Psalm 138, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily:SUFFICIENCY IN ALL THINGS - August 19, 2026

Soon after I began following Jesus, I sensed a desire to write Christian books. I cobbled together a manuscript and mailed it to fifteen publishers. Fourteen rejected it. I was beginning to think I should take the hint when one said, “Yes.” Before I knew it, my writing ministry was airborne.

It’s been over forty years and nearly fifty books. I seem to have more book ideas than I have time to write them. I am a testimony to God’s provision. Trust him. If he calls you, he will equip you. He will give you what you need when you need it.

“God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NKJV).

Unbreakable Courage

Psalm 138

A David Psalm

1–3  138 Thank you! Everything in me says “Thank you!”

Angels listen as I sing my thanks.

I kneel in worship facing your holy temple

and say it again: “Thank you!”

Thank you for your love,

thank you for your faithfulness;

Most holy is your name,

most holy is your Word.

The moment I called out, you stepped in;

you made my life large with strength.

4–6  When they hear what you have to say, God,

all earth’s kings will say “Thank you.”

They’ll sing of what you’ve done:

“How great the glory of God!”

And here’s why: God, high above, sees far below;

no matter the distance, he knows everything about us.

7–8  When I walk into the thick of trouble,

keep me alive in the angry turmoil.

With one hand

strike my foes,

With your other hand

save me.

Finish what you started in me, God.

Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

by Kenneth Petersen

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Psalm 68:1-4, 19-20, 32-35

 Up with God!

Down with his enemies!

Adversaries, run for the hills!

Gone like a puff of smoke,

like a blob of wax in the fire—

one look at God and the wicked vanish.

When the righteous see God in action

they’ll laugh, they’ll sing,

they’ll laugh and sing for joy.

Sing hymns to God;

all heaven, sing out;

clear the way for the coming of Cloud-Rider.

Enjoy God,

cheer when you see him!

19–23  Blessed be the Lord—

day after day he carries us along.

He’s our Savior, our God, oh yes!

He’s God-for-us, he’s God-who-saves-us.

Lord God knows all

death’s ins and outs.

32–34  Sing, O kings of the earth!

Sing praises to the Lord!

There he is: Sky-Rider,

striding the ancient skies.

Listen—he’s calling in thunder,

rumbling, rolling thunder.

Call out “Bravo!” to God,

the High God of Israel.

His splendor and strength

rise huge as thunderheads.

35  A terrible beauty, O God,

streams from your sanctuary.

It’s Israel’s strong God! He gives

power and might to his people!

O you, his people—bless God!

Today's Insights

Psalm 68 celebrates God as a mighty warrior who’ll defeat evil (vv. 1-2). It draws on the imagery of the song in Exodus 15 that celebrates God delivering His people from Egypt. In Psalm 68, He’s depicted as “[riding] on the clouds” (v. 4) while scattering “his enemies” (v. 1). The retelling of the exodus deliverance concludes by describing a victory parade that ends with God dwelling and reigning as king (v. 18).

The rest of Psalm 68 (vv. 19-35) praises the enthroned God, recognizing that His people are completely dependent on Him. The psalm entreats, “Summon your power, God; show us your strength, our God, as you have done before” (v. 28). God is a gentle warrior who fights for justice, who “leads out the prisoners with singing” (v. 6) and “daily bears our burdens” (v. 19). Today, as we reflect on the awesomeness of God, we can celebrate His great love for us.

Awesome God

You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary. Psalm 68:35

As a landscape photographer, I’m drawn to photos I find online. Recently I came across “10 of the Most Breathtaking Places in the U.S.” A photo of a geothermal spring depicts a massive basin of multicolored luminescence. A snapshot of the Hoh Rain Forest shows a dense, mossy forest that looks like something straight out of The Hobbit. A stunning picture taken in Monument Valley, Arizona, could be a panorama of Mars.

These awesome images make me think of our awesome God. In Psalm 68, David gushes about God’s majesty: “Sing to God . . . extol him who rides on the clouds” (v. 4). Vividly, the psalmist proclaims God’s power over enemies: “May you blow them away like smoke” (v. 2). Yet God’s sheer majesty and power are contrasted with His intimate love: “Praise be to the Lord . . . who daily bears our burdens” (v. 19). David’s epic psalm reaches a climax with his breathless praise: “You, God, are awesome” (v. 35).

In landscape photographs, I find both immensity and intimacy. The sheer expanse of these vistas speaks personally to my soul. It makes me wonder if the landscapes of our world are really glimpses of God Himself—reflections of how He’s awesomely immense and breathtakingly loving. In that light, might we look for His reflected beauty around us today. When we see it, we might whisper to Him, “You, God, are awesome.”

Reflect & Pray

What visual experience has reminded you of God’s awesome ways? What about God does that reflect?

Dear God, please help me see Your breathtaking beauty.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Self-Consciousness

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened. — Matthew 11:28

God intends for us to live a full-orbed life in Jesus Christ, a life defined by an unworrying oneness with him. But there are times when that life is attacked from the outside, when we find ourselves tumbling back into a habit of introspection we thought had gone. Self-consciousness is the first thing that will upset the completeness of our life in God, because it produces a continual wrestling. Self-consciousness isn’t sin. It may be caused by a nervous temperament or by suddenly finding ourselves in new circumstances. But it’s never God’s will that we should be less than absolutely complete in him. Anything that disturbs our rest in him must be cured at once.

“Come to me.” You can’t cure self-consciousness by ignoring it; the only cure is to come to Jesus Christ. When we come to him and ask him to produce Christ-consciousness, he will do it, over and over again, until we learn to abide in him.

If your life in Christ is no longer whole, don’t refuse to face the problem. Beware of anything that splits up your oneness with him, whether it be the influence of friends or of circumstances. Beware of anything that makes you see yourself as separate from your Lord. Nothing is as important as keeping whole spiritually. The great solution is the simple one: “Come to me.” The depth of our reality—intellectually, morally, and spiritually—is tested by these words. In every matter in which we are not real, we will argue with God rather than come.

Psalms 103-104; 1 Corinthians 2

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

A fanatic is one who entrenches himself in invincible ignorance.

Baffled to Fight Better, 59 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, August 19, 2026

Life-Saving Messengers - #10333

Scripture:  2 Corinthians 5:19-20

I used to tell our kids, "You don't have to go to a party. Carry the party inside you wherever you go!" Our five-year-old grandson never heard that, but I think he got the idea. He could find a way to enjoy himself in just about any situation, with friends or alone, with his toys, or better yet as far as he was concerned, with just like the everyday stuff he found. I remember he and I were in my study, a few rooms away from the living room where his three-year-old brother and his Mommy were. Little brother decided to check out what big brother and I were doing, and big brother had an idea. His brother could be a messenger. So our five-year-old started writing little messages to his mother, which he then rolled up and dispatched his little brother to deliver. Mommy got the idea, and so she would write back an answer to every message. The shuttle went back and forth three times, I think. Big brother then wrote another message, but this time the messenger didn't show up. He had clocked out. So the message never got delivered.

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

Jesus has a message that He wants delivered to some people you know - some people you see all the time. The price of His message not getting through to them could be an awful eternity. He's counting on you to be the messenger.

He makes that clear in our word for today from the Word of God in 2 Corinthians 5:19-20, where the Bible says, "We are Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." If you belong to Jesus Christ, you are His ambassador to the place where you live, the place where you work, the place you go to school, the place you "recreate," the place you shop.

When the President appoints an ambassador to a particular country, he's counting on his ambassador to deliver his messages, right? The things that he wants communicated. Whether you realize it or not, you've been assigned by the highest authority in the universe, by Jesus himself, to deliver His message to the folks around you. And that message is life-or-death information. But as our grandson found out with his little brother, when the messenger dies, the message dies. And in the case of Jesus' message about His death for our sins, people you know may die if you don't deliver it.

That's the awful picture of messenger failure in Ezekiel 33:7. It says, "I have made you a watchman...give them warning from Me...When I say to the wicked" - today that's anyone who has not had their sin forgiven by giving themselves to Jesus, and you know people like that - "When I say to the wicked you will surely die,' and you do not speak to warn him from his ways, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood." Blood on our hands because of the silence of our lips. Don't let that happen to you. Don't let that happen to the people God's counting on you to tell about His Son. Whatever fear of what might happen if you told them about Jesus, could it possibly be as fearful as what will happen if you don't tell them?

