Proverbs 14 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: HIS KINGDOM WILL NEVER END - December 21, 2022

In Bethlehem, the human being who best understood who God was and what he was doing, was a teenage girl in a smelly stable.

As Mary looked into the face of the baby—her son, her Lord, his majesty—she couldn’t take her eyes off him. Somehow she knew she was holding God. So this is he. And she remembered the words of the angel when he said: “His kingdom will never end.” Oh he looked like anything but a King. His cry, though strong and healthy, was still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby.

Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager, and in the presence of a carpenter. God came near! Luke 1:33 says, “His kingdom will never end.” May you be a part of it.

Proverbs 14

A Way That Leads to Hell

Lady Wisdom builds a lovely home;

    Sir Fool comes along and tears it down brick by brick.

2 An honest life shows respect for God;

    a degenerate life is a slap in his face.

3 Frivolous talk provokes a derisive smile;

    wise speech evokes nothing but respect.

4 No cattle, no crops;

    a good harvest requires a strong ox for the plow.

5 A true witness never lies;

    a false witness makes a business of it.

6 Cynics look high and low for wisdom—and never find it;

    the open-minded find it right on their doorstep!

7 Escape quickly from the company of fools;

    they’re a waste of your time, a waste of your words.

8 The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track;

    the foolishness of fools lands them in the ditch.

9 The stupid ridicule right and wrong,

    but a moral life is a favored life.

10 The person who shuns the bitter moments of friends

    will be an outsider at their celebrations.

11 Lives of careless wrongdoing are run-down shacks;

    holy living builds soaring cathedrals.

12-13 There’s a way of life that looks harmless enough;

    look again—it leads straight to hell.

Sure, those people appear to be having a good time,

    but all that laughter will end in heartbreak.

Sift and Weigh Every Word

14 A mean person gets paid back in meanness,

    a gracious person in grace.

15 The gullible believe anything they’re told;

    the prudent sift and weigh every word.

16 The wise watch their steps and avoid evil;

    fools are headstrong and reckless.

17 The hotheaded do things they’ll later regret;

    the coldhearted get the cold shoulder.

18 Foolish dreamers live in a world of illusion;

    wise realists plant their feet on the ground.

19 Eventually, evil will pay tribute to good;

    the wicked will respect God-loyal people.

20 An unlucky loser is shunned by all,

    but everyone loves a winner.

21 It’s criminal to ignore a neighbor in need,

    but compassion for the poor—what a blessing!

22 Isn’t it obvious that conspirators lose out,

    while the thoughtful win love and trust?

23 Hard work always pays off;

    mere talk puts no bread on the table.

24 The wise accumulate wisdom;

    fools get stupider by the day.

25 Souls are saved by truthful witness

    and betrayed by the spread of lies.

26 The Fear-of-God builds up confidence,

    and makes a world safe for your children.

27 The Fear-of-God is a spring of living water

    so you won’t go off drinking from poisoned wells.

28 The mark of a good leader is loyal followers;

    leadership is nothing without a following.

29 Slowness to anger makes for deep understanding;

    a quick-tempered person stockpiles stupidity.

30 A sound mind makes for a robust body,

    but runaway emotions corrode the bones.

31 You insult your Maker when you exploit the powerless;

    when you’re kind to the poor, you honor God.

32 The evil of bad people leaves them out in the cold;

    the integrity of good people creates a safe place for living.

33 Lady Wisdom is at home in an understanding heart—

    fools never even get to say hello.

34 God-devotion makes a country strong;

    God-avoidance leaves people weak.

35 Diligent work gets a warm commendation;

    shiftless work earns an angry rebuke.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Today's Scripture

Revelation 5:6–10

So I looked, and there, surrounded by Throne, Animals, and Elders, was a Lamb, slaughtered but standing tall. Seven horns he had, and seven eyes, the Seven Spirits of God sent into all the earth. He came to the One Seated on the Throne and took the scroll from his right hand. The moment he took the scroll, the Four Animals and Twenty-four Elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. Each had a harp and each had a bowl, a gold bowl filled with incense, the prayers of God’s holy people. And they sang a new song:

Worthy! Take the scroll, open its seals.

Slain! Paying in blood, you bought men and women,

Bought them back from all over the earth,

Bought them back for God.

Then you made them a Kingdom, Priests for our God,

Priest-kings to rule over the earth.

Insight

While it may surprise us that the book of Revelation explicitly mentions prayer only three times, what it says about the prayers of the saints is encouraging. The word prayers is mentioned in Revelation 5:8, 8:3, and 8:4, along with the word incense each time. “He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people. . . . The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand” (8:3–4). Aromatic incense in the Old Testament accompanied the sacrifices offered to God. The offering of fragrant incense preceded the offering of the first sacrifice of the day and followed the last offering (see Exodus 30:7–8). The priestly nature of his prayers did not escape David: “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2). By: Arthur Jackson

Treasured Prayer

May these words of mine . . . be near to the Lord our God day and night. 1 Kings 8:59

The Clark’s Nutcracker is an amazing bird. Every year it prepares for winter by hiding tiny caches of four or five whitebark pine seeds, as many as five hundred seeds per hour. Then, months later, it returns to uncover the seeds, even under heavy snow. A Clark’s Nutcracker may remember as many as ten thousand locations where it has hidden seeds—an astounding feat (especially when you consider the difficulty we humans can have remembering the location of our car keys or glasses).

But even this incredible act of memory pales in comparison with God’s ability to remember our prayers. He’s able to keep track of every sincere prayer and remember and respond to them even years later. In the book of Revelation, the apostle John describes “four living creatures” and “twenty-four elders” worshiping the Lord in heaven. Each one was “holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people” (5:8).

