Max Lucado Daily: A WILD ROLLER COASTER RIDE
If life was just simpler, we reason. More predictable! But it isn’t. Life is like a wild roller coaster ride of hairpin curves and diving dips.
Don’t we all live with a fear of the unknown? The eerie inconsistency that keeps us living on the edge of our chairs? And yet it’s that inconsistency in which God had his finest hour. Never did what is right involve itself so intimately with what is wrong.
God on a cross. Humanity at its worst. Divinity at its best! God doesn’t gasp in amazement at the depth of our faith or the depth of our failures. He knows the condition of the world and he loves it just the same. Just when we find a place where God would never be, like a cross— we look again and there he is…in the flesh! Inconsistent surprises. Maybe the next time a surprise comes your way, you’ll see God in the middle of it.
1 Chronicles 7
The sons of Issachar were Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron—four sons. The sons of Tola were Uzzi, Rephaiah, Jeriel, Jahmai, Ibsam, and Samuel—the chiefs of their families. During David’s reign, the Tola family counted 22,600 warriors in their lineage. The son of Uzzi was Izrahiah; the sons of Izrahiah were Michael, Obadiah, Joel, and Isshiah—five sons and all of them chiefs. They counted 36,000 warriors in their lineage because they had more wives and sons than their brothers. The extended families of Issachar accounted for 87,000 warriors—all of them listed in the family tree.
6-12 Benjamin had three sons: Bela, Beker, and Jediael. Bela had five: Ezbon, Uzzi, Uzziel, Jerimoth, and Iri, all of them chiefs and warriors. They counted 22,034 names in their family tree. Beker’s sons were Zemirah, Joash, Eliezer, Elioenai, Omri, Jeremoth, Abijah, Anathoth, and Alemeth. Through these chiefs their family tree listed 20,200 warriors. Jediael’s son was Bilhan and the sons of Bilhan were Jeush, Benjamin, Ehud, Kenaanah, Zethan, Tarshish, and Ahishahar—all sons of Jediael and family chiefs; they counted 17,200 combat-ready warriors. Shuppim and Huppim were the sons of Ir; Hushim were from the family of Aher.
13 The sons of Naphtali were Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shallum; they are listed under the maternal line of Bilhah, their grandfather’s concubine.
14-19 Manasseh’s sons, born of his Aramean concubine, were Asriel and Makir the father of Gilead. Makir got his wife from the Huppites and Shuppites. His sister’s name was Maacah. Another son, Zelophehad, had only daughters. Makir’s wife Maacah bore a son whom she named Peresh; his brother’s name was Sheresh and his sons were Ulam and Rakem. Ulam’s son was Bedan. This accounts for the sons of Gilead son of Makir, the son of Manasseh. His sister Hammoleketh gave birth to Ishdod, Abiezer, and Mahlah. The sons of Shemida were Ahian, Shechem, Likhi, and Aniam.
20-24 The sons of Ephraim were Shuthelah, Bered his son, Tahath his son, Eleadah his son, Tahath his son, Zabad his son, Shuthelah his son, and Ezer and Elead, cattle-rustlers, killed on one of their raids by the natives of Gath. Their father Ephraim grieved a long time and his family gathered to give him comfort. Then he slept with his wife again. She conceived and produced a son. He named him Beriah (Unlucky), because of the bad luck that had come to his family. His daughter was Sheerah. She built Lower and Upper Beth Horon and Uzzen Sheerah.
25-29 Rephah was Ephraim’s son and also Resheph; Telah was his son, Tahan his son, Ladan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son, Nun his son, and Joshua his son. They occupied Bethel and the neighboring country from Naaran on the east to Gezer and its villages on the west, along with Shechem and its villages, and extending as far as Ayyah and its villages. Stretched along the borders of Manasseh were Beth Shan, Taanach, Megiddo, and Dor, together with their satellite villages. The families descended from Joseph son of Israel lived in all these places.
30-32 The sons of Asher were Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah; Serah was their sister. The sons of Beriah were Heber and Malkiel, who had Birzaith. Heber had Japhlet, Shomer, Hotham, and Shua their sister.
33-40 Japhlet had Pasach, Bimhal, and Ashvath. His brother Shomer had Rohgah, Hubbah, and Aram. His brother Helem had Zophah, Imna, Shelesh, and Amal. Zophah had Suah, Harnepher, Shual, Beri, Imrah, Bezer, Hod, Shamma, Shilshah, Ithran, and Beera. Jether had Jephunneh, Pispah, and Ara. Ulla had Arah, Hanniel, and Rizia. These were Asher’s sons, all of them responsible, excellent in character, and brave in battle—good leaders. They listed 26,000 combat-ready men in their family tree.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
1 Samuel 17:4–7, 45–50
A champion named Goliath,g who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.a 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekelsb; 6 on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelinh was slung on his back. 7 His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod,i and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels.c His shield bearerj went ahead of him.
1 Samuel 17:45–50
The New International Version
45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin,x but I come against you in the namey of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.z 46 This day the Lord will delivera you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcassesb of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole worldc will know that there is a God in Israel.d 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sworde or spear that the Lord saves;f for the battleg is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a slingh and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
Insight
David defeated Goliath with a sling and a stone. While the sling was an unconventional weapon of warfare, it was common for shepherds to use it to defend against wild animals. Twice in today’s short text it’s mentioned that David defeated Goliath without a sword (1 Samuel 17:47, 50). What we might read past in this familiar story is what the author wants to highlight: David won the day without a sword because it was God who delivered Goliath into his hands.
Overcoming Fear
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. Psalm 20:7
Fear ruled a man’s life for thirty-two years. Afraid of being caught for his crimes, he hid at his sister’s farmhouse, going nowhere and visiting no one, even missing his mother’s funeral. When he was sixty-four, he learned that no charges had ever been filed against him. The man was free to resume a normal life. Yes, the threat of punishment was real, but he allowed the fear of it to control him.
Likewise, fear ruled the Israelites when the Philistines challenged them at the Valley of Elah. The threat was real. Their enemy Goliath was 9 feet 9 inches tall and his body armor alone weighed 125 pounds (1 Samuel 17:4–5). For forty days, every morning and evening, Goliath challenged the Israelite army to fight him. But no one dared come forward. No one until David visited the battle lines. He heard and saw the taunting, and volunteered to fight Goliath.
While everyone in the Israelite army thought Goliath was too big to fight, David the shepherd boy knew he wasn’t too big for God. He said, “the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s” (v. 47).
When we’re gripped by fear, let’s follow David’s example and fix our eyes on God to gain a right perspective of the problem. The threat may be real, but the One who is with us and for us is bigger than that which is against us. By: Albert Lee
Reflect & Pray
What giant battle are you facing that’s crippling you in fear? How can you intentionally fix your eyes on the living God?
Thank You, God, that You’re bigger than any other giant in my life. I trust You.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Personality
…that they may be one just as We are one… —John 17:22
Personality is the unique, limitless part of our life that makes us distinct from everyone else. It is too vast for us even to comprehend. An island in the sea may be just the top of a large mountain, and our personality is like that island. We don’t know the great depths of our being, therefore we cannot measure ourselves. We start out thinking we can, but soon realize that there is really only one Being who fully understands us, and that is our Creator.
Personality is the characteristic mark of the inner, spiritual man, just as individuality is the characteristic of the outer, natural man. Our Lord can never be described in terms of individuality and independence, but only in terms of His total Person— “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). Personality merges, and you only reach your true identity once you are merged with another person. When love or the Spirit of God come upon a person, he is transformed. He will then no longer insist on maintaining his individuality. Our Lord never referred to a person’s individuality or his isolated position, but spoke in terms of the total person— “…that they may be one just as We are one….” Once your rights to yourself are surrendered to God, your true personal nature begins responding to God immediately. Jesus Christ brings freedom to your total person, and even your individuality is transformed. The transformation is brought about by love— personal devotion to Jesus. Love is the overflowing result of one person in true fellowship with another.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
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
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Safety Behind the Snowplow - #8589
I was scheduled to speak at a winter retreat in Pennsylvania and I had to drive from New Jersey, and that day winter decided that it was time to do some serious wintering like heavy snow. And it just kept coming! I knew this would be an exciting drive. Well, actually, it turned out to be much easier than I expected. I got out into this mess on Interstate 80 and I had really low visibility, I had blinding snow, and the road was filling up quickly. Of course I was muttering, "Why couldn't they cancel this retreat?" Then I thought of a better idea than complaining. How about trying praying? What an idea! And wouldn't you know, that's when I saw the snowplow in front of me. Well, I got my little car right in behind Mr. Snowplow and I traveled on a clear road most of the way to the retreat! I just drove where the snowplow had already been! That way you're a lot less likely to end up in the ditch!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Safety Behind the Snowplow."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from John 10:3-4. These are very special verses; always have been for my wife and me. They're verses that first took on a very special meaning years ago when we were stepping out from the known of being in ministry in Chicago, to the great unknowns of moving to the New York area. And then again a few years ago, these verses came to life for me when the Lord led us into beginning this ministry that we're involved in now. Again, we were starting over, except it was a lot later in life. There was a lot more at stake this time. These have been anchor verses for us over the years.
Here is what it says in John 10:3-4. "The sheep listen to the Shepherd's voice. He calls his own sheep by name and He leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice." I love those words, "He goes ahead of them." Like that snowplow on that dangerous night, going where I was about to go and clearing the way.
Our Shepherd, Jesus, always goes where He's about to take us, because we're His sheep. He gets there before you do, opening doors, preparing hearts, preparing relationships, removing obstacles, arranging provision.
Maybe fear right now is holding you back from God's next step for you; fear of the "mights," and the "coulds," and the "what ifs." You can't go any farther without taking some risks, trying some things you've never tried, leaving some things you've never done without, going into situations that are unfamiliar, reaching out to some people whose reactions you can't be sure of. Or maybe you're in a transition time in your life. You're about to move from one stage of life to another. Or you're just facing some very scary prospects.
Listen to Jesus' wonderful answer to that shadow that seems to spread over your future. "I'll get there first. I'm going ahead of you." The security of a sheep is in knowing that wherever they go, they will find the Shepherd's footprint. That's your security, that's your safety in the flock of Jesus Christ – the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for His sheep; laid down His life for you.
You can count on it. The Lord will never lead you anywhere that He has not first scouted and prepared for you. The snowplow clears the road ahead and so does your Good Shepherd. His job is to make the road safe. Your job right now is just to get right behind Him and follow real close.
Thursday, December 12, 2019
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
1 Corinthians 7:1-19, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: ACCEPTANCE AND FORGIVENESS
It doesn’t matter what I do—it’s never enough. I’ll never meet their expectations!
Ever caught yourself using these unhealthy expectations? Your brother made an A in chemistry, and we know you’ll do just as well! or… If you had a better job we could afford that house! Expectations. They create conditional love. I love you, but I’ll love you more if…
Jesus expects that we leave everything, deny all, and follow Him. The difference? Jesus’ expectations come with two important companions: forgiveness and acceptance. No strings. No hidden agendas. Jesus’ love for us is up front and clear. His sacrifice was not dependent upon our performance. “I love you,” He says, in spite of your failures. One step behind the expectations of Christ comes his forgiveness. Expectations! With acceptance and forgiveness, they can bring out the best!
1 Corinthians 7:1-19
Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, Is it a good thing to have sexual relations?
2-6 Certainly—but only within a certain context. It’s good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality—the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to “stand up for your rights.” Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it’s for the purposes of prayer and fasting—but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. I’m not, understand, commanding these periods of abstinence—only providing my best counsel if you should choose them.
7 Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me—a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others.
8-9 I do, though, tell the unmarried and widows that singleness might well be the best thing for them, as it has been for me. But if they can’t manage their desires and emotions, they should by all means go ahead and get married. The difficulties of marriage are preferable by far to a sexually tortured life as a single.
10-11 And if you are married, stay married. This is the Master’s command, not mine. If a wife should leave her husband, she must either remain single or else come back and make things right with him. And a husband has no right to get rid of his wife.
12-14 For the rest of you who are in mixed marriages—Christian married to non-Christian—we have no explicit command from the Master. So this is what you must do. If you are a man with a wife who is not a believer but who still wants to live with you, hold on to her. If you are a woman with a husband who is not a believer but he wants to live with you, hold on to him. The unbelieving husband shares to an extent in the holiness of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is likewise touched by the holiness of her husband. Otherwise, your children would be left out; as it is, they also are included in the spiritual purposes of God.
15-16 On the other hand, if the unbelieving spouse walks out, you’ve got to let him or her go. You don’t have to hold on desperately. God has called us to make the best of it, as peacefully as we can. You never know, wife: The way you handle this might bring your husband not only back to you but to God. You never know, husband: The way you handle this might bring your wife not only back to you but to God.
17 And don’t be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God’s place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life. Don’t think I’m being harder on you than on the others. I give this same counsel in all the churches.
18-19 Were you Jewish at the time God called you? Don’t try to remove the evidence. Were you non-Jewish at the time of your call? Don’t become a Jew. Being Jewish isn’t the point. The really important thing is obeying God’s call, following his commands.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Deuteronomy 15:1–8
At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.s 2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. 3 You may require payment from a foreigner,t but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you. 4 However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly blessu you, 5 if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to followv all these commands I am giving you today. 6 For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.w
7 If anyone is poorx among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfistedy toward them. 8 Rather, be openhandedz and freely lend them whatever they need.
Insight
The law of Moses provided Israel with guidelines for life. First, there were liturgical elements that governed how Israel was to engage in the worship of God, including the design of the tabernacle and its furnishings; procedures for special feast times; and issues of ceremonial purity. There was also a societal component, which dealt with how the people of Israel were to interact with one another as families and as a covenant people together under one God. Finally, the law had a national component that described how Israel was to relate to the surrounding nations once they arrived in the land of promise. Taken together, the law was a comprehensive set of instructions covering life for the people of God.
For more, see Knowing God Through the Old Testament at discoveryseries.org/sb101. By: Bill Crowder
Canceled Debts
The Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. Deuteronomy 15:2
In 2009, Los Angeles County stopped charging families for the costs of their children’s incarceration. Though no new fees were charged, those with unpaid fees from before the change in policy were still required to settle their debt. Then in 2018 the county canceled all outstanding financial obligations.
For some families, canceling the debt aided greatly in their struggle to survive; no longer having liens on their property or wages being garnished meant they were better able to put food on the table. It was for this kind of hardship that God called for debts to be forgiven every seven years (Deuteronomy 15:2). He didn’t want people to be crippled forever by them.
Because the Israelites were forbidden to charge interest on a loan to fellow Israelites (Exodus 22:25), their motives for lending to a neighbor weren’t to make a profit, but rather to help those who were enduring hard times, perhaps due to a bad harvest. Debts were to be freely forgiven every seven years. As a result, there would be less poverty among the people (Deuteronomy 15:4).
Today, believers in Jesus aren’t bound by these laws. But God might occasionally prompt us to forgive a debt so those who’ve been struggling can begin afresh as contributing members of society. When we show such mercy and generosity to others, we lift up God’s character and give people hope. By: Kirsten Holmberg
Reflect & Pray
How have your “debts” been forgiven? Who can you lift up by forgiving a debt owed or a wrong done to you?
Jesus, thank You for caring about the financial burdens we carry.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Individuality
Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…" —Matthew 16:24
Individuality is the hard outer layer surrounding the inner spiritual life. Individuality shoves others aside, separating and isolating people. We see it as the primary characteristic of a child, and rightly so. When we confuse individuality with the spiritual life, we remain isolated. This shell of individuality is God’s created natural covering designed to protect the spiritual life. But our individuality must be yielded to God so that our spiritual life may be brought forth into fellowship with Him. Individuality counterfeits spirituality, just as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself, but individuality corrupts that human nature for its own purposes.
