Psalm 62 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: More Than Conquerors

God spoke. Joshua listened and Israel’s Glory Days began. The Jordan River opened up and Jericho’s walls fell down. Evil was booted, and hope was rebooted. Joshua 21:43 says, “So the Lord gave to Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give to their fathers, and they took possession of it. The Lord gave them rest all around…not a man of all their enemies stood against them!”

Perhaps you need a new season. You don’t need to cross the Jordan River, but you need to get through the week. You aren’t facing Jericho, but you are facing rejection or heartache. The story of Joshua dares us to believe God has a Promised Land for us to take! It’s not real estate, but a real state of the heart and mind! A Promised Land…a promised land life!

From Glory Days

Psalm 62
For Jeduthun, the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 I wait quietly before God,
    for my victory comes from him.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will never be shaken.
3 So many enemies against one man—
    all of them trying to kill me.
To them I’m just a broken-down wall
    or a tottering fence.
4 They plan to topple me from my high position.
    They delight in telling lies about me.
They praise me to my face
    but curse me in their hearts. Interlude
5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God,
    for my hope is in him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress where I will not be shaken.
7 My victory and honor come from God alone.
    He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me.
8 O my people, trust in him at all times.
    Pour out your heart to him,
    for God is our refuge. Interlude
9 Common people are as worthless as a puff of wind,
    and the powerful are not what they appear to be.
If you weigh them on the scales,
    together they are lighter than a breath of air.
10 Don’t make your living by extortion
    or put your hope in stealing.
And if your wealth increases,
    don’t make it the center of your life.
11 God has spoken plainly,
    and I have heard it many times:
Power, O God, belongs to you;
12     unfailing love, O Lord, is yours.
Surely you repay all people
    according to what they have done.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, September 02, 2015

Read: Genesis 11:1-9

The Tower of Babel
11 At one time all the people of the world spoke the same language and used the same words. 2 As the people migrated to the east, they found a plain in the land of Babylonia[a] and settled there.

3 They began saying to each other, “Let’s make bricks and harden them with fire.” (In this region bricks were used instead of stone, and tar was used for mortar.) 4 Then they said, “Come, let’s build a great city for ourselves with a tower that reaches into the sky. This will make us famous and keep us from being scattered all over the world.”

5 But the Lord came down to look at the city and the tower the people were building. 6 “Look!” he said. “The people are united, and they all speak the same language. After this, nothing they set out to do will be impossible for them! 7 Come, let’s go down and confuse the people with different languages. Then they won’t be able to understand each other.”

8 In that way, the Lord scattered them all over the world, and they stopped building the city. 9 That is why the city was called Babel,[b] because that is where the Lord confused the people with different languages. In this way he scattered them all over the world.

Footnotes:

11:2 Hebrew Shinar.
11:9 Or Babylon. Babel sounds like a Hebrew term that means “confusion.”

INSIGHT:
Genesis 11 holds a pivotal place in the early Old Testament story, as it forms something of a bridge from the days of the early patriarchs (Adam, Seth, Noah) to the days of Abraham. In Genesis 1–10 we find not only the creation narrative but also the record of humanity’s early failures, which are proof we need the Rescuer that God promised in Genesis 3:15. This promise will find its ultimate fulfillment through the line of Abraham—in Jesus the Messiah—through whom all the people of the world will be blessed (22:18).  Bill Crowder

The Babel Project

By Mart DeHaan

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1

Two workmen were asked what they were building together. One said he was building a garage. The other replied that he was building a cathedral. A day later there was only one man laying bricks. When asked where the second was, the first replied, “Oh, he got fired. He insisted on building a cathedral instead of a garage.”

Something similar happened on the ancient worksite of Babel. A group of people decided they would build a city and a tower that would reach to the heavens and unite their world (Gen. 11:4). But God didn’t want them working on a grand, self-centered plan based on the idea that they could rise to the heights of God and solve all of their own problems. So He came down, stopped the project, scattered the people “over all the earth,” and gave them different languages (vv. 8-9).

God wants us to see Him as the solution to our problems.
God wanted people to see Him as the solution to their problems, and He revealed His plan for them to Abraham (12:1-3). Through the faith of Abraham and his descendants, He would show the world how to look for a city “whose architect and builder is God” (Heb. 11:8-10).

Our faith does not rise out of our own dreams and solutions. The foundation of faith is in God alone and what He can do in and through us.

Dear heavenly Father, forgive me for focusing on my own schemes and dreams. Help me to look to You for guidance in all that I do.

God wants to do what only He can do in and for us.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, September 02, 2015
A Life of Pure and Holy Sacrifice

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

Jesus did not say, “He who believes in Me will realize all the blessings of the fullness of God,” but, in essence, “He who believes in Me will have everything he receives escape out of him.” Our Lord’s teaching was always anti-self-realization. His purpose is not the development of a person— His purpose is to make a person exactly like Himself, and the Son of God is characterized by self-expenditure. If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain but what He pours through us that really counts. God’s purpose is not simply to make us beautiful, plump grapes, but to make us grapes so that He may squeeze the sweetness out of us. Our spiritual life cannot be measured by success as the world measures it, but only by what God pours through us— and we cannot measure that at all.

When Mary of Bethany “broke the flask…of very costly oil…and poured it on [Jesus’] head,” it was an act for which no one else saw any special occasion; in fact, “…there were some who…said, ‘Why was this fragrant oil wasted?’ ” (Mark 14:3-4). But Jesus commended Mary for her extravagant act of devotion, and said, “…wherever this gospel is preached…what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her” (Mark 14:9). Our Lord is filled with overflowing joy whenever He sees any of us doing what Mary did— not being bound by a particular set of rules, but being totally surrendered to Him. God poured out the life of His Son “that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). Are we prepared to pour out our lives for Him?

“He who believes in Me…out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”— and hundreds of other lives will be continually refreshed. Now is the time for us to break “the flask” of our lives, to stop seeking our own satisfaction, and to pour out our lives before Him. Our Lord is asking who of us will do it for Him?

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Beware of bartering the Word of God for a more suitable conception of your own.  Disciples Indeed, 386 R


A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, September 02, 2015

When Your World Is Too Small - #7473

If you've been to Disneyland or Disney World, you've probably experienced an attraction called Small World. You get in this little boat and you're propelled along this winding canal where you're surrounded by animated dolls from every conceivable area of the world. They're all children: French children, Eskimo children, Arab children, Indian children, American children, children from Mexico. You get the idea. And these animated children are singing to you It's a Small World After All. Don't you want to sing it with me? I'm not going to. You say, "Ron, those lyrics are monotonous." You're right! You hear it about fifty times! It's really cute when they first start singing. And those songs are okay for a little while. But by the time you hear it over and over, you're sick and tired of a small, small world.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "When Your World Is Too Small."

You may have never been on the Small World ride, but you still might be sick of a small, small world. You might be living in one and not even realize it. We do realize it's a world of frustration, negative thinking, sameness, and monotony. That's the small world. It's called the world of "me". It's a world of self-focused living.

God addresses this inwardly focused kind of living in our word for today from the Word of God, 2 Corinthians 5:15. In a selfie world, it's a great scripture to read. "Christ's love compels us. He died for all that those who live should no longer live for themselves." That's supposed to be the radical affect of Christ coming into your life. Radical because it reverses the way we've been thinking since we were babies. At that time, we expected the whole world to revolve around our needs. "Time for me to eat. Time for me to burp. Time for me to wake up." No thought for how it's affecting everybody around you. We were just totally focused on ourselves.

We're older now, but the baby still wants attention to be on me; wanting my needs to be taken care of, wanting my agenda to be carried out, wanting my issues to be dealt with, wanting my way. In fact, most researchers agree that a lot of us in several generations are really into ourselves.

There are two factors that can make you a pretty self-focused person. One is busyness. "I'm just too busy to think about the needs beyond my backyard. The other factor is pain. "I've been a victim and I'm hurting too much to be aware of what's happening to other people." Look at Jesus' example. No one had more to do in a lifetime than He did. You talk about busy! But He was constantly stopping for others, constantly forgetting himself to meet the needs of others.

No one has ever carried more pain than Jesus did. All the grief of all the sins of all the world, of you and of me, yet even during the agony of His crucifixion Jesus is caring about the needs of His Mother, of his friend, John. He's caring for the eternity of the thief next to Him. He's even caring about the people who crucified Him.

When you invite Jesus into your life, it's this Jesus you get. And He wants you to be like Him. Not self-focused. A world that's only as big as you are is a world that's too small to live in. Jesus invites you to break out, to start finding the needs around you and doing something about them, to focus on others instead of yourself, to find your life, as He said, by giving it away. Not to lose your life by hanging onto it.

