Genesis 48 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Dressed in a New Wardrobe - September 13, 2021

The Apostle Paul says, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:27). When you make God’s story yours, he covers you in Christ. You wear him like a vest. Old labels no longer apply.

How about these new labels: Royal priest. Free from condemnation. Secure. God’s coworker. God’s temple. God’s workmanship. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe.

Psalm 103:12 reminds us not to mess with the old clothes any longer. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” When God sends your sins to the east and you to the west, you can be sure of this: he sees his Son and not your sin. In fact, Isaiah 43:25 says, “He remembers your sins no more!” How do you like that outfit?

Genesis 48

Some time after this conversation, Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” He took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, and went to Jacob. When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come,” he roused himself and sat up in bed.

3-7 Jacob said to Joseph, “The Strong God appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me. He said, ‘I’m going to make you prosperous and numerous, turn you into a congregation of tribes; and I’ll turn this land over to your children coming after you as a permanent inheritance.’ I’m adopting your two sons who were born to you here in Egypt before I joined you; they have equal status with Reuben and Simeon. But any children born after them are yours; they will come after their brothers in matters of inheritance. I want it this way because, as I was returning from Paddan, your mother Rachel, to my deep sorrow, died as we were on our way through Canaan when we were only a short distance from Ephrath, now called Bethlehem.”

8 Just then Jacob noticed Joseph’s sons and said, “Who are these?”

9-11 Joseph told his father, “They are my sons whom God gave to me in this place.”

“Bring them to me,” he said, “so I can bless them.” Israel’s eyesight was poor from old age; he was nearly blind. So Joseph brought them up close. Old Israel kissed and embraced them and then said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face again, and now God has let me see your children as well!”

12-16 Joseph took them from Israel’s knees and bowed respectfully, his face to the ground. Then Joseph took the two boys, Ephraim with his right hand setting him to Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand setting him to Israel’s right, and stood them before him. But Israel crossed his arms and put his right hand on the head of Ephraim who was the younger and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, the firstborn. Then he blessed them:

The God before whom walked
    my fathers Abraham and Isaac,
The God who has been my shepherd
    all my life long to this very day,
The Angel who delivered me from every evil,
    Bless the boys.
May my name be echoed in their lives,
    and the names of Abraham and Isaac, my fathers,
And may they grow
    covering the Earth with their children.

17-18 When Joseph saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim’s head, he thought he had made a mistake, so he took hold of his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s, saying, “That’s the wrong head, Father; the other one is the firstborn; place your right hand on his head.”

19-20 But his father wouldn’t do it. He said, “I know, my son; but I know what I’m doing. He also will develop into a people, and he also will be great. But his younger brother will be even greater and his descendants will enrich nations.” Then he blessed them both:

Israel will use your names to give blessings:
    May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh.

In that he made it explicit: he put Ephraim ahead of Manasseh.

21-22 Israel then said to Joseph, “I’m about to die. God be with you and give you safe passage back to the land of your fathers. As for me, I’m presenting you, as the first among your brothers, the ridge of land I took from Amorites with my sword and bow.”

* * *

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Monday, September 13, 2021

Today's Scripture
Psalm 1
(NIV)

Blessed is the onea

who does not walkb in step with the wickedc

or stand in the wayd that sinners takee

or sitf in the company of mockers,g

2 but whose delighth is in the law of the Lord,i

and who meditatesj on his law day and night.

3 That person is like a treek planted by streamsl of water,m

which yields its fruitn in season

and whose leafo does not wither—

whatever they do prospers.p

4 Not so the wicked!

They are like chaffq

that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not standr in the judgment,s

nor sinners in the assemblyt of the righteous.

6 For the Lord watches overu the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.v

Insight

In Psalm 1, the way of the righteous and the way of the wicked are described in stark contrast. The psalmist identifies the way of evil with the progression of walking, standing, and sitting (v. 1). Some scholars believe this pictures an increasing intimacy with those who do wrong. As the association progresses, so does the level of iniquity: wicked, sinners, and mockers. The mocker not only engages in wrongdoing but also scorns the innocent.

In contrast, the righteous delight in the law of God and are called “blessed.” They’re consumed by love for the wisdom of God; it occupies their thoughts throughout the day, bringing to mind the command to Joshua to “meditate on it day and night” (Joshua 1:8). In metaphorical language, the psalmist then describes what it means to be blessed. The blessed are like a tree that grows strong and produces good, healthy fruit: “whatever they do prospers” (Psalm 1:3).

A Living Document

Blessed is the one . . . whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.
Psalm 1:1–2

In memorializing his grandfather’s work, Peter Croft wrote, “It is my deepest desire for the person who picks up their Bible, whatever version they use, to not only understand but experience the scriptures as living documents, just as relevant, dangerous, and exciting now as they were those thousands of years ago.” Peter’s grandfather was J.B. Phillips, a youth minister who undertook a new paraphrase of the Bible in English during World War II in order to make it come alive to students at his church.

Like Phillips’ students, we face barriers to reading and experiencing Scripture, and not necessarily because of our Bible translation. We may lack time, discipline, or the right tools for understanding. But Psalm 1 tells us that “Blessed is the one . . . whose delight is in the law of the Lord” (vv. 1–2). Meditating on Scripture daily allows us to “prosper” in all seasons, no matter what hardship we’re facing.

How do you view your Bible? It’s still relevant with insight for living today, still dangerous in its call to believe and follow Jesus, still exciting in the intimate knowledge of God and humanity that it imparts. It’s like a stream of water (v. 3) that provides the sustenance we need daily. Today, let’s lean in—make time, get the right tools, and ask God to help us experience Scripture as a living document. By:  Karen Pimpo

Reflect & Pray

What barriers do you face when reading the Bible? How can you make space to listen to God’s voice?

God, help me experience Scripture as a living document today.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, September 13, 2021

After Surrender— Then What?

I have finished the work which You have given Me to do. —John 17:4

True surrender is not simply surrender of our external life but surrender of our will— and once that is done, surrender is complete. The greatest crisis we ever face is the surrender of our will. Yet God never forces a person’s will into surrender, and He never begs. He patiently waits until that person willingly yields to Him. And once that battle has been fought, it never needs to be fought again.

Surrender for Deliverance. “Come to Me…and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). It is only after we have begun to experience what salvation really means that we surrender our will to Jesus for rest. Whatever is causing us a sense of uncertainty is actually a call to our will— “Come to Me.” And it is a voluntary coming.

Surrender for Devotion. “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…” (Matthew 16:24). The surrender here is of my self to Jesus, with His rest at the heart of my being. He says, “If you want to be My disciple, you must give up your right to yourself to Me.” And once this is done, the remainder of your life will exhibit nothing but the evidence of this surrender, and you never need to be concerned again with what the future may hold for you. Whatever your circumstances may be, Jesus is totally sufficient (see 2 Corinthians 12:9 and Philippians 4:19).

Surrender for Death. “…another will gird you…” (John 21:18; also see John 21:19). Have you learned what it means to be girded for death? Beware of some surrender that you make to God in an ecstatic moment in your life, because you are apt to take it back again. True surrender is a matter of being “united together [with Jesus] in the likeness of His death” (Romans 6:5) until nothing ever appeals to you that did not appeal to Him.

And after you surrender— then what? Your entire life should be characterized by an eagerness to maintain unbroken fellowship and oneness with God.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

The Bible does not thrill; the Bible nourishes. Give time to the reading of the Bible and the recreating effect is as real as that of fresh air physically.  Disciples Indeed, 387 R

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 16-18; 2 Corinthians 6

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, September 13, 2021
A Recipe for Heroes - #9046

It was probably one of the greatest adventures in American history - the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The size of the United States doubled overnight and President Thomas Jefferson picked his aide, Meriwether Lewis, to lead a group of about forty men to explore a route from St. Louis to the Pacific. The journey took more than two years, covered thousands of miles, meeting with some fifty Indian tribes, and charting a vast area, largely unexplored by anyone other than Native Americans.

One of Meriwether Lewis' first steps in his preparation was to seek out his former commanding officer, William Clark, to share the command of this historic journey into the unknown. In his letter to Clark, he asked him to "participate with me in the expedition's fatigues, its dangers, and its honors." It took a long time for the letters to make it back and forth, but William Clark's reply was worth the wait. He said: "I will cheerfully join you and partake of the dangers, difficulties, and fatigues, and I anticipate the honor and rewards." That's a pretty good answer. It made him a hero.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "A Recipe for Heroes."

When I read Captain Lewis' invitation to Captain Clark, I can't help but think how much it reminds me of the much greater invitation that Jesus Christ gives to you and me. It's not an invitation to a party or a vacation; it's an invitation to join Him in a bold adventure, filled with "dangers, difficulties, and fatigues." Oh yes, and "honor and the rewards."

Our Western idea of faith that is a cushioned pews and convenient sacrifice flies right in the face of what Jesus called us to. It's in Luke 9:23-24, our word for today from the Word of God. "Then He said to them all, 'If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me." To which you can almost hear someone saying, "In that case, I'd rather run my own life. It sounds like there's too much to lose following Jesus." Well, you need to listen to Jesus' startling equation, "For whoever wants to save his life (or hang onto it) will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will save it." So, hang onto your life, you lose it. Give it away and you find it.

Maybe you've tried this discount Christianity. It's really popular. Of course, it's only a pale shadow of the disciple Christianity Jesus calls us to. You go to the meetings, you believe the beliefs, you give in the offerings, you sometimes read your Bible, and you pray. But it's a surface commitment, a limited commitment, a commitment that still leaves you in control. My guess is that discount Christianity has left you unfulfilled and unsatisfied. It can't satisfy you. You were made to be abandoned to Jesus, taking up a cross, making choices that might cost you, building His kingdom instead of yours, and accepting assignments from Him that go way beyond your comfort zone.

And as for "the honor and the rewards"? Jesus said that no one who sacrificed for His great adventure "will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age...and in the age to come, eternal life" (Mark 10:29-30). You just can't outgive Jesus. True Christianity is expensive, but it's ultimately fulfilling and ultimately oh so rewarding.

Jesus is asking you to take your commitment to Him to a whole new level. And you can be sure the cost of not following Him is far greater than the cost of following Him. He's waiting for your answer to His invitation. By God's grace, your answer will be, "Jesus, I will cheerfully join You and I will partake of the dangers, difficulties, and fatigues, and I anticipate the honor and the rewards."