The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-will. We hinder our spiritual growth more than any other way by continually asserting our individuality. If you say, “I can’t believe,” it is because your individuality is blocking the way; individuality can never believe. But our spirit cannot help believing. Watch yourself closely when the Spirit of God is at work in you. He pushes you to the limits of your individuality where a choice must be made. The choice is either to say, “I will not surrender,” or to surrender, breaking the hard shell of individuality, which allows the spiritual life to emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing (see Matthew 5:23-24). It is your individuality that refuses to “be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:24). God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself, He cannot. “…let him deny himself…”— deny his independent right to himself. Then the real life-the spiritual life-is allowed the opportunity to grow.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed. So Send I You, 1330 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Special Identity, Special Life - #8588
When Queen Elizabeth was growing up - then Princess Elizabeth - she always knew she would one day be the queen. It wasn't that way with Queen Victoria. When she was young, she actually was shielded from the fact that she would be the next ruling monarch of England. They didn't want her to grow up spoiled. But finally her teacher did let her discover for herself that she would one day be Queen of England - the most powerful monarch in the world at that time. Victoria's response was simple: "Well, then I will be good!" She understood she needed to live her life based on her royal position.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Special Identity, Special Life."
Young Victoria knew what every child of God listening today needs to understand. When you know you have a special position, you live a special life. Which leads me to ask you this question, "Do you know who you really are?" You see, your real identity is not what your family says you are or your employer or our culture. You're not what your friends say or your enemies say you are. You are who God says you are. If you belong to Jesus Christ, He says, "I will be a Father to you and you will be my sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty." Okay, since He's the King of Kings, that would make you a prince or princess in the royal family of God!
Which leads us to the life-enlarging challenge in our word for today from the Word of God. It's in Ephesians 4:1 - "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Big calling - big life. Unfortunately, too many of us are under-living - living a life unworthy of who God has made you to be. Princes living like paupers.
Because you've gotten so many wrong messages in your life about your identity, it's important to see this special identity that your Creator, your Savior has given you - no matter how small your income may be, no matter how insignificant you may seem by society's standards. What do they know anyway?
Ephesians 1:3 says that God "has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." You are a spiritual billionaire because you're the child of a Father who is infinitely wealthy, and He's made all the spiritual blessings of His wisdom, His guidance, His love, His grace, and His strength available to you. You don't have to live at the mercy of your situation, or your weaknesses, or your past. You have access to a spiritual fortune!
Then Ephesians 1 goes on to say that "He chose us in Him before the creation of the world" and that we are living "according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will." In short, what you see isn't even a fraction of what you get. You are living a big, big plan, conceived and guided by a big, big God. You're not a victim of circumstance. You are living an eternal plan today! And Ephesians 1 says, "We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin." You don't have to be what you've always been. You're a free man, a free woman, redeemed by the holy blood of Christ. You're a child of the King with access to His resources, living an eternal plan, freed from your sin by His blood. Wow!
So live worthy of who you are! The chapters that follow in Ephesians describe what the life of a royal child like you should look like: selfless in your relationships, not self-centered, truthful in everything you say, controlling your temper - not your temper controlling you, always building people up - never tearing them down, allowing nothing dirty into your heart or mind, putting your family's needs above your own, talking up the Jesus you owe everything to. Anything else is unworthy of the special person God has made you to be through the blood of His Son. You're not living up to some rules. No, you're living up to your royalty!
It doesn’t matter what I do—it’s never enough. I’ll never meet their expectations!
Ever caught yourself using these unhealthy expectations? Your brother made an A in chemistry, and we know you’ll do just as well! or… If you had a better job we could afford that house! Expectations. They create conditional love. I love you, but I’ll love you more if…
Jesus expects that we leave everything, deny all, and follow Him. The difference? Jesus’ expectations come with two important companions: forgiveness and acceptance. No strings. No hidden agendas. Jesus’ love for us is up front and clear. His sacrifice was not dependent upon our performance. “I love you,” He says, in spite of your failures. One step behind the expectations of Christ comes his forgiveness. Expectations! With acceptance and forgiveness, they can bring out the best!
1 Corinthians 7:1-19
Now, getting down to the questions you asked in your letter to me. First, Is it a good thing to have sexual relations?
2-6 Certainly—but only within a certain context. It’s good for a man to have a wife, and for a woman to have a husband. Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality—the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to “stand up for your rights.” Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out. Abstaining from sex is permissible for a period of time if you both agree to it, and if it’s for the purposes of prayer and fasting—but only for such times. Then come back together again. Satan has an ingenious way of tempting us when we least expect it. I’m not, understand, commanding these periods of abstinence—only providing my best counsel if you should choose them.
7 Sometimes I wish everyone were single like me—a simpler life in many ways! But celibacy is not for everyone any more than marriage is. God gives the gift of the single life to some, the gift of the married life to others.
8-9 I do, though, tell the unmarried and widows that singleness might well be the best thing for them, as it has been for me. But if they can’t manage their desires and emotions, they should by all means go ahead and get married. The difficulties of marriage are preferable by far to a sexually tortured life as a single.
10-11 And if you are married, stay married. This is the Master’s command, not mine. If a wife should leave her husband, she must either remain single or else come back and make things right with him. And a husband has no right to get rid of his wife.
12-14 For the rest of you who are in mixed marriages—Christian married to non-Christian—we have no explicit command from the Master. So this is what you must do. If you are a man with a wife who is not a believer but who still wants to live with you, hold on to her. If you are a woman with a husband who is not a believer but he wants to live with you, hold on to him. The unbelieving husband shares to an extent in the holiness of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is likewise touched by the holiness of her husband. Otherwise, your children would be left out; as it is, they also are included in the spiritual purposes of God.
15-16 On the other hand, if the unbelieving spouse walks out, you’ve got to let him or her go. You don’t have to hold on desperately. God has called us to make the best of it, as peacefully as we can. You never know, wife: The way you handle this might bring your husband not only back to you but to God. You never know, husband: The way you handle this might bring your wife not only back to you but to God.
17 And don’t be wishing you were someplace else or with someone else. Where you are right now is God’s place for you. Live and obey and love and believe right there. God, not your marital status, defines your life. Don’t think I’m being harder on you than on the others. I give this same counsel in all the churches.
18-19 Were you Jewish at the time God called you? Don’t try to remove the evidence. Were you non-Jewish at the time of your call? Don’t become a Jew. Being Jewish isn’t the point. The really important thing is obeying God’s call, following his commands.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Deuteronomy 15:1–8
At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts.s 2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. 3 You may require payment from a foreigner,t but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you. 4 However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly blessu you, 5 if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to followv all these commands I am giving you today. 6 For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.w
7 If anyone is poorx among your fellow Israelites in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfistedy toward them. 8 Rather, be openhandedz and freely lend them whatever they need.
Insight
The law of Moses provided Israel with guidelines for life. First, there were liturgical elements that governed how Israel was to engage in the worship of God, including the design of the tabernacle and its furnishings; procedures for special feast times; and issues of ceremonial purity. There was also a societal component, which dealt with how the people of Israel were to interact with one another as families and as a covenant people together under one God. Finally, the law had a national component that described how Israel was to relate to the surrounding nations once they arrived in the land of promise. Taken together, the law was a comprehensive set of instructions covering life for the people of God.
For more, see Knowing God Through the Old Testament at discoveryseries.org/sb101. By: Bill Crowder
Canceled Debts
The Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. Deuteronomy 15:2
In 2009, Los Angeles County stopped charging families for the costs of their children’s incarceration. Though no new fees were charged, those with unpaid fees from before the change in policy were still required to settle their debt. Then in 2018 the county canceled all outstanding financial obligations.
For some families, canceling the debt aided greatly in their struggle to survive; no longer having liens on their property or wages being garnished meant they were better able to put food on the table. It was for this kind of hardship that God called for debts to be forgiven every seven years (Deuteronomy 15:2). He didn’t want people to be crippled forever by them.
Because the Israelites were forbidden to charge interest on a loan to fellow Israelites (Exodus 22:25), their motives for lending to a neighbor weren’t to make a profit, but rather to help those who were enduring hard times, perhaps due to a bad harvest. Debts were to be freely forgiven every seven years. As a result, there would be less poverty among the people (Deuteronomy 15:4).
Today, believers in Jesus aren’t bound by these laws. But God might occasionally prompt us to forgive a debt so those who’ve been struggling can begin afresh as contributing members of society. When we show such mercy and generosity to others, we lift up God’s character and give people hope. By: Kirsten Holmberg
Reflect & Pray
How have your “debts” been forgiven? Who can you lift up by forgiving a debt owed or a wrong done to you?
Jesus, thank You for caring about the financial burdens we carry.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Individuality
Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…" —Matthew 16:24
Individuality is the hard outer layer surrounding the inner spiritual life. Individuality shoves others aside, separating and isolating people. We see it as the primary characteristic of a child, and rightly so. When we confuse individuality with the spiritual life, we remain isolated. This shell of individuality is God’s created natural covering designed to protect the spiritual life. But our individuality must be yielded to God so that our spiritual life may be brought forth into fellowship with Him. Individuality counterfeits spirituality, just as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself, but individuality corrupts that human nature for its own purposes.
The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-will. We hinder our spiritual growth more than any other way by continually asserting our individuality. If you say, “I can’t believe,” it is because your individuality is blocking the way; individuality can never believe. But our spirit cannot help believing. Watch yourself closely when the Spirit of God is at work in you. He pushes you to the limits of your individuality where a choice must be made. The choice is either to say, “I will not surrender,” or to surrender, breaking the hard shell of individuality, which allows the spiritual life to emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing (see Matthew 5:23-24). It is your individuality that refuses to “be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:24). God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself, He cannot. “…let him deny himself…”— deny his independent right to himself. Then the real life-the spiritual life-is allowed the opportunity to grow.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed. So Send I You, 1330 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Special Identity, Special Life - #8588
When Queen Elizabeth was growing up - then Princess Elizabeth - she always knew she would one day be the queen. It wasn't that way with Queen Victoria. When she was young, she actually was shielded from the fact that she would be the next ruling monarch of England. They didn't want her to grow up spoiled. But finally her teacher did let her discover for herself that she would one day be Queen of England - the most powerful monarch in the world at that time. Victoria's response was simple: "Well, then I will be good!" She understood she needed to live her life based on her royal position.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Special Identity, Special Life."
Young Victoria knew what every child of God listening today needs to understand. When you know you have a special position, you live a special life. Which leads me to ask you this question, "Do you know who you really are?" You see, your real identity is not what your family says you are or your employer or our culture. You're not what your friends say or your enemies say you are. You are who God says you are. If you belong to Jesus Christ, He says, "I will be a Father to you and you will be my sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty." Okay, since He's the King of Kings, that would make you a prince or princess in the royal family of God!
Which leads us to the life-enlarging challenge in our word for today from the Word of God. It's in Ephesians 4:1 - "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." Big calling - big life. Unfortunately, too many of us are under-living - living a life unworthy of who God has made you to be. Princes living like paupers.
Because you've gotten so many wrong messages in your life about your identity, it's important to see this special identity that your Creator, your Savior has given you - no matter how small your income may be, no matter how insignificant you may seem by society's standards. What do they know anyway?
Ephesians 1:3 says that God "has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." You are a spiritual billionaire because you're the child of a Father who is infinitely wealthy, and He's made all the spiritual blessings of His wisdom, His guidance, His love, His grace, and His strength available to you. You don't have to live at the mercy of your situation, or your weaknesses, or your past. You have access to a spiritual fortune!
Then Ephesians 1 goes on to say that "He chose us in Him before the creation of the world" and that we are living "according to the plan of Him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will." In short, what you see isn't even a fraction of what you get. You are living a big, big plan, conceived and guided by a big, big God. You're not a victim of circumstance. You are living an eternal plan today! And Ephesians 1 says, "We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sin." You don't have to be what you've always been. You're a free man, a free woman, redeemed by the holy blood of Christ. You're a child of the King with access to His resources, living an eternal plan, freed from your sin by His blood. Wow!
So live worthy of who you are! The chapters that follow in Ephesians describe what the life of a royal child like you should look like: selfless in your relationships, not self-centered, truthful in everything you say, controlling your temper - not your temper controlling you, always building people up - never tearing them down, allowing nothing dirty into your heart or mind, putting your family's needs above your own, talking up the Jesus you owe everything to. Anything else is unworthy of the special person God has made you to be through the blood of His Son. You're not living up to some rules. No, you're living up to your royalty!
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
1 Chronicles 6, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: WATCH AND PRAY!
Jesus said, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” It doesn’t get more practical than that! When you see sin coming—duck! When you sense temptation, go the other way. Pay attention! You know your weaknesses. You also know the situations where your weaknesses are most vulnerable. Stay out of those situations. Late hours. Movies. Internet. Social media. Whatever gives Satan a foothold in your life, stay away from it. Watch out!
And pray! Prayer invites God to walk the shadowy pathways with us. To watch ahead for falling trees and tumbling boulders; to bring up the rear, guarding our backside from the poison darts of the devil.
Watch and pray! Good advice. Let’s take it! It could be the difference between a peaceful day on the lake and a stick of dynamite blowing up in our faces!
1 Chronicles 6
The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Eleazar had Phinehas, Phinehas had Abishua, Abishua had Bukki, Bukki had Uzzi, Uzzi had Zerahiah, Zerahiah had Meraioth, Meraioth had Amariah, Amariah had Ahitub, Ahitub had Zadok, Zadok had Ahimaaz, Ahimaaz had Azariah, Azariah had Johanan, and Johanan had Azariah (who served as priest in the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem). Azariah had Amariah, Amariah had Ahitub, Ahitub had Zadok, Zadok had Shallum, Shallum had Hilkiah, Hilkiah had Azariah, Azariah had Seraiah, and Seraiah had Jehozadak.
15 Jehozadak went off to exile when God used Nebuchadnezzar to take Judah and Jerusalem into exile.
16-30 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. These are the names of the sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei. The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the Levitical clans according to families: the sons of Gershon were Libni his son, Jehath his son, Zimmah his son, Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, and Jeatherai his son. The sons of Kohath were Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. The sons of Elkanah were Amasai and Ahimoth, Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, and Elkanah his son. The sons of Samuel were Joel his firstborn son and Abijah his second. The sons of Merari were Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.
31-32 These are the persons David appointed to lead the singing in the house of God after the Chest was placed there. They were the ministers of music in the place of worship, which was the Tent of Meeting until Solomon built The Temple of God in Jerusalem. As they carried out their work, they followed the instructions given to them.
33-38 These are the persons, together with their sons, who served by preparing for and directing worship: from the family of the Kohathites was Heman the choirmaster, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.
39-43 Heman’s associate Asaph stood at his right hand. Asaph was the son of Berekiah, the son of Shimea, the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malkijah, the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, the son of Jahath, the son of Gershon, the son of Levi.
44-47 Of the sons of Merari, the associates who stood at his left hand, was Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
48 The rest of the Levites were assigned to all the other work in the place of worship, the house of God.
49 Aaron and his sons offered the sacrifices on the Altar of Burnt Offering and the Altar of Incense; they were in charge of all the work surrounding the Holy of Holies. They made atonement for Israel following the instructions commanded by Moses, servant of God.
50-53 These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, Zadok his son, and Ahimaaz his son.
54-81 And these are the places where the priestly families were assigned to live. The first assignment went by lot to the sons of Aaron of the Kohathite family; they were given Hebron in the land of Judah and all the neighboring pastures. Caleb the son of Jephunneh got the fields and villages around the city. The family of Aaron was also given the cities of refuge, with pastures included: Hebron, Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Hilen, Debir, Ashan, and Beth Shemesh. They were also given Geba from the tribe of Benjamin, Alemeth, and Anathoth, all with pastures included. In all, thirteen cities were distributed among the Kohathite families. The rest of the Kohathites were given another ten cities, distributed by lot from the half-tribe of Manasseh. The sons of Gershon were given, family by family, thirteen cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan. The sons of Merari, family by family, were assigned by lot twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. The sons of Israel gave the Levites both the cities and their pastures. They also distributed by lot cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. Some of the Kohath families were given their cities from the tribe of Ephraim, cities of refuge: Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer, Jokmeam, Beth Horon, Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon—all with their pastures. The rest of the sons of Kohath were given Aner and Bileam with their pastures from the half-tribe of Manasseh. The sons of Gershon were given, family by family, from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan and Ashtaroth; from the tribe of Issachar, Kedesh, Daberath, Ramoth, and Anem; from the tribe of Asher, Mashal, Abdon, Hukok, and Rehob; from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim. The rest of the sons of Merari got Rimmono and Tabor from the tribe of Zebulun; Bezer in the desert, Jahzah, Kedemoth, and Mephaath from the tribe of Reuben to the east of the Jordan; and Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer from the tribe of Gad. Pastures were included in all these towns.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Mark 5:25–34
And a woman was there who had been subject to bleedingc for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes,d I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.e
30 At once Jesus realized that powerf had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.g Go in peaceh and be freed from your suffering.”