Just as incense was precious in the ancient world, our prayers are so precious to God that He keeps them before Him continually, treasured in golden bowls! Our prayers matter to God because we matter to Him, and through His undeserved kindness to us in Jesus He offers us uninhibited access (Hebrews 4:14–16). So pray boldly! And know that not a word will be forgotten or misplaced because of the amazing love of God. By:  James Banks

Reflect & Pray

How does it encourage you to know God never forgets your prayers? Who do you need to pray for today?

Heavenly Father, please give me the perseverance to pray faithfully and the faith to look for what You alone can do.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Experience or God’s Revealed Truth?

We have received…the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. —1 Corinthians 2:12

My experience is not what makes redemption real— redemption is reality. Redemption has no real meaning for me until it is worked out through my conscious life. When I am born again, the Spirit of God takes me beyond myself and my experiences, and identifies me with Jesus Christ. If I am left only with my personal experiences, I am left with something not produced by redemption. But experiences produced by redemption prove themselves by leading me beyond myself, to the point of no longer paying any attention to experiences as the basis of reality. Instead, I see that only the reality itself produced the experiences. My experiences are not worth anything unless they keep me at the Source of truth— Jesus Christ.

If you try to hold back the Holy Spirit within you, with the desire of producing more inner spiritual experiences, you will find that He will break the hold and take you again to the historic Christ. Never support an experience which does not have God as its Source and faith in God as its result. If you do, your experience is anti-Christian, no matter what visions or insights you may have had. Is Jesus Christ Lord of your experiences, or do you place your experiences above Him? Is any experience dearer to you than your Lord? You must allow Him to be Lord over you, and pay no attention to any experience over which He is not Lord. Then there will come a time when God will make you impatient with your own experience, and you can truthfully say, “I do not care what I experience— I am sure of Him!”

Be relentless and hard on yourself if you are in the habit of talking about the experiences you have had. Faith based on experience is not faith; faith based on God’s revealed truth is the only faith there is.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

When you are joyful, be joyful; when you are sad, be sad. If God has given you a sweet cup, don’t make it bitter; and if He has given you a bitter cup, don’t try and make it sweet; take things as they come.  Shade of His Hand, 1226 L

Bible in a Year: Micah 4-5; Revelation 12

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

DON'T LET THE BUMPS FOOL YOU - #9378

Buttermilk Falls is a beautiful spot! That's what I had been told, and I was always open for a great new spot to go for a Sunday afternoon drive with the kids. So we drove out to the country and set out to discover the beauty of Buttermilk Falls. I did have to stop and ask directions a couple of times; I guess a lot of people didn't know where this great spot was.

Well, finally someone directed me down this very unlikely back road, and I said, "You mean this goes somewhere?" I want you to know it got more and more doubtful the farther we went down that road. Eventually I was driving about two miles an hour because the ruts got bigger and bigger in the road the farther we went. Pretty soon I thought I had landed on the moon. These weren't ruts; these were craters! And somebody in the car said, "Dad, this has got to be the wrong road." Well, we kept on traveling and sure enough after all those bumps, we found a very special spot that's called Buttermilk Falls. And we've been back there several times. It sure felt like we were on the wrong road, but we were right on course.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Don't Let the Bumps Fool You."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Luke 2, beginning at verse 1, "In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world and everyone went to his own town to register." What a hassle, right? "So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee, to Judea to Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged in the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there the time came for the baby to be born."

Let's go back a little bit and see what's happened in Joseph's commitment to the Lord. Maybe it parallels your own right now. First of all, Joseph had a special encounter with the Lord. The angel of the Lord came to him and told him that He wanted Joseph to make some special sacrifices in order to be specially used. And Joseph said, "I'll do it. I'll take the risk. I'll risk my reputation. No one's going to believe this story about Mary and the virgin birth, but I will risk my reputation and I'll go ahead and marry this girl and I will raise this son. I'll endure the cloud that might be over our name." And he submitted his family dreams to God's plans.

Joseph obeyed the Lord and he lived happily ever after, right? Wrong. He started down that road marked God's Will, and ran into some very big bumps. New taxes all of a sudden, dangerous journey, no room in the inn. Then he's got to escape to Egypt and he can't return to his home town for two years. Was he still on the right road? Yes. Did it feel like it? Probably not.

All right, let's go to your life right now. You've started down that road that's marked God's Will, and maybe there was a time when you submitted your plans to God's plans like Joseph did. And you've been hitting bumps ever since. You say, "We must be on the wrong road." Well, those bumps are the right road. You see, now you've become the enemy's target because you're doing God's will. He didn't bother much with you before, and now you've become a divine project and God is allowing some heavy stuff to come into your life, because it will help build you into Christ-likeness. You're worth it.

I'm glad I kept driving those craters to Buttermilk Falls. The view, in fact, was beautiful! It was definitely worth it. We went back! You're on the right road, too, if you're staying faithful to your commitment. You're going to enjoy that destination once you get there. Just hang on to your Father a little tighter, and don't let those bumps fool you. And for sure, don't let them stop you.

Proverbs 13 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: MAKE ROOM - December 20, 2022

Some of the saddest words on earth are “We don’t have room for you.” Jesus knew the sounds of those words. He was still in Mary’s womb when the innkeeper said, “We don’t have room for you.” And when he hung on the cross, wasn’t the message one of utter rejection? “We don’t have room for you in this world.”

Today Jesus is given the same treatment. He goes from heart to heart, asking if he might enter. Every so often, he’s welcomed. Someone throws open the door of his or her heart and invites him to stay. And to that person Jesus gives this great promise: “In my Father’s house are many rooms” (John 14:2). We make room for him in our hearts, and Jesus makes room for us in his house.

