Psalm 80, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: GOD SEES YOU

Make a list of God’s mistakes. Pretty short, huh? Now make a list of the times he has forgiven you for yours. Who on earth has such a record?  You can depend on him. “[He] is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Trust him, trust him. Join with Isaiah, who resolved, “I will trust in him and not be afraid” (Isaiah 12:2).

Psalm 37:23–24 says God is directing your steps. He delights in every detail of your life. Doesn’t matter who you are. Potbellied pig or prized purebred, God sees no difference. But he sees you. In fact, that’s his car pulling over to the side of the road. That’s God opening the door. And that’s you climbing into the passenger seat to see how he will write the next chapter in your story.

Psalm 80

 Listen, Shepherd, Israel’s Shepherd—
    get all your Joseph sheep together.
Throw beams of light
    from your dazzling throne
So Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh
    can see where they’re going.
Get out of bed—you’ve slept long enough!
    Come on the run before it’s too late.

3     God, come back!
    Smile your blessing smile:
    That will be our salvation.

4-6 God, God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
    how long will you smolder like a sleeping volcano
    while your people call for fire and brimstone?
You put us on a diet of tears,
    bucket after bucket of salty tears to drink.
You make us look ridiculous to our friends;
    our enemies poke fun day after day.

7     God-of-the-Angel-Armies, come back!
    Smile your blessing smile:
    That will be our salvation.

8-18 Remember how you brought a young vine from Egypt,
    cleared out the brambles and briers
    and planted your very own vineyard?
You prepared the good earth,
    you planted her roots deep;
    the vineyard filled the land.
Your vine soared high and shaded the mountains,
    even dwarfing the giant cedars.
Your vine ranged west to the Sea,
    east to the River.
So why do you no longer protect your vine?
    Trespassers pick its grapes at will;
Wild pigs crash through and crush it,
    and the mice nibble away at what’s left.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies, turn our way!
    Take a good look at what’s happened
    and attend to this vine.
Care for what you once tenderly planted—
    the vine you raised from a shoot.
And those who dared to set it on fire—
    give them a look that will kill!
Then take the hand of your once-favorite child,
    the child you raised to adulthood.
We will never turn our back on you;
    breathe life into our lungs so we can shout your name!

19     God, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, come back!
    Smile your blessing smile:
    That will be our salvation.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Thursday, February 25, 2021
Read: Matthew 23:37–24:2

 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’[a]”

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times
24 Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. 2 “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

INSIGHT
Scholars believe Jesus made the statements about the temple in Matthew 24 two days prior to His crucifixion. The temple was a source of great national pride for the Jewish people. Constructed by Herod the Great, it was twice as large as Solomon’s temple and served as the centerpiece of national faith. Not surprisingly, Jesus’ prophecy about the temple’s destruction was literally fulfilled. Josephus the historian, who was with the Romans at the temple’s destruction, has left us an eyewitness account of that event. The destruction was thorough, with only a portion of the Western Wall left standing.

At Jesus’ crucifixion, the miraculous tearing in two of the temple curtain signified the end of the system of animal sacrifice for sin (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45), yet these ineffective sacrifices did continue for a time. The destruction of the temple in ad 70 put an end to the practice.

To Be Human -By Mart DeHaan

Jerusalem, Jerusalem . . . how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. Matthew 23:37


“Mr. Singerman, why are you crying?” asked twelve-year-old Albert as he watched the master craftsman construct a wooden box.

“I cry,” he said, “because my father cried, and because my grandfather cried.” The woodworker’s answer to his young apprentice provides a tender moment in an episode of Little House on the Prairie. “Tears,” explained Mr. Singerman, “come with the making of a coffin.”

“Some men don’t cry because they fear it is a sign of weakness,” he said. “I was taught that a man is a man because he can cry.”

Emotion must have welled up in the eyes of Jesus as He compared His concern for Jerusalem to the care of a mother hen for her chicks (Matthew 23:37). His disciples were often confused by what they saw in His eyes or heard in His stories. His idea of what it meant to be strong was different. It happened again as they walked with Him from the temple. Calling His attention to the massive stone walls and magnificent decor of their place of worship (24:1), the disciples noted the strength of human accomplishment. Jesus saw a temple that would be leveled in ad 70.

Christ shows us that healthy people know when to cry and why. He cried because His Father cares and His Spirit groans for children who couldn’t yet see what breaks His heart.

In what situations in your life might you be avoiding grief? How can your faith in a Savior who cries (John 11:35) help you express your grief in a healthy way?

Father, please replace any cold illusions of strength I cling to with a growing understanding of the cares and concerns that break Your heart for children like me.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, February 25, 2021
The Destitution of Service

…though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved. —2 Corinthians 12:15

Natural human love expects something in return. But Paul is saying, “It doesn’t really matter to me whether you love me or not. I am willing to be completely destitute anyway; willing to be poverty-stricken, not just for your sakes, but also that I may be able to get you to God.” “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor…” (2 Corinthians 8:9). And Paul’s idea of service was the same as our Lord’s. He did not care how high the cost was to himself— he would gladly pay it. It was a joyful thing to Paul.

The institutional church’s idea of a servant of God is not at all like Jesus Christ’s idea. His idea is that we serve Him by being the servants of others. Jesus Christ actually “out-socialized” the socialists. He said that in His kingdom the greatest one would be the servant of all (see Matthew 23:11). The real test of a saint is not one’s willingness to preach the gospel, but one’s willingness to do something like washing the disciples’ feet— that is, being willing to do those things that seem unimportant in human estimation but count as everything to God. It was Paul’s delight to spend his life for God’s interests in other people, and he did not care what it cost. But before we will serve, we stop to ponder our personal and financial concerns— “What if God wants me to go over there? And what about my salary? What is the climate like there? Who will take care of me? A person must consider all these things.” All that is an indication that we have reservations about serving God. But the apostle Paul had no conditions or reservations. Paul focused his life on Jesus Christ’s idea of a New Testament saint; that is, not one who merely proclaims the gospel, but one who becomes broken bread and poured-out wine in the hands of Jesus Christ for the sake of others.

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

Bible in a Year: Numbers 12-14; Mark 5:21-43

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, February 25, 2021
Divine Delays - #8904

You pay a lot more attention to a story on the news when it might involve someone you love. It was that way the night we saw a story about a major rockslide that closed a stretch of Interstate 70 in Colorado. Our son and daughter-in-law and little granddaughter were driving that very day through that part of Colorado. The rockslide had shattered the pavement, and it embedded boulders as deep as six feet into the highway and created craters in the road. Some of the boulders were said to be as big as a van. Obviously, it was going to take some time to get that stretch of the highway open again, which meant a 200-mile-plus detour around the closure. That was okay with our family. In fact, my son said they saw some spectacular scenery they wouldn't have seen any other way. Not long before the rockslide, a semi had jack-knifed just west of that area and the interstate was closed because of it. I've been in those miles-long traffic jams (maybe you have too), and you can really get frustrated, aggravated, and just ugly. But because of that frustrating delay, there was no traffic on the road when that avalanche of rocks came crashing down. You've got to figure that might have just saved lives.

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

If you're like me, patience is one of those areas in which you are, to say it nicely, under construction. We don't like to wait. Our lives are busy, they're full, and we hate delays. Many times the delay is actually part of the plan to protect you from something that could hurt you if you stayed "on schedule"; on your schedule, that is.

You can see God's protective delays at work in our word for today from the Word of God. While it's a chapter out of the lives of God's ancient people, it might shed light on why God seems to be taking you the long way around right now. The story is in Exodus 13:17-18. The Jews have just been miraculously delivered from slavery to Pharaoh in Egypt, and they're ready to be on the interstate to the Promised Land.

Here's what happened and why. "When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, 'If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.' So God led the people around the desert road toward the Red Sea."

So, God's people are purposely slowed down by God, and then that longer road leads to what appears to be a disaster. They're trapped at the Red Sea with the Egyptian Army bearing down on them. Now it might be that God is taking you the longer, slower way right now. You were, like those people on the interstate that was suddenly closed, speeding full speed ahead. Suddenly, all you can see is this ocean of red brake lights in front of you. You're waiting, and you don't know why.

It's because God knows what's up ahead and you don't. And He's protecting you from a battle up there that you're not ready to fight, from danger that might hurt you, from a temptation or a test for which you're just not yet strong enough. Remember, He's promised not to let you face more than He knows you can bear. Maybe you've prayed these words many times, "Lord, 'Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'" And the reason you're waiting or taking what seems to be a detour is because your Father, who art in heaven, is answering that prayer!

And if the delay and the detour bring you to a Red Sea, not to worry! He's leading you, not into a mess, but into a miracle you'll never forget! So learn to relax when God closes the road or suddenly slows you down. It's all about His love for you, a love that knows what's best for you, a love that knows what's going to happen if you keep going the same direction at the same speed. So don't sit there, pounding the steering wheel and fuming. You aren't late. In fact, you're right on time - God's time. And this isn't Plan B. This is what God's Plan A has been all the time.

