1 Chronicles 27, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THE CONSEQUENCE OF SHORTCUTS - September 6, 2023

Isaac was on his deathbed, at least he thought he was. The truth was, he was 135 years old and would live another 45 years. In Genesis 27:35 we read his words to Esau: “Your brother came in and tricked me. He has taken your blessing.”

A blessing was irreversible and irrevocable. Isaac could give Esau a secondary inheritance, but Jacob had already cashed the check. Verse 41 says, “Esau said in his heart, ‘…I will kill my brother.’”

Jacob skedaddled. Jacob purloined the blessing, but… his family was splintered, he was without a home, he had to run for his life, his twin wanted to kill him, he had betrayed his father’s trust, and he, as far as we know, never saw his mother again. All because he took a shortcut. He couldn’t wait on God to do what God had promised.

1 Chronicles 27

Military Organization

1  27 Here is the listing of the sons of Israel by family heads, commanders and captains, and other officers who served the king in everything military. Army divisions were on duty a month at a time for the twelve months of the year. Each division comprised 24,000 men.

2–3  First division, first month: Jashobeam son of Zabdiel was in charge with 24,000 men. He came from the line of Perez. He was over all the army officers during the first month.

4  The division for the second month: Dodai the Ahohite was in charge: 24,000 men; Mikloth was the leader of his division.

5–6  Commander for the third month: Benaiah son of Jehoiada the priest with 24,000 men. This was the same Benaiah who was a Mighty Man among the Thirty and their chief. His son Ammizabad was in charge of the division.

7  Fourth division for the fourth month: Asahel brother of Joab; his son Zebadiah succeeded him: 24,000 men.

8  Fifth division, fifth month: commander Shamhuth the Izrahite: 24,000 men.

9  Sixth division, sixth month: Ira son of Ikkesh the Tekoite: 24,000 men.

10  Seventh division, seventh month: Helez the Pelonite, an Ephraimite: 24,000 men.

11  Eighth division, eighth month: Sibbecai the Hushathite, a Zerahite: 24,000 men.

12  Ninth division, ninth month: Abiezer the Anathothite, a Ben-jaminite: 24,000 men.

13  Tenth division, tenth month: Maharai the Netophathite, a Zerahite: 24,000 men.

14  Eleventh division, eleventh month: Benaiah the Pirathomite, an Ephraimite: 24,000 men.

15  Twelfth division, twelfth month: Heldai the Netophathite from the family of Othniel: 24,000 men.

Tribal Administrators

16–22  Administrators of the affairs of the tribes:

for Reuben: Eliezer son of Zicri;

for Simeon: Shephatiah son of Maacah;

for Levi: Hashabiah son of Kemuel;

for Aaron: Zadok;

for Judah: Elihu, David’s brother;

for Issachar: Omri son of Michael;

for Zebulun: Ishmaiah son of Obadiah;

for Naphtali: Jerimoth son of Azriel;

for Ephraim: Hoshea son of Azaziah;

for one half-tribe of Manasseh: Joel son of Pedaiah;

for the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead: Iddo son of Zechariah;

for Ben-jamin: Jaasiel son of Abner;

for Dan: Azarel son of Jeroham.

These are the administrative officers assigned to the tribes of Israel.

23–24  David didn’t keep a count of men under the age of twenty, because God had promised to give Israel a population as numerous as the stars in the sky. Joab son of Zeruiah started out counting the men, but he never finished. God’s anger broke out on Israel because of the counting. As it turned out, the numbers were never entered into the court records of King David.

Supply Officers

25  The king’s storage facilities were supervised by Azmaveth son of Adiel. Jonathan son of Uzziah was responsible for the warehouses in the outlying areas.

26  Ezri son of Kelub was in charge of the field workers on the farms.

27  Shimei the Ramathite was in charge of the vineyards and Zabdi the Shiphmite was in charge of grapes for the wine vats.

28  Baal-Hanan the Gederite was in charge of the olive and sycamore-fig trees in the western hills, and Joash was in charge of the olive oil.

29  Shitrai the Sharonite was in charge of herds grazing in Sharon and Shaphat son of Adlai was in charge of herds in the valley.

30–31  Obil the Ismaelite was in charge of the camels, Jehdeiah the Meronothite was in charge of the donkeys, and Jaziz the Hagrite was in charge of the flocks.

These were the ones responsible for taking care of King David’s property.

David’s Counselors

32  Jonathan, David’s uncle, a wise and literate counselor, and Jehiel son of Hacmoni, were responsible for rearing the king’s sons.

33–34  Ahithophel was the king’s counselor; Hushai the Arkite was the king’s friend. Ahithophel was later replaced by Jehoiada son of Benaiah and by Abiathar.

Joab was commander of the king’s army.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, September 06, 2023

Today's Scripture

Philippians 3:4–14

even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials. You know my pedigree: a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Ben-jamin; a strict and devout adherent to God’s law; a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting the church; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God’s law Book.

7–9  The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him. I didn’t want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ—God’s righteousness.

10–11  I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.

Focused on the Goal

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

Insight

In Philippians 3, Paul passionately argues that it’s futile to seek “confidence in the flesh” (v. 3). “In the flesh” alludes to circumcision, which some teachers were arguing was required to be part of God’s people. More broadly, “confidence in the flesh” references relying on any human status or achievement to be right with God—such as adherence to Jewish law (v. 9)—instead of relying on Christ (see also Romans 8:5–9). Encountering Jesus made Paul realize that relying on human strength or achievement was “garbage” (Philippians 3:8)—a word that can also be translated “dung.” By: Monica La Rose

I’m Nobody! Who Are You?

I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord . . . that I may gain Christ and be found in him. Philippians 3:8–9

In a poem that begins, “I’m nobody! Who are you?” Emily Dickinson playfully challenges all the effort people tend to put into being “somebody,” advocating instead for the joyful freedom of blissful anonymity. For “How dreary – to be – Somebody! How public – like a Frog – / To tell one’s name – the livelong June / To an admiring Bog!”

Finding freedom in letting go of the need to be “somebody” in some ways echoes the testimony of the apostle Paul. Before he met Christ, Paul had a long list of seemingly impressive religious credentials, apparent “reasons to put confidence in the flesh” (Philippians 3:4).

But encountering Jesus changed everything. When Paul saw how hollow his religious achievements were in light of Christ’s sacrificial love, he confessed, “I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord . . . . I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (v. 8). His only remaining ambition was “to know Christ . . . the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (v. 10).

It’s dreary, indeed, to attempt on our own to become “somebody.” But, to know Jesus, to lose ourselves in His self-giving love and life, is to find ourselves again (v. 9), finally free and whole. By:  Monica La Rose

Reflect & Pray

When have you experienced freedom from seeking self-worth in achievement or from others? How can finding yourself “in Christ” free you from both pride and self-rejection?

Loving God, thank You that I don’t need to try to be “somebody” to be loved and accepted by You.

Discover your true personality and how you can be used in the church.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, September 06, 2023

The Far-Reaching Rivers of Life

He who believes in Me…out of his heart will flow rivers of living water. —John 7:38

A river reaches places which its source never knows. And Jesus said that, if we have received His fullness, “rivers of living water” will flow out of us, reaching in blessing even “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8) regardless of how small the visible effects of our lives may appear to be. We have nothing to do with the outflow— “This is the work of God, that you believe…” (John 6:29). God rarely allows a person to see how great a blessing he is to others.

A river is victoriously persistent, overcoming all barriers. For a while it goes steadily on its course, but then comes to an obstacle. And for a while it is blocked, yet it soon makes a pathway around the obstacle. Or a river will drop out of sight for miles, only later to emerge again even broader and greater than ever. Do you see God using the lives of others, but an obstacle has come into your life and you do not seem to be of any use to God? Then keep paying attention to the Source, and God will either take you around the obstacle or remove it. The river of the Spirit of God overcomes all obstacles. Never focus your eyes on the obstacle or the difficulty. The obstacle will be a matter of total indifference to the river that will flow steadily through you if you will simply remember to stay focused on the Source. Never allow anything to come between you and Jesus Christ— not emotion nor experience— nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source.

Think of the healing and far-reaching rivers developing and nourishing themselves in our souls! God has been opening up wonderful truths to our minds, and every point He has opened up is another indication of the wider power of the river that He will flow through us. If you believe in Jesus, you will find that God has developed and nourished in you mighty, rushing rivers of blessing for others.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed.