Jack Phillips was the radioman for the Titanic. Two hours before the Titanic's fatal collision with an iceberg, Phillips got this radio message from another ship, describing the coordinates of the exact ice field that later doomed the Titanic. But instead of delivering that information to the captain, he stuck it on a spindle to deliver it later. That mistake cost him his life and the lives of 1,500 passengers that night. All because the life-or-death message he had was never delivered.

Don't make that mistake with the message Jesus has given to you to be delivered. Don't let your delay cost them heaven. His message is in your hands.

Psalm 110, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: IT’S NOT JUST YOU - August 18, 2026

“There was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord” (1 Kings 17:15-16 NIV). Each day Elijah, the widow, and her son gathered around a table and had a miracle for a meal. Heaven’s delivery system continued as long as the trio needed it.

Jesus spoke of God’s faithful generosity. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you…?” (Matthew 6:30 ESV). You aren’t one scoop away from empty. It’s not just you and your depleted energy. It’s not just you and your concerns. You don’t face the assignment alone. If it’s God’s will, it’s God’s bill.

Unbreakable Courage

Psalm 110

A David Prayer

1–3  110 The word of God to my Lord:

“Sit alongside me here on my throne

until I make your enemies a stool for your feet.”

You were forged a strong scepter by God of Zion;

now rule, though surrounded by enemies!

Your people will freely join you, resplendent in holy armor

on the great day of your conquest,

Join you at the fresh break of day,

join you with all the vigor of youth.

4–7  God gave his word and he won’t take it back:

you’re the permanent priest, the Melchizedek priest.

The Lord stands true at your side,

crushing kings in his terrible wrath,

Bringing judgment on the nations,

handing out convictions wholesale,

crushing opposition across the wide earth.

The King-Maker put his King on the throne;

the True King rules with head held high!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

By Patricia Raybon

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Mark 10:13-16

 The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: “Don’t push these children away. Don’t ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God’s kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you’ll never get in.” Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.

Today's Insights

The scene from today’s Scripture passage (Mark 10:13-16) occurs not long after Jesus had made another comment about children. As Christ and the disciples were “[passing] through Galilee” (9:30), His disciples got into a quarrel about which of them was the greatest (vv. 33-34). Jesus knew what they’d been discussing, of course, but He didn’t preach a sermon against their sinful ambition. Instead, “He took a little child whom he placed among them” and said, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me” (vv. 36-37). His object lesson about humility was obvious. That’s why it’s surprising when they “rebuked” people who were literally “bringing little children to Jesus” (10:13). They still hadn’t learned that “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (v. 14). As we express our childlike trust in Christ, we’ll want to welcome all who’re overlooked and undervalued.

For further study, read A Child’s Compassion.

Loving Children as God Does

The kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Mark 10:14

All summer long, the children in the house behind ours spend hours swinging on their swing set. Their noisy swing set. Its creaky noise doesn’t bother the children who seem, some days, to swing endlessly. Complaining, I asked my husband why their parents don’t oil the swing. Praying about it, however, I noticed a change in my heart. I could see the children’s laughter and joy bursting from the trust they find in their family’s yard, and in having parents within calling distance nearby.

Jesus spoke of such trust when speaking of children. People were bringing their children to Jesus so He could bless them, but His annoyed disciples scolded the parents, rebuking them (Mark 10:13).

Seeing this, Christ “was indignant” (v. 14). “Let the little children come to me,” He told them, “and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” He added, “Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it” (vv. 14-15).

He’d already taught His disciples this when they’d argued who among them was greatest. Taking a child in His arms, on another occasion, Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me” (9:37). Demonstrating the same idea, “He took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them” (10:16). What beautiful reminders to be childlike in our trust in Jesus.

Reflect & Pray

What do you enjoy about the joy of children? How can you learn to love those who annoy you at times?

Please grow my love for others, ever-present and loving God.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Have You Ever Been Speechless with Sadness?

When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. — Luke 18:23

The rich young ruler went away speechless with sorrow. He had no confusion about what Jesus Christ had told him, no doubt about what it meant, and it produced a sadness beyond words.

Have you ever been in this place of speechless sadness? Has God’s word come to you about something you’re very rich in and told you to “sell everything you have” (Luke 18:22)? Perhaps you are rich in your temperament or in your personal relationships of heart and mind. Perhaps God has told you to give them up, and you haven’t done it. If so, you’ve often been speechless with sorrow. The Lord won’t plead with you, but every time he meets you on that point, he will repeat, “If you want to follow me, these are the conditions.”

“Sell everything you have.” Strip yourself of everything that might be considered a possession, until you stand before God as a mere conscious being, and then offer yourself. This is where the battle is fought: in the domain of the will before God.

Are you more devoted to your idea of what Jesus wants than to Jesus himself? Then you are likely to hear him say something to you that will produce sorrow. What Jesus says is hard, but to those who have his disposition inside them, it’s easy. Beware of allowing anything to soften the hard things Jesus says.

You can be so rich in the consciousness that you are somebody that you will never be a disciple of Jesus. Or you can be so rich in the consciousness that you are nobody, so convinced of your poverty, that you’ll never be a disciple. Are you willing to give up the idea that you have nothing to give up? If not, you are bound to be discouraged. Discouragement is disenchanted self-love, and self-love may be love of your devotion to Jesus.

Psalms 100-102; 1 Corinthians 1

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Much of the misery in our Christian life comes not because the devil tackles us, but because we have never understood the simple laws of our make-up. We have to treat the body as the servant of Jesus Christ: when the body says “Sit,” and He says “Go,” go! When the body says “Eat,” and He says “Fast,” fast! When the body says “Yawn,” and He says “Pray,” pray!

Biblical Ethics, 107 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Knowing the Words, Knowing the Lord - #10332

Scripture:  Mark 7:6

A friend of ours is an avid hunter. In fact, so much that he's been known to skip church occasionally during duck hunting season. He's well known in the church, so the pastor notices when he's not there. With a twinkle in his eye, our friend explained recently how he's prepared to handle pastoral questions like, "Where were you on Sunday?" He said he's actually named his duck blinds where he hides to hunt those birds. One he has named "The Word." The other is named "Prayer." So when the pastor asks where he was on Sunday, he simply answers, "I was in 'The Word,'" or, "I was in 'Prayer.'" That's messed up!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Knowing the Words, Knowing the Lord."

Obviously, this is a hunter who understands the value of camouflage, as in the value of hiding behind some wonderful spiritual words. While his words are meant to be more whimsical than deceptive, they illustrate a deeper and more dangerous issue that is rampant among us church folks. We know how to use all the right Christian words and have just the right Christian look. We put it on every time we walk in the church door, but often it's camouflage that's covering up some issues in our life that aren't Christian at all.

Jesus put it this way in Mark 7:6, our word for today from the Word of God: "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." You can say all the good, God-honoring things and still underneath have a heart that is far from Him. A life that has, beneath all that spiritual camouflage, some attitudes or actions that have no place in a child of God, someone who's been rescued at the price of the blood of God's Son.

We forget that God doesn't look at the "outward appearance" but "at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). In other words, the only One who really matters is not fooled by our Christian words. Your whole relationship with Him, His blessing on your life, is all about the condition of your heart.

Could it be that you've been hiding some serious un-repented sin under the camouflage of those beautiful spiritual words? You can be talking about prayer and Bible study in the morning and swimming in the cesspool of Internet pornography at night. Your Christian words can mask all kinds of hidden bitterness, lust and deception, or a compartmentalized life that's all about Jesus in the God-compartment, but all about you at work, at school, or at home.

You can even try to put Christian words on things that are anything but Christian. You can call it conviction, God calls it stubbornness; you call it compassion, God calls it compromise; you call it love, God calls it immorality or adultery. Isn't it time you looked in the mirror and maybe saw the hypocrite behind the beautiful words? There's freedom, there's forgiveness and there's integrity waiting for you at the cross of Jesus Christ, where you need to bring all the sin that's been hiding behind all that spirituality.