This selfless Jesus, who poured out His life for you, the Bible says that when you make Him the center of your life, you open the door for Him to come in and change you, you become a new creation in Christ. And that old selfish "me" starts to die. You start to become part of the answer. You start to become someone who is making other people feel important instead of being about how important you are. It begins at His cross; a transformation you could never effect in yourself.

I invite you to consider beginning that relationship with Jesus today if you never have. He loved you enough to die for you. He's powerful enough to change you. If you want to begin that relationship, go to our website ANewStory.com. Or you can text us at 442-244-WORD.

Jesus died so we no longer live for ourselves. You been in a small, small world long enough? Then follow Jesus into the big life you were made for.

Psalm 61 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: The Promised Land

God has a promised land for you to take!

I sat across the table from a man in midlife misery. He described his life with words like stuck, rut, and stalled. He’s a Christian. But he can’t tell you the last time he defeated a temptation or experienced an answered prayer. Twenty years into his faith he fights the same battles he was fighting the day he came to Christ. It’s as if the door to spiritual growth has a lock and everyone has the key but him.

Joshua 21:43 says, “So the Lord gave Israel all the land of which He had sworn to give. . .and they took possession of it and dwelt in it.”

The promised land! God’s vision for your life. Yours for the taking. Expect to be challenged. The enemy won’t go down without a fight. But your glory days await you!

From Glory Days

Psalm 61

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

1 O God, listen to my cry!
    Hear my prayer!
2 From the ends of the earth,
    I cry to you for help
    when my heart is overwhelmed.
Lead me to the towering rock of safety,
3     for you are my safe refuge,
    a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me.
4 Let me live forever in your sanctuary,
    safe beneath the shelter of your wings! Interlude
5 For you have heard my vows, O God.
    You have given me an inheritance reserved for those who fear your name.
6 Add many years to the life of the king!
    May his years span the generations!
7 May he reign under God’s protection forever.
    May your unfailing love and faithfulness watch over him.
8 Then I will sing praises to your name forever
    as I fulfill my vows each day.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, September 01, 2015

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:12-26

One Body with Many Parts
12 The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. 13 Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,[a] some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.[b]

14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?

18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. 19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”

22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.

Footnotes:

12:13a Greek some are Greeks.
12:13b Greek we were all given one Spirit to drink.

Age Is Not a Factor

By Julie Ackerman Link

If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. 1 Corinthians 12:26

After owning and working at his dental lab for 50 years, Dave Bowman planned to retire and take it easy. Diabetes and heart surgery confirmed his decision. But when he heard about a group of young refugees from Sudan who needed help, he made a life-changing decision. He agreed to sponsor five of them.

As Dave learned more about these young Sudanese men, he discovered that they had never been to a doctor or a dentist. Then one day in church someone mentioned the verse, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (1 Cor. 12:26). He couldn’t get the verse out of his mind. Sudanese Christians were suffering because they needed medical care, and Dave sensed that God was telling him to do something about it. But what?

Despite his age and bad health, Dave began exploring the possibility of building a medical center in Sudan. Little by little, God brought together the people and the resources, and in 2008 Memorial Christian Hospital opened its doors to patients. Since then, hundreds of sick and injured people have been treated there.

Memorial Christian Hospital stands as a reminder that God cares when people suffer. And often He works through people like us to share His care—even when we think our work is done.

Do you see a need that God may be calling you to meet? Pray and ask Him to help you step out in faith.

Share your response to this question on facebook.com/ourdailybread or odb.org

God cares when people suffer.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, September 01, 2015

Destined To Be Holy

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

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

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

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

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

An intellectual conception of God may be found in a bad vicious character. The knowledge and vision of God is dependent entirely on a pure heart. Character determines the revelation of God to the individual. The pure in heart see God. Biblical Ethics, 125 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, September 01, 2015

Fighting the Right Battles - #7472

When our children were young, my wife and I toured the Civil War Battlefield at Gettysburg. And then, years later, we visited it again and Chad, one of our team members, was with us. My wife and Chad are both from "the South", so my wife enjoyed this trip to Gettysburg more than the previous one, because you've got two Confederates versus one Yank there. I was outnumbered. We had a pretty memorable time retracing the battle across those hills and those fields where a lot of our nation's future was decided.

Now, we didn't reenact any of the battles, I'm glad to say. But we did stand there thoughtfully on some pretty unexceptional pieces of ground that contained the battles on those three violent days in 1863: Little Round Top, Culp's Hill, Devil's Den, the Wheatfield. It was amazing to realize that so much was riding on the combat choices made by the commanding officers. Some of their judgments have brought them praise over the years, and others have brought criticism. Of course we've got perfect hindsight now on the battles. But it's obvious that some of the choices that decided the battles were about which ground to fight for. Some thought the ground that didn't matter much was worth fighting for. Others fought for ground that turned out to be very worth the fight.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Fighting the Right Battles."

It's a military fact that choosing the right battleground and avoiding the ground that doesn't matter can determine the outcome of the battle. And that's not just military battles. Choosing which battles to fight may determine how well you fare on the battlefield you're on right now.

Listen to our word for today from the Word of God, 2 Samuel 5:18. David is facing the Philistines. And now it says this: "Now the Philistines had come and spread out, and David inquired of the Lord, 'Shall I go out and attack the Philistines? Will You hand them over to me?' The Lord answered him, 'Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you.'"

They came another time. Verse 22, "Once more the Philistines came and David inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered, 'Do not go straight up.'" Now, what we're looking at here is a major secret of David's success. He checked with the Lord to see if this was a battle God wanted him to fight. That's a good idea for you and me too.

Parenting, for example. Parents are people who really need this kind of discernment. Because of our concern for our kids, we have a tendency to fight every battle. We try to get everything right in their life. The problem is we lose our ability to decide which ground is worth the battle and which ground isn't. An effective parent doesn't start fighting over every issue that comes along. You've got to let some of them go, and you save your ammunition for the battles that really count.

As a mom or dad, it's smart to follow David's victory plan; check with the Lord to see if He wants you to fight that particular battle. Parents who are constantly trying to fix their kids make their kids immune to that. When you make every issue a major battle, their ears, their hearts turn hard; they're closed when you're trying to address a real issue. So choose your battleground. Not all the ground is strategic ground worth fighting for.

This battlefield discernment can make the difference with a husband or wife, too. You know, deal with the issues that really matter. Those are the ones you can confront. Don't start shooting over every issue. Sometimes just bite your tongue or your mate won't be listening when it really, really matters.

Friends with friends, leaders with those that are leading, we all need to do this daily and ask, "Lord, is this a battle I should get into or not?" And even when it comes to our work for the Lord, we need to look at every opportunity in light of this leading. "Lord, I know this is a great opportunity, but is this a battle you want me in? I can't fight them all. Is this one for me or not?

If you don't prayerfully choose your battleground, your forces are strung out over so many battles; your ammunition is firing at so many targets you're not going to win. Save yourself to fight for the strategic ground. Hold your fire for the battles that Jesus wants you to fight.

John 13:1-20 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: The Prize is Yours

Imagine you’re an ice skater in competition. You’re in first place, one more round to go. The medal almost yours. Then just before your performance, your coach rushes up with the thrilling news: “You’ve won! The judges tabulated the scores and the person in second place can’t catch you. You’re too far ahead.” How will you feel? Exhilarated! And how will you skate? How about courageously and confidently? The prize is yours!

The Book of Hebrews says, “Therefore since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus. . .let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith” (Heb. 10:22). The point is clear: the truth will triumph. The Father of truth will win, and the followers of truth will be saved!

So skate away, my friend! Skate away!

From The Applause of Heaven

John 13:1-20

Jesus Washes His Disciples’ Feet
13 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end.[a] 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas,[b] son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”

7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.”

8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!”

Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.”

9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”

10 Jesus replied, “A person who has bathed all over does not need to wash, except for the feet,[c] to be entirely clean. And you disciples are clean, but not all of you.” 11 For Jesus knew who would betray him. That is what he meant when he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

12 After washing their feet, he put on his robe again and sat down and asked, “Do you understand what I was doing? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, because that’s what I am. 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. 16 I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. 17 Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.

Jesus Predicts His Betrayal
18 “I am not saying these things to all of you; I know the ones I have chosen. But this fulfills the Scripture that says, ‘The one who eats my food has turned against me.’[d] 19 I tell you this beforehand, so that when it happens you will believe that I am the Messiah.[e] 20 I tell you the truth, anyone who welcomes my messenger is welcoming me, and anyone who welcomes me is welcoming the Father who sent me.”