Insight
The woman in Mark 5:25–34 “who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years” took a risk by reaching out to touch Jesus. According to Jewish law, bleeding made a person unclean. This woman had likely lived as an outcast from society because those who came in contact with her would have become unclean themselves. The truth of the woman’s great faith is enhanced when we realize that many would have viewed her act of touching Jesus as making Him unclean rather than Him making her clean.
However, once the woman admitted to touching Jesus, He declared, “your faith has healed you” (vv. 33–34). The word translated “healed” (sozo) indicates physical healing as well as the restoring of a relationship with God. The woman’s faith healed her both physically and eternally. By: Julie Schwab
Grace at the End
Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering. Mark 5:34
Artist Doug Merkey’s masterful sculpture Ruthless Trust features a bronze human figure clinging desperately to a cross made of walnut wood. He writes, “It’s a very simple expression of our constant and appropriate posture for life—total, unfettered intimacy with and dependency upon Christ and the gospel.”
That’s the kind of trust we see expressed in the actions and words of the unnamed woman in Mark 5:25–34. For twelve years her life had been in shambles (v. 25). “She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse” (v. 26). But having heard about Jesus, she made her way to Him, touched Him, and was “freed from her suffering” (vv. 27–29).
Have you come to the end of yourself? Have you depleted all your resources? Anxious, hopeless, lost, distressed people need not despair. The Lord Jesus still responds to desperate faith—the kind displayed by this suffering woman and depicted in Merkey’s sculpture. This faith is expressed in the words of hymn writer Charles Wesley: “Father, I stretch my hands to Thee; no other help I know.” Don’t have that kind of faith? Ask God to help you trust Him. Wesley’s hymn concludes with this prayer: “Author of faith, to Thee I lift my weary, longing eyes; O may I now receive that gift! My soul, without it, dies.” By: Arthur Jackson
Reflect & Pray
When have you desperately clung to Christ? How did God meet your need?
Father, thank You for Your power to rescue me. Help me to trust You to meet all my needs.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
The Offering of the Natural
It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. —Galatians 4:22
Paul was not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural can be turned into the spiritual only through sacrifice. Without this a person will lead a divided life. Why did God demand that the natural must be sacrificed? God did not demand it. It is not God’s perfect will, but His permissive will. God’s perfect will was for the natural to be changed into the spiritual through obedience. Sin is what made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed.
Abraham had to offer up Ishmael before he offered up Isaac (see Genesis 21:8-14). Some of us are trying to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God before we have sacrificed the natural. The only way we can offer a spiritual sacrifice to God is to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice…” (Romans 12:1). Sanctification means more than being freed from sin. It means the deliberate commitment of myself to the God of my salvation, and being willing to pay whatever it may cost.
If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will resist and defy the life of the Son of God in us and will produce continual turmoil. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves physically, morally, or mentally. We excuse ourselves by saying, “Well, I wasn’t taught to be disciplined when I was a child.” Then discipline yourself now! If you don’t, you will ruin your entire personal life for God.
God is not actively involved with our natural life as long as we continue to pamper and gratify it. But once we are willing to put it out in the desert and are determined to keep it under control, God will be with it. He will then provide wells and oases and fulfill all His promises for the natural (see Genesis 21:15-19).
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The sympathy which is reverent with what it cannot understand is worth its weight in gold. Baffled to Fight Better, 69 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
What to Do With the Messes We've Made - #8587
A family on vacation. Nobody feels especially like doing the usual chores, like picking up the mess. Besides, there's that "room fairy" who comes while you're out and magically makes it all better, right? Unfortunately, "room fairies" only work when you're away from home. They don't do your house for you. Have you noticed that? My friend, Mike Silva, was staying with his family at a hotel in Nigeria, he told me, and they heard a knock at the door. Mike opened it and found a smiling Nigerian gentleman standing there ready to clean the room. That was no small order. Actually, they were pretty embarrassed because of all the travel bags and curling irons and crumpled clothing sprawled all across their unmade beds. And the bathroom floor was carpeted with beautiful wet towels. Mike apologized profusely. The young man, though, just put him at ease. He said, "No problem, sir. For this reason I have come, to put your things in order."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "What to Do With the Messes We've Made."
One day, Jesus Christ came to the door of my life, and there was my mess - the mess we all have. The sin, the selfishness, the scars, the trail of tears we've left. But Jesus said, "No problem. For this reason I have come, to put your things in order." That's what He has done for millions of people around the world. That's what He's waiting to do for you...on your invitation.
Sin really does mess things up. It messes up marriages, children, relationships, messes up reputations, bodies, minds, and souls. A lifetime of living our way instead of God's way is just too much for any human to clean up. No matter how religious or how nice we try to be. The Bible is blunt about how bad the mess is. It says in Isaiah 59:2, "Your sins have cut you off from your God." Imagine, cut off from the One who has all the love, the meaning, and the eternal life that we're looking for. And in case we're operating under the illusion that somehow we can remove this mess that separates us from our God, the Bible simply says, "No one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law...All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:20, 23).
There are two deadly mistakes that keep people from heaven. Thinking you're too good to need Jesus or thinking you're too bad for Jesus to take you. Both wrong - dead wrong. The truth is illustrated vividly in our word for today from the Word of God in Isaiah 6, beginning with verse 3. God's prophet, Isaiah, sees a vision with the Lord seated on a throne and angels proclaiming, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty." This great spiritual leader is leveled when he sees how holy God is. He says, "Woe to me!...I am ruined! I am a man of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." Then an angel comes to him with the cleansing of God and says, "Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
That's what can happen to you at the cross of Jesus Christ, because it was there your sin was paid for. And it's there and there alone that the mess can be removed. Knowing every wrong thing you've ever done, Jesus stands ready right now to say to you, "Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." At that moment you are forgiven and you are free.
But like that housekeeping person at the door, you have to invite Him in. If you're not sure you've ever done that, you probably haven't. When you give yourself to Jesus, you know you did. And it makes no sense to keep living with the mess of a lifetime of sin, knowing that if you die with that mess there, you have no chance of heaven. You'll be without God forever.
But right now, Jesus stands ready to make you clean in a way you could have never dreamed possible. He made His move when He died on the cross for you. Now, it's your move to tell Him you're putting all your trust in Him to be your personal Rescuer from your personal sin.
Tell Him, "Jesus, I'm yours" today. Get to our website and get the information you need to begin a relationship with Him and know that you have. Our website is ANewStory.com. Please go there as soon as you can.
Jesus is standing at the door, and He's waiting to clean up the mess. It's your move now.
Jesus said, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” It doesn’t get more practical than that! When you see sin coming—duck! When you sense temptation, go the other way. Pay attention! You know your weaknesses. You also know the situations where your weaknesses are most vulnerable. Stay out of those situations. Late hours. Movies. Internet. Social media. Whatever gives Satan a foothold in your life, stay away from it. Watch out!
And pray! Prayer invites God to walk the shadowy pathways with us. To watch ahead for falling trees and tumbling boulders; to bring up the rear, guarding our backside from the poison darts of the devil.
Watch and pray! Good advice. Let’s take it! It could be the difference between a peaceful day on the lake and a stick of dynamite blowing up in our faces!
1 Chronicles 6
The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. The children of Amram were Aaron, Moses, and Miriam. The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Eleazar had Phinehas, Phinehas had Abishua, Abishua had Bukki, Bukki had Uzzi, Uzzi had Zerahiah, Zerahiah had Meraioth, Meraioth had Amariah, Amariah had Ahitub, Ahitub had Zadok, Zadok had Ahimaaz, Ahimaaz had Azariah, Azariah had Johanan, and Johanan had Azariah (who served as priest in the temple Solomon built in Jerusalem). Azariah had Amariah, Amariah had Ahitub, Ahitub had Zadok, Zadok had Shallum, Shallum had Hilkiah, Hilkiah had Azariah, Azariah had Seraiah, and Seraiah had Jehozadak.
15 Jehozadak went off to exile when God used Nebuchadnezzar to take Judah and Jerusalem into exile.
16-30 The sons of Levi were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. These are the names of the sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei. The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the Levitical clans according to families: the sons of Gershon were Libni his son, Jehath his son, Zimmah his son, Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, and Jeatherai his son. The sons of Kohath were Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son, Elkanah his son, Ebiasaph his son, Assir his son, Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son. The sons of Elkanah were Amasai and Ahimoth, Elkanah his son, Zophai his son, Nahath his son, Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, and Elkanah his son. The sons of Samuel were Joel his firstborn son and Abijah his second. The sons of Merari were Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son, Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, and Asaiah his son.
31-32 These are the persons David appointed to lead the singing in the house of God after the Chest was placed there. They were the ministers of music in the place of worship, which was the Tent of Meeting until Solomon built The Temple of God in Jerusalem. As they carried out their work, they followed the instructions given to them.
33-38 These are the persons, together with their sons, who served by preparing for and directing worship: from the family of the Kohathites was Heman the choirmaster, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel, the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah, the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai, the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah, the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.
39-43 Heman’s associate Asaph stood at his right hand. Asaph was the son of Berekiah, the son of Shimea, the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malkijah, the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei, the son of Jahath, the son of Gershon, the son of Levi.
44-47 Of the sons of Merari, the associates who stood at his left hand, was Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shemer, the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.
48 The rest of the Levites were assigned to all the other work in the place of worship, the house of God.
49 Aaron and his sons offered the sacrifices on the Altar of Burnt Offering and the Altar of Incense; they were in charge of all the work surrounding the Holy of Holies. They made atonement for Israel following the instructions commanded by Moses, servant of God.
50-53 These are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son, Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son, Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son, Zadok his son, and Ahimaaz his son.
54-81 And these are the places where the priestly families were assigned to live. The first assignment went by lot to the sons of Aaron of the Kohathite family; they were given Hebron in the land of Judah and all the neighboring pastures. Caleb the son of Jephunneh got the fields and villages around the city. The family of Aaron was also given the cities of refuge, with pastures included: Hebron, Libnah, Jattir, Eshtemoa, Hilen, Debir, Ashan, and Beth Shemesh. They were also given Geba from the tribe of Benjamin, Alemeth, and Anathoth, all with pastures included. In all, thirteen cities were distributed among the Kohathite families. The rest of the Kohathites were given another ten cities, distributed by lot from the half-tribe of Manasseh. The sons of Gershon were given, family by family, thirteen cities from the tribes of Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, and Manasseh in Bashan. The sons of Merari, family by family, were assigned by lot twelve cities from the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Zebulun. The sons of Israel gave the Levites both the cities and their pastures. They also distributed by lot cities from the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin. Some of the Kohath families were given their cities from the tribe of Ephraim, cities of refuge: Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, Gezer, Jokmeam, Beth Horon, Aijalon, and Gath Rimmon—all with their pastures. The rest of the sons of Kohath were given Aner and Bileam with their pastures from the half-tribe of Manasseh. The sons of Gershon were given, family by family, from the half-tribe of Manasseh, Golan in Bashan and Ashtaroth; from the tribe of Issachar, Kedesh, Daberath, Ramoth, and Anem; from the tribe of Asher, Mashal, Abdon, Hukok, and Rehob; from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee, Hammon, and Kiriathaim. The rest of the sons of Merari got Rimmono and Tabor from the tribe of Zebulun; Bezer in the desert, Jahzah, Kedemoth, and Mephaath from the tribe of Reuben to the east of the Jordan; and Ramoth in Gilead, Mahanaim, Heshbon, and Jazer from the tribe of Gad. Pastures were included in all these towns.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Mark 5:25–34
And a woman was there who had been subject to bleedingc for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes,d I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.e
30 At once Jesus realized that powerf had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.g Go in peaceh and be freed from your suffering.”
Insight
The woman in Mark 5:25–34 “who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years” took a risk by reaching out to touch Jesus. According to Jewish law, bleeding made a person unclean. This woman had likely lived as an outcast from society because those who came in contact with her would have become unclean themselves. The truth of the woman’s great faith is enhanced when we realize that many would have viewed her act of touching Jesus as making Him unclean rather than Him making her clean.
However, once the woman admitted to touching Jesus, He declared, “your faith has healed you” (vv. 33–34). The word translated “healed” (sozo) indicates physical healing as well as the restoring of a relationship with God. The woman’s faith healed her both physically and eternally. By: Julie Schwab
Grace at the End
Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering. Mark 5:34
Artist Doug Merkey’s masterful sculpture Ruthless Trust features a bronze human figure clinging desperately to a cross made of walnut wood. He writes, “It’s a very simple expression of our constant and appropriate posture for life—total, unfettered intimacy with and dependency upon Christ and the gospel.”
That’s the kind of trust we see expressed in the actions and words of the unnamed woman in Mark 5:25–34. For twelve years her life had been in shambles (v. 25). “She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse” (v. 26). But having heard about Jesus, she made her way to Him, touched Him, and was “freed from her suffering” (vv. 27–29).
Have you come to the end of yourself? Have you depleted all your resources? Anxious, hopeless, lost, distressed people need not despair. The Lord Jesus still responds to desperate faith—the kind displayed by this suffering woman and depicted in Merkey’s sculpture. This faith is expressed in the words of hymn writer Charles Wesley: “Father, I stretch my hands to Thee; no other help I know.” Don’t have that kind of faith? Ask God to help you trust Him. Wesley’s hymn concludes with this prayer: “Author of faith, to Thee I lift my weary, longing eyes; O may I now receive that gift! My soul, without it, dies.” By: Arthur Jackson
Reflect & Pray
When have you desperately clung to Christ? How did God meet your need?
Father, thank You for Your power to rescue me. Help me to trust You to meet all my needs.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
The Offering of the Natural
It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman. —Galatians 4:22
Paul was not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural can be turned into the spiritual only through sacrifice. Without this a person will lead a divided life. Why did God demand that the natural must be sacrificed? God did not demand it. It is not God’s perfect will, but His permissive will. God’s perfect will was for the natural to be changed into the spiritual through obedience. Sin is what made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed.
Abraham had to offer up Ishmael before he offered up Isaac (see Genesis 21:8-14). Some of us are trying to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God before we have sacrificed the natural. The only way we can offer a spiritual sacrifice to God is to “present [our] bodies a living sacrifice…” (Romans 12:1). Sanctification means more than being freed from sin. It means the deliberate commitment of myself to the God of my salvation, and being willing to pay whatever it may cost.
If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will resist and defy the life of the Son of God in us and will produce continual turmoil. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves physically, morally, or mentally. We excuse ourselves by saying, “Well, I wasn’t taught to be disciplined when I was a child.” Then discipline yourself now! If you don’t, you will ruin your entire personal life for God.
God is not actively involved with our natural life as long as we continue to pamper and gratify it. But once we are willing to put it out in the desert and are determined to keep it under control, God will be with it. He will then provide wells and oases and fulfill all His promises for the natural (see Genesis 21:15-19).
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The sympathy which is reverent with what it cannot understand is worth its weight in gold. Baffled to Fight Better, 69 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, December 10, 2019
What to Do With the Messes We've Made - #8587
A family on vacation. Nobody feels especially like doing the usual chores, like picking up the mess. Besides, there's that "room fairy" who comes while you're out and magically makes it all better, right? Unfortunately, "room fairies" only work when you're away from home. They don't do your house for you. Have you noticed that? My friend, Mike Silva, was staying with his family at a hotel in Nigeria, he told me, and they heard a knock at the door. Mike opened it and found a smiling Nigerian gentleman standing there ready to clean the room. That was no small order. Actually, they were pretty embarrassed because of all the travel bags and curling irons and crumpled clothing sprawled all across their unmade beds. And the bathroom floor was carpeted with beautiful wet towels. Mike apologized profusely. The young man, though, just put him at ease. He said, "No problem, sir. For this reason I have come, to put your things in order."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "What to Do With the Messes We've Made."