So trust the One who plans the trip; who protects those who belong to Him. If you could see what's up ahead, you would be so grateful that God has made you wait.

Psalm 79,, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: HE ALWAYS REMAINS FAITHFUL

Did you know that the smith in silversmith comes from the old English word smite? Silversmiths are accomplished smiters. So is God. A silversmith buffets the metal until he is finished with it. Some silversmiths, I’m told, keep polishing until they can see their face in the tool. When will God stop with you? When he sees his reflection in you. “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me” (Psalm 138:8).

The pounding you feel does not suggest God’s distance but proves his nearness. Trust his sovereignty. Hasn’t he earned your trust? Has he ever spoken a word that proved to be false? Given a promise that proved to be a lie? Look up reliability in heaven’s dictionary and read its one-word definition: God. “If we are faithless he always remains faithful. He cannot deny his own nature” (2 Timothy 2:13).

Psalm 79

 God! Barbarians have broken into your home,
    violated your holy temple,
    left Jerusalem a pile of rubble!
They’ve served up the corpses of your servants
    as carrion food for birds of prey,
Threw the bones of your holy people
    out to the wild animals to gnaw on.
They dumped out their blood
    like buckets of water.
All around Jerusalem, their bodies
    were left to rot, unburied.
We’re nothing but a joke to our neighbors,
    graffiti scrawled on the city walls.

5-7 How long do we have to put up with this, God?
    Do you have it in for us for good?
    Will your smoldering rage never cool down?
If you’re going to be angry, be angry
    with the pagans who care nothing about you,
    or your rival kingdoms who ignore you.
They’re the ones who ruined Jacob,
    who wrecked and looted the place where he lived.

8-10 Don’t blame us for the sins of our parents.
    Hurry up and help us; we’re at the end of our rope.
You’re famous for helping; God, give us a break.
    Your reputation is on the line.
Pull us out of this mess, forgive us our sins—
    do what you’re famous for doing!
Don’t let the heathen get by with their sneers:
    “Where’s your God? Is he out to lunch?”
Go public and show the godless world
    that they can’t kill your servants and get by with it.

11-13 Give groaning prisoners a hearing;
    pardon those on death row from their doom—you can do it!
Give our jeering neighbors what they’ve got coming to them;
    let their God-taunts boomerang and knock them flat.
Then we, your people, the ones you love and care for,
    will thank you over and over and over.
We’ll tell everyone we meet

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Read: Ecclesiastes 4:8–12

There was a man all alone;
    he had neither son nor brother.
There was no end to his toil,
    yet his eyes were not content with his wealth.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
    “and why am I depriving myself of enjoyment?”
This too is meaningless—
    a miserable business!

9 Two are better than one,
    because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down,
    one can help the other up.
But pity anyone who falls
    and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
    But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
    two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

INSIGHT
The book of Ecclesiastes is unique for its grappling with “existential angst,” or the meaninglessness of life. Our days are complicated and our experiences aren’t always easily understood. Ecclesiastes reflects the confusion we all experience as we wrestle with the challenges of life; therefore, it has an almost timeless appeal. It speaks to highly personal issues, such as loneliness (4:8), that are just as relevant today as when it was first composed. But even a subject as apparently simple as loneliness is not as straightforward as it appears. A few verses earlier in verse 4 the writer complained that one’s labor is a result of the jealousy of one for another, and yet in verse 8 the problem is not having anyone around. We don’t want to be alone, and yet certain relationships can bring pain and discomfort—perhaps leaving us wanting to be left alone! Ecclesiastes gives voice to the painful tensions we experience in life.

Visit ChristianUniversity.org/OT506-11 to learn more about the book of Ecclesiastes.

Never Alone - By Lisa Samra

Two are better than one . . . If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. Ecclesiastes 4:9–10

“It can be an affliction more harrowing than homelessness, hunger or disease,” wrote Maggie Fergusson in The Economist’s 1843 magazine. Her subject? Loneliness. Fergusson chronicled the increasing rates of loneliness, irrespective of one’s social or economic status, using heart-wrenching examples of what it feels like to be lonely.

The hurt of feeling alone isn’t new to our day. Indeed, the pain of isolation echoes off the pages of the ancient book of Ecclesiastes. Often attributed to King Solomon, the book captures the sorrow of those who seem to lack any meaningful relationships (4:7–8). The speaker lamented that it’s possible to acquire significant wealth and yet experience no value from it because there’s no one to share it with.

But the speaker also recognized the beauty of companionship, writing that friends help you accomplish more than you could achieve on your own (v. 9); companions help in times of need (v. 10); partners bring comfort (v. 11); and friends can provide protection in difficult situations (v. 12).

Loneliness is a significant struggle—God created us to offer and receive the benefits of friendship and community. If you’re feeling alone, pray that God would help you form meaningful connections with others. In the meantime, find encouragement in the reality that the believer is never truly alone because Jesus’ Spirit is always with us (Matthew 28:20).

How might you reach out to someone who’s lonely? How have you experienced the blessing of God’s Spirit with you when you’ve felt alone?

Heavenly Father, when I feel lonely, give me courage to reach out to others with an offer of friendship.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
The Delight of Sacrifice

I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls… —2 Corinthians 12:15

Once “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,” we deliberately begin to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ’s interests and purposes in others’ lives (Romans 5:5). And Jesus has an interest in every individual person. We have no right in Christian service to be guided by our own interests and desires. In fact, this is one of the greatest tests of our relationship with Jesus Christ. The delight of sacrifice is that I lay down my life for my Friend, Jesus (see John 15:13). I don’t throw my life away, but I willingly and deliberately lay it down for Him and His interests in other people. And I do this for no cause or purpose of my own. Paul spent his life for only one purpose— that he might win people to Jesus Christ. Paul always attracted people to his Lord, but never to himself. He said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22).

When someone thinks that to develop a holy life he must always be alone with God, he is no longer of any use to others. This is like putting himself on a pedestal and isolating himself from the rest of society. Paul was a holy person, but wherever he went Jesus Christ was always allowed to help Himself to his life. Many of us are interested only in our own goals, and Jesus cannot help Himself to our lives. But if we are totally surrendered to Him, we have no goals of our own to serve. Paul said that he knew how to be a “doormat” without resenting it, because the motivation of his life was devotion to Jesus. We tend to be devoted, not to Jesus Christ, but to the things which allow us more spiritual freedom than total surrender to Him would allow. Freedom was not Paul’s motive at all. In fact, he stated, “I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren…” (Romans 9:3). Had Paul lost his ability to reason? Not at all! For someone who is in love, this is not an overstatement. And Paul was in love with Jesus Christ.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Civilization is based on principles which imply that the passing moment is permanent. The only permanent thing is God, and if I put anything else as permanent, I become atheistic. I must build only on God (John 14:6). The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption, 565 L

Bible in a Year: Numbers 9-11; Mark 5:1-20

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
The Collapse Of a Two-Legged Bridge - #8903

When a bridge collapses it's always inconvenient, and sometimes tragic. Some years ago, I remember a bridge on the New York throughway near Albany, collapsed. It collapsed actually, under the pressure of heavy floodwaters, and several vehicles literally plunged into that raging river and it took their occupants to their death. Now it isn't always that tragic, but whenever a bridge is out, and you've probably driven somewhere and suddenly you saw that sign "Bridge out." You go, "Oh great!" And whenever a bridge is out it just makes it that much more difficult to get from one point to another. In fact, sometimes that bridge is the only way to get there. Oh, and sometimes the bridge is a person.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Collapse Of a Two-Legged Bridge."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God is from 2 Corinthians 5. I'm going to read beginning at verse 19 - this is the words of the Apostle Paul. Here's what he says, "God has committed to us the ministry of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."

Now when you hear these verses, I hope you get a mental picture. There's a great chasm, on one side is Jesus, on the other side I want you to picture someone who's close to you; someone who as far as you know probably doesn't know your Christ yet . Think about a lost person, maybe somebody who lives right near you, or you drive by all the time or walk past. It could be somebody who works near you, or at school. You see them almost every day. Someone you're on the phone with, or in a club with, you're on the Internet with a lot, could be a family member, could be someone in a carpool with you. But they're on the other side.

Now the word here is reconciliation. We have the ministry, the responsibility, the trust of reconciliation. God has committed to us, it says, the message of and the ministry of reconciliation. What does that mean? It means that there needs to be a bridge from that person to Jesus across that chasm. Guess who the bridge is? Yep! The two-legged bridge is you. Now in that mental picture, is this person you know moving toward Jesus because of you or are they as far from Him as they've ever been, and maybe they've known you for years? Is it possible that person's bridge to Jesus has collapsed?

