Psalm 142 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Matthew - July 15, 2022

Matthew was a public tax collector, as crooked as a corkscrew. Everybody kept his distance from Matthew. Everyone except Jesus. “‘Follow me and be my disciple,’ Jesus said to him. So Matthew got up and followed him” (Matthew 9:9 NLT). Matthew goes from double dealer to disciple. He throws a party that makes the religious right uptight, but Christ proud. Some story indeed.

What do we do with it? Well, you and I are Matthew. There’s enough hustler in the best of us to qualify for Matthew’s table. Maybe you’ve never taken taxes, but you’ve taken liberty with the truth, taken credit that wasn’t yours, taken advantage of the weak. If you’re still at the table, you receive an invitation. “Follow me.” So what if you’ve got a bad reputation? So did Matthew. You may end up writing your own gospel.

Psalm 142

I cry out loudly to God,
    loudly I plead with God for mercy.
I spill out all my complaints before him,
    and spell out my troubles in detail:

3-7
“As I sink in despair, my spirit ebbing away,
    you know how I’m feeling,
Know the danger I’m in,
    the traps hidden in my path.
Look right, look left—
    there’s not a soul who cares what happens!
I’m up against the wall, with no exit—
    it’s just me, all alone.
I cry out, God, call out:
    ‘You’re my last chance, my only hope for life!’
Oh listen, please listen;
    I’ve never been this low.
Rescue me from those who are hunting me down;
    I’m no match for them.
Get me out of this dungeon
    so I can thank you in public.
Your people will form a circle around me
    and you’ll bring me showers of blessing!”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Friday, July 15, 2022

Today's Scripture
Acts 16:22–34

By this time the crowd had turned into a restless mob out for blood.

22–24     The judges went along with the mob, had Paul and Silas’s clothes ripped off and ordered a public beating. After beating them black-and-blue, they threw them into jail, telling the jailkeeper to put them under heavy guard so there would be no chance of escape. He did just that—threw them into the maximum security cell in the jail and clamped leg irons on them.

25–26     Along about midnight, Paul and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners couldn’t believe their ears. Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose.

27–28     Startled from sleep, the jailer saw all the doors swinging loose on their hinges. Assuming that all the prisoners had escaped, he pulled out his sword and was about to do himself in, figuring he was as good as dead anyway, when Paul stopped him: “Don’t do that! We’re all still here! Nobody’s run away!”

29–31     The jailer got a torch and ran inside. Badly shaken, he collapsed in front of Paul and Silas. He led them out of the jail and asked, “Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved, to really live?” They said, “Put your entire trust in the Master Jesus. Then you’ll live as you were meant to live—and everyone in your house included!”

32–34     They went on to spell out in detail the story of the Master—the entire family got in on this part. They never did get to bed that night. The jailer made them feel at home, dressed their wounds, and then—he couldn’t wait till morning!—was baptized, he and everyone in his family. There in his home, he had food set out for a festive meal. It was a night to remember: He and his entire family had put their trust in God; everyone in the house was in on the celebration.

Insight

We see two great movements in the book of Acts that are closely linked: geographical and ethnic. The good news moves from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth and from Jews to gentiles. Jerusalem represents Judaism and God’s Old Testament promise to bring salvation to the world through the nation of Israel. This promise goes back to God’s covenant with Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3), where God promised that He’d create a great nation (Israel) through him and would bless all people. This promise was fulfilled through Jesus the Messiah (Luke 1:55, 73; 3:34; 19:9; Acts 3:25; 7:17).

Adapted from Understanding the Bible: The Book of Acts.

The Whole House

Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.
Acts 16:31

Wearing his striped jumpsuit, James walked across the steamy jail gym and climbed into the portable pool where he was baptized by the prison chaplain. James’ joy multiplied, however, when he heard that his daughter Brittany—also an inmate—had been baptized that same day . . . in the same water! When they realized what had happened, even the staff got emotional. “There wasn’t a dry eye,” the chaplain said. In and out of jail for years, Brittany and her dad both wanted God’s forgiveness. And together, God gave them new life.

Scripture describes another prison encounter—this time with a jailer—where Jesus’ love transformed an entire family. After a “violent earthquake” shook the prison and “the prison doors flew open,” Paul and Silas didn’t run but remained in their cell (Acts 16:26–28). The jailer, overcome with gratitude that they didn’t flee, took them to his house and eventually asked that life-changing question: “What must I do to be saved?” (v. 30)

“Believe in the Lord Jesus,” they answered, “you and your household” (v. 31). The response reveals God’s desire to pour out mercy on not only individuals but also entire families. Encountering God’s love, they all came “to believe in God—[the jailer] and his whole household” (v. 34). Though we’re often eager for the salvation of those we love, we can trust that God loves them even more than we do. He desires to renew all of us, our whole house. By:  Winn Collier

Reflect & Pray

What difference does it make to consider how God reaches out to whole families? How can you trust God’s mercy for your family?