One day, Jesus Christ came to the door of my life, and there was my mess - the mess we all have. The sin, the selfishness, the scars, the trail of tears we've left. But Jesus said, "No problem. For this reason I have come, to put your things in order." That's what He has done for millions of people around the world. That's what He's waiting to do for you...on your invitation.
Sin really does mess things up. It messes up marriages, children, relationships, messes up reputations, bodies, minds, and souls. A lifetime of living our way instead of God's way is just too much for any human to clean up. No matter how religious or how nice we try to be. The Bible is blunt about how bad the mess is. It says in Isaiah 59:2, "Your sins have cut you off from your God." Imagine, cut off from the One who has all the love, the meaning, and the eternal life that we're looking for. And in case we're operating under the illusion that somehow we can remove this mess that separates us from our God, the Bible simply says, "No one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law...All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:20, 23).
There are two deadly mistakes that keep people from heaven. Thinking you're too good to need Jesus or thinking you're too bad for Jesus to take you. Both wrong - dead wrong. The truth is illustrated vividly in our word for today from the Word of God in Isaiah 6, beginning with verse 3. God's prophet, Isaiah, sees a vision with the Lord seated on a throne and angels proclaiming, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty." This great spiritual leader is leveled when he sees how holy God is. He says, "Woe to me!...I am ruined! I am a man of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." Then an angel comes to him with the cleansing of God and says, "Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
That's what can happen to you at the cross of Jesus Christ, because it was there your sin was paid for. And it's there and there alone that the mess can be removed. Knowing every wrong thing you've ever done, Jesus stands ready right now to say to you, "Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." At that moment you are forgiven and you are free.
But like that housekeeping person at the door, you have to invite Him in. If you're not sure you've ever done that, you probably haven't. When you give yourself to Jesus, you know you did. And it makes no sense to keep living with the mess of a lifetime of sin, knowing that if you die with that mess there, you have no chance of heaven. You'll be without God forever.
But right now, Jesus stands ready to make you clean in a way you could have never dreamed possible. He made His move when He died on the cross for you. Now, it's your move to tell Him you're putting all your trust in Him to be your personal Rescuer from your personal sin.
Tell Him, "Jesus, I'm yours" today. Get to our website and get the information you need to begin a relationship with Him and know that you have. Our website is ANewStory.com. Please go there as soon as you can.
Jesus is standing at the door, and He's waiting to clean up the mess. It's your move now.
Monday, December 9, 2019
1 Chronicles 5, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: HELLO, CONTENTMENT
No cell phone? No computer? You’re kidding right? “Not now, thank you, I’ve too much to do,” we say. It’s crazy, since the reason we kill ourselves today is because we think it will make us content tomorrow!
But a funny thing happened on the way to the rat race that made me slip into neutral. My infant daughter had a stomach ache. Mom was out so it fell to Daddy to pick her up. I started trying to do things with one hand and hold her with the other. You’re smiling….you’ve tried that too?
I sat down, held her tight little tummy against my chest. She began to relax. Her little ear was right on top of my heart and she fell asleep. She’ll never remember that moment, and I’ll never forget it! “Good-by schedule,” I said. “See you later, routine. Hello, contentment. Come on in!”
1 Chronicles 5
The family of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Though Reuben was Israel’s firstborn, after he slept with his father’s concubine, a defiling act, his rights as the firstborn were passed on to the sons of Joseph son of Israel. He lost his “firstborn” place in the family tree. And even though Judah became the strongest of his brothers and King David eventually came from that family, the firstborn rights stayed with Joseph.
3 The sons of Reuben, firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4-6 The descendants of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria took into exile. Beerah was the prince of the Reubenites.
7-10 Beerah’s brothers are listed in the family tree by families: first Jeiel, followed by Zechariah: then Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. Joel lived in the area from Aroer to Nebo and Baal Meon. His family occupied the land up to the edge of the desert that goes all the way to the Euphrates River, since their growing herds of livestock spilled out of Gilead. During Saul’s reign they fought and defeated the Hagrites; they then took over their tents and lived in them on the eastern frontier of Gilead.
11-12 The family of Gad were their neighbors in Bashan, as far as Salecah: Joel was the chief, Shapham the second-in-command, and then Janai, the judge in Bashan.
13-15 Their brothers, by families, were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber—seven in all. These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz. Ahi son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their family.
16 The family of Gad lived in Gilead and Bashan, including the outlying villages and extending as far as the pastures of Sharon.
17 They were all written into the official family tree during the reigns of Jotham king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel.
18-22 The families of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men trained for war—physically fit and skilled in handling shield, sword, and bow. They fought against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. God helped them as they fought. God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. God answered their prayers because they trusted him. They plundered the Hagrite herds and flocks: 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys. They also captured 100,000 people. Many were killed, because the battle was God’s. They lived in that country until the exile.
23-26 The half-tribe of Manasseh had a large population. They occupied the land from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir (Mount Hermon). The heads of their families were Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel—brave warriors, famous, and heads of their families. But they were not faithful to the God of their ancestors. They took up with the ungodly gods of the peoples of the land whom God had gotten rid of before they arrived. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria) to take the families of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He deported them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan. They’ve been there ever since.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, December 09, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
2 Samuel 22:26–30
“To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
27 to the pureu you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.v
28 You save the humble,w
but your eyes are on the haughtyx to bring them low.y
29 You, Lord, are my lamp;z
the Lord turns my darkness into light.
30 With your help I can advance against a troopg;
with my God I can scale a wall.
Insight
Today’s passage is part of a longer song David wrote “when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul” (2 Samuel 22:1). This song was the exuberant celebration of a man who’d been “delivered” from years of running and hiding—both from enemies in other countries and from his own people. While we don’t know exactly how long David lived on the run, we know that he lived with the Philistines for sixteen months (1 Samuel 27:7). This is amazing considering his initial claim to fame was killing their champion (ch. 17).
To learn more about the time of David, visit christianuniversity.org/OT128-06.
Our Guiding Light
You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light. 2 Samuel 22:29
At a museum, I lingered near a display of ancient lamps. A sign revealed they were from Israel. Decorated with carved designs, these oval-shaped clay vessels had two openings—one for fuel, and one for a wick. Although the Israelites commonly used them in wall alcoves, each was small enough to fit in the palm of a person’s hand.
Perhaps a little light like this inspired King David to write a praise song in which he said, “You Lord are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light” (2 Samuel 22:29). David sang these words after God gave him victory in battle. Rivals from both inside and outside his own nation had been stalking him, intending to kill him. Because of his relationship with God, David didn’t cower in the shadows. He moved forward into enemy confrontations with the confidence that comes from God’s presence. With God helping him, he could see things clearly so he could make good decisions for himself, his troops, and his nation.
The darkness David mentioned in his song likely involved fear of weakness, defeat, and death. Many of us live with similar worries, which produce anxiety and stress. When the darkness presses in on us, we can find peace because we know God is with us too. The divine flame of the Holy Spirit lives in us to light our path until we meet Jesus face to face. By: Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Reflect & Pray
Why can you trust God to help you with your fears? What can you do to seek God’s guidance in your life?
God, please assure me of Your presence when I’m afraid. Help me to remember that You’ve defeated spiritual darkness through Your death and resurrection.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, December 09, 2019
The Opposition of the Natural
Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. —Galatians 5:24
The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh….” The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…” (Matthew 16:24). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.
The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
To read the Bible according to God’s providential order in your circumstances is the only way to read it, viz., in the blood and passion of personal life. Disciples Indeed, 387 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, December 09, 2019
One Great Hope - #8586
It was one of those disasters that years ago riveted the attention of the nation. Nine Pennsylvania coal miners had been excavating when they apparently broke through a flooded shaft. An estimated 50 to 60 million gallons of water rushed in, trapping the men in this underground chamber. When the water rose over their heads, they had to swim to higher ground - still 240 feet underground. For two and a half days, rescuers didn't know if the miners were dead or alive. Once they made contact through a phone line they lowered into the flooded shaft, they established a line that would deliver compressed air and they began pumping out water. Seventy-seven hours after the ordeal began, rescuers brought the miners, one at a time, up to the surface in this cramped yellow rescue cage. As the last man was pulled to the surface, the Governor of the state simply said, "All nine. All nine."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "One Great Hope."
Those miners were trapped in a deadly situation they couldn't possibly get themselves out of. Their only hope - the rescuers. I'll tell you, those miners are a picture of you and me in terms of the spiritual condition the Bible says we're all in - trapped in a deadly spot, unable to possibly get ourselves out. Simply put, the Bible says, "Your sins have separated you from your God" (Isaiah 59:2). That's spiritual death, cut off from the God whose love we were made for, and whose heaven we hope to go to.
Maybe you've been counting on your character to get you to heaven, or your church, or your Christianity. But sin has a death penalty, and the only way that can be paid is by someone dying. And someone did! Here's the greatest rescue of all time, as described by God Himself in 1 Timothy 2:5-6, our word for today from the Word of God. Here it says, "There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for us all."
Now, if being good - if any religion - could have removed your sin or mine, the Son of God would have never gone through the agony of that cross. It took that death to remove the penalty for every wrong thing you've ever done. Jesus broke through to our spiritually hopeless situation by dying for us. So if you're depending on anything other than Jesus and His death for you, you're not going to make it out of the deadly spiritual hole you're in.
Some people are bothered because God says that Jesus is the only way out of our sin predicament. Can you imagine those trapped miners responding to the rescuers by saying, "You mean there's only one way out of here?" I don't think so. They must have said, "Thank God there is a way!" And thank God, there is a way for you and me to be forgiven of our sins this very day; for you to trade the hell that we all deserve for the heaven we could never deserve. And that way is Jesus. But you have to grab Him in total trust, like a dying person would hold onto his rescuer.
Jesus may, in fact, be reaching out to you right now, right where you are. But you've got to grab His hand as your personal Rescuer from your personal sin. Just tell Him, "Jesus, I'm putting my total trust in You to forgive my sin. Only You died for it, and I'm trusting You to make me right with God. Today, I am Yours."
You ready to begin that life-saving relationship with Him? Well, tell Him that where you are. And then I'd love to help you get started if you'd go to our website. It's called ANewStory.com, and there you'll find some biblical information that will help you be sure you belong to Him.
For all eternity, this could be the day that you will remember that Jesus brought you out. This could be the day you are rescued.
No cell phone? No computer? You’re kidding right? “Not now, thank you, I’ve too much to do,” we say. It’s crazy, since the reason we kill ourselves today is because we think it will make us content tomorrow!
But a funny thing happened on the way to the rat race that made me slip into neutral. My infant daughter had a stomach ache. Mom was out so it fell to Daddy to pick her up. I started trying to do things with one hand and hold her with the other. You’re smiling….you’ve tried that too?
I sat down, held her tight little tummy against my chest. She began to relax. Her little ear was right on top of my heart and she fell asleep. She’ll never remember that moment, and I’ll never forget it! “Good-by schedule,” I said. “See you later, routine. Hello, contentment. Come on in!”
1 Chronicles 5
The family of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Though Reuben was Israel’s firstborn, after he slept with his father’s concubine, a defiling act, his rights as the firstborn were passed on to the sons of Joseph son of Israel. He lost his “firstborn” place in the family tree. And even though Judah became the strongest of his brothers and King David eventually came from that family, the firstborn rights stayed with Joseph.
3 The sons of Reuben, firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
4-6 The descendants of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son, Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son, and Beerah his son, whom Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria took into exile. Beerah was the prince of the Reubenites.
7-10 Beerah’s brothers are listed in the family tree by families: first Jeiel, followed by Zechariah: then Bela son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel. Joel lived in the area from Aroer to Nebo and Baal Meon. His family occupied the land up to the edge of the desert that goes all the way to the Euphrates River, since their growing herds of livestock spilled out of Gilead. During Saul’s reign they fought and defeated the Hagrites; they then took over their tents and lived in them on the eastern frontier of Gilead.
11-12 The family of Gad were their neighbors in Bashan, as far as Salecah: Joel was the chief, Shapham the second-in-command, and then Janai, the judge in Bashan.
13-15 Their brothers, by families, were Michael, Meshullam, Sheba, Jorai, Jacan, Zia, and Eber—seven in all. These were the sons of Abihail son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz. Ahi son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, was head of their family.
16 The family of Gad lived in Gilead and Bashan, including the outlying villages and extending as far as the pastures of Sharon.
17 They were all written into the official family tree during the reigns of Jotham king of Judah and Jeroboam king of Israel.
18-22 The families of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had 44,760 men trained for war—physically fit and skilled in handling shield, sword, and bow. They fought against the Hagrites, Jetur, Naphish, and Nodab. God helped them as they fought. God handed the Hagrites and all their allies over to them, because they cried out to him during the battle. God answered their prayers because they trusted him. They plundered the Hagrite herds and flocks: 50,000 camels, 250,000 sheep, and 2,000 donkeys. They also captured 100,000 people. Many were killed, because the battle was God’s. They lived in that country until the exile.
23-26 The half-tribe of Manasseh had a large population. They occupied the land from Bashan to Baal Hermon, that is, to Senir (Mount Hermon). The heads of their families were Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel—brave warriors, famous, and heads of their families. But they were not faithful to the God of their ancestors. They took up with the ungodly gods of the peoples of the land whom God had gotten rid of before they arrived. So the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria (Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria) to take the families of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh into exile. He deported them to Halah, Habor, Hara, and the river of Gozan. They’ve been there ever since.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, December 09, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
2 Samuel 22:26–30
“To the faithful you show yourself faithful,
to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
27 to the pureu you show yourself pure,
but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.v
28 You save the humble,w
but your eyes are on the haughtyx to bring them low.y
29 You, Lord, are my lamp;z
the Lord turns my darkness into light.
30 With your help I can advance against a troopg;
with my God I can scale a wall.
Insight
Today’s passage is part of a longer song David wrote “when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul” (2 Samuel 22:1). This song was the exuberant celebration of a man who’d been “delivered” from years of running and hiding—both from enemies in other countries and from his own people. While we don’t know exactly how long David lived on the run, we know that he lived with the Philistines for sixteen months (1 Samuel 27:7). This is amazing considering his initial claim to fame was killing their champion (ch. 17).
To learn more about the time of David, visit christianuniversity.org/OT128-06.
Our Guiding Light
You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light. 2 Samuel 22:29
At a museum, I lingered near a display of ancient lamps. A sign revealed they were from Israel. Decorated with carved designs, these oval-shaped clay vessels had two openings—one for fuel, and one for a wick. Although the Israelites commonly used them in wall alcoves, each was small enough to fit in the palm of a person’s hand.
Perhaps a little light like this inspired King David to write a praise song in which he said, “You Lord are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light” (2 Samuel 22:29). David sang these words after God gave him victory in battle. Rivals from both inside and outside his own nation had been stalking him, intending to kill him. Because of his relationship with God, David didn’t cower in the shadows. He moved forward into enemy confrontations with the confidence that comes from God’s presence. With God helping him, he could see things clearly so he could make good decisions for himself, his troops, and his nation.
The darkness David mentioned in his song likely involved fear of weakness, defeat, and death. Many of us live with similar worries, which produce anxiety and stress. When the darkness presses in on us, we can find peace because we know God is with us too. The divine flame of the Holy Spirit lives in us to light our path until we meet Jesus face to face. By: Jennifer Benson Schuldt
Reflect & Pray
Why can you trust God to help you with your fears? What can you do to seek God’s guidance in your life?
God, please assure me of Your presence when I’m afraid. Help me to remember that You’ve defeated spiritual darkness through Your death and resurrection.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, December 09, 2019
The Opposition of the Natural
Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. —Galatians 5:24
The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh….” The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…” (Matthew 16:24). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.