So Send I You

Bible in a Year: Psalms 148-150; 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, September 06, 2023

What You Can See With Eternity Eyes - #9563

As a kid, I often rode my bike up to the old theater on 79th Street for the Saturday afternoon flick. But this day was different. They handed me this strange-looking pair of glasses made of cardboard with tinted plastic lenses. Those goofy-looking glasses opened up a whole new world where the events in a movie no longer just stayed flat on the screen. They leaped off the screen and right into my face. Hello, 3-D!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "What You Can See With Eternity Eyes."

Looking through three-dimensional glasses, we saw things we could never see without them. When Jesus summons someone to follow Him and be a part of what He's doing, He wants to outfit them with a new pair of spiritual glasses. Not 3-D glasses, no - 4-D glasses. They give you the ability to see a fourth dimension in the people around you, to see what Jesus sees, to see the lostness beneath what's on the surface of the people in your world.

Looking through the eyes of Jesus, you see things you could never see without them. Like the "eternalness," the lostness of your co-workers, your fellow students, your neighbors, your teammates, the folks at the club, your friends at school, family members. You're driven to action to reach them for Jesus because now you see them as they really are - precious creations of God, but headed for an awful eternity without Him.

In our word for today from the Word of God in Proverbs 24:11-12, God describes the real condition of people around us, no matter how religious, or how together, or how nice they seem to be. He calls to you and me, "Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, 'But we knew nothing about this,' does not He who weighs the heart perceive it?... Will He not repay each person according to what He has done?"

Jesus came here on a mission to rescue spiritually dying people and now He's expecting you and me to join that mission, to be a rescuer for the people within your reach. But you'll just sit passively soaking up the blessings until you see the people around you as Jesus does.

My friend Mike is a pastor. He was in his study the other day and his six-year-old daughter came in and she began to study the chart of end-times events that he has on his wall. The end of the chart shows one group of people going up to eternal life and another group of people going down to eternal punishment. Suddenly she blurted, "Daddy, look!" My friend said, "At what?" and he was shaken by her answer. "Daddy, can't you see all those people going to hell?"

Mike said he hadn't seen all those people going to hell for a long time until his daughter helped him put on Jesus' glasses. Maybe you haven't seen them either and they're all around you. God describes the people you know who don't belong to Jesus with words like these out of the Bible: they are "being led away to death" (Proverbs 24:11)... they are "separated from God" (Isaiah 59:2)... they are "lost" (Luke 19:10)... they are, the Bible says, "condemned already"... they will be "punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord" (2 Thessalonians 1:9). This isn't just some theological concept.

This is someone you know, people Jesus died for so they could be rescued from all this; people who may never know Jesus unless you introduce them to Him. He has divinely positioned you in their life to be their rescuer, to be their chance at Jesus, to be their chance at heaven.

Once you see what Jesus sees, you'll rescue the dying whatever it takes and whatever it costs! And you'll look in the mirror and say, "I am someone's chance."

1 Chronicles 26, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: SHORTCUTS - September 5, 2023

The scripture uses the word sin, but isn’t sin a shortcut? Can we agree that sin, at its root, is the unwillingness to wait? To trust? To follow God’s plan?

In the well-known Old Testament story Esau came home from hunting. He had an empty belly. He smelled the pot of red beans that Jacob was stirring. The right of the firstborn was protected by law, but the firstborn son could forfeit or sell it. And that’s what Esau did. The birthright was an intangible object; the beans were right in front of him. So he agreed to the swap. He took a shortcut.

And Jacob? Rebekah knew the older would serve the younger. Surely she’d told him. Did God’s plan need Jacob’s nudge? Of course not. But Rebekah and Jacob took a shortcut. They paid a price for doing so, and so do we.

1 Chronicles 26

The Security Guards

1–11  26 The teams of security guards were from the family of Korah: Meshelemiah son of Kore (one of the sons of Asaph). Meshelemiah’s sons were Zechariah, the firstborn, followed by Jediael, Zebadiah, Jathniel, Elam, Jehohanan, and Eliehoenai—seven sons. Obed-Edom’s sons were Shemaiah, the firstborn, followed by Jehozabad, Joah, Sacar, Nethanel, Ammiel, Issachar, and Peullethai—God blessed him with eight sons. His son Shemaiah had sons who provided outstanding leadership in the family: Othni, Rephael, Obed, and Elzabad; his relatives Elihu and Semakiah were also exceptional. These all came from the line of Obed-Edom—all of them outstanding and strong. There were sixty-two of them. Meshelemiah had eighteen sons and relatives who were outstanding. The sons of Hosah the Merarite were Shimri (he was not the firstborn but his father made him first), then Hilkiah, followed by Tabaliah and Zechariah. Hosah accounted for thirteen.

12–16  These teams of security guards, supervised by their leaders, kept order in The Temple of God, keeping up the traditions of their ancestors. They were all assigned to their posts by the same method regardless of the prominence of their families—each picked his gate assignment from a hat. Shelemiah was assigned to the East Gate; his son Zechariah, a shrewd counselor, got the North Gate. Obed-Edom got the South Gate; and his sons pulled duty at the storehouse. Shuppim and Hosah were posted to the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the high road.

16–18  The guards stood shoulder to shoulder: six Levites per day on the east, four per day on the north and on the south, and two at a time at the storehouse. At the open court to the west, four guards were posted on the road and two at the court.

19  These are the teams of security guards from the sons of Korah and Merari.

Financial Affairs: Accountants and Bookkeepers

20–22  Other Levites were put in charge of the financial affairs of The Temple of God. From the family of Ladan (all Gershonites) came Jehieli, and the sons of Jehieli, Zetham and his brother Joel. They supervised the finances of the sanctuary of God.

23–28  From the Amramites, the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites: Shubael, descended from Gershom the son of Moses, was the chief financial officer. His relatives through Eliezer: his son Rehabiah, his son Jeshaiah, his son Joram, his son Zicri, and his son Shelomith. Shelomith and his relatives were in charge of valuables consecrated by David the king, family heads, and various generals and commanders from the army. They dedicated the plunder that they had gotten in war to the work of the worship of God. In addition, everything that had been dedicated by Samuel the seer, Saul son of Kish, Abner son of Ner, and Joab son of Zeruiah—anything that had been dedicated, ever, was the responsibility of Shelomith and his family.

29–30  From the family of the Izharites, Kenaniah and sons were appointed as officials and judges responsible for affairs outside the work of worship and sanctuary. From the family of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his relatives—1,700 well-qualified men—were responsible for administration of matters related to the worship of God and the king’s work in the territory west of the Jordan.

31–32  According to the family tree of the Hebronites, Jeriah held pride of place. In the fortieth year of David’s reign (his last), the Hebron family tree was researched and outstanding men were found at Jazer in Gilead, namely, Jeriah and 2,700 men of his extended family: David the king made them responsible for administration of matters related to the worship of God and the work of the king in the territory east of the Jordan—the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, September 05, 2023

Today's Scripture

Genesis 42:29–36

When they got back to their father Jacob, back in the land of Canaan, they told him everything that had happened, saying, “The man who runs the country spoke to us roughly and accused us of being spies. We told him, ‘We are honest men and in no way spies. There were twelve of us brothers, sons of one father; one is gone and the youngest is with our father in Canaan.’

33–34  “But the master of the country said, ‘Leave one of your brothers with me, take food for your starving families, and go. Bring your youngest brother back to me, proving that you’re honest men and not spies. And then I’ll give your brother back to you and you’ll be free to come and go in this country.’ ”

35  As they were emptying their food sacks, each man came on his purse of money. On seeing their money, they and their father were upset.

36  Their father said to them, “You’re taking everything I’ve got! Joseph’s gone, Simeon’s gone, and now you want to take Ben-jamin. If you have your way, I’ll be left with nothing.”

Insight

Genesis 37–50 tells the amazing story of Joseph, Jacob’s son, who dreamed that family members would bow down before him (37:5–11). The narrative takes some providential turns but finally the dream is fulfilled: “So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground” (42:6). Far from God being against Jacob and his family, His bigger plan was to preserve them in accordance with His promise to Abraham to multiply his descendants to be “as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore” (22:17). What was meant for harm humanly speaking (see 37:12–28) was, in the end, used by God for His good purposes (50:20). By: Arthur Jackson

“Everything Is against Me”

If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

“This morning I thought I was worth a great deal of money; now I don’t know that I have a dollar.” Former US president Ulysses S. Grant said those words the day he was swindled out of his life’s savings by a business partner. Months later, Grant was diagnosed with incurable cancer. Concerned about providing for his family, he accepted an offer from author Mark Twain to publish his memoirs, which he completed a week before he died.

