Proverbs 24, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: The Definitive Answer

At some point, we all stand at an intersection and ask this question:  Is God good when the outcome is not?

The definitive answer to the goodness of God comes in the person of Jesus Christ.  He's the only picture of God ever taken. He pressed his fingers into the sore of the leper. He inclined his ear to the cry of the hungry. He didn't retreat at the sight of pain.  Just the opposite. Cruel accusations of jealous men?  Jesus knows their sting.

Is it possible that the wonder of heaven will make the most difficult life a good bargain?  This was Paul's opinion.  He said, "Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Your pain won't last forever, my friend, but you will. Whatever we go through now is less than nothing compared with the magnificent future God has planned for us! You'll get through this! God is good even when the outcome is different.  Hang onto this promise!

From You'll Get Through This

Proverbs 24

Intelligence Outranks Muscle

19

1–2  24 Don’t envy bad people;

don’t even want to be around them.

All they think about is causing a disturbance;

all they talk about is making trouble.

20

3–4  It takes wisdom to build a house,

and understanding to set it on a firm foundation;

It takes knowledge to furnish its rooms

with fine furniture and beautiful draperies.

21

5–6  It’s better to be wise than strong;

intelligence outranks muscle any day.

Strategic planning is the key to warfare;

to win, you need a lot of good counsel.

22

7  Wise conversation is way over the head of fools;

in a serious discussion they haven’t a clue.

23

8–9  The person who’s always cooking up some evil

soon gets a reputation as prince of rogues.

Fools incubate sin;

cynics desecrate beauty.

Rescue the Perishing

24

10  If you fall to pieces in a crisis,

there wasn’t much to you in the first place.

25

11–12  Rescue the perishing;

don’t hesitate to step in and help.

If you say, “Hey, that’s none of my business,”

will that get you off the hook?

Someone is watching you closely, you know—

Someone not impressed with weak excuses.

26

13–14  Eat honey, dear child—it’s good for you—

and delicacies that melt in your mouth.

Likewise knowledge,

and wisdom for your soul—

Get that and your future’s secured,

your hope is on solid rock.

27

15–16  Don’t interfere with good people’s lives;

don’t try to get the best of them.

No matter how many times you trip them up,

God-loyal people don’t stay down long;

Soon they’re up on their feet,

while the wicked end up flat on their faces.

28

17–18  Don’t laugh when your enemy falls;

don’t crow over his collapse.

God might see, and become very provoked,

and then take pity on his plight.

29

19–20  Don’t bother your head with braggarts

or wish you could succeed like the wicked.

Those people have no future at all;

they’re headed down a dead-end street.

30

21–22  Fear God, dear child—respect your leaders;

don’t be defiant or mutinous.

Without warning your life can turn upside down,

and who knows how or when it might happen?

MORE SAYINGS OF THE WISE

An Honest Answer

23  It’s wrong, very wrong,

to go along with injustice.

24–25  Whoever whitewashes the wicked

gets a black mark in the history books,

But whoever exposes the wicked

will be thanked and rewarded.

26  An honest answer

is like a warm hug.

27  First plant your fields;

then build your barn.

28–29  Don’t talk about your neighbors behind their backs—

no slander or gossip, please.

Don’t say to anyone, “I’ll get back at you for what you did to me.

I’ll make you pay for what you did!”

30–34  One day I walked by the field of an old lazybones,

and then passed the vineyard of a lout;

They were overgrown with weeds,

thick with thistles, all the fences broken down.

I took a long look and pondered what I saw;

the fields preached me a sermon and I listened:

“A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there,

sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next?

Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life,

with poverty as your permanent houseguest!”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Sunday, October 04, 2026

by Cindy Hess Kasper

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Psalm 63:1-8

God—you’re my God!

I can’t get enough of you!

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

traveling across dry and weary deserts.

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

drinking in your strength and glory.

In your generous love I am really living at last!

My lips brim praises like fountains.

I bless you every time I take a breath;

My arms wave like banners of praise to you.

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

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

If I’m sleepless at midnight,

I spend the hours in grateful reflection.

Because you’ve always stood up for me,

I’m free to run and play.

I hold on to you for dear life,

and you hold me steady as a post.

Today's Insights

Psalm 63 portrays someone who actively pursues God. David declares, “You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you” (v. 1). He praises Him because His “love is better than life” (v. 3). The psalmist discovers that satisfaction isn’t found in what can be held in our hands, but in who can be known. He valued time with God even more than the satisfaction received from eating the finest of foods: “I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you” (v. 5). The language of thirst, longing, and clinging reveals a relationship pursued with intensity and love. Psalm 63 reminds us that intimacy with God grows as we seek God in stillness.

For further study, listen to the following podcast: Be Still

In the Stillness

I think of you through the watches of the night . . . because you are my help. Psalm 63:6-7

When I was a kid and got up in the middle of the night, I often found Mom sitting in her chair in the living room. The glow of the table lamp revealed a book on her lap—her Bible. My mom had trouble sleeping because of her insomnia and chronic pain, but she made good use of her time. We rarely spoke those nights. I was too sleepy to do anything but nod and shuffle down the hall. But I know Mom connected with God in those quiet early morning hours, and God spoke to her.

How can we find moments to know God more fully? We don’t have to wait for a sleepless night, of course. Jesus left His companions to spend time talking alone with His Father (Mark 1:35).

The Scriptures say, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). And David’s poetry often reveals how he sought out an intimate relationship with God to praise Him for who He is (63:1-8).

The world is loud, and we’re often distracted by the noise. It claims our attention and demands our participation. That’s why we need to actively seek out the quiet moments rarely found in the chaos of family life or the busyness of work. We find God in the stillness.

He’s awake. He’s listening. And He’s always ready to spend time with those who seek Him.

Reflect & Pray

What distractions keep you from finding time for conversation with God? What’s a good way to prepare your heart to “be still” before Him?

Dear Jesus, please teach me to seek You out and rest in Your presence. Help me to put aside the distractions and to praise You for who You are.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, October 04, 2026

Put to the Test

. . . called to be his holy people. — 1 Corinthians 1:2

Thank God for the sight of all you haven’t yet become. God has called you to be one of his holy people, you’ve had the vision of what he wants, but you aren’t there yet by any means.

God calls his children to the mountaintop and gives them a vision. Then he sends them down into the valley of everyday life, the valley where the vision will be put to the test. It’s in the valley that most of us turn back, because it’s there that we must prove whether or not we’ll be the chosen ones. We aren’t quite prepared for the blows that must come if we’re going to be turned into the shape of the vision. Are we willing to be hammered into shape by God’s hand? The hammering always comes in commonplace ways, through the circumstances and people we encounter in our daily lives.

There are times when we know God’s purpose for us, times when he’s given us a vision and we see it clearly. Whether this vision will be turned into actual character depends on us, not on God. If we prefer to bask in the memory of the vision, we’ll be of no use in the ordinary stuff of human life. We have to learn to live in reliance on what we saw in the vision—not in ecstasies and conscious contemplation of God, but living our ordinary lives in light of the vision. We must do this until the vision becomes a reality. Every bit of the training God is putting us through is leading us to this goal. Learn to thank God for making his demands known.

The little “I am” always sulks when God says, “Do.” Let your little “I am” be shriveled up in the face of the great “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14). God must dominate our lives. Isn’t it startling to realize that he knows where we live? That he knows the burrows we crawl into? He’ll hunt us up like a lightning flash. No human being knows human beings as God does.

Isaiah 20-22; Ephesians 6

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

If there is only one strand of faith amongst all the corruption within us, God will take hold of that one strand. 

Not Knowing Whither, 888 L

Proverbs 23, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Prayer Guidance

When I pray, I think of a thousand things I need to do. I forget the one thing I set out to do: pray! Can you relate? But wouldn't we all like to pray. . More? Better? Deeper? Stronger? With more fire, faith, or fervency?

Yet we have kids to feed, bills to pay, deadlines to meet. We want to pray, but when? We want to pray, but why? We have our doubts about prayer, our checkered history of unmet expectations, unanswered questions. We aren't the first. The sign-up for Prayer 101 contains familiar names: John, James, Andrew, and Peter. The first followers of Jesus needed prayer guidance.