Footnotes:

13:1 Or he showed them the full extent of his love.
13:2 Or the devil had already intended for Judas.
13:10 Some manuscripts do not include except for the feet.
13:18 Ps 41:9.
13:19 Or that the ‘I am’ has come; or that I am the Lord; Greek reads that I am. See Exod 3:14.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Monday, August 31, 2015

Read: Luke 9:57-62

The Cost of Following Jesus
57 As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”

59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”

The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”

60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead![a] Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”

61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”

62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Footnotes:

9:60 Greek Let the dead bury their own dead.

INSIGHT:
Although large crowds followed Jesus wherever He went (Luke 5:15; 8:42; 9:11; 14:25), Jesus knew that not all who followed Him were genuine disciples (John 6:66). Jesus taught often of the radical commitment needed if we want to follow Him. We are to love Him above all else, even our own life (Mark 10:17-22; Luke 9:23-27). In today’s passage, Jesus warns that following Him may not be easy and comfortable. It requires precedence over all other relationships, a single-minded focus, wholehearted pursuit, and an undivided commitment (vv. 59-62). God in His great mercy has given every believer the Holy Spirit to help us live a life that is pleasing to Him. Sim Kay Tee

Don’t Delay

By Lawrence Darmani

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

For many years I spoke to my distant cousin about our need of a Savior. When he visited me recently and I once again urged him to receive Christ, his immediate response was: “I would like to accept Jesus and join the church, but not yet. I live among people of other faiths. Unless I relocate, I will not be able to practice my faith well.” He cited persecution, ridicule, and pressure from his peers as excuses to postpone his decision.

His fears were legitimate, but I assured him that whatever happened, God would not abandon him. I encouraged my cousin not to delay but to trust God for care and protection. He gave up his defenses, acknowledged his need of Christ’s forgiveness, and trusted Him as his personal Savior.

Committing your life to Jesus is a decision worth making.
When Jesus invited people to follow Him, they too offered excuses—all about being busy with the cares of this world (Luke 9:59-62). The Lord’s answer to them (vv. 60-62) urges us not to let excuses deprive us of the most important thing in life: the salvation of our souls.

Do you hear God calling you to commit your life to Him? Do not delay. “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).

Come to the Savior, make no delay—here in His Word He’s shown us the way; here in our midst He’s standing today, tenderly saying, “Come!” George F. Root

Today is the day of salvation.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, August 31, 2015

“My Joy…Your Joy”

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

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

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

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

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

We must keep ourselves in touch, not with theories, but with people, and never get out of touch with human beings, if we are going to use the word of God skilfully amongst them.  Workmen of God, 1341 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, August 31, 2015

Easy Come, Easy Go Friends - #7471

I always think I look healthier with a suntan, which means I don't look very healthy most of the time. And most of the time my suntan turns out to be a sunburn anyway. Now, the doctors are telling us that all that exposure to the sun probably makes us less healthy, even if we look healthier, because it's increasing the risks of skin cancer. But even without those warnings, I think that hours of trying to get a tan - for me at least - are pretty much a waste of time. Oh, I change color, but I have I guess what you would call easy come, easy go skin. In other words, I pick up the sun very quickly, but the color also fades very quickly. And in no time, it's taking me back to my usual shade of office white. The color that I get so easily either fades away quickly or just falls off. Actually, there are people like that too.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Easy Come, Easy Go Friends."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Matthew 26, and then from chapter 27 where we read about Judas Iscariot; one of the tragic figures of the Bible and his really tragic experience with friendship. Chapter 26, verse 14 says, "Then one of the 12 - the one called Judas Iscariot - went to the chief priests and asked, 'What are you willing to give me if I hand Him (being Jesus) over to you?' So they counted out for him thirty silver coins." They were pretty quick to accept that offer, huh?

Well, then we go to chapter 27 after the deed has been done. Notice what happens to these easy come friends. "When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders. 'I have sinned,' he said, 'for I have betrayed innocent blood.' 'What is that to us?' they replied. 'That's your responsibility!' So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself."

Do you see the reaction of Judas' sinful friends? They immediately accepted him when he wanted to do sinful things with them. And I'm sure he felt all warm and accepted, and it was profitable for him. But notice the ending of the story. When he didn't play by their rules any more, they said, "Forget you, Judas." That's how it is with sinful friends. They're easy come-easy go. That's still true today. The easiest crowd to be accepted in anywhere is the crowd that's doing wrong together. They'll take you in right away.

Maybe you've drifted into some friendships yourself that are dragging you down right now, because they were easy to get into. They take you as you are. See, people won't say "yes" to Christ many times because they're afraid of losing those kind of friends. If you want to see how committed they are to you, go against what they're doing. Stop doing those wrong things with them. I think you'll find if you say to them, "I care about you guys, but I can't do what we've been doing together any more" you'll see how fast that you're "out" with them. "Forget you, buddy!" They didn't care for you; they cared to have someone else to sin with. You thought you were going to lose some friends, and you found out they weren't friends to lose in the first place.

See, rebellion needs company. The crowds that don't like Jesus, they want more people with them. They feel better the more people are siding with them and doing what they do. But they're a fickle bunch. And all that may be tying you together with those friends right now is sort of a sin pact. It's a mistake to choose easy come, easy go friends over the Savior who will never turn His back on you even when you're rebelling against Him.

Maybe these friends have become the major deciding factor in your choices, whether they're at work, or at school. Whether they're people that you hunt with, fish with, recreate with, or at the gym with. But they've become a major deciding factor in what you do or don't do.

Why don't you cultivate friendships where Christ is the glue, not where sin is the glue. Be smarter than Judas. Don't pin your hopes on people who will drop you as quickly as they accepted you.

Psalm 58 , Bible reading and devotions.

Max Lucado Daily: God Keeps His Promises

God keeps His promises. Shouldn't God's promise-keeping inspire yours?
People can exhaust you. And there are times when all we can do is not enough. When a spouse chooses to leave, we can't force him or her to stay. You're tired.  You're angry.  You're disappointed. This isn't the marriage you expected or the life you wanted. But looming in your past is a promise you made.
Whatever that is, may I urge you to do all you can to keep it?  To give it one more try? Why should you? So you can understand the depth of God's love. When you love the unloving, you get a glimpse of what God does everyday for you and me.
When you keep the porch light on for the prodigal child, you do what God does every single moment. Pay attention, take notes on your struggles. God  invites you to understand His love by loving others the way he does.
from Facing Your Giants

Psalm 58
For the choir director: A psalm[a] of David, to be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”

1 Justice—do you rulers[b] know the meaning of the word?
    Do you judge the people fairly?
2 No! You plot injustice in your hearts.
    You spread violence throughout the land.
3 These wicked people are born sinners;
    even from birth they have lied and gone their own way.
4 They spit venom like deadly snakes;
    they are like cobras that refuse to listen,
5 ignoring the tunes of the snake charmers,
    no matter how skillfully they play.
6 Break off their fangs, O God!
    Smash the jaws of these lions, O Lord!
7 May they disappear like water into thirsty ground.
    Make their weapons useless in their hands.[c]
8 May they be like snails that dissolve into slime,
    like a stillborn child who will never see the sun.
9 God will sweep them away, both young and old,
    faster than a pot heats over burning thorns.
10 The godly will rejoice when they see injustice avenged.
    They will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 Then at last everyone will say,
    “There truly is a reward for those who live for God;
    surely there is a God who judges justly here on earth.”
Footnotes:

58:Title Hebrew miktam. This may be a literary or musical term.
58:1 Or you gods.
58:7 Or Let them be trodden down and wither like grass. The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Sunday, August 30, 2015

Read: Acts 17:10-13

Paul and Silas in Berea
10 That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. 12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.

13 But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and stirred up trouble.

INSIGHT:
The book of Acts is largely concerned with the beginnings of the Christian church and specifically with the conversion and subsequent missionary efforts of Paul. Today’s short passage underscores the fact that the gospel is open to all. In verse 12 Luke specifically mentions Greek men and women among those who believed at Berea. Because Paul was teaching in a Jewish synagogue (v. 10), this is a remarkable statement about the universal offer of salvation. J.R. Hudberg

Verify the Truth

By Dave Branon

[The Bereans] searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Acts 17:11

“A deadly jungle spider has migrated to the US and is killing people.” This was the story sent to me and to others on my friend’s email list. The story sounded plausible—lots of scientific names and real-life situations. But when I checked it out on reliable websites, I found it was not true—it was an Internet hoax. Its truth could only be verified by consulting a trusted source.

