1 Kings 15 bible reading and devotionals.

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Max Lucado: Living Water

It’s estimated our bodies are 80% fluid.  Apart from brains, bones, and a few organs, we’re walking water balloons!

Stop drinking water and see what happens.  Coherent thoughts vanish.  Skin gets clammy, and vital organs wrinkle.

Eyes need fluid to cry.  Your mouth needs moisture to swallow and your joints need fluid to stay lubricated.  Your body needs water the same way tires need air!

God wired you with thirst–a “low-fluid indicator.”  Let your fluid level grow low, and watch the signals flare.  Dry mouth.  Achy head.   Weak knees.  Deprive your body of fluid and your body will tell you.  Deprive your soul of spiritual water, and your soul will tell you.

Dehydrated hearts send desperate messages:  Snarling tempers.  Waves of worry.

Jesus said, “if anyone thirsts let him come to me and drink.  He who believes in me, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water! John 4:14?

From Come Thirsty

1 Kings 15

Abijah King of Judah

In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah[e] became king of Judah, 2 and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.[f]

3 He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. 4 Nevertheless, for David’s sake the Lord his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. 5 For David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite.

6 There was war between Abijah[g] and Jeroboam throughout Abijah’s lifetime. 7 As for the other events of Abijah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? There was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. 8 And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Asa his son succeeded him as king.

Asa King of Judah

9 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, 10 and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maakah daughter of Abishalom.

11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done. 12 He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his ancestors had made. 13 He even deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 14 Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life. 15 He brought into the temple of the Lord the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated.

16 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns. 17 Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah.

18 Asa then took all the silver and gold that was left in the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and of his own palace. He entrusted it to his officials and sent them to Ben-Hadad son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, the king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. 19 “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you a gift of silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”

20 Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. He conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Beth Maakah and all Kinnereth in addition to Naphtali. 21 When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and withdrew to Tirzah. 22 Then King Asa issued an order to all Judah—no one was exempt—and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using there. With them King Asa built up Geba in Benjamin, and also Mizpah.

23 As for all the other events of Asa’s reign, all his achievements, all he did and the cities he built, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? In his old age, however, his feet became diseased. 24 Then Asa rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the city of his father David. And Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king.

Nadab King of Israel

25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 26 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of his father and committing the same sin his father had caused Israel to commit.

27 Baasha son of Ahijah from the tribe of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him down at Gibbethon, a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it. 28 Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king.

29 As soon as he began to reign, he killed Jeroboam’s whole family. He did not leave Jeroboam anyone that breathed, but destroyed them all, according to the word of the Lord given through his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. 30 This happened because of the sins Jeroboam had committed and had caused Israel to commit, and because he aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel.

31 As for the other events of Nadab’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 32 There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel throughout their reigns.

Baasha King of Israel

33 In the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha son of Ahijah became king of all Israel in Tirzah, and he reigned twenty-four years. 34 He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the ways of Jeroboam and committing the same sin Jeroboam had caused Israel to commit.


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: Revelation 21:4-11

4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sadness. There will be no more crying or pain. Things are no longer the way they used to be."
 5 He who was sitting on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down. You can trust these words. They are true."

 6 He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last. I am the Beginning and the End. Anyone who is thirsty may drink from the spring of the water of life. It doesn't cost anything! 7 Anyone who overcomes will receive all this from me. I will be his God, and he will be my child.

 8 "But others will have their place in the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. Those who are afraid and those who do not believe will be there. Murderers and those who pollute themselves will join them. Those who commit sexual sins and those who practice witchcraft will go there. Those who worship statues of gods and all who tell lies will be there too. It is the second death."

 9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke to me. The bowls were filled with the seven last plagues. The angel said, "Come. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."

 10 Then he carried me away in a vision. The Spirit took me to a huge, high mountain. He showed me Jerusalem, the Holy City. It was coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God. It gleamed like a very valuable jewel. It was like a jasper, as clear as crystal.

A Better Place

June 6, 2012 — by Jennifer Benson Schuldt

God Himself will be with them and be their God. —Revelation 21:3

When my friend Marci’s father-in-law passed away, she stopped making his favorite dessert: pineapple salad. One day, her little boy asked why she no longer served it. She replied, “It reminds me of Papa, and it makes me sad; Papa really liked that dessert.” Her son replied in a chipper tone, “Not better than heaven!”

That little boy had the right idea. Heaven is a much better place. Remembering this can help ease our sadness when things on earth trigger memories of believing loved ones who have passed away. Our friends and family who have heavenly addresses are much happier there because:

• Heaven is God’s home. God’s followers will enjoy His presence for all eternity (Rev. 21:3-4).

• Heaven is comfortable in every way. Heaven’s residents will never be sick or upset (21:4), hungry or thirsty (7:16).

• Heaven is a beautiful place. A “clear as crystal” river will flow from God’s throne (22:1), and God Himself will give heaven its light (22:5).

Do things in this world sometimes remind you of believers who have moved on to the next world? If so, it’s comforting to think that they are now enjoying heaven—a better place by far.

If God has made this world so fair,
Where sin and death abound,
How beautiful beyond compare
Will paradise be found! —Montgomery
The pleasures of earth cannot be compared to the joys of heaven.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 6, 2012

“Work Out” What God “Works in” You

. . . work out your own salvation . . . for it is God who works in you . . . —Philippians 2:12-13

Your will agrees with God, but in your flesh there is a nature that renders you powerless to do what you know you ought to do. When the Lord initially comes in contact with our conscience, the first thing our conscience does is awaken our will, and our will always agrees with God. Yet you say, “But I don’t know if my will is in agreement with God.” Look to Jesus and you will find that your will and your conscience are in agreement with Him every time. What causes you to say “I will not obey” is something less deep and penetrating than your will. It is perversity or stubbornness, and they are never in agreement with God. The most profound thing in a person is his will, not sin.

The will is the essential element in God’s creation of human beings— sin is a perverse nature which entered into people. In someone who has been born again, the source of the will is Almighty God. “. . . for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” With focused attention and great care, you have to “work out” what God “works in” you— not work to accomplish or earn “your own salvation,” but work it out so you will exhibit the evidence of a life based with determined, unshakable faith on the complete and perfect redemption of the Lord. As you do this, you do not bring an opposing will up against God’s will— God’s will is your will. Your natural choices will be in accordance with God’s will, and living this life will be as natural as breathing. Stubbornness is an unintelligent barrier, refusing enlightenment and blocking its flow. The only thing to do with this barrier of stubbornness is to blow it up with “dynamite,” and the “dynamite” is obedience to the Holy Spirit.

Do I believe that Almighty God is the Source of my will? God not only expects me to do His will, but He is in me to do it.


A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Delegated Life Saving - #6628

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Each of our three children learned the Heimlich maneuver in school. You probably know what that is. If someone is choking, you get behind them; you do the magic squeeze to dislodge whatever they are choking on. It keeps them from choking to death.

Now, can you imagine being in a restaurant and you see someone choking on a piece of food? You stand up immediately and say, "Is there a throat specialist in the house? We've got to have a throat specialist!" Well, there is none there, so you say, "Well, I guess we have to take him to the hospital."

So, as he's choking and turning several shades of colors, you get him in your car and you drive him to the hospital. By the time you get him to the specialist - to the person who knows the most about it - it's going to be too late probably. Tragically, many of us are making that mistake with someone's spiritual survival. Instead of treating them where they are, we keep waiting until they get to the specialist.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Delegated Life Saving."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God; it's about delegated life saving. It's in 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 - "God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God."