So here's my challenge to you! Sign on at BeforeAmen.com.  It will encourage you and give you a building block for your growth in prayer. Then get ready to change your life forever!

Proverbs 23

Restrain Yourself

6

1–3  23 When you go out to dinner with an influential person,

mind your manners:

Don’t gobble your food,

don’t talk with your mouth full.

And don’t stuff yourself;

bridle your appetite.

7

4–5  Don’t wear yourself out trying to get rich;

restrain yourself!

Riches disappear in the blink of an eye;

wealth sprouts wings

and flies off into the wild blue yonder.

8

6–8  Don’t accept a meal from a tightwad;

don’t expect anything special.

He’ll be as stingy with you as he is with himself;

he’ll say, “Eat! Drink!” but won’t mean a word of it.

His miserly serving will turn your stomach

when you realize the meal’s a sham.

9

9  Don’t bother talking sense to fools;

they’ll only poke fun at your words.

10

10–11  Don’t stealthily move back the boundary lines

or cheat orphans out of their property,

For they have a powerful Advocate

who will go to bat for them.

11

12  Give yourselves to disciplined instruction;

open your ears to tested knowledge.

12

13–14  Don’t be afraid to correct your young ones;

a spanking won’t kill them.

A good spanking, in fact, might save them

from something worse than death.

13

15–16  Dear child, if you become wise,

I’ll be one happy parent.

My heart will dance and sing

to the tuneful truth you’ll speak.

14

17–18  Don’t for a minute envy careless rebels;

soak yourself in the Fear-of-God—

That’s where your future lies.

Then you won’t be left with an armload of nothing.

15

19–21  Oh listen, dear child—become wise;

point your life in the right direction.

Don’t drink too much wine and get drunk;

don’t eat too much food and get fat.

Drunks and gluttons will end up on skid row,

in a stupor and dressed in rags.

Buy Wisdom, Education, Insight

16

22–25  Listen with respect to the father who raised you,

and when your mother grows old, don’t neglect her.

Buy truth—don’t sell it for love or money;

buy wisdom, buy education, buy insight.

Parents rejoice when their children turn out well;

wise children become proud parents.

So make your father happy!

Make your mother proud!

17

26  Dear child, I want your full attention;

please do what I show you.

27–28  A whore is a bottomless pit;

a loose woman can get you in deep trouble fast.

She’ll take you for all you’ve got;

she’s worse than a pack of thieves.

18

29–35  Who are the people who are always crying the blues?

Who do you know who reeks of self-pity?

Who keeps getting beat up for no reason at all?

Whose eyes are bleary and bloodshot?

It’s those who spend the night with a bottle,

for whom drinking is serious business.

Don’t judge wine by its label,

or its bouquet, or its full-bodied flavor.

Judge it rather by the hangover it leaves you with—

the splitting headache, the queasy stomach.

Do you really prefer seeing double,

with your speech all slurred,

Reeling and seasick,

drunk as a sailor?

“They hit me,” you’ll say, “but it didn’t hurt;

they beat on me, but I didn’t feel a thing.

When I’m sober enough to manage it,

bring me another drink!”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Saturday, October 03, 2026

by Bill Crowder

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Hebrews 4:14-16

The High Priest Who Cried Out in Pain

14–16  Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.

Today's Insights

The letter to the Hebrews explains what Jesus did for us, but to better appreciate that, it’s important to understand the system of sacrifice instituted in Leviticus (4:1–7:10). In Hebrews, the writer affirms the humanity of Christ who, though fully God, “had to be made like [humans], fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God” (2:17). The writer explains, “If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood . . . why was there still need for another priest to come?” (7:11). Jesus’ humanity and His divine nature enable Him to “empathize” with us in “our weaknesses” (4:15) and to redeem us once for all from our sins. Because He empathizes with us, we can seek His help as we reach out to those around us. In the process, we point them to Christ, our once-for-all sacrifice.

For further study, read: Who Is Your Neighbor?

Compassionate Understanding

[Our high priest] has been tempted . . . just as we are—yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15

My father-in-law was a gunner in a bomber over Europe during World War II. His plane was shot down and he was captured, spending several months as a prisoner of war. Jim rarely spoke of the experience, but those who knew him before the war said that he’d been a happy-go-lucky young man with a beaming smile. His war experiences turned him into a moody, withdrawn person.

Trying to understand his experience, I read Masters of the Air, Donald Miller’s description of the air war over Europe. Miller helped me grasp the physical and psychological price paid by these airmen. His book increased my compassion for my father-in-law.

The writer of Hebrews wrote of our “great high priest” (4:14)—Jesus Himself—who did much more than merely gain understanding of our struggles. He lived among us, learning how we feel in every situation. Hebrews tells us, “We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin” (v. 15). Think of it! Jesus knows what we endure. He’s been tempted just as we are.

Learning to have a heart of compassion like Jesus is a great way to show His love to those who need Him. May God give us, by His Holy Spirit, an understanding heart that reaches out to others in love and mercy.

Reflect & Pray

Who do you struggle to have compassion for? How can you develop a more understanding heart?

Dear Father, please forgive me for being harsh with others. Teach me the grace of compassion so they might see Your love in me.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Saturday, October 03, 2026

The Sphere of Service

He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” — Mark 9:29

After the disciples had tried and failed to cast out an impure spirit, they went to Jesus in confusion, asking, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” (Mark 9:28). Jesus replied that it was only through prayer—only through concentration and more concentration on him, only through a personal relationship with him—that such a spirit could be driven out. The disciples had tried to do God’s work by drawing on their own ideas rather than by concentrating on God’s power.

If you approach things as the disciples did, you will remain as powerless as they were. You may be eager to work for God, but if you work for him without knowing him, you’ll end up working against him. Sometimes you are faced with a difficult situation and you pray about it, yet nothing happens—not on the outside. But if you are concentrating on Jesus, if you have a personal relationship with him, you know that emancipation will be given. The focus of your service must be to make sure that there is nothing between Jesus and yourself. If there is, you can only overcome it by facing it and going straight through it into his presence, not by ignoring it in irritation. Face the issue with the Lord, and eventually that very thing, along with everything that’s happened in connection with it, will glorify him.

The one purpose for which we are in this world is concentration on God. Get the noisy cries of religion out of your ears, the cries that say, “Do this and don’t do that.” Never! Jesus says, “Be this and that, and I will do through you.”

Isaiah 17-19; Ephesians 5:17-33

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Beware of bartering the Word of God for a more suitable conception of your own. 

Disciples Indeed, 386 R

Proverbs 22, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: OUR EVER PRESENT HELP - October 2, 2026

The father may have thought he was walking the road to Capernaum all alone. Quite the contrary. Christ had supernaturally gone into the nobleman’s residence and not only healed the son, but also won the hearts of the entire household. Was the father’s prayer answered? By all means! It was answered in a manner greater than he had requested.

Yours will be as well. Perhaps the answer will come this side of heaven. Perhaps it awaits you on the other side. Either way, this story urges you and me to keep walking and believing in our God who is our ever-present help in trouble.

Ever-present. You’ll never be put on hold or told to check back later. Ever-present. As near as your next breath. Ever-present help. He is here to help. That’s the message of this miracle. That’s the message of the Gospel. Remember friends, you are never alone.

You Are Never Alone: Trust in the Miracle of God's Presence & Power

Proverbs 22

The Cure Comes Through Discipline

1  22 A sterling reputation is better than striking it rich;

a gracious spirit is better than money in the bank.

2  The rich and the poor shake hands as equals—

God made them both!

3  A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks;

a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered.

4  The payoff for meekness and Fear-of-God

is plenty and honor and a satisfying life.

5  The perverse travel a dangerous road, potholed and mud-slick;

if you know what’s good for you, stay clear of it.

6  Point your kids in the right direction—

when they’re old they won’t be lost.

7  The poor are always ruled over by the rich,

so don’t borrow and put yourself under their power.

8  Whoever sows sin reaps weeds,

and bullying anger sputters into nothing.

9  Generous hands are blessed hands

because they give bread to the poor.

10  Kick out the troublemakers and things will quiet down;

you need a break from bickering and griping!

11  God loves the pure-hearted and well-spoken;

good leaders also delight in their friendship.

