Matthew 9:18-38 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 
Max Lucado Daily: LET LOVE SUCCEED - June 10, 2021

The catchphrase “hate the sin and love the sinner” fits nicely on a bumper sticker, but how do we embed the principle in our hearts? Maybe these ideas will help.

Reserve judgment. Let every person you meet be a new person in your mind. None of this labeling or preconceived notions. Listening is a healing balm for raw emotions. Happiness happens not by fixing people, but by accepting people and entrusting them into the care of God. Jesus did this.

Another idea: Resist the urge to shout. You know, it’s better to keep quiet and keep a friend than to be loud and lose one. Besides, “They are God’s servants, not yours. They are responsible to him, not to you…” (Romans 14:4 TLB). Let’s reason together. Let’s work together. And if discussion fails, let love succeed—this is how happiness happens.


Matthew 9:18-38

Just a Touch
18-19 As he finished saying this, a local official appeared, bowed politely, and said, “My daughter has just now died. If you come and touch her, she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him, his disciples following along.

20-22 Just then a woman who had hemorrhaged for twelve years slipped in from behind and lightly touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, “If I can just put a finger on his robe, I’ll get well.” Jesus turned—caught her at it. Then he reassured her: “Courage, daughter. You took a risk of faith, and now you’re well.” The woman was well from then on.

23-26 By now they had arrived at the house of the town official, and pushed their way through the gossips looking for a story and the neighbors bringing in casseroles. Jesus was abrupt: “Clear out! This girl isn’t dead. She’s sleeping.” They told him he didn’t know what he was talking about. But when Jesus had gotten rid of the crowd, he went in, took the girl’s hand, and pulled her to her feet—alive. The news was soon out, and traveled throughout the region.

Become What You Believe
27-28 As Jesus left the house, he was followed by two blind men crying out, “Mercy, Son of David! Mercy on us!” When Jesus got home, the blind men went in with him. Jesus said to them, “Do you really believe I can do this?” They said, “Why, yes, Master!”

29-31 He touched their eyes and said, “Become what you believe.” It happened. They saw. Then Jesus became very stern. “Don’t let a soul know how this happened.” But they were hardly out the door before they started blabbing it to everyone they met.

32-33 Right after that, as the blind men were leaving, a man who had been struck speechless by an evil spirit was brought to Jesus. As soon as Jesus threw the evil tormenting spirit out, the man talked away just as if he’d been talking all his life. The people were up on their feet applauding: “There’s never been anything like this in Israel!”

34 The Pharisees were left sputtering, “Smoke and mirrors. It’s nothing but smoke and mirrors. He’s probably made a pact with the Devil.”

35-38 Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. “What a huge harvest!” he said to his disciples. “How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Thursday, June 10, 2021

Read: Ezekiel 32:2–10

 “Son of man, take up a lament concerning Pharaoh king of Egypt and say to him:

“‘You are like a lion among the nations;
    you are like a monster in the seas
thrashing about in your streams,
    churning the water with your feet
    and muddying the streams.

3 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“‘With a great throng of people
    I will cast my net over you,
    and they will haul you up in my net.
4 I will throw you on the land
    and hurl you on the open field.
I will let all the birds of the sky settle on you
    and all the animals of the wild gorge themselves on you.
5 I will spread your flesh on the mountains
    and fill the valleys with your remains.
6 I will drench the land with your flowing blood
    all the way to the mountains,
    and the ravines will be filled with your flesh.
7 When I snuff you out, I will cover the heavens
    and darken their stars;
I will cover the sun with a cloud,
    and the moon will not give its light.
8 All the shining lights in the heavens
    I will darken over you;
    I will bring darkness over your land,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
9 I will trouble the hearts of many peoples
    when I bring about your destruction among the nations,
    among[a] lands you have not known.
10 I will cause many peoples to be appalled at you,
    and their kings will shudder with horror because of you
    when I brandish my sword before them.
On the day of your downfall
    each of them will tremble
    every moment for his life.

Footnotes
Ezekiel 32:9 Hebrew; Septuagint bring you into captivity among the nations, / to

INSIGHT
The prophecy against Egypt in Ezekiel 32 is prolonged and graphic underscoring God’s sovereignty over the course of this world and the kings and kingdoms that inhabit it. His message to the king of Egypt, portrayed as causing chaos (“muddying the streams” v. 2), is that his destruction is coming. In verses 3–10, God declares eleven times, “I will . . . .” Though He uses people to accomplish His will (v. 3), He’s the One who brings it about.

By Mike Wittmer
Who Are You?

You are like a lion among the nations; you are like a monster in the seas. Ezekiel 32:2


The leader of our video conference said, “Good morning!” I said “Hello” back, but I wasn’t looking at him. I was distracted by my own image on the screen. Do I look like this? I looked at the smiling faces of the others on the call. That looks like them. So yes, this must be me. I should lose some weight. And get a haircut.

In his mind, Pharaoh was pretty great. He was “a lion among the nations . . . a monster in the seas” (Ezekiel 32:2). But then he caught a glimpse of himself from God’s perspective. God said he was in trouble and that He would expose his carcass to wild animals, causing “many peoples to be appalled at you, and their kings [to] shudder with horror because of you” (v. 10). Pharaoh was much less impressive than he thought.

We may think we’re “spiritually handsome”—until we see our sin as God sees it. Compared to His holy standard, even “our righteous acts are like filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). But God also sees something else, something even more true: He sees Jesus, and He sees us in Jesus.

Feeling discouraged about how you are? Remember this is not who you are. If you have put your trust in Jesus, then you’re in Jesus, and His holiness drapes over you. You’re more beautiful than you imagine.


What image do you have of yourself? How does that compare to the image God has of you?


Jesus, I cling to You. Your love and goodness beautifies me.

 

Read The Forgiveness of God at DiscoverySeries.org/Q0602.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, June 10, 2021

And After That What’s Next To Do?

…seek, and you will find… —Luke 11:9

Seek if you have not found. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss…” (James 4:3). If you ask for things from life instead of from God, “you ask amiss”; that is, you ask out of your desire for self-fulfillment. The more you fulfill yourself the less you will seek God. “…seek, and you will find….” Get to work— narrow your focus and interests to this one thing. Have you ever sought God with your whole heart, or have you simply given Him a feeble cry after some emotionally painful experience? “…seek, [focus,] and you will find….”

“Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters…” (Isaiah 55:1). Are you thirsty, or complacent and indifferent— so satisfied with your own experience that you want nothing more of God? Experience is a doorway, not a final goal. Beware of building your faith on experience, or your life will not ring true and will only sound the note of a critical spirit. Remember that you can never give another person what you have found, but you can cause him to have a desire for it.

“…knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9). “Draw near to God…” (James 4:8). Knock— the door is closed, and your heartbeat races as you knock. “Cleanse your hands…” (James 4:8). Knock a bit louder— you begin to find that you are dirty. “…purify your hearts…” (James 4:8). It is becoming even more personal— you are desperate and serious now— you will do anything. “Lament…” (James 4:9). Have you ever lamented, expressing your sorrow before God for the condition of your inner life? There is no thread of self-pity left, only the heart-rending difficulty and amazement which comes from seeing what kind of person you really are. “Humble yourselves…” (James 4:10). It is a humbling experience to knock at God’s door— you have to knock with the crucified thief. “…to him who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11:10).


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

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 34-36; John 19:1-22

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, June 10, 2021

Obsessed With Grades - #8979

I was a little psycho about grades in school. Maybe it's a firstborn thing. I don't know. But from early grade school, I always wanted to get really good grades. I worked hard, made sure I was on good terms with the teacher, and I usually made the honor roll. When my wife and I were going to college together, I used to drive her nuts with my concern over getting a "B." I'm sorry, I know you hate me. But, you know, I told you I was psycho. It's a problem. Now, you probably hated guys like me, but just consider it a condition and cut me some slack, OK? I'm probably not the only person in the world who has this "gotta get a good grade" thing!

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

It can be a good thing to be really focused on grades when it comes to school. It's definitely not a good thing when it comes to being a follower of Jesus Christ. But a lot of us like what I call measurable righteousness - a rigid standard by which I can grade myself as a Jesus-follower. And maybe more importantly, I can grade you. I can grade others as a Jesus-follower.

Don't get me wrong. God has clear boundaries for our lives and they are non-negotiable. The issue is whether or not we have a right to grade ourselves on how we're doing with Him; or whether or not we have a right to grade other people. When we do, we usually give ourselves a better grade based on some criteria by which we can come out looking good. Jesus knew some folks like that. They had a name - Pharisees. Jesus didn't have very nice things to say about them.