Now, Paul is saying here that the rescuing - the life saving - of people who don't know Christ isn't in the hands of some religious professionals. It's in our hands. If someone is choking to death in a restaurant, you need to have the training; you need to know how to rescue them. There's not time to get them to anyone else. The rescue is in your hands. You're there; you're close. You can't delegate life saving. The Heimlich maneuver, CPR, whatever it is, you can't just depend on a specialist being on the scene. You have to bring the help to the person, not wait for the person to come to the help.

You can't delegate spiritual life saving either. There's someone you know right now who needs to know your Jesus. They need to know that what happened on that middle cross was for them. And you very much, I know, when you get to heaven, want to see that they are going to be there with you. But maybe you've been depending on getting them to a Christian meeting where someone else can tell them the Good News, to go to church with you, to read some Christian book, go to some event, but they just won't go. You can't seem to get them to the help! They won't go to the emergency room, and they may never go.

Well, then, are they just going to be lost? See, it's up to you to let them know in a place where both of you are already together. Would you begin right now to pray by name for that person you care about? Pray specifically for an opening where you can extend some spiritual CPR on the spot. Say, "Lord, I know it is not up to some evangelist. It's not up to the church. It's not up to getting a Christian book in their hands. It's up to me in my body, my flesh, my life, to share what Christ has done."

Learn to pray on a daily basis that wonderful three-open prayer, "Lord, open a door." Which means, Lord, give me a natural opportunity to bring up my relationship with you; something going on in their life, my life, in the world. And then, "Lord, open their heart." Lord, get them ready for this. And then, "Lord, open my mouth." Give me the words; give me the approach, give me the courage. "Lord, open a door. Lord, open their heart. Lord, open my mouth." Because I understand I've been placed in their life. I'm the one to deliver the Good News.

See, you have more influence on that person than any Christian persuader could ever have - any specialist. So, don't wait for the specialist to tell them; the rescue is up to you.

1 Kings 14 bible reading and devotionals

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Max Lucado: No One Copares to Him

Psalm 89:6 asks the question: “Who among the sons of the mighty is like the Lord?”
And the answer is, any pursuit of God’s counterpart is vain.  No one and nothing compares to him.  No one advises him.  No one helps him.  You and I may have power.  But God IS power.

Unlike the potter who takes something and reshapes it, God took nothing and created something.  God created everything that exists by divine fiat.  John said in Revelation, “You, God created all things, and it is for your pleasure that they exist and were created.  Revelation 4:11?

Even God asks, “To whom will you compare me?”  As if his question needed an answer, he gives one:  “I am God–I alone.  I am God.  There is no one else like me! Isaiah 46:4-9?

We’re blessed to be his children.  We can only stand humbly before him and praise his glorious name!

From Live Loved

1 Kings 14

New International Version (NIV)
Ahijah’s Prophecy Against Jeroboam

14 At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, 2 and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself, so you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there—the one who told me I would be king over this people. 3 Take ten loaves of bread with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.” 4 So Jeroboam’s wife did what he said and went to Ahijah’s house in Shiloh.

Now Ahijah could not see; his sight was gone because of his age. 5 But the Lord had told Ahijah, “Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else.”

6 So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news. 7 Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 8 I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. 9 You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me.

10 “‘Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave or free.[a] I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. 11 Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!’

12 “As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. 13 All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good.

14 “The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. Even now this is beginning to happen.[b] 15 And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they aroused the Lord’s anger by making Asherah poles.[c] 16 And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”

17 Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. 18 They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the Lord had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah.

19 The other events of Jeroboam’s reign, his wars and how he ruled, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. 20 He reigned for twenty-two years and then rested with his ancestors. And Nadab his son succeeded him as king.

Rehoboam King of Judah

21 Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.

22 Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than those who were before them had done. 23 They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. 24 There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. 26 He carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. 27 So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. 28 Whenever the king went to the Lord’s temple, the guards bore the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.

29 As for the other events of Rehoboam’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 30 There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. 31 And Rehoboam rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. And Abijah[d] his son succeeded him as king.



Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: Psalm 19:7-14

New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

 7 The law of the Lord is perfect.
      It gives us new strength.
   The laws of the Lord can be trusted.
      They make childish people wise.
 8 The rules of the Lord are right.
      They give joy to our hearts.
   The commands of the Lord shine brightly.
      They give light to our minds.
 9 The law that brings respect for the Lord is pure.
      It lasts forever.
   The directions the Lord gives are true.
      All of them are completely right.
 10 They are more priceless than gold.
      They have greater value than huge amounts of pure gold.
   They are sweeter than honey
      that is taken from the honeycomb.
 11 I am warned by them.
      When I obey them, I am greatly rewarded.
 12 Can I know my mistakes?
      Forgive my hidden faults.
 13 Keep me also from the sins I want to commit.
      May they not be my master.
   Then I will be without blame.
      I will not be guilty of any great sin against your law.
 14 Lord, may the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart
      be pleasing in your eyes.
      You are my Rock and my Redeemer.

Just This Once

June 5, 2012 — by Dennis Fisher

Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins. —Psalm 19:13

As a boy, I used to ride a go-cart that was steered with a rope. On one occasion, as I propelled my way down the driveway, my parents’ warning came to mind: “Always look up and down the street for cars.” But I rationalized: It’s okay not to do that just this once. Then I heard the sound of screeching tires as a car came to an abrupt stop to avoid hitting me. Thinking I could break my parents’ rule nearly cost me my life.

The Bible has many examples of those who knew better but who chose to break God’s rules. From boyhood, David had meditated on the law of God while he tended his sheep. He knew that the seventh commandment condemned adultery, yet when he saw a beautiful woman bathing he used his royal power to take the wife of Uriah for his own. This sin resulted in terrible consequences (2 Sam. 11–12).

The psalmist wrote: “Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins” (Ps. 19:13). Have you felt tempted to do something “just this once” even though you knew it was wrong? Glancing at Internet pornography, “borrowing” money from an account at work, or stretching the truth may each seem like an isolated activity but can lead to terrible consequences. With God’s help, turn from sin and find His way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13).

Prone to wander—Lord, I feel it;
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above. —Robinson
Temptations will knock at your door; don’t ask them to stay for dinner!


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 5, 2012

God’s Assurance

He Himself has said . . . . So we may boldly say . . . —Hebrews 13:5-6

My assurance is to be built upon God’s assurance to me. God says, “I will never leave you,” so that then I “may boldly say, ’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6). In other words, I will not be obsessed with apprehension. This does not mean that I will not be tempted to fear, but I will remember God’s words of assurance. I will be full of courage, like a child who strives to reach the standard his father has set for him. The faith of many people begins to falter when apprehensions enter their thinking, and they forget the meaning of God’s assurance— they forget to take a deep spiritual breath. The only way to remove the fear from our lives is to listen to God’s assurance to us.

What are you fearing? Whatever it may be, you are not a coward about it— you are determined to face it, yet you still have a feeling of fear. When it seems that there is nothing and no one to help you, say to yourself, “But ’The Lord is my helper’ this very moment, even in my present circumstance.” Are you learning to listen to God before you speak, or are you saying things and then trying to make God’s Word fit what you have said? Take hold of the Father’s assurance, and then say with strong courage, “I will not fear.” It does not matter what evil or wrong may be in our way, because “He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you . . . .’ ”

Human frailty is another thing that gets between God’s words of assurance and our own words and thoughts. When we realize how feeble we are in facing difficulties, the difficulties become like giants, we become like grasshoppers, and God seems to be nonexistent. But remember God’s assurance to us— “I will never. . . forsake you.” Have we learned to sing after hearing God’s keynote? Are we continually filled with enough courage to say, “The Lord is my helper,” or are we yielding to fear?