12  God guards knowledge with a passion,

but he’ll have nothing to do with deception.

13  The loafer says, “There’s a lion on the loose!

If I go out I’ll be eaten alive!”

14  The mouth of a whore is a bottomless pit;

you’ll fall in that pit if you’re on the outs with God.

15  Young people are prone to foolishness and fads;

the cure comes through tough-minded discipline.

16  Exploit the poor or glad-hand the rich—whichever,

you’ll end up the poorer for it.

THE THIRTY PRECEPTS OF THE SAGES

Don’t Move Back the Boundary Lines

17–21  Listen carefully to my wisdom;

take to heart what I can teach you.

You’ll treasure its sweetness deep within;

you’ll give it bold expression in your speech.

To make sure your foundation is trust in God,

I’m laying it all out right now just for you.

I’m giving you thirty sterling principles—

tested guidelines to live by.

Believe me—these are truths that work,

and will keep you accountable

to those who sent you.

1

22–23  Don’t walk on the poor just because they’re poor,

and don’t use your position to crush the weak,

Because God will come to their defense;

the life you took, he’ll take from you and give back to them.

2

24–25  Don’t hang out with angry people;

don’t keep company with hotheads.

Bad temper is contagious—

don’t get infected.

3

26–27  Don’t gamble on the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,

hocking your house against a lucky chance.

The time will come when you have to pay up;

you’ll be left with nothing but the shirt on your back.

4

28  Don’t stealthily move back the boundary lines

staked out long ago by your ancestors.

5

29  Observe people who are good at their work—

skilled workers are always in demand and admired;

they don’t take a backseat to anyone.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Friday, October 02, 2026

By

Patricia Raybon

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Philippians 3:10-16

I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.

Focused on the Goal

12–14  I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.

15–16  So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. If any of you have something else in mind, something less than total commitment, God will clear your blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, let’s stay on it.

Today's Insights

Paul is driven by his urgent passion “to know Christ” (Philippians 3:10). He wants to “know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection” (vv. 10-11). Being transformed to be like the resurrected Jesus requires us to pursue that goal with everything we have (vv. 13-14, 17). Yet even as we “press on toward the goal” (v. 14), we know it’s only possible through complete reliance on God. He’ll help us shape our goals so that we’ll know Him better. One day, we’ll be resurrected and will finally reflect Him perfectly (v. 21).

For further study, read: 3 Tips for Discerning God's Will

Goals Aligned with God

I want to know Christ. Philippians 3:10

After getting fired from his job without prior notice, Wil became so depressed that he admitted himself into an inpatient mental health facility. Then one day, after weeks with no progress, he was taking his daily walk when his therapist, seeing him, smiled and called out, “I bet I’ll beat you to the community room.” Wil recalls, “That small act triggered something inside of me.” Suddenly he felt he had a purpose. Walking fast, he raced his therapist to the room and won. To his surprise, having one inspiring goal and meeting it gave him hope—a key to his recovery.

The apostle Paul understood the power of a clear goal. “I want to know Christ,” he told church members (Philippians 3:10). He wanted to know the power of the resurrected Jesus, for that power would help the apostle become more like Him. To achieve that aim, Paul followed one strategy: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (vv. 13-14). Feel like you’re falling short? God helps us refocus our goals as we “live up to what we have already attained” in Christ (v. 16).

Paul’s goal, therefore, wasn’t focused on earthly things. He knew that “our citizenship is in heaven” (v. 20). With this eternal perspective in view, we find new hope to thrive in Christ.

Reflect & Pray

What goals do you have? How might you need to change them to align with Christ’s purpose?

Please shape my goals, dear Father, so they inspire me to know Jesus.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Friday, October 02, 2026

The Sphere of Humiliation

“If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.” — Mark 9:22

After every period of exaltation, we are brought down with a sudden rush into things as they are, where it is neither beautiful nor poetic nor thrilling. The height of the mountaintop is measured by the drudgery of the valley—but it’s in the valley that we have to live for the glory of God. When we are on the mountaintop, we see the glory of God, but we cannot live for it. Only in the depths of the valley, in the realm of humiliation, do we discover our true worth to God; only there is our faithfulness revealed.

Most of us can do all sorts of difficult things when we are filled with a sense of heroism. But this is only because of the natural selfishness of our hearts, our desire to be useful and adored. God wants us to relinquish the heroic frame of mind. He wants us to live in the valley according to our personal relationship to him.

“Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain. . . . And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses” (Mark 9:2, 4). After witnessing the vision of Elijah and Moses, Peter wanted to stay up on the mountain. But Jesus took him and the other disciples back down into the valley, the place where the meaning of the vision would be explained.

“‘If you can’? . . .” Look back at your own experience, and you will find that until you learned who Jesus was, you were skeptical of his power. When you were on the mountaintop, you could believe anything. But what about when you were up against facts in the valley? You may be able to give testimony about your miraculous spiritual experiences, but what about the thing that is humiliating you just now? The last time you were on the mountain with God, you saw that all power in heaven and earth belonged to Jesus. Will you see it now in the valley?

Isaiah 14-16; Ephesians 5:1-16

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

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

Approved Unto God, 11 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Friday, October 02, 2026

The Most Surprised People in Hell - #10365

Scripture:  Luke 13:24

When you have a commercial flight to catch at a major airport, it's important to pay attention. There are so many flights, so many gates, so many people, and there's only one plane you want to board; the one that's going to your destination. Right? Well, I guess folks must have made mistakes over the years. I mean, that's got to be the reason the boarding agent or the flight attendant gets on the plane and often says something like this: "This is a destination check. You're on Flight 88 to Atlanta. If Atlanta is not your destination today, this would be a good time for you to deplane." Yeah, I guess. In other words, this buggy ain't going where you want to end up!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Most Surprised People in Hell."

It's one of the most chilling truths in the Bible: there are people who are sure their destination is going to be heaven and they're never going to get there. Unless, you might say, they get off the wrong plane and get on the right plane.

Would you listen to these sobering words from Jesus Himself in Luke 13, beginning with verse 24. It's our word for today from the Word of God. "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' But He will answer, 'I don't know you' ... Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with You, and You taught in our streets.' But He will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from Me...'"

Jesus then concludes by describing this heartbreaking scene: "There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrust out." These are tough verses, but they're here so none of us will end up being one of the most surprised people in hell. They're here because Jesus loves us too much to let us live and die with the spiritual fantasy that we're ready for eternity when we are not.

It is dangerously easy to know all the "Jesus words" and still miss Jesus; to have Him in your head, but not in your heart, to be in a religion that's all about Jesus, but miss Jesus, to have lots of Christianity but never have Christ. It's easy to mistake agreeing with Jesus for commitment to Jesus.

I have a number of friends that I agree with on many things, but I'm not married to them. You know, my marriage to my wife was not because of my agreement with her, but because of my total commitment to her. It's the same with Jesus. The question is this: Has there been a time in your life when you have consciously given yourself completely to Jesus, when you've committed yourself to live for the One who died for your sins? If you know you've done that, you belong to Jesus. If you don't know you've done that, you probably haven't. And you probably need to sooner rather than later.

Heaven and hell are nothing to gamble with. Please don't let your religious pride cost you heaven. Tell Jesus this very day, "Lord, I've known about you a long time, I've never really known You. But I want to, beginning right now. I'm putting my trust in You and not in my Christianity. I know I’ll never get to heaven without Your forgiveness. All my trust is in You, Jesus and what You did on the cross to erase my sins. Beginning today, Jesus, I am Yours."

Wow! This could be the for real day when you really know Him for real. Get it settled. Let's get this done while you're hearing His voice in your heart. I would encourage you to go to our website - ANewStory.com. It's all about securing your relationship with Jesus Christ and you need that right now.

It's time for an eternal destination check while there's still time to go the way that will get you where you want to be forever.

Acts 3, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: NOT YET ANSWERED PRAYER - October 1, 2026

The Gospel of John tells the story about a man from Capernaum who approached Jesus in Cana. “Come heal my son?” the man asked. Jesus said the boy would be healed, and the man set out for Capernaum.

Do you find yourself somewhere between Cana and Capernaum? Like the official, you begged Jesus for help. And like the official you didn’t receive the answer in the way you wanted. This is the issue of the not yet answered prayer, or the not answered in the way I asked prayer.