Proverbs 13

Walk with the Wise

Intelligent children listen to their parents;

    foolish children do their own thing.

2 The good acquire a taste for helpful conversation;

    bullies push and shove their way through life.

3 Careful words make for a careful life;

    careless talk may ruin everything.

4 Indolence wants it all and gets nothing;

    the energetic have something to show for their lives.

5 A good person hates false talk;

    a bad person wallows in gibberish.

6 A God-loyal life keeps you on track;

    sin dumps the wicked in the ditch.

7 A pretentious, showy life is an empty life;

    a plain and simple life is a full life.

8 The rich can be sued for everything they have,

    but the poor are free of such threats.

9 The lives of good people are brightly lit streets;

    the lives of the wicked are dark alleys.

10 Arrogant know-it-alls stir up discord,

    but wise men and women listen to each other’s counsel.

11 Easy come, easy go,

    but steady diligence pays off.

12 Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick,

    but a sudden good break can turn life around.

13 Ignore the Word and suffer;

    honor God’s commands and grow rich.

14 The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life,

    so, no more drinking from death-tainted wells!

15 Sound thinking makes for gracious living,

    but liars walk a rough road.

16 A commonsense person lives good sense;

    fools litter the country with silliness.

17 Irresponsible talk makes a real mess of things,

    but a reliable reporter is a healing presence.

18 Refuse discipline and end up homeless;

    embrace correction and live an honored life.

19 Souls who follow their hearts thrive;

    fools bent on evil despise matters of soul.

20 Become wise by walking with the wise;

    hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.

21 Disaster entraps sinners,

    but God-loyal people get a good life.

22 A good life gets passed on to the grandchildren;

    ill-gotten wealth ends up with good people.

23 Banks foreclose on the farms of the poor,

    or else the poor lose their shirts to crooked lawyers.

24 A refusal to correct is a refusal to love;

    love your children by disciplining them.

25 An appetite for good brings much satisfaction,

    but the belly of the wicked always wants more.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Today's Scripture

Numbers 24:15–19

Balaam said to Balak, “Didn’t I tell you up front when you sent your emissaries, ‘Even if Balak gave me his palace stuffed with silver and gold, I couldn’t do anything on my own, whether good or bad, that went against God’s command’? I’m leaving for home and my people, but I warn you of what this people will do to your people in the days to come.” Then he spoke his oracle-message:

15-19 Decree of Balaam son of Beor,

    decree of the man with 20/20 vision,

Decree of the man who hears godly speech,

    who knows what’s going on with the High God,

Who sees what The Strong God reveals,

    who bows in worship and sees what’s real.

I see him, but not right now,

    I perceive him, but not right here;

A star rises from Jacob

    a scepter from Israel,

Crushing the heads of Moab,

    the skulls of all the noisy windbags;

I see Edom sold off at auction,

    enemy Seir marked down at the flea market,

    while Israel walks off with the trophies.

A ruler is coming from Jacob

    who’ll destroy what’s left in the city.

Insight

The English Bible follows the Septuagint (Greek Old Testament) in calling this book “Numbers,” due to its emphasis on numbering the tribes and the soldiers of Israel. The Hebrew title of Old Testament books is usually based on the opening words of the book. Here, the Hebrew title is found in the fifth Hebrew word—which means “in the desert.” Moses is almost universally regarded as the author of this book and the rest of the opening five books of the Bible as well. The Bible Knowledge Commentary suggests that Numbers was written at the conclusion of the wilderness wanderings of Israel and prior to the repetition of the law of Sinai found in Deuteronomy based on the book’s final verse (Numbers 36:13): “These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.”

Learn more about the documents that make up the Old and New Testaments. By: Bill Crowder

No Cursing

A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel. Numbers 24:17

William Shakespeare was a master of the insult, a “quality” that actor Barry Kraft adeptly leverages with his Shakespeare Insult Generator. The clever book consists of obscure insults drawn from Shakespeare’s plays. For instance, you might disparage someone by saying, “Thou thrasonical, logger-headed rampallian”—which is so much more creative than saying, “You brag a lot and you’re not very smart, you scoundrel!”

Kraft’s light-hearted book is in good fun. But an ancient king of Moab tried to pay a mysterious prophet not merely to insult the Israelites but to outright curse them. “Come and put a curse on these people,” King Balak told Balaam (Numbers 22:6). Instead, Balaam enraged the king by blessing the Hebrew people—multiple times (24:10). One of his blessings included this prophecy: “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near” (24:17). Clearly the individual in view is not yet on the scene, but just who is Balaam talking about? The next line holds a clue. “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel” (v. 17). The “star” would one day lead wise men to the promised Child (Matthew 2:1–2).

An ancient Mesopotamian prophet who knew nothing of Messiah pointed the world to a future sign declaring His arrival. From an unlikely source came not cursing, but blessing.  By:  Tim Gustafson

Reflect & Pray

How does Numbers 24 help you see the Christmas story differently? How might it change the way you act when you encounter people opposing the work of God?

God, please give me eyes to see Your hand at work in all things.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

The Right Kind of Help

And I, if I am lifted up…will draw all peoples to Myself. —John 12:32

Very few of us have any understanding of the reason why Jesus Christ died. If sympathy is all that human beings need, then the Cross of Christ is an absurdity and there is absolutely no need for it. What the world needs is not “a little bit of love,” but major surgery.

When you find yourself face to face with a person who is spiritually lost, remind yourself of Jesus Christ on the cross. If that person can get to God in any other way, then the Cross of Christ is unnecessary. If you think you are helping lost people with your sympathy and understanding, you are a traitor to Jesus Christ. You must have a right-standing relationship with Him yourself, and pour your life out in helping others in His way— not in a human way that ignores God. The theme of the world’s religion today is to serve in a pleasant, non-confrontational manner.

