1 Samuel 10,Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 Max Lucado Daily: My Father's Forgiveness

My father's salary wasn't abundant, so you can imagine my surprise when he put a credit card in my hand the day I left for college. His only instructions were, "Be careful how you use it." On an impulse one Friday, I skipped class to visit a girl on another campus. Because I left in a hurry, I forgot to take any money. Everything went fine until I rear-ended a car on the return trip.

My father took my collect call and heard my tale. My story wasn't much to boast about. I'd made a trip without his knowledge, without any money, and wrecked his car. "Well," he said after a long pause, "That's why I gave you the card. I hope you learned a lesson." I certainly did. I learned my father's forgiveness predated my mistake. He'd provided for my blunder before I blundered. Need I tell you God has done the same?

From Dad Time

1 Samuel 10 The Message

“You’ll Be a New Person”

1-2 Then Samuel took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, and kissed him. He said, “Do you see what this means? God has anointed you prince over his people.

“This sign will confirm God’s anointing of you as prince over his inheritance: After you leave me today, as you get closer to your home country of Benjamin, you’ll meet two men near Rachel’s Tomb. They’ll say, ‘The donkeys you went to look for are found. Your father has forgotten about the donkeys and is worried about you, wringing his hands—quite beside himself!’

3-4 “Leaving there, you’ll arrive at the Oak of Tabor. There you’ll meet three men going up to worship God at Bethel. One will be carrying three young goats, another carrying three sacks of bread, and the third a jug of wine. They’ll say, ‘Hello, how are you?’ and offer you two loaves of bread, which you will accept.

5-6 “Next, you’ll come to Gibeah of God, where there’s a Philistine garrison. As you approach the town, you’ll run into a bunch of prophets coming down from the shrine, playing harps and tambourines, flutes and drums. And they’ll be prophesying. Before you know it, the Spirit of God will come on you and you’ll be prophesying right along with them. And you’ll be transformed. You’ll be a new person!

7 “When these confirming signs are accomplished, you’ll know that you’re ready: Whatever job you’re given to do, do it. God is with you!

8 “Now, go down to Gilgal and I will follow. I’ll come down and join you in worship by sacrificing burnt offerings and peace offerings. Wait seven days. Then I’ll come and tell you what to do next.”

9 Saul turned and left Samuel. At that very moment God transformed him—made him a new person! And all the confirming signs took place the same day.

Saul Among the Prophets

10-12 When Saul and his party got to Gibeah, there were the prophets, right in front of them! Before he knew it, the Spirit of God came on Saul and he was prophesying right along with them. When those who had previously known Saul saw him prophesying with the prophets, they were totally surprised. “What’s going on here? What’s come over the son of Kish? How on earth did Saul get to be a prophet?” One man spoke up and said, “Who started this? Where did these people ever come from?”

That’s how the saying got started, “Saul among the prophets! Who would have guessed?!”

13-14 When Saul was done prophesying, he returned home. His uncle asked him and his servant, “So where have you two been all this time?”

“Out looking for the donkeys. We looked and looked and couldn’t find them. And then we found Samuel!”

15 “So,” said Saul’s uncle, “what did Samuel tell you?”

16 Saul said, “He told us not to worry—the donkeys had been found.” But Saul didn’t breathe a word to his uncle of what Samuel said about the king business.

“We Want a King!”

17-18 Samuel called the people to assemble before God at Mizpah. He addressed the children of Israel, “This is God’s personal message to you:

18-19 “I brought Israel up out of Egypt. I delivered you from Egyptian oppression—yes, from all the bullying governments that made your life miserable. And now you want nothing to do with your God, the very God who has a history of getting you out of troubles of all sorts.

“And now you say, ‘No! We want a king; give us a king!’

“Well, if that’s what you want, that’s what you’ll get! Present yourselves formally before God, ranked in tribes and families.”

20-21 After Samuel got all the tribes of Israel lined up, the Benjamin tribe was picked. Then he lined up the Benjamin tribe in family groups, and the family of Matri was picked. The family of Matri took its place in the lineup, and the name Saul, son of Kish, was picked. But when they went looking for him, he was nowhere to be found.

22 Samuel went back to God: “Is he anywhere around?”

God said, “Yes, he’s right over there—hidden in that pile of baggage.”

23 They ran and got him. He took his place before everyone, standing tall—head and shoulders above them.

24 Samuel then addressed the people, “Take a good look at whom God has chosen: the best! No one like him in the whole country!”

Then a great shout went up from the people: “Long live the king!”

25 Samuel went on to instruct the people in the rules and regulations involved in a kingdom, wrote it all down in a book, and placed it before God. Then Samuel sent everyone home.

26-27 Saul also went home to Gibeah, and with him some true and brave men whom God moved to join him. But the riffraff went off muttering, “Deliverer? Don’t make me laugh!” They held him in contempt and refused to congratulate him. But Saul paid them no mind.

Saul Is Crowned King

Nahash, king of the Ammonites, was brutalizing the tribes of Gad and Reuben, gouging out their right eyes and intimidating anyone who would come to Israel’s help. There were very few Israelites living on the east side of the Jordan River who had not had their right eyes gouged out by Nahash. But seven thousand men had escaped from the Ammonites and were now living safely in Jabesh.

Our Daily Bread

Today's Scripture:

Psalm 68:1–10 

Up with God!

Down with his enemies!

Adversaries, run for the hills!

Gone like a puff of smoke,

like a blob of wax in the fire—

one look at God and the wicked vanish.

When the righteous see God in action

they’ll laugh, they’ll sing,

they’ll laugh and sing for joy.

Sing hymns to God;

all heaven, sing out;

clear the way for the coming of Cloud-Rider.

Enjoy God,

cheer when you see him!

5–6  Father of orphans,

champion of widows,

is God in his holy house.

God makes homes for the homeless,

leads prisoners to freedom,

but leaves rebels to rot in hell.

7–10  God, when you took the lead with your people,

when you marched out into the wild,

Earth shook, sky broke out in a sweat;

God was on the march.

Even Sinai trembled at the sight of God on the move,

at the sight of Israel’s God.

You pour out rain in buckets, O God;

thorn and cactus become an oasis

For your people to camp in and enjoy.

You set them up in business;

they went from rags to riches.

Insight

Nearly forty times in the Old Testament the Hebrew word yāthom (the root word means “to be lonely”) is translated “fatherless,” as in Psalm 68:5. Though forgotten by others, the fatherless and widows aren’t overlooked by God. The social responsibility of God’s people included sensitivity to care for them. The first place in Scripture that explicitly points this out is Exodus 22:22–23: “Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.” The words of James in the New Testament also reveal God’s heart for them: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27). God’s people of any era are to be His caregiving agents to those on the margins. By: Arthur Jackson

Fatherless No More

[God is] a father to the fatherless.

Psalm 68:5

Guy Bryant, single and with no children of his own, worked in New York City’s child welfare department. Daily, he encountered the intense need for foster parents and decided to do something about it. For more than a decade, Bryant fostered more than fifty children, once caring for nine at the same time. “Every time I turned around there was a kid who needed a place to stay,” Bryant explained. “If you have the space in your home and heart, you just do it. You don’t really think about it.” The foster children who've grown and established their own lives still have keys to Bryant’s apartment and often return on Sundays for lunch with “Pops.” Bryant has shown the love of a father to many.

The Scriptures tell us that God pursues all who are forgotten or cast aside. Although some believers will find themselves destitute and vulnerable in this life, He promises to be with them. God is “a father to the fatherless” (Psalm 68:5). If, through neglect or tragedy, we’re alone, God is still there—reaching out to us, drawing us near, and giving us hope. Indeed, “God sets the lonely in families” (v. 6). In Jesus, other believers comprise our spiritual family.

Whatever our challenging family stories, our isolation, our abandonment, or our relational dysfunction may be, we can know that we’re loved. With God, we’re fatherless no more.

By:  Winn Collier

Reflect & Pray

What does it mean for you to have a heavenly Father who loves you and will never leave you? How does He meet your deepest needs?

Father God, I need a good father, a true father, one who will not leave me. I’m grateful You’re this Father for me.

My Utmost for His Highest 

The Service of Passionate Devotion

…do you love Me?…Tend My sheep. —John 21:16

June 19

Jesus did not say to make converts to your way of thinking, but He said to look after His sheep, to see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Him. We consider what we do in the way of Christian work as service, yet Jesus Christ calls service to be what we are to Him, not what we do for Him. Discipleship is based solely on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on following after a particular belief or doctrine. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate…, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). In this verse, there is no argument and no pressure from Jesus to follow Him; He is simply saying, in effect, “If you want to be My disciple, you must be devoted solely to Me.” A person touched by the Spirit of God suddenly says, “Now I see who Jesus is!”— that is the source of devotion.

Today we have substituted doctrinal belief for personal belief, and that is why so many people are devoted to causes and so few are devoted to Jesus Christ. People do not really want to be devoted to Jesus, but only to the cause He started. Jesus Christ is deeply offensive to the educated minds of today, to those who only want Him to be their Friend, and who are unwilling to accept Him in any other way. Our Lord’s primary obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of people— the saving of people was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father. If I am devoted solely to the cause of humanity, I will soon be exhausted and come to the point where my love will waver and stumble. But if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity, even though people may treat me like a “doormat.” The secret of a disciple’s life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of that life is its seeming insignificance and its meekness. Yet it is like a grain of wheat that “falls into the ground and dies”— it will spring up and change the entire landscape (John 12:24).

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything; wherever He puts us, our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to Him in that particular work. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.” My Utmost for His Highest, April 23, 773 L

Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 12-13; Acts 4:23-37

Luke 18:24-43 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Succeed at Home First

Quiet heroes dot the landscape of our society. They don't make the headlines, but they do sew the hemlines and check the outlines and stand on the sidelines. You won't find their names on the Nobel Prize short list, but you'll find their names on the carpool, and Bible teacher lists. They are parents!  Heroes!  Their kids call them mom. Dad.  And these moms and dads, more valuable than all the executives and lawmakers, quietly hold the world together.

Be numbered among them. Read books to your kids. Play ball while you can and they want you to. Make it your aim to watch every game they play, read every story they write, hear every recital in which they perform. Children spell love with four letters:  T-I-M-E. Not just quality time, but hang time, downtime, anytime, all the time! Cherish the children who share your name. Succeed at home first!

From Dad Time

Luke 18:24-43 The Message

24-25 Seeing his reaction, Jesus said, “Do you have any idea how difficult it is for people who have it all to enter God’s kingdom? I’d say it’s easier to thread a camel through a needle’s eye than get a rich person into God’s kingdom.”