Dear God, please reveal Yourself to my whole family.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, July 15, 2022

My Life’s Spiritual Honor and Duty

I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians… —Romans 1:14

Paul was overwhelmed with the sense of his indebtedness to Jesus Christ, and he spent his life to express it. The greatest inspiration in Paul’s life was his view of Jesus Christ as his spiritual creditor. Do I feel that same sense of indebtedness to Christ regarding every unsaved soul? As a saint, my life’s spiritual honor and duty is to fulfill my debt to Christ in relation to these lost souls. Every tiny bit of my life that has value I owe to the redemption of Jesus Christ. Am I doing anything to enable Him to bring His redemption into evident reality in the lives of others? I will only be able to do this as the Spirit of God works into me this sense of indebtedness.

I am not a superior person among other people— I am a bondservant of the Lord Jesus. Paul said, “…you are not your own…you were bought at a price…” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Paul sold himself to Jesus Christ and he said, in effect, “I am a debtor to everyone on the face of the earth because of the gospel of Jesus; I am free only that I may be an absolute bondservant of His.” That is the characteristic of a Christian’s life once this level of spiritual honor and duty becomes real. Quit praying about yourself and spend your life for the sake of others as the bondservant of Jesus. That is the true meaning of being broken bread and poured-out wine in real life.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

There is no allowance whatever in the New Testament for the man who says he is saved by grace but who does not produce the graceful goods. Jesus Christ by His Redemption can make our actual life in keeping with our religious profession.
Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

Bible in a Year: Psalms 13-15; Acts 19:21-41

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, July 15, 2022

The Word The Devil Hates - #9265

One of my more anxious moments related to air travel, and it actually had nothing to do with an airplane. It had to do with my two sons, who at the time were pretty young. We were going through the security checkpoint on the way to our gate, and all of a sudden they started joking about the one word you don't mention at airport security.

Yeah, they started joking about bombs. That word isn't allowed around airport people, so I quickly quieted, "Guys, no, don't talk about that!" And I looked around real quick to see if anybody had heard them, and thank goodness they hadn't. If you've been to an airport, you know there are signs all over the place saying, "Any joking about hijacking, or bombs, or explosives (and you'll be thrown out of the plane...no) you will be punished by sharpshooters immediately" - or something like that. You just don't talk about it, that's the point. Those words are not allowed because they represent things that could destroy everything.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Word The Devil Hates."

Our word for today from the Word of God, Acts 4, and I'm going to begin reading at verse 17. We're reading about a confrontation between the early apostles and the Sanhedrin, the religious ruling group of the day. Here's what they said to the apostles, "'Stop this thing from spreading any further among the people. We must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this Name.' Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus."

I was talking about airline personnel earlier, and you know the people at an airport don't want to hear the word "bomb" because a bomb has the power to destroy everything. The Devil has a word he doesn't want to hear - "Jesus," because of the power of that name to destroy his plans. So, for two thousand years, the Devil has tried to make the name of Jesus the issue; the dividing point. It was 2,000 years ago when the Sanhedrin said, "You can talk about God, you can talk about religion, you can do anything, just don't mention that name" ... the Name. That's all through the book of Acts.

It's still the issue today, isn't it? People don't mind if you talk about religion, or even God, or the Bible, or morality, or family values, your church, but don't mention the Name. All too often we fall right into the Devil's trap to censor the name of Jesus in our conversation. We don't want to be offensive; we don't want to turn anyone off. And there's this little voice that says, "Well, just talk about God. You know, most everybody would accept that." So we talk about God in our lives, but we avoid the name of Jesus. Christian musicians will write songs that talk vaguely about Him with a capital H, but too often they avoid the Name, so their music can cross over to the secular world. Even Christian leaders try to avoid conflict by watering down the Name.

But Acts 4:12 says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved. It is at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow." The power is in the name, and the Devil knows the power is in that name.

Have you ever noticed when you're trying to talk about spiritual things to somebody where it is you choke? Yeah, you choke when you get to the name of Jesus. That's the 2,000-year-old editor from hell saying, "Edit out Jesus. How dare you mention the Name." You love that name. You know what's happened to you in that name. And you talk about Jesus, because that's where the power is. He was not ashamed of you when He hung on the cross. Please don't be ashamed of Him.

Have you been timid about identifying yourself with Jesus? Well, the one who's made you timid is the same enemy that's been doing it for 20 centuries. So, don't be afraid to use the name of Jesus. The Devil is afraid you will.