The Bible tells us of another person who faced grave hardships. Jacob believed his son Joseph had been “torn to pieces” by a “ferocious animal” (Genesis 37:33). Then his son Simeon was held captive in a foreign country, and Jacob feared his son Benjamin would be taken from him as well. Overcome, he cried out, “Everything is against me!” (42:36).

But it wasn’t. Little did Jacob know that his son Joseph was very much alive and that God was at work “behind the scenes” to restore his family. Their story illustrates how He can be trusted even when we can’t see His hand in our circumstances.

Grant’s memoirs proved to be a great success and his family was well cared for. Though he didn’t live to see it, his wife did. Our vision is limited, but God’s isn’t. And with Jesus as our hope, “if God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). May we place our trust in Him today. By:  James Banks

Reflect & Pray

How have you seen God bring good out of difficulty? Where do you need to trust Him? 

Beautiful Savior, please help me keep my eyes on You and not on my problems. You’re always faithful!

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, September 05, 2023

Watching With Jesus

Stay here and watch with Me. —Matthew 26:38

“Watch with Me.” Jesus was saying, in effect, “Watch with no private point of view at all, but watch solely and entirely with Me.” In the early stages of our Christian life, we do not watch with Jesus, we watch for Him. We do not watch with Him through the revealed truth of the Bible even in the circumstances of our own lives. Our Lord is trying to introduce us to identification with Himself through a particular “Gethsemane” experience of our own. But we refuse to go, saying, “No, Lord, I can’t see the meaning of this, and besides, it’s very painful.” And how can we possibly watch with Someone who is so incomprehensible? How are we going to understand Jesus sufficiently to watch with Him in His Gethsemane, when we don’t even know why He is suffering? We don’t know how to watch with Him— we are only used to the idea of Jesus watching with us.

The disciples loved Jesus Christ to the limit of their natural capacity, but they did not fully understand His purpose. In the Garden of Gethsemane they slept as a result of their own sorrow, and at the end of three years of the closest and most intimate relationship of their lives they “all…forsook Him and fled” (Matthew 26:56).

“They were all filled with the Holy Spirit…” (Acts 2:4). “They” refers to the same people, but something wonderful has happened between these two events— our Lord’s death, resurrection, and ascension— and the disciples have now been invaded and “filled with the Holy Spirit.” Our Lord had said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you…” (Acts 1:8). This meant that they learned to watch with Him the rest of their lives.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Jesus Christ reveals, not an embarrassed God, not a confused God, not a God who stands apart from the problems, but One who stands in the thick of the whole thing with man.  Disciples Indeed, 388 L

Bible in a Year: Psalms 146-147; 1 Corinthians 15:1-28

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, September 05, 2023

How You Can Fly Again - #9562

We met this couple at a conference we were attending. They were telling us about how just the day before, a storm had blown in across the lake while they were down at the beach.

All of a sudden they noticed all these Monarch butterflies that were unable to go against that wind. They'd been blown right onto the beach and right into the sand. So, there were stranded Monarch butterflies all over the beach. Their wings became coated with the sand. They were literally grounded.

The lady tried to help them, but she didn't want to hold them. So she tried to balance them on a stick. And she hoped they would hold on while she cleaned their wings, but they were too weighed down with sand and they just fell off.

Well, the man of the family kind of let them come up on his fingers, and he picked them up one by one and he just used his finger to gently clean the sand off these Monarchs. You know what? One by one they were able to fly again.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How You Can Fly Again."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 51 where King David is in recovery. Not from an operation or an illness, but from a terrible moral failure; his sin of adultery. Psalm 51:1 - "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquities and cleanse me from my sins."

Later on in verse 10 he says, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will turn back to you."

I think David must have felt like one of those butterflies on the beach - he's grounded. His security is gone. He's saying, "Give me back a steadfast spirit." His sense of God's presence seems to be gone. He says, "Don't cast me from your presence." His joy is gone. "Restore to me the joy of your salvation." He wants to reach out. He says, "I want to teach transgressors your ways." But he feels unworthy to do it. And the sand and dirt of sin have grounded him.

Sin never advertises it's going to do this to you; this bill you're going to get. But the bill always comes. And you might know some of these feelings right now. Most of us do one time or another. Some people might be like that lady on the beach. You know, they'd like to help us get it back together, but they don't want to get too close. And then there's Jesus. He wants to pick you up out of the sand that you're stuck in, and if you've repented of that sin; if you've told Him you're so sorry for it and that you won't do it again, He's heard your cry and He is ready, willing and able to pick you up out of the sand.

But before He could pick up your wings, He laid down His life. 1 Peter 2:24 says, "He carried our sins in His own body on the tree." That means that David had been forgiven; but he had to be restored. And that's what your Savior wants to do for you. If you surrender that part of you each day to Him, open up all the scars and the feelings to Him. And then make it right with anyone who maybe got wounded by that sin. Then you choose to believe His promise of forgiveness rather than your feelings of condemnation.

What great news! Romans 8:1, "There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." Listen, the sooner you open up to Him, the sooner this healing can begin. Why don't you tell Him, "Lord, I've sinned. I know I've hurt You. I don't deserve your forgiveness. I'm thankful you don't work on the business of deserve. I'm grounded because of the weight of what I've done. Clean me up and help me fly again."

If you've never been to the cross in your heart to have that lifetime of sin forgiven; the place where Jesus paid for it all, tell Him today, "Jesus, I'm pinning all my hopes on you." We'd love to help you do that. Go to our website today. It's ANewStory.com. He'll pick you up. He'll hold you close. He'll gently restore your beauty, your buoyancy. Sin takes its toll. It will leave scars, but with Jesus, failure is never final. You can fly again!

1 Corinthians 14:26-40, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: GRACE CAME AFTER JACOB - September 4, 2023

If you want to see God’s steadfast devotion…

If you need to know how long God will put up with a scoundrel and his scandals…

If you are wondering if God’s plan has a place for botchers and bunglers and schemers…

If you could benefit from a tale of God’s unending, unbending, unswerving faithfulness…

Then the story of Jacob is what you need.

In Exodus 3:15 God said to Moses, “…The Lord is the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob…” God used Jacob in spite of Jacob. Period.

The word for such devotion? Grace. Grace came after Jacob. Grace found him in the desert. Grace protected him when he lived in exile. Grace wrestled him to the ground and blessed him.

Do you know such grace? God never gives up on you.

1 Corinthians 14:26-40

 So here’s what I want you to do. When you gather for worship, each one of you be prepared with something that will be useful for all: Sing a hymn, teach a lesson, tell a story, lead a prayer, provide an insight. If prayers are offered in tongues, two or three’s the limit, and then only if someone is present who can interpret what you’re saying. Otherwise, keep it between God and yourself. And no more than two or three speakers at a meeting, with the rest of you listening and taking it to heart. Take your turn, no one person taking over. Then each speaker gets a chance to say something special from God, and you all learn from each other. If you choose to speak, you’re also responsible for how and when you speak. When we worship the right way, God doesn’t stir us up into confusion; he brings us into harmony. This goes for all the churches—no exceptions.

34–36  Wives must not disrupt worship, talking when they should be listening, asking questions that could more appropriately be asked of their husbands at home. God’s Book of the law guides our manners and customs here. Wives have no license to use the time of worship for unwarranted speaking. Do you—both women and men—imagine that you’re a sacred oracle determining what’s right and wrong? Do you think everything revolves around you?

37–38  If any one of you thinks God has something for you to say or has inspired you to do something, pay close attention to what I have written. This is the way the Master wants it. If you won’t play by these rules, God can’t use you. Sorry.

39–40  Three things, then, to sum this up: When you speak forth God’s truth, speak your heart out. Don’t tell people how they should or shouldn’t pray when they’re praying in tongues that you don’t understand. Be courteous and considerate in everything.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, September 04, 2023

Today's Scripture & Insight:

Jeremiah 52:31–34

When Jehoiachin king of Judah had been in exile for thirty-seven years, Evil-Merodach became king in Babylon and let Jehoiachin out of prison. This release took place on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month. The king treated him most courteously and gave him preferential treatment beyond anything experienced by the political prisoners held in Babylon. Jehoiachin took off his prison garb and from then on ate his meals in company with the king. The king provided everything he needed to live comfortably for the rest of his life.

