Matthew 20:1-16, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: He Leads

Worrying is one job you can’t farm out, but you can overcome it. There’s no better place to begin than in Psalm 23:2. “He leads me beside the still waters,” David declares. “He leads me.”  God isn’t behind me, yelling, “Go!”  He’s ahead of me bidding, “Come!”  He’s in front, clearing the path, cutting the brush. Standing next to the rocks, He warns, “Watch your step there.”

Isn’t this what God gave the children of Israel? He promised to supply them with manna each day. But He told them to collect only one day’s supply at a time. Matthew 6:34 says, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.  God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

God is leading you! Leave tomorrow’s problems until tomorrow!

From Traveling Light

Matthew 20:1-16

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay them a denarius[a] for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

3 “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So they went.

“He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6 About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’

7 “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.

“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’

9 “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. 10 So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. 12 ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

13 “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? 14 Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

16 “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

Footnotes:

Matthew 20:2 A denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer.


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: Luke 10:38-42

At the Home of Martha and Mary

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Footnotes:

Luke 10:42 Some manuscripts but only one thing is needed

Insight
The “certain village” unidentified in today’s reading is Bethany (v.38), a small village on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives (Mark 11:1), about 2 miles from Jerusalem (John 11:18). Home to three siblings—Martha, Mary, and Lazarus (vv.38-39; John 11)—this was probably the home where Jesus stayed whenever he was in Jerusalem (Matt. 21:17; Mark 11:11; John 11:1; 12:1). Bethany was where Lazarus was raised from the dead (John 11), where Simon the leper held a feast to honor Jesus (Mark 14:3), and where, during that dinner, Mary anointed Jesus with an expensive perfume to prepare Him for His death (vv.3-9). Jesus’ ascension also took place in Bethany (Luke 24:50-52).

World’s Fastest Walkers
By Poh Fang Chia

She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. —Luke 10:39

According to a study measuring the pace of life of cities in 32 countries, people in the biggest hurry live here in Singapore. We walk 60 feet in 10:55 seconds, compared to 12:00 seconds for New Yorkers and 31:60 seconds for those living in the African city of Blantyre, Malawi.

But regardless of where you live, the study shows that walking speeds have increased by an average of 10 percent in the past 20 years. And if walking speed is any indicator for the pace of life, we are certainly much busier than before.

Are you caught up in the frenzy of a busy life? Pause and consider Jesus’ words to Martha: “You are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).

Notice Jesus’ gentle words. He didn’t rebuke Martha for wanting to be a good host but rather reminded her about her priorities. Martha had allowed the necessary to get out of proportion. And, in the process, she was so busy doing good that she didn’t take time to sit at Jesus’ feet.

In our drive to be productive for the Lord, let’s remember the one thing worth being concerned about—enjoying time with our Savior.

Jesus longs for our fellowship even more than we long for His.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, June 20, 2014

The Ministry of the Inner Life

You are . . . a royal priesthood . . . —1 Peter 2:9
By what right have we become “a royal priesthood”? It is by the right of the atonement by the Cross of Christ that this has been accomplished. Are we prepared to purposely disregard ourselves and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? The continual inner-searching we do in an effort to see if we are what we ought to be generates a self-centered, sickly type of Christianity, not the vigorous and simple life of a child of God. Until we get into this right and proper relationship with God, it is simply a case of our “hanging on by the skin of our teeth,” although we say, “What a wonderful victory I have!” Yet there is nothing at all in that which indicates the miracle of redemption. Launch out in reckless, unrestrained belief that the redemption is complete. Then don’t worry anymore about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ has said, in essence, “Pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints of God, and pray for all men.” Pray with the realization that you are perfect only in Christ Jesus, not on the basis of this argument: “Oh, Lord, I have done my best; please hear me now.”

How long is it going to take God to free us from the unhealthy habit of thinking only about ourselves? We must get to the point of being sick to death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God might tell us about ourselves. We cannot reach and understand the depths of our own meagerness. There is only one place where we are right with God, and that is in Christ Jesus. Once we are there, we have to pour out our lives for all we are worth in this ministry of the inner life.

Genesis 32 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily:A Dad’s Commitment

When I was seven years old, I’d had enough of my father’s rules and decided I could make it on my own. With my clothes in a paper bag, I stormed out the back gate. I didn’t go far. I got to the end of the alley and remembered I was hungry. I remember rather sheepishly taking my seat at the supper table across from the very father I had, only moments before, disowned.

Did Dad know? I suspect he did. Fathers usually do. Was I still his son? Apparently so. No one was sitting in my place at the table. Suppose you’d asked, “Mr. Lucado, your son says he has no need of a father. Do you still consider him your son?” I don’t have to guess at his answer.  He called himself my father even when I didn’t call myself his son. His commitment to me was greater than my commitment to him!  Does that sound familiar?

From Dad Time

Genesis 32

Jacob Prepares to Meet Esau

Jacob also went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2 When Jacob saw them, he said, “This is the camp of God!” So he named that place Mahanaim.[f]

3 Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. 5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes.’”

6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”

7 In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups,[g] and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8 He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group,[h] the group[i] that is left may escape.”

9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, Lord, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’”

13 He spent the night there, and from what he had with him he selected a gift for his brother Esau: 14 two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys. 16 He put them in the care of his servants, each herd by itself, and said to his servants, “Go ahead of me, and keep some space between the herds.”

17 He instructed the one in the lead: “When my brother Esau meets you and asks, ‘Who do you belong to, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you?’ 18 then you are to say, ‘They belong to your servant Jacob. They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.’”

19 He also instructed the second, the third and all the others who followed the herds: “You are to say the same thing to Esau when you meet him. 20 And be sure to say, ‘Your servant Jacob is coming behind us.’” For he thought, “I will pacify him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.” 21 So Jacob’s gifts went on ahead of him, but he himself spent the night in the camp.

Jacob Wrestles With God

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”

“Jacob,” he answered.

28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,[j] because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”

29 Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”

But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.

30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[k] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”

31 The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel,[l] and he was limping because of his hip. 32 Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob’s hip was touched near the tendon.

Footnotes:

Genesis 32:1 In Hebrew texts 32:1-32 is numbered 32:2-33.
Genesis 32:2 Mahanaim means two camps.
Genesis 32:7 Or camps
Genesis 32:8 Or camp
Genesis 32:8 Or camp
Genesis 32:28 Israel probably means he struggles with God.
Genesis 32:30 Peniel means face of God.
Genesis 32:31 Hebrew Penuel, a variant of Peniel


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: Psalm 103:1-8

Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses,
    his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
    slow to anger, abounding in love.