But our only priority must be to present Jesus Christ crucified— to lift Him up all the time (see 1 Corinthians 2:2). Every belief that is not firmly rooted in the Cross of Christ will lead people astray. If the worker himself believes in Jesus Christ and is trusting in the reality of redemption, his words will be compelling to others. What is extremely important is for the worker’s simple relationship with Jesus Christ to be strong and growing. His usefulness to God depends on that, and that alone.

The calling of a New Testament worker is to expose sin and to reveal Jesus Christ as Savior. Consequently, he cannot always be charming and friendly, but must be willing to be stern to accomplish major surgery. We are sent by God to lift up Jesus Christ, not to give wonderfully beautiful speeches. We must be willing to examine others as deeply as God has examined us. We must also be sharply intent on sensing those Scripture passages that will drive the truth home, and then not be afraid to apply them.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Wherever the providence of God may dump us down, in a slum, in a shop, in the desert, we have to labour along the line of His direction. Never allow this thought—“I am of no use where I am,” because you certainly can be of no use where you are not! Wherever He has engineered your circumstances, pray. So Send I You, 1325 L

Bible in a Year: Micah 1-3; Revelation 11

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, December 20, 2022

CHRISTMAS AND YOUR COMFORT ZONE - #9377

The lion is supposed to be the king of beasts. If there was a king of birds, I think it would have to be the eagle. I remember one point in our Native American ministry when we had arrived on this reservation. And as we were praying and preparing for our outreach there, someone pointed up toward the sky and said, "Look!" It was an eagle, soaring above our heads. We all felt as if God had sent that majestic bird to virtually affirm His care for us. It's hard not to be inspired watching an eagle soar. But if it were up to baby eagles, they probably never would. They love the softness of the eagle nest - until one day, when they're out walking around the nest, and Mother Eagle starts pulling the fur and the foliage out of the nest, leaving a bed of exposed sticks and stones. Suddenly, that comfy little nest isn't so comfy anymore. At that point, Mamma Eagle manages to get that eaglet out of the nest, onto her back, and into the sky. I'm sure that eaglet can't imagine just hanging out there in the sky all by himself, but that's what he was born for. He wasn't made for staying in a cozy nest, and neither are you. He was made to touch the sky, and so are you.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Christmas and Your Comfort Zone."

There never would have been that first Christmas if some of the key players hadn't had their nest stirred up; if they hadn't left the comfy for the risky. The eagle thing happened to Mary in our word for today from the Word of God, Luke 1:30. "The angel said to her ... 'You have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus.' ... 'How will this be?' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you."

Now, slip into Mary's skin for a minute. She's engaged to be married to a wonderful guy, Joseph. She has the reputation in town for being a good girl - a virgin. Suddenly, in the eyes of her fiancée, her family, her church, she will be pregnant without explanation. In one amazing moment, Mary's nest is suddenly very uncomfortable.

In essence, God is asking her to move out of her comfort zone, climb on His back, and go out and touch the sky. He wants to do amazing things through her, but she'll have to leave the safety of the status quo for it to happen. Just like that baby eagle, you can never learn to fly if you stay in the nest.

Mary's response in verse 38, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." Personal security, personal comfort will not decide this. She will fly wherever her Lord is ready to take her whatever the cost. And that flight will give her life a significance, an altitude, she could never have dreamed of just staying where she was. Joseph was asked to do the same thing - to risk his reputation, his own plans for the future, to go ahead and marry his mysteriously pregnant fiancée.

Both Mary and Joseph were blasted out of their comfort zones to be the ones through whom Christ would come to the world. It's still that way today. This Christmas season, God's been stirring up your nest; asking you to do something in obedience to Him that is not comfortable, that doesn't look safe. He's leading you to move beyond what's comfortable financially, geographically, relationally, maybe to release something you've been disobediently holding onto for a long time, or to finally drop a sinful part of you that you've never surrendered to Him.

Christmas is when God's Son left the most comfortable place in the universe to come to the pain and the danger of this planet; to leave heaven, to go to a cross, to ultimately soar where no one has ever soared.

Christmas would be a wonderful time for you to follow your Leader, wouldn't it? To finally abandon the safety and the predictability of the nest you've been in and let Him take you into bold new territory. Just like that baby eagle - just like the human father and mother of Jesus - you have to leave the comfortable spot to be what you were born to be.

Acts 1, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: WHEN HE CALLS YOUR NAME - December 19, 2022

John 1:14 says, “The Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.”

He lived among us. He donned the costliest of robes, a human body. He became a friend of the sinner and a brother of the poor. He touched their sores and felt their tears and paid for their mistakes. And to all of us frightened ones, he shared the same message: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me…I will come again and receive you to Myself” (John 14:1).

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

Acts 1

To the Ends of the World

 Dear Theophilus, in the first volume of this book I wrote on everything that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he said good-bye to the apostles, the ones he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God. As they met and ate meals together, he told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but “must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. John baptized in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon.”

6 When they were together for the last time they asked, “Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?”

7-8 He told them, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.”

9-11 These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. They stood there, staring into the empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared—in white robes! They said, “You Galileans!—why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly—and mysteriously—as he left.”

Returning to Jerusalem

12-13 So they left the mountain called Olives and returned to Jerusalem. It was a little over half a mile. They went to the upper room they had been using as a meeting place:

Peter,

John,

James,

Andrew,

Philip,

Thomas,

Bartholomew,

Matthew,

James, son of Alphaeus,

Simon the Zealot,

Judas, son of James.