Genesis 47, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 
Daily Devotional by Max Lucado

“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”
God’s Thoughts

LORD you have done such great things! How deep are your thoughts!
Psalm 92:5 (NCV)

God's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are they even like ours. We aren't even in the same neighborhood. We're thinking, Preserve the body; he's thinking, Save the soul. We dream of a pay raise. He dreams of raising the dead. We avoid pain and seek peace. God uses pain to bring peace. "I'm going to live before I die," we resolve. "Die, so you can live," he instructs. We love what rusts. He loves what endures. We rejoice at our successes. He rejoices at our confessions. We show our children the Nike star with the million-dollar smile and say, "Be like Mike." God points to the crucified carpenter with bloody lips and a torn side and says, "Be like Christ."

Genesis 47

Joseph went to Pharaoh and told him, “My father and brothers with their flocks and herds and everything they own have come from Canaan. Right now they are in Goshen.”

2-3 He had taken five of his brothers with him and introduced them to Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked them, “What kind of work do you do?”

3-4 “Your servants are shepherds, the same as our fathers were. We have come to this country to find a new place to live. There is no pasture for our flocks in Canaan. The famine has been very bad there. Please, would you let your servants settle in the region of Goshen?”

5-6 Pharaoh looked at Joseph. “So, your father and brothers have arrived—a reunion! Egypt welcomes them. Settle your father and brothers on the choicest land—yes, give them Goshen. And if you know any among them that are especially good at their work, put them in charge of my own livestock.”

7-8 Next Joseph brought his father Jacob in and introduced him to Pharaoh. Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked Jacob, “How old are you?”

9-10 Jacob answered Pharaoh, “The years of my sojourning are 130—a short and hard life and not nearly as long as my ancestors were given.” Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and left.

11-12 Joseph settled his father and brothers in Egypt, made them proud owners of choice land—it was the region of Rameses (that is, Goshen)—just as Pharaoh had ordered. Joseph took good care of them—his father and brothers and all his father’s family, right down to the smallest baby. He made sure they had plenty of everything.

* * *

13-15 The time eventually came when there was no food anywhere. The famine was very bad. Egypt and Canaan alike were devastated by the famine. Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan to pay for the distribution of food. He banked the money in Pharaoh’s palace. When the money from Egypt and Canaan had run out, the Egyptians came to Joseph. “Food! Give us food! Are you going to watch us die right in front of you? The money is all gone.”

16-17 Joseph said, “Bring your livestock. I’ll trade you food for livestock since your money’s run out.” So they brought Joseph their livestock. He traded them food for their horses, sheep, cattle, and donkeys. He got them through that year in exchange for all their livestock.

18-19 When that year was over, the next year rolled around and they were back, saying, “Master, it’s no secret to you that we’re broke: our money’s gone and we’ve traded you all our livestock. We’ve nothing left to barter with but our bodies and our farms. What use are our bodies and our land if we stand here and starve to death right in front of you? Trade us food for our bodies and our land. We’ll be slaves to Pharaoh and give up our land—all we ask is seed for survival, just enough to live on and keep the farms alive.”

20-21 So Joseph bought up all the farms in Egypt for Pharaoh. Every Egyptian sold his land—the famine was that bad. That’s how Pharaoh ended up owning all the land and the people ended up slaves; Joseph reduced the people to slavery from one end of Egypt to the other.

22 Joseph made an exception for the priests. He didn’t buy their land because they received a fixed salary from Pharaoh and were able to live off of that salary. So they didn’t need to sell their land.

23-24 Joseph then announced to the people: “Here’s how things stand: I’ve bought you and your land for Pharaoh. In exchange I’m giving you seed so you can plant the ground. When the crops are harvested, you must give a fifth to Pharaoh and keep four-fifths for yourselves, for seed for yourselves and your families—you’re going to be able to feed your children!”

25 They said, “You’ve saved our lives! Master, we’re grateful and glad to be slaves to Pharaoh.”

26 Joseph decreed a land law in Egypt that is still in effect, A Fifth Goes to Pharaoh. Only the priests’ lands were not owned by Pharaoh.

* * *

27-28 And so Israel settled down in Egypt in the region of Goshen. They acquired property and flourished. They became a large company of people. Jacob lived in Egypt for seventeen years. In all, he lived 147 years.

29-30 When the time came for Israel to die, he called his son Joseph and said, “Do me this favor. Put your hand under my thigh, a sign that you’re loyal and true to me to the end. Don’t bury me in Egypt. When I lie down with my fathers, carry me out of Egypt and bury me alongside them.”

“I will,” he said. “I’ll do what you’ve asked.”

31 Israel said, “Promise me.” Joseph promised.

Israel bowed his head in submission and gratitude from his bed.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Sunday, September 12, 2021
Today's Scripture
Romans 5:12–19
(NIV

Death Through Adam, Life Through Christ

12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man,d and death through sin,e and in this way death came to all people, because all sinnedf—

13 To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law.g 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam,h who is a pattern of the one to come.i

15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man,j how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ,k overflow to the many! 16 Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, deathl reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in lifem through the one man, Jesus Christ!

18 Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people,n so also one righteous act resulted in justificationo and lifep for all people. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one manq the many were made sinners,r so also through the obediences of the one man the many will be made righteous.

Insight

In Romans 5:14, Adam is referred to as a “pattern of the one to come” (a reference to Jesus). The Greek word translated “pattern” is the word týpos, from which we get the English words “type” and “typology.” Biblically speaking, persons, figures, or systems designated as “types” have historical significance, but they also point to other persons or things. Here Adam is viewed as representative of all humanity and points to Jesus, who is representative of “new humanity”—those made new by faith in Him. Just as Adam’s sin transferred to all, Christ’s righteousness is credited to all who believe in Him. By: Arthur Jackson

A Great Act of Love

Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.
Romans 5:18

In Oregon’s Malheur National Forest, a fungus popularly known as the honey mushroom spreads through tree roots across 2,200 acres, making it the largest living organism ever found. It’s been “weaving its black shoestring filaments” through the forest for more than two millennia, killing trees as it grows. Its shoestring filaments, called “rhizomorphs,” tunnel as deep as ten feet into the soil. And although the organism is incredibly large, it began with a single microscopic spore!

The Bible tells us of a single act of disobedience that caused widespread condemnation and a single act of obedience that reversed it. The apostle Paul contrasted two individuals—Adam and Jesus (Romans 5:14–15). Adam’s sin brought condemnation and death “to all people” (v. 12). Through one act of disobedience, all people were made sinners and stood condemned before God (v. 17). But He had a means of dealing with humanity’s sin problem. Through the righteous act of Jesus on the cross, God provides eternal life and a right standing before Him. Christ’s act of love and obedience was powerful enough to overcome Adam’s one act of disobedience—providing “life for all people” (v. 18).

Through His death on the cross, Jesus offers eternal life to anyone who puts their faith in Him. If you haven’t received His forgiveness and salvation, may you do so today. If you’re already a believer, praise Him for what He’s done by His great act of love! By:  Marvin Williams

Reflect & Pray

What do the single acts of Adam and Jesus tell you about the impact of sin? How does Jesus’ sacrifice ignite or renew your desire to live a life that honors Him?  

God, thank You for providing salvation and eternal life through Jesus! Help me to reveal Your saving way to others.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, September 12, 2021
Going Through Spiritual Confusion

Jesus answered and said, "You do not know what you ask." —Matthew 20:22

There are times in your spiritual life when there is confusion, and the way out of it is not simply to say that you should not be confused. It is not a matter of right and wrong, but a matter of God taking you through a way that you temporarily do not understand. And it is only by going through the spiritual confusion that you will come to the understanding of what God wants for you.

The Shrouding of His Friendship (see Luke 11:5-8). Jesus gave the illustration here of a man who appears not to care for his friend. He was saying, in effect, that is how the heavenly Father will appear to you at times. You will think that He is an unkind friend, but remember— He is not. The time will come when everything will be explained. There seems to be a cloud on the friendship of the heart, and often even love itself has to wait in pain and tears for the blessing of fuller fellowship and oneness. When God appears to be completely shrouded, will you hang on with confidence in Him?

The Shadow on His Fatherhood (see Luke 11:11-13). Jesus said that there are times when your Father will appear as if He were an unnatural father— as if He were callous and indifferent— but remember, He is not. “Everyone who asks receives…” (Luke 11:10). If all you see is a shadow on the face of the Father right now, hang on to the fact that He will ultimately give you clear understanding and will fully justify Himself in everything that He has allowed into your life.

The Strangeness of His Faithfulness (see Luke 18:1-8). “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). Will He find the kind of faith that counts on Him in spite of the confusion? Stand firm in faith, believing that what Jesus said is true, although in the meantime you do not understand what God is doing. He has bigger issues at stake than the particular things you are asking of Him right now.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

The Bible is the only Book that gives us any indication of the true nature of sin, and where it came from. The Philosophy of Sin, 1107 R

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 13-15; 2 Corinthians 5

Genesis 46, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 
Daily Devotional by Max Lucado
“the One who came still comes and the One who spoke still speaks”

What Makes God, God?

If we are not faithful, he will still be faithful, because he cannot be false to himself.
2 Timothy 2:13 (NCV)

God's blessings are dispensed according to the riches of his grace, not according to the depth of our faith....

Why is that important to know? So you won't get cynical. Look around you. Aren't there more mouths than bread? Aren't there more wounds than physicians? Aren't there more who need the truth than those who tell it?

So what do we do? Throw up our hands and walk away? Tell the world we can't help them?

No, we don't give up. We look up. We trust. We believe. And our optimism is not hollow. Christ has proven worthy. He has shown that he never fails. That's what makes God, God.


Genesis 46

So Israel set out on the journey with everything he owned. He arrived at Beersheba and worshiped, offering sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

2 God spoke to Israel in a vision that night: “Jacob! Jacob!”

“Yes?” he said. “I’m listening.”

3-4 God said, “I am the God of your father. Don’t be afraid of going down to Egypt. I’m going to make you a great nation there. I’ll go with you down to Egypt; I’ll also bring you back here. And when you die, Joseph will be with you; with his own hand he’ll close your eyes.”