Insight
Many of the psalms refer to the miraculous and wonderful deeds of God in Israel’s history (see Pss. 44, 78, 89, 90, 105). Today’s psalm asks the reader to remember not God’s deeds but God’s character and the gracious benefits He gives to His people. God’s benefits—forgiveness, healing, redemption, and crowning with lovingkindness and mercy—have always been available to God’s people and are still available today (Ps. 103:3-5). These benefits are rooted in God’s character, which the psalmist describes in verse 8. This verse reminds the reader of God’s own description of His character in the book of Exodus: “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth” (34:6).

Forgotten Memories
By Bill Crowder

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. —Psalm 103:2

Recently, a friend from my youth emailed me a picture of our junior high track team. The grainy black-and-white snapshot showed a vaguely familiar group of teens with our two coaches. I was instantly swept back in time to happy memories of running the mile and the half-mile in track meets. Yet even as I enjoyed remembering those days, I found myself thinking about how easily I had forgotten them and moved on to other things.

As we make our way on the journey of life, it is easy to forget places, people, and events that have been important to us along the way. Time passes, yesterday fades, and we become obsessed with the concerns of the moment. When this happens, we can also forget just how good God has been to us. Perhaps that is why David remembered as he wrote, “Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Ps. 103:1-2).

Never is this remembrance more needed than when the heartaches of life crowd in on us. When we are feeling overwhelmed and forgotten, it’s important to recall all that He has done for us. In remembering, we find the encouragement to trust Him in the present and for the future.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,
When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,
Count your many blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. —Oatman
Remembering God’s faithfulness in the past strengthens us for the future.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, June 20, 2014

Have You Come to “When” Yet?

The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends —Job 42:10
A pitiful, sickly, and self-centered kind of prayer and a determined effort and selfish desire to be right with God are never found in the New Testament. The fact that I am trying to be right with God is actually a sign that I am rebelling against the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I pray, “Lord, I will purify my heart if You will answer my prayer— I will walk rightly before You if You will help me.” But I cannot make myself right with God; I cannot make my life perfect. I can only be right with God if I accept the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ as an absolute gift. Am I humble enough to accept it? I have to surrender all my rights and demands, and cease from every self-effort. I must leave myself completely alone in His hands, and then I can begin to pour my life out in the priestly work of intercession. There is a great deal of prayer that comes from actual disbelief in the atonement. Jesus is not just beginning to save us— He has already saved us completely. It is an accomplished fact, and it is an insult to Him for us to ask Him to do what He has already done.

If you are not now receiving the “hundredfold” which Jesus promised (see Matthew 19:29), and not getting insight into God’s Word, then start praying for your friends— enter into the ministry of the inner life. “The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends.” As a saved soul, the real business of your life is intercessory prayer. Whatever circumstances God may place you in, always pray immediately that His atonement may be recognized and as fully understood in the lives of others as it has been in yours. Pray for your friends now, and pray for those with whom you come in contact now.


A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Communicating Where You Come From - #7160
Friday, June 20, 2014

My wife has enjoyed a search for her roots, you know, as we have time. There's one particular relative on her father's side that was really giving her a hard time. He's not alive any more, so he didn't mean to. But we followed the trail that went back to her great-grandfather, old Herbert Alonzo.
Now, each generation supplied some clues in this search for this particular relative, but old great-grandpa Herbert? He was no help at all. I said, "Of course, he's been dead for 50 years." No, that wasn't the problem. It's what he did or didn't do when he was alive that was the problem. We couldn't get to that generation prior to Old Herbert. That's where we need to find the person we were looking for.
See, Old Herbert was known to everyone for being tight lipped, and whenever he was asked what his background was, he'd simply say, "I'm just Yankee." He didn't talk about his Mom much. He didn't talk about his Dad. He didn't talk about anything much. And everybody, including my wife, remembers that the man never said much. That apparently frustrated the people around him. It even frustrated one particular descendant who never even met the man.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Communicating Where You Come From."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Genesis 2:18. It's the beginning of man and woman. "The Lord God said, (Now, Adam's all alone in the garden. He's got a great world), 'But it is not good' the Lord says, 'for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.'"
Notice those words, "It is not good for the man to be alone." This is not only the beginning of marriage and the beginning of family. It's really the beginning of human relationships. Adam could not and should not be alone any more. So God begins to create a relationship to end that aloneness. Unfortunately, too many people are around the people they love, but they're not with the people they love. It could be that they don't communicate.
Maybe your family and your friends feel that way about you, "Well, he doesn't communicate much." "She hardly ever lets us know how she's feeling." Well, that's sad. And that's not the way it was meant to be. Like Old Herbert, he didn't communicate much and no one knew where he came from.
Maybe you're that way much of the time. And those who love you have no idea where you're coming from. They feel alone, and it's not good for us to be alone God said. We were created to be in touch with each other; to relieve each other's loneliness and isolation. But some of us are like all frozen inside.
Maybe you grew up around someone who was a non-communicator and you know how frustrating that was for you. Isn't it time someone broke this frustrating cycle of silence? Why don't you begin to pour out the deepest feelings you have to God. Don't come to Him all formal, religious, cool and uncommunicative. Not with the God who knows all about you. Find one person who you can reach out to for help; someone in your family, a close friend, and tell that person you want to open up but it's hard and you need their help. You need their patience. You need to know you can trust them.
Then keep some lists. Begin to really share where you're coming from. The people who love you are affected by what's going on inside of you, whether you tell them or not. See, it's just they have no idea why you are who you are, because you won't help them understand you. They need to know your story. They need to know your feelings that are behind how they see you being all the time.
Haven't you been alone long enough? You know, in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ you have found the one person who can open you up with His unconditional love. Why don't you let Him? Just ask the descendants of great-grandpa Herbert. It's really frustrating not to know where a loved one is coming from. Your silence hurts most of all the people you love the most. Come on; tell them where you are coming from.