Sometimes it means you're just so busy. "I've got so many things to do in my life, I never get around to talking to you about Jesus," but the days become weeks, and the weeks become months, and the months become years, and the years become never, and they become lost forever. Sometimes it's fear, but the greatest fear shouldn't be of being rejected by that person.

Our greatest fear should be if that person I care about would be lost forever. Sometimes it's the pressure, the peer pressure that makes me start doing things that make them wonder if being a Christian is really anything that different. I'm confusing them. I'm keeping them from Jesus because I'm not a whole lot different from the people who don't know Him.

I remember the morning I woke up and heard on my clock radio that a young girl I'd gone to high school with - I was a freshman in college at the time - she'd been murdered as a college freshman. I thought back over all those conversations we had about everything except Jesus. Oh, I was the bridge, but the bridge was out. I collapsed for her, and I can't help but wonder if somewhere in the quarters of eternity someone we knew on earth won't cry out to us, "Why didn't you tell me? You knew about this all the time. We talked about everything. Man, why didn't you tell me about Jesus?"

The good news is there's still time. Jesus is standing on one side with outstretched arms; that person you care about is restless in their heart where they are on the other side. What they need is a bridge, and the bridge is you.

Revelation 6 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: GOD WILL GUARD YOU

“If you make the Most High your shelter, no evil will conquer you” (Psalm 91:9-10). Your serenity matters to heaven, and God guarantees he will guard you. Separating you from evil is God, your guardian. “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings” (Psalm 91:4).

From how many winds is God protecting you? His wing, at this moment, shields you. A burglar en route to your house has a flat tire, a drunk driver runs out of gas before your car passes his. If God is our guardian, you ask, why do bad things happen to us? Well you and God may have different definitions for the word bad. He’s not only read your story, he wrote it. His perspective is different, and his purpose is clear. God uses struggles to toughen our skin. What matters most is this: you will never face a challenge without receiving His help.

Revelation 6

Unsealing the Scroll

 I watched while the Lamb ripped off the first of the seven seals. I heard one of the Animals roar, “Come out!” I looked—I saw a white horse. Its rider carried a bow and was given a victory garland. He rode off victorious, conquering right and left.

3-4 When the Lamb ripped off the second seal, I heard the second Animal cry, “Come out!” Another horse appeared, this one red. Its rider was off to take peace from the earth, setting people at each other’s throats, killing one another. He was given a huge sword.

5-6 When he ripped off the third seal, I heard the third Animal cry, “Come out!” I looked. A black horse this time. Its rider carried a set of scales in his hand. I heard a message (it seemed to issue from the Four Animals): “A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, or three quarts of barley, but don’t lay even a finger on the oil and wine.”

7-8 When he ripped off the fourth seal, I heard the fourth Animal cry, “Come out!” I looked. A colorless horse, sickly pale. Its rider was Death, and Hell was close on its heels. They were given power to destroy a fourth of the earth by war, famine, disease, and wild beasts.

9-11 When he ripped off the fifth seal, I saw the souls of those killed because they had held firm in their witness to the Word of God. They were gathered under the Altar, and cried out in loud prayers, “How long, Strong God, Holy and True? How long before you step in and avenge our murders?” Then each martyr was given a white robe and told to sit back and wait until the full number of martyrs was filled from among their servant companions and friends in the faith.

12-17 I watched while he ripped off the sixth seal: a bone-jarring earthquake, sun turned black as ink, moon all bloody, stars falling out of the sky like figs shaken from a tree in a high wind, sky snapped shut like a book, islands and mountains sliding this way and that. And then pandemonium, everyone and his dog running for cover—kings, princes, generals, rich and strong, along with every commoner, slave or free. They hid in mountain caves and rocky dens, calling out to mountains and rocks, “Refuge! Hide us from the One Seated on the Throne and the wrath of the Lamb! The great Day of their wrath has come—who can stand it?”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
Read: Matthew 5:14–16

 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

INSIGHT
The New Testament uses various metaphors to describe the believer in Jesus. For example, it speaks of us as sheep (John 10:27); fruitful branches (15:5); ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20); soldiers, athletes, farmers (2 Timothy 2:3, 5–6); and living stones (1 Peter 2:5). In Matthew 5:13–16, Jesus uses two everyday items—salt and a lamp—to illustrate the impact disciples of Christ ought to have on the people around them. Salt is a preservative, a flavor enhancer, and a thirst stimulant. As believers in Jesus, we’re to bring the salt of preservation and joy to a bland, tasteless, and otherwise decaying world. A lamp gives light that enables people to see and gives direction. It must necessarily be placed in a conspicuous position for the light to be effective. We’re to be the light of salvation to a world darkened by sin.

Turn on the Light -By Xochitl Dixon

Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

As my husband and I prepared for a cross-country move, I wanted to ensure that we kept in touch with our grown sons. I found a unique gift, friendship lamps connected by wireless internet, which can be turned on remotely. When I gave the lamps to my sons, I explained that their lamps will turn on when I touch my lamp—to provide a shining reminder of my love and ongoing prayers. No matter how great the distance between us, a tap on their lamps would trigger a light in our home too. Though we knew nothing could replace our more personal moments of connection, we could be encouraged by knowing we’re loved and prayed for every time we turned on those lights.

All God’s children have the privilege of being light-sharers powered by the Holy Spirit. We’re designed to live as radiant beacons of God’s everlasting hope and unconditional love. When we’re sharing the gospel and serving others in the name of Jesus, we become brilliant spotlights and living testimonies. Every good deed, kind smile, gentle word of encouragement, and heartfelt prayer produces a beaming reminder of God’s faithfulness and His unconditional and life-transforming love (Matthew 5:14–16).

Wherever God leads us, and however we serve Him, we can be used by Him to help others shine His light. As God, by His Spirit, provides the true illumination, we can reflect the light and love of His presence.

How can you be a light for Christ, intentionally expressing His love to those in your sphere of influence this week? How can you shine a light on God’s love as you serve people who don’t know Him?

Loving Father, please fuel me with Your perfect truth and love so I can shine a spotlight on You by loving You and others wherever I go.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, February 23, 2021
The Determination to Serve

The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve… —Matthew 20:28

Jesus also said, “Yet I am among you as the One who serves” (Luke 22:27). Paul’s idea of service was the same as our Lord’s— “…ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5). We somehow have the idea that a person called to the ministry is called to be different and above other people. But according to Jesus Christ, he is called to be a “doormat” for others— called to be their spiritual leader, but never their superior. Paul said, “I know how to be abased…” (Philippians 4:12). Paul’s idea of service was to pour his life out to the last drop for others. And whether he received praise or blame made no difference. As long as there was one human being who did not know Jesus, Paul felt a debt of service to that person until he did come to know Him. But the chief motivation behind Paul’s service was not love for others but love for his Lord. If our devotion is to the cause of humanity, we will be quickly defeated and broken-hearted, since we will often be confronted with a great deal of ingratitude from other people. But if we are motivated by our love for God, no amount of ingratitude will be able to hinder us from serving one another.

Paul’s understanding of how Christ had dealt with him is the secret behind his determination to serve others. “I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man…” (1 Timothy 1:13). In other words, no matter how badly others may have treated Paul, they could never have treated him with the same degree of spite and hatred with which he had treated Jesus Christ. Once we realize that Jesus has served us even to the depths of our meagerness, our selfishness, and our sin, nothing we encounter from others will be able to exhaust our determination to serve others for His sake.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

“When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” We all have faith in good principles, in good management, in good common sense, but who amongst us has faith in Jesus Christ? Physical courage is grand, moral courage is grander, but the man who trusts Jesus Christ in the face of the terrific problems of life is worth a whole crowd of heroes.  The Highest Good, 544 R

Bible in a Year: Numbers 7-8; Mark 4:21-41

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, February 23, 2021

The Only Team to Play For - #8902

They called it the "miracle on ice" - it was that stunning upset victory of the U.S. Hockey Team over the Soviet Hockey Team in the 1980 Olympics. The Soviets had dominated world hockey for 15 years, and few thought that the Americans had any chance of breaking that domination. The movie "Miracle" portrayed how an often hard-to-understand American coach named Herb Brooks molded a disconnected, self-serving group of individual college stars into the team that shocked the world by winning it all.

At one point, after a lack-luster performance in a hockey game running up to the Olympics, Coach Brooks forbids his players from going into the locker room. Instead, he keeps them out on the ice for a merciless repetition of these practice drills. When the custodian finally turns out the lights on them, the coach makes them continue in the dark. They're ready to drop from exhaustion. They can't understand what their coach is trying to do to them. Then the coach stops and asks one of his stars a question that he's been asking his players repeatedly for months, "Who do you play for?" Every other time, each player has named the college team he came from. But this time, for the first time, a player offers a different answer to "Who do you play for?" He says, "I play for the United States of America!" At which point the coach responds, "Good night, gentlemen." They finally got it.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Only Team to Play For."