Our word for today from the Word of God, Galatians 5, beginning with verse 1, is actually a Declaration of Independence, not from the desire to please God, but from the obsession with grading our righteousness or the righteousness of others, which almost always ends in spiritual pride for us and judgment of other people.

God says, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." That slavery back then had been a legalistic bondage to a list of spiritual rules. John 1:17 says, "The law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." That grace removes the word "deserve" from all our dealings with God. Hell is all we can deserve. Our relationship is based on God's grace, not our goodness. It is "not by works so no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:9) the Bible says. Which is exactly what legalistic righteousness, spiritual grades can cause. It causes boasting.

In Galatians, Paul says, "You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth? You...were called to be free" (Galatians 5:7, 13). Earlier he asked, "Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law or by believing...? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" (Galatians 3:2-3).

God doesn't want us grading our righteousness or the righteousness of others, as ego-satisfying as that might be. We should never have a sense of having arrived spiritually. That's why, after 30 years of an awesome Christian life, the Apostle Paul was still "pressing on to win the prize." The spirit of Jesus isn't one of proudly measuring our righteousness. It's a spirit of humility, of always feeling in desperate need of His grace, of always being amazed that He loved me.

I'm always wanting to please my Jesus, but I'm not ever thinking I'm there. I'm never in a position to judge how someone else is doing, except to help a struggling brother or sister by restoring them, or confronting them, or exhorting them under the Spirit's prodding, but always with a sense of mercy and humility - never with a sense of condescension or pride.

One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 66:2. It defines the kind of person that impresses God, that He wants to use. Here's what it says: "To this man I will look: to him who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." No grades - just grace.

Job 13 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 
Max Lucado Daily: GRACE AND TRUTH - June 9, 2021

How does Jesus receive us? I know how he treated me. I was a twenty-year-old troublemaker on a downhill path. And though I’d made a commitment to Christ a decade earlier, you wouldn’t have known it by the way I lived. Finally I came to Jesus, and he welcomed me back.

Please note: he did not accept my behavior. But he accepted me, his wayward child. He said, “Come back. I’ll clean you up.” He was “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Not just grace, but truth. Not just truth, but grace. Grace and truth.

Grace told the adulterous woman, “I do not condemn you.” But truth told her, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Jesus shared truth but graciously, and Jesus offered grace but truthfully. Grace and truth. Acceptance seeks to offer both. This is how happiness happens.

Job 13

I’m Taking My Case to God
13 1-5 “Yes, I’ve seen all this with my own eyes,
    heard and understood it with my very own ears.
Everything you know, I know,
    so I’m not taking a backseat to any of you.
I’m taking my case straight to God Almighty;
    I’ve had it with you—I’m going directly to God.
You graffiti my life with lies.
    You’re a bunch of pompous quacks!
I wish you’d shut your mouths—
    silence is your only claim to wisdom.

6-12 “Listen now while I make my case,
    consider my side of things for a change.
Or are you going to keep on lying ‘to do God a service’?
    to make up stories ‘to get him off the hook’?
Why do you always take his side?
    Do you think he needs a lawyer to defend himself?
How would you fare if you were in the witness stand?
    Your lies might convince a jury—but would they convince God?
He’d reprimand you on the spot
    if he detected a bias in your witness.
Doesn’t his splendor put you in awe?
    Aren’t you afraid to speak cheap lies before him?
Your wise sayings are knickknack wisdom,
    good for nothing but gathering dust.

13-19 “So hold your tongue while I have my say,
    then I’ll take whatever I have coming to me.
Why do I go out on a limb like this
    and take my life in my hands?
Because even if he killed me, I’d keep on hoping.
    I’d defend my innocence to the very end.
Just wait, this is going to work out for the best—my salvation!
    If I were guilt-stricken do you think I’d be doing this—
    laying myself on the line before God?
You’d better pay attention to what I’m telling you,
    listen carefully with both ears.
Now that I’ve laid out my defense,
    I’m sure that I’ll be acquitted.
Can anyone prove charges against me?
    I’ve said my piece. I rest my case.

Why Does God Stay Hidden and Silent?
20-27 “Please, God, I have two requests;
    grant them so I’ll know I count with you:
First, lay off the afflictions;
    the terror is too much for me.
Second, address me directly so I can answer you,
    or let me speak and then you answer me.
How many sins have been charged against me?
    Show me the list—how bad is it?
Why do you stay hidden and silent?
    Why treat me like I’m your enemy?
Why kick me around like an old tin can?
    Why beat a dead horse?
You compile a long list of mean things about me,
    even hold me accountable for the sins of my youth.
You hobble me so I can’t move about.
    You watch every move I make,
    and brand me as a dangerous character.

28 “Like something rotten, human life fast decomposes,
    like a moth-eaten shirt or a mildewed blouse.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Wednesday, June 09, 2021

Read: Ephesians 4:11–16

So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

INSIGHT
Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 contain the two main lists of what we call “spiritual gifts” (Spirit-empowered giftedness for serving God and fellow believers in Christ). While these lists are extensive, they’re not necessarily exhaustive. Though some consider Ephesians 4:11 as another list, it seems quite different. The gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4 represent the gifted leaders that God provides for the growth, encouragement, and strengthening of the body. This seems to be the point of verse 12, which reminds us that these leaders were appointed to equip believers in Jesus for spiritual service. As such, these two kinds of “gifts” are connected. The Spirit provides the spiritual enabling, and spiritual leaders are there to train and equip people to employ those gifts in ministry.

By Kirsten Holmberg
Moving Toward Maturity

Become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:13

A recent survey asked respondents to identify the age at which they believed they became adults. Those who considered themselves adults pointed to specific behaviors as evidence of their status. Having a budget and buying a house topped the list as being marks of “adulting.” Other adult activities ranged from cooking dinner every weeknight and scheduling one’s own medical appointments, to the more humorous ability to choose to eat snacks for dinner or being excited to stay at home on a Saturday evening instead of going out.

The Bible says we should press on toward spiritual maturity as well. Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, urging the people to “become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13). While we’re “young” in our faith, we’re vulnerable to “every wind of teaching” (v. 14), which often results in division among us. Instead, as we mature in our understanding of the truth, we function as a unified body under “him who is the head, that is, Christ” (v. 15).

God gave us His Spirit to help us grow into a full understanding of who He is (John 14:26), and He equips pastors and teachers to instruct and lead us toward maturity in our faith (Ephesians 4:11–12). Just as certain characteristics are evidence of physical maturity, our unity as His body is evidence of our spiritual growth.

In what ways are you still vulnerable to “every wind of teaching”? How can you continue to grow spiritually?

Loving God, You’re the author of my growth and maturity. Please help me to see where my understanding of You is still immature and teach me more of Your wisdom.

To learn more about growing toward spiritual maturity, visit ChristianUniversity.org/SF212.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, June 09, 2021
Then What’s Next To Do?

Everyone who asks receives… —Luke 11:10

Ask if you have not received. There is nothing more difficult than asking. We will have yearnings and desires for certain things, and even suffer as a result of their going unfulfilled, but not until we are at the limit of desperation will we ask. It is the sense of not being spiritually real that causes us to ask. Have you ever asked out of the depths of your total insufficiency and poverty? “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God…” (James 1:5), but be sure that you do lack wisdom before you ask. You cannot bring yourself to the point of spiritual reality anytime you choose. The best thing to do, once you realize you are not spiritually real, is to ask God for the Holy Spirit, basing your request on the promise of Jesus Christ (see Luke 11:13). The Holy Spirit is the one who makes everything that Jesus did for you real in your life.

“Everyone who asks receives….” This does not mean that you will not get if you do not ask, but it means that until you come to the point of asking, you will not receive from God (see Matthew 5:45). To be able to receive means that you have to come into the relationship of a child of God, and then you comprehend and appreciate mentally, morally, and with spiritual understanding, that these things come from God.

“If any of you lacks wisdom….” If you realize that you are lacking, it is because you have come in contact with spiritual reality— do not put the blinders of reason on again. The word ask actually means “beg.” Some people are poor enough to be interested in their poverty, and some of us are poor enough spiritually to show our interest. Yet we will never receive if we ask with a certain result in mind, because we are asking out of our lust, not out of our poverty. A pauper does not ask out of any reason other than the completely hopeless and painful condition of his poverty. He is not ashamed to beg— blessed are the paupers in spirit (see Matthew 5:3).


WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

For the past three hundred years men have been pointing out how similar Jesus Christ’s teachings are to other good teachings. We have to remember that Christianity, if it is not a supernatural miracle, is a sham.  The Highest Good, 548 L

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 32-33; John 18:19-40

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, June 09, 2021

Running to the Rescue - #8978

I never saw the movie Jaws, but I know it's about this shark that keeps snacking on people who are in the ocean. And that's why the lifeguard at Ocean City, New Jersey got my attention that summer day when he ordered all of us out of the water. Oh, I cooperated. I didn't even ask any questions. In moments, there were hundreds of people out of the water and lined up on the beach. But the shark was just in my imagination. The real problem was three children had gone out too far in high tide, and they were too close to the jetty in spite of a lifeguard's warning. So now they were in very serious trouble; they're going down.

I looked down toward the beaches to my left and my right, and the swimmers had been cleared from the water as far as I could see. All the lifeguards from all over were running from those beaches to our beach, and pretty soon every lifeguard in the neighborhood was there. Some were swimming out to the children; others were launching the rowboat and rowing right into high tide. Thankfully they rescued all three children relatively unharmed, but boy, was it dramatic! Those lifeguards, of course, usually stay in their own areas, but not this time. When it was life-or-death, they all worked together.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Running to the Rescue."

Our word for today from the Word of God highlights some verses from Acts 1 and 2. Jesus is actually briefing the 11 men who would launch His eternal rescue mission around the world. He says in Acts 1:8, "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria and to the ends of the earth." What a massive challenge for 11 guys! Take this life-saving news across the city, across the area, and across the world! We're talking overwhelming!

So here's what they did. Verse 14: "They all joined together constantly in prayer." Good idea. Chapter 2, verse 1: "When the Day of Pentecost came they were all together in one place." Notice that word "together" again. Then in verse 41, "Those who accepted His message were baptized and about 3,000 were added to their number that day."

Okay, they're having an impact. Verse 44: "All the believers were together and had everything in common." Verse 47: "And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

They were surrounded by dying people without Christ. And they responded the same way the Ocean City Beach Patrol did that day. They realized they had to work together if they were going to rise to the rescue of those people. Now, the believers in your area, no matter what their distinctives are, their denominations and what differences they have; they are God's life-saving team in your community. More often than not, the tragedy in most places is that God's lifeguards are each working their own beach, often widely separated from each other.

That might be okay except for one thing. Lost people are going down while they're all huddled in their little corner of the beach. The fact is, in our lifetime America has become a post-Christian nation. The people we live around and work around know very little about the Bible or about our Savior. We're losing the battle to rescue people folks! How can we continue to work separately? Is it we've forgotten the price Jesus paid for these people? Have we forgotten the eternal hell when you miss the Savior?

Maybe it's time all of us admit what seems so obvious. We're all failing to truly make an impact; to make much of a difference in rescuing the perishing. And maybe you could be the one, like the lifeguard on our beach, to call to the rescuers from other groups and say, "Hey, people are dying here! Come on, we've got to work together!"

There's nothing like a burden for lost people to pull God's people together. It's time we begin to reach across the lines between us and form prayer groups on behalf of the lost that none of us are reaching. It's time your church leaves that bickering over trivia and come together to fight for the lost in your community. It's time we forget turf. Turf doesn't matter when people are dying. It's time we begin to plan how we can do what the first century Christians did, work together to impact a city for Christ.

I can still picture those lifeguards running full speed to get together, because the cries of dying people brought them together. My brother, my sister, this is life or death. We have to go get them together.

Job 12 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 Max Lucado Daily: YOUR OPPOSITE YOU - June 8, 2021

Matthew was an apostle, a gospel writer. But before he was Matthew, he was Levi: a Jew who worked for the Roman IRS. As long as Rome got its part, the tax collectors could take as much as they wanted. They got rich by making people poor.

One of the most difficult relationship questions is “What do we do with a Levi?” Your Levi is the person with whom you fundamentally disagree. You follow different value systems. Your Levi is your “opposite you.” What if your “opposite you” is your boss? Your parent or child?

How does God want us to respond to the Levis of the world? I wonder if the best answer might be found in: “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God” (Romans 15:7). This is how happiness happens.


Job 12

Job Answers Zophar
Put Your Ear to the Earth

 Job answered:

“I’m sure you speak for all the experts,
    and when you die there’ll be no one left to tell us how to live.
But don’t forget that I also have a brain—
    I don’t intend to play second fiddle to you.
    It doesn’t take an expert to know these things.

4-6 “I’m ridiculed by my friends:
    ‘So that’s the man who had conversations with God!’
Ridiculed without mercy:
    ‘Look at the man who never did wrong!’
It’s easy for the well-to-do to point their fingers in blame,
    for the well-fixed to pour scorn on the strugglers.
Crooks reside safely in high-security houses,
    insolent blasphemers live in luxury;
    they’ve bought and paid for a god who’ll protect them.

7-12 “But ask the animals what they think—let them teach you;
    let the birds tell you what’s going on.
Put your ear to the earth—learn the basics.
    Listen—the fish in the ocean will tell you their stories.
Isn’t it clear that they all know and agree
    that God is sovereign, that he holds all things in his hand—
Every living soul, yes,
    every breathing creature?
Isn’t this all just common sense,
    as common as the sense of taste?
Do you think the elderly have a corner on wisdom,
    that you have to grow old before you understand life?

From God We Learn How to Live
13-25 “True wisdom and real power belong to God;
    from him we learn how to live,
    and also what to live for.
If he tears something down, it’s down for good;
    if he locks people up, they’re locked up for good.
If he holds back the rain, there’s a drought;
    if he lets it loose, there’s a flood.
Strength and success belong to God;
    both deceived and deceiver must answer to him.
He strips experts of their vaunted credentials,
    exposes judges as witless fools.
He divests kings of their royal garments,
    then ties a rag around their waists.
He strips priests of their robes,
    and fires high officials from their jobs.
He forces trusted sages to keep silence,
    deprives elders of their good sense and wisdom.
He dumps contempt on famous people,
    disarms the strong and mighty.
He shines a spotlight into caves of darkness,
    hauls deepest darkness into the noonday sun.
He makes nations rise and then fall,
    builds up some and abandons others.
He robs world leaders of their reason,
    and sends them off into no-man’s-land.
They grope in the dark without a clue,
    lurching and staggering like drunks.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Tuesday, June 08, 2021

Read: Exodus 3:7–10

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”

NSIGHT
The book of Exodus describes the culmination of the Israelites’ time in Egypt. They’d been in the land for 430 years (Exodus 12:40) and had become so numerous that the Egyptians decided to treat them harshly to prevent their numbers from increasing (1:6–10). God had made a promise to Abraham to bring his descendants to the land of Canaan (Genesis 15:13–16; 17:8)—“a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:17)—and God always keeps His promises. When He appeared to Moses in the burning bush in chapter 3, it was part of His plan unfolding. However, Pharaoh wouldn’t allow the Israelites to go. Chapter 12 describes their final release, but they continued to face many challenges that left them wandering in the wilderness until they finally reached the promised land (see Joshua 3–4).

By Winn Collier
Divine Rescue

I have come down to rescue them. Exodus 3:8

After being informed of a 911 call from a concerned citizen, a police officer drove alongside the train tracks, shining his floodlight into the dark until he spotted the vehicle straddling the iron rails. The trooper’s dashboard camera captured the harrowing scene as a train barreled toward the car. “That train was coming fast,” the officer said, “Fifty to eighty miles per hour.” Acting without hesitation, he pulled an unconscious man from the car mere seconds before the train slammed into it.

Scripture reveals God as the One who rescues—often precisely when all seems lost. Trapped in Egypt and withering under suffocating oppression, the Israelites imagined no possibility for escape. In Exodus, however, we find God offering them words resounding with hope: “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt,” He said. “I have heard them crying out . . . and I am concerned about their suffering” (3:7). And God not only saw—God acted. “I have come down to rescue them” (v. 8). God led Israel out of bondage. This was a divine rescue.

God’s rescue of Israel reveals God’s heart—and His power—to help all of us who are in need. He assists those of us who are destined for ruin unless God arrives to save us. Though our situation may be dire or impossible, we can lift our eyes and heart and watch for the One who loves to rescue.

Where does all seem lost and where do you need God’s rescue? How can you turn your hope to Him in this dire place?

God, I’m in real trouble, and if You don’t help me, I don’t see a good ending. Will You help me? Will You rescue me?