The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
To read the Bible according to God’s providential order in your circumstances is the only way to read it, viz., in the blood and passion of personal life. Disciples Indeed, 387 R
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, December 09, 2019
One Great Hope - #8586
It was one of those disasters that years ago riveted the attention of the nation. Nine Pennsylvania coal miners had been excavating when they apparently broke through a flooded shaft. An estimated 50 to 60 million gallons of water rushed in, trapping the men in this underground chamber. When the water rose over their heads, they had to swim to higher ground - still 240 feet underground. For two and a half days, rescuers didn't know if the miners were dead or alive. Once they made contact through a phone line they lowered into the flooded shaft, they established a line that would deliver compressed air and they began pumping out water. Seventy-seven hours after the ordeal began, rescuers brought the miners, one at a time, up to the surface in this cramped yellow rescue cage. As the last man was pulled to the surface, the Governor of the state simply said, "All nine. All nine."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "One Great Hope."
Those miners were trapped in a deadly situation they couldn't possibly get themselves out of. Their only hope - the rescuers. I'll tell you, those miners are a picture of you and me in terms of the spiritual condition the Bible says we're all in - trapped in a deadly spot, unable to possibly get ourselves out. Simply put, the Bible says, "Your sins have separated you from your God" (Isaiah 59:2). That's spiritual death, cut off from the God whose love we were made for, and whose heaven we hope to go to.
Maybe you've been counting on your character to get you to heaven, or your church, or your Christianity. But sin has a death penalty, and the only way that can be paid is by someone dying. And someone did! Here's the greatest rescue of all time, as described by God Himself in 1 Timothy 2:5-6, our word for today from the Word of God. Here it says, "There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for us all."
Now, if being good - if any religion - could have removed your sin or mine, the Son of God would have never gone through the agony of that cross. It took that death to remove the penalty for every wrong thing you've ever done. Jesus broke through to our spiritually hopeless situation by dying for us. So if you're depending on anything other than Jesus and His death for you, you're not going to make it out of the deadly spiritual hole you're in.
Some people are bothered because God says that Jesus is the only way out of our sin predicament. Can you imagine those trapped miners responding to the rescuers by saying, "You mean there's only one way out of here?" I don't think so. They must have said, "Thank God there is a way!" And thank God, there is a way for you and me to be forgiven of our sins this very day; for you to trade the hell that we all deserve for the heaven we could never deserve. And that way is Jesus. But you have to grab Him in total trust, like a dying person would hold onto his rescuer.
Jesus may, in fact, be reaching out to you right now, right where you are. But you've got to grab His hand as your personal Rescuer from your personal sin. Just tell Him, "Jesus, I'm putting my total trust in You to forgive my sin. Only You died for it, and I'm trusting You to make me right with God. Today, I am Yours."
You ready to begin that life-saving relationship with Him? Well, tell Him that where you are. And then I'd love to help you get started if you'd go to our website. It's called ANewStory.com, and there you'll find some biblical information that will help you be sure you belong to Him.
For all eternity, this could be the day that you will remember that Jesus brought you out. This could be the day you are rescued.
Sunday, December 8, 2019
1 Chronicles 4, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: A Crown of Life
Why all the effort to stay fit…to stay alive? We pop pills, pump pecks, pass on the pie and pursue the polyunsaturates! Why? Because we're worried about staying alive.
In heaven-that will not be a worry! In fact, you won't be worrying at all. You won't worry about your kids getting hurt. In heaven, there will be no pain. You won't worry about getting old. We will all be ceaselessly strong! Scripture describes heaven as a place where God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain.
We are not made of steel, we are made of dust. And this life is not crowned with life, it is crowned with death. The next life, however, is different! Jesus urges us to "be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the crown of life!" (Revelation 2:10).
From Grace for the Moment
1 Chronicles 4
Sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. Reaiah, Shobal’s son, had Jahath; and Jahath had Ahumai and Lahad. These made up the families of the Zorathites.
3-4 Sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister was named Hazzelelponi. Penuel had Gedor and Ezer had Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, firstborn son of Ephrathah, who was the father of Bethlehem.
5-8 Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. Naarah gave birth to Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari—Naarah’s children. Helah’s sons were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, and Koz, who had Anub, Hazzobebah, and the families of Aharhel son of Harum.
9-10 Jabez was a better man than his brothers, a man of honor. His mother had named him Jabez (Oh, the pain!), saying, “A painful birth! I bore him in great pain!” Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: “Bless me, O bless me! Give me land, large tracts of land. And provide your personal protection—don’t let evil hurt me.” God gave him what he asked.
11-12 Kelub, Shuhah’s brother, had Mehir; Mehir had Eshton; Eshton had Beth Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, who founded Ir Nahash (City of Smiths). These were known as the men of Recah.
13 The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah.
The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai.
14 Meonothai had Ophrah; Seraiah had Joab, the founder of Ge Harashim (Colony of Artisans).
15 The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam.
The son of Elah: Kenaz.
16 The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
17-18 The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. One of Mered’s wives, Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah, gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. His Judean wife gave birth to Jered father of Gedor, Heber father of Soco, and Jekuthiel father of Zanoah.
19 The sons of Hodiah’s wife, Naham’s sister: the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
20 The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon.
The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.
21-23 The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the family of linen workers at Beth Ashbea, Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (These records are from very old traditions.) They were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah, resident potters who worked for the king.
24-25 The Simeon family tree: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul; Shaul had Shallum, Shallum had Mibsam, and Mibsam had Mishma.
26 The sons of Mishma: Hammuel had Zaccur and Zaccur had Shimei.
27-33 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers were not nearly as prolific and never became a large family like Judah. They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and Shaaraim. They lived in these towns until David became king. Other settlements in the vicinity were the five towns of Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan, and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath. These were their settlements. And they kept good family records.
34-40 Meshobab; Jamlech; Joshah the son of Amaziah; Joel; Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel; Elioenai; Jaakobah; Jeshohaiah; Asaiah; Adiel; Jesimiel; Benaiah; and Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah—all these were the leaders in their families. They prospered and increased in numbers so that they had to go as far as Gedor (Gerar) to the east of the valley looking for pasture for their flocks. And they found it—lush pasture, lots of elbow room, peaceful and quiet.
40-43 Some Hamites had lived there in former times. But the men in these family trees came when Hezekiah was king of Judah and attacked the Hamites, tearing down their tents and houses. There was nothing left of them, as you can see today. Then they moved in and took over because of the great pastureland. Five hundred of these Simeonites went on and invaded the hill country of Seir, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. They killed all the escaped Amalekites who were still around. And they still live there.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Sunday, December 08, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Colossians 3:12–25
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselvesu with compassion, kindness, humility,v gentleness and patience.w 13 Bear with each otherx and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.y 14 And over all these virtues put on love,z which binds them all together in perfect unity.a
15 Let the peace of Christb rule in your hearts, since as members of one bodyc you were called to peace.d And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christe dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdomf through psalms,g hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.h 17 And whatever you do,i whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanksj to God the Father through him.
Instructions for Christian Households
3:18–4:1pp—Eph 5:22–6:9
18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands,k as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers,c do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritancel from the Lord as a reward.m It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.n
Insight
The virtues and vices listed in Colossians 3:5–17 illustrate the dramatic contrast between life on our own and life lived by Christ’s Spirit. Believers in Jesus don’t experience spiritual transformation by “trying harder” but by surrendering our old identities in exchange for “the new self” (v. 10) that has died and risen with Christ (vv. 1–3). By: Monica La Rose
Attitude of Gratitude
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15
In my state in the US, the winters can be brutal, with sub-zero temperatures and never-ending snow. One bitterly cold day, as I shoveled snow for what seemed like the thousandth time, our postman paused in his rounds to ask how I was doing. I told him that I disliked winter and was weary of all the heavy snow. I then commented that his job must be pretty rough during these extreme weather conditions. He responded, “Yeah, but at least I have a job. A lot of people don’t. I’m thankful to be working.”
I have to admit that I felt quite convicted by his attitude of gratitude. How easily we can lose sight of everything we have to be thankful for when the circumstances of life become unpleasant.
Paul told the followers of Christ at Colossae, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). He wrote to the Thessalonians, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Even in our times of genuine struggle and pain, we can know God’s peace and permit it to rule our hearts. And in that peace, we’ll find reminders of all that we’ve been given in Christ. In that, we can truly be thankful. By: Bill Crowder
Reflect & Pray
What do you need to stop complaining about? What do you have to thank God for today?
God, how often I complain about things that are mere inconveniences. Help me never to lose sight of Your goodness. Give me a heart full of gratitude.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, December 08, 2019
The Impartial Power of God
By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. —Hebrews 10:14
We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. “…Christ Jesus…became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect.
No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, “But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner.” God’s response, through Peter, is, “… there is no other name…by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. “In Him we have redemption through His blood…” (Ephesians 1:7). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.
God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The vital relationship which the Christian has to the Bible is not that he worships the letter, but that the Holy Spirit makes the words of the Bible spirit and life to him. The Psychology of Redemption, 1066 L
Why all the effort to stay fit…to stay alive? We pop pills, pump pecks, pass on the pie and pursue the polyunsaturates! Why? Because we're worried about staying alive.
In heaven-that will not be a worry! In fact, you won't be worrying at all. You won't worry about your kids getting hurt. In heaven, there will be no pain. You won't worry about getting old. We will all be ceaselessly strong! Scripture describes heaven as a place where God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death, sadness, crying, or pain.
We are not made of steel, we are made of dust. And this life is not crowned with life, it is crowned with death. The next life, however, is different! Jesus urges us to "be faithful, even if you have to die, and I will give you the crown of life!" (Revelation 2:10).
From Grace for the Moment
1 Chronicles 4
Sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, Carmi, Hur, and Shobal. Reaiah, Shobal’s son, had Jahath; and Jahath had Ahumai and Lahad. These made up the families of the Zorathites.
3-4 Sons of Etam: Jezreel, Ishma, and Idbash. Their sister was named Hazzelelponi. Penuel had Gedor and Ezer had Hushah. These were the sons of Hur, firstborn son of Ephrathah, who was the father of Bethlehem.
5-8 Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah. Naarah gave birth to Ahuzzam, Hepher, Temeni, and Haahashtari—Naarah’s children. Helah’s sons were Zereth, Zohar, Ethnan, and Koz, who had Anub, Hazzobebah, and the families of Aharhel son of Harum.
9-10 Jabez was a better man than his brothers, a man of honor. His mother had named him Jabez (Oh, the pain!), saying, “A painful birth! I bore him in great pain!” Jabez prayed to the God of Israel: “Bless me, O bless me! Give me land, large tracts of land. And provide your personal protection—don’t let evil hurt me.” God gave him what he asked.
11-12 Kelub, Shuhah’s brother, had Mehir; Mehir had Eshton; Eshton had Beth Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah, who founded Ir Nahash (City of Smiths). These were known as the men of Recah.
13 The sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah.
The sons of Othniel: Hathath and Meonothai.
14 Meonothai had Ophrah; Seraiah had Joab, the founder of Ge Harashim (Colony of Artisans).
15 The sons of Caleb son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam.
The son of Elah: Kenaz.
16 The sons of Jehallelel: Ziph, Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.
17-18 The sons of Ezrah: Jether, Mered, Epher, and Jalon. One of Mered’s wives, Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah, gave birth to Miriam, Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. His Judean wife gave birth to Jered father of Gedor, Heber father of Soco, and Jekuthiel father of Zanoah.
19 The sons of Hodiah’s wife, Naham’s sister: the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maacathite.
20 The sons of Shimon: Amnon, Rinnah, Ben-Hanan, and Tilon.
The sons of Ishi: Zoheth and Ben-Zoheth.
21-23 The sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lecah, Laadah the father of Mareshah and the family of linen workers at Beth Ashbea, Jokim, the men of Cozeba, and Joash and Saraph, who ruled in Moab and Jashubi Lehem. (These records are from very old traditions.) They were the potters who lived at Netaim and Gederah, resident potters who worked for the king.
24-25 The Simeon family tree: Nemuel, Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul; Shaul had Shallum, Shallum had Mibsam, and Mibsam had Mishma.
26 The sons of Mishma: Hammuel had Zaccur and Zaccur had Shimei.
27-33 Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters, but his brothers were not nearly as prolific and never became a large family like Judah. They lived in Beersheba, Moladah, Hazar Shual, Bilhah, Ezem, Tolad, Bethuel, Hormah, Ziklag, Beth Marcaboth, Hazar Susim, Beth Biri, and Shaaraim. They lived in these towns until David became king. Other settlements in the vicinity were the five towns of Etam, Ain, Rimmon, Token, and Ashan, and all the villages around these towns as far as Baalath. These were their settlements. And they kept good family records.
34-40 Meshobab; Jamlech; Joshah the son of Amaziah; Joel; Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel; Elioenai; Jaakobah; Jeshohaiah; Asaiah; Adiel; Jesimiel; Benaiah; and Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah—all these were the leaders in their families. They prospered and increased in numbers so that they had to go as far as Gedor (Gerar) to the east of the valley looking for pasture for their flocks. And they found it—lush pasture, lots of elbow room, peaceful and quiet.
40-43 Some Hamites had lived there in former times. But the men in these family trees came when Hezekiah was king of Judah and attacked the Hamites, tearing down their tents and houses. There was nothing left of them, as you can see today. Then they moved in and took over because of the great pastureland. Five hundred of these Simeonites went on and invaded the hill country of Seir, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi. They killed all the escaped Amalekites who were still around. And they still live there.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Sunday, December 08, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Colossians 3:12–25
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselvesu with compassion, kindness, humility,v gentleness and patience.w 13 Bear with each otherx and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.y 14 And over all these virtues put on love,z which binds them all together in perfect unity.a
15 Let the peace of Christb rule in your hearts, since as members of one bodyc you were called to peace.d And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christe dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdomf through psalms,g hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.h 17 And whatever you do,i whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanksj to God the Father through him.
Instructions for Christian Households
3:18–4:1pp—Eph 5:22–6:9
18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands,k as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers,c do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to curry their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritancel from the Lord as a reward.m It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.n
Insight
The virtues and vices listed in Colossians 3:5–17 illustrate the dramatic contrast between life on our own and life lived by Christ’s Spirit. Believers in Jesus don’t experience spiritual transformation by “trying harder” but by surrendering our old identities in exchange for “the new self” (v. 10) that has died and risen with Christ (vv. 1–3). By: Monica La Rose
Attitude of Gratitude
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15
In my state in the US, the winters can be brutal, with sub-zero temperatures and never-ending snow. One bitterly cold day, as I shoveled snow for what seemed like the thousandth time, our postman paused in his rounds to ask how I was doing. I told him that I disliked winter and was weary of all the heavy snow. I then commented that his job must be pretty rough during these extreme weather conditions. He responded, “Yeah, but at least I have a job. A lot of people don’t. I’m thankful to be working.”
I have to admit that I felt quite convicted by his attitude of gratitude. How easily we can lose sight of everything we have to be thankful for when the circumstances of life become unpleasant.
Paul told the followers of Christ at Colossae, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful” (Colossians 3:15). He wrote to the Thessalonians, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
Even in our times of genuine struggle and pain, we can know God’s peace and permit it to rule our hearts. And in that peace, we’ll find reminders of all that we’ve been given in Christ. In that, we can truly be thankful. By: Bill Crowder
Reflect & Pray
What do you need to stop complaining about? What do you have to thank God for today?
God, how often I complain about things that are mere inconveniences. Help me never to lose sight of Your goodness. Give me a heart full of gratitude.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, December 08, 2019
The Impartial Power of God
By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. —Hebrews 10:14
We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. “…Christ Jesus…became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption…” (1 Corinthians 1:30). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect.
No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, “But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner.” God’s response, through Peter, is, “… there is no other name…by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. “In Him we have redemption through His blood…” (Ephesians 1:7). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.
