Proverbs 11 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Be Ready

John 1:14 says, "The Word became human and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness." He lived among us. He donned the costliest of robes: a human body. He became a friend of the sinner and brother of the poor. He touched their sores and felt their tears and paid for their mistakes. And to all of us frightened ones, He shared the same message: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. . .I will come again and receive you to Myself." (Jn. 14:1)

And how do we respond? Some pretend He doesn't exist. Others hear Him, but don't believe Him. But then, a few decide to give it a try. And when He calls your name, be ready. Look up. He will reach down and take you home…when Christ comes!

From In the Manger

Proverbs 11

Without Good Direction, People Lose Their Way

God hates cheating in the marketplace;

    he loves it when business is aboveboard.

2 The stuck-up fall flat on their faces,

    but down-to-earth people stand firm.

3 The integrity of the honest keeps them on track;

    the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin.

4 A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart,

    but a principled life can stand up to the worst.

5 Moral character makes for smooth traveling;

    an evil life is a hard life.

6 Good character is the best insurance;

    crooks get trapped in their sinful lust.

7 When the wicked die, that’s it—

    the story’s over, end of hope.

8 A good person is saved from much trouble;

    a bad person runs straight into it.

9 The loose tongue of the godless spreads destruction;

    the common sense of the godly preserves them.

10 When it goes well for good people, the whole town cheers;

    when it goes badly for bad people, the town celebrates.

11 When right-living people bless the city, it flourishes;

    evil talk turns it into a ghost town in no time.

12 Mean-spirited slander is heartless;

    quiet discretion accompanies good sense.

13 A gadabout gossip can’t be trusted with a secret,

    but someone of integrity won’t violate a confidence.

14 Without good direction, people lose their way;

    the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.

15 Whoever makes deals with strangers is sure to get burned;

    if you keep a cool head, you’ll avoid rash bargains.

16 A woman of gentle grace gets respect,

    but men of rough violence grab for loot.

A God-Shaped Life

17 When you’re kind to others, you help yourself;

    when you’re cruel to others, you hurt yourself.

18 Bad work gets paid with a bad check;

    good work gets solid pay.

19 Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live,

    or chase after phantoms of evil and die.

20 God can’t stand deceivers,

    but oh how he relishes integrity.

21 Count on this: The wicked won’t get off scot-free,

    and God’s loyal people will triumph.

22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout

    is a beautiful face on an empty head.

23 The desires of good people lead straight to the best,

    but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.

24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger;

    the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

25 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;

    those who help others are helped.

26 Curses on those who drive a hard bargain!

    Blessings on all who play fair and square!

27 The one who seeks good finds delight;

    the student of evil becomes evil.

28 A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump;

    a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.

29 Exploit or abuse your family, and end up with a fistful of air;

    common sense tells you it’s a stupid way to live.

30 A good life is a fruit-bearing tree;

    a violent life destroys souls.

31 If good people barely make it,

    what’s in store for the bad!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Today's Scripture

Proverbs 30:7–9

And then he prayed, “God, I’m asking for two things

    before I die; don’t refuse me—

Banish lies from my lips

    and liars from my presence.

Give me enough food to live on,

    neither too much nor too little.

If I’m too full, I might get independent,

    saying, ‘God? Who needs him?’

If I’m poor, I might steal

    and dishonor the name of my God.”

Insight

The opening verse of Proverbs 30 attributes this proverb to a man named Agur, the son of Jakeh. Unfortunately, this is all we know of him. The text of verse 1 continues that his “utterance” was given to people named Ithiel and Ucal (nasb)—about whom we also know nothing. What can we surmise from the nature of these proverbs? Perhaps that Agur was a man of humility (vv. 2–4) and an astute observer of nature (vv. 19, 24–31) and human nature (vv. 20–23). The fact that his wise sayings are included in the book of Proverbs is testimony to the high regard with which they were held by Jewish rabbinic scholarship. In verse 8, we also discover that Agur apparently was a man of moderation rather than excess, as he asks God, “give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.” By: Bill Crowder

Just Enough

Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Proverbs 30:8

In the movie Fiddler on the Roof, the character Tevye talks honestly with God about His economics: “You made many, many poor people. I realize, of course, that it’s no shame to be poor. But it’s no great honor either! So, what would have been so terrible if I had a small fortune! . . . Would it have spoiled some vast, eternal plan—if I were a wealthy man?”

Many centuries before author Sholem Aleichem placed these honest words on Tevye’s tongue, Agur lifted an equally honest but somewhat different prayer to God in the book of Proverbs. Agur asked God to give him neither poverty nor wealth—just his “daily bread” (Proverbs 30:8). He knew that having “too much” could make him proud and transform him into a practical atheist—denying the character of God. In addition, he asked God to not let him “become poor” because it might cause him to dishonor God's name by stealing from others (v. 9). Agur recognized God as his sole provider, and he asked Him for “just enough” to satisfy his daily needs. His prayer revealed a pursuit of God and the contentment that’s found in Him alone.  

May we have Agur’s attitude, recognizing God as the provider of all we have. And as we pursue financial stewardship that honors His name, let’s live in contentment before Him—the One who not only provides “just enough,” but more than enough. By:  Marvin Williams

Reflect & Pray

What can you do to pursue God and find contentment in Him? How can you express your gratitude to Him for His faithfulness?

Dear God, our Provider, help me to be satisfied with everything You supply.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Redemption— Creating the Need it Satisfies

The natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him… —1 Corinthians 2:14

The gospel of God creates the sense of need for the gospel. Is the gospel hidden to those who are servants already? No, Paul said, “But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe…” (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). The majority of people think of themselves as being completely moral, and have no sense of need for the gospel. It is God who creates this sense of need in a human being, but that person remains totally unaware of his need until God makes Himself evident. Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you…” (Matthew 7:7). But God cannot give until a man asks. It is not that He wants to withhold something from us, but that is the plan He has established for the way of redemption. Through our asking, God puts His process in motion, creating something in us that was nonexistent until we asked. The inner reality of redemption is that it creates all the time. And as redemption creates the life of God in us, it also creates the things which belong to that life. The only thing that can possibly satisfy the need is what created the need. This is the meaning of redemption— it creates and it satisfies.

Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32). When we preach our own experiences, people may be interested, but it awakens no real sense of need. But once Jesus Christ is “lifted up,” the Spirit of God creates an awareness of the need for Him. The creative power of the redemption of God works in the souls of men only through the preaching of the gospel. It is never the sharing of personal experiences that saves people, but the truth of redemption. “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

If a man cannot prove his religion in the valley, it is not worth anything.  Shade of His Hand, 1200 L

Bible in a Year: Amos 7-9; Revelation 8

Proverbs 10, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THAT’S WHAT LOVE DOES - December 16, 2022

Would you do what Jesus did? He exchanged the worship of angels for the company of killers. If you were God, would you? I wouldn’t, but Christ did.

Jesus humbled himself. He went from commanding angels to sleeping in the straw. Why? Because that is what love does. It puts the loved before itself. Your place in heaven was more important to him than his place in heaven, so he gave up his so you could have yours.

It’s time to let his love cover all the things in your life. Every promise broken, every cross word, and harsh word. His love covers all things. Let it. Do it for his sake, for the peace of your heart. Do it for their sake, for the people in your life. Let his love fall on you so yours can fall on them.

Proverbs 10

An Honest Life Is Immortal

Wise son, glad father;

    stupid son, sad mother.

2 Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere;

    an honest life is immortal.

3 God won’t starve an honest soul,

    but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked.

4 Sloth makes you poor;

    diligence brings wealth.

5 Make hay while the sun shines—that’s smart;

    go fishing during harvest—that’s stupid.

6 Blessings accrue on a good and honest life,

    but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.

7 A good and honest life is a blessed memorial;

    a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.

8 A wise heart takes orders;

    an empty head will come unglued.

9 Honesty lives confident and carefree,

    but Shifty is sure to be exposed.

10 An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead,

    but an open, face-to-face meeting results in peace.

11 The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well,

    but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.

12 Hatred starts fights,

    but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.

13 You’ll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight,

    but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face.