How should we react? I’m sorry that the job did not materialize or the cancer chose to metastasize. Life has its share of dark, dank moments. Read the Bible from the table of contents in the front to the maps in the back, and you will not find any promise of a pain-free life on this side of heaven. But you will find this assurance, “Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.” You are never alone.

You Are Never Alone: Trust in the Miracle of God's Presence & Power

Acts 3

 One day at three o’clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, “Look here.” He looked up, expecting to get something from them.

6–8  Peter said, “I don’t have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked.

8–10  The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God. Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple’s Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing.

11  The man threw his arms around Peter and John, ecstatic. All the people ran up to where they were at Solomon’s Porch to see it for themselves.

Turn to Face God

12–16  When Peter saw he had a congregation, he addressed the people:

“Oh, Israelites, why does this take you by such complete surprise, and why stare at us as if our power or piety made him walk? The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his Son Jesus. The very One that Pilate called innocent, you repudiated. You repudiated the Holy One, the Just One, and asked for a murderer in his place. You no sooner killed the Author of Life than God raised him from the dead—and we’re the witnesses. Faith in Jesus’ name put this man, whose condition you know so well, on his feet—yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and whole right before your eyes.

17–18  “And now, friends, I know you had no idea what you were doing when you killed Jesus, and neither did your leaders. But God, who through the preaching of all the prophets had said all along that his Messiah would be killed, knew exactly what you were doing and used it to fulfill his plans.

19–23  “Now it’s time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus. For the time being he must remain out of sight in heaven until everything is restored to order again just the way God, through the preaching of his holy prophets of old, said it would be. Moses, for instance, said, ‘Your God will raise up for you a prophet just like me from your family. Listen to every word he speaks to you. Every last living soul who refuses to listen to that prophet will be wiped out from the people.’

24–26  “All the prophets from Samuel on down said the same thing, said most emphatically that these days would come. These prophets, along with the covenant God made with your ancestors, are your family tree. God’s covenant-word to Abraham provides the text: ‘By your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ But you are first in line: God, having raised up his Son, sent him to bless you as you turn, one by one, from your evil ways.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, October 01, 2026

By James Banks

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Proverbs 15:1-6

God Doesn’t Miss a Thing

1  15 A gentle response defuses anger,

but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.

2  Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise;

fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.

3  God doesn’t miss a thing—

he’s alert to good and evil alike.

4  Kind words heal and help;

cutting words wound and maim.

5  Moral dropouts won’t listen to their elders;

welcoming correction is a mark of good sense.

6  The lives of God-loyal people flourish;

a misspent life is soon bankrupt.

Today's Insights

Wisdom is one of the great themes of the Bible. In fact, in Old Testament wisdom literature, poetry is designed to show the difference between wisdom and folly. This is often done through the poetic device of parallelism. In antithetical parallelism, a verse will contain two lines that contrast with one another, as seen in Proverbs 15:1: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” This device is found throughout Proverbs and Ecclesiastes and makes a vivid case for living a life of wisdom in a world wracked by foolishness. The book of Proverbs offers practical advice for how to use our words wisely. We can ask God for wisdom when we don’t know how to respond in difficult situations. In the New Testament, James tells us, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (1:5).

For further study, read: Guided by the Spirit

Gentle Answers with God’s Help

A gentle answer turns away wrath. Proverbs 15:1

“Close it up. I’ve seen enough.” Those were the words of an older, experienced beekeeper to me one afternoon when I was learning how to tend a hive. My movements had been quick and forceful, causing vibrations that alarmed the bees and resulted in a growing swarm around my head. Even though I was trying to care for them, I was only making them angry. My friend proceeded to show me the importance of moving “softly,” using gentle motions that were less likely to disturb the bees. Today (years later), when I go into a hive, my motions are so much smoother that my wife tells me it almost looks like I’m dancing.

Sometimes difficult conversations are like dancing with bees. When others are upset and emotions are tense, reacting angrily only makes matters worse. As King Solomon observed, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1). Responding kindly and peacefully to those who are irritated or unreasonable may take time to learn. But because gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit at work within us (see Galatians 5:22-23), with God’s help we can make progress in it.

These days I’m learning to pray for wisdom and gentleness whenever I go into a hive or a difficult conversation. When we walk with God into tense moments, our “help in trouble” is never far away (Psalm 46:1).

Reflect & Pray

How can God help you react gently to someone who’s angry? What will you say to someone who needs a gentle response from you today?

Dear Jesus, please help me to gently share Your love in the ways I respond to others today.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, October 01, 2026

The Sphere of Exaltation

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain. — Mark 9:2

We’ve all had times on the mountain, when we’ve seen from God’s viewpoint and have wanted to stay on high. But God will never allow this. The test of our spiritual life lies in our ability to keep the vision God gives on the mountain in our sights as we descend. If we only have the power to rise, something is wrong.

It’s a great thing to be up on the mountain with our Lord, but he only takes us up with him for one reason—so that we may go down again into the valley and lift up those around us. We aren’t built for the mountains and the dawns and the breathtaking views; they are for moments of inspiration, nothing else. We’re built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff of daily life. That is where we have to prove our mettle.

Spiritual selfishness always wants to get back to the mountaintop. When we are spiritually selfish, we are always claiming that of course we’d live like angels—if we could stay on high. We have to learn that moments of exaltation are exceptional. They have meaning in our life with God, but we have to make sure that spiritual selfishness doesn’t cause us to want them all the time.

We tend to think that everything that happens is meant to teach us something. A mountaintop experience isn’t meant to teach us anything; it’s meant to make us something new. God wants our experiences to develop our character.

When it comes to spiritual matters, there’s a great trap in asking, “What’s the point of this?” It isn’t for us to know the point. The moments on the mountaintop are rare, and they are meant for something in God’s own purpose.

Isaiah 11-13; Ephesians 4 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

The main characteristic which is the proof of the indwelling Spirit is an amazing tenderness in personal dealing, and a blazing truthfulness with regard to God’s Word.

Disciples Indeed, 386 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, October 01, 2026

Only One You - #10364

Scripture:  Philippians 3:5

Having watched some of the old Superman TV shows and some of the movies, it’s got to be tough for Clark Kent. I mean, these days it’s getting harder and harder to find a phone booth to change in. That’s what he used to do! But He always manages to change his identity to Superman. That’s the important thing. You can’t be a super hero until you change your identity. When you think about it, most of our super heroes over the years don’t become heroes without that change of identity, whether it’s Clark Kent changing to Superman, or it’s Wonder Woman, or it’s Batman. Now, that’s okay for the comics, but in real life, the heroes are the ones who never change their identity.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Only One You.”

Our word for today from the Word of God is found in Philippians 3. It’s about a man who had many possible identities. He would make Clark Kent look like a piker. Listen to this. The Apostle Paul writes to us about some of the identities in his life. He says beginning in verse 5, “I was circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel, I am a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin…” “I’ve got a tribe I’m very proud I’m from.” He says, “a Hebrew of the Hebrews.” He says, “I’m the top of the line in that department.” “…in regard to the law, I’m a Pharisee.”

Boy, there’s another identity. And then, “As for zeal, persecuting the church,” He said, “I was a very good church persecutor.” Great way to make a living, huh? He says, “As for legalistic righteousness, I was faultless.” Look at all those identities this guy’s got. Now, “But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Out of all the identities Paul could have had, he said, “There’s one that I want to step into. I have settled on one identity and I have decided to give that one identity everything I’ve got. It is following Jesus Christ. That’s who I am.”

Most of us are like Clark Kent. There’s the me I am at work. Now, I don’t get into a phone booth (can’t find one anyway), but I change my identity to be the me I am at church, and then there’s the me I am with my wife, and then the me I am with different groups of friends, and the me playing sports, etc.

I talked with this high school football player, and he said, “Ron, it’s tough to be only one of 30 kids who stands up to the teacher when they say godless things. It’s tough to be the only guy in the locker room with a clean mouth and the only guy who is loyal to Christ.” I wanted to encourage him. I said, “Bill, you won’t always be a football player. You won’t always be a student at that school. You won’t always be friends with those kids. You won’t always be a student in that class. There’s only one thing you’ll always be. You’ll always be a follower of Christ.” I’ll tell you what I told him. “Life becomes more peaceful, less stressful, and less confusing when you pick one identity and stick with it.”