26 “Then who has any chance at all?” the others asked.

27 “No chance at all,” Jesus said, “if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it.”

28 Peter tried to regain some initiative: “We left everything we owned and followed you, didn’t we?”

29-30 “Yes,” said Jesus, “and you won’t regret it. No one who has sacrificed home, spouse, brothers and sisters, parents, children—whatever—will lose out. It will all come back multiplied many times over in your lifetime. And then the bonus of eternal life!”

I Want to See Again

31-34 Then Jesus took the Twelve off to the side and said, “Listen carefully. We’re on our way up to Jerusalem. Everything written in the Prophets about the Son of Man will take place. He will be handed over to the Romans, jeered at, ridiculed, and spit on. Then, after giving him the third degree, they will kill him. In three days he will rise, alive.” But they didn’t get it, could make neither heads nor tails of what he was talking about.

35-37 He came to the outskirts of Jericho. A blind man was sitting beside the road asking for handouts. When he heard the rustle of the crowd, he asked what was going on. They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is going by.”

38 He yelled, “Jesus! Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”

39 Those ahead of Jesus told the man to shut up, but he only yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”

40 Jesus stopped and ordered him to be brought over. When he had come near, Jesus asked, “What do you want from me?”

41 He said, “Master, I want to see again.”

42-43 Jesus said, “Go ahead—see again! Your faith has saved and healed you!” The healing was instant: He looked up, seeing—and then followed Jesus, glorifying God. Everyone in the street joined in, shouting praise to God. 

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion:

Today's Scripture & Insight:

Luke 23:32–43

32  Two others, both criminals, were taken along with him for execution.

33  When they got to the place called Skull Hill, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right, the other on his left.

34–35  Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.”

Dividing up his clothes, they threw dice for them. The people stood there staring at Jesus, and the ringleaders made faces, taunting, “He saved others. Let’s see him save himself! The Messiah of God—ha! The Chosen—ha!”

36–37  The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him, making a game of it. They toasted him with sour wine: “So you’re King of the Jews! Save yourself!”

38  Printed over him was a sign: this is the king of the jews.

39  One of the criminals hanging alongside cursed him: “Some Messiah you are! Save yourself! Save us!”

40–41  But the other one made him shut up: “Have you no fear of God? You’re getting the same as him. We deserve this, but not him—he did nothing to deserve this.”

42  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you enter your kingdom.”

43  He said, “Don’t worry, I will. Today you will join me in paradise.”

Insight

In the first century, the common attire for a Jewish man included five pieces of clothing—footwear, turban, belt, loincloth, and outer tunic. After crucifying Jesus, the soldiers divided the Savior’s garments as their spoils for performing the task (Luke 23:34). After each took a portion of clothing, one remained—the tunic. This implies that even the loincloth was taken—and Jesus’ last shred of human dignity with it. In fulfillment of David’s messianic song, they stripped Jesus naked and then gambled for the tunic. In Psalm 22:17–18, where crucifixion was prophetically described some six hundred years before it was invented, David said it would be so. 

By: Bill Crowder

How Are You?

Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.

Charla was dying, and she knew it. While she was lying on her hospital room bed, her surgeon and a group of young interns poured into the room. For the next several minutes, the doctor ignored Charla as he described her terminal condition to the interns. Finally, he turned to her and asked, “And how are you?” Charla weakly smiled and warmly told the group about her hope and peace in Jesus.

Some two thousand years ago, Jesus’ battered, naked body hung in humiliation on a cross before a crowd of onlookers. Would He lash out at His tormentors? No. “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing’ ” (Luke 23:34). Though falsely convicted and crucified, He prayed for His enemies. Later, He told another humiliated man, a criminal, that—because of the man’s faith—he would soon be with Him “in paradise” (v. 43). In His pain and shame, Jesus chose to share words of hope and life out of love for others.

As Charla concluded sharing Christ to her listeners, she posed the question back to the doctor. She tenderly looked into his tear-filled eyes and asked, “And how are you?” By Christ’s grace and power, she’d shared words of life—showing love and concern for him and others in the room. In whatever trying situation we face today or in the days ahead, let’s trust God to provide courage to lovingly speak words of life.

By:  Tom Felten

Reflect & Pray

What difficult and humbling circumstances are you facing these days? How can you rest on Jesus during this challenging season?

Jesus, I praise You for Your example of grace and humility. Please help me reflect these qualities in my words.

Utmost for His Highest 

Keep Recognizing Jesus

…Peter…walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid… —Matthew 14:29-30

June 18

The wind really was boisterous and the waves really were high, but Peter didn’t see them at first. He didn’t consider them at all; he simply recognized his Lord, stepped out in recognition of Him, and “walked on the water.” Then he began to take those things around him into account, and instantly, down he went. Why couldn’t our Lord have enabled him to walk at the bottom of the waves, as well as on top of them? He could have, yet neither could be done without Peter’s continuing recognition of the Lord Jesus.

We step right out with recognition of God in some things, then self-consideration enters our lives and down we go. If you are truly recognizing your Lord, you have no business being concerned about how and where He engineers your circumstances. The things surrounding you are real, but when you look at them you are immediately overwhelmed, and even unable to recognize Jesus. Then comes His rebuke, “…why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). Let your actual circumstances be what they may, but keep recognizing Jesus, maintaining complete reliance upon Him.

If you debate for even one second when God has spoken, it is all over for you. Never start to say, “Well, I wonder if He really did speak to me?” Be reckless immediately— totally unrestrained and willing to risk everything— by casting your all upon Him. You do not know when His voice will come to you, but whenever the realization of God comes, even in the faintest way imaginable, be determined to recklessly abandon yourself, surrendering everything to Him. It is only through abandonment of yourself and your circumstances that you will recognize Him. You will only recognize His voice more clearly through recklessness— being willing to risk your all.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

A fanatic is one who entrenches himself in invincible ignorance. Baffled to Fight Better, 59 R

Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 10-11; Acts 4:1-22

1 Samuel 9 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: RUN OR WRESTLE - June 17, 2022 Jacob had gained a seamy reputation for getting what he wanted by hook or crook—or both. But when Jacob reached a river called Jabbok, his own cunning caught up with him. The word Jabbok in Hebrew means “wrestle,” and wrestle is what Jacob did. He wrestled with his past: all the white lies, all the scheming, all the scandalizing. But more than anything, he wrestled with God. He met God face-to-face, sick of his past and in desperate need of a fresh start. God gave him a new name and a new promise.

I imagine that most of us have spent some time on the riverbanks as well. When our sins catch up with us we can do one of two things: run or wrestle. Jacob’s example is worthy of imitation, and the result could be refreshing. We know it was for Jacob. 1 Samuel 9 Saul—Head and Shoulders Above the Crowd

1 Samuel 9

There was a man from the tribe of Benjamin named Kish. He was the son of Abiel, grandson of Zeror, great-grandson of Becorath, great-great-grandson of Aphiah—a Benjaminite of stalwart character. He had a son, Saul, a most handsome young man. There was none finer—he literally stood head and shoulders above the crowd!

3-4 Some of Kish’s donkeys got lost. Kish said to his son, “Saul, take one of the servants with you and go look for the donkeys.” Saul took one of the servants and went to find the donkeys. They went into the hill country of Ephraim around Shalisha, but didn’t find them. Then they went over to Shaalim—no luck. Then to Jabin, and still nothing.

5 When they got to Zuph, Saul said to the young man with him, “Enough of this. Let’s go back. Soon my father is going to forget about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”

6 He replied, “Not so fast. There’s a holy man in this town. He carries a lot of weight around here. What he says is always right on the mark. Maybe he can tell us where to go.”

7 Saul said, “If we go, what do we have to give him? There’s no more bread in our sacks. We’ve nothing to bring as a gift to the holy man. Do we have anything else?”

8-9 The servant spoke up, “Look, I just happen to have this silver coin! I’ll give it to the holy man and he’ll tell us how to proceed!” (In former times in Israel, a person who wanted to seek God’s word on a matter would say, “Let’s visit the Seer,” because the one we now call “the Prophet” used to be called “the Seer.”)

10 “Good,” said Saul, “let’s go.” And they set off for the town where the holy man lived.

11 As they were climbing up the hill into the town, they met some girls who were coming out to draw water. They said to them, “Is this where the Seer lives?”

12-13 They answered, “It sure is—just ahead. Hurry up. He’s come today because the people have prepared a sacrifice at the shrine. As soon as you enter the town, you can catch him before he goes up to the shrine to eat. The people won’t eat until he arrives, for he has to bless the sacrifice. Only then can everyone eat. So get going. You’re sure to find him!”

14 They continued their climb and entered the city. And then there he was—Samuel!—coming straight toward them on his way to the shrine!

15-16 The very day before, God had confided in Samuel, “This time tomorrow, I’m sending a man from the land of Benjamin to meet you. You’re to anoint him as prince over my people Israel. He will free my people from Philistine oppression. Yes, I know all about their hard circumstances. I’ve heard their cries for help.”

17 The moment Samuel laid eyes on Saul, God said, “He’s the one, the man I told you about. This is the one who will keep my people in check.”

18 Saul came up to Samuel in the street and said, “Pardon me, but can you tell me where the Seer lives?”

19-20 “I’m the Seer,” said Samuel. “Accompany me to the shrine and eat with me. In the morning I’ll tell you all about what’s on your mind, and send you on your way. And by the way, your lost donkeys—the ones you’ve been hunting for the last three days—have been found, so don’t worry about them. At this moment, Israel’s future is in your hands.”

21 Saul answered, “But I’m only a Benjaminite, from the smallest of Israel’s tribes, and from the most insignificant clan in the tribe at that. Why are you talking to me like this?”

22-23 Samuel took Saul and his servant and led them into the dining hall at the shrine and seated them at the head of the table. There were about thirty guests. Then Samuel directed the chef, “Bring the choice cut I pointed out to you, the one I told you to reserve.”

24 The chef brought it and placed it before Saul with a flourish, saying, “This meal was kept aside just for you. Eat! It was especially prepared for this time and occasion with these guests.”

Saul ate with Samuel—a memorable day!

25 Afterward they went down from the shrine into the city. A bed was prepared for Saul on the breeze-cooled roof of Samuel’s house.

26 They woke at the break of day. Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get up and I’ll send you off.” Saul got up and the two of them went out in the street.

27 As they approached the outskirts of town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell your servant to go on ahead of us. You stay with me for a bit. I have a word of God to give you.”