14 The wise accumulate knowledge—a true treasure;

    know-it-alls talk too much—a sheer waste.

The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life

15 The wealth of the rich is their security;

    the poverty of the indigent is their ruin.

16 The wage of a good person is exuberant life;

    an evil person ends up with nothing but sin.

17 The road to life is a disciplined life;

    ignore correction and you’re lost for good.

18 Liars secretly hoard hatred;

    fools openly spread slander.

19 The more talk, the less truth;

    the wise measure their words.

20 The speech of a good person is worth waiting for;

    the blabber of the wicked is worthless.

21 The talk of a good person is rich fare for many,

    but chatterboxes die of an empty heart.

Fear-of-God Expands Your Life

22 God’s blessing makes life rich;

    nothing we do can improve on God.

23 An empty-head thinks mischief is fun,

    but a mindful person relishes wisdom.

24 The nightmares of the wicked come true;

    what the good people desire, they get.

25 When the storm is over, there’s nothing left of the wicked;

    good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren’t even fazed.

26 A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble;

    it’s vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes.

27 The Fear-of-God expands your life;

    a wicked life is a puny life.

28 The aspirations of good people end in celebration;

    the ambitions of bad people crash.

29 God is solid backing to a well-lived life,

    but he calls into question a shabby performance.

30 Good people last—they can’t be moved;

    the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow.

31 A good person’s mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom;

    a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.

32 The speech of a good person clears the air;

    the words of the wicked pollute it.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Friday, December 16, 2022

Today's Scripture

2 Timothy 1:3–5

To Be Bold with God’s Gifts

3-4 Every time I say your name in prayer—which is practically all the time—I thank God for you, the God I worship with my whole life in the tradition of my ancestors. I miss you a lot, especially when I remember that last tearful good-bye, and I look forward to a joy-packed reunion.

5-7 That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith—and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you! And the special gift of ministry you received when I laid hands on you and prayed—keep that ablaze! God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.

Insight

Although Paul called Timothy “my true son in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2), it wasn’t Paul who brought him to faith in Christ. Timothy was of mixed parentage—a gentile father and Jewish mother (Acts 16:1). Following God’s commands to parents and grandparents to teach the Scriptures to the next generation (Genesis 18:19; Deuteronomy 4:9; 6:7; Psalm 78:3–6), Timothy was taught “from infancy . . . the Holy Scriptures, which [were] able to make [him] wise for salvation” (2 Timothy 3:15). He was also nurtured in the faith by his mother Eunice and grandmother Lois (1:5). When Paul first met him, Timothy was already “a disciple” whom “the believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of” (Acts 16:1–2). That Paul sent Timothy to deal with the troublesome Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 4:17) and to take charge of the affairs of the Ephesian church (1 Timothy 1:3) testify to this young man’s spiritual maturity and ministry abilities. By: K. T. Sim

Legacy of Faith

I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice. 2 Timothy 1:5

In 2019, research exploring the spiritual heritage of believers in Jesus in the United States revealed that mothers and grandmothers have a significant influence on spiritual development. Nearly two-thirds of people who claim a legacy of faith credited their mother, and one-third acknowledged that a grandparent (usually a grandmother) also played a significant role. 

The report’s editor remarked, “Over and over, this study speaks to the enduring impact of mothers in . . . spiritual development.” It’s an impact we also discover in Scripture. 

In Paul’s letter to his protégé Timothy, he acknowledged that Timothy’s faith was modeled to him by his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). It’s a delightful personal detail highlighting the impact of two women on one of the leaders of the early church. Their influence can also be seen in Paul’s encouragement to Timothy: “continue in what you have learned [because] from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures” (3:14–15). 

A strong spiritual heritage is a precious gift. But even if our upbringing lacked the kind of positive influences that helped form Timothy’s faith, there are likely others in our life who’ve had a profound impact in helping to shape our spiritual development. Most important, we all have the opportunity to model sincere faith to those around us and leave a lasting legacy. By:  Lisa M. Samra

Reflect & Pray

Who’s had a significant impact on your spiritual development? How can you encourage others in faith?

Father, thank You for the men and women in my life that have modeled sincere faith.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Friday, December 16, 2022

Wrestling Before God

Take up the whole armor of God…praying always… —Ephesians 6:13,18

You must learn to wrestle against the things that hinder your communication with God, and wrestle in prayer for other people; but to wrestle with God in prayer is unscriptural. If you ever do wrestle with God, you will be crippled for the rest of your life. If you grab hold of God and wrestle with Him, as Jacob did, simply because He is working in a way that doesn’t meet with your approval, you force Him to put you out of joint (see Genesis 32:24-25). Don’t become a cripple by wrestling with the ways of God, but be someone who wrestles before God with the things of this world, because “we are more than conquerors through Him…” (Romans 8:37). Wrestling before God makes an impact in His kingdom. If you ask me to pray for you, and I am not complete in Christ, my prayer accomplishes nothing. But if I am complete in Christ, my prayer brings victory all the time. Prayer is effective only when there is completeness— “take up the whole armor of God….”

Always make a distinction between God’s perfect will and His permissive will, which He uses to accomplish His divine purpose for our lives. God’s perfect will is unchangeable. It is with His permissive will, or the various things that He allows into our lives, that we must wrestle before Him. It is our reaction to these things allowed by His permissive will that enables us to come to the point of seeing His perfect will for us. “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God…” (Romans 8:28)— to those who remain true to God’s perfect will— His calling in Christ Jesus. God’s permissive will is the testing He uses to reveal His true sons and daughters. We should not be spineless and automatically say, “Yes, it is the Lord’s will.” We don’t have to fight or wrestle with God, but we must wrestle before God with things. Beware of lazily giving up. Instead, put up a glorious fight and you will find yourself empowered with His strength.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

There is nothing, naturally speaking, that makes us lose heart quicker than decay—the decay of bodily beauty, of natural life, of friendship, of associations, all these things make a man lose heart; but Paul says when we are trusting in Jesus Christ these things do not find us discouraged, light comes through them.

The Place of Help

Bible in a Year: Amos 4-6; Revelation 7

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Friday, December 16, 2022

HOW CHARLIE BROWN ALMOST MISSED CHRISTMAS - #9375

The little kid with the round head and the pitiful tree! He's become a regular part of America's Christmas. Our kids watched "The Charlie Brown Christmas" when they were little, and that thing's been around so long, their kids love it and their parents never stopped loving it.

We can all hear Charlie Brown's angst-ridden question ringing out above the Christmas mayhem, "Isn't there anybody who can tell me what Christmas is all about?" Enter blanket boy. Yes, Linus to the rescue. As he steps into the spotlight on that little stage, he turns the spotlight on Jesus. "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord." But did you know that line almost didn't happen?

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How Charlie Brown Almost Missed Christmas."

Charles Schulz, the creator of "Peanuts," was honestly under pressure to leave the Jesus part out of his first attempt at a TV special. But he stood his ground. He said, "If we don't do this, who will?" That's a little known story, but you know the rest is history. In our post-Christian culture, Linus' little speech about "to you is born a Savior" may be the only fragment of the Gospel some people have ever heard.

But you don't have to be a prime-time TV producer to feel the pressure to not bring up Jesus. Most of us who've ever tried to live for Him have experienced that pressure. Oh, it's OK to talk about church, and family values, and even God. But Jesus is the problem. How many times in a spiritual conversation have we choked when we got to the name of Jesus? So it comes out "God" that we talk about, which allows the listener to think whatever "God" means to them. But Jesus, well, there's not much mistaking who He is.

This should not come as a surprise. Satan has been trying to edit out Jesus for 2,000 years! The early disciples were hauled in by the same religious leaders who had arranged for the crucifixion of Jesus. And they were ordered to never again mention "The Name" in their preaching. The disciples' response? It says, "They never stopped teaching and proclaiming the Good News that Jesus is the Christ" (Acts 5:42 ). Why?

Well, as it says in our word for today from the Word of God, in Acts 4:12, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name, no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 ). Well, hell knows that. Heaven knows that. And we must never again choke on that name. He wasn't ashamed of me. How can I be ashamed of Him? The power, the salvation is in the name. No Jesus, no heaven. That's why our enemy can't stand to hear the Name.