Read Why? Seeing God in Our Pain at DiscoverySeries.org/CB151.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, June 08, 2021
What’s Next To Do?

If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. —John 13:17

Be determined to know more than others. If you yourself do not cut the lines that tie you to the dock, God will have to use a storm to sever them and to send you out to sea. Put everything in your life afloat upon God, going out to sea on the great swelling tide of His purpose, and your eyes will be opened. If you believe in Jesus, you are not to spend all your time in the calm waters just inside the harbor, full of joy, but always tied to the dock. You have to get out past the harbor into the great depths of God, and begin to know things for yourself— begin to have spiritual discernment.

When you know that you should do something and you do it, immediately you know more. Examine where you have become sluggish, where you began losing interest spiritually, and you will find that it goes back to a point where you did not do something you knew you should do. You did not do it because there seemed to be no immediate call to do it. But now you have no insight or discernment, and at a time of crisis you are spiritually distracted instead of spiritually self-controlled. It is a dangerous thing to refuse to continue learning and knowing more.

The counterfeit of obedience is a state of mind in which you create your own opportunities to sacrifice yourself, and your zeal and enthusiasm are mistaken for discernment. It is easier to sacrifice yourself than to fulfill your spiritual destiny, which is stated in Romans 12:1-2. It is much better to fulfill the purpose of God in your life by discerning His will than it is to perform great acts of self-sacrifice. “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice…” (1 Samuel 15:22). Beware of paying attention or going back to what you once were, when God wants you to be something that you have never been. “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know…” (John 7:17).

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

For the past three hundred years men have been pointing out how similar Jesus Christ’s teachings are to other good teachings. We have to remember that Christianity, if it is not a supernatural miracle, is a sham.  The Highest Good, 548 L

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 30-31; John 18:1-18

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, June 08, 2021

Making a Little a Lot - #8977

I really think my wife could have been a missionary about anywhere in the world. So resourceful! And that's what missionaries need to be. I mean, we were together missionaries in the United States over many years of ministry to teenagers and then to Native Americans for many years. And our ministry budget - like most ministry budgets - has always been somewhat limited over the years. That's where my wife's resourcefulness came into play.

I remember the time we had a hundred teenagers show up for a gathering and we weren't really expecting that many. She only had enough ground beef to put into these Sloppy Joe sandwiches for about 40 people. Now, you're gonna need a whip and a chair if you have some teenagers you can't feed! You don't really want to have those wild animals on the loose and unfed. So, she quickly found some dried bread crumbs, pulled out a recipe she had gotten from a home economist, and mixed all of that in with the ground beef. Well, not the recipe, but the rest. And it made that ground beef go a lot farther. In fact, we fed a hundred hungry teenagers with only enough for 40! We had some left over. Listen, sometimes you need someone who can make a little a lot.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Making a Little a Lot."

Our word for today from the Word of God (and you might have guessed this) comes from that familiar story in Mark 6. I'm going to begin reading at verse 37, after the disciples have concluded that this group of 5,000 people is not going to be fed. They're getting hungry. Jesus has been teaching quite a while, and here's their suggestion: "Send them away; the meeting's over." But Jesus answered, "You give them something to eat." It's not in here, but you can almost hear them saying, "What? How in the world are we going to feed them? What do you think; we got a catering service here? How are we going to do this?"

"Well they said to Him, 'That would take eight months of a man's wages. Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?' 'How many loaves do you have?' He asked. Go and see.' When they found out, they said, 'Five and two fish.' Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. And taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven..." It says this: "He gave thanks and broke the loaves, gave them to His disciples to set before the people. He divided the fish among them. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish." What do you know - leftovers!

That's kind of like our sloppy joe barbeque sandwich situation we had there when we were trying to feed all those teenagers. It wasn't enough. We had a whole lot more need than we had resource. The disciples' solution to a "not enough" situation was to give up. But Jesus said, "Instead, I want you to round up all the 'not enough' you can find. It won't be enough; it won't cover it. But I want you to gather all that you can and I'll make it more than enough."

Which brings us to your situation. What's your "not enough" right now? You say, "Well, I can't see where the money's going to come from. I can't see I'm going to have enough strength to face what I've got right now. I don't know where I'm going to find the time to get all this done. I don't know how I'm going to have the resources to make this relationship work anymore." Do you hear the Lord saying, "Bring Me your 'not enough.' Find all you can."

So, what you do is number one, you give all your resources - not enough - but all your resources to Jesus. Number two, you act as if there will be enough. Jesus had them sit down. He said, "Get ready to eat lunch" even though there was no lunch to eat. So you start to act as if it's going to be there. By faith in your Lord you do that, and then be grateful for the "not enough" that you already have. That's the hard part to say, "Lord, I know this isn't enough, but I'm grateful for what I've got." The Bible says, "Godliness with contentment is great gain."

I had the privilege to be married to a woman who could take a little and make it a lot. Better than that, my Lord - your Lord - can do that a thousand times over with your "not enough."

Job 11, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 
Max Lucado Daily: QUIET SERVANTHOOD - June 7, 2021

In the hallway of my memory hangs a photograph. It’s a picture of two people—a man and a woman in the seventh decade of life. The man lies in a hospital bed in the living room, not in the hospital room. His body, for all practical purposes, is useless. Muscles have been ravaged by ALS. And even though his body is ineffective, his eyes scan the room for his partner, a woman whose age is concealed by her youthful vigor.

She willingly goes taking care of her husband. With unswerving loyalty she does what she’s been doing for the past two years: shave him, bathe him, feed him, comb his hair, and brush his teeth. On the day we buried my father I thanked my mom for modeling the servant spirit of Christ: quiet servanthood.


Job 11

Zophar’s Counsel
How Wisdom Looks from the Inside

 Now it was the turn of Zophar from Naamath:

“What a flood of words! Shouldn’t we put a stop to it?
    Should this kind of loose talk be permitted?
Job, do you think you can carry on like this and we’ll say nothing?
    That we’ll let you rail and mock and not step in?
You claim, ‘My doctrine is sound
    and my conduct impeccable.’
How I wish God would give you a piece of his mind,
    tell you what’s what!
I wish he’d show you how wisdom looks from the inside,
    for true wisdom is mostly ‘inside.’
But you can be sure of this,
    you haven’t gotten half of what you deserve.

7-12 “Do you think you can explain the mystery of God?
    Do you think you can diagram God Almighty?
God is far higher than you can imagine,
    far deeper than you can comprehend,
Stretching farther than earth’s horizons,
    far wider than the endless ocean.
If he happens along, throws you in jail
    then hauls you into court, can you do anything about it?
He sees through vain pretensions,
    spots evil a long way off—
    no one pulls the wool over his eyes!
Hollow men, hollow women, will wise up
    about the same time mules learn to talk.

Reach Out to God
13-20 “Still, if you set your heart on God
    and reach out to him,
If you scrub your hands of sin
    and refuse to entertain evil in your home,
You’ll be able to face the world unashamed
    and keep a firm grip on life, guiltless and fearless.
You’ll forget your troubles;
    they’ll be like old, faded photographs.
Your world will be washed in sunshine,
    every shadow dispersed by dawn.
Full of hope, you’ll relax, confident again;
    you’ll look around, sit back, and take it easy.
Expansive, without a care in the world,
    you’ll be hunted out by many for your blessing.
But the wicked will see none of this.
    They’re headed down a dead-end road
    with nothing to look forward to—nothing.”


Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Monday, June 07, 2021
Read: Proverbs 14:1–3, 26–27, 33

The wise woman builds her house,
    but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

2 Whoever fears the Lord walks uprightly,
    but those who despise him are devious in their ways.

3 A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride,
    but the lips of the wise protect them.

Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,
    and for their children it will be a refuge.

27 The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life,
    turning a person from the snares of death.

Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning
    and even among fools she lets herself be known.[a]

INSIGHT
The “wise woman” of Proverbs 14:1, who “builds her house” rather than tearing it down, finds a fuller description in Proverbs 31:10–31. This “wife of noble character” (v. 10) not only “speaks with wisdom” (v. 26) but manages her household and business affairs with skill and dignity and “opens her arms to the poor and . . . needy” (v. 20). The New Testament women Dorcas and Lydia seem to fit this description in many aspects. Dorcas (or Tabitha) was a disciple who “was always doing good and helping the poor” by making “robes and other clothing.” When she fell sick and died, Peter raised her from the dead (Acts 9:36–42). Lydia was a “dealer in purple cloth” and a “worshiper of God” who opened her home to Paul and his companions (16:13–15, 40). The key characteristic of the wise woman is that she “fears the Lord” (Proverbs 31:30).