Genesis 31, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: My Father's Forgiveness

My father's salary wasn't abundant, so you can imagine my surprise when he put a credit card in my hand the day I left for college. His only instructions were, "Be careful how you use it." On an impulse one Friday, I skipped class to visit a girl on another campus. Because I left in a hurry, I forgot to take any money. Everything went fine until I rear-ended a car on the return trip.
My father took my collect call and heard my tale. My story wasn't much to boast about. I'd made a trip without his knowledge, without any money, and wrecked his car. "Well," he said after a long pause, "That's why I gave you the card. I hope you learned a lesson." I certainly did. I learned my father's forgiveness predated my mistake. He'd provided for my blunder before I blundered. Need I tell you God has done the same?
From Dad Time

Genesis 31
Jacob Flees From Laban

Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.” 2 And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.

3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”

4 So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were. 5 He said to them, “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me. 6 You know that I’ve worked for your father with all my strength, 7 yet your father has cheated me by changing my wages ten times. However, God has not allowed him to harm me. 8 If he said, ‘The speckled ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks gave birth to speckled young; and if he said, ‘The streaked ones will be your wages,’ then all the flocks bore streaked young. 9 So God has taken away your father’s livestock and has given them to me.

10 “In breeding season I once had a dream in which I looked up and saw that the male goats mating with the flock were streaked, speckled or spotted. 11 The angel of God said to me in the dream, ‘Jacob.’ I answered, ‘Here I am.’ 12 And he said, ‘Look up and see that all the male goats mating with the flock are streaked, speckled or spotted, for I have seen all that Laban has been doing to you. 13 I am the God of Bethel, where you anointed a pillar and where you made a vow to me. Now leave this land at once and go back to your native land.’”

14 Then Rachel and Leah replied, “Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father’s estate? 15 Does he not regard us as foreigners? Not only has he sold us, but he has used up what was paid for us. 16 Surely all the wealth that God took away from our father belongs to us and our children. So do whatever God has told you.”

17 Then Jacob put his children and his wives on camels, 18 and he drove all his livestock ahead of him, along with all the goods he had accumulated in Paddan Aram,[a] to go to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan.

19 When Laban had gone to shear his sheep, Rachel stole her father’s household gods. 20 Moreover, Jacob deceived Laban the Aramean by not telling him he was running away. 21 So he fled with all he had, crossed the Euphrates River, and headed for the hill country of Gilead.
Laban Pursues Jacob

22 On the third day Laban was told that Jacob had fled. 23 Taking his relatives with him, he pursued Jacob for seven days and caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. 24 Then God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream at night and said to him, “Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.”

25 Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done? You’ve deceived me, and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war. 27 Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me, so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels and harps? 28 You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye. You have done a foolish thing. 29 I have the power to harm you; but last night the God of your father said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’ 30 Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household. But why did you steal my gods?”

31 Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force. 32 But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.

33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent and into the tent of the two female servants, but he found nothing. After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them inside her camel’s saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through everything in the tent but found nothing.

35 Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence; I’m having my period.” So he searched but could not find the household gods.

36 Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged you that you hunt me down? 37 Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.

38 “I have been with you for twenty years now. Your sheep and goats have not miscarried, nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 39 I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen by day or night. 40 This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes. 41 It was like this for the twenty years I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters and six years for your flocks, and you changed my wages ten times. 42 If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been with me, you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands, and last night he rebuked you.”

43 Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks. All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? 44 Come now, let’s make a covenant, you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”

45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar. 46 He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap, and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.[b]

48 Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” That is why it was called Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah,[c] because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. 50 If you mistreat my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”

51 Laban also said to Jacob, “Here is this heap, and here is this pillar I have set up between you and me. 52 This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not go past this heap to your side to harm you and that you will not go past this heap and pillar to my side to harm me. 53 May the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us.”

So Jacob took an oath in the name of the Fear of his father Isaac. 54 He offered a sacrifice there in the hill country and invited his relatives to a meal. After they had eaten, they spent the night there.

55 Early the next morning Laban kissed his grandchildren and his daughters and blessed them. Then he left and returned home.[d]


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Read: Ezekiel 34:11-16

“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. 12 As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. 13 I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. 14 I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. 16 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

Insight
Today’s reading uses the metaphor of God as one who cares for His people as a shepherd cares for his sheep: “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick” (v.16). When God became a man in the Person of Christ, similar language was used about Him: “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd” (Matt. 9:36). As our Good Shepherd, Jesus said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).

Meet Shrek
By Julie Ackerman Link

I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out. —Ezekiel 34:11

Shrek was a renegade sheep. He went missing from his flock and remained lost for 6 years. The person who found him living in a cave on a high and rugged place in New Zealand didn’t recognize him as a sheep. “He looked like some biblical creature,” he said. In a way, he was. Shrek was a picture of what happens to sheep who become separated from their shepherd.

Shrek the sheep

Shrek had to be carried down the mountain because his fleece was so heavy (60 lbs or 27 kg) that he couldn’t walk down on his own. To relieve Shrek of the weight of his waywardness, he was turned upside down so that he would remain still and not be harmed when the shearer removed his heavy fleece.

Shrek’s story illustrates the metaphor Jesus used when He called Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), and when God referred to His people as His flock (Ezek. 34:31). Like Shrek, we do not make good choices when we’re on our own, and we become weighed down with the consequences (Ezek. 33:10). To relieve us of the weight, we may have to be on our backs for a time. When we end up in this position, it is good to remain still and trust the Good Shepherd to do His work without hurting us.
The King of love my Shepherd is,
Whose goodness faileth never;
I nothing lack if I am His,
And He is mine forever. —Baker
God’s training is designed to grow us in faith.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, June 19, 2014

My Utmost for His Highest

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

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

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

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Baby George - and Three Royal Realities About Every Child - #7159
Thursday, June 19, 2014