5-7 Then Jacob left Beersheba. Israel’s sons loaded their father and their little ones and their wives on the wagons Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They arrived in Egypt with the livestock and the wealth they had accumulated in Canaan. Jacob brought everyone in his family with him—sons and grandsons, daughters and granddaughters. Everyone.

8 These are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his descendants, who went to Egypt:

Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn.

9 Reuben’s sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

10 Simeon’s sons: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.

11 Levi’s sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

12 Judah’s sons: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (Er and Onan had already died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

13 Issachar’s sons: Tola, Puah, Jashub, and Shimron.

14 Zebulun’s sons: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel.

15 These are the sons that Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram. There was also his daughter Dinah. Altogether, sons and daughters, they numbered thirty-three.

16 Gad’s sons: Zephon, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli.

17 Asher’s sons: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, and Beriah. Also their sister Serah, and Beriah’s sons, Heber and Malkiel.

18 These are the children that Zilpah, the maid that Laban gave to his daughter Leah, bore to Jacob—sixteen of them.

19-21 The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph was the father of two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, from his marriage to Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On. They were born to him in Egypt. Benjamin’s sons were Bela, Beker, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard.

22 These are the children born to Jacob through Rachel—fourteen.

23 Dan’s son: Hushim.

24 Naphtali’s sons: Jahziel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem.

25 These are the children born to Jacob through Bilhah, the maid Laban had given to his daughter Rachel—seven.

26-27 Summing up, all those who went down to Egypt with Jacob—his own children, not counting his sons’ wives—numbered sixty-six. Counting in the two sons born to Joseph in Egypt, the members of Jacob’s family who ended up in Egypt numbered seventy.

* * *

28-29 Jacob sent Judah on ahead to get directions to Goshen from Joseph. When they got to Goshen, Joseph gave orders for his chariot and went to Goshen to meet his father Israel. The moment Joseph saw him, he threw himself on his neck and wept. He wept a long time.

30 Israel said to Joseph, “I’m ready to die. I’ve looked into your face—you are indeed alive.”

31-34 Joseph then spoke to his brothers and his father’s family. “I’ll go and tell Pharaoh, ‘My brothers and my father’s family, all of whom lived in Canaan, have come to me. The men are shepherds; they’ve always made their living by raising livestock. And they’ve brought their flocks and herds with them, along with everything else they own.’ When Pharaoh calls you in and asks what kind of work you do, tell him, ‘Your servants have always kept livestock for as long as we can remember—we and our parents also.’ That way he’ll let you stay apart in the area of Goshen—for Egyptians look down on anyone who is a shepherd.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Saturday, September 11, 2021
Today's Scripture Proverbs 3:13–18 (NIV)

Blessed are those who find wisdom,

those who gain understanding,

14 for she is more profitable than silver

and yields better returns than gold.t

15 She is more precious than rubies;u

nothing you desire can compare with her.v

16 Long life is in her right hand;w

in her left hand are riches and honor.x

17 Her ways are pleasant ways,

and all her paths are peace.y

18 She is a tree of lifez to those who take hold of her;

those who hold her fast will be blessed.a

Insight

The book of Proverbs begins, “The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel” (Proverbs 1:1). Solomon is noted throughout the Scriptures as a man of great wisdom. Jesus Himself noted Solomon’s wisdom (Matthew 12:42). Two things, however, need to be understood about this wisdom. First, the wisdom of Solomon wasn’t Solomon’s—it was given to him by God in response to the king’s prayer (1 Kings 3:5–13). James reminds us that this same wisdom is available to all of us and that God will grant our requests (James 1:5). Second, this wisdom can be abandoned—as Solomon clearly did. His life of wisdom became the ultimate example of foolishness as he turned from God to follow idols (1 Kings 11:4). As James 3:13–18 reminds us, the wisdom we choose to live by is foundational to our walk of faith. By: Bill Crowder

From Wisdom to Joy

[Wisdom] will guide you down delightful paths.
Proverbs 3:17 nlt

The phone rang and I picked it up without delay. Calling was the oldest member of our church family—a vibrant, hard-working woman who was nearly one hundred years old. Putting the final touches on her latest book, she asked me some writing questions to help her cross the finish line. As always, however, I soon was asking her questions—about life, work, love, family. Her many lessons from a long life sparkled with wisdom. She told me, “Pace yourself.” And soon we were laughing about times she’d forgotten to do that—her wonderful stories all seasoned with true joy.

Wisdom leads to joy, the Bible teaches. “Joyful is the person who finds wisdom, the one who gains understanding” (Proverbs 3:13 nlt). We find that this path—from wisdom to joy—is a biblical virtue, indeed. “For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy” (Proverbs 2:10 nlt). “God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him” (Ecclesiastes 2:26 nlt). Wisdom “will guide you down delightful paths,” adds Proverbs 3:17 (nlt).

Reflecting on the matters of life, author C. S. Lewis declared that “joy is the serious business of heaven.” The path there, however, is paved with wisdom. My church friend, who lived to be 107, would agree. She walked a wise, joyful pace to the King.

By:  Patricia Raybon

Reflect & Pray

What paths have you taken in trying to find joy? How can wisdom lead you to joy?

When I might take a rocky road, loving God, please point me back to Your path of wisdom and joy.

Learn more about joy here.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, September 11, 2021

    
Missionary Weapons (2)

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. —John 13:14



Ministering in Everyday Opportunities. Ministering in everyday opportunities that surround us does not mean that we select our own surroundings— it means being God’s very special choice to be available for use in any of the seemingly random surroundings which He has engineered for us. The very character we exhibit in our present surroundings is an indication of what we will be like in other surroundings.

The things Jesus did were the most menial of everyday tasks, and this is an indication that it takes all of God’s power in me to accomplish even the most common tasks in His way. Can I use a towel as He did? Towels, dishes, sandals, and all the other ordinary things in our lives reveal what we are made of more quickly than anything else. It takes God Almighty Incarnate in us to do the most menial duty as it ought to be done.

Jesus said, “I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). Notice the kind of people that God brings around you, and you will be humiliated once you realize that this is actually His way of revealing to you the kind of person you have been to Him. Now He says we should exhibit to those around us exactly what He has exhibited to us.

Do you find yourself responding by saying, “Oh, I will do all that once I’m out on the mission field”? Talking in this way is like trying to produce the weapons of war while in the trenches of the battlefield— you will be killed while trying to do it.

We have to go the “second mile” with God (see Matthew 5:41). Yet some of us become worn out in the first ten steps. Then we say, “Well, I’ll just wait until I get closer to the next big crisis in my life.” But if we do not steadily minister in everyday opportunities, we will do nothing when the crisis comes.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

The Bible is the only Book that gives us any indication of the true nature of sin, and where it came from. The Philosophy of Sin, 1107 R

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 10-12; 2 Corinthians 4

Matthew 22:23-46 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 Max Lucado Daily: Lift Up Your Gaze - September 10, 2021

Do you feel as if your best years have passed you by? Do you regret wasting seasons of life on foolish pursuits? So do I. But we can stop our laments. We have an eternity to make up for lost time.

Colossians 3:1 is a great reminder to “seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God.” Seek heaven the way a sailor seeks the coast or a pilot seeks the landing strip. Colossians 3:2 says, “Think only about it.” Other translations say, “Keep your mind” on it. “Pursue the things over which Christ presides.”

In other words, obsess yourself with heaven. Open your eyes, Christ invites. Lift up your gaze. Don’t limit your story to the days between your birth and death. You were made for more than this life.

Matthew 22:23-46

Marriage and Resurrection

23-28 That same day, Sadducees approached him. This is the party that denies any possibility of resurrection. They asked, “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies childless, his brother is obligated to marry his widow and father a child with her. Here’s a case where there were seven brothers. The first brother married and died, leaving no child, and his wife passed to his brother. The second brother also left her childless, then the third—and on and on, all seven. Eventually the wife died. Now here’s our question: At the resurrection, whose wife is she? She was a wife to each of them.”

29-33 Jesus answered, “You’re off base on two counts: You don’t know what God said, and you don’t know how God works. At the resurrection we’re beyond marriage. As with the angels, all our ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. And regarding your speculation on whether the dead are raised or not, don’t you read your Bibles? The grammar is clear: God says, ‘I am—not was—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.’ The living God defines himself not as the God of dead men, but of the living.” Hearing this exchange the crowd was much impressed.
The Most Important Command

34-36 When the Pharisees heard how he had bested the Sadducees, they gathered their forces for an assault. One of their religion scholars spoke for them, posing a question they hoped would show him up: “Teacher, which command in God’s Law is the most important?”

37-40 Jesus said, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.’ This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ These two commands are pegs; everything in God’s Law and the Prophets hangs from them.”
David’s Son and Master

41-42 As the Pharisees were regrouping, Jesus caught them off balance with his own test question: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said, “David’s son.”

43-45 Jesus replied, “Well, if the Christ is David’s son, how do you explain that David, under inspiration, named Christ his ‘Master’?

God said to my Master,
    “Sit here at my right hand
    until I make your enemies your footstool.”

“Now if David calls him ‘Master,’ how can he at the same time be his son?”

46 That stumped them, literalists that they were. Unwilling to risk losing face again in one of these public verbal exchanges, they quit asking questions for good.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Friday, September 10, 2021
Today's Scripture
Philippians 2:1–11
(NIV)

Imitating Christ’s Humility

2 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,t if any tenderness and compassion,u 2 then make my joy completev by being like-minded,w having the same love, being onex in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.y Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,z 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.a

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:b

6 Who, being in very naturea God,c

did not consider equality with Godd something to be used to his own advantage;

7 rather, he made himself nothinge

by taking the very natureb of a servant,f

being made in human likeness.g

8 And being found in appearance as a man,

he humbled himself

by becoming obedient to deathh—

even death on a cross!i

9 Therefore God exalted himj to the highest place

and gave him the name that is above every name,k

10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,l

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,m

11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,n

to the glory of God the Father.