By Linda Washington
A Wise Builder

The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down. Proverbs 14:1

Sojourner Truth, whose birth name was Isabella Baumfree, was born a slave in 1797 in Esopus, New York. Though nearly all her children were sold as slaves, she escaped to freedom in 1826 with one daughter and lived with a family who paid the money for her freedom. Instead of allowing an unjust system to keep her family apart, she took legal action to regain her small son Peter—an amazing feat for an African American woman in that day. Knowing she couldn’t raise her children without God’s help, she became a believer in Christ and later changed her name to Sojourner Truth to show that her life was built on the foundation of God’s truth.

King Solomon, the writer of Proverbs 14, declares, “The wise woman builds her house” (v. 1). In contrast, one without wisdom “tears hers down.” This building metaphor shows the wisdom God provides to those willing to listen. How does one build a house with wisdom? By saying “only what is helpful for building others up” (Ephesians 4:29; see also 1 Thessalonians 5:11). How does one tear down? Proverbs 14 gives the answer: “A fool’s mouth lashes out with pride” (v. 3).

Sojourner had a “secure fortress” (v. 26) in a turbulent time, thanks to the wisdom of God. You may never have to rescue your children from an injustice. But you can build your house on the same foundation Sojourner did—the wisdom of God.

What foundation is your house established upon? How will you build your house this week?

Father, I need Your wisdom to build a lasting legacy for Your glory.


My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, June 07, 2021
The Greatest Source of Power

Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do… —John 14:13

Am I fulfilling this ministry of intercession deep within the hidden recesses of my life? There is no trap nor any danger at all of being deceived or of showing pride in true intercession. It is a hidden ministry that brings forth fruit through which the Father is glorified. Am I allowing my spiritual life to waste away, or am I focused, bringing everything to one central point— the atonement of my Lord? Is Jesus Christ more and more dominating every interest of my life? If the central point, or the most powerful influence, of my life is the atonement of the Lord, then every aspect of my life will bear fruit for Him.

However, I must take the time to realize what this central point of power is. Am I willing to give one minute out of every hour to concentrate on it? “If you abide in Me…”— that is, if you continue to act, and think, and work from that central point— “you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7). Am I abiding? Am I taking the time to abide? What is the greatest source of power in my life? Is it my work, service, and sacrifice for others, or is it my striving to work for God? It should be none of these— what ought to exert the greatest power in my life is the atonement of the Lord. It is not on what we spend the greatest amount of time that molds us the most, but whatever exerts the most power over us. We must make a determination to limit and concentrate our desires and interests on the atonement by the Cross of Christ.

“Whatever you ask in My name, that I will do….” The disciple who abides in Jesus is the will of God, and what appears to be his free choices are actually God’s foreordained decrees. Is this mysterious? Does it appear to contradict sound logic or seem totally absurd? Yes, but what a glorious truth it is to a saint of God.


WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Jesus Christ is always unyielding to my claim to my right to myself. The one essential element in all our Lord’s teaching about discipleship is abandon, no calculation, no trace of self-interest. Disciples Indeed, 395 L

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 28-29; John 17
 

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, June 07, 2021

No Name Like This Name - #8976

These days when parents are expecting a baby, they put some care usually into picking a name. And one of the places they go is to these books where you find hundreds and hundreds of names and what is the meaning of that child's name. Now, my parents, I don't know if they didn't have books like that or they didn't care. But, well, when they were on the way to the hospital, I guess they had a name picked out for a girl. They didn't think about a boy, but I was. So, as they're going, they go, "What if we have a boy? What should we name him?" And they passed - now, listen, I hate to tell you this, because you're going to use it against me someday. I know you are - here we go, Ronnie's Used Car Lot. Okay, go ahead, laugh. Get that over with. So they named me after a used car salesman (don't say it!). And some of you who listen all the time go, "The way you talk, I believe it. I understand it was predestination that you should be named after a used car salesman." Well, listen. Picking a name? Put some thought into it please. I'll tell you this, there was one name that God came up with, and it just so happens it became the most powerful word in the world.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "No Name Like This Name."

You may remember that when Jesus was born, actually before He was born, God appeared to Joseph and He said, "You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." And that name becomes, now, the most powerful word in the world.

Our word for today from the Word of God, Acts 4:12 says this: "There is salvation in no other name, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved."

Paul said, "I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power." Paul says, "When I come to you I'm going to talk about Jesus."

Now, the issue has always been, and continues to be today, the name of Jesus. All through the book of Acts the apostles insist on saying, "You need to come in the name of Jesus. That's where salvation is. There's no other name." And what did the religious leaders say? "You can talk all you want, just don't talk about the name of Jesus." See the Devil doesn't care if we talk about church, or religion, or God, or love. He hates the name of Jesus. Don't say Jesus! Why? Because it's the name by which people are saved. It's the name at which according to Philippians 2 every knee shall bow one day, including every demon.

But did you ever notice how hard it is to talk about Jesus? Oh yeah, God's okay, but Jesus seems to be the threshold where we have a hard time crossing. We don't want to say, "It's Jesus who changed my life." We choke on the name of Jesus. But see, for 2,000 years the order from hell has been, "Edit out Jesus." And He's trying to tell us to do that.

Now, the challenge is, will those who love the name of Jesus be as bold to speak that name as those who defile that name? See, they'll talk about Him openly, boldly. Unbelievers are bold; they'll talk about Jesus all day irreverently. Isn't it time we quit choking on that name? Jesus is a stranger in our world because we don't talk about Him; His love, His life, His personality, His death, His explosion in the graveyard when He blasted out of His grave. This is a time for boldness!

And I've got to tell you this: I am so glad that it's all about Jesus. Jesus said, "Follow Me." Paul said, "Nothing but Jesus and His cross." Maybe you've gotten confused along the way and you've rejected Jesus because you've gotten Him confused with Christians, or Christianity, or church. He's none of those. You've got a problem with Christians and with Christianity, with the church?

Okay, fine. Do you have a problem with Jesus? Because He's the One who died for you; He's the One you'll meet as soon as you die. He's the One God says, "What did you do with My Son?"

Maybe today you need to get things settled with Him, because there's no other name. Go to our website. It's ANewStory.com. Find out how to get started with Him. And if your hope for eternity is in anything other than Jesus, in anyone else, this is the day to pin your hopes on the only name that can get you to heaven.

Matthew 9:1-17 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 
A D-Day Prayer by Franklin D. Roosevelt June 6, 1944:"In this poignant hour, I ask you to join me in prayer:…"

Max Lucado Daily: A Human Being

One night I was on baby duty and Jenna’s breathing slowed. I leaned my ear onto her mouth to see if she was alive. And when she burbled and panted, so did I. That’s when a tsunami of sobriety washed over me. We are in charge of a human being!

I don’t care how tough you are. You may be a Navy SEAL who skydives behind enemy lines. It doesn’t matter. Every parent melts the moment he or she feels the full force of parenthood. How did I get myself into this? Moms have thirty-six weeks of reminders elbowing around inside them. Dads, our kick in the gut comes later… but it does come. And for me it came years ago in the midnight quiet of an apartment living room—as I held a human being in my arms!

From Dad Time

Matthew 9:1-17

Who Needs a Doctor?

Back in the boat, Jesus and the disciples recrossed the sea to Jesus’ hometown. They were hardly out of the boat when some men carried a paraplegic on a stretcher and set him down in front of them. Jesus, impressed by their bold belief, said to the paraplegic, “Cheer up, son. I forgive your sins.” Some religion scholars whispered, “Why, that’s blasphemy!”

4-8 Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said, “Why this gossipy whispering? Which do you think is simpler: to say, ‘I forgive your sins,’ or, ‘Get up and walk’? Well, just so it’s clear that I’m the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both.?.?.?.” At this he turned to the paraplegic and said, “Get up. Take your bed and go home.” And the man did it. The crowd was awestruck, amazed and pleased that God had authorized Jesus to work among them this way.

9 Passing along, Jesus saw a man at his work collecting taxes. His name was Matthew. Jesus said, “Come along with me.” Matthew stood up and followed him.

10-11 Later when Jesus was eating supper at Matthew’s house with his close followers, a lot of disreputable characters came and joined them. When the Pharisees saw him keeping this kind of company, they had a fit, and lit into Jesus’ followers. “What kind of example is this from your Teacher, acting cozy with crooks and misfits?”