One of the greatest dangers of being in a Christian environment is that you can know the words and never know the Lord. You can have a religion that's all about Jesus and never have Jesus. Jesus said there will be people like that on Judgment Day to whom He will say, "I never knew you."

Could it be you've got Christianity but you don't have Christ? You've mistaken agreeing with Jesus for being committed to Jesus, and that mistake will cost you heaven. But today Jesus brought us together so you can experience what it is to know Him for real. Make this the day you say, "Lord, all this time I've missed You. But I want You in my heart, not just in my head. I'm Yours."

Listen, our website is set up as a place where you can go and actually make sure you belong to Him. Would you go there? It's ANewStory.com.

It isn't the rhetoric of Jesus that matters; it's the reality of Jesus. So come to Him today as you really are. There's so much you've been missing. You can have it today.

Psalm 109, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: SPIRITUAL REMEMBRANCE - August 17, 2026

Zarephath was a Gentile city occupied by Baal worshippers. The chief of the city had a daughter named Jezebel, Elijah’s archenemy. Elijah arrives with nothing. His purse and tummy are empty. Elijah spots a woman. Emaciated. Destitute. I envision Elijah stepping in her direction, and beneath his beard a smile is taking shape as he reviews God’s blessings. Protection in the court of Ahab, provision in the paucity of Kerith, and a shield of safety during the trek to Zarephath.

In your case would the God who gave you grace last week not give you grace again? Unbreakable courage requires good recall. Spiritual amnesia makes spiritual wimps. Spiritual remembrance makes spiritual giants.

Unbreakable Courage

Psalm 109

A David Prayer

1–5  109 My God, don’t turn a deaf ear to my hallelujah prayer.

Liars are pouring out invective on me;

Their lying tongues are like a pack of dogs out to get me,

barking their hate, nipping my heels—and for no reason!

I loved them and now they slander me—yes, me!—

and treat my prayer like a crime;

They return my good with evil,

they return my love with hate.

6–20  Send the Evil One to accuse my accusing judge;

dispatch Satan to prosecute him.

When he’s judged, let the verdict be “Guilty,”

and when he prays, let his prayer turn to sin.

Give him a short life,

and give his job to somebody else.

Make orphans of his children,

dress his wife in widow’s weeds;

Turn his children into begging street urchins,

evicted from their homes—homeless.

May the bank foreclose and wipe him out,

and strangers, like vultures, pick him clean.

May there be no one around to help him out,

no one willing to give his orphans a break.

Chop down his family tree

so that nobody even remembers his name.

But erect a memorial to the sin of his father,

and make sure his mother’s name is there, too—

Their sins recorded forever before God,

but they themselves sunk in oblivion.

That’s all he deserves since he was never once kind,

hounded the afflicted and heartbroken to their graves.

Since he loved cursing so much,

let curses rain down;

Since he had no taste for blessing,

let blessings flee far from him.

He dressed up in curses like a fine suit of clothes;

he drank curses, took his baths in curses.

So give him a gift—a costume of curses;

he can wear curses every day of the week!

That’s what they’ll get, those out to get me—

an avalanche of just deserts from God.

21–25  Oh, God, my Lord, step in;

work a miracle for me—you can do it!

Get me out of here—your love is so great!—

I’m at the end of my rope, my life in ruins.

I’m fading away to nothing, passing away,

my youth gone, old before my time.

I’m weak from hunger and can hardly stand up,

my body a rack of skin and bones.

I’m a joke in poor taste to those who see me;

they take one look and shake their heads.

26–29  Help me, oh help me, God, my God,

save me through your wonderful love;

Then they’ll know that your hand is in this,

that you, God, have been at work.

Let them curse all they want;

you do the blessing.

Let them be jeered by the crowd when they stand up,

followed by cheers for me, your servant.

Dress my accusers in clothes dirty with shame,

discarded and humiliating old ragbag clothes.

30–31  My mouth’s full of great praise for God,

I’m singing his hallelujahs surrounded by crowds,

For he’s always at hand to take the side of the needy,

to rescue a life from the unjust judge.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, August 17, 2026

By Monica La Rose

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Colossians 3:9-15

Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.

12–14  So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

15–17  Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness.

Today's Insights

Paul instructed believers in Jesus to live a faithful and fruitful “life worthy of the Lord and [to] please him in every way” (Colossians 1:10). Using a metaphor of replacing old clothes with new, he commands us to “put to death” our worldly, sinful habits (3:5-9) and adorn Christlike virtues (vv. 10-15). Paul singled out the importance of not engaging in harmful speech—“slander,” “filthy language,” and “lie[s]” (vv. 8-9). Truthfulness is essential for believers, for Christ is “the truth” (John 14:6). Elaborating in another letter, the apostle tells us to “stop telling lies [and] tell our neighbors the truth . . . . Let everything [we] say be good and helpful, so that [our] words will be an encouragement to those who hear them” (Ephesians 4:25, 29 nlt). When we “[speak] the truth in love” (v. 15), we bless others. And we’ll “[grow] in every way more and more like Christ” (v. 15 nlt).

How do I forgive someone who has hurt me?

Plague of Lies

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices. Colossians 3:9

“What a cruel act to be untruthful,” Daniel Ladinsky once wrote in a poem that contrasts relationships built on trust with those damaged by lies. Inspired by German theologian and monk Meister Eckhart, he described truthful, loving words as “wonderful spices mixed into the days.” But lies are like earthquakes in the mind and poison to the soul: “Havoc is created in the mind that can no longer trust someone once loved . . . . a plague is spread by one who cannot tell the truth.”

The imagery of a plague spread by falsehoods might seem stark. But to take speech seriously resonates with how our words and their impact are described throughout Scripture. When Paul explains to new believers the difference between life before and after their union with Jesus, words take center stage. “Do not lie to each other,” the apostle emphasizes, “since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self” (Colossians 3:9-10).

There are many reasons to be tempted to lie or distort the truth. Sometimes we might think it’s the best way to protect ourselves or others. But through Christ’s love, through His Spirit at work in our hearts, we learn a different way—one transformed by “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (3:12). And we learn how forgiveness and love can create the kind of trust and peace that brings rest to our souls (v. 15).  

Reflect & Pray

How have you seen damage caused by a lie? How does forgiveness and love help you live with honesty?

Loving Savior, please help me bless others with words that can be trusted.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, August 17, 2026

Are You Discouraged in Devotion?

A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” — Luke 18:18

When the rich young ruler asked Jesus how to win eternal life, Jesus didn’t respond with anxiousness or concern; he made no attempt to keep the ruler there with him. He simply stated what the ruler had to do: “Sell everything you have. . . . Then come, follow me” (Luke 18:22). Our Lord never pleaded. He never cajoled or entrapped. He simply spoke the sternest words mortal ears ever heard, then left it alone.

Have you ever heard the Lord say something stern to you? If you haven’t, I question if you’ve ever heard him say anything at all. Jesus Christ says a great deal that we listen to but do not hear. When we do hear, we find that his words are amazingly hard.

If I have listened deliberately to Jesus when he’s said something difficult to me, I know that I can’t just explain it away. It’s something meant specifically for me, something which demands I make a choice. The ruler understood the choice Jesus was giving him. He heard Jesus’s words, thought about what obeying them would mean, and decided he couldn’t do it. He didn’t go away from Jesus defiantly; he went sadly, with a broken heart. The ruler had come to Jesus full of the fire of earnest desire, and Jesus’s words froze him. Instead of producing enthusiastic devotion, they produced heartbreaking discouragement.

There was a reason Jesus let the ruler leave in this dejected state: our Lord knows perfectly well that once his word is heard, sooner or later it will bear fruit. The terrible thing is that some of us prevent it from bearing fruit in our present lives. I wonder what we will say when we do make up our minds to be devoted to him. One thing is certain: he will never shame us for our past refusals to hear him.

Psalms 97-99; Romans 16

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

For the past three hundred years men have been pointing out how similar Jesus Christ’s teachings are to other good teachings. We have to remember that Christianity, if it is not a supernatural miracle, is a sham. 