I wonder what your honest answer would be if Jesus were to ask you, "Who do you play for?" In the things you do at church, in Christian service, who are you really doing it for? Honestly, a lot of us too often do what we do spiritually for ourselves to get approval, to get applause, to impress, to control, to get some recognition. If Jesus asked us who we play for, some of us would honestly have to say, "For myself. I play for Team Ego."

Others of us are really doing what we do for the church, or for a Christian leader, or a Christian organization, or a denomination. We're really proud of the group we're a part of. Of course, none of the names of these organizations or denominations will probably make it past the gates of heaven. It matters so much here. It won't matter at all in heaven.

The issue of who you're really playing for loomed large in Paul's writings to one of the early Christian churches, the church at Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 1, beginning with verse 10, our word for today from the Word of God, Paul says, "I appeal to you brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be perfectly united in mind and thought."

Then he goes on to name the various Christian leaders around whom each faction was clustering, and then he asks pointedly, "Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you?" Where people are playing for themselves, for their ego, or for some group they're a part of, almost inevitably it will lead to pride, conflict, tension, division, and a break in the body of Christ. If you'll stand back for a moment from a conflict or a division you might be around right now, you'll be able to see what happens when Christ's players are playing for the wrong reasons.

The fact is: it's all about Jesus! The only right answer when Jesus asks, "Who do you play for?" is: "I play for Team Jesus!" Paul bottom-lines it in Colossians 3:24, "You serve the Lord Christ." He's the only one worth doing it for! Every other leader, every other group will eventually hurt you, or disappoint you, or not appreciate you, or let you down except for Jesus.

As long as we're playing for ourselves, or some human organization, we're going to keep losing the battles that really matter to our Lord. But when we all lay down our egos, our control thing, our church and denominational loyalties, we can start beating an enemy who's been winning long enough. And you know why? Because you'll be playing only for Jesus!

Psalm 78 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT

Suppose a person never learns about the sealing and intercession of the Spirit. This individual thinks that salvation security resides in self, not in God. That prayer power depends on the person, not the Spirit. What kind of life will this person lead? A parched and prayer-less one.

But what about the person who believes in the work of the Spirit? Suppose you let the Spirit saturate you with this assurance. After all, “we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!” (Romans 5:5). Your shoulders will lift as you release the buckling weight of self-salvation. Your knees will bend as you discover the buoyant power of praying in the Spirit. New beginnings, higher walk, deeper prayers. And, most of all, a quiet confidence that comes from knowing it’s not up to you.


Psalm 78

Listen, dear friends, to God’s truth,
    bend your ears to what I tell you.
I’m chewing on the morsel of a proverb;
    I’ll let you in on the sweet old truths,
Stories we heard from our fathers,
    counsel we learned at our mother’s knee.
We’re not keeping this to ourselves,
    we’re passing it along to the next generation—
God’s fame and fortune,
    the marvelous things he has done.

5-8 He planted a witness in Jacob,
    set his Word firmly in Israel,
Then commanded our parents
    to teach it to their children
So the next generation would know,
    and all the generations to come—
Know the truth and tell the stories
    so their children can trust in God,
Never forget the works of God
    but keep his commands to the letter.
Heaven forbid they should be like their parents,
    bullheaded and bad,
A fickle and faithless bunch
    who never stayed true to God.

9-16 The Ephraimites, armed to the teeth,
    ran off when the battle began.
They were cowards to God’s Covenant,
    refused to walk by his Word.
They forgot what he had done—
    marvels he’d done right before their eyes.
He performed miracles in plain sight of their parents
    in Egypt, out on the fields of Zoan.
He split the Sea and they walked right through it;
    he piled the waters to the right and the left.
He led them by day with a cloud,
    led them all the night long with a fiery torch.
He split rocks in the wilderness,
    gave them all they could drink from underground springs;
He made creeks flow out from sheer rock,
    and water pour out like a river.

17-20 All they did was sin even more,
    rebel in the desert against the High God.
They tried to get their own way with God,
    clamored for favors, for special attention.
They whined like spoiled children,
    “Why can’t God give us a decent meal in this desert?
Sure, he struck the rock and the water flowed,
    creeks cascaded from the rock.
But how about some fresh-baked bread?
    How about a nice cut of meat?”

21-31 When God heard that, he was furious—
    his anger flared against Jacob,
    he lost his temper with Israel.
It was clear they didn’t believe God,
    had no intention of trusting in his help.
But God helped them anyway, commanded the clouds
    and gave orders that opened the gates of heaven.
He rained down showers of manna to eat,
    he gave them the Bread of Heaven.
They ate the bread of the mighty angels;
    he sent them all the food they could eat.
He let East Wind break loose from the skies,
    gave a strong push to South Wind.
This time it was birds that rained down—
    succulent birds, an abundance of birds.
He aimed them right for the center of their camp;
    all round their tents there were birds.
They ate and had their fill;
    he handed them everything they craved on a platter.
But their greed knew no bounds;
    they stuffed their mouths with more and more.
Finally, God was fed up, his anger erupted—
    he cut down their brightest and best,
    he laid low Israel’s finest young men.

32-37 And—can you believe it?—they kept right on sinning;
    all those wonders and they still wouldn’t believe!
So their lives wasted away to nothing—
    nothing to show for their lives but a ghost town.
When he cut them down, they came running for help;
    they turned and pled for mercy.
They gave witness that God was their rock,
    that High God was their redeemer,
But they didn’t mean a word of it;
    they lied through their teeth the whole time.
They could not have cared less about him,
    wanted nothing to do with his Covenant.

38-55 And God? Compassionate!
    Forgave the sin! Didn’t destroy!
Over and over he reined in his anger,
    restrained his considerable wrath.
He knew what they were made of;
    he knew there wasn’t much to them,
How often in the desert they had spurned him,
    tried his patience in those wilderness years.
Time and again they pushed him to the limit,
    provoked Israel’s Holy God.
How quickly they forgot what he’d done,
    forgot their day of rescue from the enemy,
When he did miracles in Egypt,
    wonders on the plain of Zoan.
He turned the River and its streams to blood—
    not a drop of water fit to drink.
He sent flies, which ate them alive,
    and frogs, which drove them crazy.
He turned their harvest over to caterpillars,
    everything they had worked for to the locusts.
He flattened their grapevines with hail;
    a killing frost ruined their orchards.
He pounded their cattle with hail,
    let thunderbolts loose on their herds.
His anger flared,
    a wild firestorm of havoc,
An advance guard of disease-carrying angels
    to clear the ground, preparing the way before him.
He didn’t spare those people,
    he let the plague rage through their lives.
He killed all the Egyptian firstborns,
    lusty infants, offspring of Ham’s virility.
Then he led his people out like sheep,
    took his flock safely through the wilderness.
He took good care of them; they had nothing to fear.
    The Sea took care of their enemies for good.
He brought them into his holy land,
    this mountain he claimed for his own.
He scattered everyone who got in their way;
    he staked out an inheritance for them—
    the tribes of Israel all had their own places.

56-64 But they kept on giving him a hard time,
    rebelled against God, the High God,
    refused to do anything he told them.
They were worse, if that’s possible, than their parents:
    traitors—crooked as a corkscrew.
Their pagan orgies provoked God’s anger,
    their obscene idolatries broke his heart.
When God heard their carryings-on, he was furious;
    he posted a huge No over Israel.
He walked off and left Shiloh empty,
    abandoned the shrine where he had met with Israel.
He let his pride and joy go to the dogs,
    turned his back on the pride of his life.
He turned them loose on fields of battle;
    angry, he let them fend for themselves.
Their young men went to war and never came back;
    their young women waited in vain.
Their priests were massacred,
    and their widows never shed a tear.

65-72 Suddenly the Lord was up on his feet
    like someone roused from deep sleep,
    shouting like a drunken warrior.
He hit his enemies hard, sent them running,
    yelping, not daring to look back.
He disqualified Joseph as leader,
    told Ephraim he didn’t have what it takes,
And chose the Tribe of Judah instead,
    Mount Zion, which he loves so much.
He built his sanctuary there, resplendent,
    solid and lasting as the earth itself.
Then he chose David, his servant,
    handpicked him from his work in the sheep pens.
One day he was caring for the ewes and their lambs,
    the next day God had him shepherding Jacob,
    his people Israel, his prize possession.
His good heart made him a good shepherd;
    he guided the people wisely and well.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Monday, February 22, 2021
Read: Romans 8:22–30

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

INSIGHT
Unlike Stoic philosophy, which advocated responding to suffering by submitting to fate, in Romans 8 Paul emphasizes God’s love and power working on behalf of His people even in the midst of hardships. Although God can bring good out of suffering and evil in this lifetime, Paul focuses primarily on the ultimate good to come in the future with God’s final and complete redemption of the cosmos (vv. 18–21), as well as transformation into Christ’s image and likeness (v. 29) through the work of the Spirit.