Insight

When Paul asked readers in Philippi to consider the humility of Jesus (Philippians 2:5–8), he used a word that describes the attitude of those willing to be counted among servants. More importantly, he wanted them to remember that those who live in the spirit of Jesus do so in the awareness that He first humbled Himself for us. It wasn’t a new thought. Long before, the prophet Isaiah had described a mysterious “Servant” as being despised, rejected, and familiar with pain and suffering. Before alluding to this person’s true honor and glory, the prophet went on to anticipate that He’d be held in such low esteem that people would find it hard to even look at Him (Isaiah 53:3). So too now, those who lower themselves for the good of others in the spirit of Jesus express the humility of our Savior who is “in very nature God” (Philippians 2:6). By: Mart DeHaan

Like a Symphony

Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.
Philippians 2:2

I surprised my wife with concert tickets to listen to a performer she’d always wanted to see. The gifted singer was accompanied by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and the setting was the matchless venue at Red Rocks—an open-air amphitheater built between two 300-foot rock formations at more than 6,000 feet above sea level. The orchestra played a number of well-loved classical songs and folk tunes. Their final number was a fresh treatment of the classic hymn “Amazing Grace.” The beautiful, harmonized arrangement took our breath away!

There’s something beautiful about harmony—individual instruments playing together in a way that creates a bigger and more layered sonic landscape. The apostle Paul pointed to the beauty of harmony when he told the Philippians to be “like-minded,” have “the same love,” and be “one in spirit and . . . mind” (Philippians 2:2). He wasn’t asking them to become identical but to embrace the humble attitude and self-giving love of Jesus. The gospel, as Paul well knew and taught, doesn’t erase our distinctions, but it can eliminate our divisions.

It’s also interesting that many scholars believe Paul’s words here (vv. 6–11) are a prelude to an early hymn. Here’s the point: When we allow the Holy Spirit to work through our distinct lives and contexts, making us more like Jesus, together we become a symphony that reverberates with a humble Christlike love. By:  Glenn Packiam

Reflect & Pray

Who could use some encouragement from you today? How could you put the interests of others above your own, just as Jesus did for us?  

Dear Jesus, thank You for saving me. May Your Spirit transform me into Your image. In my attitude and actions, help me to take on Your humility and sacrificial love. May it result in a greater unity with other believers in my life.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, September 10, 2021
Missionary Weapons (1)

When you were under the fig tree, I saw you. —John 1:48

Worshiping in Everyday Occasions. We presume that we would be ready for battle if confronted with a great crisis, but it is not the crisis that builds something within us— it simply reveals what we are made of already. Do you find yourself saying, “If God calls me to battle, of course I will rise to the occasion”? Yet you won’t rise to the occasion unless you have done so on God’s training ground. If you are not doing the task that is closest to you now, which God has engineered into your life, when the crisis comes, instead of being fit for battle, you will be revealed as being unfit. Crises always reveal a person’s true character.

A private relationship of worshiping God is the greatest essential element of spiritual fitness. The time will come, as Nathanael experienced in this passage, that a private “fig-tree” life will no longer be possible. Everything will be out in the open, and you will find yourself to be of no value there if you have not been worshiping in everyday occasions in your own home. If your worship is right in your private relationship with God, then when He sets you free, you will be ready. It is in the unseen life, which only God saw, that you have become perfectly fit. And when the strain of the crisis comes, you can be relied upon by God.

Are you saying, “But I can’t be expected to live a sanctified life in my present circumstances; I have no time for prayer or Bible study right now; besides, my opportunity for battle hasn’t come yet, but when it does, of course I will be ready”? No, you will not. If you have not been worshiping in everyday occasions, when you get involved in God’s work, you will not only be useless yourself but also a hindrance to those around you.

God’s training ground, where the missionary weapons are found, is the hidden, personal, worshiping life of the saint.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

To those who have had no agony Jesus says, “I have nothing for you; stand on your own feet, square your own shoulders. I have come for the man who knows he has a bigger handful than he can cope with, who knows there are forces he cannot touch; I will do everything for him if he will let Me. Only let a man grant he needs it, and I will do it for him.”
The Shadow of an Agony

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 8-9; 2 Corinthians 3

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, September 10, 2021
The Love That Can't Stand to Lose You - #9045

Rick Rescorla was a decorated Vietnam War hero. But his greatest acts of heroism happened years later, on the job at the World Trade Center. As head of security for Morgan Stanley, one of the largest employers in the Twin Towers, he began to take special measures after the Trade Center bombing that happened back in 1993. Suggesting that there might be another attack, possibly coming from the air, he became known as the man who predicted September 11. He began regular drills for Stanley's 2,700 employees in emergency evacuation procedures. Morgan Stanley had offices from the 44th to the 74th floors of Tower Two. When Tower One was hit on that awful September 11, there seemed to be no reason to get out of Tower Two, except for Rick Rescorla's training.

Sixteen minutes after Tower One was hit, a plane crashed into Tower Two. The explosion knocked Rick to the floor. Even there, he grabbed a bullhorn. He yelled for people to stay calm and to head for the stairwells. Then he began to go from floor to floor, looking for people he could save. With both towers now burning out of control, Rick stayed in the building, talking the last of his colleagues down the stairwells. One of the last ones out was a Morgan Stanley executive who said, "Rick, you have to get out of here, too, man." His answer: "I will, John, as soon as we get everyone out." Rick Rescorla died that day at Ground Zero, but only after he had saved the lives of nearly 2,700 people.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Love That Can't Stand to Lose You."

It was Jesus Christ who said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13). The sacrifice of one man to save many on September 11, has given those people the opportunity to live possibly many more years on earth - 30, 40, 50 more years. The sacrifice of one man on a cross on Skull Hill has given every man and woman on this planet the opportunity to live forever; including you and me. And that man was no less than God's one and only Son. In the words of Scripture, "they crucified the Lord of glory" (1 Corinthians 2:8).

Jesus summed up the unspeakable sacrifice He was about to make in these words from John 10:11, our word for today from the Word of God: "I am the good shepherd, and the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep." Jesus didn't come just to teach us a wonderful way to live or provide us a great example or start a religion. He came to give His life. And you are one of the reasons God's only Son allowed Himself to be nailed to a criminal's cross. I'm one of those reasons. He loves you so much He doesn't want to lose you.

And why this sacrifice? There was no other way to rescue you and me from the death penalty for the sins of our life. A death penalty can only be paid one way - somebody's got to die. I know who deserves to die for my sins. I do. But in the greatest act of love in human history, Jesus did the dying for every God-defying thing I've ever done and that you've done.

And now He keeps going back to rescue one more from the awful judgment that's coming. Today, even now, He's come to offer you an opportunity to be saved. But it's a rescue you've got to choose by grabbing the Rescuer like He's your only hope. He is. And while you may appreciate Jesus and agree with Jesus, that's not enough to have your sins forgiven. You've got to pin all your hopes on Jesus, like one of those people that was stranded on their roof after Hurricane Katrina a few years ago; wrapping themselves around that rescuer who came from above.

The price Jesus paid for your rescue couldn't have been higher. That's what makes what you do with Jesus so serious in terms of whether eternity means heaven or hell. Your decision about Jesus is your decision about where you're going to be forever.

My prayer is you won't wait another day before you tell Him, "I'm Yours." We've set up our website to help you experience God's love for yourself. Would you visit us there today? It's ANewStory.com.

After the price God paid to rescue you, is it any wonder there's one thing upon which He will base your eternity, "What did you do with My Son?"

Genesis 45, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: At the Right Moment - September 9, 2021

Satan tried to write his own story in which he was the hero and God was an afterthought. He admitted as much: “I will ascend to the heavens…I will make myself like the Most High” as quoted in Isaiah 14:13 and 14.

Satan wanted to take God’s place, but God wasn’t—and isn’t—moving. Satan wants to win you to his side, but God will never let you go. You have his word. Even more, you have his help. Scripture says: “For our high priest (Jesus) is able to understand our weaknesses…he was tempted in every way that we are, but he did not sin. Let us then…come before God’s throne where there is grace…to help us when we need it” (Hebrews 4:15-16).

You don’t have to face Satan alone! We shout, and God runs—at the right moment.

Genesis 45

 Joseph couldn’t hold himself in any longer, keeping up a front before all his attendants. He cried out, “Leave! Clear out—everyone leave!” So there was no one with Joseph when he identified himself to his brothers. But his sobbing was so violent that the Egyptians couldn’t help but hear him. The news was soon reported to Pharaoh’s palace.

3 Joseph spoke to his brothers: “I am Joseph. Is my father really still alive?” But his brothers couldn’t say a word. They were speechless—they couldn’t believe what they were hearing and seeing.

4-8 “Come closer to me,” Joseph said to his brothers. They came closer. “I am Joseph your brother whom you sold into Egypt. But don’t feel badly, don’t blame yourselves for selling me. God was behind it. God sent me here ahead of you to save lives. There has been a famine in the land now for two years; the famine will continue for five more years—neither plowing nor harvesting. God sent me on ahead to pave the way and make sure there was a remnant in the land, to save your lives in an amazing act of deliverance. So you see, it wasn’t you who sent me here but God. He set me in place as a father to Pharaoh, put me in charge of his personal affairs, and made me ruler of all Egypt.

9-11 “Hurry back to my father. Tell him, ‘Your son Joseph says: I’m master of all of Egypt. Come as fast as you can and join me here. I’ll give you a place to live in Goshen where you’ll be close to me—you, your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, your herds, and anything else you can think of. I’ll take care of you there completely. There are still five more years of famine ahead; I’ll make sure all your needs are taken care of, you and everyone connected with you—you won’t want for a thing.’

12-13 “Look at me. You can see for yourselves, and my brother Benjamin can see for himself, that it’s me, my own mouth, telling you all this. Tell my father all about the high position I hold in Egypt, tell him everything you’ve seen here, but don’t take all day—hurry up and get my father down here.”

14-15 Then Joseph threw himself on his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. He then kissed all his brothers and wept over them. Only then were his brothers able to talk with him.

16 The story was reported in Pharaoh’s palace: “Joseph’s brothers have come.” It was good news to Pharaoh and all who worked with him.

17-18 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘This is the plan: Load up your pack animals; go to Canaan, get your father and your families and bring them back here. I’ll settle you on the best land in Egypt—you’ll live off the fat of the land.’

19-20 “Also tell them this: ‘Here’s what I want you to do: Take wagons from Egypt to carry your little ones and your wives and load up your father and come back. Don’t worry about having to leave things behind; the best in all of Egypt will be yours.’”