12-13 Jesus, overhearing, shot back, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? Go figure out what this Scripture means: ‘I’m after mercy, not religion.’ I’m here to invite outsiders, not coddle insiders.”

Kingdom Come
14 A little later John’s followers approached, asking, “Why is it that we and the Pharisees rigorously discipline body and spirit by fasting, but your followers don’t?”

15 Jesus told them, “When you’re celebrating a wedding, you don’t skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to exercise moderation, but not now. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!”

16-17 He went on, “No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don’t put your wine in cracked bottles.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Sunday, June 06, 2021
Read: 1 John 3:1–3

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2 Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a] we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

INSIGHT
What makes a true child of God? John answers that question both here in 1 John 3 and in another of his writings. In the account of Jesus’ life we know as the gospel of John, he wrote: “To all who did receive [Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent . . . but born of God” (John 1:12–13). Now, in this letter, John notes that as His children “we shall be like him [Jesus]” (1 John 3:2). Later in the chapter, John makes the point that a key evidence of our status as God’s children is our love for each other (v. 10). This is such a vital aspect that John says, “Anyone who does not love remains in death” (v. 14). True children of God will love each other.

By Sheridan Voysey
Our True Selves
We know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him. 1 John 3:2

Inside my parents’ old photo album is a picture of a young boy. He has a round face, freckles, and straight, light-blond hair. He loves cartoons, hates avocados, and owns just one record, by Abba. Also inside that album are pictures of a teenager. His face is long, not round; his hair is wavy, not straight. He has no freckles, likes avocados, watches movies rather than cartoons, and would never admit to owning an Abba record! The boy and the teenager are little alike. According to science they have different skin, teeth, blood, and bones. And yet they are both me. This paradox has baffled philosophers. Since we change throughout our lives, who is the real us?

The Scriptures provide the answer. From the moment God began knitting us together in the womb (Psalm 139:13–14), we’ve been growing into our unique design. While we can’t yet imagine what we’ll finally become, we know that if we’re children of God we’ll ultimately be like Jesus (1 John 3:2)—our body with His nature, our personality but His character, all our gifts glistening, all our sins gone.

Until the day Jesus returns, we’re being drawn toward this future self. By His work, step by step, we can reflect His image ever more clearly (2 Corinthians 3:18). We aren’t yet who we’re meant to be, but as we become like Him, we become our true selves.

When songs and films encourage us to find our “true selves,” what do you think they miss? In what area can you step toward Christlikeness today?

Jesus, make me more like You today and every day.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, June 06, 2021
“Work Out” What God “Works in” You

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

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

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

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

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

It is perilously possible to make our conceptions of God like molten lead poured into a specially designed mould, and when it is cold and hard we fling it at the heads of the religious people who don’t agree with us.
Disciples Indeed

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 25-27; John 16

Job 10 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: It's the Father

One of my favorite childhood memories is greeting my father as he came home from work. My brother and I would take our positions on the couch and watch cartoons, always keeping one ear alert to the driveway. Even the best "Daffy Duck" would be abandoned when we heard his car. I'd run to meet Dad and get swept up in his big arms. He'd put his big-brimmed saw hat on my head, and for a moment I'd be a cowboy. When we went indoors and opened his lunch pail, any leftover snacks (which he always seemed to have) were for my brother and me to split. What more could a five-year-old want?
But suppose my dad, rather than coming home, just sent some things home. No deal. That wouldn't work. Even a five-year-old knows it's the person, not the presents.  It's not the frills, it's the father!
From Dad Time

Job 10

To Find Some Skeleton in My Closet

“I can’t stand my life—I hate it!
    I’m putting it all out on the table,
    all the bitterness of my life—I’m holding back nothing.”

2-7 Job prayed:

“Here’s what I want to say:
Don’t, God, bring in a verdict of guilty
    without letting me know the charges you’re bringing.
How does this fit into what you once called ‘good’—
    giving me a hard time, spurning me,
    a life you shaped by your very own hands,
    and then blessing the plots of the wicked?
You don’t look at things the way we mortals do.
    You’re not taken in by appearances, are you?
Unlike us, you’re not working against a deadline.
    You have all eternity to work things out.
So what’s this all about, anyway—this compulsion
    to dig up some dirt, to find some skeleton in my closet?
You know good and well I’m not guilty.
    You also know no one can help me.

8-12 “You made me like a handcrafted piece of pottery—
    and now are you going to smash me to pieces?
Don’t you remember how beautifully you worked my clay?
    Will you reduce me now to a mud pie?
Oh, that marvel of conception as you stirred together
    semen and ovum—
What a miracle of skin and bone,
    muscle and brain!
You gave me life itself, and incredible love.
    You watched and guarded every breath I took.

13-17 “But you never told me about this part.
    I should have known that there was more to it—
That if I so much as missed a step, you’d notice and pounce,
    wouldn’t let me get by with a thing.
If I’m truly guilty, I’m doomed.
    But if I’m innocent, it’s no better—I’m still doomed.
My belly is full of bitterness.
    I’m up to my ears in a swamp of affliction.
I try to make the best of it, try to brave it out,
    but you’re too much for me,
    relentless, like a lion on the prowl.
You line up fresh witnesses against me.
    You compound your anger
    and pile on the grief and pain!

18-22 “So why did you have me born?
    I wish no one had ever laid eyes on me!
I wish I’d never lived—a stillborn,
    buried without ever having breathed.
Isn’t it time to call it quits on my life?
    Can’t you let up, and let me smile just once
Before I die and am buried,
    before I’m nailed into my coffin, sealed in the ground,
And banished for good to the land of the dead,
    blind in the final dark?”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Saturday, June 05, 2021
Read: Romans 12:9–13
Love in Action

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
INSIGHT
Love is the subject of a series of exhortations in Paul’s letter to the believers in Jesus in Rome. Romans 12:9–21 describes in detail what sincere love looks like. One common aspect of each of these expressions of love is that it requires putting the needs and interests of others ahead of our own. In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul reiterates the sacrificial nature of love and describes what love is and what it isn’t. Again, the common aspect of love described in this passage is that it focuses on the good of someone else. Jesus taught that the greatest love is self-sacrificing: “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). To say that we love includes placing others ahead of ourselves.

By Xochitl Dixon
Waiting in Hope

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

Rogelio served as our waiter during our weeklong vacation. In one conversation, he credited Jesus for blessing him with Kaly, a compassionate wife with strong faith. After they had their first baby, God gave them the opportunity to help care for their niece who had Down syndrome. Soon after, Rogelio’s mother-in-law needed live-in care.

Rogelio works with joy, often taking on double shifts to ensure his wife can stay home to care for the people God entrusted to them. When I shared how the couple inspired me to love better because of the way they opened their hearts and home to serve their family members, he said, “It is my pleasure to serve them . . . and you.”

Rogelio’s life affirms the power of living with generosity and trusting God to provide as we serve one another selflessly. The apostle Paul urged God’s people to be “devoted to one another in love . . . joyful in hope, patient in affliction, [and] faithful in prayer” as we “share with the Lord’s people who are in need [and] practice hospitality” (Romans 12:10–13).

Our life can change in an instant, leaving us or those we love in circumstances that feel impossible to bear. But when we’re willing to share all God has given us while we wait on Him, we can cling to His enduring love . . . together.

How can you prayerfully and physically support someone in need today? How has God used someone to offer you tangible support while you waited for Him?

God, please help me love others while I wait for You to work in and through my circumstances.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, June 05, 2021
God’s Assurance

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

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

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

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

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Much of the misery in our Christian life comes not because the devil tackles us, but because we have never understood the simple laws of our make-up. We have to treat the body as the servant of Jesus Christ: when the body says “Sit,” and He says “Go,” go! When the body says “Eat,” and He says “Fast,” fast! When the body says “Yawn,” and He says “Pray,” pray! Biblical Ethics, 107 R

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 23-24; John 15

Job 9 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 Max Lucado Daily: THE ROLE OF A SERVANT - June 4, 2021

“Whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:27–28).

Jesus came to serve. Suppose you took that role. Be the family member who offers to wash the dishes after dinner. Be the neighbor who mows the grass of the elderly people. Find happiness in serving others. Doing good does the doer good.

What would happen if everyone took on the role of a servant? How many marriages would be blessed? If politicians set out to serve their people more than serve themselves, would their country benefit? If churches were populated by sincere servants, how many people would hear the invitation of a lifetime? Service—this is how happiness happens.

Job 9

Job Continues
How Can Mere Mortals Get Right with God?