14 They agreed they were in this for good, completely together in prayer, the women included. Also Jesus’ mother, Mary, and his brothers.

Replacing Judas

15-17 During this time, Peter stood up in the company—there were about 120 of them in the room at the time—and said, “Friends, long ago the Holy Spirit spoke through David regarding Judas, who became the guide to those who arrested Jesus. That Scripture had to be fulfilled, and now has been. Judas was one of us and had his assigned place in this ministry.

18-20 “As you know, he took the evil bribe money and bought a small farm. There he came to a bad end, rupturing his belly and spilling his guts. Everybody in Jerusalem knows this by now; they call the place Murder Meadow. It’s exactly what we find written in the Psalms:

Let his farm become haunted

So no one can ever live there.

“And also what was written later:

Let someone else take over his post.

21-22 “Judas must now be replaced. The replacement must come from the company of men who stayed together with us from the time Jesus was baptized by John up to the day of his ascension, designated along with us as a witness to his resurrection.”

23-26 They nominated two: Joseph Barsabbas, nicknamed Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, “You, O God, know every one of us inside and out. Make plain which of these two men you choose to take the place in this ministry and leadership that Judas threw away in order to go his own way.” They then drew straws. Matthias won and was counted in with the eleven apostles.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, December 19, 2022

Today's Scripture

Isaiah 7:1–9

A Virgin Will Bear a Son

During the time that Ahaz son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, was king of Judah, King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah son of Remaliah of Israel attacked Jerusalem, but the attack sputtered out. When the Davidic government learned that Aram had joined forces with Ephraim (that is, Israel), Ahaz and his people were badly shaken. They shook like trees in the wind.

3-6 Then God told Isaiah, “Go and meet Ahaz. Take your son Shear-jashub (A-Remnant-Will-Return) with you. Meet him south of the city at the end of the aqueduct where it empties into the upper pool on the road to the public laundry. Tell him, Listen, calm down. Don’t be afraid. And don’t panic over these two burnt-out cases, Rezin of Aram and the son of Remaliah. They talk big but there’s nothing to them. Aram, along with Ephraim’s son of Remaliah, have plotted to do you harm. They’ve conspired against you, saying, ‘Let’s go to war against Judah, dismember it, take it for ourselves, and set the son of Tabeel up as a puppet king over it.’

7-9 But God, the Master, says,

“It won’t happen.

    Nothing will come of it

Because the capital of Aram is Damascus

    and the king of Damascus is a mere man, Rezin.

As for Ephraim, in sixty-five years

    it will be rubble, nothing left of it.

The capital of Ephraim is Samaria,

    and the king of Samaria is the mere son of Remaliah.

If you don’t take your stand in faith,

    you won’t have a leg to stand on.”

Insight

A theme in Isaiah 7–39 is the vital importance of Israel trusting God instead of the other nations. Isaiah emphasized that God is “angry with all nations” (34:2); trusting in them is doomed to result in destruction. In contrast, Isaiah 35 describes the flourishing promised for those who, trusting God, walk on the “Way of Holiness” (v. 8). Isaiah invited his listeners to “strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come . . . to save you’ ” (vv. 3–4). 

By: Monica La Rose

Standing Firm by Faith

If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all. Isaiah 7:9

Nokia became the world’s best-selling mobile phone company in 1998 and saw profits rise to nearly four billion dollars in 1999. But by 2011, sales were diminishing and soon the failing phone brand was acquired by Microsoft. One factor in Nokia’s mobile division failure was a fear-based work culture that led to disastrous decisions. Managers were reluctant to tell the truth about the Nokia phone’s inferior operating system and other design problems for fear of being fired.

King Ahaz of Judah and his people were fearful—“shaken, as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind” (Isaiah 7:2). They knew that the kings of Israel and Aram (Syria) had allied, and their combined armies were marching to Judah to take it over (vv. 5–6). Although God used Isaiah to encourage Ahaz by telling him his enemies’ hostile plans would “not happen” (v. 7), the foolish leader fearfully chose to ally with Assyria and submit to the superpower’s king (2 Kings 16:7–8). He didn’t trust in God, who declared, “If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all” (Isaiah 7:9).

The writer of Hebrews helps us consider what it looks like to stand firm in faith today: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful” (10:23). May we press on and not “shrink back” (v. 39) as the Holy Spirit empowers us to trust in Jesus.

By:  Tom Felten

Reflect & Pray

When have you experienced a challenge to your faith? How has God encouraged you to stand firm?

Father, please help me stand firm as You provide the faith I need.

Learn more about walking faithfully with God.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, December 19, 2022

The Focus Of Our Message

I did not come to bring peace but a sword. —Matthew 10:34

Never be sympathetic with a person whose situation causes you to conclude that God is dealing harshly with him. God can be more tender than we can conceive, and every once in a while He gives us the opportunity to deal firmly with someone so that He may be viewed as the tender One. If a person cannot go to God, it is because he has something secret which he does not intend to give up— he may admit his sin, but would no more give up that thing than he could fly under his own power. It is impossible to deal sympathetically with people like that. We must reach down deep in their lives to the root of the problem, which will cause hostility and resentment toward the message. People want the blessing of God, but they can’t stand something that pierces right through to the heart of the matter.

If you are sensitive to God’s way, your message as His servant will be merciless and insistent, cutting to the very root. Otherwise, there will be no healing. We must drive the message home so forcefully that a person cannot possibly hide, but must apply its truth. Deal with people where they are, until they begin to realize their true need. Then hold high the standard of Jesus for their lives. Their response may be, “We can never be that.” Then drive it home with, “Jesus Christ says you must.” “But how can we be?” “You can’t, unless you have a new Spirit” (see Luke 11:13).