The Highest Good, 548 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, August 17, 2026

Guaranteed Disclosure - #10331

Scripture:  1 Corinthians 4:4

Every once in a while the monotony of driving the Interstate is broken by some interesting signs. Sometimes I'll see one and my mind will get going, and it will process what I saw and I'll think about it for several minutes. I remember one in particular. There was a big, old truck speeding down the Interstate and it had in bold letters this sign: "Guaranteed Destruction of Confidential Files and Records." Well, that got me going! There was also a phone number. I didn't write it down; I didn't actually have any need for their services. But there was a number to call if you wanted all your confidential things destroyed. I thought about who might want a service such as that. I brainstormed some intriguing reasons and some intriguing people who might want to call that number. Guaranteed destruction! Actually, there's another sign that interests us even more.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Guaranteed Disclosure."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Corinthians 4, and I'll begin reading at verse 4. Paul says, "My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness, and He will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time, each will receive his praise from God."

This phrase that brings to light the hidden things and exposing the motive of men's hearts in the original Greek has the thought of turning something inside out; opening all the closets, showing what no one else has seen before. In other words, God is going to expose every secret. Now, there might be some who think they've destroyed all the evidence. The fellow driving that truck, he had that sign that said, "Will destroy your confidential files and records."

Did you know that no matter who destroys them on earth, God still has His copy? He knows every detail of every one of your financial dealings, every financial transaction, and every business transaction. He knows the letters you have written that you want no one else to see. He knows your motives, your websites. He's recorded every idle word, every angry word, and every dirty word. We think we got away with it because no one else knew. If God knows, you're caught, and He does. And so will everyone else one day.

That's why the Apostle John says, "Walk in the light as He is in the light." It's so freeing to be able to live saying, "I've got nothing to hide." Live without sinful secrets. You don't have to worry then if the closets come open. There's nothing there to hide. Live lives that are relaxed and confident, because you've got no fear of discovery; you don't have to keep looking over your shoulder. When you're living within the limits, you don't have to keep looking in the rearview mirror to see if the law enforcement is coming over the hill.

Again, some of the most liberating words in the world; look in the mirror, "Nothing to hide." Isn't that awesome?

God's sign says: "Guaranteed Disclosure of Confidential Files and Records." So, live the kind of life that isn't afraid of everybody knowing, because they will.

Luke 23:1-25, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily:Don’t Give Up

The next time you lack the will to go on, seek healthy counsel! You won’t want to.  Slumping people love slumping people. We love those who commiserate and avoid those who correct. Yet correction and direction are what we need when we’re tired.

I discovered the importance of healthy counsel in a half-Ironman triathlon. After the 1.2 mile swim and the 56-mile bike ride, I didn’t have much energy left for the 13.1 mile run.  Neither did the fellow jogging next to me.  He said, “This stinks. This is the dumbest decision I’ve ever made.”

I said, “Good-bye!” I knew if I listened too long, I’d start agreeing with him. I caught up with a sixty-six-year-old grandmother who said, “You’ll finish this—stay in there!”

Which of the two describes the counsel you seek? Proverbs 15:22 says: “Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed!”

Don’t give up. And get some good advice!

From Facing Your Giants

Luke 23:1-25

Pilate

1–2  23 Then they all took Jesus to Pilate and began to bring up charges against him. They said, “We found this man undermining our law and order, forbidding taxes to be paid to Caesar, setting himself up as Messiah-King.”

3  Pilate asked him, “Is this true that you’re ‘King of the Jews’?”

“Those are your words, not mine,” Jesus replied.

4  Pilate told the high priests and the accompanying crowd, “I find nothing wrong here. He seems harmless enough to me.”

5  But they were vehement. “He’s stirring up unrest among the people with his teaching, disturbing the peace everywhere, starting in Galilee and now all through Judea. He’s a dangerous man, endangering the peace.”

6–7  When Pilate heard that, he asked, “So, he’s a Galilean?” Realizing that he properly came under Herod’s jurisdiction, he passed the buck to Herod, who just happened to be in Jerusalem for a few days.

8–10  Herod was delighted when Jesus showed up. He had wanted for a long time to see him, he’d heard so much about him. He hoped to see him do something spectacular. He peppered him with questions. Jesus didn’t answer—not one word. But the high priests and religion scholars were right there, saying their piece, strident and shrill in their accusations.

11–12  Mightily offended, Herod turned on Jesus. His soldiers joined in, taunting and jeering. Then they dressed him up in an elaborate king costume and sent him back to Pilate. That day Herod and Pilate became thick as thieves. Always before they had kept their distance.

13–16  Then Pilate called in the high priests, rulers, and the others and said, “You brought this man to me as a disturber of the peace. I examined him in front of all of you and found there was nothing to your charge. And neither did Herod, for he has sent him back here with a clean bill of health. It’s clear that he’s done nothing wrong, let alone anything deserving death. I’m going to warn him to watch his step and let him go.”

18–20  At that, the crowd went wild: “Kill him! Give us Barabbas!” (Barabbas had been thrown in prison for starting a riot in the city and for murder.) Pilate still wanted to let Jesus go, and so spoke out again.

21  But they kept shouting back, “Crucify! Crucify him!”

22  He tried a third time. “But for what crime? I’ve found nothing in him deserving death. I’m going to warn him to watch his step and let him go.”

23–25  But they kept at it, a shouting mob, demanding that he be crucified. And finally they shouted him down. Pilate caved in and gave them what they wanted. He released the man thrown in prison for rioting and murder, and gave them Jesus to do whatever they wanted.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Sunday, August 16, 2026

By Marvin Williams

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Psalm 141

A David Psalm

1–2  141 God, come close. Come quickly!

Open your ears—it’s my voice you’re hearing!

Treat my prayer as sweet incense rising;

my raised hands are my evening prayers.

3–7  Post a guard at my mouth, God,

set a watch at the door of my lips.

Don’t let me so much as dream of evil

or thoughtlessly fall into bad company.

And these people who only do wrong—

don’t let them lure me with their sweet talk!

May the Just One set me straight,

may the Kind One correct me,

Don’t let sin anoint my head.

I’m praying hard against their evil ways!

Oh, let their leaders be pushed off a high rock cliff;

make them face the music.

Like a rock pulverized by a maul,

let their bones be scattered at the gates of hell.

8–10  But God, dear Lord,

I only have eyes for you.

Since I’ve run for dear life to you,

take good care of me.

Protect me from their evil scheming,

from all their demonic subterfuge.

Let the wicked fall flat on their faces,

while I walk off without a scratch.

Today's Insights

Scripture has much to say about the power of our words. A familiar New Testament passages is James 3:1-12. According to James, keeping control of our tongue is difficult. However, before we lose hope in being able to speak good words to one another, consider what David says in Psalm 141. 

Here, tucked in the middle of his other requests, the psalmist asks God to “set a guard over [his] mouth” (v. 3). He desires to live a life that contrasts with the evildoers around him (v. 4), a life that welcomes words of truth from others. He says, “Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head” (v. 5). Today, God can help us use our words well and speak truthfully to others.

Wounds That Build and Heal

Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head. Psalm 141:5

According to research, Gen Z can detect a false compliment from a mile away. While the intention might be kindness, the members of that generation value something deeper: genuine respect and honesty. Not looking to be flattered, they want to be believed in. When truth is spoken, they feel respected, taken seriously, and are challenged to grow. But this is likely true for most of us.

Psalm 141:5 gives voice to this wisdom. David wrote, “Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me.” In his prayer to God, he asks that he would welcome loving wounds from friends as kindness (v. 5; see also Proverbs 27:6). David was intimating that real love doesn’t dodge difficult conversations. It tells the truth, not to shame people but to help them be drawn to God and not “be drawn to what is evil” (Psalm 141:4). This passage reminds us that wise, truthful feedback isn’t about tearing others down but building them up.

Let’s not fear receiving correction from the right sources, and let’s not shy away from offering it either. We don’t need more sugarcoated words. We need people who are willing to speak the truth in love. Sometimes the words that sting the most are the ones that build us, heal us, and help us become who God made us to be.

Reflect & Pray

Why can it be hard to offer correction to other believers? How do you respond to loving correction from others?

Dear God, please help me to give and receive wise feedback and correction as gifts of Your grace.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, August 16, 2026

Does He Know Me?