Job continued by saying:

“So what’s new? I know all this.
    The question is, ‘How can mere mortals get right with God?’
If we wanted to bring our case before him,
    what chance would we have? Not one in a thousand!
God’s wisdom is so deep, God’s power so immense,
    who could take him on and come out in one piece?
He moves mountains before they know what’s happened,
    flips them on their heads on a whim.
He gives the earth a good shaking up,
    rocks it down to its very foundations.
He tells the sun, ‘Don’t shine,’ and it doesn’t;
    he pulls the blinds on the stars.
All by himself he stretches out the heavens
    and strides on the waves of the sea.
He designed the Big Dipper and Orion,
    the Pleiades and Alpha Centauri.
We’ll never comprehend all the great things he does;
    his miracle-surprises can’t be counted.
Somehow, though he moves right in front of me, I don’t see him;
    quietly but surely he’s active, and I miss it.
If he steals you blind, who can stop him?
    Who’s going to say, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’
God doesn’t hold back on his anger;
    even dragon-bred monsters cringe before him.

14-20 “So how could I ever argue with him,
    construct a defense that would influence God?
Even though I’m innocent I could never prove it;
    I can only throw myself on the Judge’s mercy.
If I called on God and he himself answered me,
    then, and only then, would I believe that he’d heard me.
As it is, he knocks me about from pillar to post,
    beating me up, black-and-blue, for no good reason.
He won’t even let me catch my breath,
    piles bitterness upon bitterness.
If it’s a question of who’s stronger, he wins, hands down!
    If it’s a question of justice, who’ll serve him the subpoena?
Even though innocent, anything I say incriminates me;
    blameless as I am, my defense just makes me sound worse.

If God’s Not Responsible, Who Is?
21-24 “Believe me, I’m blameless.
    I don’t understand what’s going on.
    I hate my life!
Since either way it ends up the same, I can only conclude
    that God destroys the good right along with the bad.
When calamity hits and brings sudden death,
    he folds his arms, aloof from the despair of the innocent.
He lets the wicked take over running the world,
    he installs judges who can’t tell right from wrong.
    If he’s not responsible, who is?

25-31 “My time is short—what’s left of my life races off
    too fast for me to even glimpse the good.
My life is going fast, like a ship under full sail,
    like an eagle plummeting to its prey.
Even if I say, ‘I’ll put all this behind me,
    I’ll look on the bright side and force a smile,’
All these troubles would still be like grit in my gut
    since it’s clear you’re not going to let up.
The verdict has already been handed down—‘Guilty!’—
    so what’s the use of protests or appeals?
Even if I scrub myself all over
    and wash myself with the strongest soap I can find,
It wouldn’t last—you’d push me into a pigpen, or worse,
    so nobody could stand me for the stink.

32-35 “God and I are not equals; I can’t bring a case against him.
    We’ll never enter a courtroom as peers.
How I wish we had an arbitrator
    to step in and let me get on with life—
To break God’s death grip on me,
    to free me from this terror so I could breathe again.
Then I’d speak up and state my case boldly.
    As things stand, there is no way I can do it.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Friday, June 04, 2021
Read: Deuteronomy 32:1–4

Listen, you heavens, and I will speak;
    hear, you earth, the words of my mouth.
2 Let my teaching fall like rain
    and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
    like abundant rain on tender plants.

3 I will proclaim the name of the Lord.
    Oh, praise the greatness of our God!
4 He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
    and all his ways are just.
A faithful God who does no wrong,
    upright and just is he.

INSIGHT
Much of the book of Deuteronomy (which means “second law”) consists of Moses’ farewell address to the children of Israel, including a recitation of the law that the nation had agreed to forty years earlier at Mount Sinai. At this point, Moses had been leading the nation since their departure from Egypt four decades earlier, but most of the adults who’d been present at Sinai were no longer alive. As such, a repeating of the covenant was very appropriate. This farewell isn’t a victory celebration, however. Soon the people of Israel would enter the promised land—but Joshua, not Moses, would lead them. Moses was prohibited from entering because of an event of spiritual failure during the wilderness wanderings (Numbers 20:12–13). The book that begins with Israel at the Jordan, ready to start a new life, ends with Moses’ death and Joshua’s rise to leadership.

By Winn Collier
Perfect Justice

All [God’s] ways are just. Deuteronomy 32:4

In 1983, three teens were arrested for the murder of a fourteen-year-old. According to news reports, the younger teen was “shot . . . because of his [athletic] jacket.” Sentenced to life in prison, the three spent thirty-six years behind bars before evidence surfaced that revealed their innocence. Another man had committed the crime. Before the judge released them as free men, he issued an apology.

No matter how hard we try (and no matter how much good is done by our officials), human justice is often flawed. We never have all the information. Sometimes dishonest people manipulate the facts. Sometimes we’re just wrong. And often, evils may take years to be righted, if they ever are in our lifetime. Thankfully, unlike fickle humans, God wields perfect justice. “His works are perfect,” says Moses, “and all his ways are just” (Deuteronomy 32:4). God sees things as they truly are. In time, after we’ve done our worst, God will bring about final, ultimate justice. Though uncertain of the timing, we have confidence because we serve a “faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he” (v. 4).

We may be dogged by uncertainty regarding what’s right or wrong. We may fear that the injustices done to us or those we love will never be made right. But we can trust the God of justice to one day—either in this life or the next—enact justice for us.

Where have you seen justice abused or misrepresented? Where does your heart cry out for God to bring justice?

God, I see injustice all around me: in the news, in my relationships, on social media. Thank You for the hope I can have in You and Your just ways.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, June 04, 2021

The Never-forsaking God

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

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

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

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

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

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The great point of Abraham’s faith in God was that he was prepared to do anything for God.  Not Knowing Whither, 903 R

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 21-22; John 14

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, June 04, 2021
Sharp Edges - #8975

With the population of our family increasing with the arrival of each new grandchild, our ability to accommodate everybody was shrinking. So we added a couple of rooms that really have served us well in some memorable family get-togethers. But we had to correct one thing. As we looked at the staircase that a lot of little legs (like mine) would be climbing, we didn't like the sharp edges we saw on one of the boards that was along and at the top of the staircase. We had to take care of those before someone got hurt on them.

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

Needless to say, we rounded off those sharp edges because people we love could get hurt on them. The problem is that too many of us have sharp edges we never deal with; edges that continue to hurt people we care about. It's those sharp edges in our personality, in the way we react to people, in the way we treat people sometimes, in the way we act when we're tired or stressed. And you can't just let those sharp edges stay there. They've already done enough damage, haven't they?

Maybe you get sharp and hurtful when you're tired, or when you're interrupted, or when something or someone messes up the way you had it planned. It could be you become cutting and harsh when you're really stressed, or frustrated, or when you don't get your way. I know where my buttons are that bring out my worst. I suspect you know where yours are, too. But for the sake of those we love, isn't it time we really finally did something about the sharp edges that keep cutting them?

Our word for today from the Word of God calls us to be known for a trait that was so there in our Lord Jesus. Philippians 4:5 says, "Let your gentleness be evident to all." Well, is it? Would folks who know you best call you gentle? Or are they getting verbally roughed up by you all too often? Colossians 3 describes the new you that's supposed to be the result of you knowing Jesus personally. It says, "As God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." That's the personality wardrobe that folks should always see you in, because you look good in it.

Sometimes you may not realize the power of your words; power to heal, power to wound, to build up, to tear down, to make a person feel valuable or worthless. In fact, Proverbs 18:21 says, "the tongue has the power of life and death." With the words you say, you can make someone either feel dead or alive inside. And listen to what God says our sharp edges can do: "Reckless words pierce like a sword" (Proverbs 12:18). We know that's true. We've been pierced with that sword many times ourselves haven't we? Then why must we continually wound, alienate and wither the people we care about with our sharp edges?

Gentle treatment of people - especially when we're feeling tired, or tense, or frustrated - doesn't necessarily come naturally. God describes it as a "fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:23). It's a characteristic Jesus has that He can produce in you through His Holy Spirit who lives in you. But you have to reach the point where, first of all, you're willing to see those sharp edges that you have and repent of them as part of the sinful old you that's all dark and ugly. And tell the Lord you're powerless to change your dark side by yourself.

Surrender that harsh side of you to God's Holy Spirit to replace it with the loving gentleness of your Lord, Jesus. Go back to those you've hurt and tell them you're sorry. Ask them to pray for you as you try to change. And when you're in one of those times when the sharp edges are coming out, stop for a moment and exchange your feelings and your instincts and your history for His empowering, overlooking love.