God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The vital relationship which the Christian has to the Bible is not that he worships the letter, but that the Holy Spirit makes the words of the Bible spirit and life to him. The Psychology of Redemption, 1066 L
Saturday, December 7, 2019
1 Corinthians 6, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: Family Expectations
Many of us have a fantasy that our family will be like the Waltons or the expectation that our friends will be like members of our family. Jesus did not have that expectation. Look how Jesus defined his family in Mark 3:35: "My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants." When Jesus' brothers did not share his convictions, he didn't try to force them. He recognized that his spiritual family could give him what his physical family did not.
We cannot control how our families respond to us. Our hands are tied. We have to move beyond the expectation that if we do good, our family will treat us right! The fact is they may; and then again, they may not! Let God give you what your physical, earthly family does not. And don't lose heart! God still changes families.
From Grace for the Moment
1 Corinthians 6
And how dare you take each other to court! When you think you have been wronged, does it make any sense to go before a court that knows nothing of God’s ways instead of a family of Christians? The day is coming when the world is going to stand before a jury made up of followers of Jesus. If someday you are going to rule on the world’s fate, wouldn’t it be a good idea to practice on some of these smaller cases? Why, we’re even going to judge angels! So why not these everyday affairs? As these disagreements and wrongs surface, why would you ever entrust them to the judgment of people you don’t trust in any other way?
5-6 I say this as bluntly as I can to wake you up to the stupidity of what you’re doing. Is it possible that there isn’t one levelheaded person among you who can make fair decisions when disagreements and disputes come up? I don’t believe it. And here you are taking each other to court before people who don’t even believe in God! How can they render justice if they don’t believe in the God of justice?
7-8 These court cases are an ugly blot on your community. Wouldn’t it be far better to just take it, to let yourselves be wronged and forget it? All you’re doing is providing fuel for more wrong, more injustice, bringing more hurt to the people of your own spiritual family.
9-11 Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I’m talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.
12 Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean that it’s spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d be a slave to my whims.
13 You know the old saying, “First you eat to live, and then you live to eat”? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that’s no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body!
14-15 God honored the Master’s body by raising it from the grave. He’ll treat yours with the same resurrection power. Until that time, remember that your bodies are created with the same dignity as the Master’s body. You wouldn’t take the Master’s body off to a whorehouse, would you? I should hope not.
16-20 There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.” Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never “become one.” There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for “becoming one” with another. Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, December 07, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Deuteronomy 6:4–12
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.a y 5 Lovez the Lord your God with all your hearta and with all your soul and with all your strength.b 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.c 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.d 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.e 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.f
10 When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build,g 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig,h and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied,i 12 be careful that you do not forgetj the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
Insight
Orthodox Jews take the command of Deuteronomy 6:8 literally. A devout Jewish man will tie leather cases known as tefillin (Greek, phylactery) on his left arm or hand and on his forehead. The tefillin contain the portion of Scripture known as the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4–9). In Mark 12:29–31, Jesus quoted from the Shema and Leviticus 19:18 when He said “there is no commandment greater” than “to love the Lord your God . . . [and] your neighbor as yourself.”
The tefillin usually include Scriptures from Exodus 13:1–16 and Deuteronomy 11:13–21. The Exodus portion refers to the first Passover when God said, “This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips” (Exodus 13:9). A time will come when those who reject God must have a mark either on their hands or on their foreheads (Revelation 13:16; 14:9). Satan loves to counterfeit God’s ways. By: Tim Gustafson
Don’t Forget the Giver
Be careful that you do not forget the Lord. Deuteronomy 6:12
It was just before Christmas, and her kids were having a difficult time with gratitude. She knew how easy it was to slip into that kind of thinking, but she also knew she wanted something better for the hearts of her children. So she went through the house and placed red bows on light switches, the pantry and refrigerator doors, the washing machine and dryer, and the water faucets. With each bow there was a handwritten note: “Some of the gifts God gives us are easy to overlook, so I’ve put a bow on them. He is so good to our family. Let’s not forget where the gifts come from.”
In Deuteronomy 6, we see that the future of the nation of Israel involved the conquest of existing places. So they would move into large flourishing cities they did not build (v. 10), occupy houses filled with good things they didn’t provide, and benefit from wells and vineyards and olive groves they didn’t dig or plant (v. 11). All these blessings could be easily traced back to a single source—“the Lord your God” (v. 10). And while God lovingly provided these things and more, Moses wanted to make sure the people were careful not to forget (v. 12).
During certain seasons of life it’s easy to forget. But let’s not lose sight of God’s goodness, the source of all our blessings. By: John Blase
Reflect & Pray
Name five blessings in your life. Why are you grateful for them? How will you thank God for them today?
Loving Father, You are the source of every blessing in our lives. In our pride we often imagine otherwise, but we know better. We do. Thank You for all Your gifts.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, December 07, 2019
Repentance
Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation… —2 Corinthians 7:10
Conviction of sin is best described in the words:
My sins, my sins, my Savior,
How sad on Thee they fall.
Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person’s relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God— “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight…” (Psalm 51:4). The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, “I have sinned.” The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes— a reflex action caused by self-disgust.
The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable “goodness.” Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for “the gift of tears.” If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The attitude of a Christian towards the providential order in which he is placed is to recognize that God is behind it for purposes of His own. Biblical Ethics, 99 R
Many of us have a fantasy that our family will be like the Waltons or the expectation that our friends will be like members of our family. Jesus did not have that expectation. Look how Jesus defined his family in Mark 3:35: "My true brother and sister and mother are those who do what God wants." When Jesus' brothers did not share his convictions, he didn't try to force them. He recognized that his spiritual family could give him what his physical family did not.
We cannot control how our families respond to us. Our hands are tied. We have to move beyond the expectation that if we do good, our family will treat us right! The fact is they may; and then again, they may not! Let God give you what your physical, earthly family does not. And don't lose heart! God still changes families.
From Grace for the Moment
1 Corinthians 6
And how dare you take each other to court! When you think you have been wronged, does it make any sense to go before a court that knows nothing of God’s ways instead of a family of Christians? The day is coming when the world is going to stand before a jury made up of followers of Jesus. If someday you are going to rule on the world’s fate, wouldn’t it be a good idea to practice on some of these smaller cases? Why, we’re even going to judge angels! So why not these everyday affairs? As these disagreements and wrongs surface, why would you ever entrust them to the judgment of people you don’t trust in any other way?
5-6 I say this as bluntly as I can to wake you up to the stupidity of what you’re doing. Is it possible that there isn’t one levelheaded person among you who can make fair decisions when disagreements and disputes come up? I don’t believe it. And here you are taking each other to court before people who don’t even believe in God! How can they render justice if they don’t believe in the God of justice?
7-8 These court cases are an ugly blot on your community. Wouldn’t it be far better to just take it, to let yourselves be wronged and forget it? All you’re doing is providing fuel for more wrong, more injustice, bringing more hurt to the people of your own spiritual family.
9-11 Don’t you realize that this is not the way to live? Unjust people who don’t care about God will not be joining in his kingdom. Those who use and abuse each other, use and abuse sex, use and abuse the earth and everything in it, don’t qualify as citizens in God’s kingdom. A number of you know from experience what I’m talking about, for not so long ago you were on that list. Since then, you’ve been cleaned up and given a fresh start by Jesus, our Master, our Messiah, and by our God present in us, the Spirit.
12 Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean that it’s spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d be a slave to my whims.
13 You know the old saying, “First you eat to live, and then you live to eat”? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that’s no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body!
14-15 God honored the Master’s body by raising it from the grave. He’ll treat yours with the same resurrection power. Until that time, remember that your bodies are created with the same dignity as the Master’s body. You wouldn’t take the Master’s body off to a whorehouse, would you? I should hope not.
16-20 There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.” Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never “become one.” There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for “becoming one” with another. Or didn’t you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, December 07, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Deuteronomy 6:4–12
Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.a y 5 Lovez the Lord your God with all your hearta and with all your soul and with all your strength.b 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.c 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.d 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.e 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.f
10 When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build,g 11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig,h and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied,i 12 be careful that you do not forgetj the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
Insight
Orthodox Jews take the command of Deuteronomy 6:8 literally. A devout Jewish man will tie leather cases known as tefillin (Greek, phylactery) on his left arm or hand and on his forehead. The tefillin contain the portion of Scripture known as the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4–9). In Mark 12:29–31, Jesus quoted from the Shema and Leviticus 19:18 when He said “there is no commandment greater” than “to love the Lord your God . . . [and] your neighbor as yourself.”
The tefillin usually include Scriptures from Exodus 13:1–16 and Deuteronomy 11:13–21. The Exodus portion refers to the first Passover when God said, “This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips” (Exodus 13:9). A time will come when those who reject God must have a mark either on their hands or on their foreheads (Revelation 13:16; 14:9). Satan loves to counterfeit God’s ways. By: Tim Gustafson
Don’t Forget the Giver
Be careful that you do not forget the Lord. Deuteronomy 6:12
It was just before Christmas, and her kids were having a difficult time with gratitude. She knew how easy it was to slip into that kind of thinking, but she also knew she wanted something better for the hearts of her children. So she went through the house and placed red bows on light switches, the pantry and refrigerator doors, the washing machine and dryer, and the water faucets. With each bow there was a handwritten note: “Some of the gifts God gives us are easy to overlook, so I’ve put a bow on them. He is so good to our family. Let’s not forget where the gifts come from.”
In Deuteronomy 6, we see that the future of the nation of Israel involved the conquest of existing places. So they would move into large flourishing cities they did not build (v. 10), occupy houses filled with good things they didn’t provide, and benefit from wells and vineyards and olive groves they didn’t dig or plant (v. 11). All these blessings could be easily traced back to a single source—“the Lord your God” (v. 10). And while God lovingly provided these things and more, Moses wanted to make sure the people were careful not to forget (v. 12).
During certain seasons of life it’s easy to forget. But let’s not lose sight of God’s goodness, the source of all our blessings. By: John Blase
Reflect & Pray
Name five blessings in your life. Why are you grateful for them? How will you thank God for them today?
Loving Father, You are the source of every blessing in our lives. In our pride we often imagine otherwise, but we know better. We do. Thank You for all Your gifts.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, December 07, 2019
Repentance
Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation… —2 Corinthians 7:10
Conviction of sin is best described in the words:
My sins, my sins, my Savior,
How sad on Thee they fall.
Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person’s relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God— “Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight…” (Psalm 51:4). The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, “I have sinned.” The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes— a reflex action caused by self-disgust.
The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable “goodness.” Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for “the gift of tears.” If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The attitude of a Christian towards the providential order in which he is placed is to recognize that God is behind it for purposes of His own. Biblical Ethics, 99 R
Friday, December 6, 2019
1 Chronicles 3, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: GOD USES PEOPLE TO CHANGE THE WORLD
I’ve waited too long to believe. Way too long. What can I possibly do now for God?
God uses people to change the world! People! Not saints or super humans or geniuses, but people. Crooks, creeps, lovers, and liars— He uses them all. No wagging fingers. No crossed arms. Only sweet, open arms! If you’ve ever wondered how God can use you to make a difference in the world, just look at those he’s already used and take heart. Look at the forgiveness found in those open arms and take courage.
By the way, never were those arms opened so wide as they were on the Roman cross. One arm extending back into history, the other reaching into the future. An embrace of forgiveness for anyone who’ll come. A hen gathering her chicks…a father receiving his own…a Redeemer redeeming the world!
1 Chronicles 3
These are the sons that David had while he lived at Hebron:
His firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam of Jezreel;
second, Daniel by Abigail of Carmel;
third, Absalom born of Maacah, daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
fourth, Adonijah born of Haggith;
fifth, Shephatiah born of Abital;
sixth, Ithream born of his wife Eglah.
4-9 He had these six sons while he was in Hebron; he was king there for seven years and six months.
He went on to be king in Jerusalem for another thirty-three years. These are the sons he had in Jerusalem: first Shammua, then Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel was the mother of these four. And then there were another nine sons: Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, Eliphelet—David’s sons, plus Tamar their sister. There were other sons by his concubines.
10-14 In the next generation Solomon had Rehoboam, who had Abijah, who had Asa, who had Jehoshaphat, who had Jehoram, who had Ahaziah, who had Joash, who had Amaziah, who had Azariah, who had Jotham, who had Ahaz, who had Hezekiah, who had Manasseh, who had Amon, who had Josiah.
15 Josiah’s firstborn was Johanan, followed by Jehoiakim, then Zedekiah, and finally Shallum.
16 Jehoiakim’s sons were Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) and Zedekiah.
17-18 The sons of Jeconiah born while he was captive in Babylon: Shealtiel, Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.
19-20 Pedaiah had Zerubbabel and Shimei; Zerubbabel had Meshullam and Hananiah. Shelomith was their sister. And then five more—Hashubah, Ohel, Berekiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed.
21 Hananiah’s sons were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah. There were also sons of Rephaiah, sons of Arnan, sons of Obadiah, and sons of Shecaniah.
22 Shecaniah had Shemaiah who in his turn had Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat—six of them.
23 Neariah had three sons: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam.
24 And Elioenai had seven sons: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, December 06, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Matthew 1:18–25
Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came aboutd: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.p 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yete did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorceq her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angelr of the Lord appeared to him in a dreams and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,f t because he will save his people from their sins.”u
22 All this took place to fulfillv what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”g w (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angelx of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.y
Insight
Today’s text introduces us to Joseph, a carpenter in Nazareth and step-father of Jesus. Joseph is only mentioned briefly in Scripture but he’s never the speaker; however, his life speaks volumes of his devotion to God. He’s concerned for the law and desires to act in obedience (Matthew 1:19), yet he pairs that concern with genuine compassion for Mary. His focus on obedience is likewise balanced by trust that the message he’s received from the angel is from God—giving him strength to obey (vv. 22–25).
For more on Joseph, see Mary and Joseph: Reflecting on the Wonder of Christmas at discoveryseries.org/hp074. By: Bill Crowder
Gifts from Above
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel. Matthew 1:23
According to an old story, a man named Nicholas (born in ad 270) heard about a father who was so poor that he couldn’t feed his three daughters, much less provide for their future marriages. Wanting to assist the father, but hoping to keep his help a secret, Nicholas threw a bag of gold through an open window, which landed in a sock or shoe drying on the hearth. That man was known as St. Nicholas, who later became the inspiration for Santa Claus.
When I heard that story of a gift coming down from above, I thought of God the Father, who out of love and compassion sent to earth the greatest gift, His Son, through a miraculous birth. According to Matthew’s gospel, Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy that a virgin would conceive and give birth to a son whom they would call Immanuel, meaning “God with us” (1:23).
As lovely as Nicholas’s gift was, how much more amazing is the gift of Jesus. He left heaven to become a man, died and rose again, and is God living with us. He brings us comfort when we’re hurting and sad; He encourages us when we feel downhearted; He reveals the truth to us when we might be deceived. By: Amy Boucher Pye
Reflect & Pray
How can you give the gift of Jesus today? How does His presence lead you to share your resources of time, wisdom, and love with others?
Jesus, thank You for the way You left Your Father to be born in humble circumstances. May I never take for granted Your presence in my life.
To learn more about the birth of Jesus, visit bit.ly/2R7FD4f.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, December 06, 2019
“My Rainbow in the Cloud”
I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. —Genesis 9:13
It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.
Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God— a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, “Now I believe.” There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, “Look to Me, and be saved…” (Isaiah 45:22).
When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The vital relationship which the Christian has to the Bible is not that he worships the letter, but that the Holy Spirit makes the words of the Bible spirit and life to him. The Psychology of Redemption, 1066 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, December 06, 2019
Cross-Eyed - #8585
OK, it's time for a simple experiment - which is the only kind I'm capable of. Don't try this if you're driving please. But if you're where you can do this safely, pick up some object that's close by: your pen, your comb, a cup - whatever. Hold it about a foot from your eyes. Now, move that object slowly toward your eyes - you're not driving, right? OK. But keep staring right straight at the object. Now bring it all the way up to your face. If you keep staring at the object, I'll bet something strange has happened to your eyes. You are suddenly cross-eyed and everything looks weird!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Cross-Eyed."