A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Poison in the Water - #6627

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

The area around New York City is dotted with some scenic, protected bodies of water. They are reservoirs that supply the water for the millions of people that are in that area. Now, having lived in the New York City area for a number of years, we often took a weekend drive as a family and, well, we enjoyed looking at them. They're very, very scenic. You know?

But maybe I've seen too many articles and news reports on terrorism, but I got to thinking one day what a target those reservoirs might be. I mean, if a terrorist or some mentally deranged person wanted to destroy a lot of people, I figure all he would have to do is poison the water from which we all drink. Actually a strategy like that is already in the works.

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

Now, our word for today from the Word of God comes from Proverbs 4:23. It starts this way, "Above all else..." Okay, that's like God clearing His throat. I mean, this is important! When God says, "This is above everything else" pay attention! "Above all else guard your heart." That's the "above all else" - guard your heart. "For it is (the Bible says) the wellspring (or maybe we could say reservoir) of life." See, God's saying, "I want you to protect what you let into your thoughts and into your heart, because today's thoughts produce tomorrow's actions.

Now, how could the devil plant his ideas in your mind so he could gradually darken your view of love, your view of marriage, your view of the future? How could he put his ideas in there about sex, about the value of human life, and just kind of a slowly growing darkness? How could he do that? Well, obviously he's not going to walk right up to you and say, "Hi, I'm the devil and I'd like to plant a few of my ideas in your brain." He's a little more subtle than that and we're a little smarter than that.

No, he's going to do it the same way that a terrorist might get his poison into your body: poison the source; poison the water from which we all drink. Well, mentally, what's the water we all drink from? Well, television, movies, what we read, our music, what we watch on the Internet, magazines. The problem is this: Many believers, who would never drink the devil's poisonous ideas directly, routinely allow those ideas to sneak in through their television, music, or website, or movies, or their rented videos.

See, the devil's cleverly-disguised and attractively-packaged ideas that are woven all through our media. For example, if you watch enough couples involved in pre-marital or extramarital sex, it starts to feel slightly more normal, a little more acceptable. You're not even aware your guard's coming down because you didn't guard your heart. You let it sneak in, "Hey, that was just entertainment, right, sown in the words of a song, or sown in something portrayed on a TV show, or a movie.

But it is still the outright breaking of God's moral law. Let's go back to Proverbs 4:23 - "Guard your heart." Just say those words with me, "Guard your heart." That means I shouldn't be, I can't be watching or listen to a portrayal of something God is against. Stand back and maybe you'll see how you have kind of dozed off mentally and spiritually. The guard went to sleep! The guard needs to wake up and say, "Hey, no! You can't come into this mind; you can't come into this heart."

Put a guard in front of the reservoir. There's a lot of poison in the mental water around us. Why do we drink it so freely?

Acts 11 bible reading and devotionals

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Max Lucado Daily: He is Kind
“God has . . . all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us.” Ephesians 2:7, The Message

God knows everything about you, yet he doesn’t hold back his kindness toward you. Has he, knowing all your secrets, retracted one promise or reclaimed one gift?

No, he is kind to you. Why don’t you be kind to yourself? He forgives your faults. Why don’t you do the same? . . . He believes in you enough to call you his ambassador, his follower, even his child. Why not take his cue and believe in yourself?

Acts 11
New International Version (NIV)
Peter Explains His Actions

11 The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

4 Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’

8 “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

9 “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ 10 This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

11 “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’

15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with[a] water, but you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

18 When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

The Church in Antioch

19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

27 During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion


Read: Jonah 4
The Lord Shows Concern for Nineveh

 1 But Jonah was very upset. He became angry. 2 He prayed to the Lord and said, "Lord, isn't this exactly what I thought would happen when I was still at home? That's why I was so quick to run away to Tarshish. I knew that you are gracious. You are tender and kind. You are slow to get angry. You are full of love. You are a God who takes pity on people. You don't want to destroy them. 3 Lord, take away my life. I'd rather die than live."
 4 But the Lord replied, "Do you have any right to be angry?"

 5 Jonah left the city. He sat down at a place east of it. There he put some branches over his head. He sat in their shade. He waited to see what would happen to the city.

 6 Then the Lord God sent a vine and made it grow up over Jonah. It gave him more shade for his head. It made him more comfortable. Jonah was very happy he had the vine. 7 But before sunrise the next day, God sent a worm. It chewed the vine so much that it dried up.

 8 When the sun rose, God sent a burning east wind. The sun beat down on Jonah's head. It made him very weak. He wanted to die. So he said, "I'd rather die than live."

 9 But God said to Jonah, "Do you have any right to be angry about what happened to the vine?"

   "I do," he said. "In fact, I'm angry enough to die."

 10 But the Lord said, "You have been concerned about this vine. But you did not take care of it. You did not make it grow. It grew up in one night and died the next. 11 Nineveh has more than 120,000 people. They can't tell right from wrong. Nineveh also has a lot of cattle. So shouldn't I show concern for that great city?"

Getting It Right On The Inside

June 4, 2012 — by Joe Stowell

Then the Lord said, “Is it right for you to be angry?” —Jonah 4:4

I love the story of Jonah! It’s full of drama and important life lessons. After stubbornly refusing to do God’s will, Jonah finally preached a revival service in Nineveh that would have made him one of the most successful missionaries of his time. When the people repented and turned from their wicked ways—and when God relented and turned from His anger against them—you would have expected Jonah to rejoice. Instead, he was angry that God was merciful. Why? Although he was finally obeying God by doing the right thing in the right place, he was deeply flawed on the inside.

Like Jonah, if we are not careful, we can be spiritually “looking good” on the outside, but far from God in our hearts. He is most interested in what we are like on the inside. His Word is “sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit” (Heb. 4:12). With it, He performs divine surgery to remove the greed, dishonesty, hatred, pride, and selfishness that live in the deep shadows of our hearts.

So the next time the Holy Spirit convicts you and asks you about your bad attitude (see Jonah 4:4)—listen carefully. Surrender and let Him change you from the inside out.

I confess, heavenly Father, that I know what it’s like
to be more concerned about my outward obedience
than my inner rebellion. I want to look good to others.
Forgive me. Change me and make me pure within.
If God controls you on the inside, you’ll be genuine on the outside.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 4, 2012

The Never-forsaking God

He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you’ —Hebrews 13:5

What line of thinking do my thoughts take? Do I turn to what God says or to my own fears? Am I simply repeating what God says, or am I learning to truly hear Him and then to respond after I have heard what He says? “For He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

“I will never leave you . . .”— not for any reason; not my sin, selfishness, stubbornness, nor waywardness. Have I really let God say to me that He will never leave me? If I have not truly heard this assurance of God, then let me listen again.

“I will never . . . forsake you.” Sometimes it is not the difficulty of life but the drudgery of it that makes me think God will forsake me. When there is no major difficulty to overcome, no vision from God, nothing wonderful or beautiful— just the everyday activities of life— do I hear God’s assurance even in these?

We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing— that He is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God’s assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life.


A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

More Than Shamrocks - #6626

Monday, June 4, 2012

When St. Patrick's Day rolled around, I realized I'd lost my shamrock tie, and I was bummed. Of course, everybody else was thrilled. Oh, yeah, yeah I always used to love wearing it for St. Patrick's Day every year to celebrate the part of me that's Irish. In spite of the fact that people insensitively described the color of that tie as "barf green." It just doesn't seem that anyone is missing it but me.