Like Jesus - By Bill Crowder
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. Romans 8:29

As a boy, theologian Bruce Ware was frustrated that 1 Peter 2:21–23 calls us to be like Jesus. Ware wrote of his youthful exasperation in his book The Man Christ Jesus. “Not fair, I determined. Especially when the passage says to follow in the steps of one ‘who did no sin.’ This was totally outlandish . . . . I just couldn’t see how God could really mean for us to take it seriously.”

I understand why Ware would find such a biblical challenge so daunting! An old chorus says, “To be like Jesus, to be like Jesus. My desire, to be like Him.” But as Ware rightly noted, we are incapable of doing that. Left to ourselves, we could never become like Jesus.

However, we’re not left to ourselves. The Holy Spirit has been given to the child of God, in part so that Christ can be formed in us (Galatians 4:19). So it should come as no surprise that in Paul’s great chapter on the Spirit we read, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Romans 8:29). God will see His work completed in us. And He does it through the Spirit of Jesus living in us.

As we yield to the Spirit’s work in us, we truly become more like Jesus. How comforting to know that’s God’s great desire for us!

What attribute of the fruit of the Spirit would you like to live out to a greater degree? (see Galatians 5:22–23). What will help you do so?

Father, I long to be more like Your Son but so often fall short in word, thought, or deed. Forgive me, and help me to yield to the work of Your Spirit so that Jesus might be formed in me.

For further study, read Free in the Spirit at DiscoverySeries.org/Q0307.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, February 22, 2021
The Discipline of Spiritual Perseverance

Be still, and know that I am God… —Psalm 46:10

Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen. Perseverance means more than just hanging on, which may be only exposing our fear of letting go and falling. Perseverance is our supreme effort of refusing to believe that our hero is going to be conquered. Our greatest fear is not that we will be damned, but that somehow Jesus Christ will be defeated. Also, our fear is that the very things our Lord stood for— love, justice, forgiveness, and kindness among men— will not win out in the end and will represent an unattainable goal for us. Then there is the call to spiritual perseverance. A call not to hang on and do nothing, but to work deliberately, knowing with certainty that God will never be defeated.

If our hopes seem to be experiencing disappointment right now, it simply means that they are being purified. Every hope or dream of the human mind will be fulfilled if it is noble and of God. But one of the greatest stresses in life is the stress of waiting for God. He brings fulfillment, “because you have kept My command to persevere…” (Revelation 3:10).

Continue to persevere spiritually.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

No one could have had a more sensitive love in human relationship than Jesus; and yet He says there are times when love to father and mother must be hatred in comparison to our love for Him.   So Send I You, 1301 L

Bible in a Year: Numbers 4-6; Mark 4:1-20

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Circuit Breakers - #7076
Monday, February 24, 2014

Some friends of ours were staying in a basement apartment, and they invited us to their place for dinner. So, here I was seated with my wife and our friends and suddenly the lights went out, and the skillet went out. Well, we thought about getting out the candles and having a romantic candlelight dinner. But we decided we should do something more practical-check the circuit breakers. And sure enough, the extra cooking had put an overload on a circuit that doesn't usually get that much activity. So, the circuit breaker did it's very important job. It stopped the flow of electricity so we would not melt down.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Circuit Breakers."
Our word for today from the Word of God is in Psalm 23:1-2. I think you'll recognize them. "The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake." Now, there is a simple truth in this old, familiar passage. There are times when the Shepherd makes you lie down so He can restore you and guide you and put you in a quiet place.
Reminds me of that little electrical shut down in the basement apartment. The circuit breaker shut us down so we wouldn't melt down. God does that with us sometimes when we're running on overload. In fact, maybe He's making you lie down right now. This is a loving thing our Shepherd does for us, but it doesn't always feel loving because He uses a variety of circuit breakers to interrupt the flow. Maybe one of them is at work in your life right now. Like a health issue that forces you to slow down, or at least a warning from a doctor. God may be using a financial circuit breaker to say, "Stop for a while!" It could be there are warning signs of trouble in your spouse, or maybe one of your children, or in some important relationship.
If you've been running at a high rate of speed, don't be surprised if there's something in your life that's almost forcing you to put on the brakes. Don't fight it! Get the message so God doesn't have to turn up the heat to get you to slow down. When you're running, it's easy to miss the voice of God trying to redirect us, trying to encourage us, convict us of a compromise. He wants your undivided attention for a little while, and He doesn't want you to run yourself right into the ground.
People who are overtired and overstressed make big mistakes, which cause major damage or major regrets. That thing that's slowing you down right now? Maybe it's a circuit breaker from God. So don't keep trying to force the current past it. Instead of being frustrated by it, maybe you should be thankful for it. Embrace this season. It's your loving Shepherd applying the brakes so you can refuel, so you can recover, so you can reconsider. He thinks you need rest more than you need to get everything done right now. He's making you lie down.
Well, we were cooking up a storm that night in that basement apartment, and we didn't know we were on overload until the circuit breaker shut us down. Maybe you're on overload and you don't even realize it. Well, your Savior loves you enough to protect you from melting down; by sometimes shutting you down, so don't keep pushing more voltage through. Would you let the Shepherd do what He's trying to do? He wants to make you lie down.

Psalm 77, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Made Right with God

How would you fill in this blank? A person is made right with God through_____.  Don't let its brevity fool you. How you complete it is critical; it reflects the nature of your faith.
One might say a person is made right with God through. . . being good.  Giving sandwiches to the poor. Some say Christian conduct is the secret.  Perhaps suffering is the answer.  Sleep on dirt floors. Malaria. Poverty. Bare feet. The greater the pain, the greater the saint. No, no, no, another contends.  The way to be made right with God?  It's doctrine. Air-tight theology which explains every mystery. Inspiration clarified.
Yet, how are we truly made right with God?  All the above are tried. All are demonstrated. But none are from God. Romans 3:28 says, "A person is made right with God through faith." Through faith in God's sacrifice on the cross.
It's not what you do, it's what He did.
From And the Angels Were Silent

Psalm 77

I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might,
    I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens.

2-6 I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord;
    my life was an open wound that wouldn’t heal.
When friends said, “Everything will turn out all right,”
    I didn’t believe a word they said.
I remember God—and shake my head.
    I bow my head—then wring my hands.
I’m awake all night—not a wink of sleep;
    I can’t even say what’s bothering me.
I go over the days one by one,
    I ponder the years gone by.
I strum my lute all through the night,
    wondering how to get my life together.

7-10 Will the Lord walk off and leave us for good?
    Will he never smile again?
Is his love worn threadbare?
    Has his salvation promise burned out?
Has God forgotten his manners?
    Has he angrily stomped off and left us?
“Just my luck,” I said. “The High God retires
    just the moment I need him.”

11-12 Once again I’ll go over what God has done,
    lay out on the table the ancient wonders;
I’ll ponder all the things you’ve accomplished,
    and give a long, loving look at your acts.

13-15 O God! Your way is holy!
    No god is great like God!
You’re the God who makes things happen;
    you showed everyone what you can do—
You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble,
    rescued the children of Jacob and Joseph.

16-19 Ocean saw you in action, God,
    saw you and trembled with fear;
    Deep Ocean was scared to death.
Clouds belched buckets of rain,
    Sky exploded with thunder,
    your arrows flashing this way and that.
From Whirlwind came your thundering voice,
    Lightning exposed the world,
    Earth reeled and rocked.
You strode right through Ocean,
    walked straight through roaring Ocean,
    but nobody saw you come or go.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Read: 2 Peter 1:2–8

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Confirming One’s Calling and Election
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

INSIGHT
Second Peter 1 reminds us that God is the One who provides the power we need to live our life in Christ (v. 3). One of the ways He does this is by giving us the Holy Spirit. The characteristics we display—the fruit of the indwelling Spirit—have strong implications for the way we live (vv. 5–9; see Galatians 5:22–23). But whose fruit is it? It’s the Spirit’s. The Holy Spirit is the agent, the source, and the power that produces that fruit.

Adapted from Live Free: A Fresh Look at the Fruit of the Spirit. Read it at DiscoverySeries.org/Q0214.

Unimaginable Promises - By Monica La Rose
He has given us his very great and precious promises. 2 Peter 1:4

In our moments of greatest failure, it can be easy to believe it’s too late for us, that we’ve lost our chance at a life of purpose and worth. That’s how Elias, a former inmate at a maximum-security prison in New York, described feeling as a prisoner. “I had broken . . . promises, the promise of my own future, the promise of what I could be.”

It was Bard College’s “Prison Initiative” college degree program that began to transform Elias’ life. While in the program, he participated on a debate team, which in 2015 debated a team from Harvard—and won. For Elias, being “part of the team . . . [was] a way of proving that these promises weren’t completely lost.”