See, life settles down when you make this choice, “I’m going to really be what I’ll always be.” And that’s what you’ll always be, a follower of Christ. That was Paul’s choice. He said, “All other identities are temporary.” Don’t let a temporary identity cause you to betray who you really are and who you will always be. You’re so afraid. It’s kind of like “Well I’m an employee of Company X, or I’m a student of Professor Y, or I’m a neighbor or coworker of person Z.” None of those are who you are. Whose hero do you want to be?

Don’t let your Jesus identity be your secret identity anymore. You will forever be the property of Jesus Christ bought with His blood. So why don’t you really be what you’ll always be. Fantasy heroes keep changing identities, but real heroes pick one and go for it because heroes know who they are.

Proverbs 21, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: GODLY WEAPONS - September 30, 2026

When we go out in God’s name, Satan makes a dash for the nearest exit. We have weapons he cannot match. What are our weapons? 2 Corinthians 10:4: Prayer, worship, and Scripture. Prayer invites God, praise dethrones Satan, Scripture discloses truth. And Satan hates the truth.Bible study guide

Flee sexual immorality. Let no evil come from your mouth. Make sure the demons of hell know that you are on God’s side, not theirs. People of unbreakable courage know what Elijah knew. “The Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand” (1 Kings 17:1 NKJV).

Victims? Not on your life. Victors? You can count on it!

Unbreakable Courage

Proverbs 21

God Examines Our Motives

1  21 Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God;

he directs it to whatever ends he chooses.

2  We justify our actions by appearances;

God examines our motives.

3  Clean living before God and justice with our neighbors

mean far more to God than religious performance.

4  Arrogance and pride—distinguishing marks in the wicked—

are just plain sin.

5  Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run;

hurry and scurry puts you further behind.

6  Make it to the top by lying and cheating;

get paid with smoke and a promotion—to death!

7  The wicked get buried alive by their loot

because they refuse to use it to help others.

8  Mixed motives twist life into tangles;

pure motives take you straight down the road.

Do Your Best, Prepare for the Worst

9  Better to live alone in a tumbledown shack

than share a mansion with a nagging spouse.

10  Wicked souls love to make trouble;

they feel nothing for friends and neighbors.

11  Simpletons only learn the hard way,

but the wise learn by listening.

12  A God-loyal person will see right through the wicked

and undo the evil they’ve planned.

13  If you stop your ears to the cries of the poor,

your cries will go unheard, unanswered.

14  A quietly given gift soothes an irritable person;

a heartfelt present cools a hot temper.

15  Good people celebrate when justice triumphs,

but for the workers of evil it’s a bad day.

16  Whoever wanders off the straight and narrow

ends up in a congregation of ghosts.

17  You’re addicted to thrills? What an empty life!

The pursuit of pleasure is never satisfied.

18  What a bad person plots against the good, boomerangs;

the plotter gets it in the end.

19  Better to live in a tent in the wild

than with a cross and petulant spouse.

20  Valuables are safe in a wise person’s home;

fools put it all out for yard sales.

21  Whoever goes hunting for what is right and kind

finds life itself—glorious life!

22  One sage entered a whole city of armed soldiers—

their trusted defenses fell to pieces!

23  Watch your words and hold your tongue;

you’ll save yourself a lot of grief.

24  You know their names—Brash, Impudent, Blasphemer—

intemperate hotheads, every one.

25  Lazy people finally die of hunger

because they won’t get up and go to work.

26  Sinners are always wanting what they don’t have;

the God-loyal are always giving what they do have.

27  Religious performance by the wicked stinks;

it’s even worse when they use it to get ahead.

28  A lying witness is unconvincing;

a person who speaks truth is respected.

29  Unscrupulous people fake it a lot;

honest people are sure of their steps.

30  Nothing clever, nothing conceived, nothing contrived,

can get the better of God.

31  Do your best, prepare for the worst—

then trust God to bring victory.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

by Marvin Williams

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Colossians 2:6-15

From the Shadows to the Substance

6–7  My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

8–10  Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk. They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything. They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings. But that’s not the way of Christ. Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear him clearly. You don’t need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without him. When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too. His power extends over everything.

11–15  Entering into this fullness is not something you figure out or achieve. It’s not a matter of being circumcised or keeping a long list of laws. No, you’re already in—insiders—not through some secretive initiation rite but rather through what Christ has already gone through for you, destroying the power of sin. If it’s an initiation ritual you’re after, you’ve already been through it by submitting to baptism. Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection, God raising you from the dead as he did Christ. When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ’s cross. He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.

Today's Insights

Paul wrote, “[God] has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith . . . and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel” (1:22-23). The apostle is combatting false teaching here—probably Gnosticism. Among its claims were that Christ didn’t have a physical body. This isn’t a biblical teaching, as it denies the crucifixion and resurrection. Paul warned, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy” (2:8). As he said, “You were dead in your sins” but now “God made you alive with Christ” (v. 13). When we accept Jesus’ sacrifice as payment for our sin, we become free from sin’s burden.

For further study, read: Teach Us to Pray

Not Ritual but Christ

Hollow and deceptive philosophy . . . depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8

In Santa Fe, New Mexico, thousands gather each year to burn Zozobra—a fifty-foot towering effigy stuffed with their worries, bills, and regrets. They shout, “Burn him!” as they hope the flames will devour their anxieties and troubles and reset their lives. The ritual reflects a deep human longing to be cleansed of fear, shame, and failure. It’s dramatic. But it’s also powerless. Fire can destroy paper but not guilt. It can consume ashes but not shame.

The apostle Paul wrote, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8). He reminded his readers that they shouldn’t trade Jesus for empty substitutes, and he explains why: Christ is the visible “image of the invisible God” (1:15), is supreme over creation (1:16), fully God in human flesh (2:9), and victorious over “every power and authority” (v. 10). Because of His death and resurrection, we’re “rooted and built up in him” (v. 7), and fully alive and forgiven by Him (v. 13). Human rituals and cultural ceremonies can mesmerize a crowd, but only Jesus can cancel sin’s debt and break its grip forever.

Instead of yielding our burdens to rituals and traditions, let’s surrender them to Christ. He alone frees us from captivity and fills us with hope.

Reflect & Pray

How can human rituals be dangerous substitutes for Christ? In what ways does He offer us freedom from them?

Dear Jesus, only You can truly set me free.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

The Commission of the Call

I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions. — Colossians 1:24

The call of God is utterly unique. We think we are answering God’s call when we devote ourselves to spiritual service, but once we get into a right relationship with him, we see how wrong we’ve been. When God calls, he calls us to something we’ve never dreamed of before. In one radiant, flashing moment, we see what he wants us to do—to “fill up” in our flesh “what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions”—and we are riveted with a terrific pain.

The call of God has nothing to do with personal holiness. It’s about being made broken bread and poured-out wine. If we are ever going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed; you cannot drink whole grapes. But God can never crush those who resist the fingers he uses to do it. Those fingers may belong to someone we dislike, or to some set of circumstances to which we said we would never submit. We think, “If only God would use his own fingers to crush me, and do it in some special, heavenly way!” We have to learn that we cannot choose the scene or the means of our martyrdom.

I wonder what kind of fingers God has been using to squeeze you. Have you been hard as a marble and escaped? If God had persisted in squeezing you while you were still unripe, the wine would have been remarkably bitter. If you wish to be a person whom God can easily crush, you must allow his presence to govern every element of your natural life and to break those elements in his service.

We have to be rightly related to God before we can be broken in his hands. Keep right with him, let him do with you as he likes, and you will find that he is producing the kind of bread and wine that will benefit his other children.

Isaiah 9-10; Ephesians 3

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

The truth is we have nothing to fear and nothing to overcome because He is all in all and we are more than conquerors through Him. The recognition of this truth is not flattering to the worker’s sense of heroics, but it is amazingly glorifying to the work of Christ.