There must be a sense of need created before your message is of any use. Thousands of people in this world profess to be happy without God. But if we could be truly happy and moral without Jesus, then why did He come? He came because that kind of happiness and peace is only superficial. Jesus Christ came to “bring…a sword” through every kind of peace that is not based on a personal relationship with Himself.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

We all have the trick of saying—If only I were not where I am!—If only I had not got the kind of people I have to live with! If our faith or our religion does not help us in the conditions we are in, we have either a further struggle to go through, or we had better abandon that faith and religion.  The Shadow of an Agony, 1178 L

Bible in a Year: Jonah 1-4; Revelation 10

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, December 19, 2022

THE GIFT YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN - #9376

Our friend told us that their youngest child, Ralphie, was like "Mr. Christmas" at their house. Very early every Christmas morning, he was everyone's alarm clock to get up and get going on those presents. That's what made this one Christmas so strange. Two weeks earlier, Ralphie was doing a little exploring in the closets while his parents were gone, and he found where they had hidden their presents! He couldn't resist. He opened this one bag and saw the major gift they had bought for him. Well, then came Christmas. Everyone slept later than they ever had on a Christmas morning because Ralphie didn't get up! Everyone was waiting impatiently around the Christmas tree, so Dad called up the stairs, "Ralphie, are you coming?" "Yeah," Ralphie replied. All the other kids were psyched as they opened their gifts. Not Ralphie. He opened his with little emotion, sort of a halfhearted thanks. Dad took him aside and said, "Ralphie, are you sick, man? You're always like Mr. Christmas around here!" And Ralphie explained why his "joy to the world" had gone. "Dad, the problem is I opened my gift early, and I ruined Christmas."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Gift You Don't Want to Ruin."

Poor Ralphie! He opened his gift before he should have and he ruined Christmas. It's that kind of heartache that God' is trying to protect us from when He tells us to wait to open one of the most beautiful gifts He's given us - the gift of our sexual love to the person we love enough to spend our life with. He tells us to wait for marriage, to keep it inside marriage, not to keep us from enjoying it, but to keep us from ruining it.

Your wedding night and all your nights of married love, are meant to be the "Christmas" when you open your gift from one person and only one person. That's where the passion, the fulfillment, the excitement comes from; an exclusive gift that you've saved for only one person...the person you love enough to spend your life with. Anything you do with anyone else costs you the excitement of that exclusivity.

In our word for today from the Word of God, He gives us a clear blueprint for sex and love at its best. In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, He says, "It is God's will that you should be sanctified (that means 'kept special'); that you should avoid sexual immorality (that's sex outside the divine fence of marriage); that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable." Now, notice the two-step action plan for not ruining your gift.

First, you avoid every wrong use of sex. Don't allow yourself to get in situations or to the point where you might be tempted to give it away. Avoid it. Don't flirt with it.

Secondly, control your body; don't let it control you. Not letting your passions start running fast and then suddenly trying to throw on the brakes. Control the desires that could carry you over the edge of an irreversible sexual mistake.

See, God really cares about what you do with your love. He cares that you experience all the love He's planned for you; most of all, His love. It's very possible that in our society and our world today you've given away sexually what never should have been given. But you did, and now what?

God has two hope-giving words for you: "clean" and "renewed." The Bible says, "The blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:7) The sin you're most ashamed of, even the sin you think He won't forgive, was paid for when Jesus died on the cross. The day you bring your sin to Him and trust Him to be your Forgiver, your Savior, He erases every sin you've ever done from God's Book. And what you've done before doesn't have to matter anymore. He begins to renew your emotional and spiritual purity.

Don't let your sin keep you from Jesus. Let it drive you to Him. You want to know Him in this kind of love relationship? Tell Him that today. And if you'd like to be sure just how to get started with Jesus and every sin of your life forgiven, I invite you to go to our website, where we explain exactly how that can happen for you today. That's ANewStory.com.

God wants you to have His very best. And when you give Him your life, you get love without strings. And you get love without regrets.

Proverbs 12 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: A Sacred Delight

Scripture says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” (2 Cor. 8:9)

No man had more reason to be miserable than Jesus—yet no one was more joyful. He was ridiculed. Those who didn’t ridicule Him, wanted favors. He was accused of a crime he had never committed. Witnesses were hired to lie. They crucified him. He left as He came—penniless.

He should have been miserable and bitter. But He wasn’t. He was joyful! He possessed a joy that possessed Him. I call it a sacred delight. Sacred because it’s not of the earth, delight because it is just that: the joy of God. And it is within reach—in the person of Jesus. He offers it to you, my friend…a sacred delight!

From In the Manger

Proverbs 12

If You Love Learning

If you love learning, you love the discipline that goes with it—

    how shortsighted to refuse correction!

2 A good person basks in the delight of God,

    and he wants nothing to do with devious schemers.

3 You can’t find firm footing in a swamp,

    but life rooted in God stands firm.

4 A hearty wife invigorates her husband,

    but a frigid woman is cancer in the bones.

5 The thinking of principled people makes for justice;

    the plots of degenerates corrupt.

6 The words of the wicked kill;

    the speech of the upright saves.

7 Wicked people fall to pieces—there’s nothing to them;

    the homes of good people hold together.

8 A person who talks sense is honored;

    airheads are held in contempt.

9 Better to be ordinary and work for a living

    than act important and starve in the process.

10 Good people are good to their animals;

    the “good-hearted” bad people kick and abuse them.

11 The one who stays on the job has food on the table;

    the witless chase whims and fancies.