And, my friend, it may be that here we are in this Christmas season. And you may celebrate the fact that Jesus came into our world. But has He ever come into your life by your invitation to be your Savior from your sin? We were told when He was born, "Unto you is born a Savior!" And He came for you. Not just for the world; He came for you, to die for your sin. And there is no other way to get to heaven. Even a religion about Jesus will not get you to heaven. You need to pin all your hopes on Him in order to be with Him forever.

If you've never done that, there's no better time in the year that you can do it than this time when He came. Say, "Jesus, I'm yours." You can do it right where you are, wherever you are. And then go to our website, because we're set up there really to help you know that you belong to Him. Let's get this settled. Go to our website. It's ANewStory.com.

Listen, my brother in Christ, we can't afford to leave out Jesus. His name is where the power is. His name is where the hope is. His name is where the heaven is. Many Christmases ago a cartoonist made a courageous choice and refused to edit the Name. This Christmas would be a good time for you to make that same choice.

John 21 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THERE IS ONE NAME - December 15, 2022

Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Resurrection and the Life, Alpha and Omega. Phrases that stretch the boundaries of human language in an effort to capture the uncapturable: the grandeur of God. They always fall short. Hearing them is somewhat like hearing a Salvation Army Christmas band on the street corner playing “Handel’s Messiah.” No names do God justice.

Bur there is one name. Jesus. A name so typical, if he were here today, his name might be John or Bob or Jim. He was touchable, approachable, reachable. “Just call me Jesus,” you can almost hear Him say. And those who walked with him remembered him not with a title or designation, but with a name—Jesus! It’s a beautiful name and a powerful name. The day is coming when at the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that he is Lord!

John 21

Fishing

After this, Jesus appeared again to the disciples, this time at the Tiberias Sea (the Sea of Galilee). This is how he did it: Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the brothers Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. Simon Peter announced, “I’m going fishing.”

3-4 The rest of them replied, “We’re going with you.” They went out and got in the boat. They caught nothing that night. When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn’t recognize him.

5 Jesus spoke to them: “Good morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?”

They answered, “No.”

6 He said, “Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens.”

They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren’t strong enough to pull it in.

7-9 Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Master!”

When Simon Peter realized that it was the Master, he threw on some clothes, for he was stripped for work, and dove into the sea. The other disciples came in by boat for they weren’t far from land, a hundred yards or so, pulling along the net full of fish. When they got out of the boat, they saw a fire laid, with fish and bread cooking on it.

10-11 Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught.” Simon Peter joined them and pulled the net to shore—153 big fish! And even with all those fish, the net didn’t rip.

12 Jesus said, “Breakfast is ready.” Not one of the disciples dared ask, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Master.

13-14 Jesus then took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus had shown himself alive to the disciples since being raised from the dead.

Do You Love Me?

15 After breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Master, you know I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

16 He then asked a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

“Yes, Master, you know I love you.”

Jesus said, “Shepherd my sheep.”

17-19 Then he said it a third time: “Simon, son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was upset that he asked for the third time, “Do you love me?” so he answered, “Master, you know everything there is to know. You’ve got to know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. I’m telling you the very truth now: When you were young you dressed yourself and went wherever you wished, but when you get old you’ll have to stretch out your hands while someone else dresses you and takes you where you don’t want to go.” He said this to hint at the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. And then he commanded, “Follow me.”

20-21 Turning his head, Peter noticed the disciple Jesus loved following right behind. When Peter noticed him, he asked Jesus, “Master, what’s going to happen to him?”

22-23 Jesus said, “If I want him to live until I come again, what’s that to you? You—follow me.” That is how the rumor got out among the brothers that this disciple wouldn’t die. But that is not what Jesus said. He simply said, “If I want him to live until I come again, what’s that to you?”

24 This is the same disciple who was eyewitness to all these things and wrote them down. And we all know that his eyewitness account is reliable and accurate.

25 There are so many other things Jesus did. If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can’t imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, December 15, 2022

Today's Scripture

1 Samuel 20:26–34

David hid in the field. On the holiday of the New Moon, the king came to the table to eat. He sat where he always sat, the place against the wall, with Jonathan across the table and Abner at Saul’s side. But David’s seat was empty. Saul didn’t mention it at the time, thinking, “Something’s happened that’s made him unclean. That’s it—he’s probably unclean for the holy meal.”

27 But the day after the New Moon, day two of the holiday, David’s seat was still empty. Saul asked Jonathan his son, “So where’s that son of Jesse? He hasn’t eaten with us either yesterday or today.”

28-29 Jonathan said, “David asked my special permission to go to Bethlehem. He said, ‘Give me leave to attend a family reunion back home. My brothers have ordered me to be there. If it seems all right to you, let me go and see my brothers.’ That’s why he’s not here at the king’s table.”

30-31 Saul exploded in anger at Jonathan: “You son of a slut! Don’t you think I know that you’re in cahoots with the son of Jesse, disgracing both you and your mother? For as long as the son of Jesse is walking around free on this earth, your future in this kingdom is at risk. Now go get him. Bring him here. From this moment, he’s as good as dead!”

32 Jonathan stood up to his father. “Why dead? What’s he done?”

33 Saul threw his spear at him to kill him. That convinced Jonathan that his father was fixated on killing David.

34 Jonathan stormed from the table, furiously angry, and ate nothing the rest of the day, upset for David and smarting under the humiliation from his father.

Insight

The deep friendship between David and Jonathan withstood the test of time and circumstances, evidenced when Jonathan went against his father, King Saul, and even endangered his own life to save David (1 Samuel 20). Though Jonathan was the crown prince, he encouraged David by assuring his safety and affirming that he’d be the next king (23:17). After Jonathan died (31:2), David honored him and expressed his deep loss: “I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me” (2 Samuel 1:26). After David became king, he showed kindness to Jonathan’s only son, Mephibosheth (ch. 9). By: K. T. Sim

Friends for Life

[Jonathan] was grieved at his father’s shameful treatment of David. 1 Samuel 20:34

William Cowper (1731–1800), the English poet, found a friend in his pastor, John Newton (1725–1807), the former slave trader. Cowper suffered from depression and anxiety, attempting to die by suicide more than once. When Newton visited him, they’d go on long walks together and talk about God. Thinking that Cowper would benefit from engaging creatively and having a reason to write his poetry, the minister had the idea to compile a hymnal. Cowper contributed many songs, including “God Moves in a Mysterious Way.” When Newton moved to another church, he and Cowper remained strong friends and corresponded regularly for the rest of Cowper’s life.

I see parallels between the strong friendship of Cowper and Newton with that of David and Jonathan in the Old Testament. After David defeated Goliath, “Jonathan became one in spirit with David,” loving him as himself (1 Samuel 18:1). Although Jonathan was the son of King Saul, he defended David against the king’s jealousy and anger, asking his father why David should be put to death. In response, “Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him” (20:33). Jonathan dodged the weapon and was grieved at this shameful treatment of his friend (v. 34).

For both sets of friends, their bond was life-giving as they spurred each other on to serve and love God. How might you similarly encourage a friend today? By:  Amy Boucher Pye

Reflect & Pray

What role does friendship play in your sense of well-being? How could you show God’s love to someone and build them up?

Jesus, help me to enjoy Your friendship and fellowship.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, December 15, 2022

“Approved to God”

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. —2 Timothy 2:15

If you cannot express yourself well on each of your beliefs, work and study until you can. If you don’t, other people may miss out on the blessings that come from knowing the truth. Strive to re-express a truth of God to yourself clearly and understandably, and God will use that same explanation when you share it with someone else. But you must be willing to go through God’s winepress where the grapes are crushed. You must struggle, experiment, and rehearse your words to express God’s truth clearly. Then the time will come when that very expression will become God’s wine of strength to someone else. But if you are not diligent and say, “I’m not going to study and struggle to express this truth in my own words; I’ll just borrow my words from someone else,” then the words will be of no value to you or to others. Try to state to yourself what you believe to be the absolute truth of God, and you will be allowing God the opportunity to pass it on through you to someone else.