I guess you'd expect it. After all, his parents' wedding was the most watched on the planet. And now Prince William and Princess Kate have an adorable son, Baby George. I think he's the most watched baby on the planet. Every time he's out in public, the press is all over it. Not long ago, he took his first major trip as he traveled all the way to New Zealand with his royal parents. You know what the big news was there? Baby George's first "play day" in a sea of toys. Where the eight-month-old managed to find and commandeer the biggest toy in the room.
Obviously, this is a special kid. I mean, he's royalty. But he's not alone. Every baby in this world is a special child, because they're royalty. Baby George is a royal child because his father is royalty. But, then, every baby is from royal descent from the Great King, the Creator, the Ruler of 100 billion galaxies.
I've had the very moving privilege of being there when most of my grandchildren were born. In that priceless moment when I held each newborn in my hands for the very first time, the very first thing I ever did was call them by name. And I told them exactly what the Bible says about who they are. It's in our word for today from the Word of God in Ephesians 2:10, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works God prepared in advance for us to do."
Every baby is God's workmanship. And each one's an original. Psalm 139 says, "You knit me together in my mother's womb. I am fearfully and wonderfully made." And I read in the Bible that God calls His children "My sons and daughters." Most "royal" children won't be in the headlines, but each one is a treasure - a masterpiece. I find that more than just some nice poetic thought. There are some pretty profound implications to seeing every child as incalculably valuable.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Baby George - and Three Royal Realities About Every Child."
1. The circumstances of conception have nothing to do with the worth of the child.
Planned, unplanned. Wanted, unwanted. Single mom, married mom. Each life is divinely conceived to be protected, to be cherished.
2. No one on earth gave you your worth - and no one on earth can take it away.
If our worth comes from our Creator, then it's intrinsic. A $50 bill - folded, crumpled, trampled - is still worth $50. No amount of mistreatment or rejection can diminish value that is Creator-given. That's you. That's every child you know.
3. The mission of a parent is to so raise their children that they know and feel how much they're worth.
Constant criticism, comparison or shaming makes a child feel like a paper plate. You know what happens to paper plates. They get thrown away. But God only makes fine china to be reserved for special purposes. You never throw it away. As a dad, my great mission must be to be sure my children and my grandchildren know they are fine china.
So if every child is a royal child, it's pretty important how we treat them; how we value them. The King is watching.

Matthew 19, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: No Matter What

The 1989 Armenian earthquake killed thirty thousand people. Moments after the tremor stopped, a father raced to an elementary school. As he arrived to nothing but a mass of stones and rubble, he remembered a promise he'd made to his child: "No matter what happens, I'll always be there for you." Other parents arrived as he began pulling at the rocks. "It's too late," they told the man. But the father refused. For thirty six hours he dug-his hands raw, but he refused to quit.
After thirty-eight wrenching hours, he pulled back a boulder. "Arman!  Arman!" and a voice answered him, "Dad, it's me." Then the boy added these priceless words, "I told the others not to worry. I told them if you were alive, you'd save me, and when you saved me, they'd be saved, too. Because you promised, "No matter what, I'll always be there for you!"
From Dad Time

Matthew 19

New International Version (NIV)
Divorce

19 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2 Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.

3 Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?”

4 “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’[a] 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’[b]? 6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

7 “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?”

8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”

10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.”

11 Jesus replied, “Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born that way, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others—and there are those who choose to live like eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.”
The Little Children and Jesus

13 Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.

14 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” 15 When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.
The Rich and the Kingdom of God

16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”

18 “Which ones?” he inquired.

Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, 19 honor your father and mother,’[c] and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’[d]”

20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”

21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.

23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”

26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”

28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[e] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
Footnotes:

    Matthew 19:4 Gen. 1:27
    Matthew 19:5 Gen. 2:24
    Matthew 19:19 Exodus 20:12-16; Deut. 5:16-20
    Matthew 19:19 Lev. 19:18
    Matthew 19:29 Some manuscripts do not have or wife.


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   

Read: Numbers 6:22-27

 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

24 “‘“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’

27 “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”

Insight
In showering the people with His favor, God instructed the high priest to bestow on the people the blessing found in Numbers 6:24-26. In the New Living Translation, “The Lord make His face shine upon you” (v.25) is rendered as “The Lord smile on you.” The Lord smiling and “lift[ing] up His countenance” (v.26) expresses that the people have God’s special attention and approval. This benediction, pronounced by many pastors at the end of church services today, affirms that God provides for and protects His people, assuring us of His presence, pardon, and peace. The Hebrew concept of peace (shalom) is all-embracing and includes the concepts of completeness, security, health, wealth, tranquility, contentment, friendship, and peace with God and man.

Smile!
By Joe Stowell

The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. —Numbers 6:25



A recent study that I read concluded that smiling can be good for your health. Research shows that smiling slows down the heart and reduces stress.

But smiling isn’t just good for you; a genuine smile blesses those on the receiving end as well. Without saying a word, it can tell others that you like them and that you are pleased with them. A smile can hug someone with love without giving them even the slightest touch.

Life does not always give us a reason to smile. But when we see a heartfelt smile on a child’s face or through aged wrinkles, our hearts are encouraged.

Smiles are also a hint of the image of God in us. In the ancient blessing recorded in the book of Numbers we get an indication that God “smiles”: “The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace” (Num. 6:25-26). Those words are a Hebrew idiom for the favor of God on a person’s life, asking God to smile on His children.

So today, remember that you are loved by God, and that He is pleased to be gracious to you and to shine His face upon you.
Lord, may my life be so pleasing to You that You are
pleased to have Your face shine on me. And as You
graciously smile on my life, may I find someone
today with whom I can share Your love through a smile.
Your smile could be a message of cheer from God to a needy soul.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Keep Recognizing Jesus