A group of first-century believers living in Macedonia understood the importance of confirming what they were hearing. The folks in Berea “received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). They were listening to Paul, and wanted to make sure what he was saying lined up with the teachings of the Old Testament. Perhaps he was telling them that there was evidence in the Old Testament that the Messiah would suffer and die for sin. They needed to verify that with the source.

When we hear spiritual ideas that disturb us, we need to be cautious. We can search the Scriptures for ourselves, listen to trustworthy sources, and seek wisdom from Jesus, our Lord.

Please give us discernment, Lord, to accept only truth that is rooted in Your Word. We praise You for preserving the inspired Scriptures for us—now help us to use them to seek You.


For help in understanding and applying the Bible, read A Message for All Time at discoveryseries.org/hp142

God’s truth stands any test.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, August 30, 2015

Usefulness or Relationship?

Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. —Luke 10:20

Jesus Christ is saying here, “Don’t rejoice in your successful service for Me, but rejoice because of your right relationship with Me.” The trap you may fall into in Christian work is to rejoice in successful service— rejoicing in the fact that God has used you. Yet you will never be able to measure fully what God will do through you if you do not have a right-standing relationship with Jesus Christ. If you keep your relationship right with Him, then regardless of your circumstances or whoever you encounter each day, He will continue to pour “rivers of living water” through you (John 7:38). And it is actually by His mercy that He does not let you know it. Once you have the right relationship with God through salvation and sanctification, remember that whatever your circumstances may be, you have been placed in them by God. And God uses the reaction of your life to your circumstances to fulfill His purpose, as long as you continue to “walk in the light as He is in the light” (1 John 1:7).

Our tendency today is to put the emphasis on service. Beware of the people who make their request for help on the basis of someone’s usefulness. If you make usefulness the test, then Jesus Christ was the greatest failure who ever lived. For the saint, direction and guidance come from God Himself, not some measure of that saint’s usefulness. It is the work that God does through us that counts, not what we do for Him. All that our Lord gives His attention to in a person’s life is that person’s relationship with God— something of great value to His Father. Jesus is “bringing many sons to glory…” (Hebrews 2:10).

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The attitude of a Christian towards the providential order in which he is placed is to recognize that God is behind it for purposes of His own.  Biblical Ethics, 99 R

Psalm 55, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Standing on His Promises

We come to Christ in an hour of deep need. We realize that all the good works in the world are puny when laid before the Perfect One. So we beg for help. Then we hear his voice; and step out in fear, hoping that our little faith will be enough. With precious, wobbly steps, we draw close to him.
We stand upon his promises. It doesn't make sense that we're able to do this. We don't claim to be worthy of such an incredible gift. When people ask how in the world we can keep our balance during such stormy times, we don't boast. We point to the One who makes it possible. "Nothing in my hand I bring; Simply to They cross I cling," we sing. "Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved," we declare. And we never look back! May that be the anthem of your life.
From In the Eye of the Storm

Psalm 55
For the choir director: A psalm[a] of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

1 Listen to my prayer, O God.
    Do not ignore my cry for help!
2 Please listen and answer me,
    for I am overwhelmed by my troubles.
3 My enemies shout at me,
    making loud and wicked threats.
They bring trouble on me
    and angrily hunt me down.
4 My heart pounds in my chest.
    The terror of death assaults me.
5 Fear and trembling overwhelm me,
    and I can’t stop shaking.
6 Oh, that I had wings like a dove;
    then I would fly away and rest!
7 I would fly far away
    to the quiet of the wilderness. Interlude
8 How quickly I would escape—
    far from this wild storm of hatred.
9 Confuse them, Lord, and frustrate their plans,
    for I see violence and conflict in the city.
10 Its walls are patrolled day and night against invaders,
    but the real danger is wickedness within the city.
11 Everything is falling apart;
    threats and cheating are rampant in the streets.
12 It is not an enemy who taunts me—
    I could bear that.
It is not my foes who so arrogantly insult me—
    I could have hidden from them.
13 Instead, it is you—my equal,
    my companion and close friend.
14 What good fellowship we once enjoyed
    as we walked together to the house of God.
15 Let death stalk my enemies;
    let the grave[b] swallow them alive,
    for evil makes its home within them.
16 But I will call on God,
    and the Lord will rescue me.
17 Morning, noon, and night
    I cry out in my distress,
    and the Lord hears my voice.
18 He ransoms me and keeps me safe
    from the battle waged against me,
    though many still oppose me.
19 God, who has ruled forever,
    will hear me and humble them. Interlude
For my enemies refuse to change their ways;
    they do not fear God.
20 As for my companion, he betrayed his friends;
    he broke his promises.
21 His words are as smooth as butter,
    but in his heart is war.
His words are as soothing as lotion,
    but underneath are daggers!
22 Give your burdens to the Lord,
    and he will take care of you.
    He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
23 But you, O God, will send the wicked
    down to the pit of destruction.
Murderers and liars will die young,
    but I am trusting you to save me.
Footnotes:

55:Title Hebrew maskil. This may be a literary or musical term.
55:15 Hebrew let Sheol.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Saturday, August 29, 2015

Read: Psalm 18:31-36

For who is God except the Lord?
    Who but our God is a solid rock?
32 God arms me with strength,
    and he makes my way perfect.
33 He makes me as surefooted as a deer,
    enabling me to stand on mountain heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle;
    he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
35 You have given me your shield of victory.
    Your right hand supports me;
    your help[a] has made me great.
36 You have made a wide path for my feet
    to keep them from slipping.
Footnotes:

18:35 Hebrew your humility; compare 2 Sam 22:36.

INSIGHT:
Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote of Psalm 18: “It should be observed that the words of this song were not composed with the view of gratifying the taste of men, but were spoken unto Jehovah. It were well if we had a more single eye to the honour of the Lord in our singing. . . . That praise is little worth which is not directed solely and heartily to the Lord. David might well be thus direct in his gratitude, for he owed all to his God, and in the day of his deliverance he had none to thank but the Lord, whose right hand had preserved him. We too should feel that to God and God alone we owe the greatest debt of honor and thanksgiving.” Bill Crowder

Baby Steps

By Keila Ochoa

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer. —Psalm 18:33 niv

My baby is learning to walk. I have to hold her, and she clings to my fingers because she is still unsteady on her feet. She is afraid of slipping, but I’m there to steady her and watch over her. As she walks with my help, her eyes sparkle with gratitude, happiness, and security. But sometimes she cries when I don’t let her take dangerous paths, not realizing that I am protecting her.

Like my baby girl, we often need someone to watch over us, to guide and steady us in our spiritual walk. And we have that someone—God our Father—who helps His children learn to walk, guides our steps, holds our hand, and keeps us on the right path.

God keeps our feet steady & catches us when we slip.
King David knew all about the need for God’s watchful care in his life. In Psalm 18 he describes how God gives us strength and guidance when we are lost or confused (v. 32). He keeps our feet steady, like the feet of the deer that can climb high places without slipping (v. 33). And if we do slip, His hand is there for us (v. 35).

Whether we are new believers just learning to walk in the faith or we are further along in our walk with God, all of us need His guiding, steadying hand.

Dear Father, hold my hand and lead me in the paths of right living.

God watches over me every step of the way.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, August 29, 2015

The Unsurpassed Intimacy of Tested Faith

Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?" —John 11:40

Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint, will flatly contradict your faith. But common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural life and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture out with courage on the words of Jesus Christ, while the realities of your commonsense life continue to shout, “It’s all a lie”? When you are on the mountaintop, it’s easy to say, “Oh yes, I believe God can do it,” but you have to come down from the mountain to the demon-possessed valley and face the realities that scoff at your Mount-of-Transfiguration belief (see Luke 9:28-42). Every time my theology becomes clear to my own mind, I encounter something that contradicts it. As soon as I say, “I believe ‘God shall supply all [my] need,’ ” the testing of my faith begins (Philippians 4:19). When my strength runs dry and my vision is blinded, will I endure this trial of my faith victoriously or will I turn back in defeat?

Faith must be tested, because it can only become your intimate possession through conflict. What is challenging your faith right now? The test will either prove your faith right, or it will kill it. Jesus said, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” Matthew 11:6). The ultimate thing is confidence in Jesus. “We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end…” (Hebrews 3:14). Believe steadfastly on Him and everything that challenges you will strengthen your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith up to the point of our physical death, which is the last great test. Faith is absolute trust in God— trust that could never imagine that He would forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5-6).

