

Teach [my commands] to your children. Deuteronomy 11:19

Today's Devotion

“We wave until they’re out of sight. It’s a way of showing that we love them.” Those words from my mother when I was a boy explained a habit she and my father had when a family member left our home after a visit. Mom and Dad stood outside and waved to the ones leaving until they disappeared in the distance. Sometimes they stood there for a long time, but that didn’t matter. When I left home myself, I understood why.

Seeing them waving in the rearview mirror touched my heart, and I felt loved and cared for. I still say goodbye to our family visitors that way to show love for them. It’s a habit I hope my children will continue.

Another way we can express love for our families is to communicate God’s love shared in Scripture. As the Israelites prepared to cross the Jordan into the promised land, God taught them with these instructions for life: “Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds. . . . Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 11:18-19).

These are words that would one day find fulfillment in the perfect love of Jesus, who promised, “I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20). As we share His truth and kindness, we can trust that His love is able to overcome every distance.

Reflect & Pray

Whom can you encourage with God’s wisdom and truth today? In what ways will you show them His love?

Please help me, dear Father, to share Your love and truth with others today so they may believe and walk with You always.

Upmost For his highest by Oswald Chambers

Vital Intercession

If we are praying as this verse commands, our prayers might cost the ones for whom we pray more than we expect. When we begin to intercede in prayer for others, God begins to lift them into a totally
different sphere, a process that may involve trials and difficulties. We have to make sure that our natural sympathy doesn’t get in God’s way. If we slip from identifying with his interests in others into personal sympathy for them, our vital connection with God will be lost. Putting sympathy first is a rebuke to him.

It is impossible to pray vitally unless we have perfect confidence in God. Personal sympathy and prejudice weaken this confidence; identification with God ensures it. Whenever we stop being identified with God, it is because of sympathy, not sin. Sin isn’t likely to interfere with our relationship to God, but sympathy will make us say, “I refuse to allow this to happen.” When we refuse to allow God to have his way, we have lost our vital connection with him.

If we are interceding properly, we have neither time nor inclination to pray for our own sad, sweet selves. It’s not that we’re working hard to keep thoughts of ourselves at bay; thoughts of ourselves simply aren’t there. In vital intercession, we are completely and entirely identified with God’s interests, and our natural sympathy—for ourselves and for others—is entirely eclipsed.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

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