21-23 And they did just that, the sons of Israel. Joseph gave them the wagons that Pharaoh had promised and food for the trip. He outfitted all the brothers in brand-new clothes, but he gave Benjamin three hundred pieces of silver and several suits of clothes. He sent his father these gifts: ten donkeys loaded with Egypt’s best products and another ten donkeys loaded with grain and bread, provisions for his father’s journey back.

24 Then he sent his brothers off. As they left he told them, “Take it easy on the journey; try to get along with each other.”

25-28 They left Egypt and went back to their father Jacob in Canaan. When they told him, “Joseph is still alive—and he’s the ruler over the whole land of Egypt!” he went numb; he couldn’t believe his ears. But the more they talked, telling him everything that Joseph had told them and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him back, the blood started to flow again—their father Jacob’s spirit revived. Israel said, “I’ve heard enough—my son Joseph is still alive. I’ve got to go and see him before I die.”

* * *

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Thursday, September 09, 2021

Today's Scripture
2 Corinthians 5:14–20
(NIV)

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.i 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselvesj but for him who died for themk and was raised again.

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldlyl point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ,m the new creationn has come:a The old has gone, the new is here!o 18 All this is from God,p who reconciled us to himself through Christq and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.r And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,s as though God were making his appeal through us.t We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.u

Insight

In 2 Corinthians 5:14–20, Paul writes to the believers in Corinth about the newness of life they’ve received from the life and death of Christ. This newness of life—being a new creation (v. 17) and living “for him who died . . . and was raised again” (v. 15)—is the result of the reconciliation Jesus accomplished through His death on the cross (v. 18). In verses 18–20, Paul uses a form of the word reconcile five times. He clearly wants readers to know that we’ve been reconciled to Christ and are called to bring reconciliation to others. What’s not explicitly mentioned in this passage is our broken relationship with God. Paul discusses our separation from Him because of our sinfulness and the necessity of reconciliation elsewhere (see Romans 5:1–11).

Hotel Corona

Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all . . . . From now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.
2 Corinthians 5:14, 16

The Dan Hotel in Jerusalem became known by a different name in 2020—“Hotel Corona.” The government dedicated the hotel to patients recovering from COVID-19, and the hotel became known as a rare site of joy and unity during a difficult time. Since the residents already had the virus, they were free to sing, dance, and laugh together. And they did! In a country where tensions between different political and religious groups run high, the shared crisis created a space where people could learn to see each other as human beings first—and even become friends.

It’s natural, normal even, for us to be drawn toward those we see as similar to us, people we suspect share similar experiences and values to our own. But as the apostle Paul often emphasized, the gospel is a challenge to any barriers between human beings that we see as “normal” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Through the lens of the gospel, we see a bigger picture than our differences—a shared brokenness and a shared longing and need to experience healing in God’s love.

If we believe that “one died for all,” then we can also no longer be content with surface-level assumptions about others. Instead, “Christ’s love compels us” (v. 14) to share His love and mission with those God loves more than we can imagine—all of us. By:  Monica La Rose

Reflect & Pray

When do you find yourself most prone to forget the “bigger picture” of your shared humanity with others? What helps remind you of our equal brokenness and need for Jesus’ love?

In hard times, Jesus, thank You for those moments when I see a glimmer of breathtaking beauty through the love and joy of others. Help me to live each day this way, regarding “no one from a worldly point of view.”

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, September 09, 2021

Do It Yourself (2)

…bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ… —2 Corinthians 10:5

Determinedly Discipline Other Things. This is another difficult aspect of the strenuous nature of sainthood. Paul said, according to the Moffatt translation of this verse, “…I take every project prisoner to make it obey Christ….” So much Christian work today has never been disciplined, but has simply come into being by impulse! In our Lord’s life every project was disciplined to the will of His Father. There was never the slightest tendency to follow the impulse of His own will as distinct from His Father’s will— “the Son can do nothing of Himself…” (John 5:19). Then compare this with what we do— we take “every thought” or project that comes to us by impulse and jump into action immediately, instead of imprisoning and disciplining ourselves to obey Christ.

Practical work for Christians is greatly overemphasized today, and the saints who are “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity” are criticized and told that they are not determined, and that they lack zeal for God or zeal for the souls of others. But true determination and zeal are found in obeying God, not in the inclination to serve Him that arises from our own undisciplined human nature. It is inconceivable, but true nevertheless, that saints are not “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity,” but are simply doing work for God that has been instigated by their own human nature, and has not been made spiritual through determined discipline.

We have a tendency to forget that a person is not only committed to Jesus Christ for salvation, but is also committed, responsible, and accountable to Jesus Christ’s view of God, the world, and of sin and the devil. This means that each person must recognize the responsibility to “be transformed by the renewing of [his] mind….” (Romans 12:2).

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

“When the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?” We all have faith in good principles, in good management, in good common sense, but who amongst us has faith in Jesus Christ? Physical courage is grand, moral courage is grander, but the man who trusts Jesus Christ in the face of the terrific problems of life is worth a whole crowd of heroes.  The Highest Good, 544 R

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 6-7; 2 Corinthians 2

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, September 09, 2021
Uncontrolled Fire - #9044

It seems as if every summer there are raging fires in the American West that destroy hundreds of thousands of acres of timberland, and sometimes homes, businesses, and sadly, even lives. When a major fire broke out near an Indian reservation that our Native team had ministered on only a few months ago, I paid pretty special attention. Sadly, that fire spread to parts of the reservation, consuming the very timber that's a major part of their already impoverished economy; along with homes and property outside the reservation. I knew it was going to take a long time to recover. You know what the cause of that very costly fire was that made the whole thing even sadder? It was started by a government firefighter who was hoping there would be a small fire that would give him some work.

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

A man let a fire start to help meet a personal need he had. It raged out of control; it did more damage than he could have imagined in his worst nightmares. You know, that's a mistake that many a man has made-and even some women-with a deadly fire the Bible calls lust.

In a passage that warns against the costly mistakes we can make when we follow our sexual passions, God vividly describes what lust is really like. It's in Proverbs 6:25-28. It's our word for today from the Word of God. Here's what He says about misguided passion, "Do not desire her beauty in your heart...Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Or can a man walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched.?" Lust is fire...it's hot coals. In the previous chapter, God described the way sexual passion was created to be. He says, "Rejoice with the wife of your youth...be ravished with her love" (Proverbs 5:18, 19). In other words, "Save it for your wife, buddy!"

It could be, though, that you are playing with the fire of sexual lust; maybe thinking, like that firefighter, that you can keep it under control. For a little while, maybe. But lust is a fire that's suddenly going to take you over and it's going to engulf you, and things and people that you care about as well. Maybe you're just trying to meet a personal need, but you have no idea what a blazing inferno this could become and the damage it will do.

You may be playing with fire on the Internet, in magazines you look at or movies you watch, or just in the way you look at the opposite sex, or the way you push all the boundaries in what you're doing physically with someone. If you'll be honest with yourself, you'll see increasing evidence that you're not controlling your passions. They're beginning to control you. The fire is spreading.

The first thing they do to stop a fire is burn the ground ahead of it so it will run out of fuel. You've been feeding the fire of lust. Well, while there's time, you've got to start to starve that fire. No more fuel. Get rid of it all! And get some help to put out the fire. Confide in a spiritually mature person you trust; tell them you want to beat this and meet them regularly as an accountability partner. And every new day, give this battle to your all-holy, all-powerful Lord to help you win it one day at a time. You have His promise in Romans 6:14, "Sin" - that sin...name it whatever it is - "shall no longer be your master!"

Before the fire spreads, before it does any more damage, please turn and fight it with everything you've got. The landscape is scorched and scarred with the desolation of those who didn't.

Genesis 44 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: God’s Book Is Enough - September 8, 2021

Where do you feel empty? Are you hungry for attention, craving success, longing for intimacy? Be aware of your weaknesses. Bring them to God before Satan brings them to you!

Satan will tell you, as he did in tempting Jesus, to turn stones into bread. In other words, to take matters into your own hands. If Satan convinces us to trust our works over God’s Word, he has us dangling from a broken limb. Do what Jesus did. In Satan’s temptation of Jesus, three times Jesus repeated, “It is written…”  “It also is written…” “It is written.” God’s book was enough.

Jesus overcame temptation, not with special voices or supernatural signs, but by remembering and quoting Scripture. Do the same. Let God’s words silence Satan’s lies, and see what happens.

Genesis 44

Joseph ordered his house steward: “Fill the men’s bags with food—all they can carry—and replace each one’s money at the top of the bag. Then put my chalice, my silver chalice, in the top of the bag of the youngest, along with the money for his food.” He did as Joseph ordered.

3-5 At break of day the men were sent off with their donkeys. They were barely out of the city when Joseph said to his house steward, “Run after them. When you catch up with them, say, ‘Why did you pay me back evil for good? This is the chalice my master drinks from; he also uses it for divination. This is outrageous!’”

6 He caught up with them and repeated all this word for word.

7-9 They said, “What is my master talking about? We would never do anything like that! Why, the money we found in our bags earlier, we brought back all the way from Canaan—do you think we’d turn right around and steal it back from your master? If that chalice is found on any of us, he’ll die; and the rest of us will be your master’s slaves.”

10 The steward said, “Very well then, but we won’t go that far. Whoever is found with the chalice will be my slave; the rest of you can go free.”

11-12 They outdid each other in putting their bags on the ground and opening them up for inspection. The steward searched their bags, going from oldest to youngest. The chalice showed up in Benjamin’s bag.

13 They ripped their clothes in despair, loaded up their donkeys, and went back to the city.

14 Joseph was still at home when Judah and his brothers got back. They threw themselves down on the ground in front of him.

15 Joseph accused them: “How can you have done this? You have to know that a man in my position would have discovered this.”

16 Judah as spokesman for the brothers said, “What can we say, master? What is there to say? How can we prove our innocence? God is behind this, exposing how bad we are. We stand guilty before you and ready to be your slaves—we’re all in this together, the rest of us as guilty as the one with the chalice.”

17 “I’d never do that to you,” said Joseph. “Only the one involved with the chalice will be my slave. The rest of you are free to go back to your father.”