Psalm 57, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Ordinary People - July 14, 2022

“In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1 NIV).

The baby Mary held was connected to the dawn of time. He saw the first ray of sunlight and heard the first crash of a wave. The baby was born, but the Word never was. Jesus: the Genesis Word. And then, what no rabbi dared to dream, God did. “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14 NIV). The Artist became oil on his own palette. God became an embryo in the belly of a village girl. Christ in Mary. God in Christ.

The Word of God entered the world with the cry of a baby. His family had no cash or connections or strings to pull. But God came through them. God writes his story with people, ordinary people like Joseph and Mary, in an ordinary place but a conduits of extraordinary grace. And in God’s story, ordinary matters.

Psalm 57

Be good to me, God—and now!
    I’ve run to you for dear life.
I’m hiding out under your wings
    until the hurricane blows over.
I call out to High God,
    the God who holds me together.
He sends orders from heaven and saves me,
    he humiliates those who kick me around.
God delivers generous love,
    he makes good on his word.

4
I find myself in a pride of lions
    who are wild for a taste of human flesh;
Their teeth are lances and arrows,
    their tongues are sharp daggers.

5
Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!

6
They booby-trapped my path;
    I thought I was dead and done for.
They dug a mantrap to catch me,
    and fell in headlong themselves.

7-8
I’m ready, God, so ready,
    ready from head to toe,
Ready to sing, ready to raise a tune:
    “Wake up, soul!
Wake up, harp! wake up, lute!
    Wake up, you sleepyhead sun!”

9-10
I’m thanking you, God, out loud in the streets,
    singing your praises in town and country.
The deeper your love, the higher it goes;
    every cloud is a flag to your faithfulness.

11
Soar high in the skies, O God!
    Cover the whole earth with your glory!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Thursday, July 14, 2022

Today's Scripture
Psalm 46

For the choir director; a song by the descendants of Korah; according to alamoth.a

1     God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in times of trouble.

2     That is why we are not afraid

even when the earth quakes

or the mountains topple into the depths of the sea.

3     Water roars and foams,

and mountains shake at the surging waves.

Selah

4     There is a river

whose streams bring joy to the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High lives.

5     God is in that city.

It cannot fall.

God will help it at the break of dawn.

6     Nations are in turmoil, and kingdoms topple.

The earth melts at the sound of ?God’s? voice.

7     The Lord of Armies is with us.

The God of Jacob is our stronghold.

Selah

8     Come, see the works of the Lord,

the devastation he has brought to the earth.

9     He puts an end to wars all over the earth.

He breaks an archer’s bow.

He cuts spears in two.

He burns chariots.

10     Let go ?of your concerns?!

Then you will know that I am God.

I rule the nations.

I rule the earth.

11     The Lord of Armies is with us.

The God of Jacob is our stronghold.  

Insight

The final verse of Psalm 46 says, “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (v. 11), providing an echo to verse 7. Perhaps it’s those references to our security in God’s protection that prompted Martin Luther to pen one of the church’s most enduring hymns, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” But the protective imagery isn’t limited to those statements. In verse 1, we see God as a “refuge,” “strength,” and “ever-present help.” The sons of Korah, who authored Psalm 46, described the only reasonable response to understanding; namely, that our safety is found in our Creator: “Therefore we will not fear” (v. 2). God Himself gives us this encouragement in verse 10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” In a world where there’s plenty to be afraid of, our God offers us His presence (v. 11), for He Himself is our safety. By: Bill Crowder

Flexing Faith Muscles

Be still, and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10

During a trip to the zoo, I stopped to rest near the sloth exhibit. The creature hung upside down. He seemed content being completely still. I sighed. Because of my health issues, I struggled with stillness and desperately wanted to move forward, to do something—anything. Resenting my limitations, I longed to stop feeling so weak. But while staring at the sloth, I observed how he stretched one arm, gripped a nearby branch, and stopped again. Being still required strength. If I wanted to be content with moving slowly or being as still as the sloth, I needed more than incredible muscle power. To trust God with every dragging moment of my life, I needed supernatural power.

In Psalm 46, the writer proclaims that God doesn’t just give us strength, He is our strength (v. 1). No matter what’s going on around us, the “Lord Almighty is with us” (v. 7). The psalmist repeats this truth with conviction (v. 11).

Like the sloth, our day-to-day adventures often require slow steps and extended periods of seemingly impossible stillness. When we rely on God’s unchanging character, we can depend on His strength no matter what plan and pace He determines is right for us.