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

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

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

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


A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Noah Lives! - #7158

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

That old big boat started making big waves again. Noah's Ark riding again! Hollywood was hoping it would bring in a flood of money. And you know what? Word was that the telling of this iconic story started with the Bible account, and then added a heavy dose of Hollywood imagination with great special effects. Probably no match, though, for the original. With Noah showing up in TV ads, it made me go back to the non-fiction, original narrative. Bible-style.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Noah Lives!"
I found more than a story. I found insights as current as today's news. If old Noah showed up today, he'd be blown away by all that's changed. And all that hasn't. Like the five game-changers I found for any generation.
1. God still has His Noahs.
The original Story says, "Noah was a righteous man...and he walked in close fellowship with God." The moral heroes in any generation are the ones who stand for what's right when no one else is, even when they stand alone. They're rare, but they're like uncommon collectibles, they're really valuable. And "Noah (maybe like you if you're standing for the right), found favor in the eyes of the Lord."
2. God still has boundaries.
In the Bible's words, "The Lord observed the extent of human wickedness on the earth...that the earth had become corrupt and was filled with violence." He'd set boundaries. They didn't care. Sounds familiar. The culture doesn't decide what's right. Polls or politicians may tell us what's politically correct, but not what's wrong. That's up to the One who put us here. We may not think we're out of bounds. Like Noah's contemporaries, we can always find a way to justify our "I don't care what You say, God." But His boundaries don't move. He's God. And I'm pretty sure He reacts to our rebellion the same way He did in Noah's time. The Bible says, "It broke His heart."
3. God still has penalties for going out of bounds.
God promised Noah He wouldn't do the flood thing again. But there must be a Judgment Day. I think a lot of us know that deep down anyway. When I dethrone God and crown me #1 in my life, it messes up everything and it invites judgment. The Bible says, "It is appointed to man to die once, and after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). I'll bet the Noah Gen folks told Noah, "We're getting away with it, old man." They were wrong.
4. God still has an Ark.
A safe place. Noah and his family it says, "went on board the boat to escape the flood." Like countless people over 2,000 years, I ran to the haven that God has provided from His judgment. It's not a ship. It's a Savior. The Bible says in our word for today from the Word of God in Romans 8:1, "There is now no condemnation (That means I'm safe!) for those who are in Christ Jesus." How can God say that when I have rebelled against Him? I've done many wrong things. I've broken His laws. I've defied His rulership of my life.
There's a death penalty for that. How can He say there's no condemnation? It says, "For those who are in Christ Jesus." Because Christ Jesus, His Son, paid the penalty that I deserve. I did the sinning. Jesus did the dying. And when you open up your life to Him and put your life in His hands, you are in essence entering the ark of safety where you will be eternally safe with Him forever. He paid such a high price for that. If you've never opened your heart to Him, do it today. We'd be glad to help you be sure you belong to Him. Just go to our website, ANewStory.com.
5. God still has a "rainbow."
In the biblical account, God says, "This rainbow is a sign...Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life." That's a guaranteed future anchored to a promise. I know that feeling. The Bible says, "Anyone who believes in God's Son has eternal life" (John 3:36). It doesn't get any better than that. So, as the cultural spotlight kind of brought everybody back to Noah, I wonder how many moviegoers did what I did and will do what I did; check out that original story again. If you do, you'll be surprised at what's there. It's a mirror to see our time; to see ourselves.

Genesis 30, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: The Greatest Gift

My dad repaired oil-field engines for a living and rebuilt car engines for fun.  Dad loved machines. But God gave him a mechanical moron…a son who couldn't differentiate between a differential and a brake disc. My dad tried to teach me. I tried to learn. Honestly, I did.
Machines anesthetized me. But books fascinated me. What does a mechanic do with a son who loves books? He gives him a library card. Buys him a few volumes for Christmas. Places a lamp by his bed so he can read at night. Pays tuition so his son can study college literature in high school. My dad did that.
You know what he didn't do? Never once did he say, "Why can't you be a mechanic like your dad and granddad?" The greatest gift you can give your children is not your riches, but revealing to them their own!
From Dad Time

Genesis 30

When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”

2 Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”

3 Then she said, “Here is Bilhah, my servant. Sleep with her so that she can bear children for me and I too can build a family through her.”

4 So she gave him her servant Bilhah as a wife. Jacob slept with her, 5 and she became pregnant and bore him a son. 6 Then Rachel said, “God has vindicated me; he has listened to my plea and given me a son.” Because of this she named him Dan.[f]

7 Rachel’s servant Bilhah conceived again and bore Jacob a second son. 8 Then Rachel said, “I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won.” So she named him Naphtali.[g]

9 When Leah saw that she had stopped having children, she took her servant Zilpah and gave her to Jacob as a wife. 10 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a son. 11 Then Leah said, “What good fortune!”[h] So she named him Gad.[i]

12 Leah’s servant Zilpah bore Jacob a second son. 13 Then Leah said, “How happy I am! The women will call me happy.” So she named him Asher.[j]

14 During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”

15 But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?”

“Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”

16 So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.

17 God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son. 18 Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my servant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.[k]

19 Leah conceived again and bore Jacob a sixth son. 20 Then Leah said, “God has presented me with a precious gift. This time my husband will treat me with honor, because I have borne him six sons.” So she named him Zebulun.[l]

21 Some time later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.

22 Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive. 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son and said, “God has taken away my disgrace.” 24 She named him Joseph,[m] and said, “May the Lord add to me another son.”
Jacob’s Flocks Increase

25 After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland. 26 Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for you.”

27 But Laban said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please stay. I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me because of you.” 28 He added, “Name your wages, and I will pay them.”

29 Jacob said to him, “You know how I have worked for you and how your livestock has fared under my care. 30 The little you had before I came has increased greatly, and the Lord has blessed you wherever I have been. But now, when may I do something for my own household?”

31 “What shall I give you?” he asked.

“Don’t give me anything,” Jacob replied. “But if you will do this one thing for me, I will go on tending your flocks and watching over them: 32 Let me go through all your flocks today and remove from them every speckled or spotted sheep, every dark-colored lamb and every spotted or speckled goat. They will be my wages. 33 And my honesty will testify for me in the future, whenever you check on the wages you have paid me. Any goat in my possession that is not speckled or spotted, or any lamb that is not dark-colored, will be considered stolen.”

34 “Agreed,” said Laban. “Let it be as you have said.” 35 That same day he removed all the male goats that were streaked or spotted, and all the speckled or spotted female goats (all that had white on them) and all the dark-colored lambs, and he placed them in the care of his sons. 36 Then he put a three-day journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob continued to tend the rest of Laban’s flocks.

37 Jacob, however, took fresh-cut branches from poplar, almond and plane trees and made white stripes on them by peeling the bark and exposing the white inner wood of the branches. 38 Then he placed the peeled branches in all the watering troughs, so that they would be directly in front of the flocks when they came to drink. When the flocks were in heat and came to drink, 39 they mated in front of the branches. And they bore young that were streaked or speckled or spotted. 40 Jacob set apart the young of the flock by themselves, but made the rest face the streaked and dark-colored animals that belonged to Laban. Thus he made separate flocks for himself and did not put them with Laban’s animals. 41 Whenever the stronger females were in heat, Jacob would place the branches in the troughs in front of the animals so they would mate near the branches, 42 but if the animals were weak, he would not place them there. So the weak animals went to Laban and the strong ones to Jacob. 43 In this way the man grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, and female and male servants, and camels and donkeys.

Genesis 30:6 Dan here means he has vindicated.
Genesis 30:8 Naphtali means my struggle.
Genesis 30:11 Or “A troop is coming!”
Genesis 30:11 Gad can mean good fortune or a troop.
Genesis 30:13 Asher means happy.
Genesis 30:18 Issachar sounds like the Hebrew for reward.
Genesis 30:20 Zebulun probably means honor.
Genesis 30:24 Joseph means may he add.


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   

Read: Revelation 21:14-27

The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia[a] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits[b] thick.[c] 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.[d] 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
Footnotes:

    Revelation 21:16 That is, about 1,400 miles or about 2,200 kilometers
    Revelation 21:17 That is, about 200 feet or about 65 meters
    Revelation 21:17 Or high
    Revelation 21:20 The precise identification of some of these precious stones is uncertain.