18-20 Judah came forward. He said, “Please, master; can I say just one thing to you? Don’t get angry. Don’t think I’m presumptuous—you’re the same as Pharaoh as far as I’m concerned. You, master, asked us, ‘Do you have a father and a brother?’ And we answered honestly, ‘We have a father who is old and a younger brother who was born to him in his old age. His brother is dead and he is the only son left from that mother. And his father loves him more than anything.’

21-22 “Then you told us, ‘Bring him down here so I can see him.’ We told you, master, that it was impossible: ‘The boy can’t leave his father; if he leaves, his father will die.’

23 “And then you said, ‘If your youngest brother doesn’t come with you, you won’t be allowed to see me.’

24-26 “When we returned to our father, we told him everything you said to us. So when our father said, ‘Go back and buy some more food,’ we told him flatly, ‘We can’t. The only way we can go back is if our youngest brother is with us. We aren’t allowed to even see the man if our youngest brother doesn’t come with us.’

27-29 “Your servant, my father, told us, ‘You know very well that my wife gave me two sons. One turned up missing. I concluded that he’d been ripped to pieces. I’ve never seen him since. If you now go and take this one and something bad happens to him, you’ll put my old gray, grieving head in the grave for sure.’

30-32 “And now, can’t you see that if I show up before your servant, my father, without the boy, this son with whom his life is so bound up, the moment he realizes the boy is gone, he’ll die on the spot. He’ll die of grief and we, your servants who are standing here before you, will have killed him. And that’s not all. I got my father to release the boy to show him to you by promising, ‘If I don’t bring him back, I’ll stand condemned before you, Father, all my life.’

33-34 “So let me stay here as your slave, not this boy. Let the boy go back with his brothers. How can I go back to my father if the boy is not with me? Oh, don’t make me go back and watch my father die in grief!”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Wednesday, September 08, 2021

Today's Scripture
Isaiah 6:1–8
(NIV)

Isaiah’s Commission

6 In the year that King Uzziahg died,h I saw the Lord,i high and exalted,j seated on a throne;k and the train of his robel filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim,m each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet,n and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:

“Holy, holyo, holy is the Lord Almighty;p

the whole earthq is full of his glory.”r

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.s

5 “Woet to me!” I cried. “I am ruined!u For I am a man of unclean lips,v and I live among a people of unclean lips,w and my eyes have seenx the King,y the Lord Almighty.”z

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coala in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips;b your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.c”

8 Then I heard the voiced of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?e And who will go for us?f”

And I said, “Here am I.g Send me!”

Insight

Isaiah 6:1–13 tells of the call of Isaiah to a long and difficult prophetic ministry (740–685 bc). Isaiah, whose name means “Yahweh saves,” prophesied to the Southern Kingdom of Judah through the reigns of Uzziah and Jotham (both godly kings), Ahaz (one of Judah’s worst kings), and Hezekiah (a king committed to reforms) over some fifty-five years (Isaiah 1:1). He was a contemporary of the prophets Hosea, Amos, and Micah. Assyria was the superpower at this time, threatening to invade Israel and Judah. According to tradition, Isaiah was related to Uzziah, explaining his easy access to the royal courts (7:3; 38:1; 39:3), and he suffered martyrdom when he was sawn in two by King Manasseh (possibly referred to in Hebrews 11:37). Besides this book of prophecies, Isaiah also wrote the biographies of King Uzziah and King Hezekiah (see 2 Chronicles 26:22; 32:32). Both books are no longer in existence. By: K. T. Sim

Send Me

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send?” . . . I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah 6:8

When Swedish missionary Eric Lund felt called by God to go to Spain to do mission work in the late 1890s, he immediately obeyed. He saw little success there, but persevered in his conviction of God’s calling. One day, he met a Filipino man, Braulio Manikan, and shared the gospel with him. Together, Lund and Manikan translated the Bible into a local Philippine language, and later they started the first Baptist mission station in the Philippines. Many would turn to Jesus—all because Lund, like the prophet Isaiah, responded to God’s call.

In Isaiah 6:8, God asked for a willing person to go to Israel to declare His judgment for the present and hope for the future. Isaiah volunteered boldly: “Here am I. Send me!” He didn’t think he was qualified, for he’d confessed earlier: “I am a man of unclean lips” (v. 5). But he responded willingly because he’d witnessed God’s holiness, recognized his own sinfulness, and received His cleansing (vv. 1–7).

Is God calling you to do something for Him? Are you holding back? If so, remember all God has done through Jesus’ death and resurrection. He’s given us the Holy Spirit to help and guide us (John 14:26; 15:26–27), and He’ll prepare us to answer His call. Like Isaiah, may we respond, “Send me!”  By:  Francis Neil G. Jalando-on

Reflect & Pray

Is God calling you to do something for Him? What’s hindering you from responding?

Jesus, thank You for calling and enabling me to serve You. Help me to see this as a privilege and to serve You willingly.

To learn more about the Trinity.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, September 08, 2021
 
Do It Yourself (1)

…casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God… —2 Corinthians 10:5

Determinedly Demolish Some Things. Deliverance from sin is not the same as deliverance from human nature. There are things in human nature, such as prejudices, that the saint can only destroy through sheer neglect. But there are other things that have to be destroyed through violence, that is, through God’s divine strength imparted by His Spirit. There are some things over which we are not to fight, but only to “stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord…” (see Exodus 14:13). But every theory or thought that raises itself up as a fortified barrier “against the knowledge of God” is to be determinedly demolished by drawing on God’s power, not through human effort or by compromise (see 2 Corinthians 10:4).

It is only when God has transformed our nature and we have entered into the experience of sanctification that the fight begins. The warfare is not against sin; we can never fight against sin— Jesus Christ conquered that in His redemption of us. The conflict is waged over turning our natural life into a spiritual life. This is never done easily, nor does God intend that it be so. It is accomplished only through a series of moral choices. God does not make us holy in the sense that He makes our character holy. He makes us holy in the sense that He has made us innocent before Him. And then we have to turn that innocence into holy character through the moral choices we make. These choices are continually opposed and hostile to the things of our natural life which have become so deeply entrenched— the very things that raise themselves up as fortified barriers “against the knowledge of God.” We can either turn back, making ourselves of no value to the kingdom of God, or we can determinedly demolish these things, allowing Jesus to bring another son to glory (see Hebrews 2:10).

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

To those who have had no agony Jesus says, “I have nothing for you; stand on your own feet, square your own shoulders. I have come for the man who knows he has a bigger handful than he can cope with, who knows there are forces he cannot touch; I will do everything for him if he will let Me. Only let a man grant he needs it, and I will do it for him.”
The Shadow of an Agony

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 3-5; 2 Corinthians 1

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, September 08, 2021
Strange Credentials - #9043

We were scheduled to fly to a national staff conference for a youth ministry I was with, when one of the women on our staff came to me and said, "Ron, I'm afraid to fly." Well, the conference was so far away we didn't have much choice. She said, "I want to talk to somebody on the staff about flying, and I decided I would talk to you." And I said, "Well, how did I become the lucky winner here?" She said, "Well, you go up and come down so many times in those things, I figured you'd understand." She was seeking out someone who'd done it a lot. Well, I mean, we had 23 people on the staff she could have talked to, but she said, "I'm going to go to the person who's done this a lot. I want to hear from someone who's been there."

You know what? I've found that's especially true of people who are, let's say, trying to lose weight. You try to talk to people who've been there, done that. Have you noticed the weight loss products or programs that are sold on television about every ten minutes? They don't always have a doctor come on and some very thin person. Now, maybe a thin person who had benefited from their product. They usually have someone who has lost weight using their product, who traded in their larger size clothes for a smaller size, and they're the ones who come and pitch it. Advertisers know that the best salesmen for a product is someone who's been there.

Listen, I've been overweight - take it from me, it's not fun. But a lot of people want to know how you lost it if you used to be there. And even though it wasn't fun, it gives you credentials with people who are struggling with it now. We're like that with a lot of things. It's interesting: yesterday's misery can become today's credentials.

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

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from John 9, beginning at verse 24. Jesus healed a man who had been blind from his birth. The Jewish leaders didn't understand what Jesus had done and when He had done it, so they're really interrogating this guy. It says, "The second time they summoned the man who had been blind. 'Give glory to God,' they said. 'We know this Man,'" speaking of Jesus, "is a sinner.' He replied, 'Whether He's a sinner or not I don't know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!'"

Blindness had been his lifelong burden; it had been his personal tragedy. And then Jesus came, and suddenly all those years of being blind became this man's credentials for speaking to other people. God loves to do things like that, taking the garbage of the past, no matter how ugly and how awful it's been and then He recycles it into ministry to other people; people who are where you were. Paul's crimes of the past became his credentials to speak about how Christ could change a life, even a life like his. He said in 2 Corinthians 1, "We comfort others with the comfort we have received." The tragedies of our life become credentials to minister to other people in their tragedies.

Sin's an ugly thing. Sin is destructive. It's so destructive it took Christ's death to pay for it. But God's so majestic that He can take the things you did against Him, forgive you, restore you, change you, and then use those very sins to sensitize you to others who are still trapped. Today's frustration, today's agony, today's illness, today's hurt takes on meaning when you bring it to the Lord and say, "Lord, sanctify this experience. Teach me new sensitivities. Teach me new things about You. I want this tragedy to count, to help other people." It's the same with sins that have been sinned against you; the abuse, the mistreatment, the criticism. You know how it feels, and it's not a waste. It becomes equipment for ministry to other wounded people.

God somehow uses the apparent junk of our lives to build radar in you for ministry to others like you. You talk about amazing grace? How God can recycle that garbage into something He can use to change lives - that's amazing! In God's hands, the misery of today can become tomorrow's strange credentials.

Genesis 43 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Satan’s Tool Kit - September 7, 2021

How do we explain our stubborn hearts and conniving ways? How do we explain Auschwitz, human trafficking, abuse? If I were the devil, I’d want you to feel attacked by an indefinable force. If I were the devil, I’d keep my name out of it. But God doesn’t let the devil get away with this. He tells us his name: splitter, a divider, a wedge driver.

Don’t fault the plunging economy or a raging dictator for your anxiety. They’re simply tools in Satan’s tool kit. We can’t understand God’s narrative without understanding Satan’s strategy. Scripture says, “the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).

God calls the devil by name and promises to defeat him. Be alert to the devil, and be assured his days are numbered.