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The great word of Jesus to His disciples is Abandon. When God has brought us into the relationship of disciples, we have to venture on His word; trust entirely to Him and watch that when He brings us to the venture, we take it.  Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 1459 R

Psalm 53, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Only the Meek Will See

A small cathedral outside Bethlehem marks the supposed birthplace of Jesus. Behind the altar is a cave, a little cavern lit by silver lamps. You can enter the main edifice and admire the ancient church. You can also enter the quiet cave where a star embedded in the floor recognizes the birth of the King. There is one stipulation, however. You have to stoop. The door is so low you can't possibly go in standing up.
The same is true of the Christ. You can see the world standing tall, but to witness the Savior, you have to get on your knees. So while theologians consulted their commentaries, and the elite were looking around to see who was watching, the successful checking their calendars, the meek were kneeling. They were kneeling in front of Jesus. May God find you doing the same.
From The Applause of Heaven

Psalm 53

For the choir director: A meditation; a psalm[a] of David.

1 Only fools say in their hearts,
    “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
    not one of them does good!
2 God looks down from heaven
    on the entire human race;
he looks to see if anyone is truly wise,
    if anyone seeks God.
3 But no, all have turned away;
    all have become corrupt.[b]
No one does good,
    not a single one!
4 Will those who do evil never learn?
    They eat up my people like bread
    and wouldn’t think of praying to God.
5 Terror will grip them,
    terror like they have never known before.
God will scatter the bones of your enemies.
    You will put them to shame, for God has rejected them.
6 Who will come from Mount Zion to rescue Israel?
    When God restores his people,
    Jacob will shout with joy, and Israel will rejoice.
Footnotes:

53:Title Hebrew According to mahalath; a maskil. These may be literary or musical terms.
53:3 Greek version reads have become useless. Compare Rom 3:12.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Friday, August 28, 2015

Read: Hebrews 3:1-6

Jesus Is Greater Than Moses
3 And so, dear brothers and sisters who belong to God and[a] are partners with those called to heaven, think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger[b] and High Priest. 2 For he was faithful to God, who appointed him, just as Moses served faithfully when he was entrusted with God’s entire[c] house.

3 But Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses, just as a person who builds a house deserves more praise than the house itself. 4 For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God.

5 Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later. 6 But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ.[d]

Footnotes:

3:1a Greek And so, holy brothers who.
3:1b Greek God’s apostle.
3:2 Some manuscripts do not include entire.
3:6 Some manuscripts add faithful to the end.

INSIGHT:
The book of Hebrews was written to encourage Jewish Christians who were facing persecution and hardship for their faith and who were now in danger of drifting away and reverting back to Judaism. The writer warns them against abandoning Christ (2:1-3; 3:7-15; 6:4-6; 10:26-31) and presents the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus as Savior. Jesus is superior to the angels (chs. 1–2), to Moses (chs. 3–4), and to the Aaronic priesthood (chs. 5–7), and He is the perfect High Priest (chs. 8–10). In today’s passage Moses is compared with Christ. While Moses was one of God’s most faithful servants, Jesus is far greater than Moses because Jesus is God’s Son (vv. 5-6). Sim Kay Tee

Disappointing Heroes
By Tim Gustafson

Think carefully about this Jesus whom we declare to be God’s messenger and High Priest. —Hebrews 3:1 nlt

A recent book that puts a fictional flavor on a slice of US history portrays Old West gunslingers Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday as shiftless bums. In an interview with National Public Radio, the author said of the real Earp, “He didn’t do anything remarkable his whole life, ever.” Through the years, in books and Hollywood movies, they’ve become heroes. Yet reputable historical accounts show that they were not.

In contrast, the Bible is full of flawed people who became real heroes. But don’t lose sight of the vital source of their heroic actions. The object of their faith was God, who chooses flawed human beings for His remarkable purposes.

As biblical heroes go, Moses stands tall. We tend to forget that he was a murderer and a reluctant leader who once directed a rant at God: “Why are you treating me, your servant, so harshly?” he demanded. “What did I do to deserve the burden of all these people? Did I give birth to them?” (Num. 11:11-12 nlt).

How very human of Moses! And yet Hebrews reminds us: “Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later” (Heb. 3:5 nlt).

Real heroes point to the Hero who never disappoints. “Jesus deserves far more glory than Moses” (v. 3 nlt).

Lord, thank You for being the only Hero we can rely on without fail. Help us not to conceal our flaws and mistakes, but to give them to You. We trust You to use us for Your good purpose.

Looking for someone who won’t disappoint you? Look to Jesus.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, August 28, 2015

The Purpose of Prayer

…one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray…" —Luke 11:1

Prayer is not a normal part of the life of the natural man. We hear it said that a person’s life will suffer if he doesn’t pray, but I question that. What will suffer is the life of the Son of God in him, which is nourished not by food, but by prayer. When a person is born again from above, the life of the Son of God is born in him, and he can either starve or nourish that life. Prayer is the way that the life of God in us is nourished. Our common ideas regarding prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.

“Ask, and you will receive…” (John 16:24). We complain before God, and sometimes we are apologetic or indifferent to Him, but we actually ask Him for very few things. Yet a child exhibits a magnificent boldness to ask! Our Lord said, “…unless you…become as little children…” (Matthew 18:3). Ask and God will do. Give Jesus Christ the opportunity and the room to work. The problem is that no one will ever do this until he is at his wits’ end. When a person is at his wits’ end, it no longer seems to be a cowardly thing to pray; in fact, it is the only way he can get in touch with the truth and the reality of God Himself. Be yourself before God and present Him with your problems— the very things that have brought you to your wits’ end. But as long as you think you are self-sufficient, you do not need to ask God for anything.

To say that “prayer changes things” is not as close to the truth as saying, “Prayer changes me and then I change things.” God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things. Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person’s inner nature.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

There is no condition of life in which we cannot abide in Jesus. We have to learn to abide in Him wherever we are placed.  Our Brilliant Heritage, 946 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, August 28, 2015
So Big, So Far, So Do-able - #7470

Each winter certain parts of America get hammered, of course, with monster snow storms. And when it's our turn, we all have stories about how we survived the winter of whatever year.

But no one has a story like a Norwegian explorer Børge Ousland. I never met him, so I hope I got it right. But for 64 days he saw little more than white. He was the first person to cross the continent of Antarctica alone and unaided. It took him 64 days to cover a frozen 1,675 miles. He actually harnessed Antarctica's fierce winds by strapping himself to a parachute-like sail. Get this! And with the winds in his favor, he could ski as much as 140 miles a day. All the while, he towed a sled carrying more than 300 pounds of supplies; enduring monotony and temperatures that dipped under 40 below.

After his incredible journey, Ousland talked about the huge mental challenge of facing seemingly endless fields of snow. You know how he did it? In his own words, "It's so big and so far, you have to keep concentrating on the near future and make every day a victory." Wow!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "So Big, So Far, So Do-able."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Matthew 6:25 and following. "Do not worry about your life" Jesus said, "Look at the birds of the air. They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Do not worry saying, 'What shall we eat? What shall we drink? What shall we wear?' Your Heavenly Father knows you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Jesus' orders here are pretty clear; He says them three times. Did you get them? "Do not worry." What makes us worry? Things that are, I guess in the words of that Antarctica explorer, "So big, so far." In fact right now you might be facing a situation like that, maybe several of them. They look as huge as the vast expanse of Antarctica must have looked to that explorer.

You're looking at and maybe worrying about an overwhelming challenge in your finances, or your family, it could be your health, or huge responsibilities you have right now, or a relationship. But your anxiety is contributing absolutely nothing to managing the situation. If anything, worry is actually paralyzing you or distorting your judgment or robbing you of the energy that you need for this challenge.

Listen to the teaching of your Master, "Don't keep dragging your tomorrows into today." Worry is trying to live your tomorrow before you get there; before you have the grace for that day that God only issues in 24-hour increments. Jesus is saying, "Just do today."

Now, that's how one man handled the seemingly endless winter of his Antarctic journey. He said, "You have to keep concentrating on the near future" - like today. He said, "Make every day a victory." That's how you deal with parenting when it's taking everything you've got. It's how you beat a sin that has beaten you for a long time. It's how you dig your way out of a mountain of debt. It's how you manage the unmanageable. Make every day a victory.

And on those days that don't exactly turn out to be victorious, put that day behind you and start fresh on that next new day. Remember, the Bible says, "His mercies are new every morning." When you stop worrying about tomorrow and you focus on today, and you focus on your Heavenly Father who knows everything you need, what seems so big and so far becomes so do-able.