I'm not sure what old St. Pat would have made of the holiday named for him anyway. I mean, pouring green dye into the Chicago River and parades full of green-dressed celebrants. I do know that Patrick, who's pretty much obscured by the festivities, was quite a guy with quite a story.

His first trip to Ireland wasn't his choice. He was 14 and he got kidnapped and carried off to Ireland where he became a sheep-tendin', pig-sloppin' slave. But while he was there, he finally realized that Jesus died to forgive his sins, and he put his trust in Him to do just that. Well, Patrick finally escaped and got back home to Britain where he presumably, swore he'd never wear anything green!

But his second trip was his choice; a choice that should give a lot of us something to think about.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "More Than Shamrocks."

You know, as Patrick told it, he was asleep one night when he saw Victor, his former Irish captor, in a vision. He said, "He appeared to have come from Ireland with an unlimited number of letters." And Patrick said that the letters seemed to shout with one voice: "We ask you, holy boy, come and walk once more among us." He said he "was cut to the heart and could read no more."

Patrick did walk among them, spreading the Good News about Jesus that had changed his life. He introduced thousands of Irishmen to Jesus. Patrick reflected on the legacy of his life this way: "I am greatly a debtor to God who hath vouchsafed me such great grace that many people by my means should be born again to God."

People in heaven. That's St. Patrick's ultimate legacy. It's like the Apostle Paul said about some folks he'd introduced to Jesus in our word for today from the Word of God in 1 Thessalonians 2, verses 19 and 20. "What is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of the Lord Jesus when He comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy." Which raises the question all of us Jesus-followers should be asking: "Who will be in heaven because of me?"

God let Patrick know He was counting on him to bring Jesus to people that he had "walked among." Which raises another question: "Who are my 'walk among them' people?" They're the folks who are part of the daily network and experiences of my life. We've all got them - the ones who God is counting on us to rescue. He says if "you do not speak out...I will hold you accountable for his blood" (Ezekiel 33:8). Why? Because I knew what that person needed to know to get to heaven and I never told them. We don't need a vision. We've got orders. Jesus said, "You will be my witnesses, telling people about Me" (Acts 1:8).

See, Patrick was biographically credentialed to tell the Irish about Jesus. His life had apparently been crafted by God to make him a man who understood them, who they would listen to because of what he had experienced. But that's not just true of the "shamrock saint." Because every Jesus-follower has been biographically credentialed to share Jesus with folks. Including you, because of what you've experienced. Your personal story is your point of entry to ultimately tell them how His story changed your story forever and could change theirs. So you may be able to celebrate "that many people by my means (as Patrick said) were 'born again to God.'"

Patrick was in a very hard place when he made the greatest discovery of his life - a personal relationship with Jesus. By giving his life to Jesus, he stepped into a greatness that he could have never imagined any other way. Now, it may be that the hard place you're in right now is where you will finally find what you've spent your whole life looking for - that love relationship with Jesus Christ, who loved you enough to die for you and was powerful enough to walk out of His grave.

He's ready to walk into your life today. If you want to know how to get started with Him, I encourage you to go to our website, YoursForLife.net. Step into God's great plan for your life.

1 Kings 13 bible reading and devotionals.

Click to hear God's message.
Max Lucado Daily: Watch and Pray

Watch and Pray

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” Mark 14:38, NIV

“Watch.” . . . Keep your eyes open. When you see sin coming, duck . . . When you sense temptation, go the other way . . .

“Pray.” . . . What prayer does is invite God to walk the shadowy pathways of life with us . . . guarding our backside from the poison darts of the devil.

“Watch and pray.” Good advice. Let’s take it.

1 Kings 13

The Man of God From Judah

13 By the word of the Lord a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering. 2 By the word of the Lord he cried out against the altar: “Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’” 3 That same day the man of God gave a sign: “This is the sign the Lord has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out.”

4 When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel, he stretched out his hand from the altar and said, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched out toward the man shriveled up, so that he could not pull it back. 5 Also, the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of God by the word of the Lord.

6 Then the king said to the man of God, “Intercede with the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored.” So the man of God interceded with the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored and became as it was before.

7 The king said to the man of God, “Come home with me for a meal, and I will give you a gift.”

8 But the man of God answered the king, “Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. 9 For I was commanded by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.’” 10 So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.

11 Now there was a certain old prophet living in Bethel, whose sons came and told him all that the man of God had done there that day. They also told their father what he had said to the king. 12 Their father asked them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons showed him which road the man of God from Judah had taken. 13 So he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And when they had saddled the donkey for him, he mounted it 14 and rode after the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?”

“I am,” he replied.

15 So the prophet said to him, “Come home with me and eat.”

16 The man of God said, “I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17 I have been told by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.’”

18 The old prophet answered, “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the Lord: ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (But he was lying to him.) 19 So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house.

20 While they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet who had brought him back. 21 He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. 22 You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your ancestors.’”

23 When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him. 24 As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it. 25 Some people who passed by saw the body lying there, with the lion standing beside the body, and they went and reported it in the city where the old prophet lived.

26 When the prophet who had brought him back from his journey heard of it, he said, “It is the man of God who defied the word of the Lord. The Lord has given him over to the lion, which has mauled him and killed him, as the word of the Lord had warned him.”

27 The prophet said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me,” and they did so. 28 Then he went out and found the body lying on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. The lion had neither eaten the body nor mauled the donkey. 29 So the prophet picked up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back to his own city to mourn for him and bury him. 30 Then he laid the body in his own tomb, and they mourned over him and said, “Alas, my brother!”

31 After burying him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. 32 For the message he declared by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true.”

33 Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places. 34 This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth.


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: James 3:1-12

Taming the Tongue

3 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Careless Speech

June 3, 2012 — by Bill Crowder

He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit. —Proverbs 17:27

When my wife and I were visiting a church for a special musical program, we arrived early to get a good seat. Before the program began, we overheard two members seated behind us complaining about their church. They criticized the pastoral staff, leadership, music, ministry priorities, and several other things that made them unhappy. They were either unconcerned about or oblivious to the presence of two visitors in their midst.

It occurred to me that their unfortunate conversation could have pushed us away if we were there looking for a new church home. Worse, what if we were seeking God and their disgruntled opinions had driven us away? Their careless speech was not just a matter of the words they used or attitudes they displayed, it also demonstrated their lack of concern for the impact those words could have on others.

A better approach to the use of words is reflected in Proverbs 17:27, where Solomon said, “He who has knowledge spares his words, and a man of understanding is of a calm spirit.” Most often, we would do better not to say all we think or know (or think we know), but instead seek to use words that promote calm and peace. You never know who may be listening.

Lord, I need Your help that I might control
my thoughts and words today. I want to be a
blessing to others, to lift them up that they might
see Your goodness. Amen.
Discretion of speech is better than eloquence with words.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 3, 2012

“The Secret of the Lord”

The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him . . . —Psalm 25:14

What is the sign of a friend? Is it that he tells you his secret sorrows? No, it is that he tells you his secret joys. Many people will confide their secret sorrows to you, but the final mark of intimacy is when they share their secret joys with you. Have we ever let God tell us any of His joys? Or are we continually telling God our secrets, leaving Him no time to talk to us? At the beginning of our Christian life we are full of requests to God. But then we find that God wants to get us into an intimate relationship with Himself— to get us in touch with His purposes. Are we so intimately united to Jesus Christ’s idea of prayer— “Your will be done” (Matthew 6:10)— that we catch the secrets of God? What makes God so dear to us is not so much His big blessings to us, but the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us— He knows every detail of each of our individual lives.