He calls his own sheep by name. — John 10:3

Does he know me when I have failed to know him (John 20:11–16)? When Mary Magdalene saw Jesus outside his tomb, she didn’t recognize him. But he knew her: “Jesus said to her, ‘Mary’” (v. 16). The instant Mary heard her name, she cried out, “Teacher!”

Why was Mary weeping outside Jesus’s tomb? Not because she knew about Jesus, but because she had a personal history with her Lord. It is possible to know all about doctrine and not know Jesus. The soul is in danger when intellectual learning outstrips intimate touch with him. Doctrine was nothing more to Mary than grass beneath her feet. Any Pharisee could have made a fool of her doctrinally, but none could ridicule away the fact that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her. And yet for Mary, Jesus’s blessings were nothing in comparison to himself.

Does he know me when I have stubbornly doubted (John 20:24–29)? Have I been doubting something about Jesus—an experience others testify to but which I haven’t had? The other disciples told Thomas that they’d seen Jesus, but Thomas doubted. “Unless I see . . . I will not believe” (v. 25). Thomas needed the personal touch of Jesus. When our Lord’s touch will come, or how it will come, we do not know. But when it does come, it’s indescribably precious. Jesus told Thomas, “Reach out your hand and put it into my side,” and Thomas replied, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (vv. 27–28).

Does he know me when I have selfishly denied him (John 21:15–17)? Peter had denied Jesus Christ three times, yet after the resurrection, Jesus appeared to Peter alone. He restored Peter in private, and then he restored him before the others. And Peter said, “Lord, you know that I love you” (v. 16).

Do I have a personal history with Jesus Christ? The one sign of discipleship is intimate connection with him, a knowledge of Jesus Christ that nothing can disturb.

Psalms 94-96; Romans 15:14-33

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

The Bible does not thrill; the Bible nourishes. Give time to the reading of the Bible and the recreating effect is as real as that of fresh air physically. 

Disciples Indeed, 387 R

Psalm 108, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Doubt Storms

Sometimes I wonder…how can our world get so chaotic? And I sometimes wonder why so many hearts have to hurt? Do you ever get doubt storms? Do you have turbulent days when the enemy is too big, and the answers too few? Every so often a storm will come, and I'll look up into the blackening sky and say, "God, a little light, please?"

The light came for Jesus' disciples. A figure came to them walking on the water. It wasn't what they expected. Maybe they were listening for a divine proclamation to still the storm.  One thing is for sure, they were not looking for Jesus to come walking on the water. "It's a ghost,' they said and cried out in fear." And since Jesus came in a way they didn't expect, they almost missed seeing the answer to their prayers. And unless we look and listen closely, we risk making the same mistake!

From In the Eye of the Storm

Psalm 108

A David Prayer

1–2  108 I’m ready, God, so ready,

ready from head to toe.

Ready to sing,

ready to raise a God-song:

“Wake, soul! Wake, lute!

Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!”

3–6  I’m thanking you, God, out in the streets,

singing your praises in town and country.

The deeper your love, the higher it goes;

every cloud’s a flag to your faithfulness.

Soar high in the skies, O God!

Cover the whole earth with your glory!

And for the sake of the one you love so much,

reach down and help me—answer me!

7–9  That’s when God spoke in holy splendor:

“Brimming over with joy,

I make a present of Shechem,

I hand out Succoth Valley as a gift.

Gilead’s in my pocket,

to say nothing of Manasseh.

Ephraim’s my hard hat,

Judah my hammer.

Moab’s a scrub bucket—

I mop the floor with Moab,

Spit on Edom,

rain fireworks all over Philistia.”

10–11  Who will take me to the thick of the fight?

Who’ll show me the road to Edom?

You aren’t giving up on us, are you, God?

refusing to go out with our troops?

12–13  Give us help for the hard task;

human help is worthless.

In God we’ll do our very best;

he’ll flatten the opposition for good.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Saturday, August 15, 2026

By Tim Gustafson

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Exodus 20:8-17, 20-21

Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don’t do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.

12  Honor your father and mother so that you’ll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you.

13  No murder.

14  No adultery.

15  No stealing.

16  No lies about your neighbor.

17  No lusting after your neighbor’s house—or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don’t set your heart on anything that is your neighbor’s.

 Moses spoke to the people: “Don’t be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won’t sin.”

21  The people kept their distance while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

Today's Insights

The Ten Commandments set up principles for God’s people, the Israelites, so they’d flourish. The first four commandments emphasize single-minded devotion to God (Exodus 20:3-11). The last six outline how devotion to God should shape human relationships (vv. 12-17). At the heart of these commands is showing respectful honor to all (Matthew 22:37-40). 

Society flourishes when there’s respectful care for all people, including parents and the elderly. The command to honor parents (Exodus 20:12) doesn’t mean that people should remain in damaging relationships with parents or others or should minimize harmful behavior, for we’re also called to be truthful. But our Creator wants us to recognize that each person is made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27) and therefore we should desire every person’s well-being and respect them.

Living Out God’s Love

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

Branden’s father was dying of cancer in his fifties. Wanting to help, Branden talked his parents into moving in with him so he could assist them. His dad loved the tropics but could no longer travel, so Branden got creative. He landscaped a pond behind his house, stocked it with fish, and installed a waterfall that tumbled over rocks. He trucked in three loads of beach sand, added banana trees, lights, and tiki torches, and built an awning for shade. His dad spent his last days enjoying a backyard island paradise.

Branden’s actions reflect the kind of harmony between parents and children envisioned in Exodus 20. There, God through Moses instructed the children of Israel, “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12). That directive grows out of the commands to love and respect our heavenly Father (vv. 3-8) and bridges to the last five commands, which instruct us how to love and respect our fellow human beings. Don’t murder, don’t commit adultery, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t covet (vv. 12-17).

Honoring parents might come easily for some. For others, it’s extremely difficult. There’s too much pain and distrust. Old wounds refuse to heal. We can commit them to God our Father, who understands that pain. He enables us to live in His love.

Reflect & Pray

What does it mean for you to honor your parents? What obstacles might you face to do that?

Heavenly Father, show me how to honor others, especially when that seems difficult.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Saturday, August 15, 2026

Signs of the New Birth

You must be born again. — John 3:7

How can someone be born when they are old?’ Nicodemus asked. . . . Jesus answered, ‘Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit’” (John 3:4–5). When someone dies to every self-righteous impulse, to their religion and their virtues and everything they’ve been leaning on apart from Jesus Christ, then they may be born of the Spirit and receive into themselves a life that was never there before. This new life manifests itself in conscious repentance and unconscious holiness.

“To all who did receive him . . . he gave the right to become children of God” (1:12). Is my knowledge of Jesus based on personal spiritual perception or on what I’ve heard others say? Do I have something in my life that connects me to Jesus Christ as my savior? The bedrock of any spiritual history must be personal knowledge. To be born again means that I see Jesus with my own eyes.

“No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (3:3). The new birth brings with it a new power of vision that enables me to discern God’s rule. Am I discerning it? Or am I merely hunting for miraculous signs of his kingdom? When I am born again, I see that his rule was there all along.

“No one who is born of God will continue to sin” (1 John 3:9). Have I stopped sinning, or am I merely trying to stop sinning? To be born of God means that I have received from him the supernatural power to stop sinning. The Bible never asks, “Should a Christian sin?” It says emphatically that no one born of God will continue to sin. The effect of the new birth in us isn’t simply that we receive the power to stop sinning; it’s that we actually stop sinning. First John 3:9 doesn’t mean that we can’t sin; it means that if we obey the life of God in us, we needn’t sin.

Psalms 91-93; Romans 15:1-13

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

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

The Place of Help

Psalm 103, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: YOUR TEST IS PART OF YOUR CALL - August 14, 2026

God sees the needs of tomorrow and, accordingly, creates the training of today.

He did so with Agnes. As a young girl she was on fire for her faith.  She left her home, her family, and country and became a missionary. She gave God everything, and God gave her a test: loneliness. She felt as if God had left her. On and off for fifty years, she battled a secret pain. Only late in life did she come to see her suffering as a way to understand the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all the people who feel unwanted. It was only then that Agnes—Mother Teresa—saw her test as part of her call.

Your test is a part of your call as well.

Unbreakable Courage

Psalm 103

A David Psalm

1–2  103 O my soul, bless God.

From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name!