Always make it a practice to stir your own mind thoroughly to think through what you have easily believed. Your position is not really yours until you make it yours through suffering and study. The author or speaker from whom you learn the most is not the one who teaches you something you didn’t know before, but the one who helps you take a truth with which you have quietly struggled, give it expression, and speak it clearly and boldly.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The Bible is a relation of facts, the truth of which must be tested. Life may go on all right for a while, when suddenly a bereavement comes, or some crisis; unrequited love or a new love, a disaster, a business collapse, or a shocking sin, and we turn up our Bibles again and God’s word comes straight home, and we say, “Why, I never saw that there before.” Shade of His Hand, 1223 L

Bible in a Year: Amos 1-3; Revelation 6

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, December 15, 2022

SAYING GOOD THINGS - WHILE THEY CAN HEAR THEM! - #9374

My wife had gotten a really nice wedding gift for our friend. This beautiful little serving dish and some cut glass and some silver. One of those things people get only at their wedding, usually. Well, here's the problem. The girl had been married for four years, and four years later, well, we found the present. Yeah, we put it behind a chair to get it out of the way one day, and we found it four years later. We had planned to have our daughter take it to the wedding for us. Well, we totally missed the time that you should give a gift like that.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Saying Good Things - While They Can Hear Them!"

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Ephesians 4:29. It's excellent advice for improving and nurturing the relationships in your life. Here are God's words, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is useful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Now God says the only words you ought to be speaking to people are those that will build them up. Give those people around you build-up encouragement, give them compliments and thank yous, and affirmations - the kind of things we usually say at their funeral.

I remember when my dad died and I stood by that casket - and some wonderful, wonderful things were said about him. All these people had wonderful praise for the kind of man my dad had been. Unfortunately, my dad couldn't hear any of them.

I remember when I went to the memorial service for a sixteen-year-old young man who had been killed by a hit-and-run driver, and these big old football players who'd been on the team with him went to the microphone one after the other and they just... well, they tearfully told what a great friend he had been. And they praised him for a lot of great qualities. I could only hope that they had said those things when he could hear them. Why don't we give people their flowers when they can still smell them? Your family, your friends, your spiritual leaders, your spiritual helpers? They need encouragement today and you have the power to give that powerful gift.

Proverbs 18:21 says, "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." You see, we can give people life sentences, because the tongue has the power of life. We can give them death sentences; things that make them feel more alive like compliments, praise, encouragement, or things that make them feel like they're dying inside like put-downs and criticism. How are you doing giving those life sentences each day to the people in your world?

Too often we make the same mistake that my wife and I made with the gift for that young bride; we waited too long to give the gift. Some of us have people who are gone now that we wish we could have back for like ten minutes just so we could tell them we love them, give them our appreciation. But we can't have them back.

What we can do is determine that the people who are still here will hear our love, hear our encouragement, hear our apology or our forgiveness. They'll hear our praise, often! They need your gift right now. We never know how long someone will be here for us to give those emotional gifts; those gifts that could mean so much.

The days are flying by and I'll bet there is someone whose gift, maybe, has been sitting on the shelf. Give them your love, now! Don't wait for the funeral to say what's in your heart right now.

Proverbs 9, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THEY WEREN’T LOOKING - December 14, 2022

One’s imagination is kindled thinking about the conversation of the innkeeper and his family. Did anyone mention the arrival of the young couple the night before? Did anyone ask about the pregnancy of the girl on the donkey? The innkeeper and his family were so busy. The day was upon them. The day’s bread had to be made, the morning’s chores had to be done. There was too much to do to imagine that the impossible had occurred: God had entered the world as a baby.

Meanwhile the city hummed. Merchants were unaware that God had visited their planet. The innkeeper would never believe that he had just sent God out into the cold. Those who missed His Majesty’s arrival missed it not because of evil acts or malice. No, they missed it because they simply weren’t looking. Not much has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?

Proverbs 9 

Lady Wisdom Gives a Dinner Party

 Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home;

    it’s supported by seven hewn timbers.

The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted,

    wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers.

Having dismissed her serving maids,

    Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place,

    and invites everyone within sound of her voice:

“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?

    Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me!

I’ve prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread,

    roast lamb, carefully selected wines.

Leave your impoverished confusion and live!

    Walk up the street to a life with meaning.”

* * *

7-12 If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face;

    confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins.

So don’t waste your time on a scoffer;

    all you’ll get for your pains is abuse.

But if you correct those who care about life,

    that’s different—they’ll love you for it!

Save your breath for the wise—they’ll be wiser for it;

    tell good people what you know—they’ll profit from it.

Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God,

    insight into life from knowing a Holy God.

It’s through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens,

    and the years of your life ripen.

Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life;

    mock life and life will mock you.

Madame Prostitute Calls Out, Too

13-18 Then there’s this other woman, Madame Prostitute—

    brazen, empty-headed, frivolous.

She sits on the front porch

    of her house on Main Street,

And as people walk by minding

    their own business, calls out,

“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?

    Steal off with me, I’ll show you a good time!

    No one will ever know—I’ll give you the time of your life.”

But they don’t know about all the skeletons in her closet,

    that all her guests end up in hell.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Today's Scripture

Job 38:4–21

Have You Gotten to the Bottom of Things?

 And now, finally, God answered Job from the eye of a violent storm. He said:

“Why do you confuse the issue?

    Why do you talk without knowing what you’re talking about?

Pull yourself together, Job!

    Up on your feet! Stand tall!

I have some questions for you,

    and I want some straight answers.

Where were you when I created the earth?

    Tell me, since you know so much!

Who decided on its size? Certainly you’ll know that!

    Who came up with the blueprints and measurements?

How was its foundation poured,

    and who set the cornerstone,

While the morning stars sang in chorus

    and all the angels shouted praise?

And who took charge of the ocean

    when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb?

That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds,

    and tucked it in safely at night.

Then I made a playpen for it,

    a strong playpen so it couldn’t run loose,

And said, ‘Stay here, this is your place.

    Your wild tantrums are confined to this place.’

12-15 “And have you ever ordered Morning, ‘Get up!’

    told Dawn, ‘Get to work!’

So you could seize Earth like a blanket

    and shake out the wicked like cockroaches?

As the sun brings everything to light,

    brings out all the colors and shapes,

The cover of darkness is snatched from the wicked—

    they’re caught in the very act!

16-18 “Have you ever gotten to the true bottom of things,

    explored the labyrinthine caves of deep ocean?

Do you know the first thing about death?

    Do you have one clue regarding death’s dark mysteries?

And do you have any idea how large this earth is?

    Speak up if you have even the beginning of an answer.

19-21 “Do you know where Light comes from

    and where Darkness lives

So you can take them by the hand

    and lead them home when they get lost?

Why, of course you know that.

    You’ve known them all your life,

    grown up in the same neighborhood with them!

Insight

The Bible points to God as Creator throughout its pages. Along with the two creation accounts in Genesis 1–2, Job describes the wonders of creation (chs. 38–41). In the Psalms, David declared, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful” (Psalm 139:14). In Colossians 1:16, Paul wrote of Jesus, “In him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.” John exclaimed, “Through him all things were made” (John 1:3; see Revelation 4:11), and the author of Hebrews wrote that “the universe was formed at God’s command” (11:3). By: Alyson Kieda

In His Hands

What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside?  Job 38:19

William Shatner played Captain Kirk on the television series Star Trek, but he was unprepared for a real trip into space. He called his eleven-minute sub-orbital flight “the most profound experience I can imagine.” He stepped out of his rocket and marveled, “To see the blue color go right by you and now you’re staring into blackness, that’s the thing.” You “look down and there’s the blue down there and the black up there.” He added, “The beauty of that color and it’s so thin and you’re through it in an instant.”

Our planet is a blue dot surrounded by utter darkness. It’s unsettling. Shatner said that flying from blue sky into blackness was like flying into death. “In an instant, you go, ‘Whoa, that’s death!’ That’s what I saw. It was so moving to me. This experience, it’s something unbelievable.”