Insight

The prophet Jeremiah is often referred to as the weeping prophet because his book of prophecy contains several references to tears, including his own personal sorrow. For example, Jeremiah 9:1 says, “Oh, that my head were a spring of water and my eyes a fountain of tears! I would weep day and night for the slain of my people.” And 13:17 adds, “If you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; my eyes will weep bitterly, overflowing with tears, because the Lord’s flock will be taken captive.” Jeremiah wasn’t afraid to cry! Some students of Scripture have speculated that some in the crowd thought Jesus was Jeremiah (Matthew 16:14) because He wasn’t ashamed of His tears. By: Bill Crowder

Extreme Kindness

When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us. Titus 3:4–5

Fast-food restaurant worker Kevin Ford hadn’t missed a shift in twenty-seven years. After a video surfaced showing his humble gratitude for a modest gift he received to commemorate his decades of service, thousands of people rallied together to show kindness to him. “It’s like a dream, a dream come true,” he said when a fundraising effort brought in $250,000 in just over a week.

Jehoiachin, the exiled king of Judah, was also the recipient of extreme kindness. He’d been incarcerated for thirty-seven years before the benevolence of the Babylonian king resulted in his release. “[The king] freed him from prison. He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon” (Jeremiah 52:31–32). Jehoiachin was given a new position, new clothes, and a new residence. His new life was fully funded by the king.

This story pictures what happens spiritually when, out of no contributions from themselves or others, people who believe in Jesus’ death and resurrection are rescued from their estrangement from God. They’re brought from darkness and death into light and life; they’re brought into the family of God because of the extreme kindness of God. By:  Arthur Jackson

Reflect & Pray

What acts of human kindness have reminded you of God’s goodness? How do you respond to the kindness of God who welcomes you into His family based on what Jesus has done?

Father, thank You for Your forgiving kindness. “Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe; sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.”

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, September 04, 2023

His!

They were Yours, You gave them to Me… —John 17:6

A missionary is someone in whom the Holy Spirit has brought about this realization: “You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19). To say, “I am not my own,” is to have reached a high point in my spiritual stature. The true nature of that life in actual everyday confusion is evidenced by the deliberate giving up of myself to another Person through a sovereign decision, and that Person is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit interprets and explains the nature of Jesus to me to make me one with my Lord, not that I might simply become a trophy for His showcase. Our Lord never sent any of His disciples out on the basis of what He had done for them. It was not until after the resurrection, when the disciples had perceived through the power of the Holy Spirit who Jesus really was, that He said, “Go” (Matthew 28:19; also see Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8).

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). He was not saying that this person cannot be good and upright, but that he cannot be someone over whom Jesus can write the word Mine. Any one of the relationships our Lord mentions in this verse can compete with our relationship with Him. I may prefer to belong to my mother, or to my wife, or to myself, but if that is the case, then, Jesus said, “[You] cannot be My disciple.” This does not mean that I will not be saved, but it does mean that I cannot be entirely His.

Our Lord makes His disciple His very own possession, becoming responsible for him. “…you shall be witnesses to Me…” (Acts 1:8). The desire that comes into a disciple is not one of doing anything for Jesus, but of being a perfect delight to Him. The missionary’s secret is truly being able to say, “I am His, and He is accomplishing His work and His purposes through me.”

Be entirely His!

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

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

Bible in a Year: Psalms 143-145; 1 Corinthians 14:21-40

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, September 04, 2023

End Times Praying End Times Loving - #9561

Now, the problem with professional football games is they keep slowing down for huddles and time outs; especially those commercials. I'll tell you when they don't slow down. It's near the end of the game where your team is behind, and with two minutes left, a team often skips the huddle, all the delays, and they just go right from one play to the next. They forget the game plan; there's two minutes left. They go for broke!

Now, this is called the "hurry-up offense," and that's pretty literally named. Skip the huddle, skip all the game plan; let's win this game - do whatever it takes. You play differently when there isn't much time...or you should.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "End Times Praying End Times Loving."

Which brings us to our word for today from the Word of God in 1 Peter 4, beginning with verse 7, where he talks about "the end of all things is at hand." Now, all of us are living in a world that seems to be winding down, or maybe winding up to Christ's return. It's obvious even to unbelievers that we seem to be moving to some kind of dramatic climax. It's all bubbling up into something. And if you've read the final chapters of the Bible, you know what that climax is. So, how should we be playing in light of this what might be a two-minute warning from God so to speak?

Well, there are two areas that are supposed to be affected the most: How we pray, because verse 7 in 1 Peter 4, talks about being clear-minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. OK, the first area is we ought to be praying differently - open-mindedly, ready for whatever God might say to us in these urgent times. So, don't be surprised if God says to do something outside of your box.

The second area that is affected is how we treat each other. Listen to this, coming off that statement, "the end of all things is near." It says, "Above all..." (okay, that's important) "...Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins." I love that phrase. It seems to be summed up in these two words, "covering love."

Urgent times - times when you see climactic events taking place. Those are times in which our relationships should be described by those two words, "covering love." Love covers all kinds of wrongs that might be done to you. What's the opposite? Is it hate? Is it indifference? Well, let's call it un-love... if I'm giving you anything less than love, it's un-love. You know what it does? It uncovers every wrong that's done to you; it keeps score. "If I don't love you, I will maintain a list of grievances I'll never forget. But these are urgent times. There's no time to dissect every misunderstanding, every harsh word, every miscommunication, every hurt feeling. In sports they say, "Shake it off" when you get hurt.

That's what you do with end-times loving. You "shake it off" if you've been hurt by somebody. You choose to move on. This isn't some passive little tame love. It's active loving, active forgiving. Actually it's the word in the Greek stretched out. That's what "love each other deeply" means. It's like a fully extended runner. It's fully extended love.

That's the kind of offense that is worthy of the time that's on the clock. You pray ready for anything God might say, and you love ready to forgive anything, and to give anything. I think we may have heard God's two-minute warning. It's time for God's hurry-up offense. Hey, it's time to go for broke.

1 Chronicles 25, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Holy Hostility

Many insist God loves us so much he cannot be angry at our evil. They don't understand that love is always angry at evil! Paul said in Romans 1:18, "God is against all the evil and wrong things people do."

This is a revelation to many who assume God is a harried high-school principal, too busy monitoring the planets to notice us. He is not. God says his anger is directed against any thing and any one who suppresses the knowledge of truth. God loves his children, and hates what destroys them. It simply means that he loves you and hates what you become when you turn from him.

Call it holy hostility! A righteous hatred of wrong. A divine disgust. The question isn't, "How dare a loving God be angry?" It's, "How could a loving God feel anything less?"

From In the Grip of Grace

1 Chronicles 25

The Musicians for Worship

1–7  25 Next David and the worship leaders selected some from the family of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun for special service in preaching and music. Here is the roster of names and assignments: From the family of Asaph: Zaccur, Joseph, Nethaniah, and Asarelah; they were supervised by Asaph, who spoke for God backed up by the king’s authority. From the family of Jeduthun there were six sons: Gedaliah, Zeri, Jeshaiah, Shimei, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah; they were supervised by their father Jeduthun, who preached and accompanied himself with the zither—he was responsible for leading the thanks and praise to God. From the family of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shubael, Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, Romamti-Ezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth. These were the sons of Heman the king’s seer; they supported and assisted him in his divinely appointed work. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters. Under their father’s supervision they were in charge of leading the singing and providing musical accompaniment in the work of worship in the sanctuary of God (Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman took their orders directly from the king). They were well-trained in the sacred music, all of them masters. There were 288 of them.

8  They drew names at random to see who would do what. Nobody, whether young or old, teacher or student, was given preference or advantage over another.