O my soul, bless God,

don’t forget a single blessing!

3–5  He forgives your sins—every one.

He heals your diseases—every one.

He redeems you from hell—saves your life!

He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.

He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.

He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.

6–18  God makes everything come out right;

he puts victims back on their feet.

He showed Moses how he went about his work,

opened up his plans to all Israel.

God is sheer mercy and grace;

not easily angered, he’s rich in love.

He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,

nor hold grudges forever.

He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,

nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.

As high as heaven is over the earth,

so strong is his love to those who fear him.

And as far as sunrise is from sunset,

he has separated us from our sins.

As parents feel for their children,

God feels for those who fear him.

He knows us inside and out,

keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.

Men and women don’t live very long;

like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,

But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,

leaving nothing to show they were here.

God’s love, though, is ever and always,

eternally present to all who fear him,

Making everything right for them and their children

as they follow his Covenant ways

and remember to do whatever he said.

19–22  God has set his throne in heaven;

he rules over us all. He’s the King!

So bless God, you angels,

ready and able to fly at his bidding,

quick to hear and do what he says.

Bless God, all you armies of angels,

alert to respond to whatever he wills.

Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are—

everything and everyone made by God.

And you, O my soul, bless God!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Friday, August 14, 2026

By Elisa Morgan

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Luke 23:44-49

  By now it was noon. The whole earth became dark, the darkness lasting three hours—a total blackout. The Temple curtain split right down the middle. Jesus called loudly, “Father, I place my life in your hands!” Then he breathed his last.

47  When the captain there saw what happened, he honored God: “This man was innocent! A good man, and innocent!”

48–49  All who had come around as spectators to watch the show, when they saw what actually happened, were overcome with grief and headed home. Those who knew Jesus well, along with the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a respectful distance and kept vigil.

Today's Insights

In Luke 23:44-49, the events surrounding Jesus’ death reveal the worthiness of God. Christ’s final words where He entrusts His spirit to the Father (v. 46) show His complete obedience and trust, even in death. As darkness covered the land (v. 44) and “the curtain of the temple was torn in two” (v. 45), creation itself testified that something supernatural was unfolding. These signs moved the Roman centurion, a gentile and outsider, to proclaim Jesus’ innocence (v. 47). His response shows that genuine worship begins when the heart recognizes God’s power and holiness. The crowd, struck with remorse, departed in sorrow (v. 48), while “all those who knew him . . . stood at a distance, watching” (v. 49) as they witnessed the depth of God’s love displayed on the cross. His sacrifice there proved He was worthy of worship not only because of His power over creation but because of His self-giving love.

For further study, read The Thunder of Sinai: Exodus 20 and the Heart of God.

One Worthy of Worship

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

One April afternoon, millions gathered along a mapped arc across Mexico and the United States to witness a rare total solar eclipse. Schools released children, small towns blossomed to receive travelers, and neighbors set up lawn chairs in driveways donning protective glasses to take in the wonder. As television crews documented the countdown to “totality,” the crowd grew silent except for one repeated phrase: “Oh my God!”

That struck me. I don’t know for certain why those observers chose that phrase in the moment, but I suspect that as mortals encountered the rare and the astonishing, they seemed to need Someone to acknowledge. Someone to thank. Someone to worship. When we look heavenward, our response is awe. As David wrote, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1).

The gospel writer Luke reports Jesus’ last minutes on the cross. “It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, for the sun stopped shining” (23:44-45). Matthew shares a response to this revelation: “When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, ‘Surely he was the Son of God!’ ” (Matthew 27:54). They couldn’t help but acknowledge God as the Someone worthy of worship.

In humble awe, I worship You—my God.

Reflect & Pray

Where have you seen God’s glory and found yourself awed? In what ways can you worship Him in all His awesomeness?

Dear God, You are holy. I worship You in awe!

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Friday, August 14, 2026

Discipline

Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you. — Hebrews 12:5

It’s very easy to quench the Spirit. We do it by despising the discipline of the Lord and by losing heart when he rebukes us. If we have a shallow experience of salvation and sanctification, we mistake the shadow for the reality when God disciplines us. We say, “Oh, that must be the voice of the devil.”

Never quench the Spirit, and do not despise him when he says to you, “Do not be blind about this thing anymore. You aren’t where you thought you were. Up until now I haven’t been able to reveal it to you, but I reveal it now.” When the Spirit disciplines you like this, let him have his way. Let him get you rightly related to God.

“Do not lose heart when he rebukes you.” We get into a bad mood with God and say, “Oh well, I can’t help it. I prayed about it, and it still didn’t turn out right. I’m through trying.” Think what would happen if we took this attitude about anything else in life!

Am I prepared to let God grip me by his power and do a work in me that is worthy of him? Sanctification isn’t my idea of what I want God to do for me; it’s God’s idea of what he wants to do for me. God has to bring me to the attitude of mind and spirit where I will let him sanctify me wholly, no matter the cost.

Psalms 89-90; Romans 14

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Crises reveal character. When we are put to the test the hidden resources of our character are revealed exactly. 

Disciples Indeed, 393 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Friday, August 14, 2026

The Hole in Your Heart - #10330

Scripture:  John 4:13-14

Our friend had a medical procedure to repair what the doctor called "a hole in her heart." Then he told her that everyone is born with a hole in their heart. That got my attention. Really? I called a longtime friend of mine who is a highly experienced and respected heart surgeon. He told me that before we are born, there's a hole that is this passageway for blood to enter our pre-natal heart. In most people, and I'm glad I'm most people, the hole heals up within a few days after birth. But for a few, it doesn't go away, and it really needs to be repaired.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Hole in Your Heart."

So everyone is born with a hole in their heart. Not just physically, but spiritually. But unlike that physical hole in your heart, the spiritual one doesn't go away unless you let the greatest physician of all fill that hole.

That spiritual hole in our heart keeps letting us know that it's there through the loneliness that no relationship seems to remove. The emptiness that never goes away for very long, no matter what we do to fill up our life. The "what's it all for?" questions about life that make everything seem so ultimately meaningless. It's like there's this voice inside us that seems to be saying, "Something's missing." We keep thinking the next relationship will be what we're missing, or the next thrill, or the next accomplishment, the next spiritual experience, the next "toy," the next milestone. But every time we get to the top of the hill we think has what we've been looking for, we find there's another hill to climb.

After a while, we assume that this hollowness inside, this hole in our heart is just how it is. The Bible describes King Solomon as the richest and wisest man of his time. And he had the resources to do it all. Here's his conclusion: "I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." But just accepting that hole in your heart is ultimately deadly. It needs to be treated. It needs to be healed by the only One big enough to fill that hole in your heart; the God who made you to belong to Him. The brilliant physicist Blaise Pascal concluded that "inside every man is a God-shaped vacuum."

The hole in your heart is there to tell you that you really need God and that He isn't there because of something that makes it impossible for God to live there - all the sinning you and I have done; all the wrong things. Until that's forgiven and removed, the God you were made for has to remain outside.

In John 4:13-14, our word for today from the Word of God, Jesus is at a well, talking with a woman who has tried to fill the hole in her heart with one relationship after another. Jesus says to her, and to you, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst ... the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

Wow, those words, "Thirsty again" - that's the hole in our heart. "Never thirst" - well, that's the hole in our heart finally filled as Jesus erases every sin of your life with His amazing forgiveness. He can do that because He did all the dying for all the sinning you've ever done. It's paid for. Which means your heart can be clean today and the God of the universe can finally move in; your lifetime search over. But you have to reach out to Jesus. You've got to tell Him that you're done driving your life, and that you're trusting completely in His death for your sin.

Would you tell Him today, "Jesus, you made me. You've got me. You paid for me with your life on the cross. I'm yours." He's alive. He walked out of his grave. He can walk into your life right now.

You know, there's great information about how to be sure you belong to Him at our website. I want you to see it, check it out today. It's ANewStory.com.

Haven't you lived long enough without the One you were made for. You don't have to live without Him one more day.

Psalm 101, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THE ENEMY OF THE SAINT - August 13, 2026

The prophet Elijah was headline news in the nation. He was also a sitting duck for a big head. So, in a preemptive measure, God led him to a creek where Elijah would be utterly dependent upon a brook for water and some birds for food.