Shatner’s shattering flight puts life in perspective. We’re small objects in the universe, yet we’re loved by the One who created light and separated it from the darkness (Genesis 1:3–4). Our Father knows where the darkness resides and the path to its dwelling (Job 38:19–20). He “laid the earth’s foundation . . . while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy” (vv. 4–7).

Let’s trust our small lives to the God who holds the whole universe in His hands. By:  Mike Wittmer

Reflect & Pray

What comes to mind as you consider the vastness of space? What does the night sky reveal about God? 

Father, You rule this world and all that lies beyond. I trust Your powerful love.

For further study, read Get Outside: Knowing God Through His Creation.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

The Great Life

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled… —John 14:27

Whenever we experience something difficult in our personal life, we are tempted to blame God. But we are the ones in the wrong, not God. Blaming God is evidence that we are refusing to let go of some disobedience somewhere in our lives. But as soon as we let go, everything becomes as clear as daylight to us. As long as we try to serve two masters, ourselves and God, there will be difficulties combined with doubt and confusion. Our attitude must be one of complete reliance on God. Once we get to that point, there is nothing easier than living the life of a saint. We encounter difficulties when we try to usurp the authority of the Holy Spirit for our own purposes.

God’s mark of approval, whenever you obey Him, is peace. He sends an immeasurable, deep peace; not a natural peace, “as the world gives,” but the peace of Jesus. Whenever peace does not come, wait until it does, or seek to find out why it is not coming. If you are acting on your own impulse, or out of a sense of the heroic, to be seen by others, the peace of Jesus will not exhibit itself. This shows no unity with God or confidence in Him. The spirit of simplicity, clarity, and unity is born through the Holy Spirit, not through your decisions. God counters our self-willed decisions with an appeal for simplicity and unity.

My questions arise whenever I cease to obey. When I do obey God, problems come, not between me and God, but as a means to keep my mind examining with amazement the revealed truth of God. But any problem that comes between God and myself is the result of disobedience. Any problem that comes while I obey God (and there will be many), increases my overjoyed delight, because I know that my Father knows and cares, and I can watch and anticipate how He will unravel my problems.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Am I getting nobler, better, more helpful, more humble, as I get older? Am I exhibiting the life that men take knowledge of as having been with Jesus, or am I getting more self-assertive, more deliberately determined to have my own way? It is a great thing to tell yourself the truth. The Place of Help, 1005 R

Bible in a Year: Joel 1-3; Revelation 5

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

GOING AFTER GOD'S MIA'S - #9373

I met Gary when we were both working with our local high school football team. He was a coach. I was the football. No, actually I was sort of an unofficial chaplain for the team. Gary was basically a happy guy, pretty laid back. Until "they" come up in the conversation. "They" are the men who were prisoners of war or missing in action in the Vietnam War. When it came to the subject of the MIA's who had not been accounted for, Gary wasn't laid back anymore. Suddenly he was really intense, really serious. See, Gary was one of a number of veterans determined to do whatever they could to make sure that we would do everything we could to locate them, and at least to give an account for missing soldiers.

I was at a flag-raising ceremony where Gary participated in uniform. The rallying point of the veterans was that black flag - maybe you've seen one. They're still around. It has the silhouette of a man's head on it, the words POW and MIA, and a stirring four-word motto, "You are not forgotten."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Going After God's MIA's."

I got to thinking about some other MIA's the other day when I got a call from a friend. He told me he'd been missing in action spiritually for a while. He said, "My wife and I got real busy, we started using Sunday as a day just to sleep late and lay low, and we haven't been to church in a long time." They used to be real active. They're back now. I'll tell you how that all happened in just a moment.

But first, our word for today from the Word of God. It's from John 10. Beginning in verse 15, Jesus says, "I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also." So, is Jesus content just to rest with the sheep that are already in? Never! There are still sheep He laid down His life for who are still missing in action.

My friend - the spiritual MIA - told me he was at a basketball game and a man from their old church came up to him, put his arm around him, and said, "Tom, we really miss you. Why don't you come back to church?" Doesn't sound like much, but that was all it took to make an MIA want to come home spiritually. I thank God for at least one man in that church who was looking out for the MIAs. Who reached out to one and said, "Man, you are not forgotten."

The problem is that most of us are so busy in our personal rat race, and sometimes so comfy in our Christian cocoon, that we forget the ones who aren't home yet. But would you listen to the heart of Jesus? He's aching for those who are still out there lost. How much do the MIAs bother you?

It's so easy to settle into our Christian routine, keep our busy Christian schedule, do all our Christian activities and slowly but surely forget the people Jesus died for who don't even know that yet. We get numb, we get complacent, we get comfortable, forgetting that our Lord's mission was "to seek and to save those who are lost" (Luke 19:10). If we're following Him, that's where we'll be going. We can't claim to be much of a follower of Jesus if we're not passionate about the people who are lost, who are dying, those He died for, those who are away from Him. In the midst of enjoying all those who are already home, the heart of Jesus is out there with the people who aren't home yet.

And you know some of them. You know people who are spiritually missing in action. Do you care? Would you ask the Shepherd to break your heart for them as His heart is broken? Would you get actively involved in going after them? Would you be sure that your fellow believers, your ministry, your church do not forget them?

Jesus has not forgotten the ones who aren't home yet. Please, don't you forget them.

Proverbs 8, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: LINGERING SHEPHERDS - December 13, 2022

Christianity was born in one big heavenly interruption. Just ask the Bethlehem shepherds. They had no expectations of excitement – these are sheep they’re watching. We count sheep to go to sleep!

Shepherds, however, treasured the predictable. This was the night shift. Any excitement was bad excitement—wolves, lions, poachers. Just because they wanted a calm night, didn’t mean they would get it. Luke says, “Then an angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory of the Lord shining around them, and they became very frightened.”

We always assume the worst before we look for the best. Good thing the shepherds lingered. Otherwise they might have missed the second verse. “Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ the Lord.” I hope you’ll do what the shepherds did—linger near the manger.

Proverbs 8

Lady Wisdom Calls Out

Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling?

    Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice?

She’s taken her stand at First and Main,

    at the busiest intersection.

Right in the city square

    where the traffic is thickest, she shouts,

“You—I’m talking to all of you,

    everyone out here on the streets!

Listen, you idiots—learn good sense!

    You blockheads—shape up!

Don’t miss a word of this—I’m telling you how to live well,

    I’m telling you how to live at your best.

My mouth chews and savors and relishes truth—

    I can’t stand the taste of evil!

You’ll only hear true and right words from my mouth;

    not one syllable will be twisted or skewed.

You’ll recognize this as true—you with open minds;

    truth-ready minds will see it at once.

Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money,

    and God-knowledge over a lucrative career.

For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth;

    nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.

12-21 “I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity;

    Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street.

The Fear-of-God means hating Evil,

    whose ways I hate with a passion—

    pride and arrogance and crooked talk.

Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics;

    I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out.

With my help, leaders rule,

    and lawmakers legislate fairly;

With my help, governors govern,

    along with all in legitimate authority.

I love those who love me;

    those who look for me find me.

Wealth and Glory accompany me—

    also substantial Honor and a Good Name.

My benefits are worth more than a big salary, even a very big salary;

    the returns on me exceed any imaginable bonus.

You can find me on Righteous Road—that’s where I walk—

    at the intersection of Justice Avenue,

Handing out life to those who love me,

    filling their arms with life—armloads of life!

22-31 “God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—

    before he did anything else.

I was brought into being a long time ago,

    well before Earth got its start.

I arrived on the scene before Ocean,

    yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes.

Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape,

    I was already there, newborn;

Long before God stretched out Earth’s Horizons,

    and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather,

And set Sky firmly in place,

    I was there.

When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean,

    built the vast vault of Heaven,

    and installed the fountains that fed Ocean,

When he drew a boundary for Sea,

    posted a sign that said no trespassing,

And then staked out Earth’s Foundations,

    I was right there with him, making sure everything fit.

Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause,

    always enjoying his company,

Delighted with the world of things and creatures,

    happily celebrating the human family.

32-36 “So, my dear friends, listen carefully;

    those who embrace these my ways are most blessed.

Mark a life of discipline and live wisely;

    don’t squander your precious life.

Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me,

    awake and ready for me each morning,

    alert and responsive as I start my day’s work.