Our Daily Bread Today's Scripture:

Jeremiah 17:5–8 God’s Message:

“Cursed is the strong one

who depends on mere humans,

Who thinks he can make it on muscle alone

and sets God aside as dead weight.

He’s like a tumbleweed on the prairie,

out of touch with the good earth.

He lives rootless and aimless

in a land where nothing grows.

7–8  “But blessed is the man who trusts me, God,

the woman who sticks with God.

They’re like trees replanted in Eden,

putting down roots near the rivers—

Never a worry through the hottest of summers,

never dropping a leaf,

Serene and calm through droughts,

bearing fresh fruit every season.

Insight

During the time of the prophet Jeremiah’s writings (627–586 bc), Judah was surrounded by the powerful nations of Egypt and Assyria and the growing nation of Babylon. Thus, Judah attempted to make alliances in order to protect their nation. But God wanted the people to trust in Him for their strength and security. In Jeremiah 17:5–8, the prophet provided a sharp contrast between those who look to humanity for their help and those who trust in God alone. He used three metaphors to describe the fate of those who turn away from God: a bush in the desert, parched places, and an uninhabited, salt-covered land. Such people’s lives would be dry, lonely, and withered. But as the psalmist declared in Psalm 1:3, those who trust in God would be “like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.”

By: Alyson Kieda

Planted in God

They will be like a tree planted by the water.

Jeremiah 17:8

“The wind is tossing the lilacs.” With that opening line of her springtime poem “May,” poet Sara Teasdale captured a vision of lilac bushes waving in gusty breezes. But Teasdale was lamenting a lost love, and her poem soon turned sorrowful.

Our backyard lilacs also encountered a challenge. After having their most lush and beautiful season, they faced the axe of a hard-working lawn man who “trimmed” every bush, chopping them to stubs. I cried. Then, three years later—after barren branches, a bout of powdery mildew, and my faithless plan to dig them up—our long-suffering lilacs rebounded. They just needed time, and I simply needed to wait for what I couldn’t see.

The Bible tells of many people who waited by faith despite adversity. Noah waited for delayed rain. Caleb waited forty years to live in the promised land. Rebekah waited twenty years to conceive a child. Jacob waited seven years to marry Rachel. Simeon waited and waited to see the baby Jesus. Their patience was rewarded.

In contrast, those who look to humans “will be like a bush in the wastelands” (Jeremiah 17:6). Poet Teasdale ended her verse in such gloom. “I go a wintry way,” she concluded. But “blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,” rejoiced Jeremiah. “They will be like a tree planted by the water” (vv. 7–8).

The trusting stay planted in God—the One who walks with us through the joys and adversities of life.

By:  Patricia Raybon

Reflect & Pray

What do you know about God that stirs your trust in Him? How will you plant your trust deeper in His steadying soil?

Heavenly Father, when my life feels barren or buffeted by stiff winds, please plant me deeper in Your steadying love.

My Utmost for His Highest 

Beware of Criticizing Others

By Oswald Chambers Judge not, that you be not judged. —Matthew 7:1

Jesus’ instructions with regard to judging others is very simply put; He says, “Don’t.” The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known. Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by it. The effect of criticism is the dividing up of the strengths of the one being criticized. The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter into fellowship with God when you are in a critical mood. Criticism serves to make you harsh, vindictive, and cruel, and leaves you with the soothing and flattering idea that you are somehow superior to others. Jesus says that as His disciple you should cultivate a temperament that is never critical. This will not happen quickly but must be developed over a span of time. You must constantly beware of anything that causes you to think of yourself as a superior person.

There is no escaping the penetrating search of my life by Jesus. If I see the little speck in your eye, it means that I have a plank of timber in my own (see Matthew 7:3-5). Every wrong thing that I see in you, God finds in me. Every time I judge, I condemn myself (see Romans 2:17-24). Stop having a measuring stick for other people. There is always at least one more fact, which we know nothing about, in every person’s situation. The first thing God does is to give us a thorough spiritual cleaning. After that, there is no possibility of pride remaining in us. I have never met a person I could despair of, or lose all hope for, after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

We never enter into the Kingdom of God by having our head questions answered, but only by commitment.
The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption

Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 7-9; Acts 3

A Word With YouYour RelationshipsHow a Father Builds a Son - #9245

Maybe it's in the testosterone. Guys are just wired to build something; a business, a church, furniture, home improvement projects. Some men build a team, some build financial security for their family, some just build a name for themselves. Even if I've felt motivated to build a few things, I'm the ultimate un-handyman. Like there was this little tree house - well, more like a tree platform - but the kids enjoyed it. The dollhouse for our daughter. The miniature barn for our son. There's a reason that God puts this building thing in guys. Some of us have a really big project to build!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How a Father Builds a Son."

When God trusts a man with a son, He is putting in his hands probably the most important building project of his life. If a man builds a mighty empire or a billion dollar enterprise and loses his son, can we call his life a true success? A boy will decide what the word "man" means based on the first one he knows and the one he knows best - his dad. A boy will likely decide what God's like, and whether or not he wants anything to do with Him. Because based on how his dad treats him...because how God has introduced Himself to us as our Heavenly Father.

How a man treats the women in his life; what he thinks really matters...what he thinks really doesn't matter, he'll get that from copying the biggest man in his life - his dad. And how many boys have grown up into men who are never sure they were good enough, always insecure, always feeling like they've got something to prove. Because the main man in their shaping years failed to make him feel loved and confident and valuable. Building a son - that takes a real man. Tearing one down - that's not much of a man at all.

There's a revealing picture of how a father builds a son in our word for today from the Word of God in Matthew 3:16-17. God's Son, is about to launch into the earthly ministry that His Father sent Him to earth for. His first public act is to be baptized by John the Baptist. It's there that we get an incredible glimpse behind the veil at the awesome relationship between God the Father and God the Son. The Bible tells us: "As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water... And a voice from heaven said, 'This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased.'"

Here's the Father affirming His approval of His Son - a vote of confidence that must have meant a lot to Jesus as He headed out into that battle. It's a demonstration of the power of a father's praise. Of course this is at the highest possible level. It's what your son desperately needs from you, Dad. 1 Thessalonians 2:12 describes in three action words how a father should treat his children, (Here they are.) "encouraging, comforting and urging." The question is, Dad, how do you try to motivate your children; especially your boy? With shame? With silence? By giving love when they perform and withdrawing love when they don't? By never letting them know where they really stand? That's not building a boy. That's dismantling a boy.

He needs your praise - frequently. He needs the kind of focused time with you that says, "I like you, son. I want to be with you." Your son needs your undivided attention when he's talking so he learns that what he says is important to you, just because he's saying it. And often your son needs to hear your compliments, your pleasure, your pride in him. You can give him the courage that he will need to lead, to say no to the pressure, to attempt great things, to treat other people like they're important.

You build a son by building up your son, by often helping him see the awesome thing God did when He created that boy. Even God the Father launched His Son into life with His public approval. How can you do any less for the son He's given you?

1 Samuel 8 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: ISAIAH - June 16, 2022 Isaiah was ancient Israel’s version of a Senate chaplain or court priest. His family, aristocratic. His Hebrew, impeccable. But when he sees the holiness of God, he falls on his face and begs for mercy: “Woe is me, for I am ruined!” (Isaiah 6:5 NASB).

The God-given vision was about God and his glory. Isaiah finds humility, not through seeking it, but through seeking him. God’s holiness silences human boasting. And God’s mercy makes us holy.

God solicits a spokesman. “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” (Isaiah 6:8). Isaiah’s heart and hand shoot skyward. “Here am I. Send me!” A glimpse of God’s holiness, and Isaiah was different. Holy—H-O-L-Y—different.

1 Samuel 8 

Rejecting God as the King

When Samuel got to be an old man, he set his sons up as judges in Israel. His firstborn son was named Joel, the name of his second, Abijah. They were assigned duty in Beersheba. But his sons didn’t take after him; they were out for what they could get for themselves, taking bribes, corrupting justice.

4-5 Fed up, all the elders of Israel got together and confronted Samuel at Ramah. They presented their case: “Look, you’re an old man, and your sons aren’t following in your footsteps. Here’s what we want you to do: Appoint a king to rule us, just like everybody else.”

6 When Samuel heard their demand—“Give us a king to rule us!”—he was crushed. How awful! Samuel prayed to God.

7-9 God answered Samuel, “Go ahead and do what they’re asking. They are not rejecting you. They’ve rejected me as their King. From the day I brought them out of Egypt until this very day they’ve been behaving like this, leaving me for other gods. And now they’re doing it to you. So let them have their own way. But warn them of what they’re in for. Tell them the way kings operate, just what they’re likely to get from a king.”

10-18 So Samuel told them, delivered God’s warning to the people who were asking him to give them a king. He said, “This is the way the kind of king you’re talking about operates. He’ll take your sons and make soldiers of them—chariotry, cavalry, infantry, regimented in battalions and squadrons. He’ll put some to forced labor on his farms, plowing and harvesting, and others to making either weapons of war or chariots in which he can ride in luxury. He’ll put your daughters to work as beauticians and waitresses and cooks. He’ll conscript your best fields, vineyards, and orchards and hand them over to his special friends. He’ll tax your harvests and vintage to support his extensive bureaucracy. Your prize workers and best animals he’ll take for his own use. He’ll lay a tax on your flocks and you’ll end up no better than slaves. The day will come when you will cry in desperation because of this king you so much want for yourselves. But don’t expect God to answer.”

19-20 But the people wouldn’t listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We will have a king to rule us! Then we’ll be just like all the other nations. Our king will rule us and lead us and fight our battles.”

21-22 Samuel took in what they said and rehearsed it with God. God told Samuel, “Do what they say. Make them a king.”

Then Samuel dismissed the men of Israel: “Go home, each of you to your own city.”

Our Daily Bread

Today's Scripture:

Ephesians 4:17–24 The Old Way Has to Go

17–19  And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They’ve refused for so long to deal with God that they’ve lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can’t think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go in sexual obsession, addicted to every sort of perversion.

20–24  But that’s no life for you. You learned Christ! My assumption is that you have paid careful attention to him, been well instructed in the truth precisely as we have it in Jesus. Since, then, we do not have the excuse of ignorance, everything—and I do mean everything—connected with that old way of life has to go. It’s rotten through and through. Get rid of it! And then take on an entirely new way of life—a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you.