12 What the wicked construct finally falls into ruin,

    while the roots of the righteous give life, and more life.

Wise People Take Advice

13 The gossip of bad people gets them in trouble;

    the conversation of good people keeps them out of it.

14 Well-spoken words bring satisfaction;

    well-done work has its own reward.

15 Fools are headstrong and do what they like;

    wise people take advice.

16 Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly;

    the prudent quietly shrug off insults.

17 Truthful witness by a good person clears the air,

    but liars lay down a smoke screen of deceit.

18 Rash language cuts and maims,

    but there is healing in the words of the wise.

19 Truth lasts;

    lies are here today, gone tomorrow.

20 Evil scheming distorts the schemer;

    peace-planning brings joy to the planner.

21 No evil can overwhelm a good person,

    but the wicked have their hands full of it.

22 God can’t stomach liars;

    he loves the company of those who keep their word.

23 Prudent people don’t flaunt their knowledge;

    talkative fools broadcast their silliness.

24 The diligent find freedom in their work;

    the lazy are oppressed by work.

25 Worry weighs us down;

    a cheerful word picks us up.

26 A good person survives misfortune,

    but a wicked life invites disaster.

27 A lazy life is an empty life,

    but “early to rise” gets the job done.

28 Good men and women travel right into life;

    sin’s detours take you straight to hell.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Sunday, December 18, 2022

Today's Scripture

Romans 8:1–10

The Solution Is Life on God’s Terms

8 1-2 With the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah, that fateful dilemma is resolved. Those who enter into Christ’s being-here-for-us no longer have to live under a continuous, low-lying black cloud. A new power is in operation. The Spirit of life in Christ, like a strong wind, has magnificently cleared the air, freeing you from a fated lifetime of brutal tyranny at the hands of sin and death.

3-4 God went for the jugular when he sent his own Son. He didn’t deal with the problem as something remote and unimportant. In his Son, Jesus, he personally took on the human condition, entered the disordered mess of struggling humanity in order to set it right once and for all. The law code, weakened as it always was by fractured human nature, could never have done that.

The law always ended up being used as a Band-Aid on sin instead of a deep healing of it. And now what the law code asked for but we couldn’t deliver is accomplished as we, instead of redoubling our own efforts, simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us.

5-8 Those who think they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never get around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn’t pleased at being ignored.

9-11 But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won’t know what we’re talking about. But for you who welcome him, in whom he dwells—even though you still experience all the limitations of sin—you yourself experience life on God’s terms. It stands to reason, doesn’t it, that if the alive-and-present God who raised Jesus from the dead moves into your life, he’ll do the same thing in you that he did in Jesus, bringing you alive to himself? When God lives and breathes in you (and he does, as surely as he did in Jesus), you are delivered from that dead life. With his Spirit living in you, your body will be as alive as Christ’s!

Insight

In Romans 7, Paul wrote of the law or principle of sin he saw at work (v. 21), and asked, “Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?” (v. 24). The emphatic answer comes in the next verse: “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (v. 25). The powerful chapter of Romans 8 builds on that happy solution to our problem by encouraging us to live in the strength of the Spirit (vv. 2–4). The chapter closes with Paul’s emphatic declaration of the scope of God’s love for us (vv. 31–39).  By: Tim Gustafson

The Miracle of Christmas

[God sent] his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. Romans 8:3

At a garage sale, I found a nativity set in a beat-up cardboard box. As I picked up the baby Jesus, I noticed the finely sculpted details of the infant’s body. This newborn wasn’t cocooned in a blanket with closed eyes—he was awake and partially unwrapped with outstretched arms, open hands, and fingers extended. “I’m here!” he seemed to say.

The figurine illustrated the miracle of Christmas—that God sent His Son to earth in a human body. As Jesus’ infant body matured, His little hands played with toys, eventually held the Torah, and then fashioned furniture before His ministry began. His feet, once plump and perfect at birth, grew to carry Him from place to place to teach and heal. At the end of His life, these human hands and feet would be pierced with nails to hold His body on the cross.

“In that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins,” Romans 8:3 (nlt) says. If we accept Jesus’ sacrifice as payment for all our wrongs and submit our lives to Him, we’ll find relief from sin’s bondage. Because the Son of God was born to us as a real, wiggling, kicking infant, there’s a way to have peace with God and the assurance of an eternity with Him.

By:  Jennifer Benson Schuldt

Reflect & Pray

What’s the difference between celebrating Jesus at Christmas and celebrating the season of Christmas?

Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus to earth as a human baby to free me from the bondage of sin and death.

For further study, read The God Who Is with Us.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, December 18, 2022

Test of Faithfulness

We know that all things work together for good to those who love God… —Romans 8:28

It is only a faithful person who truly believes that God sovereignly controls his circumstances. We take our circumstances for granted, saying God is in control, but not really believing it. We act as if the things that happen were completely controlled by people. To be faithful in every circumstance means that we have only one loyalty, or object of our faith— the Lord Jesus Christ. God may cause our circumstances to suddenly fall apart, which may bring the realization of our unfaithfulness to Him for not recognizing that He had ordained the situation. We never saw what He was trying to accomplish, and that exact event will never be repeated in our life. This is where the test of our faithfulness comes. If we will just learn to worship God even during the difficult circumstances, He will change them for the better very quickly if He so chooses.

Being faithful to Jesus Christ is the most difficult thing we try to do today. We will be faithful to our work, to serving others, or to anything else; just don’t ask us to be faithful to Jesus Christ. Many Christians become very impatient when we talk about faithfulness to Jesus. Our Lord is dethroned more deliberately by Christian workers than by the world. We treat God as if He were a machine designed only to bless us, and we think of Jesus as just another one of the workers.