Insight
In the Old Testament, the tabernacle and the temple were emblematic of God’s presence among His people. In eternity, no such facility will be needed (Rev. 21:22) because the redeemed will live in the presence of God Himself.

The Light Of The Lamb
By Dennis Fisher

The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. —Revelation 21:23



For countless generations people have looked to the sun and moon to light the day and the night. Whether illuminating our path or providing the life-giving radiance for fruitful crops and the nutrients our bodies need, the sun and moon are part of God’s marvelous provision of light. The book of Genesis tells us that God gave “the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night” (Gen. 1:16).

But someday God will provide a different kind of illumination. Of the eternal heavenly city, John writes: “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light” (Rev. 21:23). Interestingly, the word translated “light” here is more accurately rendered lamp. Christ in His glorified state will be the spiritual lamp that lights up that joyous new world.

The Lord Jesus Christ is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). He is also the source of spiritual illumination that makes those who follow Him “the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). But in eternity He will be the Lamp that lights our way (Rev. 21:23). What a thrill it will be one day to live in the light of the Lamb!
No darkness have we who in Jesus abide—
The light of the world is Jesus;
We walk in the light when we follow our Guide—
The light of the world is Jesus. —Bliss
The Light of the world knows no power failure.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Beware of Criticizing Others

Judge not, that you be not judged —Matthew 7:1

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

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


A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Getting Your Mouth Open - #7157

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Okay, babies don't always know what's good for them. That may be why some prehistoric parents invented the airplane idea. No, I didn't invent it, but I did try it! A baby should eat the food that he has in his bowl, but he doesn't want to. Prying open a baby's mouth is not very effective and it's not very nice. So you put the food on the spoon, and we did that. You make like an airplane. "See the airplane (airplane sound)! Now your mouth is the hangar! Open the hangar so the airplane can go in!" I always hated it when the mouth opened, the plane approached, and suddenly the hangar door closed, leaving the airplane's cargo all over the baby's face. "Hey baby! I have what you need. But you won't open your mouth."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Getting Your Mouth Open."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 81:10. Here's what God says: "I am the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."
God is saying here to His people in olden times in the Old Testament, and He's saying to us today, "You are under-living. There's so much more I want to give you. There's so much more I want to do for you." I think there's a voice inside of a lot of us that might be saying, "There's got to be something more in this relationship with Christ, in this Christianity stuff." This isn't necessarily to make you materially prosperous, but He has a lot more power, a lot more peace, a lot more love to put into your life; a lot more significance to open up your life to really making a difference. The problem is you can't get your mouth open.
Made me think about a baby being fed. God wants you to want His best for your life. That's opening your mouth. He wants you to expect the supernatural, to act as if the supernatural is coming. You've got an awesomely big God! Remember it says in the Bible, "In His own hometown, Nazareth, Jesus could do no mighty work because of their unbelief." He did miracles everywhere but there, and the people who knew the most about Jesus saw the least supernatural because they weren't expecting anything. They didn't open their mouths.
Faith is acting as if God will keep His promise; as if He will do something God-sized. God says here, "I tried to and they wouldn't listen. They wouldn't follow my ways." Is there a part of your life where you've been doing your own thing; going your own way? Maybe it's at home, at work, at church, at school. In your love life you're trying to go your own way. How about your finances, your relationships? You're missing God's best because you're going your own way.
He says, "I've let them follow their own devices." Well, you're on your own in that part of your life. You're settling for crumbs when He wants to serve you a banquet. In fact Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). There's so much Jesus wants to do for you.
But maybe you have never opened up your life to this Savior, who gave His life on a cross for you. And everything He wants to bring into your life includes the love you were made for; the love you've looked for your whole life, the peace that has eluded you since you were young. He wants to bring eternal life that only He can bring, because only He conquered death.
And above all, He wants to erase every sin of your life from God's book. This is the kind of Savior He is. And the only reason you'll miss Him is because you did not open up to Him. He said, "If you will open the door, I will come in" (Revelation 3:20). And He's asking you to open the door today. He wants to come in. I hope you will say to Him, "Jesus, I'm Yours." I'd love to help you do that. I'd love to help you understand and make sure it's happened. Would you go to our website today, ANewStory.com?
Why don't you start to live as if you want God's best, that you're trusting Him for His best. He's holding out His hand with the supernatural stuff that you need right now. Open your mouth and let Him fill it.

Genesis 29, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Loving the Child Who Drops the Ball

Dropping a fly ball may not be a big deal to most people, but if you're thirteen years old and have aspirations of the big leagues, it's a big deal. I was halfway home when my dad found me. He didn't say a word.  Just pulled over to the side of the road, and opened the passenger door. We both knew the world had come to an end.
I went straight to my room.  He went straight to the kitchen. Presently he appeared in front of me with cookies and milk.  And somewhere in the dunking of the cookies, I began to realize that life and my father's love would go on. If you love the guy who drops the ball, then you really love him. My skill as a baseball player didn't improve, but my confidence in Dad's love did. He never said a word. He showed up. He listened up.
From Dad Time

Genesis 29

Jacob Arrives in Paddan Aram

Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples. 2 There he saw a well in the open country, with three flocks of sheep lying near it because the flocks were watered from that well. The stone over the mouth of the well was large. 3 When all the flocks were gathered there, the shepherds would roll the stone away from the well’s mouth and water the sheep. Then they would return the stone to its place over the mouth of the well.

4 Jacob asked the shepherds, “My brothers, where are you from?”

“We’re from Harran,” they replied.

5 He said to them, “Do you know Laban, Nahor’s grandson?”

“Yes, we know him,” they answered.

6 Then Jacob asked them, “Is he well?”

“Yes, he is,” they said, “and here comes his daughter Rachel with the sheep.”

7 “Look,” he said, “the sun is still high; it is not time for the flocks to be gathered. Water the sheep and take them back to pasture.”

8 “We can’t,” they replied, “until all the flocks are gathered and the stone has been rolled away from the mouth of the well. Then we will water the sheep.”

9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherd. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father.

13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. 14 Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”
Jacob Marries Leah and Rachel

After Jacob had stayed with him for a whole month, 15 Laban said to him, “Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be.”

16 Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. 17 Leah had weak[a] eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful. 18 Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel.”

19 Laban said, “It’s better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me.” 20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.”