Insight

In view of what God has done through Christ in choosing, redeeming, and predestining believers in Jesus to be His children (Ephesians 1:3–14), Paul exhorted the believers in Ephesus and us to “live a life worthy of [His] calling” (4:1). The apostle commanded them and us not to live ungodly and immoral lives that defined our past (v. 17). For now that we know Christ, we’ve been given a new life (vv. 21–24); we’re a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Reminiscent of Genesis 1:27, this new person is “created to be like God”—truly righteous and holy (Ephesians 4:24). To live the new life is to “put off your old self” (v. 22) “and to put on the new self” (v. 24). We’re to “put to death . . . whatever belongs to [our] earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed” and to “clothe [ourselves] with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:5, 12). By: K. T. Sim

New DNA in Jesus

Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:24

Chris had his blood retested four years after his lifesaving bone marrow transplant. The donor’s marrow had provided what was needed to cure him but had left a surprise: the DNA in Chris’ blood was that of his donor, not his own. It makes sense, really: the goal of the procedure was to replace the weakened blood with a donor’s healthy blood. Yet even swabs of Chris’ cheeks, lips, and tongue showed the donor’s DNA. In some ways, he’d become someone else—though he retained his own memories, outward appearance, and some of his original DNA.

Chris’ experience bears a striking resemblance to what happens in the life of a person who receives salvation in Jesus. At the point of our spiritual transformation—when we trust in Jesus—we become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus encouraged them to reveal that inward transformation, to “put off [their] old self” with its way of living and to “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22, 24). To be set apart for Christ.

We don’t need DNA swabs or blood tests to show that the transforming power of Jesus is alive within us. That inward reality should be evident in the way we engage with the world around us, revealing how we’re “kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave [us]” (v. 32).

By:  Kirsten Holmberg

Reflect & Pray

How has Jesus changed you inwardly? How does that inward reality show in the way you engage with those around you?

Jesus, thank You for making me new and giving me a new life in You.

Read New Life: The Transforming Power of the Gospel .

My Utmost for His Highest “Will You Lay Down Your Life?”

By Oswald Chambers

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends….I have called you friends… —John 15:13, 15

Jesus does not ask me to die for Him, but to lay down my life for Him. Peter said to the Lord, “I will lay down my life for Your sake,” and he meant it (John 13:37). He had a magnificent sense of the heroic. For us to be incapable of making this same statement Peter made would be a bad thing— our sense of duty is only fully realized through our sense of heroism. Has the Lord ever asked you, “Will you lay down your life for My sake?” (John 13:38). It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling of God. We are not made for the bright-shining moments of life, but we have to walk in the light of them in our everyday ways. There was only one bright-shining moment in the life of Jesus, and that was on the Mount of Transfiguration. It was there that He emptied Himself of His glory for the second time, and then came down into the demon-possessed valley (seeMark 9:1-29). For thirty-three years Jesus laid down His life to do the will of His Father. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). Yet it is contrary to our human nature to do so.

If I am a friend of Jesus, I must deliberately and carefully lay down my life for Him. It is a difficult thing to do, and thank God that it is. Salvation is easy for us, because it cost God so much. But the exhibiting of salvation in my life is difficult. God saves a person, fills him with the Holy Spirit, and then says, in effect, “Now you work it out in your life, and be faithful to Me, even though the nature of everything around you is to cause you to be unfaithful.” And Jesus says to us, “…I have called you friends….” Remain faithful to your Friend, and remember that His honor is at stake in your bodily life.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Christianity is not consistency to conscience or to convictions; Christianity is being true to Jesus Christ.  Biblical Ethics, 111 L

Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 4-6; Acts 2:22-47

Ron Hutchcraft "A Word with You

YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN - #9244 If you follow baseball, you know what a designated hitter is. When you really need a hit, you put in this guy who's got a really good batting average. Now, we didn't have a designated hitter in our town, but they sort of made me the designated prayer in our town. I'm not sure how I got that assignment, but when they were having some kind of a community function and they needed a prayer, they'd call me.

Well, I had an interesting assignment out of many of those that came up when I was asked to remember America's MIAs and POWs. There was a ceremony for them. Now, in case you've forgotten the initials, MIA means missing in action, and you know, we still think about a number of unaccounted for servicemen left over from past wars. And there have been intelligence reports that some of them may still be alive. So this ceremony was to commemorate them. When I got there, there were some veterans there in their fatigue pants and their black T-shirts, wearing their berets from Vietnam. And there were speeches, a gun salute, a flag raising. And I was impressed by the flag raising, because underneath the American flag they raised a banner, maybe you've seen it. It's a black banner. It has these words on it: You are not forgotten. There are a lot of MIAs who are not from a war that America's military fought. In fact, you could even be one of them.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "You Are Not Forgotten."

MIA - missing in action. You know, God has MIAs from His family. Maybe it's someone who's been around the Bible, been around Jesus at some point in their life. Yet somewhere they wandered away. Maybe that person is you. Maybe you can remember even as a child being exposed to Jesus and being exposed to the Bible, and somehow you've ended up listening today to this program or reading it. It's mostly memories, but the memories are there. Now, you're not really against Jesus, but you're not close to Him like you used to be. And you're away from God's people right now; you're away from God's Word, kind of doing your own thing; experimenting. Maybe you've been avoiding the people and the places that would remind you of that Christ that you were once close to. Maybe on the roles of your parents, or your Christian friends, or your church, you're missing in action.

Would you listen to a word for today from the Word of God? Psalm 139, "Oh Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I arise. You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down. You are familiar with all my ways. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go to the heavens you're there. If I make my bed in the depths you're there. If I arise on the winds of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me. Even the darkness will not be dark to You. The night will shine like day, for darkness is as light to You."

See, God's been following your life through every twist, every turn, every detour. And today He's brought us together to raise a banner that says, "You are not forgotten." He loves you. He knows you. He wants you back.

Maybe you're on the other end of the MIA drama. Someone you love is spiritually missing in action. I want you to know God is lovingly pursuing them today, and your prayer will be answered.

Don't wait until everything comes crashing down to get back to the Lord. The Christ who died for you is calling you back home. You've been on enough roads to know all the other brightly lit paths; they're dead end streets, aren't they? Why be a prisoner in enemy territory one day longer? Maybe we can help you find your way back to Him. Check out our website today. A lot of people have gone there at a time like this. It's ANewStory.com. Maybe a new story for you.

Your Savior has not forgotten you, even though you maybe have tried to forget Him. Open up your life. Let His peace replace all that hurt and all that restlessness. You are not forgotten. You can come home today.

1 Samuel 7 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: ESTHER - June 15, 2022 “And who knows, you may have been chosen queen for such a time as this” (Esther 4:14 NCV).

A wonderful illustration of boldness in prayer is in the story of Esther. Though her language and culture are an atlas apart from ours, she can tell you about the power of prayer to a king. Her request was to her husband, the king. Her prayer was for the delivery of her people. And because she entered the throne room, because she opened her heart to the king, he changed his plans and millions of people were saved.

Like Esther, we have been given a place in the palace. Like Esther, we have royal robes; we are dressed in righteousness. Like Esther, we have the privilege of making our request. And when we pray for God’s kingdom to come, it comes! 

1 Samuel 7 And they did. The men of Kiriath Jearim came and got the Chest of God and delivered it to the house of Abinadab on the hill. They ordained his son, Eleazar, to take responsibility for the Chest of God.

2 From the time that the Chest came to rest in Kiriath Jearim, a long time passed—twenty years it was—and throughout Israel there was a widespread, fearful movement toward God.

3 Then Samuel addressed the house of Israel: “If you are truly serious about coming back to God, clean house. Get rid of the foreign gods and fertility goddesses, ground yourselves firmly in God, worship him and him alone, and he’ll save you from Philistine oppression.”

4 They did it. They got rid of the gods and goddesses, the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and gave their exclusive attention and service to God.

5 Next Samuel said, “Get everybody together at Mizpah and I’ll pray for you.”

6 So everyone assembled at Mizpah. They drew water from the wells and poured it out before God in a ritual of cleansing. They fasted all day and prayed, “We have sinned against God.”

So Samuel prepared the Israelites for holy war there at Mizpah.

The Place Where God Helped Us

7 When the Philistines heard that Israel was meeting at Mizpah, the Philistine leaders went on the offensive. Israel got the report and became frightened—Philistines on the move again!

8 They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray with all your might! And don’t let up! Pray to God, our God, that he’ll save us from the boot of the Philistines.”

9 Samuel took a young lamb not yet weaned and offered it whole as a Whole-Burnt-Offering to God. He prayed fervently to God, interceding for Israel. And God answered.

10-12 While Samuel was offering the sacrifice, the Philistines came within range to fight Israel. Just then God thundered, a huge thunderclap exploding among the Philistines. They panicked—mass confusion!—and scattered before Israel. Israel poured out of Mizpah and gave chase, killing Philistines right and left, to a point just beyond Beth Car. Samuel took a single rock and set it upright between Mizpah and Shen. He named it “Ebenezer” (Rock of Help), saying, “This marks the place where God helped us.”

13-14 The Philistines learned their lesson and stayed home—no more border crossings. God was hard on the Philistines all through Samuel’s lifetime. All the cities from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored. Israel also freed the surrounding countryside from Philistine control. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

15-17 Samuel gave solid leadership to Israel his entire life. Every year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah. He gave leadership to Israel in each of these places. But always he would return to Ramah, where he lived, and preside from there. That is where he built an altar to God. 

Our Daily Bread Today's Scripture:

Luke 16:1–12

The Story of the Crooked Manager

1–2  16 Jesus said to his disciples, “There was once a rich man who had a manager. He got reports that the manager had been taking advantage of his position by running up huge personal expenses. So he called him in and said, ‘What’s this I hear about you? You’re fired. And I want a complete audit of your books.’

3–4  “The manager said to himself, ‘What am I going to do? I’ve lost my job as manager. I’m not strong enough for a laboring job, and I’m too proud to beg.… Ah, I’ve got a plan. Here’s what I’ll do … then when I’m turned out into the street, people will take me into their houses.’

5  “Then he went at it. One after another, he called in the people who were in debt to his master. He said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’

6  “He replied, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’

“The manager said, ‘Here, take your bill, sit down here—quick now—write fifty.’

7  “To the next he said, ‘And you, what do you owe?’

“He answered, ‘A hundred sacks of wheat.’

“He said, ‘Take your bill, write in eighty.’

8–9  “Now here’s a surprise: The master praised the crooked manager! And why? Because he knew how to look after himself. Streetwise people are smarter in this regard than law-abiding citizens. They are on constant alert, looking for angles, surviving by their wits. I want you to be smart in the same way—but for what is right—using every adversity to stimulate you to creative survival, to concentrate your attention on the bare essentials, so you’ll live, really live, and not complacently just get by on good behavior.”