The goal of faithfulness is not that we will do work for God, but that He will be free to do His work through us. God calls us to His service and places tremendous responsibilities on us. He expects no complaining on our part and offers no explanation on His part. God wants to use us as He used His own Son.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

When a man’s heart is right with God the mysterious utterances of the Bible are spirit and life to him. Spiritual truth is discernible only to a pure heart, not to a keen intellect. It is not a question of profundity of intellect, but of purity of heart. Bringing Sons Unto Glory, 231 L

Bible in a Year: Obadiah; Revelation 9

Proverbs 11 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Be Ready

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

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

From In the Manger

Proverbs 11

Without Good Direction, People Lose Their Way

God hates cheating in the marketplace;

    he loves it when business is aboveboard.

2 The stuck-up fall flat on their faces,

    but down-to-earth people stand firm.

3 The integrity of the honest keeps them on track;

    the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin.

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

    but a principled life can stand up to the worst.

5 Moral character makes for smooth traveling;

    an evil life is a hard life.

6 Good character is the best insurance;

    crooks get trapped in their sinful lust.

7 When the wicked die, that’s it—

    the story’s over, end of hope.

8 A good person is saved from much trouble;

    a bad person runs straight into it.

9 The loose tongue of the godless spreads destruction;

    the common sense of the godly preserves them.

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

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

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

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

12 Mean-spirited slander is heartless;

    quiet discretion accompanies good sense.

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

    but someone of integrity won’t violate a confidence.

14 Without good direction, people lose their way;

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

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

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

16 A woman of gentle grace gets respect,

    but men of rough violence grab for loot.

A God-Shaped Life

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

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

18 Bad work gets paid with a bad check;

    good work gets solid pay.

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

    or chase after phantoms of evil and die.

20 God can’t stand deceivers,

    but oh how he relishes integrity.

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

    and God’s loyal people will triumph.

22 Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout

    is a beautiful face on an empty head.

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

    but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.

24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger;

    the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

25 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;

    those who help others are helped.

26 Curses on those who drive a hard bargain!

    Blessings on all who play fair and square!

27 The one who seeks good finds delight;

    the student of evil becomes evil.

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

    a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.

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

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

30 A good life is a fruit-bearing tree;

    a violent life destroys souls.

31 If good people barely make it,

    what’s in store for the bad!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Today's Scripture

Proverbs 30:7–9

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

    before I die; don’t refuse me—

Banish lies from my lips

    and liars from my presence.

Give me enough food to live on,

    neither too much nor too little.

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

    saying, ‘God? Who needs him?’

If I’m poor, I might steal

    and dishonor the name of my God.”

Insight

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

Just Enough

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

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

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

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

Reflect & Pray

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

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

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Saturday, December 17, 2022

Redemption— Creating the Need it Satisfies

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

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

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

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

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

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

Proverbs 10, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

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

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

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

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

Proverbs 10

An Honest Life Is Immortal

Wise son, glad father;

    stupid son, sad mother.

2 Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere;

    an honest life is immortal.

3 God won’t starve an honest soul,

    but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked.

4 Sloth makes you poor;

    diligence brings wealth.

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

    go fishing during harvest—that’s stupid.

6 Blessings accrue on a good and honest life,

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

7 A good and honest life is a blessed memorial;

    a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.

8 A wise heart takes orders;

    an empty head will come unglued.

9 Honesty lives confident and carefree,

    but Shifty is sure to be exposed.

10 An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead,

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

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

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

12 Hatred starts fights,

    but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.

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

    but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face.

14 The wise accumulate knowledge—a true treasure;

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

The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life

15 The wealth of the rich is their security;

    the poverty of the indigent is their ruin.

16 The wage of a good person is exuberant life;

    an evil person ends up with nothing but sin.

17 The road to life is a disciplined life;

    ignore correction and you’re lost for good.

18 Liars secretly hoard hatred;

    fools openly spread slander.

19 The more talk, the less truth;

    the wise measure their words.

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

    the blabber of the wicked is worthless.

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

    but chatterboxes die of an empty heart.

Fear-of-God Expands Your Life

22 God’s blessing makes life rich;

    nothing we do can improve on God.

23 An empty-head thinks mischief is fun,

    but a mindful person relishes wisdom.

24 The nightmares of the wicked come true;

    what the good people desire, they get.

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

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

26 A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble;

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

27 The Fear-of-God expands your life;

    a wicked life is a puny life.

28 The aspirations of good people end in celebration;

    the ambitions of bad people crash.

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

    but he calls into question a shabby performance.

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

    the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow.

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

    a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.

32 The speech of a good person clears the air;

    the words of the wicked pollute it.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Friday, December 16, 2022

Today's Scripture

2 Timothy 1:3–5

To Be Bold with God’s Gifts

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

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

Insight

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

Legacy of Faith

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

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

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

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

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

Reflect & Pray

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

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

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Friday, December 16, 2022

Wrestling Before God

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

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

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

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

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

The Place of Help

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

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Friday, December 16, 2022

HOW CHARLIE BROWN ALMOST MISSED CHRISTMAS - #9375

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John 21 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

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

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

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

John 21

Fishing

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

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

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

They answered, “No.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do You Love Me?

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

“Yes, Master, you know I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

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

“Yes, Master, you know I love you.”

Jesus said, “Shepherd my sheep.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, December 15, 2022

Today's Scripture

1 Samuel 20:26–34

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Insight

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

Friends for Life

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

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

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

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

Reflect & Pray

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

Jesus, help me to enjoy Your friendship and fellowship.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, December 15, 2022

“Approved to God”

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

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

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

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

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

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

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, December 15, 2022

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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