When you find me, you find life, real life,

    to say nothing of God’s good pleasure.

But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul;

    when you reject me, you’re flirting with death.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Today's Scripture

1 Corinthians 15:50–58

 I need to emphasize, friends, that our natural, earthy lives don’t in themselves lead us by their very nature into the kingdom of God. Their very “nature” is to die, so how could they “naturally” end up in the Life kingdom?

51-57 But let me tell you something wonderful, a mystery I’ll probably never fully understand. We’re not all going to die—but we are all going to be changed. You hear a blast to end all blasts from a trumpet, and in the time that you look up and blink your eyes—it’s over. On signal from that trumpet from heaven, the dead will be up and out of their graves, beyond the reach of death, never to die again. At the same moment and in the same way, we’ll all be changed. In the resurrection scheme of things, this has to happen: everything perishable taken off the shelves and replaced by the imperishable, this mortal replaced by the immortal. Then the saying will come true:

Death swallowed by triumphant Life!

Who got the last word, oh, Death?

Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?

It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage, its destructive power. But now in a single victorious stroke of Life, all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ. Thank God!

58 With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort.

Insight

As the apostle Paul concluded a masterful defense of bodily resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:54–55, he quoted from two Old Testament passages that highlight the defeat of death (see Isaiah 25:8; Hosea 13:14). The word victory is used three times in 1 Corinthians 15:54–57. The “Lord Jesus Christ” gets the credit for victory over death (v. 57). The Greek word for “victory” is nikos. A popular shoe company uses a form of this word as their brand name (nike). In Revelation, we see the word victorious (niv) from the same root (see 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21; 15:2; 21:7). Other translations use the terms overcomes or conquers. In Romans 8:37, the word appears in compound form and is translated “more than conquerors.” How assuring to know that the One who was victorious over death is our source of victory in all of life. By: Arthur Jackson

The Meaning of Life

Death has been swallowed up in victory. 1 Corinthians 15:54

A short story by Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges tells of a Roman soldier, Marcus Rufus, who drinks from a “secret river that purifies men of death.” In time, though, Marcus realizes immortality wasn’t all it was cracked up to be: life without limits was life without significance. In fact, it is death itself that gives meaning to life. Marcus finds an antidote—a spring of clear water. After drinking from it, he scratches his hand on a thorn, and a drop of blood forms, signifying his restored mortality.

Like Marcus, we too sometimes despair over the decline of life and the prospect of death (Psalm 88:3). We agree that death gives significance to life. But this is where the stories diverge. Unlike Marcus, we know it’s in Christ’s death that we find the true meaning of our lives. With the shedding of His blood on the cross, Christ conquered death, swallowing it up in victory (1 Corinthians 15:54). For us, the antidote is in the “living water” of Jesus Christ (John 4:10). Because we drink that, all the rules of life, death, and life immortal have changed (1 Corinthians 15:52).

It’s true, we won’t escape physical death, but that isn’t the point. Jesus upends all our despair about life and death (Hebrews 2:11–15). In Christ, we’re reassured with the hope of heaven and of meaningful joy in eternal life with Him. By:  Kenneth Petersen

Reflect & Pray

What are you worried about? What are your thoughts about the prospect of death? How does 1 Corinthians 15 encourage you?

God, help me to embrace Your promises about deliverance into eternal life with You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

Intercessory Prayer

…men always ought to pray and not lose heart. —Luke 18:1

You cannot truly intercede through prayer if you do not believe in the reality of redemption. Instead, you will simply be turning intercession into useless sympathy for others, which will serve only to increase the contentment they have for remaining out of touch with God. True intercession involves bringing the person, or the circumstance that seems to be crashing in on you, before God, until you are changed by His attitude toward that person or circumstance. Intercession means to “fill up…[with] what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ” (Colossians 1:24), and this is precisely why there are so few intercessors. People describe intercession by saying, “It is putting yourself in someone else’s place.” That is not true! Intercession is putting yourself in God’s place; it is having His mind and His perspective.

As an intercessor, be careful not to seek too much information from God regarding the situation you are praying about, because you may be overwhelmed. If you know too much, more than God has ordained for you to know, you can’t pray; the circumstances of the people become so overpowering that you are no longer able to get to the underlying truth.

Our work is to be in such close contact with God that we may have His mind about everything, but we shirk that responsibility by substituting doing for interceding. And yet intercession is the only thing that has no drawbacks, because it keeps our relationship completely open with God.

What we must avoid in intercession is praying for someone to be simply “patched up.” We must pray that person completely through into contact with the very life of God. Think of the number of people God has brought across our path, only to see us drop them! When we pray on the basis of redemption, God creates something He can create in no other way than through intercessory prayer.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The fiery furnaces are there by God’s direct permission. It is misleading to imagine that we are developed in spite of our circumstances; we are developed because of them. It is mastery in circumstances that is needed, not mastery over them. The Love of God—The Message of Invincible Consolation, 674 R

Bible in a Year: Hosea 12-14; Revelation 4

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, December 13, 2022

DELIVERING SOMEONE ELSE'S PACKAGES - #9372

Well, it's got to be the Christmas season! You know, you keep seeing the UPS trucks going up and down like a fleet, and those drivers are busy! They must collapse into bed at night after those long, long hours they work. But their job could be worse. I mean, what if they had to shop for all those packages, and buy them, and package them and deliver them? Well, fortunately it's not up to the UPS guy to create the package; he's just got to deliver it. It's kind of like you and me.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Delivering Someone Else's Packages."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Luke 1. I'm going to begin reading at verse 31, where Mary is being given Mission Impossible. Oh, it's long before the TV program or the movies ever came along, but she's got mission impossible. Listen to this as the angel comes to her, "You will be with child and give birth to a son. You are to give Him the name Jesus."

This is the virgin named Mary. "You will give birth to a son. You will be with child." Well, her question is reasonable. "'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.'" Mary looks around and what God is asking her to do, and it just can't happen based on any human ability or anything human experience would support.

Is there something big in your life like that right now? You say, "Man, this one is so tough, so big, so beyond me, I just honestly can't see any way by any human plan or any human ability this could ever happen. This mountain cannot move." Well, Mary was there. If you're there, stay tuned.

God's answer to impossible situations is the same 2,000 years later. Mary's question might be your question, "How will..." God's answer, "He will." "How will it be?" "The Holy Spirit will" is His answer. You don't have to be the answer. You don't have to create the answer. You don't have to think up the answer. You're the UPS man; you just deliver the answer. You just deliver the package. You and I are his instruments. The instrument doesn't play its own music; someone plays through the instrument. The answer doesn't come from you any more than the packages come from the UPS man. They come through you.

The solution is God's intervention, not man's invention. As long as you try to face this challenge with human calculation you're going to be overwhelmed. But Mary found something better than being overwhelmed; it's overshadowed. The passage says, "You'll be overshadowed by the power of the Holy Spirit." You want to be overwhelmed? Well, you will be if you focus on your ability. Or you can be overshadowed by God's power.

When you realize that you only deliver God's packages, you develop two vital mindsets. First, you develop humility; you know that all the credit goes to the giver, not to the deliverer. We don't hug and kiss the UPS man when he comes and say, "Oh, thank you for this wonderful gift!" He didn't give it, he just delivered it. So you know now you have every reason for humility.

Secondly, it gives you confidence. I can row into this storm right now because God's power will be the difference, not mine. So, relax. Even if you're in the middle of mission impossible right now, God is getting the solution ready. All you have to do is be available to deliver someone else's package.

John 20, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: GOD COMES TO THE COMMON - December 12, 2022

There’s one word that describes the night Jesus came – ordinary. It was an ordinary night with ordinary sheep and ordinary shepherds. And were it not for a God who loves to hook an “extra” on the front of the ordinary, the night would have gone unnoticed. But God dances amidst the common, and that night he did a waltz.

The night was ordinary no more. The announcement went first to the shepherds. They didn’t ask God if he was sure he knew what he was doing. Theologians would have consulted their commentaries. The elite would have looked to see if anyone was watching. The successful would have first looked to their calendars. The angels went to the shepherds. Men who didn’t know enough to tell God that messiahs aren’t found sleeping in a feed trough. God comes to the common, because his most powerful tools are the simplest.