Though we may continue to battle afflictions or struggle with waiting, God remains faithfully present. Even when we don’t feel strong, He’ll help us flex our faith muscles. By:  Xochitl Dixon

Reflect & Pray

How have you experienced God’s strength empowering you through a season of stillness? How can reflecting on His unchanging character help you persevere?

God Almighty, thank You for giving me opportunities to flex my faith muscles by trusting You to be my strength.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, July 14, 2022

Suffering Afflictions and Going the Second Mile

I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. —Matthew 5:39

This verse reveals the humiliation of being a Christian. In the natural realm, if a person does not hit back, it is because he is a coward. But in the spiritual realm, it is the very evidence of the Son of God in him if he does not hit back. When you are insulted, you must not only not resent it, but you must make it an opportunity to exhibit the Son of God in your life. And you cannot imitate the nature of Jesus— it is either in you or it is not. A personal insult becomes an opportunity for a saint to reveal the incredible sweetness of the Lord Jesus.

The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is not, “Do your duty,” but is, in effect, “Do what is not your duty.” It is not your duty to go the second mile, or to turn the other cheek, but Jesus said that if we are His disciples, we will always do these things. We will not say, “Oh well, I just can’t do any more, and I’ve been so misrepresented and misunderstood.” Every time I insist on having my own rights, I hurt the Son of God, while in fact I can prevent Jesus from being hurt if I will take the blow myself. That is the real meaning of filling “up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ…” (Colossians 1:24). A disciple realizes that it is his Lord’s honor that is at stake in his life, not his own honor.

Never look for righteousness in the other person, but never cease to be righteous yourself. We are always looking for justice, yet the essence of the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is— Never look for justice, but never cease to give it.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

We are in danger of being stern where God is tender, and of being tender where God is stern.  The Love of God—The Message of Invincible Consolation, 673 L

Bible in a Year: Psalms 10-12; Acts 19:1-20

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, July 14, 2022

The Message That Opens Hearts - #9264

You know, you can learn something from a cab driver, even if his vocabulary is R-rated-or maybe even X-rated in this case. I was on a trip to an airport in a cab a while back. And well, without even knowing it, I must have hit some trigger in this cab driver. Oh, man! All of a sudden I couldn't believe what started to come out of his mouth. He started to pour out all kinds of racial hatred, and he said, "I don't really care about anything in the world or anybody but myself, and let those starving people starve, and let those poor people be poor." Wow!

And then he started to cuss out just about everybody in the world. When he finished with most people, he turned his attention to the church, and he said, "All the church cares about is money, and they've got all this wealth, and they could help solve the problems." I want to tell you, the atmosphere in that cab was dark, and tense, and profane, and angry. I mean, this was a very bitter, cynical guy. To tell you the truth, I felt like sitting back and reading my magazine or getting out. But I mentioned one thing to him as we neared the airport, and suddenly the cab got calm and the cabby was smiling. And that moment reminded me of a focus that's just too easy to forget.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Message That Opens Hearts."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God is found in 1 Corinthians 2. Paul begins to talk about that wonder-working word. It is, in fact, the word that calms an angry, tense atmosphere in a taxi cab to the airport. "When I came to you, brothers," Paul said, "I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified."

Well, as I chatted with this cab driver and he let me get a word in, he had been attacking the church. And I said, "You know, I remember a sign that a demonstrator waved back in the '70s out in California. It said, "Jesus, yes; Christianity, no." I said, "You know, I can understand why you might be cynical about the church, or about some things in Christianity, even about Christians. But you know what? That's why I've staked my life on Jesus Christ. There's just no cause for cynicism there." You know there is something about that name, like the song says. Because beginning to talk about Jesus calmed this man down, seemed to lighten his load, and actually brought a smile to his face.

As you try to represent Christ in your family, or your school, or your job, your message is not Christianity, it is not church, it is not a religion. Paul said, "I came to you with a person-Jesus Christ." Your message is a person. Keep bringing folks back to Him. It's all about Jesus!

So many objections to being a Christian melt away when you turn the attention to Jesus. "Oh, Christians are hypocrites!" Well, is Jesus? "Christians are inconsistent." Is Jesus? "All the church cares about is money." Does Jesus? What is it about Jesus you don't like? See, He's the issue. We tend to get off on detours about doctrine, church, politics. This is a relationship with Jesus Christ-no more/no less. I'm so glad Jesus didn't say, "Follow my church." Or, "Follow my followers." Or, "Follow my leaders." What did He say? "Follow Me."

Every time you have an opportunity, even with an x-rated enemy of the Gospel, turn the attention to Jesus. Maybe you're the one who has had all the bad experiences; all the bad ideas about Christians and Christianity, and maybe for good reason. Can I direct your attention today to Jesus, the man who loved you enough to die on the cross for what you've done wrong? And who was powerful enough to walk out of His grave, and is ready to enter your life today and change it as only He can? Listen to the name: Jesus. I hope you know Him. If you don't, I'd invite you to visit our website. And let me explain to you there how you can. It's ANewStory.com.