A similar transformation happens in our hearts when we begin to understand that the good news of God’s love in Jesus is good news for us too. It’s not too late, we begin to realize with wonder. God still has a future for me.

And it’s a future that can neither be earned nor forfeited, dependent only on God’s extravagant grace and power (2 Peter 1:2–3). A future where we’re set free from the despair in the world and in our hearts into one filled with His “glory and goodness” (v. 3). A future secure in Christ’s unimaginable promises (v. 4); and a future transformed into the “freedom and glory of the children of God” (Romans 8:21).

Why can it be difficult for us to accept “unearned” grace and love? How does it touch your heart to consider that in God’s eyes you have a future filled with unimaginable beauty?

Jesus, some days all I can see is the ways I’ve disappointed myself and others, the ways I’ve broken the future I’ve dreamed of. Help me to see the unchanging beauty of the future I find in You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Do You Really Love Him?

She has done a good work for Me. —Mark 14:6

If what we call love doesn’t take us beyond ourselves, it is not really love. If we have the idea that love is characterized as cautious, wise, sensible, shrewd, and never taken to extremes, we have missed the true meaning. This may describe affection and it may bring us a warm feeling, but it is not a true and accurate description of love.

Have you ever been driven to do something for God not because you felt that it was useful or your duty to do so, or that there was anything in it for you, but simply because you love Him? Have you ever realized that you can give things to God that are of value to Him? Or are you just sitting around daydreaming about the greatness of His redemption, while neglecting all the things you could be doing for Him? I’m not referring to works which could be regarded as divine and miraculous, but ordinary, simple human things— things which would be evidence to God that you are totally surrendered to Him. Have you ever created what Mary of Bethany created in the heart of the Lord Jesus? “She has done a good work for Me.”

There are times when it seems as if God watches to see if we will give Him even small gifts of surrender, just to show how genuine our love is for Him. To be surrendered to God is of more value than our personal holiness. Concern over our personal holiness causes us to focus our eyes on ourselves, and we become overly concerned about the way we walk and talk and look, out of fear of offending God. “…but perfect love casts out fear…” once we are surrendered to God (1 John 4:18). We should quit asking ourselves, “Am I of any use?” and accept the truth that we really are not of much use to Him. The issue is never of being of use, but of being of value to God Himself. Once we are totally surrendered to God, He will work through us all the time.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Am I learning how to use my Bible? The way to become complete for the Master’s service is to be well soaked in the Bible; some of us only exploit certain passages. Our Lord wants to give us continuous instruction out of His word; continuous instruction turns hearers into disciples.  Approved Unto God, 11 L

Bible in a Year: Numbers 1-3; Mark 3

Revelation 5, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: A Holy Incredibility ·

God did what we wouldn’t dare dream. He did what we could not imagine. He became a man so we could trust him. He became a sacrifice so we could know him. And he defeated death so we could follow him.

It defies logic.  It’s a divine insanity.  A holy incredibility. Only a God beyond systems and common sense could create a plan as absurd as this. Yet, it’s the very impossibility of it all that makes it possible. The wildness of the story is its strongest witness. For only a God could create a plan this mad. Only a Creator beyond the fence of logic could offer such a gift of love.

What man cannot do, God does. When it comes to eternity, forgiveness, purpose, and truth, go to the manger, kneel with the shepherds. Worship the God who dared to do what man dared not dream!

From And the Angels Were Silent

Revelation 5

The Lion Is a Lamb

I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One Seated on the Throne. It was written on both sides, fastened with seven seals. I also saw a powerful Angel, calling out in a voice like thunder, “Is there anyone who can open the scroll, who can break its seals?”

3 There was no one—no one in Heaven, no one on earth, no one from the underworld—able to break open the scroll and read it.

4-5 I wept and wept and wept that no one was found able to open the scroll, able to read it. One of the Elders said, “Don’t weep. Look—the Lion from Tribe Judah, the Root of David’s Tree, has conquered. He can open the scroll, can rip through the seven seals.”

6-10 So I looked, and there, surrounded by Throne, Animals, and Elders, was a Lamb, slaughtered but standing tall. Seven horns he had, and seven eyes, the Seven Spirits of God sent into all the earth. He came to the One Seated on the Throne and took the scroll from his right hand. The moment he took the scroll, the Four Animals and Twenty-four Elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. Each had a harp and each had a bowl, a gold bowl filled with incense, the prayers of God’s holy people. And they sang a new song:

Worthy! Take the scroll, open its seals.
Slain! Paying in blood, you bought men and women,
Bought them back from all over the earth,
Bought them back for God.
Then you made them a Kingdom, Priests for our God,
Priest-kings to rule over the earth.

11-14 I looked again. I heard a company of Angels around the Throne, the Animals, and the Elders—ten thousand times ten thousand their number, thousand after thousand after thousand in full song:

The slain Lamb is worthy!
Take the power, the wealth, the wisdom, the strength!
Take the honor, the glory, the blessing!

Then I heard every creature in Heaven and earth, in underworld and sea, join in, all voices in all places, singing:

To the One on the Throne! To the Lamb!
The blessing, the honor, the glory, the strength,
For age after age after age.

The Four Animals called out, “Oh, Yes!” The Elders fell to their knees and worshiped.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Read: 2 Timothy 2:1–4

The Appeal Renewed

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others. 3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

INSIGHT
The imagery of a soldier is used in ancient Greek ethical teaching (for example, Plato and Epictetus) for the same reasons that Paul uses it in 2 Timothy 2: a soldier is dedicated and is willing to suffer in order to achieve a set goal. Paul also uses this imagery in 1 Corinthians 9:7 and uses military metaphors in 2 Corinthians 10:3–4, Ephesians 6:10–17, and 1 Timothy 1:18. But such military metaphors and images aren’t meant to be taken literally—though they sadly have been in times past through crusades and holy wars. Such misuse of Paul’s language isn’t to be blamed on him. To be “a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3) means that Timothy is to embody the same attitudes toward the service of Jesus that a soldier does toward his commanding officer—and Jesus’ command is that we love our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

Strengthened by Grace -By Our Daily Bread
You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:1

During the American Civil War, the penalty for desertion was execution. But the Union armies rarely executed deserters because their commander-in-chief, Abraham Lincoln, pardoned nearly all of them. This infuriated Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War, who believed that Lincoln’s leniency only enticed would-be deserters. But Lincoln empathized with soldiers who had lost their nerve and who had given in to their fear in the heat of battle. And his empathy endeared him to his soldiers. They loved their “Father Abraham,” and their affection led the soldiers to want to serve Lincoln all the more.

When Paul calls Timothy to join him in “suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 2:3), he calls him to a tough job description. A soldier is to be completely dedicated, hard-working, and selfless. He’s to serve his commanding officer, Jesus, wholeheartedly. But in reality, we sometimes fail to be His good soldiers. We don’t always serve Him faithfully. And so Paul’s opening phrase is important: “be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (v. 1). Our Savior is full of grace. He empathizes with our weaknesses and forgives our failures (Hebrews 4:15). And just as the Union soldiers were encouraged by Lincoln’s compassion, so believers are strengthened by the grace of Jesus. We want to serve Him all the more because we know He loves us.

How can the grace of Christ become a source of strength for you to serve Him? What does it mean for you to suffer for Jesus?

Dear God, please strengthen me in the grace of Christ that I may serve Him faithfully.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, February 20, 2021
Taking the Initiative Against Daydreaming
Arise, let us go from here. —John 14:31

Daydreaming about something in order to do it properly is right, but daydreaming about it when we should be doing it is wrong. In this passage, after having said these wonderful things to His disciples, we might have expected our Lord to tell them to go away and meditate over them all. But Jesus never allowed idle daydreaming. When our purpose is to seek God and to discover His will for us, daydreaming is right and acceptable. But when our inclination is to spend time daydreaming over what we have already been told to do, it is unacceptable and God’s blessing is never on it. God will take the initiative against this kind of daydreaming by prodding us to action. His instructions to us will be along the lines of this: “Don’t sit or stand there, just go!”

If we are quietly waiting before God after He has said to us, “Come aside by yourselves…” then that is meditation before Him to seek His will (Mark 6:31). Beware, however, of giving in to mere daydreaming once God has spoken. Allow Him to be the source of all your dreams, joys, and delights, and be careful to go and obey what He has said. If you are in love with someone, you don’t sit and daydream about that person all the time— you go and do something for him. That is what Jesus Christ expects us to do. Daydreaming after God has spoken is an indication that we do not trust Him.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Both nations and individuals have tried Christianity and abandoned it, because it has been found too difficult; but no man has ever gone through the crisis of deliberately making Jesus Lord and found Him to be a failure. The Love of God—The Making of a Christian, 680 R

Bible in a Year: Leviticus 26-27; Mark 2

Psalm 76 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THE HOLY SPIRIT SPEAKS FOR YOU

Romans 8:26–27 says, “The Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.”