9–31  The first name from Asaph’s family was Joseph and his twelve sons and brothers; second, Gedaliah and his twelve sons and brothers; third, Zaccur and his twelve sons and brothers; fourth, Izri and his twelve sons and brothers; fifth, Nethaniah and his twelve sons and brothers; sixth, Bukkiah and his twelve sons and brothers; seventh, Jesarelah and his twelve sons and brothers; eighth, Jeshaiah and his twelve sons and brothers; ninth, Mattaniah and his twelve sons and brothers; tenth, Shimei and his twelve sons and brothers; eleventh, Azarel and his twelve sons and brothers; twelfth, Hashabiah and his twelve sons and brothers; thirteenth, Shubael and his twelve sons and brothers; fourteenth, Mattithiah and his twelve sons and brothers; fifteenth, Jerimoth and his twelve sons and brothers; sixteenth, Hananiah and his twelve sons and brothers; seventeenth, Joshbekashah and his twelve sons and brothers; eighteenth, Hanani and his twelve sons and brothers; nineteenth, Mallothi and his twelve sons and brothers; twentieth, Eliathah and his twelve sons and brothers; twenty-first, Hothir and his twelve sons and brothers; twenty-second, Giddalti and his twelve sons and brothers; twenty-third, Mahazioth and his twelve sons and brothers; twenty-fourth, Romamti-Ezer and his twelve sons and brothers.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Sunday, September 03, 2023

Today's Scripture

2 Corinthians 3:1–6

Does it sound like we’re patting ourselves on the back, insisting on our credentials, asserting our authority? Well, we’re not. Neither do we need letters of endorsement, either to you or from you. You yourselves are all the endorsement we need. Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it.

4–6  We couldn’t be more sure of ourselves in this—that you, written by Christ himself for God, are our letter of recommendation. We wouldn’t think of writing this kind of letter about ourselves. Only God can write such a letter. His letter authorizes us to help carry out this new plan of action. The plan wasn’t written out with ink on paper, with pages and pages of legal footnotes, killing your spirit. It’s written with Spirit on spirit, his life on our lives!

Insight

Relationships are difficult—even with other believers in Jesus. What matters is faithfulness to God and love for each other. The apostle Paul experienced tension with other believers, as seen in his relationship with the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 1:23–2:4). He asks rhetorically whether he must commend himself again to the church (3:1).

He’s not saying he needs to boast his way back into the church’s good graces. This church once gladly welcomed him on his missionary journeys (Acts 18:1–18). Now, he’s concerned that the Corinthian believers think so little of their relationship that he’ll have to vouch for himself—or get someone to vouch for him—all over again (2 Corinthians 3:1). But Paul sees no need to do so, trusting that the life-change in the Corinthian church should be testimony enough for them—and the outsiders who see them—to realize his love for the struggling church hasn’t changed (2:4). By: Jed Ostoich

The BLESSED Mask

You show that you are a letter from Christ . . . written . . . with the Spirit of the living God. 2 Corinthians 3:3

As the mask mandate requirements during the pandemic loosened, I struggled to remember to keep a mask handy for where they were still required—like my daughter’s school. One day when I needed a mask, I found just one in my car: the one I avoided wearing because it had blessed written across the front.

I prefer to wear masks without messages, and I believe that the word on the mask I found is overused. But I had no choice, so I reluctantly put the mask on. And when I nearly showed my annoyance with a new receptionist at the school, I caught myself, partly because of the word on my mask. I didn’t want to look like a hypocrite, walking around with blessed scrawled across my mouth while showing impatience to a person trying to figure out a complicated system.

Though the letters on my mask reminded me of my witness for Christ, the words of Scripture in my heart should be a true reminder to be patient with others. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “You are a letter from Christ, . . . written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts” (2 Corinthians 3:3). The Holy Spirit who “gives life” (v. 6), can help us live out “love, joy, peace” and, yes, “patience” (Galatians 5:22). We’re truly blessed by His presence within us! By:  Katara Patton

Reflect & Pray

What are your words and actions saying to others? How can you represent Christ in what you do today?

Dear Jesus, with each person I encounter today, help me to share what it means to live for You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, September 03, 2023

Pouring Out the Water of Satisfaction

He would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord. —2 Samuel 23:16

What has been like “water from the well of Bethlehem” to you recently— love, friendship, or maybe some spiritual blessing (2 Samuel 23:16)? Have you taken whatever it may be, even at the risk of damaging your own soul, simply to satisfy yourself? If you have, then you cannot pour it out “to the Lord.” You can never set apart for God something that you desire for yourself to achieve your own satisfaction. If you try to satisfy yourself with a blessing from God, it will corrupt you. You must sacrifice it, pouring it out to God— something that your common sense says is an absurd waste.

How can I pour out “to the Lord” natural love and spiritual blessings? There is only one way— I must make a determination in my mind to do so. There are certain things other people do that could never be received by someone who does not know God, because it is humanly impossible to repay them. As soon as I realize that something is too wonderful for me, that I am not worthy to receive it, and that it is not meant for a human being at all, I must pour it out “to the Lord.” Then these very things that have come to me will be poured out as “rivers of living water” all around me (John 7:38). And until I pour these things out to God, they actually endanger those I love, as well as myself, because they will be turned into lust. Yes, we can be lustful in things that are not sordid and vile. Even love must be transformed by being poured out “to the Lord.”

If you have become bitter and sour, it is because when God gave you a blessing you hoarded it. Yet if you had poured it out to Him, you would have been the sweetest person on earth. If you are always keeping blessings to yourself and never learning to pour out anything “to the Lord,” other people will never have their vision of God expanded through you.

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: Psalms 140-142; 1 Corinthians 14:1-20

1 Chronicles 24, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: The Anger of God

Do not confuse the wrath of God with the wrath of man. The two have little in common. We get ticked off because we've been overlooked, neglected, or cheated.  It's the anger of man. God does not get angry because He doesn't get his way. He gets angry because disobedience always results in self-destruction.

What kind of father sits by and watches his child hurt himself? What kind of God would do the same? Do we think he giggles at adultery? Or snickers at murder? Does he shake his head and say, "Humans will be humans?" God is rightfully angry. Our sins are an affront to his holiness. Habakkuk 1:13 says, his eyes are "too good to look at evil; he cannot stand to see those who do wrong." God is angry at the evil that ruins his children. He cannot be indifferent that his creation is destroyed and his holy will trodden underfoot.

From In the Grip of Grace

1 Chronicles 24

The family of Aaron was grouped as follows: Aaron’s sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Nadab and Abihu died before their father and left no sons. So Eleazar and Ithamar filled the office of priest. David assigned Zadok from the family of Eleazar and Ahimelech from the family of Ithamar and assigned them to separate divisions for carrying out their appointed ministries. It turned out that there were more leaders in Eleazar’s family than in Ithamar’s and so they divided them proportionately: sixteen clan leaders from Eleazar’s family and eight clan leaders from Ithamar’s family. They assigned the leaders by lot, treating both families alike, for there were officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among both the Eleazar and Ithamar families.

6  The secretary Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, wrote down their names in the presence of the king, the officials, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar, and the leaders of the priestly and Levitical families. They took turns: One family was selected from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.

7–18  The first lot fell to Jehoiarib,

the second to Jedaiah,

the third to Harim,

the fourth to Seorim,

the fifth to Malkijah,

the sixth to Mijamin,

the seventh to Hakkoz,

the eighth to Abijah,

the ninth to Jeshua,

the tenth to Shecaniah,

the eleventh to Eliashib,

the twelfth to Jakim,

the thirteenth to Huppah,

the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

the fifteenth to Bilgah,

the sixteenth to Immer,

the seventeenth to Hezir,

the eighteenth to Happizzez,

the nineteenth to Pethahiah,

the twentieth to Jehezkel,

the twenty-first to Jakin,

the twenty-second to Gamul,

the twenty-third to Delaiah,

and the twenty-fourth to Maaziah.

19  They served in this appointed order when they entered The Temple of God, following the procedures laid down by their ancestor Aaron as God, the God of Israel, had commanded him.

20  The rest of the Levites are as follows:

From the sons of Amram: Shubael; from the sons of Shubael: Jehdeiah.

21  Concerning Rehabiah: from his sons, Isshiah was the first.

22  From the Izharites: Shelomoth; from the sons of Shelomoth: Jahath.

23  The sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

24–25  The son of Uzziel: Micah, and from the sons of Micah: Shamir. The brother of Micah was Isshiah, and from the sons of Isshiah: Zechariah.

26–27  The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The son of Jaaziah: Beno. The sons of Merari from Jaaziah: Beno, Shoham, Zaccur, and Ibri.

28  From Mahli: Eleazar, who had no sons.

29  From Kish: Jerahmeel, the son of Kish.

30–31  And from the sons of Mushi: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

These were the Levites by their families. They also cast lots, the same as their kindred the sons of Aaron had done, in the presence of David the king, Zadok, Ahimelech, and the leaders of the priestly and Levitical families. The families of the oldest and youngest brothers were treated the same.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Saturday, September 02, 2023

Today's Scripture  Mark 1:9–11

At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God’s Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him. Along with the Spirit, a voice: “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.”