John 12:27-50 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: God Makes His Point

There are certain things everyone knows not to do. You don't try to lasso a tornado. You don't fight a lion with a toothpick. You don't sneeze into the wind. You don't go bear hunting with a cork gun. And you don't send a shepherd boy to battle a giant. You don't, that is, unless you're out of options. Saul was. And it's when we're out of options that we are most ready for God's surprises.
Was Saul ever surprised! The king tried to give David some equipment. What do you want, boy? Shield? Sword? Grenades? Rifles? A helicopter?" David had something else in mind. Five smooth stones and an ordinary leather sling. The soldiers gasped. Saul sighed. Goliath jeered. David swung. And God made His point. Anyone who underestimates what God can do with the ordinary has rocks in his head!
From The Applause of Heaven

John 12:27-50 New Living Translation (NLT)

27 “Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But this is the very reason I came! 28 Father, bring glory to your name.”

Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, “I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again.” 29 When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him.

30 Then Jesus told them, “The voice was for your benefit, not mine. 31 The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. 32 And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.” 33 He said this to indicate how he was going to die.

34 The crowd responded, “We understood from Scripture[a] that the Messiah would live forever. How can you say the Son of Man will die? Just who is this Son of Man, anyway?”

35 Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. 36 Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.”

After saying these things, Jesus went away and was hidden from them.

The Unbelief of the People
37 But despite all the miraculous signs Jesus had done, most of the people still did not believe in him. 38 This is exactly what Isaiah the prophet had predicted:

“Lord, who has believed our message?
    To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?”[b]
39 But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said,

40 “The Lord has blinded their eyes
    and hardened their hearts—
so that their eyes cannot see,
    and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
    and have me heal them.”[c]
41 Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory. 42 Many people did believe in him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue. 43 For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.

44 Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. 45 For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. 46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. 47 I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. 48 But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken. 49 I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50 And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”

Footnotes:

12:34 Greek from the law.
12:38 Isa 53:1.
12:40 Isa 6:10.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Thursday, August 27, 2015

Read: 1 Corinthians 9:19-27

 Even though I am a free man with no master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ. 20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law. 21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law,[a] I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.

22 When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some. 23 I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.

24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

Footnotes:

9:21 Greek those without the law.

INSIGHT:
To illustrate his unwavering resolve to preach the gospel to as many people as possible (1 Cor. 9:18-23), Paul used two athletic metaphors—a runner who keeps his eye on the finish line, and the targeted and precise punches of a boxer. These examples picture the passion, focus, commitment, dedication, and hard work needed to carry out his resolve. In 2 Timothy 4:7-8, Paul used the same two metaphors. While athletes compete to win a prize bestowed by men, Paul sought to win an eternal crown awarded by Jesus. Faithful believers will receive various types of crowns as their reward (2 Tim. 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Peter 5:4; Rev. 2:10). J.R. Hudberg

Purpose in Routine
By David McCasland

I run with purpose in every step. —1 Corinthians 9:26 nlt

A rolling-ball clock in the British Museum struck me as a vivid illustration of the deadening effects of routine. A small steel ball traveled in grooves across a tilted steel plate until it tripped a lever on the other side. This tilted the plate back in the opposite direction, reversed the direction of the ball and advanced the clock hands. Every year, the steel ball traveled some 2,500 miles back and forth, but never really went anywhere.

It’s easy for us to feel trapped by our daily routine when we can’t see a larger purpose. The apostle Paul longed to be effective in making the gospel of Christ known. “I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air” (1 Cor. 9:26 niv). Anything can become monotonous—traveling, preaching, teaching, and especially being confined in prison. Yet Paul believed he could serve Christ his Lord in every situation.

Routine becomes lethal when we can’t see a purpose in it. Paul’s vision reached beyond any limiting circumstance because he was in the race of faith to keep going until he crossed the finish line. By including Jesus in every aspect of his life, Paul found meaning even in the routine of life.

And so can we.

Lord, give us renewed vision and energy to pursue the goal of making Christ known in the midst of our daily routine.

Jesus can transform our routine into meaningful service for Him.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, August 27, 2015

Living Your Theology

Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you… —John 12:35

Beware of not acting upon what you see in your moments on the mountaintop with God. If you do not obey the light, it will turn into darkness. “If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matthew 6:23). The moment you forsake the matter of sanctification or neglect anything else on which God has given you His light, your spiritual life begins to disintegrate within you. Continually bring the truth out into your real life, working it out into every area, or else even the light that you possess will itself prove to be a curse.

The most difficult person to deal with is the one who has the prideful self-satisfaction of a past experience, but is not working that experience out in his everyday life. If you say you are sanctified, show it. The experience must be so genuine that it shows in your life. Beware of any belief that makes you self-indulgent or self-gratifying; that belief came from the pit of hell itself, regardless of how beautiful it may sound.

Your theology must work itself out, exhibiting itself in your most common everyday relationships. Our Lord said, “…unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). In other words, you must be more moral than the most moral person you know. You may know all about the doctrine of sanctification, but are you working it out in the everyday issues of your life? Every detail of your life, whether physical, moral, or spiritual, is to be judged and measured by the standard of the atonement by the Cross of Christ.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

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

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, August 27, 2015

The Drumbeat of a Satisfied Life - #7469

Some people get a lot of recognition at their high school graduation. I got a lot of recognition at my graduation practice. We were out on this athletic field. I still remember it was a beautiful June day. We were lined up in alphabetical order like we would be at commencement. Now, the idea is to march up to the platform in step to the familiar strains of the traditional graduation march "Pomp and Circumstance."

Sounds easy enough, right? Sure! I was listening to the same music as everyone else; I just had my own original cadence. All I can remember from that commencement rehearsal is the faculty coordinator yelling, "Hutchcraft, will you please get in step!" Life is tough for klutzes.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Drumbeat of a Satisfied Life."

That cry that echoes from my graduation practice is actually a voice every one of us hears throughout our lifetime, "Will you please get in step!" It comes from your friends, your family, your culture, your coworkers, your boss; generally from the people you want to please. "Would you get in step?"

Now, the tune I heard that day in high school was the tune I should have been marching to. The tune you're being asked to march to by your world may very well be a tune you should not get in step with, even though the whole class seems to be marching to it.

Our word for today from the Word of God, Romans 12:2. It follows God's command to respond to His love by offering "your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper worship." Then verse 2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world," (Okay, that's the tune most people are marching to.), "but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

God says, "I've got a different beat for you to march to; a better beat." And what happens when you march to the beat of the heavenly drummer? It says, "Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is; His good, pleasing and perfect will." Living in God's will? Well, that's the goal of every serious Jesus follower. It's the best, the most pleasing, it's the most perfect way you can spend your years on planet earth.

But there's another beat, often much louder than the beat of God's way of living. And most of the people around you, they're in step with it, often even other believers. But conforming to what we can call the world beat will ultimately cause you to miss how you were born to live and what you were born to be. It's called God's will.

Look, I know you feel the pressure to conform to what the important people in your world expect you to be and expect you to do. The world beat tells you what you have to do to in order to have friends, to get ahead, to be their definition of success, you've got to do what they say is fun, what they say is normal. The world beat says divorce is okay if things get tough. Sex is okay without a lifetime commitment. Security is a good job, a good income, money in the bank.

And then along comes the radical beat of the Lord Jesus, who's got a totally different definition of success, of security, of fun, of cool, of commitment, of love. And as you spend time with this Jesus in His love letter, the Bible, He renews your mind and replaces the cadence of "world think" with His better beat - "eternity think". What's going to be there forever - live for that.

Maybe you are missing the will of God right now because you've not taken a risk to leave the beat everyone around you says you should march to. And they're shouting to you, "Will you please get in step!" All the while, your Savior is whispering to your heart, "Will you please get in step with Me?"

Isn't it time you stepped out and you start marching to the beat that you were created to follow?