Approved Unto God, 4 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

The Eternity Gap - #10363

Scripture:  Romans 7:15

You can read about the Grand Canyon. You can see pictures of the Grand Canyon. But you can't begin to comprehend how grand a canyon it is until you're standing right there at the edge of it, trying to drink in how massive it really is. The moods, the colors, the vastness—it was really something impressive for our whole family the first time we went there together. You stand on the South Rim and you look at the North Rim in the distance…the far distance, realizing you can only look. It averages at least ten miles across! There's no way to get across that canyon. There’s no bridge that will take you to the other side.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Eternity Gap."

You stand looking at something you'd like to experience, but there's no bridge to get you there—just a very grand canyon between you and what you're looking at. It's a feeling all of us are much too familiar with; looking at where we are, then looking at the kind of person we need to be and realizing there's a grand canyon in between.

Sometimes it's getting married, or having children, or going through one of life's deep valleys that makes us see our dark side; that makes us realize the great gap between the person I am and the person I want to be, the person I need to be, the person the people around me need for me to be. We don't want to be selfish, but selfishness seems so natural and so hard to change. We don't want to be enslaved by this habit, or hurting people with our angry words, or by constantly succumbing to negativity, even depression. We see our worst come out, and it's often hurting most the people we love the most. We want to be different, but listen, it's a long way to the other side. I know what I want to be, what people who count on me need for me to be, but my dark side wins too often.

This is not a new struggle. One of the writers of the Bible actually talked about it in Romans 7, where we find our word for today from the Word of God. He says, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do." That sounds all too familiar, doesn't it? "I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” He says, “For what I do is the evil I do not want to do...who will rescue me?" This man has stumbled on the way that we can bridge the gap between the person we are and the person we need to be—a rescuer. He’s crying out for a rescuer. He answers the question "who will rescue me?" this way: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

All our efforts to improve ourselves seem to fall short. And according to Romans 3:23 in the Bible, our best falls way short of getting to a perfect God. We have only one hope of crossing the grand canyon that we've never been able to cross, and that is literally being carried across in the arms of Jesus Christ. He can rescue you from your dark side because He died to pay the death penalty for all your sins, and then He rose from the dead to prove that He has beaten everything that has beaten us.

The arms of Heaven’s Rescuer are, in fact, open to you this very day. But He won’t grab you. No, you have to grab Him. Has there ever been a moment when you’ve come to the end of yourself and placed all your hopes and all your trust in Jesus Christ and in Him alone? If not, this would be a great day for you to finally take that first step of faith and to tell Him, “Jesus, I am Yours. I'm putting all my faith in You to have my sins forgiven and to go to heaven someday, to have a relationship with my God."

This could be the beginning of a new story for you. In fact, that's the name of our website - ANewStory.com. And I want to urge you to go there today, and I think you will find there some things from God's Word that will help you be sure you belong to Jesus Christ.

He stands ready to do for you what you have never been able to do for yourself if you’ll just walk into His waiting arms.

Proverbs 20, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: DEFY THE DEVIL - September 29, 2026

Worshippers of Baal believed they could earn the favor of their god through violence or promiscuous sex. For that reason the priests cut themselves, had prostitutes in the temple, and offered babies in the fire. What would such paganism do to a culture? We don’t have to look far to know. What two themes dominate our society? Violence and sex. On average, American youth will witness more than two hundred thousand violent acts on television before the age of eighteen. Thirty-five percent of internet downloads are for pornography.

If you want to be faithful in a faithless world, dare to defy the devil. Yes, he is powerful. But you are a child of the living God! The One who empowered Elijah will empower you.

Unbreakable Courage

Proverbs 20

Deep Water in the Heart

1  20 Wine makes you mean, beer makes you quarrelsome—

a staggering drunk is not much fun.

2  Quick-tempered leaders are like mad dogs—

cross them and they bite your head off.

3  It’s a mark of good character to avert quarrels,

but fools love to pick fights.

4  A farmer too lazy to plant in the spring

has nothing to harvest in the fall.

5  Knowing what is right is like deep water in the heart;

a wise person draws from the well within.

6  Lots of people claim to be loyal and loving,

but where on earth can you find one?

7  God-loyal people, living honest lives,

make it much easier for their children.

8–9  Leaders who know their business and care

keep a sharp eye out for the shoddy and cheap,

For who among us can be trusted

to be always diligent and honest?

10  Switching price tags and padding the expense account

are two things God hates.

11  Young people eventually reveal by their actions

if their motives are on the up and up.

Drinking from the Chalice of Knowledge

12  Ears that hear and eyes that see—

we get our basic equipment from God!

13  Don’t be too fond of sleep; you’ll end up in the poorhouse.

Wake up and get up; then there’ll be food on the table.

14  The shopper says, “That’s junk—I’ll take it off your hands,”

then goes off boasting of the bargain.

15  Drinking from the beautiful chalice of knowledge

is better than adorning oneself with gold and rare gems.

16  Hold tight to collateral on any loan to a stranger;

beware of accepting what a transient has pawned.

17  Stolen bread tastes sweet,

but soon your mouth is full of gravel.

18  Form your purpose by asking for counsel,

then carry it out using all the help you can get.

19  Gossips can’t keep secrets,

so never confide in blabbermouths.

20  Anyone who curses father and mother

extinguishes light and exists benighted.

The Very Steps We Take

21  A bonanza at the beginning

is no guarantee of blessing at the end.

22  Don’t ever say, “I’ll get you for that!”

Wait for God; he’ll settle the score.

23  God hates cheating in the marketplace;

rigged scales are an outrage.

24  The very steps we take come from God;

otherwise how would we know where we’re going?

25  An impulsive vow is a trap;

later you’ll wish you could get out of it.

26  After careful scrutiny, a wise leader

makes a clean sweep of rebels and dolts.

27  God is in charge of human life,

watching and examining us inside and out.

28  Love and truth from a good leader;

sound leadership is founded on loving integrity.

29  Youth may be admired for vigor,

but gray hair gives prestige to old age.

30  A good thrashing purges evil;

punishment goes deep within us.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

by Kenneth Petersen

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Ecclesiastes 5:1-5

God’s in Charge, Not You

1  5 Watch your step when you enter God’s house.

Enter to learn. That’s far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice,

Doing more harm than good.

2  Don’t shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think.

Don’t be too quick to tell God what you think he wants to hear.

God’s in charge, not you—the less you speak, the better.

3  Overwork makes for restless sleep.

Overtalk shows you up as a fool.

4–5  When you tell God you’ll do something, do it—now.

God takes no pleasure in foolish gabble. Vow it, then do it.

Far better not to vow in the first place than to vow and not pay up.

Today's Insights

Having the posture of a listening and responsive heart is an important part of prayer. We often hear from God as His Spirit nudges us to the Scriptures (John 14:26), which challenge us to listen to and obey His words and enlighten us to wisdom for the challenges of life. This may explain why obey and listen are the same word (shema) in Hebrew. To hear God and not obey Him is the greatest of follies. In 1 Samuel 15:22, Saul is chastened by Samuel’s words: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice.” These words echo Ecclesiastes 5:1: “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools.” Today, the Spirit can help us take time to listen to what God is saying to us when we pray.

For further study, read Teach Us to Pray.

Listening to God

After all, God is in heaven, and you ?are here on earth. So let your words be few. Ecclesiastes 5:2 nlt

In a TED Talk, Celeste Headlee outlines “10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation.” One of those might appear to be counterintuitive: In order to have good conversation, we need to listen. Often when the other person is talking, we aren’t really listening to them but forming in our minds what we next want to say. Headlee quotes author Stephen Covey: “Most of us don’t listen with the intent to understand. We listen with the intent to reply.”

Scripture has much to say about listening, especially when it comes to God. Ecclesiastes is rather blunt: “Keep your ears open and your mouth shut” (Ecclesiastes 5:1 nlt). It reminds us that God knows a whole lot more than we do—“God is in heaven” (v. 2)—so it’s wise for us to listen to Him. A verse in Proverbs seems to resonate with the quotes from Headlee and Covey: “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions” (18:2).

What does this mean for us? As we come before God in prayer, we would do well to make time to actually listen to Him, not just rattle on with our lists of concerns and worries. And as we find ourselves in conversations with others today, we might be surprised at how our relationships deepen when we’re really listening to them, not just figuring out what we want to tell them.