“Him shall He teach in the way He chooses” (Psalm 25:12). At first, we want the awareness of being guided by God. But then as we grow spiritually, we live so fully aware of God that we do not even need to ask what His will is, because the thought of choosing another way will never occur to us. If we are saved and sanctified, God guides us by our everyday choices. And if we are about to choose what He does not want, He will give us a sense of doubt or restraint, which we must heed. Whenever there is doubt, stop at once. Never try to reason it out, saying, “I wonder why I shouldn’t do this?” God instructs us in what we choose; that is, He actually guides our common sense. And when we yield to His teachings and guidance, we no longer hinder His Spirit by continually asking, “Now, Lord, what is Your will?”

1 Kings 12 Bible reading and devotionals.

Click here to learn from God's word.
Max Lucado: God's one Goal

God has one goal:  God!

He says in Isaiah 48:11, “I have a reputation to keep up.”

Surprised?  Isn’t such an attitude self-centered?  Self-promotion?  Why does God broadcast himself?  For the same reason the pilot of the lifeboat does.

Think of it this way.  You’re floundering neck-deep in a dark, cold sea.  Ship sinking.  Life jacket deflating.  Strength waning.  Through the darkness comes the voice of a lifeboat pilot.  But you cannot see him.

What do you want the pilot to do?  Be quiet?  Say nothing?  By no means.  You need volume!  Amp it up buddy!  In biblical language, you want him to show his glory.  You need to hear him say, “I’m here.  I’m strong.  I have room for you.”

Don’t we want God to do the same?  We’re going down fast.  And only one message matters.  His!  We need to see God’s glory!

From Live Loved


1 Kings 12

Israel Rebels Against Rehoboam

12 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone there to make him king. 2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from[a] Egypt. 3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him: 4 “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

5 Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then come back to me.” So the people went away.

6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked.

7 They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.”

8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 9 He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

10 The young men who had grown up with him replied, “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. 11 My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”

12 Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” 13 The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, 14 he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.

16 When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king:

“What share do we have in David,
    what part in Jesse’s son?
To your tents, Israel!
    Look after your own house, David!”
So the Israelites went home. 17 But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.

18 King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram,[b] who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

20 When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.

21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mustered all Judah and the tribe of Benjamin—a hundred and eighty thousand able young men—to go to war against Israel and to regain the kingdom for Rehoboam son of Solomon.

22 But this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God: 23 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah, to all Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, 24 ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’” So they obeyed the word of the Lord and went home again, as the Lord had ordered.

Golden Calves at Bethel and Dan

25 Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel.[c]

26 Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.”

28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” 29 One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other.[d]

31 Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. 32 He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. 33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: Colossians 3:12-17

New International Version (NIV)
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Fragile Loads

June 2, 2012 — by Cindy Hess Kasper

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. —Ephesians 4:32

As Dolores was driving along a country road, she noticed that a car was following her rather closely. She could almost feel the irritation of the driver as she drove cautiously and slowly navigated several turns.

Of course, the driver of the other car had no way to know that Dolores was transporting 100 pounds of mashed potatoes, two crockpots full of gravy, and many other food items for a church supper—enough to feed 200 people! Sensing the other driver’s frustration, Dolores thought, If he just realized the fragile load I’m carrying, he would understand why I’m driving like I am.

Just as quickly, another thought occurred to her: How often am I impatient with people when I have no idea of the fragile load they might be carrying?

How easily do we pass judgment on someone, assuming that we know all the facts about a situation? God’s Word sends us in a more charitable direction, instructing us to treat each other with kindness, humility, and patience (Col. 3:12). How much more loving we are when we bear with and forgive each other (v.13).

Let’s treat others as we would like to be treated (Luke 6:31), remembering that we don’t always know the burden they may be carrying.

Kindness is a loving guide
That shows us how to live,
A treasure which, the more we spend,
The more we have to give. —Anon.
If you are tempted to lose patience with another, stop and think how patient God has been with you.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 2, 2012

Are You Obsessed by Something?

Who is the man that fears the Lord? —Psalm 25:12

Are you obsessed by something? You will probably say, “No, by nothing,” but all of us are obsessed by something— usually by ourselves, or, if we are Christians, by our own experience of the Christian life. But the psalmist says that we are to be obsessed by God. The abiding awareness of the Christian life is to be God Himself, not just thoughts about Him. The total being of our life inside and out is to be absolutely obsessed by the presence of God. A child’s awareness is so absorbed in his mother that although he is not consciously thinking of her, when a problem arises, the abiding relationship is that with the mother. In that same way, we are to “live and move and have our being” in God (Acts 17:28), looking at everything in relation to Him, because our abiding awareness of Him continually pushes itself to the forefront of our lives.

If we are obsessed by God, nothing else can get into our lives— not concerns, nor tribulation, nor worries. And now we understand why our Lord so emphasized the sin of worrying. How can we dare to be so absolutely unbelieving when God totally surrounds us? To be obsessed by God is to have an effective barricade against all the assaults of the enemy.

“He himself shall dwell in prosperity . . .” (Psalm 25:13). God will cause us to “dwell in prosperity,” keeping us at ease, even in the midst of tribulation, misunderstanding, and slander, if our “life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). We rob ourselves of the miraculous, revealed truth of this abiding companionship with God. “God is our refuge . . .” (Psalm 46:1). Nothing can break through His shelter of protection.

Acts 10:24-48 bible reading and devotionals.

Click here to hear God speak to your heart.
Max Lucado: No Box Works

Boxes bring wonderful order to our life.  They keep cereal from spilling and books from tumbling.  When it comes to containing stuff, boxes are masterful.  But when it comes to defining Christ, no box works.

Oh, his contemporaries tried.  They designed an assortment of boxes.  But he never fit any of them.  They labeled him a revolutionary; then he paid his taxes.  They labeled him a country carpenter, but he confounded the scholars.  He defied easy definitions.

We still try.  I once reduced Christ to a handful of doctrines.  He was a recipe, and I had the ingredients.  Mix them correctly, and the Jesus-of-my-making would appear.

Jesus blew the sides out of all misconceptions.

Acts 10:24-48
New International Version (NIV)
24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[a] and praising God.

Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: Colossians 3:1-12

Rules for Holy Living

 1 You have been raised up with Christ. So think about things that are in heaven. That is where Christ is. He is sitting at God's right hand. 2 Think about things that are in heaven. Don't think about things that are on earth.
 3 You died. Now your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 Christ is your life. When he appears again, you also will appear with him in heaven's glory.

 5 So put to death anything that belongs to your earthly nature. Get rid of your sexual sins and unclean acts. Don't let your feelings get out of control. Remove from your life all evil longings. Stop always wanting more and more. You might as well be worshiping statues of gods. 6 God's anger is going to come because of those things. 7 That's the way you lived at one time in your life.

 8 But now here are the kinds of things you must get rid of. You must put away anger, rage, hate and lies. Let no dirty words come out of your mouths. 9 Don't lie to each other.

   You have gotten rid of your old way of life and its habits. 10 You have started living a new life. It is being made new so that what you know has the Creator's likeness.

 11 Here there is no Greek or Jew. There is no difference between those who are circumcised and those who are not. There is no rude outsider, or even a Scythian. There is no slave or free person. But Christ is everything. And he is in everything.

 12 You are God's chosen people. You are holy and dearly loved. So put on tender mercy and kindness as if they were your clothes. Don't be proud. Be gentle and patient.