The impoverished orphan of Russia, the distraught widow of the battlefield, the aging saint in the convalescent home. They may think they have no voice, no clout, no influence, but they have a friend. They have a counselor, a comforter—the blessed Spirit of God, who speaks the language of heaven in heaven.

None of us pray as much as we should, but all of us pray more than we think because the Holy Spirit turns our sighs into petitions and tears into entreaties. He speaks for you and he protects you. And he makes sure you are heard, he makes sure you get home.


Psalm 76

God is well-known in Judah;
    in Israel, he’s a household name.
He keeps a house in Salem,
    his own suite of rooms in Zion.
That’s where, using arrows for kindling,
    he made a bonfire of weapons of war.

4-6 Oh, how bright you shine!
    Outshining their huge piles of loot!
The warriors were plundered
    and left there impotent.
And now there’s nothing to them,
    nothing to show for their swagger and threats.
Your sudden roar, God of Jacob,
    knocked the wind out of horse and rider.

7-10 Fierce you are, and fearsome!
    Who can stand up to your rising anger?
From heaven you thunder judgment;
    earth falls to her knees and holds her breath.
God stands tall and makes things right,
    he saves all the wretched on earth.
Instead of smoldering rage—God-praise!
    All that sputtering rage—now a garland for God!

11-12 Do for God what you said you’d do—
    he is, after all, your God.
Let everyone in town bring offerings
    to the One Who Watches our every move.
Nobody gets by with anything,
    no one plays fast and loose with him.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Friday, February 19, 2021
Read: Ezekiel 28:1–10

A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre

The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘In the pride of your heart
    you say, “I am a god;
I sit on the throne of a god
    in the heart of the seas.”
But you are a mere mortal and not a god,
    though you think you are as wise as a god.
3 Are you wiser than Daniel[a]?
    Is no secret hidden from you?
4 By your wisdom and understanding
    you have gained wealth for yourself
and amassed gold and silver
    in your treasuries.
5 By your great skill in trading
    you have increased your wealth,
and because of your wealth
    your heart has grown proud.

6 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘Because you think you are wise,
    as wise as a god,
7 I am going to bring foreigners against you,
    the most ruthless of nations;
they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom
    and pierce your shining splendor.
8 They will bring you down to the pit,
    and you will die a violent death
    in the heart of the seas.
9 Will you then say, “I am a god,”
    in the presence of those who kill you?
You will be but a mortal, not a god,
    in the hands of those who slay you.
10 You will die the death of the uncircumcised
    at the hands of foreigners.

I have spoken, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

Footnotes
Ezekiel 28:3 Or Danel, a man of renown in ancient literature

INSIGHT
Ezekiel 26–28 contains four oracles or prophecies proclaiming judgment against Tyre. This ancient Phoenician city was known for its sea trade and idolatry. It was “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty” (28:12), but “through [its] widespread trade [it was] filled with violence” (v. 16). Due to descriptions such as “anointed as a guardian cherub” (v. 14), “blameless in your ways . . . till wickedness was found in you” (v. 15), and “your heart became proud . . . so I threw you to the earth” (v. 17), some scholars believe this passage also refers to Satan. Verse 19 concludes that the wicked city of Tyre would “come to a horrible end.”

We’re Not God-By Amy Boucher Pye

In the pride of your heart you say, “I am a god.” Ezekiel 28:2

In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis recommended asking ourselves some questions to find out if we’re proud: “How much do I dislike it when other people snub me, or refuse to take any notice of me, . . . or patronize me, or show off?” Lewis saw pride as a vice of the “utmost evil” and the chief cause of misery in homes and nations. He called it a “spiritual cancer” that eats up the very possibility of love, contentment, and even common sense.

Pride has been a problem throughout the ages. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God warned the leader of the powerful coastal city of Tyre against his pride. He said the king’s pride would result in his downfall: “Because you think you are . . . as wise as a god, I am going to bring foreigners against you” (Ezekiel 28:6–7). Then he would know he wasn’t a god, but a mortal (v. 9).

In contrast to pride is humility, which Lewis named as a virtue we receive through knowing God. Lewis said that as we get in touch with Him, we become “delightedly humble,” feeling relieved to be rid of the silly nonsense about our own dignity that previously made us restless and unhappy.

The more we worship God, the more we’ll know Him and the more we can humble ourselves before Him. May we be those who love and serve with joy and humility.

How did you answer Lewis’ questions about whether or not you’re proud? Did that surprise you? Why or why not?

Almighty God, help me to revel in my identity as one You created, knowing You are great and mighty and yet You love me.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, February 19, 2021
Taking the Initiative Against Drudgery

Arise, shine… —Isaiah 60:1

When it comes to taking the initiative against drudgery, we have to take the first step as though there were no God. There is no point in waiting for God to help us— He will not. But once we arise, immediately we find He is there. Whenever God gives us His inspiration, suddenly taking the initiative becomes a moral issue— a matter of obedience. Then we must act to be obedient and not continue to lie down doing nothing. If we will arise and shine, drudgery will be divinely transformed.

Drudgery is one of the finest tests to determine the genuineness of our character. Drudgery is work that is far removed from anything we think of as ideal work. It is the utterly hard, menial, tiresome, and dirty work. And when we experience it, our spirituality is instantly tested and we will know whether or not we are spiritually genuine. Read John 13. In this chapter, we see the Incarnate God performing the greatest example of drudgery— washing fishermen’s feet. He then says to them, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). The inspiration of God is required if drudgery is to shine with the light of God upon it. In some cases the way a person does a task makes that work sanctified and holy forever. It may be a very common everyday task, but after we have seen it done, it becomes different. When the Lord does something through us, He always transforms it. Our Lord takes our human flesh and transforms it, and now every believer’s body has become “the temple of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19).

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Jesus Christ can afford to be misunderstood; we cannot. Our weakness lies in always wanting to vindicate ourselves.  The Place of Help, 1051 L

Bible in a Year: Leviticus 25; Mark 1:23-45

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, February 19, 2021
Wilderness Power - #8900

My friends who've been there wouldn't exactly say it was "fun." The wilderness, I mean. Several of them have been on this rigorous two-week outing with a company that promises an unforgettable wilderness adventure. Notice, they didn't say wilderness "fun." These guys were pushed to their limits; they were running and climbing and surviving off the land, making it all alone out there for a while. But I don't know one of them who regrets going there. In fact, they proudly wear these shirts that proclaim on the front, "I've been to the wilderness." And on the back, "I can handle anything."

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

Maybe it's your turn in the wilderness right now. Oh, you didn't sign up, but you're going through a season of dryness, difficulty - maybe you've even been pushed to your limits. I can't say anything that will suddenly lead you out of your wilderness, but there is something you need to know about the wilderness.

It helps to follow Jesus into the wilderness. In our word for today from the Word of God from Luke 4 beginning at verse 1. He has just come from what must have been the most exciting spiritual experience of His life on earth - His baptism in the Jordan River. He had just heard His Father's voice in audible form saying, "You are My Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased." He had just seen the Holy Spirit descending in visible form. For one golden moment, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were reunited.

Then immediately after that, here's what the Bible says, "Jesus was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for 40 days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them He was hungry. The devil said to Him, 'If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.' Jesus answered, 'It is written: Man does not live on bread alone.'" Jesus is then tempted twice more by Satan, and both times He answers the temptation with Scripture. Then the Bible says, "When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left Him. Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit."

Now, it could well be that your wilderness has a lot in common with the wilderness that your Lord went through. Even though you've heard God speaking to you very clearly in the past, you don't seem to be hearing anything from Him in the desert, do you? And maybe, like Jesus, the only voice you can really hear is the voice of Satan. Even though you've seen the Holy Spirit do powerful things in the past, there's right now no visible sign of Him at work right here in this bleak wilderness. And you're vulnerable, you're weary, you're feeling pretty beat up, and you're wondering what's wrong.

The answer might very well be, "Nothing's wrong." Notice it was the Spirit who led Jesus into the wilderness, not the devil. For Jesus, for you and me, the wilderness is part of the plan just as much as the power time at your Jordan River. Your enemy didn't bother you much when you were hearing and seeing God; he's waited for this time when God seems silent to exploit your vulnerability.

And why does God have you in the wilderness? So you can go to the next level spiritually where you trust Him and Him alone, not the miracles, not the answers to prayer, not the spiritual feelings, not the gifts that He sends - you've just got Him. In the wilderness there's just nothing to hang onto except His Word and His promises. It's in the wilderness that you learn that God and His Word are enough.

But the wilderness doesn't last forever. Like Jesus, you'll leave the wilderness full of a new power, ready to explode into your world with supernatural benefits and ministry. And you'll be able to say, "I've been to the wilderness. I can handle anything in the power of God."