Genesis 43

 The famine got worse. When they had eaten all the food they had brought back from Egypt, their father said, “Go back and get some more food.”

3-5 But Judah said, “The man warned us most emphatically, ‘You won’t so much as see my face if you don’t have your brother with you.’ If you’re ready to release our brother to go with us, we’ll go down and get you food. But if you’re not ready, we aren’t going. What would be the use? The man told us, ‘You won’t so much as see my face if you don’t have your brother with you.’”

6 Israel said, “Why are you making my life so difficult! Why did you ever tell the man you had another brother?”

7 They said, “The man pressed us hard, asking pointed questions about our family: ‘Is your father alive? Do you have another brother?’ So we answered his questions. How did we know that he’d say, ‘Bring your brother here’?”

8-10 Judah pushed his father Israel. “Let the boy go; I’ll take charge of him. Let us go and be on our way—if we don’t get going, we’re all going to starve to death—we and you and our children, too! I’ll take full responsibility for his safety; it’s my life on the line for his. If I don’t bring him back safe and sound, I’m the guilty one; I’ll take all the blame. If we had gone ahead in the first place instead of procrastinating like this, we could have been there and back twice over.”

11-14 Their father Israel gave in. “If it has to be, it has to be. But do this: stuff your packs with the finest products from the land you can find and take them to the man as gifts—some balm and honey, some spices and perfumes, some pistachios and almonds. And take plenty of money—pay back double what was returned to your sacks; that might have been a mistake. Take your brother and get going. Go back to the man. And may The Strong God give you grace in that man’s eyes so that he’ll send back your other brother along with Benjamin. For me, nothing’s left; I’ve lost everything.”

15-16 The men took the gifts, double the money, and Benjamin. They lost no time in getting to Egypt and meeting Joseph. When Joseph saw that they had Benjamin with them, he told his house steward, “Take these men into the house and make them at home. Butcher an animal and prepare a meal; these men are going to eat with me at noon.”

17-18 The steward did what Joseph had said and took them inside. But they became anxious when they were brought into Joseph’s home, thinking, “It’s the money; he thinks we ran off with the money on our first trip down here. And now he’s got us where he wants us—he’s going to turn us into slaves and confiscate our donkeys.”

19-22 So they went up to Joseph’s house steward and talked to him in the doorway. They said, “Listen, master. We came down here one other time to buy food. On our way home, the first night out we opened our bags and found our money at the mouth of the bag—the exact amount we’d paid. We’ve brought it all back and have plenty more to buy more food with. We have no idea who put the money in our bags.”

23 The steward said, “Everything’s in order. Don’t worry. Your God and the God of your father must have given you a bonus. I was paid in full.” And with that, he presented Simeon to them.

24-25 He then took them inside Joseph’s house and made them comfortable—gave them water to wash their feet and saw to the feeding of their donkeys. The brothers spread out their gifts as they waited for Joseph to show up at noon—they had been told that they were to have dinner with him.

26 When Joseph got home, they presented him with the gifts they had brought and bowed respectfully before him.

27 Joseph welcomed them and said, “And your old father whom you mentioned to me, how is he? Is he still alive?”

28 They said, “Yes—your servant our father is quite well, very much alive.” And they again bowed respectfully before him.

29 Then Joseph picked out his brother Benjamin, his own mother’s son. He asked, “And is this your youngest brother that you told me about?” Then he said, “God be gracious to you, my son.”

30-31 Deeply moved on seeing his brother and about to burst into tears, Joseph hurried out into another room and had a good cry. Then he washed his face, got a grip on himself, and said, “Let’s eat.”

32-34 Joseph was served at his private table, the brothers off by themselves and the Egyptians off by themselves (Egyptians won’t eat at the same table with Hebrews; it’s repulsive to them). The brothers were seated facing Joseph, arranged in order of their age, from the oldest to the youngest. They looked at one another wide-eyed, wondering what would happen next. When the brothers’ plates were served from Joseph’s table, Benjamin’s plate came piled high, far more so than his brothers. And so the brothers feasted with Joseph, drinking freely.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Tuesday, September 07, 2021

Today's Scripture
Colossians 2:6–15
(NIV)

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,j continue to live your lives in him, 7 rootedk and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught,l and overflowing with thankfulness.

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy,m which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forcesa of this worldn rather than on Christ.

9 For in Christ all the fullnesso of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the headp over every power and authority.q 11 In him you were also circumcisedr with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the fleshb s was put off when you were circumcised byc Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism,t in which you were also raised with himu through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.v

13 When you were dead in your sinsw and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made youd alivex with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,y 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness,z which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.a 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities,b he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over themc by the cross.e

Insight

The idea of living our lives in Christ is prominent throughout today’s Scripture reading (Colossians 2:6–15). In fact, the words “in him” (“with him”; “in Christ”) appear several times. In verse 6, believers in Jesus are told to “live your lives in him,” indicating that He’s the One we need to imitate, and our identity is found in Him. Verse 7 continues with the idea of being “rooted and built up in him.” The verb rooted is a metaphor for receiving our sustenance from Jesus continually, as a plant takes in its nourishment at the roots. Verses 9–11 each begin with terminology that refers to being “in Christ.” These verses explain why Jesus is central to the forgiveness of our sins, emphasizing His death and resurrection as well as our role in dying with Him (to our sin) and rising with Him. By: Julie Schwab

Complete in Christ
So you also are complete through your union with Christ.
Colossians 2:10 nlt

In a popular film, an actor plays a success-driven sports agent whose marriage begins to crumble. Attempting to win back his wife, Dorothy, he looks into her eyes and says, “You complete me.” It’s a heart-warming message that echoes a tale in Greek philosophy. According to that myth, each of us is a “half” that must find our “other half” to become whole.

The belief that a romantic partner “completes” us is now part of popular culture. But is it true? I talk to many married couples who still feel incomplete because they haven’t been able to have children and others who’ve had kids but feel something else is missing. Ultimately, no human can fully complete us.

The apostle Paul gives another solution. “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. So you also are complete through your union with Christ” (Colossians 2:9–10 nlt). Jesus doesn’t just forgive us and liberate us, He also completes us by bringing the life of God into our lives (vv. 13–15).

Marriage is good, but it can’t make us whole. Only Jesus can do that. Instead of expecting a person, career, or anything else to complete us, let’s accept God’s invitation to let His fullness fill our lives more and more. By:  Sheridan Voysey

Reflect & Pray

How have you sought spiritual fulfillment through people instead of God? How does Jesus’ completing you change your view of marriage and singleness?

Jesus, thank You for making me complete through Your death, resurrection, forgiveness, and restoration.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, September 07, 2021
Fountains of Blessings

The water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. —John 4:14

The picture our Lord described here is not that of a simple stream of water, but an overflowing fountain. Continue to “be filled” (Ephesians 5:18) and the sweetness of your vital relationship to Jesus will flow as generously out of you as it has been given to you. If you find that His life is not springing up as it should, you are to blame— something is obstructing the flow. Was Jesus saying to stay focused on the Source so that you may be blessed personally? No, you are to focus on the Source so that out of you “will flow rivers of living water”— irrepressible life (John 7:38).

We are to be fountains through which Jesus can flow as “rivers of living water” in blessing to everyone. Yet some of us are like the Dead Sea, always receiving but never giving, because our relationship is not right with the Lord Jesus. As surely as we receive blessings from Him, He will pour out blessings through us. But whenever the blessings are not being poured out in the same measure they are received, there is a defect in our relationship with Him. Is there anything between you and Jesus Christ? Is there anything hindering your faith in Him? If not, then Jesus says that out of you “will flow rivers of living water.” It is not a blessing that you pass on, or an experience that you share with others, but a river that continually flows through you. Stay at the Source, closely guarding your faith in Jesus Christ and your relationship to Him, and there will be a steady flow into the lives of others with no dryness or deadness whatsoever.

Is it excessive to say that rivers will flow out of one individual believer? Do you look at yourself and say, “But I don’t see the rivers”? Through the history of God’s work you will usually find that He has started with the obscure, the unknown, the ignored, but those who have been steadfastly true to Jesus Christ.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

The life of Abraham is an illustration of two things: of unreserved surrender to God, and of God’s complete possession of a child of His for His own highest end. Not Knowing Whither, 901 R

Bible in a Year: Proverbs 1-2; 1 Corinthians 16

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, September 07, 2021
A Man's Lasting Legacy - #9042

My dad was a great man, and I still miss him, even though he's been gone for a lot of years. I'll often think about his laugh, his favorite sayings, his great personality, his fun sense of humor, and his unconditional love and support for me. Because he's buried in a place where I don't often get to go, it's been quite a while since I've been able to visit his grave. But I did not too long ago. And I was impressed with the simplicity of what, besides the dates of his birth and death, is engraved on his gravestone. It just says, "John Hutchcraft, husband and father."

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "A Man's Lasting Legacy."

I guess standing at my father's grave after all these years was sort of a values clarification reminder for me, and maybe for you. My dad held many titles in his life; he was chairman of our church board, chairman of the board of a youth ministry, foreman and plant manager. But other people held those titles before him and after him. He's the only husband my Mom ever had. He's the only father I ever had. His tombstone honors him accurately; it's what he did as a husband and a father that's the most lasting legacy of his life. That's something for any man to consider.

God seems to put a pretty high priority on those life-roles. You can see it even in His list of requirements for those who aspire to positions of spiritual leadership. In 1 Timothy 3, beginning with verse 2, our word for today from the Word of God, He says, "An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife...He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity, (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)." God seems to be saying here, "If he isn't being the right kind of husband and father, please don't spread the infection to the church!" But this isn't just about leadership credentials. It's obviously a statement about what God values in a man.

Tragically, too many of us men have fallen for lies about what will give our lives significance. We go after comparatively trivial pursuits: a promotion at work, the next rung on the ladder, an award, a higher income, the acclaim of our organization, our church, or some important person, or just that bigger title. But there's no bigger title than husband or dad.

I have friends that I respect because they've been offered some great promotions in their company, but they've turned them down because they realized it would hurt their family and it would make them less of a husband and less of a father. To be a hero at work or a hero at church and a zero at home is a price too high to pay. Sadly, even many women in our day have now fallen for the lies about significance that have literally been killing their men. They have been chasing the same pursuits and finding the same lack of fulfillment we did there. God says there's nothing more significant, there's nothing more lasting, there's nothing more profitable you can do than the mark you make at home.