John 20

Resurrection!

Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone was moved away from the entrance. She ran at once to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, gasping for breath. “They took the Master from the tomb. We don’t know where they’ve put him.”

3-10 Peter and the other disciple left immediately for the tomb. They ran, neck and neck. The other disciple got to the tomb first, outrunning Peter. Stooping to look in, he saw the pieces of linen cloth lying there, but he didn’t go in. Simon Peter arrived after him, entered the tomb, observed the linen cloths lying there, and the kerchief used to cover his head not lying with the linen cloths but separate, neatly folded by itself. Then the other disciple, the one who had gotten there first, went into the tomb, took one look at the evidence, and believed. No one yet knew from the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. The disciples then went back home.

11-13 But Mary stood outside the tomb weeping. As she wept, she knelt to look into the tomb and saw two angels sitting there, dressed in white, one at the head, the other at the foot of where Jesus’ body had been laid. They said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?”

13-14 “They took my Master,” she said, “and I don’t know where they put him.” After she said this, she turned away and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn’t recognize him.

15 Jesus spoke to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Who are you looking for?”

She, thinking that he was the gardener, said, “Sir, if you took him, tell me where you put him so I can care for him.”

16 Jesus said, “Mary.”

Turning to face him, she said in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” meaning “Teacher!”

17 Jesus said, “Don’t cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I ascend to my Father and your Father, my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went, telling the news to the disciples: “I saw the Master!” And she told them everything he said to her.

To Believe

19-20 Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” Then he showed them his hands and side.

20-21 The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were awestruck. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.”

22-23 Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said. “If you forgive someone’s sins, they’re gone for good. If you don’t forgive sins, what are you going to do with them?”

24-25 But Thomas, sometimes called the Twin, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples told him, “We saw the Master.”

But he said, “Unless I see the nail holes in his hands, put my finger in the nail holes, and stick my hand in his side, I won’t believe it.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were again in the room. This time Thomas was with them. Jesus came through the locked doors, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.”

27 Then he focused his attention on Thomas. “Take your finger and examine my hands. Take your hand and stick it in my side. Don’t be unbelieving. Believe.”

28 Thomas said, “My Master! My God!”

29 Jesus said, “So, you believe because you’ve seen with your own eyes. Even better blessings are in store for those who believe without seeing.”

30-31 Jesus provided far more God-revealing signs than are written down in this book. These are written down so you will believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and in the act of believing, have real and eternal life in the way he personally revealed it.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, December 12, 2022

Today's Scripture

Psalm 43

Clear my name, God; stick up for me

    against these loveless, immoral people.

Get me out of here, away

    from these lying degenerates.

I counted on you, God.

    Why did you walk out on me?

Why am I pacing the floor, wringing my hands

    over these outrageous people?

3-4 Give me your lantern and compass,

    give me a map,

So I can find my way to the sacred mountain,

    to the place of your presence,

To enter the place of worship,

    meet my exuberant God,

Sing my thanks with a harp,

    magnificent God, my God.

5 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul?

    Why are you crying the blues?

Fix my eyes on God—

    soon I’ll be praising again.

He puts a smile on my face.

    He’s my God.

Insight

The book of Psalms is Israel’s official hymnbook. It consists of 150 songs written over a thousand-year period by several composers, including Moses, David, Solomon, Asaph, and the sons of Korah. Used in individual and corporate worship, these songs are variously categorized as thanksgiving, praise, imprecatory, messianic, kingship, wisdom, and lament psalms. Psalm 43 falls into the category of a lament psalm. These songs express cries to God for deliverance and help in times of suffering, discouragement, disappointment, distress, and abandonment. In many Hebrew manuscripts, Psalms 42 and 43 are combined as one song. In a series of psalms composed by the sons of Korah (Psalms 42–49), Psalm 43 is the only one with no title, suggesting that it belongs with Psalm 42. The refrain “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?” (43:5) is also found in 42:5 and 42:11.

Learn more about the Psalms. By: K. T. Sim

I Heard the Bells

Why, my soul, are you downcast? . . . Put your hope in God. Psalm 43:5

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” based on an 1863 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, is a truly unusual Christmas song. Instead of the expected Christmas joy and mirth, the lyric forms a lament, crying out, “And in despair I bowed my head / There is no peace on earth I said / For hate is strong and mocks the song / Of peace on earth, good will to men.” This lament, however, moves forward into hope, reassuring us that “God is not dead, nor does he sleep / The wrong shall fail, the right prevail / With peace on earth goodwill toward men.”

The pattern of hope rising out of lament is also found in the lament psalms of the Bible. As such, Psalm 43 begins with the psalmist crying out about his enemies who attack him (v. 1) and his God who seems to have forgotten him (v. 2). But the singer doesn’t stay in lament—he looks up to the God he doesn’t fully understand but still trusts, singing, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God” (v. 5).

Life is filled with reasons for lament, and we all experience them on a regular basis. But, if we allow that lament to point us to the God of hope, we can sing joyfully—even if we sing through our tears.

By:  Bill Crowder

Reflect & Pray

What concerns are you experiencing in this moment? From the testimony of Scripture, how can God offer you hope in this season of life?

I cry to You, Father, as I struggle under the burdens of life. Remind me that my help comes from above, from the Maker of heaven and earth.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, December 12, 2022

Personality

…that they may be one just as We are one… —John 17:22

Personality is the unique, limitless part of our life that makes us distinct from everyone else. It is too vast for us even to comprehend. An island in the sea may be just the top of a large mountain, and our personality is like that island. We don’t know the great depths of our being, therefore we cannot measure ourselves. We start out thinking we can, but soon realize that there is really only one Being who fully understands us, and that is our Creator.

Personality is the characteristic mark of the inner, spiritual man, just as individuality is the characteristic of the outer, natural man. Our Lord can never be described in terms of individuality and independence, but only in terms of His total Person— “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). Personality merges, and you only reach your true identity once you are merged with another person. When love or the Spirit of God come upon a person, he is transformed. He will then no longer insist on maintaining his individuality. Our Lord never referred to a person’s individuality or his isolated position, but spoke in terms of the total person— “…that they may be one just as We are one….” Once your rights to yourself are surrendered to God, your true personal nature begins responding to God immediately. Jesus Christ brings freedom to your total person, and even your individuality is transformed. The transformation is brought about by love— personal devotion to Jesus. Love is the overflowing result of one person in true fellowship with another.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The Bible is the only Book that gives us any indication of the true nature of sin, and where it came from. The Philosophy of Sin, 1107 R

Bible in a Year: Hosea 9-11; Revelation 3

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, December 12, 2022

TREASURE IN THE DIRT - #9371

A friend of ours told us about a lady in this area who had just lost her husband. They had this beautiful farm, but it was really more than she wanted to maintain without him. Some of it was devoted to a wonderful vegetable garden that she'd cared for many years. After her husband's death, she offered to let her neighbors treat that garden as if it was their garden. Well, one day the man next door was picking carrots. and he suddenly stopped to examine one carrot that was very unusual. It seemed to have grown into an hourglass shape; it was wide at the top and at the bottom. It was really, like, narrow at the center. And as he brushed the dirt off that carrot, he was shocked at what he found. There was a gold ring right in the center of the carrot!

Somehow this carrot had grown all around and through that ring. And inside that ring was a date from 50 years ago. So the neighbor took it to the widow who promptly melted into tears. Her husband, who had died just after their 50th anniversary, had given her this ring on their wedding day. But she'd lost it many years ago. And now this precious treasure had been found in a most unlikely place.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Treasure in the Dirt."

Our word for today from the Word of God Philippians 3:10. It expresses the passion of the Apostle Paul's heart in five little words that really framed his whole life. Here they are: "I want to know Christ." See, Paul understood that this Jesus relationship is the center of this life and it's what our life will be all about for all eternity.

So, after 30 years of a dynamic walk with and ministry for Jesus, he is still in pursuit, "I want to know Christ." And he goes on, "And I want to know the power of His resurrection." Well, couldn't you use more of that resurrection power in your life to handle what's happening right now? Then he says, "And the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings; becoming like Him in His death." "The power of His resurrection" - good. Suffering? Not so much.