Insight

All four gospels record Jesus’ baptism by John (Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22; John 1:29–34). Matthew provides generous details of conversation and motivation. Mark and Luke’s accounts are a sparse telling limited to the facts of the occasion. John’s account gives a slightly different perspective.

Matthew and Mark both share the words spoken from heaven; the only difference is to whom the remarks are made. Matthew records the heavenly voice as addressing the crowds watching: “This is my Son, whom I love” (3:17). In Mark’s account, the voice is speaking directly to Jesus: “You are my Son, whom I love” (1:11). Interestingly, the word agapetos—translated “whom I love”—can have the nuance of “only” when applied to a child, making its use here doubly appropriate in describing Jesus. By: J.R. Hudberg

To Know God

You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased. Mark 1:11

On a visit to Ireland, I was overwhelmed by the abundance of decorative shamrocks. The little green, three-leafed plant could be found in every store on seemingly everything—clothing, hats, jewelry, and more!

More than just a prolific plant across Ireland, the shamrock was embraced for generations as a simple way to explain the Trinity, the historic Christian belief that God is One essence who eternally exists in three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. While all human explanations of the Trinity are inadequate, the shamrock is a helpful symbol because it’s one plant made of the same substance with three distinct leaves.

The word Trinity isn’t found in Scripture, but it summarizes the theological truth we see explicit in passages where all three persons of the Trinity are present at the same time. When Jesus, God the Son, is baptized, God the Spirit is seen coming down from heaven “like a dove,” and God the Father’s voice is heard saying, “You are my Son” (Mark 1:10–11).

Irish believers in Jesus used the shamrock because they wanted to help people know God. As we more fully understand the beauty of the Trinity, it helps us know God and deepens our ability to worship Him “in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). By:  Lisa M. Samra

Reflect & Pray

What symbols help you understand the Trinity? Why is it essential to believe God is one?

I worship You, Father, Son, and Spirit, as one God acting together to extend love and salvation to all people.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Saturday, September 02, 2023

Destined To Be Holy

…it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." —1 Peter 1:16

We must continually remind ourselves of the purpose of life. We are not destined to happiness, nor to health, but to holiness. Today we have far too many desires and interests, and our lives are being consumed and wasted by them. Many of them may be right, noble, and good, and may later be fulfilled, but in the meantime God must cause their importance to us to decrease. The only thing that truly matters is whether a person will accept the God who will make him holy. At all costs, a person must have the right relationship with God.

Do I believe I need to be holy? Do I believe that God can come into me and make me holy? If through your preaching you convince me that I am unholy, I then resent your preaching. The preaching of the gospel awakens an intense resentment because it is designed to reveal my unholiness, but it also awakens an intense yearning and desire within me. God has only one intended destiny for mankind— holiness. His only goal is to produce saints. God is not some eternal blessing-machine for people to use, and He did not come to save us out of pity— He came to save us because He created us to be holy. Atonement through the Cross of Christ means that God can put me back into perfect oneness with Himself through the death of Jesus Christ, without a trace of anything coming between us any longer.

Never tolerate, because of sympathy for yourself or for others, any practice that is not in keeping with a holy God. Holiness means absolute purity of your walk before God, the words coming from your mouth, and every thought in your mind— placing every detail of your life under the scrutiny of God Himself. Holiness is not simply what God gives me, but what God has given me that is being exhibited in my life.

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: Psalms 135-136; 1 Corinthians 12

1 Chronicles 23, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: A STORY FOR LIMPERS - September 1, 2023

The Old Testament patriarch Jacob exited the womb with a hand on his twin brother’s heel as if to say, “I want the top spot.” A triumph of irony, this was: Jacob beginning life the way he would live it, grasping for a better position. Jacob’s nickname was Deceiver, and deceive he did.

Prodigy? No. Prodigal? That word fits. Jacob never fed the pigs, but he did wrestle in the mud with, if not God, someone like God.  Jacob pinned him down and begged for a blessing. And The blessing came, but at a cost. Jacob was given a new name: Israel. But Israel’s hip was out of joint.

Sound familiar? Jacob’s story is for you. Jacob’s story is for limpers like me. And you know, God never gives up on limpers.

1 Chronicles 23

Preparations for Worship

1  23 When David got to be an old man, he made his son Solomon king over Israel.

2–5  At the same time he brought together all the leaders of Israel, the priests, and the Levites. The Levites thirty years and older were counted; the total was thirty-eight thousand. David sorted them into work groups: “Twenty-four thousand are in charge of administering worship in the sanctuary; six thousand are officials and judges; four thousand are security guards; and four thousand are to serve in the orchestra, praising God with instruments that I have provided for praise.”

6  David then divided the Levites into groupings named after the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

7–11  The Gershonites: Ladan and Shimei. The three sons of Ladan: Jehiel, Zetham, and Joel. The three sons of Shimei: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran, all heads of the families of Ladan. The four sons of Shimei: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah. Jahath came first, followed by Ziza. Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons so they were counted as one family with one task.

12–14  The four sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was especially ordained to work in the Holy of Holies, to burn incense before God, to serve God and bless his Name always. This was a permanent appointment for Aaron and his sons. Moses and his sons were counted in the tribe of Levi.

15–17  The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer. Shubael was the first son of Gershom. Rehabiah was the first and only son of Eliezer; but though Eliezer had no other sons, Rehabiah had many sons.

18–23  Shelomith was the first son of Izhar. Hebron had four sons: Jeriah, Amariah, Jahaziel, and Jekameam. Uzziel had two sons: Micah and Isshiah. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish. Eleazar died without any sons, only daughters. Their cousins, the sons of Kish, married the daughters. Mushi had three sons: Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

24  These are the sons of Levi twenty years and older, divided up according to families and heads of families and listed in the work groups that took care of the worship in the sanctuary of God.

25–27  David said, “Now that the God of Israel has given rest to his people and made Jerusalem his permanent home, the Levites no longer have to carry the Tabernacle and all the furniture required for the work of worship.” These last words of David referred only to Levites twenty years old and above.

28–31  From now on the assigned work of the Levites was to assist Aaron’s sons in the work of worship in God’s house: maintain courtyards and closets, keep the furniture and utensils of worship clean, take care of any extra work needed in the work of worship, and provide bread for the table and flour for the Meal Offerings and the unraised wafers—all baking and mixing, all measuring and weighing. Also they were to be present for morning prayers, thanking and praising God, for evening prayers, and at the service of Whole-Burnt-Offerings to God on Sabbath, at New Moons, and at all festivals. They were on regular duty to serve God according to their assignment and the required number.

32  In short, the Levites, with the sons of Aaron as their companions in the ministry of holy worship, were responsible for everything that had to do with worship: the place and times and ordering of worship.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Friday, September 01, 2023

Today's Scripture

John 16:25–33

“I’ve used figures of speech in telling you these things. Soon I’ll drop the figures and tell you about the Father in plain language. Then you can make your requests directly to him in relation to this life I’ve revealed to you. I won’t continue making requests of the Father on your behalf. I won’t need to. Because you’ve gone out on a limb, committed yourselves to love and trust in me, believing I came directly from the Father, the Father loves you directly. First, I left the Father and arrived in the world; now I leave the world and travel to the Father.”

29–30  His disciples said, “Finally! You’re giving it to us straight, in plain talk—no more figures of speech. Now we know that you know everything—it all comes together in you. You won’t have to put up with our questions anymore. We’re convinced you came from God.”

31–33  Jesus answered them, “Do you finally believe? In fact, you’re about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I’m not abandoned. The Father is with me. I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”

Insight

John’s gospel focuses on seven sign-miracles and Jesus’ seven “I Am” claims. The Upper Room Discourse (chs. 14–16) is the main teaching focus of this gospel account. The teaching was given the night before the cross as Christ was preparing His disciples for His crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and return. One of the main features of the Upper Room Discourse is the promise and purpose of the coming Holy Spirit—Jesus’ provision for His people after His departure. This promise was eventually fulfilled on the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2), some ten days after Christ’s ascension to heaven when the Spirit came to indwell believers in Jesus. By: Bill Crowder

God’s Epic Story

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

Life magazine’s July 12, 1968, cover displayed a horrifying photograph of starving children from Biafra (in Nigeria during a civil war). A young boy, distressed, took a copy of the magazine to a pastor and asked, “Does God know about this?” The pastor replied, “I know you don’t understand, but, yes, God knows about that.” The boy walked out, declaring he was uninterested in such a God.