Winning And Losing

June 1, 2012 — by David C. McCasland

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. —Colossians 3:2

The Masters Tournament is one of the most prestigious in professional golf. In 2009, Kenny Perry placed second after leading during the final round. Writing in The New York Times, Bill Pennington described Perry as “disappointed but not despondent” after the loss. “I’ll look back on it occasionally and wonder what I might have done differently, but I won’t dwell on it,” Perry said. “If this is the worst thing that happens in my life, I’ve got it pretty good. I won’t let it dog me. There are so many other things in life that matter more . . . . I’ll go home tonight with my family and we’ll have fun.”

The ability to look beyond our disappointments is essential for followers of Christ. Our focus determines how we face the victories and defeats in life. “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth” (Col. 3:1-2). This way of thinking looks to Christ, rather than our achievements, for significance and validation. We seek Him, not success.

When we strive for excellence and give our best effort, losing hurts, but it doesn’t have to harm us. The key is where we set our minds and hearts.

Lord, thank You that You are the one who measures
how we’ve done in life and determines
whether we’ve been successful. Help us to keep that
focus even in disappointments.
When Christ is the center of your focus, everything else comes into proper perspective.



My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
June 1, 2012

The Staggering Question

He said to me, ’Son of man, can these bones live?’ —Ezekiel 37:3

Can a sinner be turned into a saint? Can a twisted life be made right? There is only one appropriate answer— “O Lord God, You know” (Ezekiel 37:3). Never forge ahead with your religious common sense and say, “Oh, yes, with just a little more Bible reading, devotional time, and prayer, I see how it can be done.”

It is much easier to do something than to trust in God; we see the activity and mistake panic for inspiration. That is why we see so few fellow workers with God, yet so many people working for God. We would much rather work for God than believe in Him. Do I really believe that God will do in me what I cannot do? The degree of hopelessness I have for others comes from never realizing that God has done anything for me. Is my own personal experience such a wonderful realization of God’s power and might that I can never have a sense of hopelessness for anyone else I see? Has any spiritual work been accomplished in me at all? The degree of panic activity in my life is equal to the degree of my lack of personal spiritual experience.

“Behold, O My people, I will open your graves . . .” (Ezekiel 37:12). When God wants to show you what human nature is like separated from Himself, He shows it to you in yourself. If the Spirit of God has ever given you a vision of what you are apart from the grace of God (and He will only do this when His Spirit is at work in you), then you know that in reality there is no criminal half as bad as you yourself could be without His grace. My “grave” has been opened by God and “I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells” (Romans 7:18). God’s Spirit continually reveals to His children what human nature is like apart from His grace.


A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Long Wait for a New Heart - #6625

Friday, June 1, 2012

The folks at the hospital asked my father-in-law if he'd like to donate his organs. He smiled and said, "Depends on how soon you want them." Great answer.

Someone somewhere decided to donate their heart if something happened to them. Today, that heart is beating in the former Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney. Doctors of course, had done everything else science can do to save and extend his life since his first heart attack at the age of 37 - stents, bypasses, an implanted defibrillator. But now, at age 71, his life probably depended on the ultimate solution - not a heart repair but a totally new heart.

Right now, there are probably 3,000 Americans whose lives depend on getting a new heart. Their average wait for one to become available is somewhere between six months and a year. Dick Cheney had to wait 20 months for his.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about a "Long Wait for a New Heart."

Every day - somewhere in the world - people are getting a new heart. Made possible by a donor who died. And the miracle-working skill of a master heart surgeon. I know Him. He performed that miracle on me - and on many of the people I love.

The Surgeon is God Himself. The donor? Well, that's Jesus. It took His dying for me to have the spiritual heart transplant that changed everything.

In our word today from the Word of God, Ezekiel 36 beginning in verse 25, God made a promise to all of us who know all too well the darkness that lives in our heart. He said, "I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols (all those things that push God to the edge). I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh...you will be My people, and I will be your God."

Just this weekend, a lady told me how her heart toward her husband had turned hard over the years of a difficult marriage. But then her face just lit up as she told me how Jesus had given her a "heart transplant" with a new love for her man - and a new marriage. Only the Master Heart Surgeon can do that.

One of God's prophets provided a revealing "spiritual EKG" of the heart behind all of our actions: "The heart is the most deceitful of all things and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9 - NLT). Out of our spiritually diseased hearts come words that scar people for life...betrayal of the person we committed our life to...unthinking selfishness...cancerous anger and bitterness...and all kinds of darkness that poison our relationships, our reputation and our future.

Oh, we try a lot of things to get better - just like they did with Dick Cheney's heart. But all our resolutions and religion are temporary and unsuccessful fixes. Because we need Dr. Jesus. But He had to die to make possible the new heart that's our only hope of living right - and dying right. God tells us that "the blood of Jesus His Son purifies us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). And that happens, not through being reformed, but by being transformed. From the inside out.

That's the miracle that takes place when you recognize that Jesus - the Man who died for your sin and then birthed eternal life by walking out of His grave - is your only hope. And you tell Him that. When you put yourself in the hands of Dr. Jesus, He, in essence, implants a new spiritual heart. With a love you never had before. A power to be the kind of person you've always wanted to be - and those you love need you to be. An ability to forgive, to break bondages, to heal broken relationships.

When you have Jesus in you, He produces a new life you could never do on your own. And because He removes the guilt and penalty of every sin you've ever committed, He changes your destiny from hell to heaven.

Jesus' new heart miracle can save a marriage, a family, a future, a soul. He did the dying so we would never have to. And there's no wait for your new heart. He's been waiting for you to call.

If you want to experience for yourself what a personal relationship with Jesus can do, tell Him you want to begin that today, and would you go check out how to get started with Him at our website, YoursForLife.net. And let the new heart miracle begin for you, today.

Ecclesiastes 12 bible reading and devotionals.

Click to hear God's teachings.



Max Lucado Daily: God So Loved Us


“If God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:11, NKJV

Jesus humbled himself. He went from commanding angels to sleeping in the straw. From holding stars to clutching Mary’s finger. The palm that held the universe took the nail of a soldier.

Why? Because that’s what love does. It puts the beloved before itself.

Ecclesiastes 12

Remember your Creator
    in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
    and the years approach when you will say,
    “I find no pleasure in them”—
2 before the sun and the light
    and the moon and the stars grow dark,
    and the clouds return after the rain;
3 when the keepers of the house tremble,
    and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
    and those looking through the windows grow dim;
4 when the doors to the street are closed
    and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
    but all their songs grow faint;
5 when people are afraid of heights
    and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
    and the grasshopper drags itself along
    and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
    and mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is severed,
    and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
    and the wheel broken at the well,
7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
    and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.[c]
    “Everything is meaningless! ”
The Conclusion of the Matter

9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.

11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails —given by one shepherd.[d] 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.

Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.

13 Now all has been heard;
    here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
    for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
    including every hidden thing,
    whether it is good or evil.


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: Romans 5:12-21

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

 12 Sin entered the world because one man sinned. And death came because of sin. Everyone sinned, so death came to all people.
 13 Before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not judged when there is no law. 14 Death ruled from the time of Adam to the time of Moses. Death ruled even over those who did not sin as Adam did. He broke God's command. But he also became a pattern of the One who was going to come.

 15 God's gift is different from Adam's sin. Many people died because of the sin of that one man. But it was even more sure that God's grace would also come through one man. That man is Jesus Christ. God's gift of grace was more than enough for the whole world.