What in the world was the point of that dumb exercise? Well, there actually was a point; one that may explain some of the stress, the anxiety and the conflict you're feeling right now. When you look at something too closely for too long, your perspective gets very distorted. In a sense, you get cross-eyed!
Our word for today from the Word of God shows us how this distorted perspective can affect your choices and cause us to make some pretty costly mistakes. In Numbers 13, beginning with verse 30, our word for today from the Word of God, the 12 Jewish scouts have just returned from checking out the land that God has promised to His people. Two of them, Caleb and Joshua, are saying "Go for it!" The other ten are saying, "Run for it!"
Here's what it says: "Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, 'We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.' But the men who had gone up with him said, 'We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are.' They said, 'The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size...We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.'"
Well, as a result of this perspective, God's people turned away from the beautiful land God had promised. He said He'd give it into their hands, and they spent 40 years in the wilderness instead. Why? Those ten scouts had stared at those big walls around Jericho and those big Canaanites, and pretty soon that's all they could see. Caleb was looking beyond those walls, beyond those giants and seeing the great and mighty God they had. But those who never saw the Promised Land were the ones who got spiritually cross-eyed from staring at the size of their problem instead of focusing on the size of their God, which might be a mistake you've been making right now.
When you focus on your obstacles, when you focus on what you're afraid of, what you're worried about, your vision starts to get blurry. When you focus on yourself and what your resources can accomplish, you start to feel like, well small "like grasshoppers" they said. You start seeing your whole life through the lens of this problem, and pretty soon everything looks distorted. And you start making decisions that are now based on a totally distorted view of reality.
When you've been looking too long and too closely at a situation, you need to do things that will help you back off and get the big picture again. Get some sleep, spend some time praising God for all He is and all He's done, get away for some extended time with the Lord, spend some time with a child in your life. They can help you restore your perspective. And get the views of some people who are totally outside your situation.
Remember, when you look at one thing too long and you look at it too closely, your vision gets distorted! So don't hold it so close, and spend some time looking at something else!
I’ve waited too long to believe. Way too long. What can I possibly do now for God?
God uses people to change the world! People! Not saints or super humans or geniuses, but people. Crooks, creeps, lovers, and liars— He uses them all. No wagging fingers. No crossed arms. Only sweet, open arms! If you’ve ever wondered how God can use you to make a difference in the world, just look at those he’s already used and take heart. Look at the forgiveness found in those open arms and take courage.
By the way, never were those arms opened so wide as they were on the Roman cross. One arm extending back into history, the other reaching into the future. An embrace of forgiveness for anyone who’ll come. A hen gathering her chicks…a father receiving his own…a Redeemer redeeming the world!
1 Chronicles 3
These are the sons that David had while he lived at Hebron:
His firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam of Jezreel;
second, Daniel by Abigail of Carmel;
third, Absalom born of Maacah, daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;
fourth, Adonijah born of Haggith;
fifth, Shephatiah born of Abital;
sixth, Ithream born of his wife Eglah.
4-9 He had these six sons while he was in Hebron; he was king there for seven years and six months.
He went on to be king in Jerusalem for another thirty-three years. These are the sons he had in Jerusalem: first Shammua, then Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. Bathsheba daughter of Ammiel was the mother of these four. And then there were another nine sons: Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, Eliphelet—David’s sons, plus Tamar their sister. There were other sons by his concubines.
10-14 In the next generation Solomon had Rehoboam, who had Abijah, who had Asa, who had Jehoshaphat, who had Jehoram, who had Ahaziah, who had Joash, who had Amaziah, who had Azariah, who had Jotham, who had Ahaz, who had Hezekiah, who had Manasseh, who had Amon, who had Josiah.
15 Josiah’s firstborn was Johanan, followed by Jehoiakim, then Zedekiah, and finally Shallum.
16 Jehoiakim’s sons were Jeconiah (Jehoiachin) and Zedekiah.
17-18 The sons of Jeconiah born while he was captive in Babylon: Shealtiel, Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.
19-20 Pedaiah had Zerubbabel and Shimei; Zerubbabel had Meshullam and Hananiah. Shelomith was their sister. And then five more—Hashubah, Ohel, Berekiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-Hesed.
21 Hananiah’s sons were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah. There were also sons of Rephaiah, sons of Arnan, sons of Obadiah, and sons of Shecaniah.
22 Shecaniah had Shemaiah who in his turn had Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat—six of them.
23 Neariah had three sons: Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam.
24 And Elioenai had seven sons: Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, December 06, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
Matthew 1:18–25
Joseph Accepts Jesus as His Son
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came aboutd: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit.p 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yete did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorceq her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angelr of the Lord appeared to him in a dreams and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,f t because he will save his people from their sins.”u
22 All this took place to fulfillv what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”g w (which means “God with us”).
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angelx of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.y
Insight
Today’s text introduces us to Joseph, a carpenter in Nazareth and step-father of Jesus. Joseph is only mentioned briefly in Scripture but he’s never the speaker; however, his life speaks volumes of his devotion to God. He’s concerned for the law and desires to act in obedience (Matthew 1:19), yet he pairs that concern with genuine compassion for Mary. His focus on obedience is likewise balanced by trust that the message he’s received from the angel is from God—giving him strength to obey (vv. 22–25).
For more on Joseph, see Mary and Joseph: Reflecting on the Wonder of Christmas at discoveryseries.org/hp074. By: Bill Crowder
Gifts from Above
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel. Matthew 1:23
According to an old story, a man named Nicholas (born in ad 270) heard about a father who was so poor that he couldn’t feed his three daughters, much less provide for their future marriages. Wanting to assist the father, but hoping to keep his help a secret, Nicholas threw a bag of gold through an open window, which landed in a sock or shoe drying on the hearth. That man was known as St. Nicholas, who later became the inspiration for Santa Claus.
When I heard that story of a gift coming down from above, I thought of God the Father, who out of love and compassion sent to earth the greatest gift, His Son, through a miraculous birth. According to Matthew’s gospel, Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy that a virgin would conceive and give birth to a son whom they would call Immanuel, meaning “God with us” (1:23).
As lovely as Nicholas’s gift was, how much more amazing is the gift of Jesus. He left heaven to become a man, died and rose again, and is God living with us. He brings us comfort when we’re hurting and sad; He encourages us when we feel downhearted; He reveals the truth to us when we might be deceived. By: Amy Boucher Pye
Reflect & Pray
How can you give the gift of Jesus today? How does His presence lead you to share your resources of time, wisdom, and love with others?
Jesus, thank You for the way You left Your Father to be born in humble circumstances. May I never take for granted Your presence in my life.
To learn more about the birth of Jesus, visit bit.ly/2R7FD4f.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, December 06, 2019
“My Rainbow in the Cloud”
I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. —Genesis 9:13
It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.
Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God— a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, “Now I believe.” There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, “Look to Me, and be saved…” (Isaiah 45:22).
When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
The vital relationship which the Christian has to the Bible is not that he worships the letter, but that the Holy Spirit makes the words of the Bible spirit and life to him. The Psychology of Redemption, 1066 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, December 06, 2019
Cross-Eyed - #8585
OK, it's time for a simple experiment - which is the only kind I'm capable of. Don't try this if you're driving please. But if you're where you can do this safely, pick up some object that's close by: your pen, your comb, a cup - whatever. Hold it about a foot from your eyes. Now, move that object slowly toward your eyes - you're not driving, right? OK. But keep staring right straight at the object. Now bring it all the way up to your face. If you keep staring at the object, I'll bet something strange has happened to your eyes. You are suddenly cross-eyed and everything looks weird!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Cross-Eyed."
What in the world was the point of that dumb exercise? Well, there actually was a point; one that may explain some of the stress, the anxiety and the conflict you're feeling right now. When you look at something too closely for too long, your perspective gets very distorted. In a sense, you get cross-eyed!
Our word for today from the Word of God shows us how this distorted perspective can affect your choices and cause us to make some pretty costly mistakes. In Numbers 13, beginning with verse 30, our word for today from the Word of God, the 12 Jewish scouts have just returned from checking out the land that God has promised to His people. Two of them, Caleb and Joshua, are saying "Go for it!" The other ten are saying, "Run for it!"
Here's what it says: "Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, 'We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.' But the men who had gone up with him said, 'We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are.' They said, 'The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size...We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.'"
Well, as a result of this perspective, God's people turned away from the beautiful land God had promised. He said He'd give it into their hands, and they spent 40 years in the wilderness instead. Why? Those ten scouts had stared at those big walls around Jericho and those big Canaanites, and pretty soon that's all they could see. Caleb was looking beyond those walls, beyond those giants and seeing the great and mighty God they had. But those who never saw the Promised Land were the ones who got spiritually cross-eyed from staring at the size of their problem instead of focusing on the size of their God, which might be a mistake you've been making right now.
When you focus on your obstacles, when you focus on what you're afraid of, what you're worried about, your vision starts to get blurry. When you focus on yourself and what your resources can accomplish, you start to feel like, well small "like grasshoppers" they said. You start seeing your whole life through the lens of this problem, and pretty soon everything looks distorted. And you start making decisions that are now based on a totally distorted view of reality.
When you've been looking too long and too closely at a situation, you need to do things that will help you back off and get the big picture again. Get some sleep, spend some time praising God for all He is and all He's done, get away for some extended time with the Lord, spend some time with a child in your life. They can help you restore your perspective. And get the views of some people who are totally outside your situation.
Remember, when you look at one thing too long and you look at it too closely, your vision gets distorted! So don't hold it so close, and spend some time looking at something else!
Thursday, December 5, 2019
1 Chronicles 2, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals
Max Lucado Daily: SECOND CHANCES
Not many second chances exist in the world today! It’s more like “three strikes and you’re out.” It’s a dog-eat-dog world!
Jesus has a simple answer. He would say, “Well, then don’t live with the dogs.” Why let a bunch of other failures tell you how much of a failure you are? Sure you can have a second chance! Just ask Peter. One minute he felt lower than a snake’s belly and the next he was high hog at the trough. When Peter denied Jesus, the message came loud and clear, “Be sure and tell Peter he gets to bat again!”
It’s not every day you get a second chance. It’s not every day you find someone who’ll give you a second chance—much less someone who’ll give you a second chance every day. But in Jesus, Peter found both! No wonder they call Him the Savior!
1 Chronicles 2
Israel’s (that is, Jacob’s) sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
3-9 Judah had Er, Onan, and Shelah; their mother was Bathshua the Canaanite. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was so bad before God that God killed him. Judah also had Perez and Zerah by his daughter-in-law Tamar—a total of five sons. Perez had Hezron and Hamul; Zerah had Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Darda—five sons. Carmi had Achar, who brought doom on Israel when he violated a holy ban. Ethan’s son was Azariah. And Hezron had Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai.
10-17 Ram had Amminadab and Amminadab had Nahshon, a prominent leader in the Judah family. Nahshon had Salmon and Salmon had Boaz. Boaz had Obed and Obed had Jesse. Jesse’s firstborn was Eliab, followed by Abinadab, Shimea, Nethanel, Raddai, Ozem, and finally David; David was the seventh. Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah gave birth to three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel; Abigail was the mother of Amasa (the father was Jether the Ishmaelite).
18-24 Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah and also by Jerioth. Azubah’s sons were Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. After Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who gave birth to Hur. Hur had Uri and Uri had Bezalel. Some time later Hezron married the daughter of Makir the father of Gilead; he was sixty years old when he married her; she gave birth to Segub. Then Segub had Jair who owned twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. Geshur and Aram captured the nomadic villages of Jair and Kenath and their satellite settlements—sixty towns. These all belonged to Makir the father of Gilead. After the death of Hezron, Caleb married Ephrathah the wife of his father Hezron; she then gave birth to Ashhur the father of Tekoa.
25-26 The sons of Jerahmeel, Hezron’s firstborn: Ram his firstborn, followed by Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. Jerahmeel had another wife whose name was Atarah; she gave birth to Onam.
27 The sons of Ram, Jerahmeel’s firstborn: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.
28-29 The sons of Onam: Shammai and Jada.
The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur. Abishur’s wife was Abihail; she gave birth to Ahban and Molid.
30 Nadab had Seled and Appaim. Seled died leaving no sons.
31 Appaim had Ishi; Ishi had Sheshan; and Sheshan had Ahlai.
32 Jada, Shammai’s brother, had Jether and Jonathan. Jether died leaving no sons.
33 Jonathan had Peleth and Zaza.
This is the family tree of the sons of Jerahmeel.
34-41 Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. But Sheshan had an Egyptian servant, Jarha. Sheshan married his daughter to Jarha and she gave birth to Attai. Attai had Nathan, Nathan had Zabad, Zabad had Ephlal, Ephlal had Obed, Obed had Jehu, Jehu had Azariah, Azariah had Helez, Helez had Eleasah, Eleasah had Sismai, Sismai had Shallum, Shallum had Jekamiah, and Jekamiah had Elishama.
42 Jerahmeel’s brother Caleb had a son, his firstborn, named Mesha; Mesha had Ziph; Ziph’s son was Mareshah the father of Hebron.
43-44 The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. Shema had Raham the father of Jorkeam; Rekem had Shammai.
45 Shammai’s son was Maon and Maon was the father of Beth Zur.
46 Caleb’s concubine Ephah gave birth to Haran, Moza, and Gazez; Haran had Gazez.
47 The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.
48-50 Another concubine of Caleb, Maacah, gave birth to Sheber and Tirhanah. She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah and Sheva the father of Macbenah and Gibea. Caleb’s daughter was Acsah. These made up the Caleb branch of the family tree.
50-51 The sons of Hur, Ephrathah’s firstborn: Shobal who had Kiriath Jearim, Salma who had Bethlehem, and Hareph father of Beth Gader.
52-53 The family of Shobal, father of Kiriath Jearim: Haroeh, half of the population of Manahath, the families of Kiriath Jearim, the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites. The Zorathites and Eshtaolites also came from this line.
54-55 The sons of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, half of the Manahathites, the Zorites, and the families of Sopherim who lived at Jabez—the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Sucathites. They made up the Kenites who came from Hammath the father of the house of Recab.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, December 05, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
2 Samuel 9:3–11
The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”
Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan;i he is lamej in both feet.”
4 “Where is he?” the king asked.
Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makirk son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.
6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.l
David said, “Mephibosheth!”
“At your service,” he replied.
7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.m I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.n”
8 Mephiboshetho bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dogp like me?”
9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandsonq may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’sa table like one of the king’s sons.r
Insight
The events that transpire in 2 Samuel 9 have their roots in the covenant relationship that David had with Jonathan, the son of Israel’s first king, Saul. Jonathan, knowing that David was destined to be king, secured David’s commitment to show “kindness” to his offspring (1 Samuel 20:14–17). Mephibosheth, crippled by an accident when he was five years old (2 Samuel 4:4), was an heir to covenant kindness. By: Arthur Jackson
Intentional Kindness
I want to show God’s kindness to them. 2 Samuel 9:3 nlt
Boarding a plane alone with her children, a young mom tried desperately to calm her three-year-old daughter who began kicking and crying. Then her hungry four-month-old son also began to wail.
A traveler seated next to her quickly offered to hold the baby while Jessica got her daughter buckled in. Then the traveler—recalling his own days as a young dad—began coloring with the toddler while Jessica fed her infant. And on the next connecting flight, the same man offered to assist again if needed.
Jessica recalled, “I [was] blown away by God’s hand in this. [We] could have been placed next to anyone, but we were seated next to one of the nicest men I have ever met.”
In 2 Samuel 9, we read of another example of what I call intentional kindness. After King Saul and his son Jonathan had been killed, some expected David to kill off any competition to his claim for the throne. Instead, he asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” (v. 3). Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, was then brought to David who restored his inheritance and warmly invited him to share his table from then on—just as if he were his own son (v. 11).
As beneficiaries of the immense kindness of God, may we look for opportunities to show intentional kindness toward others (Galatians 6:10). By: Cindy Hess Kasper
Reflect & Pray
Who can you show God’s kindness to? What specific act of kindness can you demonstrate to someone who is hurting or discouraged?