These questions disturb not only children but all of us. Alongside an affirmation of God’s mysterious knowledge, I wish that boy had heard about the epic story God is continuing to write, even in places like the former nation of Biafra.

Jesus unfolded this story for His followers, those who assumed He’d shield them from hardship. Christ told them instead that “in this world you will have trouble.” What Jesus did offer, however, was His promise that these evils weren’t the end. In fact, He’d already “overcome the world” (John 16:33). And in God’s final chapter, every injustice will be undone, every suffering healed.

Genesis to Revelation recounts the story of God destroying every unthinkable evil, making every wrong right. The story presents the loving One whose interest in us is unquestioned. Jesus said to His disciples, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace” (v. 33). May we rest in His peace and presence today.  By:  Winn Collier

Reflect & Pray

How does the story you see feel tragic? How does Jesus’ promise to write a good ending free you?

Dear God, it’s hard for me to see how You’ll right all the evils. But I trust You to do it.

Learn more about the grand story of the Bible.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Friday, September 01, 2023

Destined To Be Holy

…it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." —1 Peter 1:16

We must continually remind ourselves of the purpose of life. We are not destined to happiness, nor to health, but to holiness. Today we have far too many desires and interests, and our lives are being consumed and wasted by them. Many of them may be right, noble, and good, and may later be fulfilled, but in the meantime God must cause their importance to us to decrease. The only thing that truly matters is whether a person will accept the God who will make him holy. At all costs, a person must have the right relationship with God.

Do I believe I need to be holy? Do I believe that God can come into me and make me holy? If through your preaching you convince me that I am unholy, I then resent your preaching. The preaching of the gospel awakens an intense resentment because it is designed to reveal my unholiness, but it also awakens an intense yearning and desire within me. God has only one intended destiny for mankind— holiness. His only goal is to produce saints. God is not some eternal blessing-machine for people to use, and He did not come to save us out of pity— He came to save us because He created us to be holy. Atonement through the Cross of Christ means that God can put me back into perfect oneness with Himself through the death of Jesus Christ, without a trace of anything coming between us any longer.

Never tolerate, because of sympathy for yourself or for others, any practice that is not in keeping with a holy God. Holiness means absolute purity of your walk before God, the words coming from your mouth, and every thought in your mind— placing every detail of your life under the scrutiny of God Himself. Holiness is not simply what God gives me, but what God has given me that is being exhibited in my life.

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: Psalms 135-136; 1 Corinthians 12

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Friday, September 01, 2023

Never Meant to Drive - #9560

He was five years old, and his mommy wasn't feeling well. So she was taking a nap. His little two-year-old sister wanted an ice cream cone, so he did what Mommy would do. Yeah. He picked up the car keys Mommy had left on the kitchen table, took his little sister out to the car, put her in the back seat, turned on the car and somehow started driving (this is a true story). Then Mr. Five-Year-Old pulled out into the main thoroughfare at the corner. Thankfully, a police officer saw the car going by apparently without a driver from what he could see. That got his attention! He pursued the mystery car and managed to get the driver to pull over. Needless to say, there was one shocked policeman when he opened the door and saw a little boy at the wheel. I'd say it's a pretty good thing he stopped him.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Never Meant to Drive."

That little guy was never meant to drive. Just like you and me - our life I mean. The One who gave you your life, that's the one who's supposed to be driving your life. In the words of the Bible, we were "created by Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16). There's a fundamental reason that we continue to wonder what the purpose of our life is and why it doesn't have the meaning we want it to have; a fundamental reason that no relationship, no accomplishment or experience, or even religion has filled the hole in our heart. It's the reason we continue to end up feeling lonely and lost. We insist on driving our life when God is supposed to.

In our word for today from the Word of God, Isaiah 53:6, the Bible says: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way." The result is described a little later in a subsequent chapter: "Your sins have separated you from your God" (Isaiah 59:2). Here we are, cruising down the road without the One we were made by and made for. That explains so much of our frustration, and our hurt, and even the times we've crashed - all because we are obsessed with doing the driving.

You may be, by nature, a self-reliant person. And that could be good. You've had to figure out things on your own. And maybe you've done a pretty good job of it. Then God comes along and says, "If you want your life to work, if you want to have a relationship with Me, you have to let go of the wheel." You'll go to some of God's meetings, you believe God's beliefs, maybe even contribute to some of God's causes, but you're not about to let go of the wheel.

In the same verses that talk about us going our own way, God goes on to say, "The Lord has laid on Him (that's God's Son, Jesus) the iniquity (or the wrong doing) of us all... the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him." Jesus actually went to a cross to absorb all the guilt of all our wrong doing so we could be forgiven, so we could be reunited with the God who made us; so we could make it into His heaven when we die. If there was something you or I could do to make it with God, there's no way He would have sent His Son to go through what He did when He died for us. It was the only way. It's your only way.

But you have to let go of the wheel. You and I are dying spiritually, and Jesus is the Rescuer who's come to save us. You'll have to abandon trusting in yourself to let go and trust the Man who died and rose again for you. If you insist on hanging onto the wheel of your life, you will ultimately drive it over the cliff of an eternity away from God. And if you've got a family or people who follow you, you may even take others with you.

Today, the God who made you, the God who gave His Son for you, is saying to you, "Let go of the wheel so I can take your life where I meant for it to go." The release of that wheel will result in the greatest peace you've ever experienced, because the One who was supposed to drive will finally be driving.

Man, I would love for you to begin this life-changing relationship with Him. If you want that, go to our website and find there the information that will help you get this settled. It's ANewStory.com.

The greatest tragedy in life would be if you go into eternity with your hands still stubbornly hanging onto the wheel. Because only Jesus can drive you where you want to end up.

1 Corinthians 14:1-25, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: OUR SHEPHERD - August 31, 2023

God, our Shepherd, doesn’t check the weather; he makes it. He doesn’t defy gravity; he created it. Jesus said, “God is Spirit.” He has no limitations. Unchanging. Uncaused. Ungoverned. Don’t we need this kind of shepherd?

You don’t need to carry the burden of a lesser god—a god on a shelf, a god in a box, or a god in a bottle. No, you need a God who can place 100 billion stars in our galaxy and 100 billion galaxies in the universe. A God who can shape two fists of flesh into 75 to 100 billion nerve cells, each with as many as 10,000 connections to other nerve cells, place it in a skull, and call it a brain. And you have one. He is your Shepherd.

1 Corinthians 14:1-25

Prayer Language

1–3  14 Go after a life of love as if your life depended on it—because it does. Give yourselves to the gifts God gives you. Most of all, try to proclaim his truth. If you praise him in the private language of tongues, God understands you but no one else does, for you are sharing intimacies just between you and him. But when you proclaim his truth in everyday speech, you’re letting others in on the truth so that they can grow and be strong and experience his presence with you.

4–5  The one who prays using a private “prayer language” certainly gets a lot out of it, but proclaiming God’s truth to the church in its common language brings the whole church into growth and strength. I want all of you to develop intimacies with God in prayer, but please don’t stop with that. Go on and proclaim his clear truth to others. It’s more important that everyone have access to the knowledge and love of God in language everyone understands than that you go off and cultivate God’s presence in a mysterious prayer language—unless, of course, there is someone who can interpret what you are saying for the benefit of all.

6–8  Think, friends: If I come to you and all I do is pray privately to God in a way only he can understand, what are you going to get out of that? If I don’t address you plainly with some insight or truth or proclamation or teaching, what help am I to you? If musical instruments—flutes, say, or harps—aren’t played so that each note is distinct and in tune, how will anyone be able to catch the melody and enjoy the music? If the trumpet call can’t be distinguished, will anyone show up for the battle?

9–12  So if you speak in a way no one can understand, what’s the point of opening your mouth? There are many languages in the world and they all mean something to someone. But if I don’t understand the language, it’s not going to do me much good. It’s no different with you. Since you’re so eager to participate in what God is doing, why don’t you concentrate on doing what helps everyone in the church?

13–17  So, when you pray in your private prayer language, don’t hoard the experience for yourself. Pray for the insight and ability to bring others into that intimacy. If I pray in tongues, my spirit prays but my mind lies fallow, and all that intelligence is wasted. So what’s the solution? The answer is simple enough. Do both. I should be spiritually free and expressive as I pray, but I should also be thoughtful and mindful as I pray. I should sing with my spirit, and sing with my mind. If you give a blessing using your private prayer language, which no one else understands, how can some outsider who has just shown up and has no idea what’s going on know when to say “Amen”? Your blessing might be beautiful, but you have very effectively cut that person out of it.