And if you do belong to Him, don't be ashamed of His name. You'll discover when you speak His name, what angels and demons already know so well. There really is something about that name.

Psalm 52, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Why Mary Magdalene? - July 13, 2022

Jesus had just ripped the gates of hell off their hinges. He’d just yanked the fangs out of Satan’s mouth. He’d just turned BC into AD! Jesus was the undisputed King of the universe, and what was his first act? To whom did he go? To Mary Magdalene, the weeping, heartbroken woman who once had seven demons. Why her? Perhaps to send this message to all the heavyhearted people: “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5 NLT).

The greatest news in the world is not that God made the world but that God loves the world, and he loves you my friend. You have never lived one unloved day. God loves you, and because he does, you can be assured that joy will come. It came to Mary Magdalene, and it will come to you. Joy comes with the morning.

Psalm 52

 Why do you brag of evil, “Big Man”?
    God’s mercy carries the day.
You scheme catastrophe;
    your tongue cuts razor-sharp,
    artisan in lies.
You love evil more than good,
    you call black white.
You love malicious gossip,
    you foul-mouth.

5
God will tear you limb from limb,
    sweep you up and throw you out,
Pull you up by the roots
    from the land of life.

6-7
Good people will watch and
    worship. They’ll laugh in relief:
“Big Man bet on the wrong horse,
    trusted in big money,
    made his living from catastrophe.”

8
And I’m an olive tree,
    growing green in God’s house.
I trusted in the generous mercy
    of God then and now.

9
I thank you always
    that you went into action.
And I’ll stay right here,
    your good name my hope,
    in company with your faithful friends.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Today's Scripture
Mark 8:27–30

The Messiah

27     Jesus and his disciples headed out for the villages around Caesarea Philippi. As they walked, he asked, “Who do the people say I am?”

28     “Some say ‘John the Baptizer,’ ” they said. “Others say ‘Elijah.’ Still others say ‘one of the prophets.’ ”

29     He then asked, “And you—what are you saying about me? Who am I?”

Peter gave the answer: “You are the Christ, the Messiah.”

30–32     Jesus warned them to keep it quiet, not to breathe a word of it to anyone.

Insight

We can observe two things from the disciples’ response to Jesus’ question, “Who do people say I am?” (Mark 8:27). First, the disciples knew what the people were saying about who Jesus was: “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets” (v. 28). They weren’t simply an isolated and insulated group, oblivious to the culture and people around them. His disciples continued to interact with and understand the people to whom Christ was reaching out. One day soon, they’d be sent to continue His message. Second, the people’s various answers to who Jesus was illustrated that even people who heard and saw Him had different opinions about Him. But Jesus wasn’t content with general answers to the question of who He was. He asked His disciples this question directly. Peter answered, “You are the Messiah” (v. 29).

Take a class on the New Testament. By: J.R. Hudberg

Who Is Jesus?

Who do people say I am?
Mark 8:27

Who do people believe Jesus is? Some say He was a good teacher, but just a man. Author C. S. Lewis wrote, “Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher.” These now-famous words from Mere Christianity propound that Jesus would not have been a great prophet if He falsely claimed to be God. That would be the ultimate heresy.

While talking with His disciples as they walked between villages, Jesus asked them, “Who do people say I am?” (Mark 8:27). Their answers included John the Baptist, Elijah, and one of the prophets (v. 28). But Jesus wanted to know what they believed: “Who do you say I am?” Peter got it right. “You are the Messiah” (v. 29), the Savior.

But who do we say Jesus is? Jesus could not have been a good teacher or prophet if what He said about Himself—that He and the Father (God) are “one” (John 10:30)—wasn’t true. His followers and even the demons declared His divinity as the Son of God (Matthew 8:29; 16:16; 1 John 5:20). Today, may we spread the word about who Christ is as He provides what we need. By:  Alyson Kieda

Reflect & Pray

Who do you say Jesus is? If you believe He’s the Son of God, then how can you share who He is with others?

Dear Jesus, thank You for being the way, the truth, and the life. I’m glad I can cling to You. Help me to share with others the good news of who You are.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Wednesday, July 13, 2022

The Price of the Vision

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord… —Isaiah 6:1

Our soul’s personal history with God is often an account of the death of our heroes. Over and over again God has to remove our friends to put Himself in their place, and that is when we falter, fail, and become discouraged. Let me think about this personally— when the person died who represented for me all that God was, did I give up on everything in life? Did I become ill or disheartened? Or did I do as Isaiah did and see the Lord?