God Sees Behind Appearances

10–13  Jesus went on to make these comments:

If you’re honest in small things,

you’ll be honest in big things;

If you’re a crook in small things,

you’ll be a crook in big things.

If you’re not honest in small jobs,

who will put you in charge of the store? 

Insight

As He crafted His parables, Jesus engaged with real-world situations. This is one reason why His stories often centered on money. His audience plainly understood the necessity of possessing at least some of this world’s resources. The lesson here isn’t that we’re to be dishonest or to push the bounds of ethical behavior as this manager did. Rather, Jesus implied that we’re to be “trustworthy in handling worldly wealth” (v. 11). His point is to be generous in a God-honoring way, which begins with our reliability in little things.

By: Tim 

Gustafson Investing in Others

Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves.

Luke 16:9

When a corporation offered one thousand frequent-flier miles for every ten purchases of one of their foods, one man realized their cheapest product was individual cups of chocolate pudding. He bought more than twelve thousand. For $3,000, he received gold status and a lifetime supply of air miles for himself and his family. He also donated the pudding to charity, which netted him an $800 tax write-off. Genius!

Jesus told a controversial parable about a cunning manager who, as he was being fired, reduced what debtors owed his master. The man knew he could rely on their help later for the favor he was doing them now. Jesus wasn’t praising the manager’s unethical business practice, but He knew we could learn from his ingenuity. Jesus said we should shrewdly “use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9). As “the pudding guy” turned twenty-five cent desserts into flights, so we may use our “worldly wealth” to gain “true riches” (v. 11).

What are these riches? Jesus said, “Give to the poor” and you will “provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys” (12:33). Our investment doesn’t earn our salvation, but it does affirm it, “for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (v. 34).

By:  Mike Wittmer

Reflect & Pray

How have you recently helped meet someone’s physical needs? Why is your charity an investment?

Loving God, help me to invest in the poor, for Jesus’ sake and Yours.

My Utmost for His Highest 

Get Moving! (2)

By Oswald Chambers Also…add to your faith… —2 Peter 1:5 In the matter of drudgery. Peter said in this passage that we have become “partakers of the divine nature” and that we should now be “giving all diligence,” concentrating on forming godly habits (2 Peter 1:4-5). We are to “add” to our lives all that character means. No one is born either naturally or supernaturally with character; it must be developed. Nor are we born with habits— we have to form godly habits on the basis of the new life God has placed within us. We are not meant to be seen as God’s perfect, bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of His grace. Drudgery is the test of genuine character. The greatest hindrance in our spiritual life is that we will only look for big things to do. Yet, “Jesus…took a towel and…began to wash the disciples’ feet…” (John 13:3-5).

We all have those times when there are no flashes of light and no apparent thrill to life, where we experience nothing but the daily routine with its common everyday tasks. The routine of life is actually God’s way of saving us between our times of great inspiration which come from Him. Don’t always expect God to give you His thrilling moments, but learn to live in those common times of the drudgery of life by the power of God.

It is difficult for us to do the “adding” that Peter mentioned here. We say we do not expect God to take us to heaven on flowery beds of ease, and yet we act as if we do! I must realize that my obedience even in the smallest detail of life has all of the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it. If I will do my duty, not for duty’s sake but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience all of the magnificent grace of God is mine through the glorious atonement by the Cross of Christ. WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

When we no longer seek God for His blessings, we have time to seek Him for Himself.  The Moral Foundations of Life, 728 L 

Bible in a Year: Nehemiah 1-3; Acts 2:1-21

A Word With You by Ron Hutchcraft 

YOUR MISSION HAS A NAME - #9243

There's no way newscasters could tell her story without somehow using the word "miracle." And that was easy to understand. See, Baby Lily had been trapped in a partly submerged car in Utah's Spanish Fork River. She was 18 months old. She was upside down in her car seat for 14 hours, with the cold water of the river running through that car.

Sadly, Lily's mom, who had been driving, did not survive that accident. And no one knew there was a car in the river until a fisherman spotted it the next day. Thank God, the rescuers he called got there in time. Just in time. Initially, there were no signs of life. But after triage CPR and the efforts of an emergency room staff, Lily started to respond. Now, it's a bittersweet situation. Mom didn't make it. But only days later, Lily was with her dad, singing her nursery rhymes again.

The first responders couldn't stop talking about what they called "the voice." The voice they heard calling 'Help me!' from the car in the river. It couldn't have been Lily's mom. It wasn't Lily. It was an adult voice. Reporters call it "divine intervention." I call it God.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Your Mission Has a Name."

It's something God's been doing for a long time; calling someone He's rescued from spiritual death to rescue someone else. Someone that Jesus died for, and someone who doesn't know or doesn't understand how deeply Jesus loves them. So much that in the Bible's words, "He gave Himself for our sins to rescue us" (Galatians 1:4).

Now as one of His rescued, I am called by God; a voice in my heart calling me to the person who is living and dying ultimately without Christ. I was rescued to rescue. Listen to our word for today from the Word of God in Proverbs 24:11, "rescue those who are being led away to death. Hold back those who are staggering toward slaughter." Or what about Jude 23, "snatch others from the fire..." like someone rescued you. "Snatch others from the fire and save them."

But He won't leave those rescue calls general. No, they're specific. For each of us who belong to Jesus, God wants to put a name in those verses; the name of someone we know. "Save Brian." "Rescue Annie, who's being led away to death."

The voice from heaven has cried "help" to me on behalf of family members He wanted me to help rescue, on behalf of neighbors, people I've worked with in the community. Because God wants each of us who know Him to carry a piece of His heart in our heart; a burden with a name. Someone we care enough about that we want them in heaven with us forever. Someone we pray for by name every day.

Someone for whom we regularly pray the 3-open prayer based on Colossians 4:3 and 4, "Lord, open a door (a natural opportunity) for me to talk to them about a relationship with You." Then, "Lord, open their heart," Then, "Lord, open my mouth!" Got it? "Lord, open a door. Lord, open their heart. Lord, open my mouth." Pray that on a daily basis and watch the amazing opportunities God will open up.

Even if going in for the rescue is hard. Those rescuers who followed the voice to baby Lily had to use all their strength to lift the car she was in. Several were treated for hypothermia. Rescue isn't cheap. Not for Jesus. Not for us.

But a life depends on me responding to the call to jump in. Because I've got to go with a fear greater than what might happen to me if I go in for the rescue. You know what the greater fear is? What might happen to them if I don't.

Luke 18:1-23, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

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Max Lucado Daily: GOD HEARS OUR REQUESTS - June 14, 2022 The King of creation gives special heed to the voices of his family. In Matthew 6:9 he even tells us what to ask him: “Thy kingdom come.”

When you pray, “Thy kingdom come,” you are inviting the Messiah himself to walk into your world. Come, my King! Take your throne in our land. Be present in my heart. Be present in my office. Be Lord of my family, my fears, and my doubts. This is a bold appeal for God to occupy every corner of your life. Who are you to ask such a thing? You are his child, for heaven’s sake! And so you ask boldly. “So let us come boldly to the very throne of God and stay there to receive his mercy and to find grace to help us in our times of need” (Hebrews 4:16 TLB). 

Luke 18:1-23

The Story of the Persistent Widow

18 1-3 Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’

4-5 “He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.’”

6-8 Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”

The Story of the Tax Man and the Pharisee

9-12 He told his next story to some who were complacently pleased with themselves over their moral performance and looked down their noses at the common people: “Two men went up to the Temple to pray, one a Pharisee, the other a tax man. The Pharisee posed and prayed like this: ‘Oh, God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, crooks, adulterers, or, heaven forbid, like this tax man. I fast twice a week and tithe on all my income.’

13 “Meanwhile the tax man, slumped in the shadows, his face in his hands, not daring to look up, said, ‘God, give mercy. Forgive me, a sinner.’”

14 Jesus commented, “This tax man, not the other, went home made right with God. If you walk around with your nose in the air, you’re going to end up flat on your face, but if you’re content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself.”

* * *

15-17 People brought babies to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. When the disciples saw it, they shooed them off. Jesus called them back. “Let these children alone. Don’t get between them and me. These children are the kingdom’s pride and joy. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.”

The Rich Official

18 One day one of the local officials asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to deserve eternal life?”

19-20 Jesus said, “Why are you calling me good? No one is good—only God. You know the commandments, don’t you? No illicit sex, no killing, no stealing, no lying, honor your father and mother.”

21 He said, “I’ve kept them all for as long as I can remember.”

22 When Jesus heard that, he said, “Then there’s only one thing left to do: Sell everything you own and give it away to the poor. You will have riches in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

23 This was the last thing the official expected to hear. He was very rich and became terribly sad. He was holding on tight to a lot of things and not about to let them go.

Our Daily Bread Devotion Today's Scripture

Obadiah 1:1

−4 Your World Will Collapse

1  Obadiah’s Message to Edom

from God, the Master.

We got the news straight from God

by a special messenger sent out to the godless nations:

“On your feet, prepare for battle;

get ready to make war on Edom! Insight

The book of Obadiah is a prophecy written for the people of Israel, but the prophecy has to do with the nation of Edom located to the south of Israel. The people of Edom were the descendants of Esau, Jacob’s twin brother, making them close relatives of the Israelite people. This is why Israel was forbidden to hate the Edomites (Deuteronomy 23:7). But the tense relationship between Jacob and Esau continued among their descendants. The Edomites wouldn’t allow the Israelites to pass through their land during their journey to Canaan (Numbers 20:14–21). And Edom stood by when Jerusalem was ransacked (Obadiah 1:11–14). Because of this indifference to their brother’s plight, Edom would be brought down (v. 4). This prophecy is repeated in Ezekiel 35. After the death of Herod the Great (an Edomite), the nation and people of Edom eventually disappeared from the historical record, fulfilling the prophecies against them.

By: J.R. Hudberg Pride and Decepti

The pride of your heart has deceived you.

Obadiah 1:3 Loving God, thank You for Your gentle, nudging correction. With my shoulders slumped, I murmured those difficult words. I’ve been so arrogant, thinking I could do it all on my own. For months, I’d been enjoying successful work projects, and the accolades lulled me into trusting my capabilities and rejecting God’s leading. It took a challenging project for me to realize I wasn’t as smart as I thought. My proud heart had deceived me into believing I didn’t need God’s help.