18–19  I’m grateful to God for the gift of praying in tongues that he gives us for praising him, which leads to wonderful intimacies we enjoy with him. I enter into this as much or more than any of you. But when I’m in a church assembled for worship, I’d rather say five words that everyone can understand and learn from than say ten thousand that sound to others like gibberish.

20–25  To be perfectly frank, I’m getting exasperated with your infantile thinking. How long before you grow up and use your head—your adult head? It’s all right to have a childlike unfamiliarity with evil; a simple no is all that’s needed there. But there’s far more to saying yes to something. Only mature and well-exercised intelligence can save you from falling into gullibility. It’s written in Scripture that God said,

In strange tongues

and from the mouths of strangers

I will preach to this people,

but they’ll neither listen nor believe.

So where does it get you, all this speaking in tongues no one understands? It doesn’t help believers, and it only gives unbelievers something to gawk at. Plain truth-speaking, on the other hand, goes straight to the heart of believers and doesn’t get in the way of unbelievers. If you come together as a congregation and some unbelieving outsiders walk in on you as you’re all praying in tongues, unintelligible to each other and to them, won’t they assume you’ve taken leave of your senses and get out of there as fast as they can? But if some unbelieving outsiders walk in on a service where people are speaking out God’s truth, the plain words will bring them up against the truth and probe their hearts. Before you know it, they’re going to be on their faces before God, recognizing that God is among you.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, August 31, 2023

Today's Scripture

Psalm 142

A David Prayer—When He Was in the Cave

1–2  142 I cry out loudly to God,

loudly I plead with God for mercy.

I spill out all my complaints before him,

and spell out my troubles in detail:

3–7  “As I sink in despair, my spirit ebbing away,

you know how I’m feeling,

Know the danger I’m in,

the traps hidden in my path.

Look right, look left—

there’s not a soul who cares what happens!

I’m up against it, with no exit—

bereft, left alone.

I cry out, God, call out:

‘You’re my last chance, my only hope for life!’

Oh listen, please listen;

I’ve never been this low.

Rescue me from those who are hunting me down;

I’m no match for them.

Get me out of this dungeon

so I can thank you in public.

Your people will form a circle around me

and you’ll bring me showers of blessing!”

Insight

Fourteen psalms have historical titles that tie them to specific events in David’s life (Psalms 3, 7, 18, 30, 34, 51, 52, 54, 56, 57, 59, 60, 63, 142). The title of Psalm 142 tells us that David wrote this maskil or contemplation “when he was in the cave.” Psalm 57 has a similar superscription: “When he had fled from Saul into the cave.” David hid in the caves escaping from the murderous king on two occasions (1 Samuel 22:1; 24:1–7). Pushed into a corner, the despondent David lamented that “no one is concerned for me” (Psalm 142:4). But he turned his troubles over to God: “I cry out to the Lord; I plead for the Lord’s mercy. I pour out my complaints before him and tell him all my troubles” (vv. 1–2 nlt). David didn’t merely take refuge in a cave; he made God his “refuge” (v. 5). By: K. T. Sim

Unknown Route

When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way. Psalm 142:3

Perhaps I shouldn’t have agreed to join Brian on a run. I was in a foreign country, and I had no idea where or how far we would go or what the terrain would be like. Plus, he was a fast runner. Would I twist an ankle trying to keep up with him? What could I do but trust Brian because he knew the way? As we started, I got even more worried. The trail was rough, winding through a thick forest on uneven ground. Thankfully, Brian kept turning around to check on me and warn me of rough patches ahead.

Perhaps this was how some of the people in Bible times felt while entering unfamiliar territory—Abraham in Canaan, the Israelites in the wilderness, and Jesus’ disciples on their mission to share the good news. They had no clue what the journey would be like, except that it would surely be tough. But they had Someone leading them who knew the way ahead. They had to trust that God would give them strength to cope and that He would take care of them. They could follow Him because He knew exactly what lay ahead.

This assurance comforted David when he was on the run. Despite great uncertainty, he said to God: “When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way” (Psalm 142:3). There will be times in life when we fear what lies ahead. But we know this: our God, who walks with us, knows the way. By:  Leslie Koh

Reflect & Pray

What worries you most in life? How can you remind yourself that God is walking with you and knows the way ahead?

Father, even though I don’t know what may happen next, You do. I know You’ll take care of me and guide my steps.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, August 31, 2023

“My Joy…Your Joy”

These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. —John 15:11

What was the joy that Jesus had? Joy should not be confused with happiness. In fact, it is an insult to Jesus Christ to use the word happiness in connection with Him. The joy of Jesus was His absolute self-surrender and self-sacrifice to His Father— the joy of doing that which the Father sent Him to do— “…who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2). “I delight to do Your will, O my God…” (Psalm 40:8). Jesus prayed that our joy might continue fulfilling itself until it becomes the same joy as His. Have I allowed Jesus Christ to introduce His joy to me?

Living a full and overflowing life does not rest in bodily health, in circumstances, nor even in seeing God’s work succeed, but in the perfect understanding of God, and in the same fellowship and oneness with Him that Jesus Himself enjoyed. But the first thing that will hinder this joy is the subtle irritability caused by giving too much thought to our circumstances. Jesus said, “…the cares of this world,…choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful” (Mark 4:19). And before we even realize what has happened, we are caught up in our cares. All that God has done for us is merely the threshold— He wants us to come to the place where we will be His witnesses and proclaim who Jesus is.

Have the right relationship with God, finding your joy there, and out of you “will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). Be a fountain through which Jesus can pour His “living water.” Stop being hypocritical and proud, aware only of yourself, and live “your life…hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). A person who has the right relationship with God lives a life as natural as breathing wherever he goes. The lives that have been the greatest blessing to you are the lives of those people who themselves were unaware of having been a blessing.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Beware of pronouncing any verdict on the life of faith if you are not living it. Not Knowing Whither, 900 R

Bible in a Year: Psalms 132-134; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, August 31, 2023

No Huddle, Big Muddle - #9559

Now if you've ever been a football widow, you understand how long those games seem to take. "I want my husband back. When is this thing going to be over?" Of course the commercials help it feel a lot longer, but you might ask yourself, "Well, what about all those huddles? I mean what a waste of time! Do they have to do that? There's a game to win. These guys are stopping after every play to get their heads together." Well, of course, it's not a waste of time at all. If they try to play without that regular huddle, they're going to all go off in all kinds of directions, all kinds of confusion. Oh, by the way, and so will we.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "No Huddle, Big Muddle."

Our word for today from the Word of God is in Luke 10; we're beginning in verse 38. "As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, they came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to them. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me.' 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you're worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'"

Okay, here's a brief description of what we just saw here: Mary, in the huddle, and Martha in a muddle. That would be my title for this passage today. Martha made a choice that I've made many times, and maybe you have too. Usually to my frustration and chagrin, "I've got so much to do! I just don't have time to sit down and be with Jesus right now!" That's where she was. She didn't have time for the huddle. Mary's over there in the huddle. Martha says, "That's a waste of time when there's so much to do. I've got to get all this done."

Well, as you probably learned, it's because you have so much to do that you must meet with Jesus. That huddle with Him? That's what, as the kids would say, "gets your head together." As you spend quiet time in that huddle before you head into that overpowering schedule, you take a few moments to see your work as it looks through Jesus' eyes. You see the people in your world that are going to be pressing on you, and you see them through His eyes then. You begin to see what He sees, and they look different. You get some perspective. Often you'll even get a fresh idea in His presence as you listen to Him. That's happened to me so many times. And suddenly, something that was a log jam mentally becomes a breakthrough in His presence.

Most importantly, you remember during those moments how powerful He is. How much bigger Jesus is than the list you face - than the pressure you face. And you remember how much He loves you. In those moments you find yourself off-loading your work to Him. And the result is a wonderful peace, a poise, a confidence that makes your work much less intimidating and much more manageable.

Hey, maybe you've been running plays with no huddle in-between, thinking you don't have time for the huddle. It now needs to become a non-negotiable in your schedule. See, when you don't have the huddle, it would be like a football team not having one - stressed, confusion, broken plays. So, commit yourself to a regular scheduled huddle time with your Jesus, and make it the highest priority of your personal schedule with everything else revolving around your time with Him.

Because remember, no huddle - big muddle.