Reflect & Pray

When it comes to listening, how might you think ?differently about your prayer time with God? ?How can you take more time to listen to Him?

Dear God, please help me to truly listen to others. I want to make time in my prayers to really listen to You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

The Consciousness of the Call

I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! — 1 Corinthians 9:16

We are prone to forgetting the mystical, supernatural quality of the touch of God. If you can tell others where and when you received the call of God and all about what it was like, I question whether you’ve ever truly received it. The call to preach doesn’t come in a way that’s easy to describe; it’s much more supernatural. The call may come with a sudden thunderclap or with a gradual dawning, but however it comes, it comes with the undercurrent of the supernatural, something that cannot be put into words. It’s always accompanied by a glow.

“I chose you and appointed you” (John 15:16). At any moment, you may break into a sudden conscious awareness of this surprising, supernatural call that has taken hold of your life. The call of God has nothing to do with salvation and sanctification; it isn’t because you are saved and sanctified that you’ve been called to preach. The call to preach is entirely different. Paul describes it as a necessity, a compulsion, placed upon him: “I am compelled to preach.”

If you’ve been obliterating the great supernatural call of God in your life, review your circumstances and see where you’ve failed to put God first. Have you placed him after your idea of Christian service or your desire to use your natural abilities? God had no competition for first place in Paul’s life. Paul realized the call of God and devoted all his strength to answering it.

When someone is called by God, it doesn’t matter how difficult their circumstances are. Every circumstantial force that has been at work will serve God’s purposes in the end. Once you agree to answer the call, God will bring not only your conscious life but also the deeper regions of your life into harmony with his purposes.

Isaiah 7-8; Ephesians 2

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Is He going to help Himself to your life, or are you taken up with your conception of what you are going to do? God is responsible for our lives, and the one great keynote is reckless reliance upon Him.

Approved Unto God, 10 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Fighting Fire When It's Small - #10362

Scripture:  James 1:19

He might be America’s most famous bear – Smokey! Maybe you can picture Smokey Bear right there in his blue jeans and his Park Ranger hat. They used to have commercials like that all the time. He’s probably holding a shovel or he’s looking straight at you very soberly. And he’s saying, “Only you can prevent forest fires.” Actually Smokey has been a pretty effective spokesman, especially if we can think of his big line as soon as we think of him. Oh we’ll never know how many fires he’s prevented, but he’s drilled one very important idea into our heads. Take care of your fire; it could do terrible damage.

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Fighting Fire When It's Small.”

Have you ever noticed the words we use to describe anger? “I’m really hot about this!” “Boy, he’s really steamed!” “She just blew her top!” “I was really burned up!” There’s this strong smell of smoke here isn’t there? And fire - the Bible has a lot to say about the fire of anger and how to control it. Our word for today from the Word of God, James 1:19 for example: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. For man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.”

Well, that’s interesting that it doesn’t bring about anything good, right? A rough translation or paraphrase might be, “You don’t do anything right when you’re angry.” In fact, isn’t it when you’re angry that you tend to make your biggest mistakes? Oftentimes you’ll also leave the deepest scars. You create some of the biggest regrets, and it’s when we’re angry that we most often hurt the people we love the most.

That’s why the Bible says in Colossians 3:8, “You must rid yourselves of all such things as anger and rage.” This isn’t just passively saying, “Well, I can’t help it. I lose my temper.” It’s saying, “Attack this thing! Get rid of it. Take it out like the garbage.” James 1 gives us some hints as to how. We could call these fire fighters for that anger fire inside of you.

First of all, it recommends a big ear. That’s the first fire fighter. It says, “Be quick to listen, and then you’ll be slow to become angry.” If you discipline yourself to listen before you speak, to ask two or three questions before you react you’ll be a lot more likely to tame your anger. Bite your tongue until you’ve heard the whole thing. A lot of “blow ups” come from misunderstanding; that’s where we get most of our exercise - jumping to conclusions. Have a big ear. If you’re quick to listen you’ll be slower to become angry.

I think the second fire fighter is the "cool down time out." That’s what I call it. It says, “Be slow to speak.” Take a step away before you respond; leave the room if you have to. Step away from the person. Step away from the situation. Take the cool down time out, and come back in and act instead of reacting.

And thirdly, here’s another fire fighter. I call it the “sundown clock.” The Bible talks about it in Ephesians 4:26. “Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry.” See, anger never stays the same size. It always grows bigger. It will never be smaller than it is right now. So, get rid of it before you go to bed tonight. Deal with it. Get it out. Don’t stuff it inside. When you don’t act that way, well, Ephesians 4:27 kicks in, “Do not give the Devil a foothold.” Unresolved anger, when you go to bed at night, leaves Satan a wide open spot in your heart.

You and I have caused enough emotional forest fires in our lives haven’t we? And too many people have gotten burned. It’s time we draw actively on the love and the power of Jesus Christ to declare war on that fire inside; to keep that fire small, to extinguish it quickly before we allow it to do any more damage.

Proverbs 19, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: STEADFAST FAITH CONFRONTS SIN - September 28, 2026

“This is what the Lord says: ‘You will not get down from the bed upon which you have lain, but you shall certainly die'” (2 Kings 1:4 NASB).

Elijah dispatched this verdict to the king. Ahaziah reacted in fear-filled vengeance. He sent fifty soldiers to do battle with the prophet. “But Elijah responded to the captain of fifty, ‘If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty’” (2 Kings 1:10 NASB). White-hot heat fell and cremated the soldiers.

Once again, Elijah does not shy away from taking a stand against sin. Take note of this lesson: steadfast faith confronts blatant sin.

Unbreakable Courage

Proverbs 19

If You Quit Listening

1  19 Better to be poor and honest

than a rich person no one can trust.

2  Ignorant zeal is worthless;

haste makes waste.

3  People ruin their lives by their own stupidity,

so why does God always get blamed?

4  Wealth attracts friends as honey draws flies,

but poor people are avoided like a plague.

5  Perjury won’t go unpunished.

Would you let a liar go free?

6  Lots of people flock around a generous person;

everyone’s a friend to the philanthropist.

7  When you’re down on your luck, even your family avoids you—

yes, even your best friends wish you’d get lost.

If they see you coming, they look the other way—

out of sight, out of mind.

8  Grow a wise heart—you’ll do yourself a favor;

keep a clear head—you’ll find a good life.

9  The person who tells lies gets caught;

the person who spreads rumors is ruined.

10  Blockheads shouldn’t live on easy street

any more than workers should give orders to their boss.

11  Smart people know how to hold their tongue;

their grandeur is to forgive and forget.

12  Mean-tempered leaders are like mad dogs;

the good-natured are like fresh morning dew.

13  A parent is worn to a frazzle by a stupid child;

a nagging spouse is a leaky faucet.

14  House and land are handed down from parents,

but a congenial spouse comes straight from God.

15  Life collapses on loafers;

lazybones go hungry.

16  Keep the rules and keep your life;

careless living kills.

17  Mercy to the needy is a loan to God,

and God pays back those loans in full.

18  Discipline your children while you still have the chance;

indulging them destroys them.

19  Let angry people endure the backlash of their own anger;

if you try to make it better, you’ll only make it worse.

20  Take good counsel and accept correction—

that’s the way to live wisely and well.

21  We humans keep brainstorming options and plans,

but God’s purpose prevails.

22  It’s only human to want to make a buck,

but it’s better to be poor than a liar.

23  Fear-of-God is life itself,

a full life, and serene—no nasty surprises.

24  Some people dig a fork into the pie

but are too lazy to raise it to their mouth.

25  Punish the insolent—make an example of them.

Who knows? Somebody might learn a good lesson.

26  Kids who lash out against their parents

are an embarrassment and disgrace.

27  If you quit listening, dear child, and strike off on your own,

you’ll soon be out of your depth.

28  An unprincipled witness desecrates justice;

the mouths of the wicked spew malice.

29  The irreverent have to learn reverence the hard way;

only a slap in the face brings fools to attention.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, September 28, 2026

By Karen Huang

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Judges 10:17–11:8, 29

Jephthah

17–18  The Ammonites prepared for war, setting camp in Gilead. The People of Israel set their rival camp in Mizpah. The leaders in Gilead said, “Who will stand up for us against the Ammonites? We’ll make him head over everyone in Gilead!”