The powerful kingdom of Edom received discipline from God for its pride. Edom was located amid mountainous terrain, making her seemingly invulnerable to enemies (Obadiah 1:3). Edom was also a wealthy nation, situated at the center of strategic trade routes and rich in copper, a highly valued commodity in the ancient world. It was full of good things yet also full of pride. Its citizens believed their kingdom was invincible, even as they oppressed God’s people (vv. 10–14). But God used the prophet Obadiah to tell them of His judgment. Nations would rise up against Edom, and the once-powerful kingdom would be defenseless and humiliated (vv. 1–2).

Pride deceives us into thinking we can live life on our terms, without God. It makes us feel invulnerable to authority, correction, and weakness. But God calls us to humble ourselves before Him (1 Peter 5:6). As we turn from our pride and choose repentance, God will guide us toward total trust in Him. Reflect & Pray

What happens when blessings in your life become sources of pride? How can pride deceive you?

Father, protect me from pride. Please give me a humble heart.

MyUtmost for His Highest Get Moving! (1)

By Oswald Chambers

Abide in Me… —John 15:4

In the matter of determination. The Spirit of Jesus is put into me by way of the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I then have to build my thinking patiently to bring it into perfect harmony with my Lord. God will not make me think like Jesus— I have to do it myself. I have to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). “Abide in Me”— in intellectual matters, in money matters, in every one of the matters that make human life what it is. Our lives are not made up of only one neatly confined area.

Am I preventing God from doing things in my circumstances by saying that it will only serve to hinder my fellowship with Him? How irrelevant and disrespectful that is! It does not matter what my circumstances are. I can be as much assured of abiding in Jesus in any one of them as I am in any prayer meeting. It is unnecessary to change and arrange my circumstances myself. Our Lord’s inner abiding was pure and unblemished. He was at home with God wherever His body was. He never chose His own circumstances, but was meek, submitting to His Father’s plans and directions for Him. Just think of how amazingly relaxed our Lord’s life was! But we tend to keep God at a fever pitch in our lives. We have none of the serenity of the life which is “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).

Think of the things that take you out of the position of abiding in Christ. You say, “Yes, Lord, just a minute— I still have this to do. Yes, I will abide as soon as this is finished, or as soon as this week is over. It will be all right, Lord. I will abide then.” Get moving— begin to abide now. In the initial stages it will be a continual effort to abide, but as you continue, it will become so much a part of your life that you will abide in Him without any conscious effort. Make the determination to abide in Jesus wherever you are now or wherever you may be placed in the future. WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The measure of the worth of our public activity for God is the private profound communion we have with Him.… We have to pitch our tents where we shall always have quiet times with God, however noisy our times with the world may be. My Utmost for His Highest, January 6, 736 R

A Word with you Ron Hutchcraft My children love roller coasters. They didn't get that from me. No, when my dad took me on the big "thrills and chills" coaster at our city amusement park, I needed counseling for years to come!

Of course, you don't have to buy a ticket these days to get a wild ride. No, just invest in the stock market for example. You know, plenty of ups and downs! And Wall Street's wild rides over the past few years. And they have only been a mirror of a world that seems to be off-the-charts financially. There's a lot of questions about credit rating and currencies, and interest rates, and housing bubbles. And, oh man! And, you know, sometimes they talk about like our future credit rating as a country may depend on how budget negotiations go in Washington. Well, in that case, hang on tight.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How to Get Off Life's Roller Coaster."

They even without all the mayhem in the economy, life still gets crazy. Sudden drops can come from a change in your family, or your job, or your health. We're always one email, one text, one call, one doctor visit, one conversation away from the bottom dropping out. I've been there when the "Code Blue" was someone close to me, when the baby with "problems" was one of ours, when the income suddenly went away, when the phone call came that changed everything.

But when the roller coaster was twisting and dropping violently, one thing kept me safe. The coaster was attached to the track. And the track wasn't moving.

Years ago, I chose to go out of the business of running my own life, which the Bible has a simple word for - "sin." See, I've been trying to let Jesus drive ever since. After all, the Bible says I was "created by Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16). So why would I not let Him run the life that He gave me to live for Him? See, He's the "track" that my crazy roller-coaster car is attached to.

Or, in the reassuring words of God's Book, the Bible, and our word for today from the Word of God, Hebrews 6:19 (I love this!) we have in Jesus "an anchor for the soul, firm and secure" Don't you want that? I mean, I know that my "daily bread" comes from a God whose stock never drops and whose resources are always infinite. I live in total security...hand-to-mouth - His hand to my mouth. I know that in the words of the Bible, "my times are in His hands" (Psalm 31:15) - not in the hands of a doctor or a disease. I don't need to fear for the people I love because, again the Bible says, "I know Whom I have believed and I am convinced He is able to guard what (or who) I have committed to Him" (2 Timothy 1:12).

See, you can survive the ride if your soul is anchored. And Jesus is that anchor, because He is, in the Bible's words, "the same yesterday, today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). He loves you today as much as He did the day He bled for your sins on a cross. He's as powerful today as He was the day He blew away death at His now-empty tomb. And "nothing," the Bible says, "will ever separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39).

Listen, if life for you has been a lot of drops and a lot of crazy twists and turns, and you're ready for the anchor you were made for, well then let this be the day you open up to Jesus. Take your life out of your hands. Put it into His. You'll notice there's nail prints in those hands. That's how much He loves you, to die for every wrong thing you've ever done against Him.

Because He's alive and walked out of His grave, He can walk into your life today. Tell Him, "Jesus, I'm Yours beginning today." I'd suggest you check out our website and get some more information on how this relationship works. Go to ANewStory.com.

See, you can't slow down a roller coaster, but you can make sure that you're attached to the track.

1 Samuel 6 ,Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART - June 13, 2022

God called David “a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22 NIV). One might read David’s story and wonder what God saw in him. The fellow fell as often as he stood, stumbled as often as he conquered. He stared down Goliath, yet he ogled at Bathsheba.

A man after God’s own heart? That God saw him as such gives hope to us all. We need David’s story. Giants lurk in our neighborhoods. Rejection, failure, revenge, remorse – giants. We must face them, yet we need not face them alone. Focus first, and most, on God. The times David did, giants like Goliath fell. The days he did not, David fell.

Lift your eyes, giant slayer. The God who made a miracle out of David stands ready to make one out of you.

1 Samuel 6

Gold Tumors and Rats

After the Chest of God had been among the Philistine people for seven months, the Philistine leaders called together their religious professionals, the priests, and experts on the supernatural for consultation: “How can we get rid of this Chest of God, get it off our hands without making things worse? Tell us!”

3 They said, “If you’re going to send the Chest of the God of Israel back, don’t just dump it on them. Pay compensation. Then you will be healed. After you’re in the clear again, God will let up on you. Why wouldn’t he?”

4-6 “And what exactly would make for adequate compensation?”

“Five gold tumors and five gold rats,” they said, “to match the number of Philistine leaders. Since all of you—leaders and people—suffered the same plague, make replicas of the tumors and rats that are devastating the country and present them as an offering to the glory of the God of Israel. Then maybe he’ll ease up and not be so hard on you and your gods, and on your country. Why be stubborn like the Egyptians and Pharaoh? God didn’t quit pounding on them until they let the people go. Only then did he let up.

7-9 “So here’s what you do: Take a brand-new oxcart and two cows that have never been in harness. Hitch the cows to the oxcart and send their calves back to the barn. Put the Chest of God on the cart. Secure the gold replicas of the tumors and rats that you are offering as compensation in a sack and set them next to the Chest. Then send it off. But keep your eyes on it. If it heads straight back home to where it came from, toward Beth Shemesh, it is clear that this catastrophe is a divine judgment, but if not, we’ll know that God had nothing to do with it—it was just an accident.”

10-12 So that’s what they did: They hitched two cows to the cart, put their calves in the barn, and placed the Chest of God and the sack of gold rats and tumors on the cart. The cows headed straight for home, down the road to Beth Shemesh, straying neither right nor left, mooing all the way. The Philistine leaders followed them to the outskirts of Beth Shemesh.

13-15 The people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting wheat in the valley. They looked up and saw the Chest. Elated, they ran to meet it. The cart came into the field of Joshua, a Beth Shemeshite, and stopped there beside a huge boulder. The harvesters tore the cart to pieces, then chopped up the wood and sacrificed the cows as a burnt offering to God. The Levites took charge of the Chest of God and the sack containing the gold offerings, placing them on the boulder. Offering the sacrifices, everyone in Beth Shemesh worshiped God most heartily that day.

16 When the five Philistine leaders saw what they came to see, they returned the same day to Ekron.

17-18 The five gold replicas of the tumors were offered by the Philistines in compensation for the cities of Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron. The five gold rats matched the number of Philistine towns, both large and small, ruled by the five leaders. The big boulder on which they placed the Chest of God is still there in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, a landmark.

If You Are Serious About Coming Back to God

19-20 God struck some of the men of Beth Shemesh who, out of curiosity, irreverently peeked into the Chest of God. Seventy died. The whole town was in mourning, reeling under the hard blow from God, and questioning, “Who can stand before God, this holy God? And who can we get to take this Chest off our hands?”

21 They sent emissaries to Kiriath Jearim, saying, “The Philistines have returned the Chest of God. Come down and get it.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Today's Scripture & Insight:

1 Kings 19:4–10, 15–18

and then went on into the desert another day’s journey. He came to a lone broom bush and collapsed in its shade, wanting in the worst way to be done with it all—to just die: “Enough of this, God! Take my life—I’m ready to join my ancestors in the grave!” Exhausted, he fell asleep under the lone broom bush.

Suddenly an angel shook him awake and said, “Get up and eat!”

6  He looked around and, to his surprise, right by his head were a loaf of bread baked on some coals and a jug of water. He ate the meal and went back to sleep.

7  The angel of God came back, shook him awake again, and said, “Get up and eat some more—you’ve got a long journey ahead of you.”

8–9  He got up, ate and drank his fill, and set out. Nourished by that meal, he walked forty days and nights, all the way to the mountain of God, to Horeb. When he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep.

Then the word of God came to him: “So Elijah, what are you doing here?”

10  “I’ve been working my heart out for the God-of-the-Angel-Armies,” said Elijah. “The people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed the places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I’m the only one left, and now they’re trying to kill me.”

God said, “Go back the way you came through the desert to Damascus. When you get there anoint Hazael; make him king over Aram. Then anoint Jehu son of Nimshi; make him king over Israel. Finally, anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Anyone who escapes death by Hazael will be killed by Jehu; and anyone who escapes death by Jehu will be killed by Elisha. Meanwhile, I’m preserving for myself seven thousand souls: the knees that haven’t bowed to the god Baal, the mouths that haven’t kissed his image.”