22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast. 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24 And Laban gave his servant Zilpah to his daughter as her attendant.

25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”

26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one. 27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.”

28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel as her attendant. 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah. And he worked for Laban another seven years.
Jacob’s Children

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved, he enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained childless. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben,[b] for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”

33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.[c]

34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.[d]

35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.[e] Then she stopped having children.


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   

Read: James 1:22–2:1

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Favoritism Forbidden

2 My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.

Insight
James emphasizes not only learning the Word of God but putting it into action. The Word is like a mirror that shows us where we are making spiritual progress and where we need improvement: “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (v.25). The Scriptures clearly give us set boundaries, but it is obedience that brings us a sense of liberty and blessing.

The World’s Children
By Dave Branon

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble. —James 1:27



After a group of high schoolers visited an orphanage during a ministry trip, one student was visibly upset. When asked why, he said it reminded him of his own situation 10 years earlier.

This young man had been living in an orphanage in another country. He said he recalled people coming to visit him and his friends—just as these students were doing—and then going away. Occasionally someone would come back and adopt a child. But each time he was left behind he would wonder, What’s wrong with me?

When the teenagers would visit an orphanage—and then leave—those old feelings came back to him. So the others in the group prayed for him—and thanked God that one day a woman (his new mother) showed up and chose him as her very own son. It was a celebration of an act of love that gave one boy hope.

Across the world are children who need to know of God’s love for them (Matt. 18:4-5; Mark 10:13-16; James 1:27). Clearly, we can’t all adopt or visit these children—and indeed we are not expected to. But we can all do something: Support. Encourage. Teach. Pray. When we love the world’s children, we honor our Father who adopted us into His family (Gal. 4:4-7).
Father, You made each child in Your
image. Help us to convey Your love
to them with our hands, our help,
and our hearts.
The more Christ’s love grows in us, the more His love flows from us.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, June 16, 2014

“Will You Lay Down Your Life?”

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

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

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


A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

The Silence of the Good Guys - #7156

Monday, June 16, 2014

All right, let's get the controversial part out of the way first. I am a New York Yankees baseball fan. All right, "Boo!" Okay, good, got that out of the way. Now, I remember a very heated time when the Toronto Blue Jays came to town to play the Yankees.
Some years ago, they were the first team to ever take the championship to Canada. I once attended the game between those two teams, and the rivalry at that point was intense. But it went too far at this particular game. See, because we now have baseball teams in Canada and the U.S., there are two national anthems. And someone from the Metropolitan Opera got up and began to sing O Canada, the Canadian national anthem.
Well, the people in the bleachers - you know, the notoriously polite New York fans - started to "boo" during the Canadian national anthem. Booing for the national anthem of another country? I thought, "Oh, great! Here go the New York fans!" But suddenly, and I'm proud of this part. Suddenly there was this wave of cheering and applause that broke out, and it just continued as the Canadian anthem continued. And pretty soon the good guys that were cheering were making so much noise it drowned out the booing of the bad guys.
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Silence of the Good Guys."
Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Psalm 107:1-2. God says, "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say this; those He redeemed from the hand of the foe." Or as the King James Version says, "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so." This is a call to God's people to make some noise.
Guys in the bleachers sure make their negative noises in our world. You know, whether you're at work, or at school, or at the gym, or the barber shop or the beauty shop. People are unashamed to talk about sin; about the stuff that breaks God's heart. They talk about the stuff they've done that we know sends people to hell.
They'll talk about the raunchy things that went on at that party, about sexual escapades, the dirty joke or dirty movies. They'll talk about the latest scandal. Now, if you're judged by only what's talked about most, you'd conclude that virtually everyone thinks sin is cool; that what God calls abnormal is really normal. That no one cares about what's pure. No one cares about what's right. No one cares about God. But they're not speaking for you are they? They're like those bleacher "boo" birds. They didn't express how most of us felt, but they were the only ones making any noise. So it sounded for a while like that was how everyone felt.
Then someone decided to speak up for the other side, and they found a lot of other people felt the same way. Now, your corner of the world needs a leader like that; a leader who will speak up for what's right. And that needs to be you. Maybe you've just been sitting by silently; maybe you even wince inside as the people on the road to death are bragging, and entertaining, and mocking, and promoting the darkness. And everyone around you says, "Well, I guess this is the only way there is. I guess this is how everybody is."
It isn't and you know it! Isn't it time you spoke up? Not in a harsh negative judgmental way. Not attacking. Not putting down the promoters of the wrong. Those guys in the stands didn't boo the people who were doing the booing. They just started to make some positive noise to drown them out.
It's time you came in talking about your weekend that had no regrets, why you're keeping sex special, why you're proud to be a virgin. You need to talk about some heroes who are standing up for the right. You've got to talk about how you believe that marriage is forever, about how Jesus is answering your loneliness, your guilt, and your pain. People have no idea what Jesus is like, or they have the wrong idea. Why? Because of the silence of the good guys.
Why don't you say, "Lord, help me to never again be ashamed of You; not when You loved me enough to die publicly for me." I'll tell you, I'm tired of the noise from the bleachers of sin, aren't you? Because of Jesus, we have so much more to make noise about. Let's start to hear some positive noise from your section. If you'll start the cheering for what's right, I'll bet you'll find some other people start cheering with you.

Matthew 18:21-35, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily:He Made His Point


“I have made known to you everything I heard from my Father.” John 15:15

We learn brevity from Jesus. His greatest sermon can be read in eight minutes (Matthew 5-7). . .He summarized prayer in five phrases (Matthew 6:9-13). He silenced accusers with one challenge (John 8:7). He rescued a soul with one sentence (Luke 23:43). He summarized the Law in three verses (Mark 12:29-31), and he reduced all his teaching to one command (John 15:12).

He made his point and went home.

Matthew 18:21-35
New International Version (NIV)
The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]

23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold[b] was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Footnotes:

Matthew 18:22 Or seventy times seven
Matthew 18:24 Greek ten thousand talents; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wages.
Matthew 18:28 Greek a hundred denarii; a denarius was the usual daily wage of a day laborer (see 20:2).


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: Ephesians 6:1-11

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”[a]

4 Fathers,[b] do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

5 Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. 7 Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.