My vision of God is dependent upon the condition of my character. My character determines whether or not truth can even be revealed to me. Before I can say, “I saw the Lord,” there must be something in my character that conforms to the likeness of God. Until I am born again and really begin to see the kingdom of God, I only see from the perspective of my own biases. What I need is God’s surgical procedure— His use of external circumstances to bring about internal purification.

Your priorities must be God first, God second, and God third, until your life is continually face to face with God and no one else is taken into account whatsoever. Your prayer will then be, “In all the world there is no one but You, dear God; there is no one but You.”

Keep paying the price. Let God see that you are willing to live up to the vision.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

The fiery furnaces are there by God’s direct permission. It is misleading to imagine that we are developed in spite of our circumstances; we are developed because of them. It is mastery in circumstances that is needed, not mastery over them. The Love of God—The Message of Invincible Consolation, 674 R

Bible in a Year: Psalms 7-9; Acts 18

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Wednesday, July 13, 2022

Why You Are Where You Are - #9263

Hey. it's a huge job to try to keep the roadsides of interstates and major highways from looking like garbage dumps. That's why someone came up with this great idea: have clubs, and churches, and schools, and civic organizations volunteer to maintain just one mile of the road near them. You've probably seen the signs: "This mile maintained by the Forest Grove Garden Club, or a Boy Scout troop, or the Busy Hands Presby-Baptist Church, or whatever. Maybe it's a family. Separately, none of those groups could ever maintain the entire roadside in their county, but they could do a mile. And if each group makes sure their mile is covered, the whole area will end up looking a whole lot better.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Why You Are Where You Are."

Someone could look at the miles and miles of highway running through their area and say, "How in the world are we going to take care of all this?" But it's getting done because many people say, "I'll take care of the area around me."

Now the job of highway cleanup is nothing compared to the assignment left to us by the Lord Jesus, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation" (Mark 16:15). Wow! Well, each generation of believers is responsible for their generation of lost people. How in the world are we going to reach the lost people of our generation? The same way you clean up a long highway; we each take the responsibility for our stretch of the road.

In our word for today from the Word of God, the Old Testament leader, Nehemiah, has called the people of Judah to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem - a massive job - like telling our town about Jesus. Yes, it is a massive job! They were surrounded by people who were hostile to them, didn't want them to accomplish that mission, like our world today. But here's how it got done; Nehemiah 3:23 and following. Now, here's some names you haven't heard, but let's go with it. "Beyond them, Benjamin, and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house, and next to them, Azariah made repairs beside his house. The priests made repairs, each in front of his house. Zadok made repairs opposite his house." You think, "What are we doing here?" Well, here's the idea. The entire city wall got rebuilt by each person taking care of the area around them.

Which brings us to your piece of the eternal rescue work Jesus gave to all of us. There's a reason you live where you live. Jesus assigned you there to that block, that neighborhood, that apartment complex to be His personal representative among the people who live there. The reason you work where you work, go to school where you go to school, belong to the organizations and clubs you belong to is because Jesus wanted you to be those people's link to Him. In Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 5:20, "We are Christ's ambassadors."

So how are you doing with your stretch of the road? Jesus gave His life on the cross for the people on your stretch. He's left you responsible for them finding that out. And while you may think He should get someone better, guess what? He decided you're the one for those people. And they're a lot more likely to listen to someone who walks their road and lives their lives and their issues - a peer like you - than to some skilled evangelist they've never met.

So let me challenge you to begin to claim the people on your block for Jesus, on your team, in your building, in your office, at the gym, your workplace, in your circle at school. Begin by praying for them every day. And on more and more blocks across the country, I know believers are picking up the challenge of going on a Prayer Walk to pray for the residents of each home to hear about Christ there.

Also, band together with any other believers you can find on your "stretch of the road." Pray with them. Plan outreach dinner parties or block parties or video outreaches. Find ways to love them, serve them in ways that would really mean something to them. Ask them to let you know if there's anything they would like you to pray for. And pray for natural opportunities to tell them about life's most important relationship.

Imagine what would happen if every believer said, "Lord, I will step up to praying for and sharing Christ with the lost people on my stretch of the road."

Luke 22:1-23, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: In the Midst of Darkness - July 12, 2022

Mary Magdalene’s world had officially hit rock bottom. Her Master murdered, his body buried in a borrowed grave, his body stolen.

Have you ever had a moment like this? In which you came looking for God yet could not find him? In the midst of Mary’s darkest moment, the Son—the S-O-N son—came out. She didn’t recognize her Lord, so Jesus called her by name. In a second her world went from a dead Jesus to a living one. She took hold of him. Even if the gesture lasted only a moment, Jesus allowed it.