1–3  11 Jephthah the Gileadite was one tough warrior. He was the son of a whore, but Gilead was his father. Meanwhile Gilead’s legal wife had given him other sons, and when they grew up, his wife’s sons threw Jephthah out. They told him: “You’re not getting any of our family inheritance—you’re the son of another woman.” So Jephthah fled from his brothers and went to live in the land of Tob. Some riffraff joined him and went around with him.

4–6  Some time passed. And then the Ammonites started fighting Israel. With the Ammonites at war with them, the elders of Gilead went to get Jephthah from the land of Tob. They said to Jephthah: “Come. Be our general and we’ll fight the Ammonites.”

7  But Jephthah said to the elders of Gilead: “But you hate me. You kicked me out of my family home. So why are you coming to me now? Because you are in trouble. Right?”

8  The elders of Gilead replied, “That’s it exactly. We’ve come to you to get you to go with us and fight the Ammonites. You’ll be the head of all of us, all the Gileadites.”

29–31  God’s Spirit came upon Jephthah. He went across Gilead and Manasseh, went through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there approached the Ammonites.

Today's Insights

Jephthah the warrior was rejected by others, but God used him for His purpose (Judges 11:2-3, 29). Jesus also understood rejection. He was rejected by the people of His hometown of Nazareth, who doubted His authority (Mark 6:1-6). He was rejected by the Pharisees and other Jewish religious leaders who plotted to kill Him (3:6). Many of His followers deserted Him (John 6:60-66). For a time, His siblings failed to believe He was the Messiah (7:5). His disciple Judas Iscariot betrayed Him (18:2-3). At His trial, the people shouted for His crucifixion (Mark 15:13). When we face rejection, we can bring our pain to Him knowing He understands. He sees us, loves us, and accepts us.

For further study, read: The Peace that Jesus Brings

Accepted by God

The Spirit of the Lord came on Jephthah. Judges 11:29

He was the doctor who never turned away a patient—even if some couldn’t pay him and even though he himself had experienced rejection from society. In spite of Harold’s outstanding record in his medical studies, no hospital in London hired him because of the color of his skin. So in 1913 he opened his own practice in his home, often treating the poor for free. Dr. Harold Moody spent his life helping those discriminated against, earning him the title “Britain’s Martin Luther King.”

Dr. Moody shows that our life need not be determined by the rejection of others. Scripture also shows us this truth in the story of Jephthah. Although a mighty warrior, Jephthah was rejected by his half brothers and driven away from their town. They told him, “You are not going to get any inheritance in our family . . . because you are the son of another woman” (Judges 11:2). “So Jephthah fled from his brothers” and settled in another area (v. 3).

Although his family rejected him, God didn’t. When an enemy made war on Israel, it was Jephthah that the people turned to for help (vv. 4-6). They said, “Be our commander, so we can fight the Ammonites” (v. 6). God used and helped Jephthah to subdue their enemy (vv. 29, 32-33) and to later lead Israel (Judges 12:7).

When we’re rejected by others, let’s keep trusting and obeying God. It’s how He sees us and what He wants us to do that matters.

Reflect & Pray

How does rejection affect you? How does God’s acceptance of you encourage you?

Thank You, Father, for Your love and acceptance.?For further study, read The Peace that Jesus Brings at odbm.org.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, September 28, 2026

The “Go” of Unconditional Identification

“One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” — Mark 10:21

The rich young ruler in this verse was driven by a passion to be perfect. When he saw the personal holiness of Jesus Christ, the ruler wanted to be like him. But personal holiness is never what our Lord puts first when he calls a disciple. What he puts first is the absolute annihilation of my right to myself in favor of my identification with him. Jesus Christ wants me to be in a relationship with him in which there is no other relationship. That is why he says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother . . . such a person cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26). Discipleship has nothing to do with perfection, nothing to do with salvation and sanctification. It has everything to do with unconditional identification with Jesus Christ. This is what our Lord was expressing when he told the ruler to go and sell everything. Very few of us understand this absolute “go” of abandonment.

“Jesus looked at him and loved him” (Mark 10:21). To receive the look of Jesus is to have a heart broken forever from allegiance to anyone or anything else. Has Jesus ever looked at you? His look transforms and transfixes. Where I am soft with God is where the Lord has looked at me. If instead I am hard and vindictive, insistent on my own way, certain that the other person is in the wrong, it’s a sign that whole regions of my nature have never been transformed by his gaze.

“One thing you lack . . .” The only good thing, from Jesus Christ’s point of view, is union with himself, and nothing in between.

“Sell everything you have.” I must reduce myself until I’m a mere conscious being. I must renounce possessions of all kinds. I do this not to save my soul (only one thing saves me: absolute reliance on Jesus Christ), but to follow my Lord.

“Come, follow me.”

Isaiah 5-6; Ephesians 1

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

It is an easy thing to argue from precedent because it makes everything simple, but it is a risky thing to do. Give God “elbow room”; let Him come into His universe as He pleases. If we confine God in His working to religious people or to certain ways, we place ourselves on an equality with God. 

Baffled to Fight Better, 51 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, September 28, 2026

The Only Way to Be Free - #10361

Scripture:  Isaiah 61:1

I've had lots of friends in law enforcement, and I've even had the opportunity to ride in the front seat with a police officer. But the experience I had recently had a totally different feel to it. I was speaking in a large youth festival, and I had to get across this festival's grounds quickly to my next speaking venue. Two police officers working security said, "Hey, hop in our squad car, we'll take you over there." Well, I jumped into the back seat of the police car and I quickly realized I had never experienced a little of what it feels like to be on the custody end of things like that. There was this wall between me and the officers in the front seat. When we arrived at our destination and I tried to open my door…in vain…there was no way. My officer friend had a good laugh. He said, "Ron, there's no way you can get yourself out of there. See, somebody has to let you out." Okay, I've decided I am not excited about being in the prisoner seat any more.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Only Way to Be Free."

"There's no way you can get yourself out of there." Well, that's a feeling a lot of us have experienced, without ever being physically locked up. It's like there are these hurtful emotional cycles and spiritual cycles that we just can't seem to get ourselves out of.

Maybe you know what it is to be trapped in a cycle of destructive behavior, or damaged relationships, or maybe a cycle of guilt and shame over repeated mistakes, or a cycle of slavery to a behavior you just can't seem to change, or a cycle of unfulfillment; where one experience after another just fails to give you the peace and the meaning you've always hoped for. There are no bars, no prison walls, but we know the feeling of being locked up in a way of living that we can't get out of. Just like a prisoner in a cell, or me in the prisoner seat of a police car, somebody has to let you out. And for 2,000 years, "the" Somebody has been doing that for millions of us spiritual prisoners.

In fact, in Isaiah 61:1, our word for today from the Word of God, He announced His reason for coming to earth this way: "The Lord has...sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners." Jesus understands the powerful force that ultimately keeps us locked up in our destructive cycles. He said, "Whoever commits sin is a slave to sin" (John 8:34). Sin is simply our hijacking of our life from the God who was supposed to run it. And because we're away from our Creator, we're trapped in this self-run orbit where life just doesn't work right.

It took the coming and the dying of the Son of God to break the enslaving power of sin. By taking the death penalty for what we've done, Jesus has the power, not only to save us from our own hurtful ways, but to save us from the eternal penitentiary the Bible calls hell. He's come from the outside to let you out, to set you free. But He waits for your invitation to do that; your invitation for Him to come into your life, to forgive every sin of your life, and to change you from the inside out.

That glorious freedom that so many have experienced, you can experience beginning this very day. It actually begins when you tell Jesus, "I am turning from my sin that has enslaved me, Lord; from the sin that nailed You to a cross. You had to do that to pay for my sin, and I know you walked out of your grave. You are alive! I want you to walk into my life today. I want to give myself to You because you died for my sin. I’m Yours beginning today."

Do you want a new story to begin in your life? I want to encourage you to go to our website - ANewStory.com. You're going to find some information there from God's very own words that will help you start on that road.

This could be your day to finally be able to say, "Free at last, free at last - thank God Almighty, I'm free at last!"