 16 The result of God's gift is different from the result of Adam's sin. God judged one sin. That brought guilt. But after many sins, God's gift made people right with him.

 17 One man sinned, and death ruled because of his sin. But we are even more sure of what will happen because of what the one man, Jesus Christ, has done. Those who receive the rich supply of God's grace will rule with Christ in his kingdom. They have received God's gift and have been made right with him.

 18 One man's sin brought guilt to all people. So also one right act made all people right with God. And all who are right with God will live. 19 Many people were made sinners because one man did not obey. But one man did obey. That is why many people will be made right with God.

 20 The law was given so that sin would increase. But where sin increased, God's grace increased even more. 21 Sin ruled because of death. So also grace rules in the lives of those who are right with God. The grace of God brings eternal life because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done.

Faulty Thinking

May 31, 2012 — by Anne Cetas

God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. —Romans 5:8

Four people—a pilot, a professor, a pastor, and a hiker—were flying in a small plane when the engines died. The pilot said, “There are only three parachutes. Since this is my plane, I’m taking one of them.” He put it on and jumped out. The professor said, “I’m brilliant and the world needs me, so I’m taking a parachute,” and he jumped out.

Then the pastor told the hiker, “I don’t want to be selfish, so you take the last parachute.” The hiker replied, “There are still two left, so we can each have one. The professor jumped out with my backpack instead of the parachute!” Though the professor thought he would land safely, his assurance was based on faulty thinking.

Some people have an assurance of salvation based on faulty thinking. They believe that church attendance, baptism, or just being good will gain them approval from God. But our thinking is faulty if it isn’t based on what God says in His Word. God says that “all have sinned” and that we are His enemies. But through the death and resurrection of His Son, we can be made right with God (Rom. 3:23; 5:8-10). By faith in what Christ has done, we can have peace with God (5:1) and the assurance of eternal life in heaven.

Do you believe it? Your eternity is at stake. Don’t trust faulty thinking but put your faith in Christ.

I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus—
Trusting only Thee;
Trusting Thee for full salvation,
Great and free. —Havergal
If we could earn our salvation, Christ would not have died to provide it.



My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
May 31, 2012

Put God First

Jesus did not commit Himself to them . . .for He knew what was in man —John 2:24-25

Put Trust in God First. Our Lord never put His trust in any person. Yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, and never lost hope for anyone, because He put His trust in God first. He trusted absolutely in what God’s grace could do for others. If I put my trust in human beings first, the end result will be my despair and hopelessness toward everyone. I will become bitter because I have insisted that people be what no person can ever be— absolutely perfect and right. Never trust anything in yourself or in anyone else, except the grace of God.

Put God’s Will First. “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:9).

A person’s obedience is to what he sees to be a need— our Lord’s obedience was to the will of His Father. The rallying cry today is, “We must get to work! The heathen are dying without God. We must go and tell them about Him.” But we must first make sure that God’s “needs” and His will in us personally are being met. Jesus said, “. . . tarry . . . until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The purpose of our Christian training is to get us into the right relationship to the “needs” of God and His will. Once God’s “needs” in us have been met, He will open the way for us to accomplish His will, meeting His “needs” elsewhere.

Put God’s Son First. “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me” (Matthew 18:5).

God came as a baby, giving and entrusting Himself to me. He expects my personal life to be a “Bethlehem.” Am I allowing my natural life to be slowly transformed by the indwelling life of the Son of God? God’s ultimate purpose is that His Son might be exhibited in me.



A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Leave the Choice To the Owner - #6624

Thursday, May 31, 2012

It's the issue that may decide who's the senator or congressman in many states. It may decide who the governor is in some states. The battle lines are drawn around the issue of abortion.

Oh, it's not taxes, or defense spending, or civil rights, or homelessness. The most emotional issue oftentimes in our country revolves around that new life that some woman carries inside of her right now. Oh, there's been demonstrating, banners, chants, and slogans. But underneath it all there are actually two logics that war with each other. Pro-life says that a human life is there from conception and no one has the right to destroy that life. And then the pro-choice people say that the person whose body it is should decide what is done with that body. Well, actually, in a sense they're both right.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Leave the Choice To the Owner."

Our word for today from the Word of God: 1 Corinthians 6:18-20. "Flee from sexual immorality..." God here says, "...all other sins that man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you; whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body."

Well, this passage settles once and for all the issue of whose body you're walking around in. That's not your body; "you are not your own" the Bible says. You have been made by God, so you are His by creation. You've been paid for by God with the purchase price of His own Son on the cross, so you've been purchased by Him.

Now, the pro-choice advocates use this logic: the person whose body it is should decide what is done with it. Well, I do agree with that! Because, see, if that happened, we wouldn't have many abortions to decide about, because God says sexual love is reserved for the fence of marriage; it is reserved for married people committed to each other for a lifetime. And if God is the owner, and we let the owner of the body decide what we do with that body, well then there won't be any babies conceived outside of marriage. There will be very few unwanted babies.

Psalm 139 and other passages in the Bible make it very clear that from the very beginning God initiates a new life at conception, and He reserves the right to end any life that He starts, but only the one who starts the life has that right - the creator, the purchaser. And His choice for your body is that it remain pure. It's not yours to mess around with. His choice for that body that is His really, is that sex be kept special; that you don't flirt with sexual sin by seeing how far you can go; first base, second base, third base as the teenagers say. And then quickly try to throw the transmission into reverse just as you get to the edge so you can remain a technical virgin.

No, you don't do that with God's body. When we use sex outside the boundaries of marriage, we start a chain reaction of guilt, loss of respect, loss of intimacy, future relationships, and ugly choices.

Our body - our life - belongs to Jesus Christ. The Bible says, "You were created by Him and for Him." He made us; He paid for us with His life. We leave the choices about our body, about our future to Him. But you see, we haven't lived that way. And someone may be listening right now and saying, "Ron, if I had it to do over again, I would do it very differently." We all bear the guilt and the shame of the places we have done it other than God's way. And the good news is that while God hates the sin that we do, He so loves us, the sinners. The Bible says that, "Christ died for us while we were yet sinners." He died for you.

This could be a day when everything you've ever wished you could ever get rid of, you could leave at His cross - a new beginning. You might have started listening dirty, but by the end of this day you'll be clean, because you've been forgiven by the One who died for everything you've ever done. Yes, even that thing. Why don't you tell Him today, "Jesus, I want to belong to you. Forgive me. You died for me; I'm yours."

Go to our website YoursForLife.net. You'll find some great spiritual encouragement there for a time like this. Let this be the day that you're clean.

Ecclesiastes 11, bible reading and devotionals.

Click to hear God's teachings


Max Lucado: More of Him

When Christ is great–our fears are not!  A big God translates into big courage.  A small view of God generates no courage.  A limp, puny, fireless Jesus has no power over cancer cells, corruption, identity theft, stock-market crashes, or global calamity.

A packageable, portable Jesus might fit well in a purse or on a shelf, but he does nothing for your fears.  In the book Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis, the character Lucy sees Aslan, the lion, for the first time in many years.  He’s changed.

“Aslan,” she says, “you’re bigger.”

“That’s because you are older, little one,” he answers.

“Not because you are?”

“I am not.  But every year you grow, you will find me bigger.”

And so it is with Christ.  The longer we live in him, the greater he becomes in us.  It’s not that he changes, but that we do.  We see more of him!