9 And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

The Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Footnotes:

Ephesians 6:3 Deut. 5:16
Ephesians 6:4 Or Parents

Insight
In today’s reading, Paul writes of two of the most basic human relationships: parent-child (6:1-4) and employer-employee (6:5-9). The parent-child relationship is particularly sacred. The fifth commandment to honor parents is the only one of the Ten Commandments with a special blessing attached for those who observe it (Ex. 20:12; Eph. 6:2-3). On the other hand, ancient Israelites who physically or verbally abused their parents were put to death (Ex. 21:15,17; Lev. 20:9).

Bring [your children] up in the training and admonition of the Lord. —Ephesians 6:4

Teaching By Example
By David C. McCasland

While waiting for an eye examination, I was struck by a statement I saw in the optometrist’s office: “Eighty percent of everything children learn in their first 12 years is through their eyes.” I began thinking of all that children visually process through reading, television, film, events, surroundings, and observing the behavior of others, especially their families. On this Father’s Day, we often think about the powerful influence of a dad.

Paul urged fathers not to frustrate their children to the point of anger, but to “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). Think of the powerful example of a dad whose behavior and consistency inspire admiration from his children. He’s not perfect, but he’s moving in the right direction. A great power for good is at work when our actions reflect the character of God, rather than distort it.

That’s challenging for any parent, so it’s no coincidence that Paul urges us to “be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might” (v.10). Only through His strength can we reflect the love and patience of our heavenly Father.

We teach our children far more from how we live than by what we say.

Heavenly Father, I need to know Your love
in order to love others. I want to experience
and share Your patience and kindness with
those I care about. Fill me and use me.
We honor fathers who not only gave us life, but who also show us how to live.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, June 15, 2014

Get Moving! (2)

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

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

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

Genesis 28, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Sheep Can’t Sleep

Millions of Americans have trouble sleeping!  You may be one of them. Only one other living creature has as much trouble resting as we do.  They are woolly, simpleminded, and slow…sheep. Sheep can’t sleep!  For sheep to sleep, everything must be just right. No predators. No tension in the flock.  Sheep need help.  They need a shepherd to “lead them” and help them “lie down in green pastures.” Without a shepherd, they can’t rest.

Without a shepherd, neither can we!  Psalm 23:2 says, “He, (the Shepherd) makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.”  Who’s the active one?  Who’s in charge? The Shepherd!  With our eyes on the Shepherd, we’ll get some sleep. Isaiah 26:3 reminds us of the promise,  “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You.”

Genesis 28

So Isaac called for Jacob and blessed him. Then he commanded him: “Do not marry a Canaanite woman. 2 Go at once to Paddan Aram,[b] to the house of your mother’s father Bethuel. Take a wife for yourself there, from among the daughters of Laban, your mother’s brother. 3 May God Almighty[c] bless you and make you fruitful and increase your numbers until you become a community of peoples. 4 May he give you and your descendants the blessing given to Abraham, so that you may take possession of the land where you now reside as a foreigner, the land God gave to Abraham.” 5 Then Isaac sent Jacob on his way, and he went to Paddan Aram, to Laban son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, who was the mother of Jacob and Esau.

6 Now Esau learned that Isaac had blessed Jacob and had sent him to Paddan Aram to take a wife from there, and that when he blessed him he commanded him, “Do not marry a Canaanite woman,” 7 and that Jacob had obeyed his father and mother and had gone to Paddan Aram. 8 Esau then realized how displeasing the Canaanite women were to his father Isaac; 9 so he went to Ishmael and married Mahalath, the sister of Nebaioth and daughter of Ishmael son of Abraham, in addition to the wives he already had.

Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

10 Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Harran. 11 When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. 12 He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13 There above it[d] stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. 14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.[e] 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

16 When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17 He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”

18 Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19 He called that place Bethel,[f] though the city used to be called Luz.

20 Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear 21 so that I return safely to my father’s household, then the Lord[g] will be my God 22 and[h] this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”

Genesis 28:2 That is, Northwest Mesopotamia; also in verses 5, 6 and 7
Genesis 28:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai
Genesis 28:13 Or There beside him
Genesis 28:14 Or will use your name and the name of your offspring in blessings (see 48:20)
Genesis 28:19 Bethel means house of God.
Genesis 28:21 Or Since God … father’s household, the Lord
Genesis 28:22 Or household, and the Lord will be my God, 22 then


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Read: Psalm 34:15-22

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
    and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to blot out their name from the earth.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 The righteous person may have many troubles,
    but the Lord delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken.
21 Evil will slay the wicked;
    the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord will rescue his servants;
    no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

Insight
Psalm 34 was written during a difficult time for David, as the superscription indicates: “A Psalm of David when he pretended madness before Abimelech [Achish], who drove him away, and he departed.” Recorded in 1 Samuel 21:1-15, those dark days were not David’s best as a person of faith. First, he had joined Israel’s enemies, the Philistines, as he fled from Saul. Then, when things in Gath (Philistine country) became threatening, David pretended madness to escape. Fear and deceit may not be characteristics of great faith, but they are normal human responses to danger—reminding us of our great need for God.

Rock-Solid
By Anne Cetas

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. —Psalm 34:15

It was a sad day in May 2003 when “The Old Man of the Mountain” broke apart and slid down the mountainside. This 40-foot profile of an old man’s face, carved by nature in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, had long been an attraction to tourists, a solid presence for residents, and the official state emblem. It was written about by Nathaniel Hawthorne in his short story The Great Stone Face.

Some nearby residents were devastated when The Old Man fell. One woman said, “I grew up thinking that someone was watching over me. I feel a little less watched-over now.”

There are times when a dependable presence disappears. Something or someone we’ve relied on is gone, and our life is shaken. Maybe it’s the loss of a loved one, or a job, or good health. The loss makes us feel off-balance, unstable. We might even think that God is no longer watching over us.

But “the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry” (Ps. 34:15). He “is near to those who have a broken heart” (v.18). He is the Rock whose presence we can always depend on (Deut. 32:4).

God’s presence is real. He continually watches over us. He is rock-solid.

The Rock of Ages stands secure,
He always will be there;
He watches over all His own
To calm their anxious care. —Keith
The question is not where is God, but where isn’t He?


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, June 14, 2014

Get Moving! (1)

Abide in Me . . . —John 15:4
In the matter of determination. The Spirit of Jesus is put into me by way of the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I then have to build my thinking patiently to bring it into perfect harmony with my Lord. God will not make me think like Jesus— I have to do it myself. I have to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). “Abide in Me”— in intellectual matters, in money matters, in every one of the matters that make human life what it is. Our lives are not made up of only one neatly confined area.

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

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