This moment serves a sacred role in the Easter story. It, at once, reminds us that Jesus is the conquering King and Good Shepherd. He has power over death, but he also has a soft spot for the Mary Magdalenes of the world. Our regal hero is relentlessly tender.

Luke 22:1-23

The Passover Meal

 The Feast of Unleavened Bread, also called Passover, drew near. The high priests and religion scholars were looking for a way to do away with Jesus but, fearful of the people, they were also looking for a way to cover their tracks.

3-6 That’s when Satan entered Judas, the one called Iscariot. He was one of the Twelve. Leaving the others, he conferred with the high priests and the Temple guards about how he might betray Jesus to them. They couldn’t believe their good luck and agreed to pay him well. He gave them his word and started looking for a way to betray Jesus, but out of sight of the crowd.

7-8 The Day of Unleavened Bread came, the day the Passover lamb was butchered. Jesus sent Peter and John off, saying, “Go prepare the Passover for us so we can eat it together.”

9 They said, “Where do you want us to do this?”

10-12 He said, “Keep your eyes open as you enter the city. A man carrying a water jug will meet you. Follow him home. Then speak with the owner of the house: The Teacher wants to know, ‘Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover meal with my disciples?’ He will show you a spacious second-story room, swept and ready. Prepare the meal there.”

13 They left, found everything just as he told them, and prepared the Passover meal.

14-16 When it was time, he sat down, all the apostles with him, and said, “You’ve no idea how much I have looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you before I enter my time of suffering. It’s the last one I’ll eat until we all eat it together in the kingdom of God.”

17-18 Taking the cup, he blessed it, then said, “Take this and pass it among you. As for me, I’ll not drink wine again until the kingdom of God arrives.”

19 Taking bread, he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, given for you. Eat it in my memory.”

20 He did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you.

21-22 “Do you realize that the hand of the one who is betraying me is at this moment on this table? It’s true that the Son of Man is going down a path already marked out—no surprises there. But for the one who turns him in, turns traitor to the Son of Man, this is doomsday.”

23 They immediately became suspicious of each other and began quizzing one another, wondering who might be about to do this.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Today's Scripture
Proverbs 1:1–7

These are the wise sayings of Solomon,

David’s son, Israel’s king—

Written down so we’ll know how to live well and right,

to understand what life means and where it’s going;

A manual for living,

for learning what’s right and just and fair;

To teach the inexperienced the ropes

and give our young people a grasp on reality.

There’s something here also for seasoned men and women,

still a thing or two for the experienced to learn—

Fresh wisdom to probe and penetrate,

the rhymes and reasons of wise men and women.

Start with God

7     Start with God—the first step in learning is bowing down to God;

only fools thumb their noses at such wisdom and learning.


Insight

Solomon, the wisest person in the ancient world, wrote three thousand proverbs (1 Kings 4:30–34), but only a fraction of these were collated into the book of Proverbs in the Bible. Solomon’s wisdom was God’s gift to him (1 Kings 3:5–13). But being wise one day is no guarantee that you’ll be wise the next, for this wisdom can be easily abandoned and lost—as Solomon abandoned God’s wisdom in his later years. He became the classic example of foolishness as he turned from Him to follow idols (11:4–6). Ironically, he ignored his own warning: “If you stop listening to instruction, my child, you will turn your back on knowledge” (Proverbs 19:27 nlt), for “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction” (1:7). By: K. T. Sim

A Teachable Spirit

Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.
Proverbs 1:5

It has become sadly “normal” to attack not only the opinions of others but also the person holding the opinion. This can be true in academic circles as well. For this reason, I was stunned when scholar and theologian Richard B. Hays wrote a paper that forcefully took to task a work that he himself had written years earlier! In Reading with the Grain of Scripture, Hays demonstrated great humility of heart as he corrected his own past thinking, now fine-tuned by his lifelong commitment to learning.   

As the book of Proverbs was being introduced, King Solomon listed the various intents of this collection of wise sayings. But in the midst of those purposes, he inserted this challenge, “Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance” (Proverbs 1:5). Like the apostle Paul, who claimed that, even after following Christ for decades, he continued to pursue knowing Jesus (Philippians 3:10), Solomon urged the wise to listen, to learn, and to continue to grow.

No one is ever hurt by maintaining a teachable spirit. As we seek to continue to grow and learn about the things of faith (and the things of life), may we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into truth (John 16:13), that we might better comprehend the wonders of our good and great God. By:  Bill Crowder

Reflect & Pray

In what areas of life or spiritual growth have you become stale or stunted? How can you become more teachable, allowing God to grow you beyond where you are at this moment?