Insight

The “angel of the Lord” who ministered to the despairing prophet Elijah (1 Kings 19:7) is a mysterious figure throughout the Old Testament. More than just an angel, this figure appears to reveal God Himself. Hagar, for example, saw an “angel of the Lord” who speaks directly as God, promising “I will increase your descendants” (Genesis 16:10). Hagar then addressed God directly, confessing, “I have now seen the One who sees me” (v. 13). Exodus describes Moses encountering the “angel of the Lord” from a mysterious burning bush (Exodus 3:2), then God Himself speaks with Moses from this bush (vv. 4–22). By: Monica La Rose

Divine Tenderness

[Elijah] looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again.

1 Kings 19:6

I once heard a businessman describe his years in college as a time when he often felt “helpless and hopeless” from bouts of depression. Sadly, he never talked to a doctor about these feelings, but instead started making more drastic plans—ordering a book on suicide from his local library and setting a date to take his life.

God cares for the helpless and hopeless. We see this in His treatment of biblical characters during their own dark times. When Jonah wanted to die, God engaged him in tender conversation (Jonah 4:3–10). When Elijah asked God to take his life (1 Kings 19:4), God provided bread and water to refresh him (vv. 5–9), spoke gently to him (vv. 11–13), and helped him see he wasn’t as alone as he thought (v. 18). God approaches the downhearted with tender, practical help.

The library notified the student when his book on suicide was ready to collect. But in a mix-up, the note went to his parents’ address instead. When his mother called him, distraught, he realized the devastation his suicide would bring. Without that address mix-up, he says, he wouldn’t be here today.

I don’t believe that student was saved by luck or chance. Whether it’s bread and water when we need it, or a timely wrong address, when mysterious intervention saves our lives, we’ve encountered divine tenderness. By:  Sheridan Voysey

Reflect & Pray

How has God come through for you in a time of desperation? Where else have you seen divine tenderness in action?

Loving God, I praise You for Your tender, practical care for the helpless and hopeless. 

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

June 13, 2022

Getting There (3)

By Oswald Chambers

…come, follow Me. —Luke 18:22

Where our individual desire dies and sanctified surrender lives. One of the greatest hindrances in coming to Jesus is the excuse of our own individual temperament. We make our temperament and our natural desires barriers to coming to Jesus. Yet the first thing we realize when we do come to Jesus is that He pays no attention whatsoever to our natural desires. We have the idea that we can dedicate our gifts to God. However, you cannot dedicate what is not yours. There is actually only one thing you can dedicate to God, and that is your right to yourself (see Romans 12:1). If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you— and His experiments always succeed. The one true mark of a saint of God is the inner creativity that flows from being totally surrendered to Jesus Christ. In the life of a saint there is this amazing Well, which is a continual Source of original life. The Spirit of God is a Well of water springing up perpetually fresh. A saint realizes that it is God who engineers his circumstances; consequently there are no complaints, only unrestrained surrender to Jesus. Never try to make your experience a principle for others, but allow God to be as creative and original with others as He is with you.

If you abandon everything to Jesus, and come when He says, “Come,” then He will continue to say, “Come,” through you. You will go out into the world reproducing the echo of Christ’s “Come.” That is the result in every soul who has abandoned all and come to Jesus.

Have I come to Him? Will I come now?

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

If there is only one strand of faith amongst all the corruption within us, God will take hold of that one strand.  Not Knowing Whither, 888 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, June 13, 2022

THE PROBLEM WITH "PUSHY" - #9241

There's a lot of sheep-talk in the Bible, which puts "city boy" here at a distinct disadvantage. I grew up in Chicago, we didn't have them there. No, if the Bible used like cockroaches as an example, I'd be all set. But I've had to learn about sheep from friends who have been around them a lot. One of our ministry team worked with ranchers a lot with their sheep. And he told me about how the shepherd gets his sheep to go where he wants them to go! There's a way that works and a way that doesn't work. My co-worker said that he has seen people get behind sheep and try to push them along. Notice I said, try! It doesn't work, no matter how much noise he makes or how he waves his arms. When they are pushed by a shepherd, sheep just scatter. But when he gets out in front of them; when he leads them the way he wants them to go, the sheep follow after him. Not a bad idea.

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

Over and over in God's Word we're described as being like sheep, and Jesus is described as being our Shepherd. Our word for today from the Word of God, Isaiah 40:11 (I love this), "He tends His flock like a shepherd; He gathers the lambs in His arms and He carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those who have young." Notice the Lord gets us to go where He wants us to go not by pushing. It says He gently leads. Remember the 23rd Psalm, "He leads me beside quiet waters."

Now it may be that God's put you in a position where you're doing some shepherding. In other words, there are some people under your influence who need to go in a certain direction, and you're trying to get them to go there. The sheep could be your own children, or some people in ministry with you, or people you minister to, or people who work with you, or just some folks you're trying to motivate to go a certain way. If you're trying to do any shepherding, take a lesson from the Great Shepherd and many other shepherds...gently lead them. Even though you sometimes feel like you really need to push them. Leading just works so much better than pushing.

If you're trying to push your "sheep," you tend to be impatient with them. In fact, that's why we often start pushing because, "Hey, they're not responding!" If you're leading them, you'll be willing to take time for them to get it right. If you're pushing, you probably dwell a lot on what they're doing wrong. If you're leading, you're dwelling on the things they're doing right and you're encouraging them from that point to work on the rest. When you're behind the sheep trying to forcibly direct them, you tend to make moving the most important thing. When you're in front of the sheep leading them, you tend to communicate that the sheep are what's most important.

Honestly now, which one best describes you? Are you behind those sheep, nagging, criticizing, coercing? You're pushing, and they'll probably just run away. Or are you modeling where you want them to go, giving correction gently and privately, praising, encouraging, enabling? If so, you're leading the sheep. And they're a lot more likely to follow.

Now, sheep sometimes wander off and they require some strong bringing back with a staff. But most of the time, all of us sheep follow gentle, consistent leadership the best. We don't like to be pushed. We like to be led. The destination the shepherd wants the sheep to go is the same, whether he's up front leading or behind them pushing. What's different is how the sheep respond. If you have a sheep that isn't going where you're trying to make him or her go, consider it part of the problem might be the shepherd.

Maybe it's time for a little less of that hard pushing from behind, and maybe it's time for a little more of that gentle leading from out in front.

1 Samuel 5 ,Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Dad Made the Difference

Other events of my sixth-grade year blur into fog. But that spring evening in 1967? Crystal clear. I passed on dessert. No appetite. I needed to focus on the phone-on the call I had expected before the meal. I'm staring at the phone like a dog at a bone hoping a Little League coach will tell me I've made his team. In the great scheme of things, not making a baseball team matters little. But twelve-year-olds can't see the great scheme of things.

Long after my hopes were gone, the doorbell rang. It was the coach. He made it sound as if I were a top choice. Only later did I learn I was the last pick. And save a call from my dad, I might have been left off the team. But dad called, the coach came, and I was glad to play! Dad made the difference!

From Dad Time 

1 Samuel 5

The Message

Threatened with Mass Death

5 1-2 Once the Philistines had seized the Chest of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod, brought it into the shrine of Dagon, and placed it alongside the idol of Dagon.

3-5 Next morning when the citizens of Ashdod got up, they were shocked to find Dagon toppled from his place, flat on his face before the Chest of God. They picked him up and put him back where he belonged. First thing the next morning they found him again, toppled and flat on his face before the Chest of God. Dagon’s head and arms were broken off, strewn across the entrance. Only his torso was in one piece. (That’s why even today, the priests of Dagon and visitors to the Dagon shrine in Ashdod avoid stepping on the threshold.)

6 God was hard on the citizens of Ashdod. He devastated them by hitting them with tumors. This happened in both the town and the surrounding neighborhoods. He let loose rats among them. Jumping from ships there, rats swarmed all over the city! And everyone was deathly afraid.

7-8 When the leaders of Ashdod saw what was going on, they decided, “The chest of the god of Israel has got to go. We can’t handle this, and neither can our god Dagon.” They called together all the Philistine leaders and put it to them: “How can we get rid of the chest of the god of Israel?”

The leaders agreed: “Move it to Gath.” So they moved the Chest of the God of Israel to Gath.

9 But as soon as they moved it there, God came down hard on that city, too. It was mass hysteria! He hit them with tumors. Tumors broke out on everyone in town, young and old.

10-12 So they sent the Chest of God on to Ekron, but as the Chest was being brought into town, the people shouted in protest, “You’ll kill us all by bringing in this Chest of the God of Israel!” They called the Philistine leaders together and demanded, “Get it out of here, this Chest of the God of Israel. Send it back where it came from. We’re threatened with mass death!” For everyone was scared to death when the Chest of God showed up. God was already coming down very hard on the place. Those who didn’t die were hit with tumors. All over the city cries of pain and lament filled the air.


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion



Read: Exodus 12:24–28

24–27 “Keep this word. It’s the law for you and your children, forever. When you enter the land which God will give you as he promised, keep doing this. And when your children say to you, ‘Why are we doing this?’ tell them: ‘It’s the Passover-sacrifice to God who passed over the homes of the Israelites in Egypt when he hit Egypt with death but rescued us.’ ”

The people bowed and worshiped.

28 The Israelites then went and did what God had commanded Moses and Aaron. They did it all.

Insight

The point of the first Passover was substitutionary death: a spotless lamb sacrificed in place of the firstborn son. As with all elements of worship prescribed in the Old Testament, this points to the future Messiah who would be the once-for-all sacrifice for the entire human race. At the Passover observance we now know as the Last Supper, Jesus said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). Hebrews 9:26 explains that “[Christ] has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” The writer to the Hebrews concluded, “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him” (v. 28).

By: Tim Gustafson

God-moves

It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes. 

Exodus 12:27

I love a good game of Scrabble. After one particular game, my friends named a move after me—calling it a “Katara.” I’d been trailing the entire game, but at the end of it—with no tiles left in the bag—I made a seven-letter word. This meant the game was over, and I received fifty bonus points as well as all the points from all of my opponents’ leftover tiles, moving me from last place to first. Now whenever we play and someone is trailing, they remember what happened and hold out hope for a “Katara.”

Remembering what has happened in the past has the power to lift our spirits and give us hope. And that’s exactly what the Israelites did when they celebrated Passover. The Passover commemorates what God did for the Israelites when they were in Egypt, oppressed by Pharaoh and his crew (Exodus 1:6–14). After they cried out to God, He delivered the people in a mighty way. He told them to put blood on their doorposts so the death angel would “pass over” their firstborn people and animals (12:12–13). Then they would be kept safe from death. 