The enemy of the saint is pride. We must fight it like the foe it is. Take note of your “hat size.” Are you getting a big head? Then volunteer for menial tasks—wash dishes, sweep floors.

You are loved but not indispensable. You are God’s child but not God’s golden child. You have a place in God’s plan, but you are not essential to God’s plan. The smaller we are, the more room there is for God.

Unbreakable Courage

Psalm 101

A David Psalm

1–8  101 My theme song is God’s love and justice,

and I’m singing it right to you, God.

I’m finding my way down the road of right living,

but how long before you show up?

I’m doing the very best I can,

and I’m doing it at home, where it counts.

I refuse to take a second look

at corrupting people and degrading things.

I reject made-in-Canaan gods,

stay clear of contamination.

The crooked in heart keep their distance;

I refuse to shake hands with those who plan evil.

I put a gag on the gossip

who bad-mouths his neighbor;

I can’t stand

arrogance.

But I have my eye on salt-of-the-earth people—

they’re the ones I want working with me;

Men and women on the straight and narrow—

these are the ones I want at my side.

But no one who traffics in lies

gets a job with me; I have no patience with liars.

I’ve rounded up all the wicked like cattle

and herded them right out of the country.

I purged God’s city

of all who make a business of evil.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, August 13, 2026

by John Blase

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Acts 22:12-16

“And that’s when I met Ananias, a man with a sterling reputation in observing our laws—the Jewish community in Damascus is unanimous on that score. He came and put his arm on my shoulder. ‘Look up,’ he said. I looked, and found myself looking right into his eyes—I could see again!

14–16  “Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has hand-picked you to be briefed on his plan of action. You’ve actually seen the Righteous Innocent and heard him speak. You are to be a key witness to everyone you meet of what you’ve seen and heard. So what are you waiting for? Get up and get yourself baptized, scrubbed clean of those sins and personally acquainted with God.’

Today's Insights

Why do we believe the apostle Paul had no children? We can infer this from what the Bible tells us about him. By his own admission, it seems he didn’t have a wife (1 Corinthians 9:5). And prior to his conversion to Christ, he’d been a law-abiding Pharisee “zealous for God” (Acts 22:3). It’s highly unlikely that such a law-keeper would have children outside of marriage. It’s possible that Paul may have been married and then widowed, but there’s no indication of this in Scripture. In addition, he strongly implies that he has the gift of singleness (1 Corinthians 7:7). Twice he refers to “my true son” in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2; Titus 1:4). But “son” refers to spiritual children he introduced to Jesus and then discipled, not to physical progeny. Today, we can ask God to help us share our faith with the children and others that God places in our path.

Jesus’ Witness

You will be [Jesus’] witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. Acts 22:15

I’ve heard it said, “We can’t make our children believe. We can only give our children reason to believe what we believe.” That’s a wise observation—but how do we do it?

Of all people to take parenting advice from, the apostle Paul is seldom the first choice. It’s likely that he had no children. Parents often prefer to hear from someone who’s been there, done that, someone who knows about sleepless infants, the storms of puberty, and how it feels to pray for a prodigal. Yet Paul (or Saul) has something to teach us here.

Saul had been on his way to persecute Christians when Christ intervened. This man fell to the ground, blinded (Acts 9:1-9). Soon he was visited by Ananias, who restored his sight and explained his mission: “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard” (22:14-15). Saul, later called Paul, did witness, and God gave him a quiverful of spiritual offspring. His “parenting approach” was to share what he’d seen, and to pray.

Whether parenting our own children or interacting with others, we can’t make them believe. Rather, we witness with our words and lives as to what we’ve seen and heard. And we pray. Our God, who sent Paul to the gentiles, sends us with the same instruction: Witness so they may believe. Then entrust them to our Father, who loves them.

Reflect & Pray

What children are in your sphere of influence? How might you share your faith with them?

Heavenly Father, may our children believe in You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, August 13, 2026

Do Not Quench the Spirit

Do not quench the Spirit. — 1 Thessalonians 5:19

The voice of the Spirit is as gentle as a zephyr, so gentle that unless you are living in perfect communion with God, you never hear it. The checks of the Spirit come in the most extraordinarily gentle ways, and if you are not sensitive enough to detect them, you will quench the Spirit, and your personal spiritual life will be harmed. His checks always come as a still small voice, so small that no one but the saint notices.

When you give testimony about your relationship with the Spirit, beware if you find yourself having to look back and say, “Once, many years ago, I was saved . . .” If you are walking in the light, there’s no need to reminisce. The past is transfused into the present wonder of communion with God. If you stop walking in the light in the present moment, you will become a sentimental Christian, living on memories of feelings. A hard, metallic note will creep into your testimony. Beware of trying to patch up a present refusal to walk in the light by recalling past experiences when you did. Whenever the Spirit warns you that something isn’t right, call a halt and rectify the situation, or else you will go on hurting him without knowing it.

Suppose God has brought you to a crisis, and you nearly go through it, but not quite. God will engineer the crisis again, but it won’t be as clear and as sharp to you as it was before. You will have less discernment from God and more humiliation at not having obeyed the first time. Go on grieving his Spirit, and a time will come when the crisis cannot be repeated, because you will have grieved the Spirit away.

Never sympathize with the thing that is grieving God. The thing must go; God has to hurt it until it does.

Psalms 87-88; Romans 13 

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

We begin our Christian life by believing what we are told to believe, then we have to go on to so assimilate our beliefs that they work out in a way that redounds to the glory of God. The danger is in multiplying the acceptation of beliefs we do not make our own.

Conformed to His Image, 381 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, August 13, 2026

Desperate for An Answer - #10329

Scripture:  Matthew 5:6

Sometimes I wish it were in my power to get every church youth group in America to go on a missions trip. Something unusual happens when some all-American kids suddenly get plunged into another culture to do some work in Jesus' name. It does something for the people they go to help, but I think it does more for the kids who are doing the helping. I heard a local youth group report on their trip to Mexico. Basically they had all of their support stripped away from them while they were there. It was a language they weren't accustomed to, the money was different, they didn't have the comforts they were used to, they had some spiders hanging over them as they slept at night which they for the most part don't have at home. They had unfamiliar food. The customs were things they weren't used to.

The result on these mission trips is pretty predictable. All of a sudden, kids who never have devotions are up early in the morning on a rock with a Bible somewhere. Kids who have always thought prayer was boring are saying, "Let's pray!" What they learn several thousand miles from home is something you may need to learn right where you are today.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Desperate for An Answer."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Matthew 5:6. You might recognize this as being in what's called The Beatitudes, Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. He says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." I think Jesus is describing spiritual health here in terms similar to what we do when we talk about physical health - appetite. How's your appetite? And He is talking about people who say, "I'm hungry for the Lord; I'm thirsty for the Lord. I need more of You, Lord. I need You!"

Those kids on that missionary trip are learning a valuable lesson. With all of their usual dependencies stripped away, they find out that you know the Lord when you need the Lord. Maybe that's why third-world Christians have so much more power in their lives, and have so much more revival in their experience than we do. They don't have all of the props we do, and it seems that those who know the Lord the best are those who need Him the most.

We dig deeply into the Lord when the bottom drops out. I'm sure you have. I have. And then, once things have stabilized, we tend to return to our old props. We tend to return to a casual Christianity instead of this desperately dependent but very rich faith. The fact is we desperately need the Lord every day, not just when the bottom drops out. We're as needy as the people in the third world. We shouldn't be confused because we've got internet, and movies, and concerts, and church services, and homes and all these other support structures. We just don't cling to Him because we're surrounded by so many other resources.

Do we have to wait for all our resources to be stripped away before we learn how much we need our Lord? Do we have to be starving to death before we get to be hungry for more of Him? "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. They will be filled." See what we're missing because we haven't acknowledged how much we need Him?

Even now, why don't you ask the Lord (it's kind of a strange prayer), "Lord, make me desperate for You." He'd rather do it without trauma and without tragedy. Ask Him to give you a new hour-by-hour sense of your desperate need for Him; an hour-by-hour dependency; the child on his Heavenly Father. And then live today as if God is your only hope, not just one of your many resources. When you need the Lord desperately, you get to know Him deeply.