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the kindness You’ve shown me. Help me to lavish it on others.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, December 05, 2019
“The Temple of the Holy Spirit”
…only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you. —Genesis 41:40
I am accountable to God for the way I control my body under His authority. Paul said he did not “set aside the grace of God”— make it ineffective (Galatians 2:21). The grace of God is absolute and limitless, and the work of salvation through Jesus is complete and finished forever. I am not being saved— I am saved. Salvation is as eternal as God’s throne, but I must put to work or use what God has placed within me. To “work out [my] own salvation” (Philippians 2:12) means that I am responsible for using what He has given me. It also means that I must exhibit in my own body the life of the Lord Jesus, not mysteriously or secretly, but openly and boldly. “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection . . .” (1 Corinthians 9:27). Every Christian can have his body under absolute control for God. God has given us the responsibility to rule over all “the temple of the Holy Spirit,” including our thoughts and desires (1 Corinthians 6:19). We are responsible for these, and we must never give way to improper ones. But most of us are much more severe in our judgment of others than we are in judging ourselves. We make excuses for things in ourselves, while we condemn things in the lives of others simply because we are not naturally inclined to do them.
Paul said, “I beseech you…that you present your bodies a living sacrifice…” (Romans 12:1). What I must decide is whether or not I will agree with my Lord and Master that my body will indeed be His temple. Once I agree, all the rules, regulations, and requirements of the law concerning the body are summed up for me in this revealed truth-my body is “the temple of the Holy Spirit.”
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
To live a life alone with God does not mean that we live it apart from everyone else. The connection between godly men and women and those associated with them is continually revealed in the Bible, e.g., 1 Timothy 4:10. Not Knowing Whither, 867 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, December 05, 2019
The Biggest Mistake of All - #8584
Amy Biehl was 26 years old, and she really wanted to make a difference. Her graduate studies took her to South Africa in the turbulent days when the repressive system of apartheid was coming down and that nation's first all-race elections were approaching. She actually helped develop voter registration programs to help black South Africans participate in a system that up until then had always shut them out. She was driving three black coworkers back to the township where they lived. Suddenly a group of youths pelted her car with stones and forced it to stop. Dozens of young men surrounded the car and they started chanting, "One settler - one bullet! One settler - one bullet!" They pulled Amy from the car, hit her with a brick, beat her, and stabbed her in the heart. During that attack her black friends were yelling that she was a friend to black South Africans, all to no avail. Amy died from her wounds.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Biggest Mistake of All."
Someone who knew Amy underscored the tragedy of her death this way: "She was killed by some of the very people she had come to help." Some of those she came to help loved her, but others attacked her. And it is an ugly thing to brutalize someone who has come to help you. Of course, that happens to Jesus all the time. Often at the hands of people who have no idea that's what they're doing; people who have actually come close to Jesus, people who know a lot about Jesus. I'll explain.
There's a sobering scenario described in our word for today from the Word of God in Hebrews 10:29. These verses talk about what happens "if we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth." The Bible appears to be talking about people who know about Jesus but keep on running their own lives. And that person, according to Hebrews 10:29, "has trampled the Son of God under foot...treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him...and insulted the Spirit of grace." That's heavy stuff! In fact, Hebrews 6:6 says that those who have tasted what Jesus offers and then go live their own way "are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace."
I'll tell you, if you know that Jesus has died on the cross to pay for your sin, if you've been "into Jesus" to some extent and you remain unchanged, that's serious business. And even though you're for Jesus and you agree with Jesus, you might be missing Jesus. The only response worthy of the sacrifice He made for us is to fall on our knees and give ourselves completely to the One who gave Himself completely for us. Anything less than a life-changing personal commitment to Jesus amounts to (God's words) "trampling the Son of God under foot" and "crucifying the Son of God all over again." In essence, turning on the very One who came to help you, to save you.
And that is the greatest mistake anyone can ever make. This isn't about Christianity, it's not about Christians. It's about Jesus. And maybe right now, He is speaking to you in your heart saying, "Don't do this. Don't come this close to Me and miss Me. I love you, and I'm giving you this chance to make things right with Me. Come on home."
Are you ready to finally give yourself to Him completely? Well, you can tell Him that right where you are. He's been waiting to hear from you, "Jesus, I believe You died on the cross. It was for my sins. You walked out of that grave to give me life, and beginning this very day I want to be Yours."
I hope your next stop will be our website ANewStory.com. Because I believe there's information there that can help you make this the beginning of your new story.
Please, don't risk another day away from Jesus.
Not many second chances exist in the world today! It’s more like “three strikes and you’re out.” It’s a dog-eat-dog world!
Jesus has a simple answer. He would say, “Well, then don’t live with the dogs.” Why let a bunch of other failures tell you how much of a failure you are? Sure you can have a second chance! Just ask Peter. One minute he felt lower than a snake’s belly and the next he was high hog at the trough. When Peter denied Jesus, the message came loud and clear, “Be sure and tell Peter he gets to bat again!”
It’s not every day you get a second chance. It’s not every day you find someone who’ll give you a second chance—much less someone who’ll give you a second chance every day. But in Jesus, Peter found both! No wonder they call Him the Savior!
1 Chronicles 2
Israel’s (that is, Jacob’s) sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
3-9 Judah had Er, Onan, and Shelah; their mother was Bathshua the Canaanite. Er, Judah’s firstborn, was so bad before God that God killed him. Judah also had Perez and Zerah by his daughter-in-law Tamar—a total of five sons. Perez had Hezron and Hamul; Zerah had Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Darda—five sons. Carmi had Achar, who brought doom on Israel when he violated a holy ban. Ethan’s son was Azariah. And Hezron had Jerahmeel, Ram, and Chelubai.
10-17 Ram had Amminadab and Amminadab had Nahshon, a prominent leader in the Judah family. Nahshon had Salmon and Salmon had Boaz. Boaz had Obed and Obed had Jesse. Jesse’s firstborn was Eliab, followed by Abinadab, Shimea, Nethanel, Raddai, Ozem, and finally David; David was the seventh. Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah gave birth to three sons: Abishai, Joab, and Asahel; Abigail was the mother of Amasa (the father was Jether the Ishmaelite).
18-24 Caleb son of Hezron had children by his wife Azubah and also by Jerioth. Azubah’s sons were Jesher, Shobab, and Ardon. After Azubah died, Caleb married Ephrath, who gave birth to Hur. Hur had Uri and Uri had Bezalel. Some time later Hezron married the daughter of Makir the father of Gilead; he was sixty years old when he married her; she gave birth to Segub. Then Segub had Jair who owned twenty-three cities in the land of Gilead. Geshur and Aram captured the nomadic villages of Jair and Kenath and their satellite settlements—sixty towns. These all belonged to Makir the father of Gilead. After the death of Hezron, Caleb married Ephrathah the wife of his father Hezron; she then gave birth to Ashhur the father of Tekoa.
25-26 The sons of Jerahmeel, Hezron’s firstborn: Ram his firstborn, followed by Bunah, Oren, Ozem, and Ahijah. Jerahmeel had another wife whose name was Atarah; she gave birth to Onam.
27 The sons of Ram, Jerahmeel’s firstborn: Maaz, Jamin, and Eker.
28-29 The sons of Onam: Shammai and Jada.
The sons of Shammai: Nadab and Abishur. Abishur’s wife was Abihail; she gave birth to Ahban and Molid.
30 Nadab had Seled and Appaim. Seled died leaving no sons.
31 Appaim had Ishi; Ishi had Sheshan; and Sheshan had Ahlai.
32 Jada, Shammai’s brother, had Jether and Jonathan. Jether died leaving no sons.
33 Jonathan had Peleth and Zaza.
This is the family tree of the sons of Jerahmeel.
34-41 Sheshan had no sons, only daughters. But Sheshan had an Egyptian servant, Jarha. Sheshan married his daughter to Jarha and she gave birth to Attai. Attai had Nathan, Nathan had Zabad, Zabad had Ephlal, Ephlal had Obed, Obed had Jehu, Jehu had Azariah, Azariah had Helez, Helez had Eleasah, Eleasah had Sismai, Sismai had Shallum, Shallum had Jekamiah, and Jekamiah had Elishama.
42 Jerahmeel’s brother Caleb had a son, his firstborn, named Mesha; Mesha had Ziph; Ziph’s son was Mareshah the father of Hebron.
43-44 The sons of Hebron: Korah, Tappuah, Rekem, and Shema. Shema had Raham the father of Jorkeam; Rekem had Shammai.
45 Shammai’s son was Maon and Maon was the father of Beth Zur.
46 Caleb’s concubine Ephah gave birth to Haran, Moza, and Gazez; Haran had Gazez.
47 The sons of Jahdai: Regem, Jotham, Geshan, Pelet, Ephah, and Shaaph.
48-50 Another concubine of Caleb, Maacah, gave birth to Sheber and Tirhanah. She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah and Sheva the father of Macbenah and Gibea. Caleb’s daughter was Acsah. These made up the Caleb branch of the family tree.
50-51 The sons of Hur, Ephrathah’s firstborn: Shobal who had Kiriath Jearim, Salma who had Bethlehem, and Hareph father of Beth Gader.
52-53 The family of Shobal, father of Kiriath Jearim: Haroeh, half of the population of Manahath, the families of Kiriath Jearim, the Ithrites, the Puthites, the Shumathites, and the Mishraites. The Zorathites and Eshtaolites also came from this line.
54-55 The sons of Salma: Bethlehem, the Netophathites, Atroth Beth Joab, half of the Manahathites, the Zorites, and the families of Sopherim who lived at Jabez—the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and the Sucathites. They made up the Kenites who came from Hammath the father of the house of Recab.
Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, December 05, 2019
Today's Scripture & Insight:
2 Samuel 9:3–11
The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?”
Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan;i he is lamej in both feet.”
4 “Where is he?” the king asked.
Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makirk son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.”
5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel.
6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor.l
David said, “Mephibosheth!”
“At your service,” he replied.
7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan.m I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.n”
8 Mephiboshetho bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dogp like me?”
9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandsonq may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)
11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’sa table like one of the king’s sons.r
Insight
The events that transpire in 2 Samuel 9 have their roots in the covenant relationship that David had with Jonathan, the son of Israel’s first king, Saul. Jonathan, knowing that David was destined to be king, secured David’s commitment to show “kindness” to his offspring (1 Samuel 20:14–17). Mephibosheth, crippled by an accident when he was five years old (2 Samuel 4:4), was an heir to covenant kindness. By: Arthur Jackson
Intentional Kindness
I want to show God’s kindness to them. 2 Samuel 9:3 nlt
Boarding a plane alone with her children, a young mom tried desperately to calm her three-year-old daughter who began kicking and crying. Then her hungry four-month-old son also began to wail.
A traveler seated next to her quickly offered to hold the baby while Jessica got her daughter buckled in. Then the traveler—recalling his own days as a young dad—began coloring with the toddler while Jessica fed her infant. And on the next connecting flight, the same man offered to assist again if needed.
Jessica recalled, “I [was] blown away by God’s hand in this. [We] could have been placed next to anyone, but we were seated next to one of the nicest men I have ever met.”
In 2 Samuel 9, we read of another example of what I call intentional kindness. After King Saul and his son Jonathan had been killed, some expected David to kill off any competition to his claim for the throne. Instead, he asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” (v. 3). Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, was then brought to David who restored his inheritance and warmly invited him to share his table from then on—just as if he were his own son (v. 11).
As beneficiaries of the immense kindness of God, may we look for opportunities to show intentional kindness toward others (Galatians 6:10). By: Cindy Hess Kasper
Reflect & Pray
Who can you show God’s kindness to? What specific act of kindness can you demonstrate to someone who is hurting or discouraged?
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the kindness You’ve shown me. Help me to lavish it on others.
My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, December 05, 2019
“The Temple of the Holy Spirit”
…only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you. —Genesis 41:40
I am accountable to God for the way I control my body under His authority. Paul said he did not “set aside the grace of God”— make it ineffective (Galatians 2:21). The grace of God is absolute and limitless, and the work of salvation through Jesus is complete and finished forever. I am not being saved— I am saved. Salvation is as eternal as God’s throne, but I must put to work or use what God has placed within me. To “work out [my] own salvation” (Philippians 2:12) means that I am responsible for using what He has given me. It also means that I must exhibit in my own body the life of the Lord Jesus, not mysteriously or secretly, but openly and boldly. “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection . . .” (1 Corinthians 9:27). Every Christian can have his body under absolute control for God. God has given us the responsibility to rule over all “the temple of the Holy Spirit,” including our thoughts and desires (1 Corinthians 6:19). We are responsible for these, and we must never give way to improper ones. But most of us are much more severe in our judgment of others than we are in judging ourselves. We make excuses for things in ourselves, while we condemn things in the lives of others simply because we are not naturally inclined to do them.
Paul said, “I beseech you…that you present your bodies a living sacrifice…” (Romans 12:1). What I must decide is whether or not I will agree with my Lord and Master that my body will indeed be His temple. Once I agree, all the rules, regulations, and requirements of the law concerning the body are summed up for me in this revealed truth-my body is “the temple of the Holy Spirit.”
WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS
To live a life alone with God does not mean that we live it apart from everyone else. The connection between godly men and women and those associated with them is continually revealed in the Bible, e.g., 1 Timothy 4:10. Not Knowing Whither, 867 L
A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, December 05, 2019
The Biggest Mistake of All - #8584
Amy Biehl was 26 years old, and she really wanted to make a difference. Her graduate studies took her to South Africa in the turbulent days when the repressive system of apartheid was coming down and that nation's first all-race elections were approaching. She actually helped develop voter registration programs to help black South Africans participate in a system that up until then had always shut them out. She was driving three black coworkers back to the township where they lived. Suddenly a group of youths pelted her car with stones and forced it to stop. Dozens of young men surrounded the car and they started chanting, "One settler - one bullet! One settler - one bullet!" They pulled Amy from the car, hit her with a brick, beat her, and stabbed her in the heart. During that attack her black friends were yelling that she was a friend to black South Africans, all to no avail. Amy died from her wounds.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Biggest Mistake of All."
Someone who knew Amy underscored the tragedy of her death this way: "She was killed by some of the very people she had come to help." Some of those she came to help loved her, but others attacked her. And it is an ugly thing to brutalize someone who has come to help you. Of course, that happens to Jesus all the time. Often at the hands of people who have no idea that's what they're doing; people who have actually come close to Jesus, people who know a lot about Jesus. I'll explain.
There's a sobering scenario described in our word for today from the Word of God in Hebrews 10:29. These verses talk about what happens "if we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth." The Bible appears to be talking about people who know about Jesus but keep on running their own lives. And that person, according to Hebrews 10:29, "has trampled the Son of God under foot...treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him...and insulted the Spirit of grace." That's heavy stuff! In fact, Hebrews 6:6 says that those who have tasted what Jesus offers and then go live their own way "are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace."
I'll tell you, if you know that Jesus has died on the cross to pay for your sin, if you've been "into Jesus" to some extent and you remain unchanged, that's serious business. And even though you're for Jesus and you agree with Jesus, you might be missing Jesus. The only response worthy of the sacrifice He made for us is to fall on our knees and give ourselves completely to the One who gave Himself completely for us. Anything less than a life-changing personal commitment to Jesus amounts to (God's words) "trampling the Son of God under foot" and "crucifying the Son of God all over again." In essence, turning on the very One who came to help you, to save you.
And that is the greatest mistake anyone can ever make. This isn't about Christianity, it's not about Christians. It's about Jesus. And maybe right now, He is speaking to you in your heart saying, "Don't do this. Don't come this close to Me and miss Me. I love you, and I'm giving you this chance to make things right with Me. Come on home."
Are you ready to finally give yourself to Him completely? Well, you can tell Him that right where you are. He's been waiting to hear from you, "Jesus, I believe You died on the cross. It was for my sins. You walked out of that grave to give me life, and beginning this very day I want to be Yours."
I hope your next stop will be our website ANewStory.com. Because I believe there's information there that can help you make this the beginning of your new story.
Please, don't risk another day away from Jesus.
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