There are too many wounds, too many tears from the damage our sharp edges have inflicted already. But because of Jesus, you just don't have to be that way anymore!

Job 8 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily:JESUS SERVES - June 3, 2021

The disciples were on the Sea of Galilee when they heard Jesus call out from the shore, and when they reached the beach they saw the most extraordinary sight. Jesus was cooking!  He told them, “Come and eat breakfast” (John 21:12). Shouldn’t the roles be reversed? Jesus had just ripped the gates of hell off their hinges. He’d made a deposit of grace that forever offsets our debt of sin. He, the unrivaled Commander of the Universe, wore the apron?

Even more, he has yet to remove it. He promises a feast in heaven at which “he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them” (Luke 12:37). Can you imagine the sight? Someone asks, “Has anyone seen Jesus?” “Yes, he’s on the other side of the banquet room serving iced tea.” This is how happiness happens.

Job 8

Bildad’s Response
Does God Mess Up?

Bildad from Shuhah was next to speak:

“How can you keep on talking like this?
    You’re talking nonsense, and noisy nonsense at that.
Does God mess up?
    Does God Almighty ever get things backward?
It’s plain that your children sinned against him—
    otherwise, why would God have punished them?
Here’s what you must do—and don’t put it off any longer:
    Get down on your knees before God Almighty.
If you’re as innocent and upright as you say,
    it’s not too late—he’ll come running;
    he’ll set everything right again, reestablish your fortunes.
Even though you’re not much right now,
    you’ll end up better than ever.

To Hang Your Life from One Thin Thread
8-19 “Put the question to our ancestors,
    study what they learned from their ancestors.
For we’re newcomers at this, with a lot to learn,
    and not too long to learn it.
So why not let the ancients teach you, tell you what’s what,
    instruct you in what they knew from experience?
Can mighty pine trees grow tall without soil?
    Can luscious tomatoes flourish without water?
Blossoming flowers look beautiful before they’re cut or picked,
    but without soil or water they wither more quickly than grass.
That’s what happens to all who forget God—
    all their hopes come to nothing.
They hang their life from one thin thread,
    they hitch their fate to a spider web.
One jiggle and the thread breaks,
    one jab and the web collapses.
Or they’re like weeds springing up in the sunshine,
    invading the garden,
Spreading everywhere, overtaking the flowers,
    getting a foothold even in the rocks.
But when the gardener rips them out by the roots,
    the garden doesn’t miss them one bit.
The sooner the godless are gone, the better;
    then good plants can grow in their place.

20-22 “There’s no way that God will reject a good person,
    and there is no way he’ll help a bad one.
God will let you laugh again;
    you’ll raise the roof with shouts of joy,
With your enemies thoroughly discredited,
    their house of cards collapsed.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Thursday, June 03, 2021

Read: Lamentations 3:19–26

I remember my affliction and my wandering,
    the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
    for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for him.”

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.

INSIGHT
When Jeremiah refers to “bitterness” and “gall” (Lamentations 3:19), bitterness is literally “wormwood,” a bitter-tasting plant, while gall is a poisonous plant that causes great pain if eaten. Together, the words function as a metaphor for great anguish, in this case attributed to God’s judgment (Jeremiah 9:15).

It’s the capacity to hope (Lamentations 3:21) that gives the prophet strength to endure. While today “hope” is often synonymous with an optimistic emotion, in the Old Testament both Hebrew words translated “hope” (yakhal and qavah) refer to waiting. In Lamentations 3:21, the word yakhal is used and is the same word translated “will wait for” in verse 24. Therefore, a posture of hope—waiting in expectation—isn’t based on an optimistic perspective on the current situation but on God’s character and faithfulness to bring about future restoration (see Psalm 39:7).

By Julie Schwab
It’s Okay to Lament

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him. Lamentations 3:25

I dropped to my knees and let my tears fall to the floor. “God, why aren’t you taking care of me?” I cried. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. I’d been laid-off for almost a month, and something had gone wrong with my unemployment application. I hadn’t received any money yet, and the stimulus check the US government had promised hadn’t arrived. Deep down, I trusted that God would work out everything. I believed He truly loved me and would take care of me, but in that moment, I felt abandoned.

The book of Lamentations reminds us it’s okay to lament. The book was likely written during or soon after the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem in 587 bc. It describes the affliction (3:1, 19), oppression (1:18), and starvation (2:20; 4:10) the people faced. Yet, in the middle of the book the author remembers why he could hope: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (3:22–23). Despite the devastation, the author remembered that God remains faithful.

Sometimes it feels impossible to believe that “the Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him” (v. 25), especially when we don’t see an end to our suffering. But we can cry out to Him, trust that He hears us, and that He’ll be faithful to see us through.

What’s making it difficult for you to trust God today? What will help you feel comfortable enough to cry out to Him?

Father, I need You right now. Please help me to trust You to come through for me in my difficult situation.

To learn more about suffering and the Christian faith, visit ChristianUniversity.org/CA211.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, June 03, 2021
“The Secret of the Lord

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

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

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

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

We are only what we are in the dark; all the rest is reputation. What God looks at is what we are in the dark—the imaginations of our minds; the thoughts of our heart; the habits of our bodies; these are the things that mark us in God’s sight.  The Love of God—The Ministry of the Unnoticed, 669 L

Bible in a Year: 2 Chronicles 19-20; John 13:21-38

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, June 03, 2021

The Replacement Ref Ruckus - #8974

Now, I've been to a few professional football games in my life. You know, people get angry at those things. It's usually aimed at the other team or their own players who messed up. But, you know, there was a time when the words that made us blush were reserved for the referees; the replacement referees, that is.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Replacement Ref Ruckus."

Well, the regular National Football League officials were locked out by the owners over a salary dispute. So the guys making the calls were like rookies in the NFL universe. And the accusations were flying that they were missing all kinds of penalties and making bad calls on key plays.

And it reached a boiling point because of a highly disputed call at the end of a nationally televised game. In essence, their judgment on a last-minute touchdown play decided the outcome, and most people believe that it gave the game to the wrong team. Well, boy, the cries started getting louder and louder, "Fire those guys! Bring back the real refs!" That's the only stuff I can quote.

Look, I guess you can't expect substitute officials to run the game as well as the people who are supposed to be in charge, which is something that's important for parents to remember. See, there's a tendency in our culture to delegate an awful lot of "officiating" in our kids' lives to other people. When, from the beginning, God's expecting parents to be the ones supervising the game of life for our children.

But, hey, we've got teachers, and coaches, and pastors, and youth workers, and counselors. Hey, we can let them do a lot of life for our children, right? Well, they can help, but God doesn't think they're the ones out front.

In our word for today from the Word of God, Deuteronomy 6:4-7 and 11:21, He says this to parents, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Why? The Bible says, "So the days of your children may be many in the land."

Now, where's a child supposed to learn the ways of his Creator? Where's he or she supposed to learn about love and decision-making, the meaning of sex, how to handle money? The answer is at home. Anything other coaches or refs can do is a bonus and potentially helpful, but it's supplemental in developing a child's life - not fundamental.

See, they're just not the Heavenly Father's game plan for shaping a young life. Children are supposed to learn how to do life from the people who gave them life. Oh, I'm grateful for the people who back that up and help fill in some of the empty spaces. But primarily it's up to Mom and Dad.

And thankfully, in a world where it's so dangerous to be a kid and so challenging to be a parent, God says, "You're not in this alone." My wife and I often embraced this promise from Isaiah 40:11: "He tends His flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in His arms" - listen, you could insert the names of your "lambs" there - "and He carries them close to His heart; He gently leads those that have young" (you can put your name there).

See, we have found in Jesus - the One the Bible calls the "Good Shepherd" - a Savior who forgives our failures and supplies the power to change our dark side. I'll tell you, there's nothing like having a life to shape to make you realize how much you need Him.

So, being the Mom or Dad they need isn't Mission Impossible. There simply is no athletic coach, no school, no church, no community program that can replace or do the job of a Mom or Dad. Yes, it's tempting to hand off a child to other "life-refs" when our own lives are so overheated. But ultimately, we're not going to like how the game turns out. The high-stakes game of life-building is no place for replacement refs.

Jesus has proven, for so many, to be the life-changing, family-saving Savior that a Mom or Dad needs. So, if you'd like Him in your life and your home, you'll find a lot more about a relationship with Him at ANewStory.com, because it's with Jesus that a new story begins.