Remember, the road to spiritual power leads through the wilderness.

Psalm 75 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: DOUSED WITH THE LOVE OF GOD

“The love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:5). Note the preposition of. The Holy Spirit pours the love of God into our hearts, not love for God. God hands a bucket of love to the Spirit and instructs, “Douse their hearts.”

There are moments when the Spirit enchants us with sweet rhapsody. You belong to the Father. Signed, sealed, and soon-to-be delivered. Been a while since you heard him whisper words of assurance? Then tell him. He’s listening to you, and he’s speaking for you. Romans 8:26 says, “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness” Weak bodies, weak wills, weakened resolves. Whether we are feeble of the soul or body or both, how good to know it’s not up to us. Verse 26 of Romans 8 says, “The Spirit himself is pleading for us.”

Psalm 75

We thank you, God, we thank you—
    your Name is our favorite word;
    your mighty works are all we talk about.

2-4 You say, “I’m calling this meeting to order,
    I’m ready to set things right.
When the earth goes topsy-turvy
    And nobody knows which end is up,
I nail it all down,
    I put everything in place again.
I say to the smart alecks, ‘That’s enough,’
    to the bullies, ‘Not so fast.’”

5-6 Don’t raise your fist against High God.
    Don’t raise your voice against Rock of Ages.
He’s the One from east to west;
    from desert to mountains, he’s the One.

7-8 God rules: he brings this one down to his knees,
    pulls that one up on her feet.
God has a cup in his hand,
    a bowl of wine, full to the brim.
He draws from it and pours;
    it’s drained to the dregs.
Earth’s wicked ones drink it all,
    drink it down to the last bitter drop!

9-10 And I’m telling the story of God Eternal,
    singing the praises of Jacob’s God.
The fists of the wicked
    are bloody stumps,
The arms of the righteous
    are lofty green branches.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Read: Psalm 147:1–7

Praise the Lord.[a]

How good it is to sing praises to our God,
    how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the exiles of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
    and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars
    and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    his understanding has no limit.
6 The Lord sustains the humble
    but casts the wicked to the ground.

7 Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;
    make music to our God on the harp.

Footnotes
Psalm 147:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 20

INSIGHT
The book of Psalms concludes with five hymns of praise (Psalms 146–150) that begin and end with the refrain Praise the Lord (Hebrew halelû-yah). In Psalm 147, the psalmist reminds us how much God has loved and cared for us and invites us to worship “[Yahweh] with grateful praise” (v. 7), celebrating His goodness as He draws us to Himself, heals us of our brokenness, sustains us, and strengthens us (vv. 2–3, 6). We’re also to extol His greatness and mighty power in creation (vv. 4–5) and His caring providence for His creatures (vv. 8–9). Focusing not only on His glory, but also on His grace, we’re invited to draw closer to Him, for “the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love” (v. 11). The psalmist affirms that it’s God alone who provides security, safety, and prosperity (vv. 13–14).

Remember to Sing -By Patricia Raybon
How good it is to sing praises to our God. Psalm 147:1

Nancy Gustafson, a retired opera singer, was devastated when she visited her mother and observed her decline from dementia. Her mom no longer recognized her and barely spoke. After several monthly visits, Nancy had an idea. She started singing to her. Her mother’s eyes lit up at the musical sounds, and she began singing too—for twenty minutes! Then Nancy’s mom laughed, joking they were “The Gustafson Family Singers!” The dramatic turnaround suggested the power of music, as some therapists conclude, to evoke lost memories. Singing “old favorites” has also been shown to boost mood, reduce falls, lessen visits to the emergency room, and decrease the need for sedative drugs.

More research is underway on a music-memory link. Yet, as the Bible reveals, the joy that comes from singing is a gift from God—and it’s real. “How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!” (Psalm 147:1).

Throughout the Scriptures, in fact, God’s people are urged to lift their voices in songs of praise to Him. “Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things” (Isaiah 12:5). “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him” (Psalm 40:3). Our singing inspires us but also those who hear it. May we all remember: our God is great and worthy of praise.

What role does singing play in your life? How can you make more time for singing songs of praise with those who are experiencing memory problems?

May I sing praises to You, God. Thank You for so often unlocking the minds of those with memory problems through the beauty and power of song.

To dig deeper, read Psalms: Ancient Prayers for Modern People at ChristianUniversity.org/OT222.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Taking the Initiative Against Despair

Rise, let us be going. —Matthew 26:46

In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples went to sleep when they should have stayed awake, and once they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of having done something irreversible tends to make us despair. We say, “Well, it’s all over and ruined now; what’s the point in trying anymore.” If we think this kind of despair is an exception, we are mistaken. It is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize we have not taken advantage of a magnificent opportunity, we are apt to sink into despair. But Jesus comes and lovingly says to us, in essence, “Sleep on now. That opportunity is lost forever and you can’t change that. But get up, and let’s go on to the next thing.” In other words, let the past sleep, but let it sleep in the sweet embrace of Christ, and let us go on into the invincible future with Him.

There will be experiences like this in each of our lives. We will have times of despair caused by real events in our lives, and we will be unable to lift ourselves out of them. The disciples, in this instance, had done a downright unthinkable thing— they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus. But our Lord came to them taking the spiritual initiative against their despair and said, in effect, “Get up, and do the next thing.” If we are inspired by God, what is the next thing? It is to trust Him absolutely and to pray on the basis of His redemption.

Never let the sense of past failure defeat your next step.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Re-state to yourself what you believe, then do away with as much of it as possible, and get back to the bedrock of the Cross of Christ.  My Utmost for His Highest, November 25, 848 R

Bible in a Year: Leviticus 23-24; Mark 1:1-22

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, February 18, 2021
Stepped On But Still Precious - #8899

Okay, imagine I'm holding a $20 bill in my hand. I don't get to do that too often (at least it doesn't stay there), so this would be a really special moment for me. If you were sitting here with me and I offered that $20 to you, would you take it? I think you would. Now you're going to have to use your imagination to picture this, but let's say I'm now crumpling that nice $20 bill and I'm crushing it into a little wad. Can you picture that? You still want it? If you were right here, would you still take it? It's all wadded up. OK, now pretend I'm beating on this wadded up bill, and I am actually stomping on it with my foot. (I could get some exercise this way.) If I still offered to you this $20, would you still take it? It's been beat up, it's been crushed, it's been stomped on! Well, of course you would.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Stepped On But Still Precious."

And that's the point, isn't it? No matter how abused and beat up that $20 is, it's still worth just as much, and so are you.

I'm telling you, there's someone listening today who's been treated like I talked about treating that currency. You feel beat up, mishandled, treated badly, you've been crushed, and you've been trampled on. And when someone's been treated like that, they begin to believe a lie that they're not worth much. If they were, why would anyone treat them like that? When you think you're worthless, you start making choices based on that; you throw yourself away, you settle for junk, you do anything to get a little love. But the truth is, you're just like that beat-up $20 bill. No matter how you've been treated, you are still just as valuable. You're still precious because no one on earth gave you your worth - God did. So no one on earth can take it away.

We've got to go to God's Book to get the real truth about your value. And when we do, we find three worth-givers that can't be taken from you. First, your worth is based on your being made in God's image. In Genesis 1:27, "God created man in His own image." God made you as a reflection of Himself, so don't tell me you're not worth much!

Secondly, your worth is based on your being God's one-of-a-kind masterpiece. In Psalm 139:13, David says to God, "You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful." When you believe you're not worth much, you're insulting the One who designed you. From the moment that egg and sperm came together to start your life, you have been God's unique creation. If you don't believe it, look at your fingerprints. There's no one on earth like you.

But most importantly, you are infinitely valuable because God paid for you with the life of His Son! Our word for today from the Word of God, Galatians 2:20 says, "I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." I want to invite you to walk with me right now up a hill near Jerusalem called Skull Hill. At the top, imagine there's a blood-stained cross. That's where God's one and only Son thought you were so precious that He poured out His life for every wrong thing you have ever done. Why? Because it's the only way you could ever be forgiven of your sins. It's the only way you could ever have the love relationship with Him you were made for. It's the only way you could be with Him in heaven forever.

Those children are so right when they sing that little song "Jesus loves me, this I know." He really does! And you can never experience how much you're worth until you experience the One who gave you your worth. That's what Jesus has come to give you today. He's ready to enter your life upon your invitation to begin that love relationship. He gave His life to give that to you.

Today, reach out to Him. He's reaching for you. Tell Him, "Jesus, I'm sorry for my sin. I believe you died for my sin. I'm yours." Go to our website today. You can see for yourself what God says about your worth and a relationship with Him. That's ANewStory.com.

The life you were made for, the love you were made for, it begins when you let Jesus Christ into your life because nobody loves you like Jesus does.