Centuries later, believers in Jesus regularly take communion as we remember His sacrifice on the cross—providing what we needed to be delivered from sin and death (1 Corinthians 11:23–26). Remembering God’s loving acts in the past gives us hope for today.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

June 12, 2022

They said to Him, "Rabbi…where are You staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." —John 1:38-39

Where our self-interest sleeps and the real interest is awakened. “They…remained with Him that day….” That is about all some of us ever do. We stay with Him a short time, only to wake up to our own realities of life. Our self-interest rises up and our abiding with Him is past. Yet there is no circumstance of life in which we cannot abide in Jesus.

“You are Simon….You shall be called Cephas” (John 1:42). God writes our new name only on those places in our lives where He has erased our pride, self-sufficiency, and self-interest. Some of us have our new name written only in certain spots, like spiritual measles. And in those areas of our lives we look all right. When we are in our best spiritual mood, you would think we were the highest quality saints. But don’t dare look at us when we are not in that mood. A true disciple is one who has his new name written all over him— self-interest, pride, and self-sufficiency have been completely erased.

Pride is the sin of making “self” our god. And some of us today do this, not like the Pharisee, but like the tax collector (see Luke 18:9-14). For you to say, “Oh, I’m no saint,” is acceptable by human standards of pride, but it is unconscious blasphemy against God. You defy God to make you a saint, as if to say, “I am too weak and hopeless and outside the reach of the atonement by the Cross of Christ.” Why aren’t you a saint? It is either that you do not want to be a saint, or that you do not believe that God can make you into one. You say it would be all right if God saved you and took you straight to heaven. That is exactly what He will do! And not only do we make our home with Him, but Jesus said of His Father and Himself, “…We will come to him and make Our home with him” (John 14:23). Put no conditions on your life— let Jesus be everything to you, and He will take you home with Him not only for a day, but for eternity.

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Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

Beware of bartering the Word of God for a more suitable conception of your own.  Disciples Indeed, 386 R Sincerely,

1 Samuel 4, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Time in His Workshop

The highlight of my Cub Scout career was the Soap Box Derby. My plan was to construct a genuine red roadster like the one in the Scout manual. Armed with a saw and hammer, lumber and high ambition, I set out to be the Henry Ford of Troop 169. My efforts weren't a pretty sight. At some point dad mercifully intervened, and told me to follow him into his workshop.
I kept my bike in there but I never noticed the tools.  But then again, I'd never tried to build anything before. Over the next couple of hours he introduced me to the magical world of sawhorses, squares, tape measures, and drills. I was amazed. Within an afternoon, we had constructed a pretty decent vehicle. I didn't leave the race with a trophy, but I did leave with a greater admiration for my father. Why? Because I'd spent time in his workshop!
From Dad Time

1 Samuel 4

The Chest of God Is Taken

Whatever Samuel said was broadcast all through Israel. Israel went to war against the Philistines. Israel set up camp at Ebenezer, the Philistines at Aphek. The Philistines marched out to meet Israel, the fighting spread, and Israel was badly beaten—about four thousand soldiers left dead on the field. When the troops returned to camp, Israel’s elders said, “Why has God given us such a beating today by the Philistines? Let’s go to Shiloh and get the Chest of God’s Covenant. It will accompany us and save us from the grip of our enemies.”

4 So the army sent orders to Shiloh. They brought the Chest of the Covenant of God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, the Cherubim-Enthroned-God. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, accompanied the Chest of the Covenant of God.

5-6 When the Chest of the Covenant of God was brought into camp, everyone gave a huge cheer. The shouts were like thunderclaps shaking the very ground. The Philistines heard the shouting and wondered what on earth was going on: “What’s all this shouting among the Hebrews?”

6-9 Then they learned that the Chest of God had entered the Hebrew camp. The Philistines panicked: “Their gods have come to their camp! Nothing like this has ever happened before. We’re done for! Who can save us from the clutches of these supergods? These are the same gods who hit the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues out in the wilderness. On your feet, Philistines! Courage! We’re about to become slaves to the Hebrews, just as they have been slaves to us. Show what you’re made of! Fight for your lives!”

10-11 And did they ever fight! It turned into a rout. They thrashed Israel so mercilessly that the Israelite soldiers ran for their lives, leaving behind an incredible thirty thousand dead. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the Chest of God was taken and the two sons of Eli—Hophni and Phinehas—were killed.
Glory Is Exiled from Israel

12-16 Immediately, a Benjaminite raced from the front lines back to Shiloh. Shirt torn and face smeared with dirt, he entered the town. Eli was sitting on his stool beside the road keeping vigil, for he was extremely worried about the Chest of God. When the man ran straight into town to tell the bad news, everyone wept. They were appalled. Eli heard the loud wailing and asked, “Why this uproar?” The messenger hurried over and reported. Eli was ninety-eight years old then, and blind. The man said to Eli, “I’ve just come from the front, barely escaping with my life.”

“And so, my son,” said Eli, “what happened?”

17 The messenger answered, “Israel scattered before the Philistines. The defeat was catastrophic, with enormous losses. Your sons Hophni and Phinehas died, and the Chest of God was taken.”

18 At the words, “Chest of God,” Eli fell backward off his stool where he sat next to the gate. Eli was an old man, and very fat. When he fell, he broke his neck and died. He had led Israel forty years.

19-20 His daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was pregnant and ready to deliver. When she heard that the Chest of God had been taken and that both her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she dropped to her knees to give birth, going into hard labor. As she was about to die, her midwife said, “Don’t be afraid. You’ve given birth to a son!” But she gave no sign that she had heard.

21-22 The Chest of God gone, father-in-law dead, husband dead, she named the boy Ichabod (Glory’s-Gone), saying, “Glory is exiled from Israel since the Chest of God was taken.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Saturday, June 11, 2022

Today's Scripture
Mark 5:11–20

A large herd of pigs was browsing and rooting on a nearby hill. The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs so we can live in them.” Jesus gave the order. But it was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the sea and drowned.

14–15     Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story in town and country. Everyone wanted to see what had happened. They came up to Jesus and saw the madman sitting there wearing decent clothes and making sense, no longer a walking madhouse of a man.

16–17     Those who had seen it told the others what had happened to the demon-possessed man and the pigs. At first they were in awe—and then they were upset, upset over the drowned pigs. They demanded that Jesus leave and not come back.

18–20     As Jesus was getting into the boat, the demon-delivered man begged to go along, but he wouldn’t let him. Jesus said, “Go home to your own people. Tell them your story—what the Master did, how he had mercy on you.” The man went back and began to preach in the Ten Towns area about what Jesus had done for him. He was the talk of the town.

Insight

Today’s story in Mark 5:11–20 is an example of how the gospel writers used storytelling. This account of the demon-possessed man is full of surprises and unexpected twists, all of which not only move the reader forward but help to underline the power and impact of Jesus’ actions. Consider the reactions of the crowd to His miracle of driving the legion of demons from the man living in the tombs. It isn’t the drowning of the thousands of pigs to which the people react; their focus is on the once-wild man now sitting clothed and in his right mind. Yet instead of being wowed by his recovery, they’re afraid of the man with the power to do what their chains couldn’t. Instead of rejoicing with the one who was set free, they’re afraid of the One with the power to heal him and can only ask for Him to leave. By: J.R. Hudberg

Faith Conversations at Home

Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you.
Mark 5:19

“There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.” Those unforgettable lines spoken by Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz reveal a story-telling device found in an overwhelming number of our most enduring stories from the likes of Star Wars to The Lion King. It’s known as “the hero’s journey.” In brief: an ordinary person is living an ordinary life when an extraordinary adventure is presented. The character leaves home and travels to a different world where tests and trials await, as well as mentors and villains. If she or he passes the tests and proves heroic, then the final stage is returning home with stories to tell and wisdom gained. The last piece is crucial.

The story of the demon-possessed man closely parallels the hero’s journey. It’s interesting that in last scene the man begged Jesus to let him “go with him” (Mark 5:18). Yet Jesus told him: “Go home to your own people” (v. 19). It was important in this man’s journey to return home to the people who knew him best and to tell them his amazing story.

God calls each of us in different ways and to different scenarios. But for some of us, it can be crucial for our faith journey to go home and tell our story to those who know us best. For some of us, the call is “there’s no place like home.”   

Reflect & Pray

Who comes to mind that needs to hear what God has done for you? What does the first step in that journey look like?

Jesus, give me the courage to tell of Your wonderful works. Not just to strangers, but also to those who know me best—those at home.

Read Pray First! The Power of Prayer in Sharing the Gospel.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, June 11, 2022

Getting There (1)

Come to Me… —Matthew 11:28

Where sin and sorrow stops, and the song of the saint starts. Do I really want to get there? I can right now. The questions that truly matter in life are remarkably few, and they are all answered by these words— “Come to Me.” Our Lord’s words are not, “Do this, or don’t do that,” but— “Come to me.” If I will simply come to Jesus, my real life will be brought into harmony with my real desires. I will actually cease from sin, and will find the song of the Lord beginning in my life.

Have you ever come to Jesus? Look at the stubbornness of your heart. You would rather do anything than this one simple childlike thing— “Come to Me.” If you really want to experience ceasing from sin, you must come to Jesus.

Jesus Christ makes Himself the test to determine your genuineness. Look how He used the word come. At the most unexpected moments in your life there is this whisper of the Lord— “Come to Me,” and you are immediately drawn to Him. Personal contact with Jesus changes everything. Be “foolish” enough to come and commit yourself to what He says. The attitude necessary for you to come to Him is one where your will has made the determination to let go of everything and deliberately commit it all to Him.

“…and I will give you rest”— that is, “I will sustain you, causing you to stand firm.” He is not saying, “I will put you to bed, hold your hand, and sing you to sleep.” But, in essence, He is saying, “I will get you out of bed— out of your listlessness and exhaustion, and out of your condition of being half dead while you are still alive. I will penetrate you with the spirit of life, and you will be sustained by the perfection of vital activity.” Yet we become so weak and pitiful and talk about “suffering” the will of the Lord! Where is the majestic vitality and the power of the Son of God in that?

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

The great word of Jesus to His disciples is Abandon. When God has brought us into the relationship of disciples, we have to venture on His word; trust entirely to Him and watch that when He brings us to the venture, we take it.  Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 1459 R

Bible in a Year: Ezra 1-2; John 19:23-42