Taken from Fearless


Ecclesiastes 11

Invest in Many Ventures

Ship your grain across the sea;
    after many days you may receive a return.
2 Invest in seven ventures, yes, in eight;
    you do not know what disaster may come upon the land.
3 If clouds are full of water,
    they pour rain on the earth.
Whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
    in the place where it falls, there it will lie.
4 Whoever watches the wind will not plant;
    whoever looks at the clouds will not reap.
5 As you do not know the path of the wind,
    or how the body is formed[b] in a mother’s womb,
so you cannot understand the work of God,
    the Maker of all things.
6 Sow your seed in the morning,
    and at evening let your hands not be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
    whether this or that,
    or whether both will do equally well.
Remember Your Creator While Young

7 Light is sweet,
    and it pleases the eyes to see the sun.
8 However many years anyone may live,
    let them enjoy them all.
But let them remember the days of darkness,
    for there will be many.
    Everything to come is meaningless.
9 You who are young, be happy while you are young,
    and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart
    and whatever your eyes see,
but know that for all these things
    God will bring you into judgment.
10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart
    and cast off the troubles of your body,
    for youth and vigor are meaningless.


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: Psalm 46

For the director of music. A song of the Sons of Korah. For alamoth.

 1 God is our place of safety. He gives us strength.
      He is always there to help us in times of trouble.
 2 The earth may fall apart.
      The mountains may fall into the middle of the sea.
      But we will not be afraid.
 3 The waters of the sea may roar and foam.
      The mountains may shake when the waters rise.
      But we will not be afraid.
                         Selah

 4 God's blessings are like a river. They fill the city of God with joy.
      That city is the holy place where the Most High God lives.
 5 Because God is there, the city will not fall.
      God will help it at the beginning of the day.
 6 Nations are in disorder. Kingdoms fall.
      God speaks, and the people of the earth melt in fear.
 7 The Lord who rules over all is with us.
      The God of Jacob is like a fort to us.
                         Selah

 8 Come and see what the Lord has done.
      See the places he has destroyed on the earth.
 9 He makes wars stop from one end of the earth to the other.
      He breaks every bow. He snaps every spear.
      He burns every shield with fire.
 10 He says, "Be still, and know that I am God.
      I will be honored among the nations.
      I will be honored in the earth."
 11 The Lord who rules over all is with us.
      The God of Jacob is like a fort to us.
                         Selah

God’s Wheelchair

May 30, 2012 — by Dennis Fisher

His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire. —Daniel 7:9

Jean Driscoll is a remarkable athlete. She has won the Boston Marathon eight times. She has also participated in four Paralympic Games and won five gold medals. Born with spina bifida, Jean competes in a wheelchair.

One of Driscoll’s favorite Bible verses is Daniel 7:9, “The Ancient of Days was seated . . . . His throne was a fiery flame, its wheels a burning fire.” Seeing a connection between Daniel’s vision of God and her own situation, she is able to pass along words of encouragement to others. “Anytime I’ve had an opportunity to talk with people who use wheelchairs and feel bad about being in a chair, I tell them, ‘Not only are you made in the image of God, but your wheelchair is made in the image of His throne!’”

Daniel’s vision, of course, doesn’t portray God as being impaired in motion. In fact, some see God’s “wheelchair” as a symbol of a just God sovereignly moving within human affairs. Other passages speak of God’s providence providing help to those who believe (Prov. 3:25-26; Matt. 20:29-34; Eph. 1:11).

Jean Driscoll’s faith in God has helped her triumph over personal challenges. We too can be confident that the high and holy One is near and ready to help us if only we ask (Ps. 46).

He cannot fail, your faithful God;
He’ll guard you with His mighty power;
Then fear no ill though troubles rise,
His help is sure from hour to hour. —Bosch
With God behind you and His arms beneath you, you can face whatever lies ahead of you. —Ward


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
May 30, 2012

“Yes— But . . .!”

Lord, I will follow You, but . . . —Luke 9:61

Suppose God tells you to do something that is an enormous test of your common sense, totally going against it. What will you do? Will you hold back? If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the true point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender. Yet we tend to say, “Yes, but— suppose I do obey God in this matter, what about . . . ?” Or we say, “Yes, I will obey God if what He asks of me doesn’t go against my common sense, but don’t ask me to take a step in the dark.”

Jesus Christ demands the same unrestrained, adventurous spirit in those who have placed their trust in Him that the natural man exhibits. If a person is ever going to do anything worthwhile, there will be times when he must risk everything by his leap in the dark. In the spiritual realm, Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold on to or believe through common sense, and leap by faith into what He says. Once you obey, you will immediately find that what He says is as solidly consistent as common sense.

By the test of common sense, Jesus Christ’s statements may seem mad, but when you test them by the trial of faith, your findings will fill your spirit with the awesome fact that they are the very words of God. Trust completely in God, and when He brings you to a new opportunity of adventure, offering it to you, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis— only one out of an entire crowd is daring enough to invest his faith in the character of God.


A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Custom Tailoring For the Fit You Need - #6623

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

I really dislike shopping for clothes. Looking for a suit would rank right up there with going to the dentist, I would say, as far as the pleasure factor is concerned for me. The problem is that they just don't have suits for guys who are shaped like me. Maybe there just aren't many guys who are shaped like me; maybe that's the problem.

See, if the coat looks good on me, then the pants don't. If the waist is a good fit, then they're baggy in the back. If it fits well in the back, then the waist is tight enough to effect my respiration. Now, there is a way to get a perfect fit - it's called custom tailoring, I can't afford that luxury, so I guess I'm just going to have to stick to one size that's supposed to fit all bodies about that shape. There is a perfect fit that you need right now, and it's yours for free.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Custom Tailoring For the Fit You Need."

Our word for today from the Word of God, Deuteronomy 33:25 - six words full of encouragement. "Your strength will equal your days." That's just six words, but it says so much about the need, the crisis, the crunch, and the unanswered question that you may be facing right now. God promises strength that is custom tailored for what that day requires; no more strength than you'll need for that day, and no less strength than you'll need for that day.

It's the same kind of promise that He gave in 2 Corinthians 12:9 where He says, "My grace is sufficient for you." Sufficient grace - always grace enough. We've sung the hymn many times about God's amazing grace, and it is amazing. It reaches down, forgives every sin, and gives me a royal place in God's family. But His grace is the gift that keeps on giving.

Gary's company is on the edge of bankruptcy. I called him and I said, "How you holding up with everything that you've built at risk?" He said, "You know what? God's peace is making it." I talked to some friends not long ago who lost a loved one in a tragic auto accident, and here was their report, "God's promises are holding us up. He is enough." Yeah, He is.

The wonderful truth in scripture is this, that God gives grace customized for every experience that He sends or He allows in your life. There is dying grace; you say, "I don't know how I would ever handle dying." Well, of course, you're not doing it now; you don't need it now. But haven't you seen people with dying grace? You get it when you need it.

There's suffering grace. For whatever suffering may be ahead, God will give you grace to meet that challenge. There's lonely grace for lonely times in your life. There's heartbreak grace. You don't have it now unless you need it, but at the time the heartbreak comes, the grace comes. There's waiting grace if you're having to wait for God to act in your life. You don't have it until you need it. When you need it, you've got it.

Maybe you fear your ability to handle some situation right now, but just when you need it grace will fill your heart; grace that's designed just to fit that moment. Grace may come in the form of a person, or surprising inner strength, a Bible verse, an ability to release something you've held for so long, but the grace is there if you go get it. Boldly, the Bible says, go to the throne of grace and obtain it there.

God has measured the situation like a spiritual tailor, and He has fitted His grace exactly to your need - custom-tailored designer grace to cover you.