John 19:23-42, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: ABSORB SPIRITUAL POWER - August 12, 2026

A person with no input from God has the vibrancy of Shafter Lake. It languishes a few miles west of my West Texas hometown. Envision a brackish mud puddle the size of a football field. Unlike true lakes, Shafter has no pure source. No river fills to flows through it. Gas, oil, and saltwater puddle and fume. Not a pleasant sight. The lake without an entrance or exit stinks.

So does the life with no divine source. Hence the invitation of Jesus. “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.  Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way” (John 7:37-38 MSG).

Like a plant absorbs light from the sun, the believer absorbs spiritual power from the divine.

Unbreakable Courage

John 19:23-42

When they crucified him, the Roman soldiers took his clothes and divided them up four ways, to each soldier a fourth. But his robe was seamless, a single piece of weaving, so they said to each other, “Let’s not tear it up. Let’s throw dice to see who gets it.” This confirmed the Scripture that said, “They divided up my clothes among them and threw dice for my coat.” (The soldiers validated the Scriptures!)

24–27  While the soldiers were looking after themselves, Jesus’ mother, his aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene stood at the foot of the cross. Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her. He said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that moment the disciple accepted her as his own mother.

28  Jesus, seeing that everything had been completed so that the Scripture record might also be complete, then said, “I’m thirsty.”

29–30  A jug of sour wine was standing by. Someone put a sponge soaked with the wine on a javelin and lifted it to his mouth. After he took the wine, Jesus said, “It’s done … complete.” Bowing his head, he offered up his spirit.

31–34  Then the Jews, since it was the day of Sabbath preparation, and so the bodies wouldn’t stay on the crosses over the Sabbath (it was a high holy day that year), petitioned Pilate that their legs be broken to speed death, and the bodies taken down. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first man crucified with Jesus, and then the other. When they got to Jesus, they saw that he was already dead, so they didn’t break his legs. One of the soldiers stabbed him in the side with his spear. Blood and water gushed out.

35  The eyewitness to these things has presented an accurate report. He saw it himself and is telling the truth so that you, also, will believe.

36–37  These things that happened confirmed the Scripture, “Not a bone in his body was broken,” and the other Scripture that reads, “They will stare at the one they pierced.”

38  After all this, Joseph of Arimathea (he was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, because he was intimidated by the Jews) petitioned Pilate to take the body of Jesus. Pilate gave permission. So Joseph came and took the body.

39–42  Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus at night, came now in broad daylight carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. They took Jesus’ body and, following the Jewish burial custom, wrapped it in linen with the spices. There was a garden near the place he was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. So, because it was Sabbath preparation for the Jews and the tomb was convenient, they placed Jesus in it.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

By Nancy Gavilanes

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Matthew 28:16-20

 Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshiped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.

18–20  Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

Today's Insights

Matthew 28:16-20, which includes the Great Commission to “go and make disciples of all nations,” is one of several texts with similar wording. Mark 16:15 says to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” Luke 24:47 states that “repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” In John 20:21, Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And Acts 1:8 says, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

As soon as the Holy Spirit was sent on the Day of Pentecost (see Luke 24:49; Acts 2), these early believers in Christ immediately began obeying the Great Commission. Today, we’re invited to continue the mission of telling the good news to everyone everywhere.

Precious Parting Words

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19

My friend José was in hospice care. He’d been alert and talkative during my prior visit but a week later was now frail and speechless. I sat with José and his family anyway, hoping my presence would mean something to them. At the end of what would be my final visit, I was the last one in the room with him. I finally stood and slowly headed to the door but stopped and turned around one last time to say, “Love you,” not expecting a response. There I saw José moving his lips. He was mouthing the words “love you” in return.

A person’s parting words can leave a lasting impression. As Jesus was getting ready to return to His Father in heaven after His sacrificial death and resurrection, He assured His disciples that all authority on heaven and earth belonged to Him (Matthew 28:18). And He left them with this lasting charge or Great Commission, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (vv. 19-20). Christ also assured His followers that He would always be with them (v. 20).

Jesus’ parting words are for us today too. May we embrace His call to tell others about Him so they can experience His love and forgiveness, live for Him, and enjoy eternal life with Him in heaven. His message is too good not to share with people of all nations.

Reflect & Pray

How do Jesus’ parting words touch you? Who can you share Him with today?

Dear Jesus, please help me to share Your good news with others.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

The Theology of Rest

You of little faith, why are you so afraid? — Matthew 8:26

When we are afraid, it’s easy to find ourselves praying the elementary panic prayers of those who don’t know God. But Jesus says we should never be afraid. Our Lord has a right to expect that those who name his name will rest in perfect confidence in him. God expects his children to have such faith that they are the reliable ones in any crisis, yet many of us tend to trust God only up to a point. We’re like the disciples who were in the boat with Jesus when the storm arose: we get to our wits’ end, convinced that God is asleep and that we’re going to drown (Matthew 8:24–25). When we think like this, we show God that we don’t have the slightest bit of confidence in him, nor in his governing of the world.

“He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm” (v. 26). What a pang of remorse must have shot through the disciples when they realized that, instead of relying on their Lord, they’d failed him. And what a pang will go through us when we realize that we could have produced joy in the heart of Jesus by remaining absolutely confident in him, no matter what lay ahead.

There are times in life without storms or crises, times when doing our human best is enough. But when a crisis comes, we reveal instantly on whom we rely. If we’ve been learning to worship God and to trust him, the crisis will reveal that we can go to the breaking point without breaking our confidence in him.

God’s will is that we reach a place of perfect rest, a place of oneness with him. When we are one with God, we will be not only blameless in his sight but a deep joy to him.

Psalms 84-86; Romans 12

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

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

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, August 12, 2026

No Such Thing as Mission Impossible - #10328

Scripture:  Acts 9:3

"Good morning, Mr. Phelps." If you were a fan of the old school classic TV series, "Mission: Impossible," you would know those words always began a riveting adventure. Jim Phelps was the head of all the Mission Impossible Force before all the big movies, you know. He would listen to this tape, outlining this assignment that seemed, well, impossible. Key word–seemed. And even in more modern times when it's not a tape anymore, and when it's Tom Cruise who's doing Mission: Impossible, it's still sort of the same idea. You begin building a team of specialists, you concoct this elaborate, perfectly-timed plan to do what couldn't be done, and every time they get it done.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "No Such Thing as Mission Impossible."

That's the conclusion you reached after watching that show for a while. For them, there's just no such thing as mission impossible. That's great fantasy stuff. It's a much greater reality when it comes to rescue missions undertaken by the One of whom the Bible says, "For with God, nothing shall be impossible" (Luke 1:37). That might be important for you to know right now, because there's a person in your life that seems beyond His reach. Well, wait a minute! There's no such person.

The living proof of that is our word for today from the Word of God. Saul, the man leading the crusade to eradicate the early Christians. He is on the way from Jerusalem to Damascus to round up more of those hated believers. Acts 9:3 says, "As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?' 'Who are You, Lord?' Saul asked. 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting...'"

After this dramatic encounter with Jesus, the Bible says, "Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind..." You probably know that this persecutor of Jesus' followers will ultimately become the greatest proclaimer of Jesus in the world; the world-changing Apostle Paul.

I cannot imagine anyone in the world of the early Christians whom they would have considered a greater "mission impossible." But there's no such thing when it comes to God, including that person in your life who seems to be so hard, so far from God, so antagonistic, so impossible to get through to. In fact, maybe you've almost stopped believing, stopped seeking opportunities to point them in Jesus' direction. Maybe you've even stopped praying very much for them.

Please, don't stop going to God on their behalf. Ask God, "Lord, do whatever it takes within Your will to get through to their heart." That's a powerful prayer...the "whatever it takes" prayer. He may have to knock them off their high horse, as He did Paul. He may have to bring them to a position where they're helpless, as He did with Saul. He may have to show up dramatically in front of them, but Jesus didn't die for them just to give up on them now.

As you pray, this very moment, Jesus the ultimate Mission Impossible Man, is moving people, He's moving events to bring someone you love face to face with Him. You may not even be here for the answer to your prayers, but God has this promise for you in Galatians 6:9, "we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Mission Impossible? For Jesus, there's no such thing.