Psalm 41, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: What Matters is Who God Is

When God announced Moses was to deliver the Israelites, Moses wasn't convinced! God demonstrated that who Moses was didn't matter. What mattered was who God was.
"Moses," spoke the voice from the bush, "throw down your staff" (Exodus 4:3).
God you may not know…well, you don't go around throwing down your staff. You never know when. . .
"Throw it down."
When the rod became a snake, Moses began to run.
"Moses! Pick it up by the tail."
God, out here, well, you don't pick up snakes too often and never by the tail.
"Moses!"
Yessir!
As Moses touched the squirmy scales, it hardened. Moses lifted up the rod-the same rod he would lift up to divide the water and guide two million people through the desert. If God can do something with stubborn hearts and a stiff-necked people. . .he can do something with the common!
From The Applause of Heaven

Psalm 41

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor!
    The Lord rescues them when they are in trouble.
2 The Lord protects them
    and keeps them alive.
He gives them prosperity in the land
    and rescues them from their enemies.
3 The Lord nurses them when they are sick
    and restores them to health.
4 “O Lord,” I prayed, “have mercy on me.
    Heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
5 But my enemies say nothing but evil about me.
    “How soon will he die and be forgotten?” they ask.
6 They visit me as if they were my friends,
    but all the while they gather gossip,
    and when they leave, they spread it everywhere.
7 All who hate me whisper about me,
    imagining the worst.
8 “He has some fatal disease,” they say.
    “He will never get out of that bed!”
9 Even my best friend, the one I trusted completely,
    the one who shared my food, has turned against me.
10 Lord, have mercy on me.
    Make me well again, so I can pay them back!
11 I know you are pleased with me,
    for you have not let my enemies triumph over me.
12 You have preserved my life because I am innocent;
    you have brought me into your presence forever.
13 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who lives from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and amen!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Read: Proverbs 18:1-8, 20-21

18 Unfriendly people care only about themselves;
    they lash out at common sense.
2 Fools have no interest in understanding;
    they only want to air their own opinions.
3 Doing wrong leads to disgrace,
    and scandalous behavior brings contempt.
4 Wise words are like deep waters;
    wisdom flows from the wise like a bubbling brook.
5 It is not right to acquit the guilty
    or deny justice to the innocent.
6 Fools’ words get them into constant quarrels;
    they are asking for a beating.
7 The mouths of fools are their ruin;
    they trap themselves with their lips.
8 Rumors are dainty morsels
    that sink deep into one’s heart.

Proverbs 18:20-21New Living Translation (NLT)

20 Wise words satisfy like a good meal;
    the right words bring satisfaction.
21 The tongue can bring death or life;
    those who love to talk will reap the consequences.

INSIGHT:
The Insight for August 4 discussed two Hebrew poetic devices that mark Jewish poetry. In Proverbs 18 we see another poetic device, synonymous parallelism, which repeats the same thing in a similar way. Proverbs 18:20 is an example of this. “Fruit of his mouth” parallels “produce of his lips,” while “shall be satisfied” lines up with “shall be filled.” As you read through the proverbs, see if you can find other examples of synonymous parallelism. Bill Crowder

The Power of Words

By Marvin Williams

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21

Nelson Mandela, who opposed the South African apartheid regime and was imprisoned for almost 3 decades, knew the power of words. He is often quoted today, but while in prison his words could not be quoted for fear of repercussion. A decade after his release he said: “It is never my custom to use words lightly. If 27 years in prison have done anything to us, it was to use the silence of solitude to make us understand how precious words are, and how real speech is in its impact on the way people live and die.”

King Solomon, author of most of the Old Testament book of Proverbs, wrote often about the power of words. He said, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Prov. 18:21). Words have the potential to produce positive or negative consequences (v. 20). They have the power to give life through encouragement and honesty or to crush and kill through lies and gossip. How can we be assured of producing good words that have a positive outcome? The only way is by diligently guarding our hearts: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (4:23 niv).

Jesus can transform our hearts so that our words can truly be their best—honest, calm, appropriate, and suitable for the situation.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Our words have the power to build up or tear down.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Are You Ever Troubled?

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you… —John 14:27

There are times in our lives when our peace is based simply on our own ignorance. But when we are awakened to the realities of life, true inner peace is impossible unless it is received from Jesus. When our Lord speaks peace, He creates peace, because the words that He speaks are always “spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). Have I ever received what Jesus speaks? “…My peace I give to you…”— a peace that comes from looking into His face and fully understanding and receiving His quiet contentment.

Are you severely troubled right now? Are you afraid and confused by the waves and the turbulence God sovereignly allows to enter your life? Have you left no stone of your faith unturned, yet still not found any well of peace, joy, or comfort? Does your life seem completely barren to you? Then look up and receive the quiet contentment of the Lord Jesus. Reflecting His peace is proof that you are right with God, because you are exhibiting the freedom to turn your mind to Him. If you are not right with God, you can never turn your mind anywhere but on yourself. Allowing anything to hide the face of Jesus Christ from you either causes you to become troubled or gives you a false sense of security.

With regard to the problem that is pressing in on you right now, are you “looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2) and receiving peace from Him? If so, He will be a gracious blessing of peace exhibited in and through you. But if you only try to worry your way out of the problem, you destroy His effectiveness in you, and you deserve whatever you get. We become troubled because we have not been taking Him into account. When a person confers with Jesus Christ, the confusion stops, because there is no confusion in Him. Lay everything out before Him, and when you are faced with difficulty, bereavement, and sorrow, listen to Him say, “Let not your heart be troubled…” (John 14:27).

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Am I learning how to use my Bible? The way to become complete for the Master’s service is to be well soaked in the Bible; some of us only exploit certain passages. Our Lord wants to give us continuous instruction out of His word; continuous instruction turns hearers into disciples.  Approved Unto God, 11 L


A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, August 26, 2015

A Broken Savior for Broken People - #7468

Maybe it's because my father-in-law was a corrections officer for a while, and I've heard his stories about the wasted lives behind prison bars. Whatever the reason, I've always admired the men who minister as prison chaplains. That's a tough ministry, but it's a ministry so desperately needed.

My friend Bill works as a prison chaplain. This particular incident he shared with me touched me then and touches me now. Bill had been visiting this cell block and as chaplain, he went out to the exercise yard for some fresh air. Three tough young inmates walked up to him and one said, "Hey, mister, are you broke?" Bill kind of fished around in his pocket and didn't find any money in there. And the inmate said, "It doesn't matter, man. Your money's no good in here anyway. Now, are you broke?" This time the inmate was insistent about it. Here's what he said, "Mister, don't try to minister to people in here if you ain't broke, because we all are."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "A Broken Savior for Broken People."

You don't have to go inside a prison to find people who are, in the words of that inmate, broke. There's so much pain today and so much heartache from broken things: broken families, broken health, a broken heart, and broken trust. You may be "broke" perhaps even in spite of a life that's successful and an outward image that's looking fine.

Now, our word for today from the Word of God, Hebrews 4:14, "Since we have a great High Priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess." Here Jesus is called High Priest. And we learn from the Old Testament that those are the ones who represented people to God. So Jesus is now our personal representative with God in heaven.

Let's say that young inmate could walk up to Jesus and ask, "Are you broke?" He would need to hear that next verse, verse 15. Here's what it says, "We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence." He's walked in our shoes. He's felt what we feel and we can come to Him with confidence.

We're coming to a Savior who has lived the feelings that we are bringing to Him. He knows what it is to be poor. He knows what it feels like to be turned on by your family; to be betrayed by someone very close. It all happened to Him. He knew what it was like to be lonely. He was all of those. This Savior knows our pain. He gets us! There are other people who could empathize. There are some counselors who can help you understand the pain, but only Jesus can carry your pain and begin to heal a lifetime of scars.

He says, "I came to bind up the broken hearted." But the great tragedy could be this: You're needlessly carrying all your hurt alone, because this Savior isn't your Savior, because you've never given yourself to Him. We're all the victims of people's sin, and we're sinners ourselves. Sin is our personal rebellion against our Creator saying, "God, you run the universe and I'll run me" because we're away from the One we were made by. We keep making choices that increase our pain.

But Jesus is saying to you today, "Why are you carrying that all alone? I died for you. Won't you let Me be your Savior? Let me pick up your pain. Let me begin to apply my love to your wounds."

Don't walk alone one more day. Let this be the day you let this Jesus start driving the life that He died for and that He made. You ready for Him to take over? You ready for Him to forgive what only He can forgive and heal what only He can heal? Well, then, why don't you tell Him that right now, "Jesus, I'm yours."

Our website can help you get there. It's ANewStory.com. I hope you'll check it out. Or you can actually text us at 442-244-WORD.

If a person says, "Jesus, I'm broke." Someone who's been broke can help you. You see that mangled body of Jesus on that blood-stained cross, and you see that the Son of God was broke so you don't have to be any more.