Those lives that you mark at home; whether it's by your involvement positively or neglect negatively, that's the lasting legacy of your life. There is no greater legacy you can leave them than to introduce them to the Father, the God who gave up His one and only Son so we could be His sons and daughters. Give your best to the legacy that will truly define the impact of your life.

Matthew 22:1-22 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Bold Prayers - September 6, 2021
How bold are your prayers?

As John Wesley crossed the Atlantic, he was reading in his cabin and became aware of heavy winds knocking the ship off course. He responded in prayer. A colleague wrote it down: “Almighty and everlasting God…Thou holdest the winds in thy fists and sittest upon the water floods…command those winds and these waves that they obey Thee. Take us speedily and safely to the haven whither we would go.”

Having offered the prayer, Wesley took up his book and continued reading. On deck his colleague found calm winds and the ship on course. Wesley made no mention of the answered prayer. His friend wrote, “So fully did he expect to be heard that he took it for granted he was heard.”

How bold are your prayers?

Matthew 22:1-22

The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

The Story of the Wedding Banquet

 Jesus responded by telling still more stories. “God’s kingdom,” he said, “is like a king who threw a wedding banquet for his son. He sent out servants to call in all the invited guests. And they wouldn’t come!

4 “He sent out another round of servants, instructing them to tell the guests, ‘Look, everything is on the table, the prime rib is ready for carving. Come to the feast!’

5-7 “They only shrugged their shoulders and went off, one to weed his garden, another to work in his shop. The rest, with nothing better to do, beat up on the messengers and then killed them. The king was outraged and sent his soldiers to destroy those thugs and level their city.

8-10 “Then he told his servants, ‘We have a wedding banquet all prepared but no guests. The ones I invited weren’t up to it. Go out into the busiest intersections in town and invite anyone you find to the banquet.’ The servants went out on the streets and rounded up everyone they laid eyes on, good and bad, regardless. And so the banquet was on—every place filled.

11-13 “When the king entered and looked over the scene, he spotted a man who wasn’t properly dressed. He said to him, ‘Friend, how dare you come in here looking like that!’ The man was speechless. Then the king told his servants, ‘Get him out of here—fast. Tie him up and ship him to hell. And make sure he doesn’t get back in.’

14 “That’s what I mean when I say, ‘Many get invited; only a few make it.’”
Paying Taxes

15-17 That’s when the Pharisees plotted a way to trap him into saying something damaging. They sent their disciples, with a few of Herod’s followers mixed in, to ask, “Teacher, we know you have integrity, teach the way of God accurately, are indifferent to popular opinion, and don’t pander to your students. So tell us honestly: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

18-19 Jesus knew they were up to no good. He said, “Why are you playing these games with me? Why are you trying to trap me? Do you have a coin? Let me see it.” They handed him a silver piece.

20 “This engraving—who does it look like? And whose name is on it?”

21 They said, “Caesar.”

“Then give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his.”

22 The Pharisees were speechless. They went off shaking their heads.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Monday, September 06, 2021

Today's Scripture
Deuteronomy 33:1–5
,
12
(NIV)

Moses Blesses the Tribes

This is the blessingd that Moses the man of Gode pronounced on the Israelites before his death. 2 He said:

“The Lord came from Sinaif

and dawned over them from Seir;g

he shone forthh from Mount Paran.i

He came witha myriads of holy onesj

from the south, from his mountain slopes.b

3 Surely it is you who lovek the people;

all the holy ones are in your hand.l

At your feet they all bow down,m

and from you receive instruction,

4 the law that Moses gave us,n

the possession of the assembly of Jacob.o

5 He was kingp over Jeshurunc q

when the leaders of the people assembled,

along with the tribes of Israel.

“Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him,g

for he shields him all day long,h

and the one the Lord lovesi rests between his shoulders.j”

Insight

Moses’ blessing to the Israelites before his death follows the tradition of a father blessing his children before death (Genesis 49). He addresses each of the tribes as if they were individual sons. These individual blessings (Deuteronomy 33:6–25) are framed before and after with a poem of blessing addressed to all of Israel (vv. 1–5, 26–29). (Jeshurun, vv. 5, 26, means “the upright one” and refers to all of Israel.) Because Yahweh was their God, they were blessed—saved, secure, and strong. God was their warrior and king who defeats all foes (vv. 26–29) and rules His people through the law given to Moses (v. 4). By: Monica La Rose

Resting Secure in God
Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long.
Deuteronomy 33:12

I wrote a letter to our children as each became a teenager. In one I talked about our identity in Christ, remembering that when I was a teenager, I felt unsure of myself, lacking confidence. I had to learn that I was God’s beloved—His child. I said in the letter, “Knowing who you are comes down to knowing Whose you are.” For when we understand that God has created us and we commit to following Him, we can be at peace with who He’s made us to be. And we also know that He changes us to be more like Him each day.

A foundational passage from Scripture about our identity as God’s children is Deuteronomy 33:12: “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.” Just before Moses died, he proclaimed this blessing over the tribe of Benjamin as God’s people prepared to enter the land He’d promised them. God wanted them to always remember that they were His beloved and to rest secure in their identity as His children.

Knowing our identity as God’s children is equally important for everyone—teenagers, those in the middle of life, and those who have lived a long time. When we understand that God created us and watches over us, we can find security, hope, and love.   By:  Amy Boucher Pye

Reflect & Pray

How does knowing that you can “rest between his shoulders” increase your love for God? How does this deepen your understanding of who you are?

Loving Father, You created me and You hold me close. Let my identity as Your child permeate my thoughts and actions.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, September 06, 2021
The Far-Reaching Rivers of Life

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

A river reaches places which its source never knows. And Jesus said that, if we have received His fullness, “rivers of living water” will flow out of us, reaching in blessing even “to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8) regardless of how small the visible effects of our lives may appear to be. We have nothing to do with the outflow— “This is the work of God, that you believe…” (John 6:29). God rarely allows a person to see how great a blessing he is to others.

A river is victoriously persistent, overcoming all barriers. For a while it goes steadily on its course, but then comes to an obstacle. And for a while it is blocked, yet it soon makes a pathway around the obstacle. Or a river will drop out of sight for miles, only later to emerge again even broader and greater than ever. Do you see God using the lives of others, but an obstacle has come into your life and you do not seem to be of any use to God? Then keep paying attention to the Source, and God will either take you around the obstacle or remove it. The river of the Spirit of God overcomes all obstacles. Never focus your eyes on the obstacle or the difficulty. The obstacle will be a matter of total indifference to the river that will flow steadily through you if you will simply remember to stay focused on the Source. Never allow anything to come between you and Jesus Christ— not emotion nor experience— nothing must keep you from the one great sovereign Source.

Think of the healing and far-reaching rivers developing and nourishing themselves in our souls! God has been opening up wonderful truths to our minds, and every point He has opened up is another indication of the wider power of the river that He will flow through us. If you believe in Jesus, you will find that God has developed and nourished in you mighty, rushing rivers of blessing for others.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

We never enter into the Kingdom of God by having our head questions answered, but only by commitment. The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption, 565 R

Bible in a Year: Psalms 148-150; 1 Corinthians 15:29-58

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, September 06, 2021
No Amount of Watering - #9041

Okay I'm pretty much a dummy when it comes to taking care of growing things, I admit that. I have to be careful laughing at what a cousin of ours did therefore. Oh, it was a nice thing. His wife was gone for a couple of weeks; he volunteered to take care of some of the household jobs she was leaving behind. Including watering her plants. Yeah, he did. Including this good-sized ficus plant. Now, I don't know what that is, but I can still tell the story. Right? He watered it faithfully every day. He proudly reported that to his wife when she got home. That's when he learned a revealing fact about that ficus plant - it wasn't real. He had been faithfully watering a lifeless plant.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "No Amount of Watering."

You know, no amount of watering is going to make something lifeless real. No matter how sincere the efforts. One of the disturbing revelations in the Bible is the fact that many people are sincerely nurturing something that has no life, in hopes that it will win them points with God and help them go to heaven some day.

In Proverbs 14:12, it's our word for today from the Word of God, it says: "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Wow! If you ask most folks if they're going to heaven, they'll say "yeah," or "I hope so." And those hopes, in most cases, are based on the good things I do, the nice person I'm trying to be, the religion I'm faithfully following.

Unfortunately, God explicitly tells us that is not how to get to heaven. Listen to God's own words, "He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy" (Titus 3:5). In another place, God says, "No one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law" (Romans 3:20). And it couldn't be much clearer than this statement: "It is by grace," that's God's undeserved favor, "It is by grace you have been saved through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works..." (Ephesians 2:8-9). Well, that couldn't be any plainer. Not by works - no amount of religion, no amount of human goodness.

So a person may be faithfully pursuing some spiritual system or lifestyle and still miss heaven. They're watering something that can't produce life. It may be beautiful...it may look like something that has life. They may really be sincere, but the Bible says human goodness can't produce eternal life.

Because our sin carries an eternal death penalty that the Bible describes as the "wages of sin" (Romans 6:23). And doing good can't pay a death penalty - someone has to die to pay a death penalty. I deserve that penalty for hijacking my life from the God who gave it to me. But Someone who loved me - and you - so much that He said, "I will die in your place." That was God's only Son, Jesus. And He is our only hope of heaven.

We're drowning. We can't save ourselves. Our only hope is grabbing the Rescuer, Jesus, holding onto Him like He's our only hope. Grabbing Him. That's the difference between eternal life and eternal death. Now, if you're not sure there's ever been a time when you've put all your trust in Jesus, I urge you; make this day your Jesus-day. Just tell Him, "Jesus, I believe that some of those sins You died for on that cross were mine. I'm turning over the wheel of my life to you. I'm not driving anymore, I've done that enough. And because you walked out of your grave under your own power, I know you are alive. I'm putting all my trust in you to take me to heaven someday and to forgive every sin. Today, I'm yours."

Listen, if you prayed that prayer, or if you'd really like to check out a simple explanation of how to be sure you belong to Jesus, go to our website, would you? It's ANewStory.com.

Look, you've known about Jesus. You've tried to do things that please Jesus. But maybe you've never really given yourself to Jesus. You are so close. Don't miss Him.