But the way to power is through the pain. But remember what happened in that garden. They found precious treasure in the dirt, in a place you could never expect to find it. That's how it is with getting really close to Jesus. The greatest treasures are often found in the grit and the dirt of our pain and our pressure.

Notice the beautiful word that redeems that painful word suffering, "The fellowship of sharing in His suffering." You can touch Jesus in the valley in ways you'll never touch Him on the mountain top. Those who know Jesus most intimately, who radiate His power most evidently, are those who have walked through the deepest valleys with Him. As a matter of fact, the valley you are in right now may be the place where you will meet Jesus to be your own Savior from your own sin, and where you will finally get the assurance that you will be in heaven for all eternity with Him. It is often in the dirt and the grim and the hurt of our life that we reach the end of ourselves and realize we were never meant to live with us in control.

We've hijacked our life from our Creator. Jesus came to heal the breach with His blood between us and God, and walked out of His grave so He can walk into your life. Today, tell Him you want Him to do that. Check out our website, because it will help you get started with Him. It's ANewStory.com.

See, there's a bonding with Jesus that can happen when you've run out of you; when you've run out of your resources and you just collapse in His strong and loving arms. There's a release of His power in your life that wasn't possible when you were still able to go on your power. Those who know Jesus best are those who have needed Him the most. Those who need Him the most are those who are going through the most.

You don't get to choose whether or not you go through this painful time. But you can decide that you will capture this time to know Jesus as you've never known Him before.

You're in a position now to discover what that gardener found in a very unlikely place; what suffering believers have discovered in God's garden for centuries. There is great treasure in the dirt.

Proverbs 7, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Linger Near the Manger

Christianity was born in one big heavenly interruption! Just ask the Bethlehem shepherds!  They had no expectations of excitement. These are sheep they're watching. We count sheep to go to sleep! Shepherds treasured the predictable. This was the night shift. Any excitement was bad excitement-wolves, lions, poachers. Just because they wanted a calm night, didn't mean they would get it.

Luke 2 says, "Then an angel of the Lord stood before them. The glory of the Lord shining around them, and they became very frightened" (v 9). We always assume the worst before we look for the best. It's a good thing the shepherds lingered; otherwise, they might have missed the second message. "Today your Savior was born in the town of David. He is Christ the Lord" (v 11).

I hope you'll do what the shepherds did-linger near the manger!

From In the Manger

Proverbs 7

Dressed to Seduce

Dear friend, do what I tell you;

    treasure my careful instructions.

Do what I say and you’ll live well.

    My teaching is as precious as your eyesight—guard it!

Write it out on the back of your hands;

    etch it on the chambers of your heart.

Talk to Wisdom as to a sister.

    Treat Insight as your companion.

They’ll be with you to fend off the Temptress—

    that smooth-talking, honey-tongued Seductress.

6-12 As I stood at the window of my house

    looking out through the shutters,

Watching the mindless crowd stroll by,

    I spotted a young man without any sense

Arriving at the corner of the street where she lived,

    then turning up the path to her house.

It was dusk, the evening coming on,

    the darkness thickening into night.

Just then, a woman met him—

    she’d been lying in wait for him, dressed to seduce him.

Brazen and brash she was,

    restless and roaming, never at home,

Walking the streets, loitering in the mall,

    hanging out at every corner in town.

13-20 She threw her arms around him and kissed him,

    boldly took his arm and said,

“I’ve got all the makings for a feast—

    today I made my offerings, my vows are all paid,

So now I’ve come to find you,

    hoping to catch sight of your face—and here you are!

I’ve spread fresh, clean sheets on my bed,

    colorful imported linens.

My bed is aromatic with spices

    and exotic fragrances.

Come, let’s make love all night,

    spend the night in ecstatic lovemaking!

My husband’s not home; he’s away on business,

    and he won’t be back for a month.”

21-23 Soon she has him eating out of her hand,

    bewitched by her honeyed speech.

Before you know it, he’s trotting behind her,

    like a calf led to the butcher shop,

Like a stag lured into ambush

    and then shot with an arrow,

Like a bird flying into a net

    not knowing that its flying life is over.

24-27 So, friends, listen to me,

    take these words of mine most seriously.

Don’t fool around with a woman like that;

    don’t even stroll through her neighborhood.

Countless victims come under her spell;

    she’s the death of many a poor man.

She runs a halfway house to hell,

    fits you out with a shroud and a coffin.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Sunday, December 11, 2022

Today's Scripture

Romans 12:9–13

Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

11-13 Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

Insight

The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:9 that “love must be sincere.” The word used to describe love here is sincere (anypokritos), which simply means “unhypocritical” or “behavior free from hidden agendas.” A hidden agenda is when a person appears to demonstrate love for someone but really has a selfish motive. It would be easy to read the statements that follow this verse as separate exhortations. However, verses 9–13 are meant to describe what genuine love should look like. This vision of love matches Paul’s encouragement in Philippians 2:3–4: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.” Jesus said we’re to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37–39). True and sincere love focuses on others and doesn’t seek its own pleasure. By: J.R. Hudberg

Clinging to What’s Good

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Romans 12:9

When we park our car near an open field and walk across it to get to our house, we almost always get some sticky cockleburs on our clothes—especially in the fall. These tiny “hitchhikers” attach to clothing, shoes, or whatever is passing by and ride to their next destination. It’s nature’s way of spreading cocklebur seeds in my local field and around the world.

As I try to carefully remove clinging cockleburs, I’ve often thought about the message that admonishes believers in Jesus to “cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9). When we’re trying to love others, it can be challenging. However, as the Holy Spirit helps us hold on to what’s good with all we have, we can repel evil and be “sincere” in our love as He guides us (v. 9).

Cocklebur seeds don’t fall off with a mere brush of the hand, they hang on to you. And when we focus on what’s good, keeping our mind on God’s mercy, compassion, and commands, we too—in His strength—can hang on tightly to those we love. He helps us stay “devoted to one another in love,” remembering to place other’s needs before our own (v. 10).

Yes, those cockleburs can be challenging, but they also remind me to cling to others in love and by God’s power to grip tightly “what is good” (v. 9; see also Philippians 4:8–9). By:  Katara Patton

Reflect & Pray

How can clinging to what’s good help you love a challenging friend or family member? How is sincere love also a tenacious love?

Remind me to cling with all my might to what’s good, Jesus. I desire to reflect Your love to others.

For further study, read What Do You Do with a Broken Relationship?

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, December 11, 2022

Individuality

Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…" —Matthew 16:24

Individuality is the hard outer layer surrounding the inner spiritual life. Individuality shoves others aside, separating and isolating people. We see it as the primary characteristic of a child, and rightly so. When we confuse individuality with the spiritual life, we remain isolated. This shell of individuality is God’s created natural covering designed to protect the spiritual life. But our individuality must be yielded to God so that our spiritual life may be brought forth into fellowship with Him. Individuality counterfeits spirituality, just as lust counterfeits love. God designed human nature for Himself, but individuality corrupts that human nature for its own purposes.

The characteristics of individuality are independence and self-will. We hinder our spiritual growth more than any other way by continually asserting our individuality. If you say, “I can’t believe,” it is because your individuality is blocking the way; individuality can never believe. But our spirit cannot help believing. Watch yourself closely when the Spirit of God is at work in you. He pushes you to the limits of your individuality where a choice must be made. The choice is either to say, “I will not surrender,” or to surrender, breaking the hard shell of individuality, which allows the spiritual life to emerge. The Holy Spirit narrows it down every time to one thing (see Matthew 5:23-24). It is your individuality that refuses to “be reconciled to your brother” (Matthew 5:24). God wants to bring you into union with Himself, but unless you are willing to give up your right to yourself, He cannot. “…let him deny himself…”— deny his independent right to himself. Then the real life-the spiritual life-is allowed the opportunity to grow.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The Christian Church should not be a secret society of specialists, but a public manifestation of believers in Jesus.  Facing Reality, 34 R

Bible in a Year: Hosea 5-8; Revelation 2