Psalm 40, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: God Dancing Amidst the Common

There's one word that describes the night Jesus came-ordinary. A beautiful night but nothing to keep a person awake. The sheep were ordinary. No fleece made of gold. No history makers. And the shepherds…peasants they were, probably wearing all the clothes they owned. You won't find their staffs in a museum or their writings in a library. They were nameless and simple. And were it not for a God who loves to hook an "extra" on the front of ordinary, the night might have gone unnoticed.
But God dances amidst the common. And that night He did a waltz. The black sky exploded with brightness The night was ordinary no more. The angel came in the night because that's when lights are best seen and most needed. God comes into the common for the same reason. His most powerful tools are the simplest.
From The Applause of Heaven

Psalm 40

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me,
    and he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the pit of despair,
    out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
    and steadied me as I walked along.
3 He has given me a new song to sing,
    a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see what he has done and be amazed.
    They will put their trust in the Lord.
4 Oh, the joys of those who trust the Lord,
    who have no confidence in the proud
    or in those who worship idols.
5 O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
    Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
    You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
    I would never come to the end of them.
6 You take no delight in sacrifices or offerings.
    Now that you have made me listen, I finally understand[a]—
    you don’t require burnt offerings or sin offerings.
7 Then I said, “Look, I have come.
    As is written about me in the Scriptures:
8 I take joy in doing your will, my God,
    for your instructions are written on my heart.”
9 I have told all your people about your justice.
    I have not been afraid to speak out,
    as you, O Lord, well know.
10 I have not kept the good news of your justice hidden in my heart;
    I have talked about your faithfulness and saving power.
I have told everyone in the great assembly
    of your unfailing love and faithfulness.
11 Lord, don’t hold back your tender mercies from me.
    Let your unfailing love and faithfulness always protect me.
12 For troubles surround me—
    too many to count!
My sins pile up so high
    I can’t see my way out.
They outnumber the hairs on my head.
    I have lost all courage.
13 Please, Lord, rescue me!
    Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
14 May those who try to destroy me
    be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
    be turned back in disgrace.
15 Let them be horrified by their shame,
    for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”
16 But may all who search for you
    be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
    repeatedly shout, “The Lord is great!”
17 As for me, since I am poor and needy,
    let the Lord keep me in his thoughts.
You are my helper and my savior.
    O my God, do not delay.

Footnotes:

40:6 Greek version reads You have given me a body. Compare Heb 10:5.


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Read: Romans 8:28-30

And we know that God causes everything to work together[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn[b] among many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

Footnotes:

8:28 Some manuscripts read And we know that everything works together.
8:29 Or would be supreme.

INSIGHT:
Romans 8:28 is often given as a promise to comfort and encourage those who are going through difficult and painful times. This promise is all-encompassing, for “all things” must include the good and the bad circumstances of life. It assures us that God is not absent and is sovereignly working in all things for our good. Although He may seem silent or even out of sight, nothing is ever wasted in the hands of God. The Old Testament equivalent of Romans 8:28 is Genesis 50:20: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good” (nlt). Romans 8:28 is a promise with a redemptive purpose, for God wants us “to become like his Son” (v. 29 nlt). Sim Kay Tee

When Things Don’t Go Well

By Lawrence Darmani

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

The first words that many people like to quote when misfortune hits are: “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28). But that’s hard to believe in hard times. I once sat with a man who had lost his third son in a row, and I listened as he lamented, “How can this tragedy work for my good?” I had no answer but to sit silently and mourn with him. Several months later, he was thankful as he said, “My sorrow is drawing me closer to God.”

Tough as Romans 8:28 may be to understand, countless testimonies give credence to the truth of it. The story of hymn writer Fanny Crosby is a classic example. The world is the beneficiary of her memorable hymns, yet what worked together for good was born out of her personal tragedy, for she became blind at the age of 5. At only age 8, she began to write poetry and hymns. Writing over 8,000 sacred songs and hymns, she blessed the world with such popular songs as “Blessed Assurance,” “Safe in the Arms of Jesus,” and “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior.” God used her difficulty to bring good for her and us and glory for Him.

God has good purposes and always remains with us.
When tragedy befalls us, it’s hard to understand how anything good can come from it, and we won’t always see it in this life. But God has good purposes and always remains with us.

What trial in your life have you found to be for your good? What good things have come from it? What are you now suffering that you pray will bring something good?

God always has good purposes for our trials.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Sacrifice and Friendship

I have called you friends… —John 15:15

We will never know the joy of self-sacrifice until we surrender in every detail of our lives. Yet self-surrender is the most difficult thing for us to do. We make it conditional by saying, “I’ll surrender if…!” Or we approach it by saying, “I suppose I have to devote my life to God.” We will never find the joy of self-sacrifice in either of these ways.

But as soon as we do totally surrender, abandoning ourselves to Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives us a taste of His joy. The ultimate goal of self-sacrifice is to lay down our lives for our Friend (see John 15:13-14). When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, our greatest desire is to lay down our lives for Jesus. Yet the thought of self-sacrifice never even crosses our minds, because sacrifice is the Holy Spirit’s ultimate expression of love.

Our Lord is our example of a life of self-sacrifice, and He perfectly exemplified Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do Your will, O my God….” He endured tremendous personal sacrifice, yet with overflowing joy. Have I ever yielded myself in absolute submission to Jesus Christ? If He is not the One to whom I am looking for direction and guidance, then there is no benefit in my sacrifice. But when my sacrifice is made with my eyes focused on Him, slowly but surely His molding influence becomes evident in my life (see Hebrews 12:1-2).

Beware of letting your natural desires hinder your walk in love before God. One of the cruelest ways to kill natural love is through the rejection that results from having built the love on natural desires. But the one true desire of a saint is the Lord Jesus. Love for God is not something sentimental or emotional— for a saint to love as God loves is the most practical thing imaginable.

“I have called you friends….” Our friendship with Jesus is based on the new life He created in us, which has no resemblance or attraction to our old life but only to the life of God. It is a life that is completely humble, pure, and devoted to God.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

We can understand the attributes of God in other ways, but we can only understand the Father’s heart in the Cross of Christ.  The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption, 558 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Going After God's MIA's - #7467

I met Gary when we were both working with our local high school football team. He was a coach. I was the football. No, actually I was sort of an unofficial chaplain for the team. Gary was basically a happy guy, pretty laid back. Until "they" come up in the conversation. "They" are the men who were prisoners of war or missing in action in the Vietnam War. When it came to the subject of the MIA's who had not been accounted for, Gary wasn't laid back anymore. Suddenly he was really intense, really serious. See, Gary was one of a number of veterans determined to do whatever they can to make sure we do everything we can to locate or at least account for our missing soldiers.

I was at a flag-raising ceremony where Gary participated in uniform. The rallying point of the veterans there was that black flag - you may have seen it. They're still around. It has the silhouette of a man's head on it, the words POW and MIA, and a stirring four-word motto, "You are not forgotten."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Going After God's MIA's."

I got to thinking about some other MIA's the other day when I got a call from a friend. He told me he'd been missing in action spiritually for a while. He said, "My wife and I got real busy, we started using Sunday as a day just to sleep late and lay low, and we haven't been to church in a long time." They used to be real active. And they're back now. I'll tell you how that all happened in just a moment.

But first, our word for today from the Word of God. It's from John 10. Beginning in verse 15, Jesus says, "I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also." So, is Jesus content just to rest with the sheep that are already in? Never! There are still sheep He laid down His life for who are still missing in action.

My friend -the spiritual MIA- told me he was at a basketball game and a man from their old church came up to him, put his arm around him, and said, "Tom, we really miss you. Why don't you come back to church?" Doesn't sound like much, but that was all it took to make an MIA want to come home spiritually. I thank God for at least one man in that church who was looking out for the MIAs. Who reached out to one and said, "Man, you are not forgotten."

The problem is that most of us are so busy in our personal rat race, and sometimes so comfy in our Christian cocoon, that we forget the ones who aren't home yet. But would you listen to the heart of Jesus? He's aching for those who are still out there lost. How much do the MIAs bother you?

It's so easy to settle into our Christian routine, keep our busy Christian schedule, do all our Christian activities and slowly but surely forget the people Jesus died for who do not know it yet. We get numb, we get complacent, we get comfortable, forgetting that our Lord's mission was "to seek and to save those who are lost" (Luke 19:10). If we're following Him, that's where we'll be going. We can't claim to be much of a follower of Jesus if we are not passionate about the people who are lost, who are dying, those He died for, those who are away from Him. In the midst of enjoying all those who are already home, the heart of Jesus is out there with the people who aren't home.

And you know some of them. You know people who are spiritually missing in action. Do you care? Would you ask the Shepherd to break your heart for them as His heart is broken? Would you get actively involved in going after them? Would you be sure that your fellow believers, your ministry, your church do not forget them?

Jesus has not forgotten the ones who aren't home yet. Please - don't you forget them.