Loving God, give me a humble, teachable spirit that I might continually be growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus.

For further study, see Why Read the Bible?.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Tuesday, July 12, 2022

The Spiritually Self-Seeking Church

…till we all come…to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ… —Ephesians 4:13

Reconciliation means the restoring of the relationship between the entire human race and God, putting it back to what God designed it to be. This is what Jesus Christ did in redemption. The church ceases to be spiritual when it becomes self-seeking, only interested in the development of its own organization. The reconciliation of the human race according to His plan means realizing Him not only in our lives individually, but also in our lives collectively. Jesus Christ sent apostles and teachers for this very purpose— that the corporate Person of Christ and His church, made up of many members, might be brought into being and made known. We are not here to develop a spiritual life of our own, or to enjoy a quiet spiritual retreat. We are here to have the full realization of Jesus Christ, for the purpose of building His body.

Am I building up the body of Christ, or am I only concerned about my own personal development? The essential thing is my personal relationship with Jesus Christ— “…that I may know Him…” (Philippians 3:10). To fulfill God’s perfect design for me requires my total surrender— complete abandonment of myself to Him. Whenever I only want things for myself, the relationship is distorted. And I will suffer great humiliation once I come to acknowledge and understand that I have not really been concerned about realizing Jesus Christ Himself, but only concerned with knowing what He has done for me.

My goal is God Himself, not joy nor peace,
Nor even blessing, but Himself, my God.

Am I measuring my life by this standard or by something less?

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: Psalms 4-6; Acts 17:16-34

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Tuesday, July 12, 2022

The Dark Closet - #9262

She was just such a sweet little old lady - the housemother who inspected our dorm rooms every week at college. I didn't want her to get hurt. You know? I mean, I was afraid she would, if she opened my closet door. Yeah, you know, you're busy in college with all kinds of important things - who's got time to clean your room? Right? Some days, it was almost impossible to tell that I had furniture in there. Everything was covered with what looked like the fallout from some bomb blast, but not on inspection day. Nope, I managed to get all that junk somehow stuffed into my closet. Sometimes it took three guys to close the door, but eventually what I needed to hide was safely inside that closet. Safe, that is, unless you opened the door.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Dark Closet."

A lot of us still have a closet today where we try to hide the stuff we don't want discovered. Maybe there's some dark stuff you've managed to keep in that closet for a long time. Like my college room, on the surface you look clean. But just inside the closet is stuff you don't want anyone to see. And so far, no one has. Well, except for the One who matters most.

Nine words; that's all it is. But these nine words in Numbers 32:23, our word for today from the Word of God, literally blow the door off your closet. Here they are: "Be sure that your sin will find you out." Wow! No loopholes, no exceptions-including yours. God knows everything you've done, everything you've thought, and everything you've said. So you're caught! And without exception, someday your sin will be out of the closet.

You can rationalize it away. We're good at that. "Hey, it's just a little while, I can't help it, I deserve this, I need this, this is love, I'll quit soon." Lies that you may believe but God doesn't buy. You can compare yourself with others and feel pretty good about yourself - until you remember that God doesn't grade on the curve. His standard is His holiness - perfection. You can excuse what you're doing, call it by a nice name, blame somebody else, live in denial about it, or try to compensate for it by doing some good things. But it's still sin, it's still something that helped cause the death of your Savior, it still stinks to God, and it's building up judgment for you all the time.

I remember when a major church was rocked by the public confession by one of its longtime leaders; a man described as the most trusted person in the church. But behind that closet door, turned out there was 20 years of blatant sexual sin, a sin he had even confronted in others as a church leader. It had been successfully concealed from everyone but God. And now comes the picking up of the pieces of so many lives.

King David did everything to keep his adultery hidden in the closet. Until God's man, Nathan, tore the door off with these words, "You are the man." Finally, David faced the ugly truth and he said, "I have sinned against the Lord." Right now, God, through His Holy Spirit, may be saying to you, "You are the man. You are the woman." He's giving you this chance to finally be free of that inner torment, to stop the mounting consequences, to experience at Jesus' cross the incomparable relief and the release of finally getting clean.

You've hidden it, but the sin, the price, and the guilt? They continue growing behind that door. It's going to be tough to open that closet and deal with what's in there. But it's going to be a whole lot tougher not to. It's haunted you. It has shamed you. It has shackled you long enough. Jesus is right there with you to help you open that door, and to once and for all get rid of that awful secret behind it.

Psalm 56 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Joy Comes in the Morning - July 11, 2022
“Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning” (Psalm 30:5 NLT). Do you need this promise? Have you wept a river? Have you forsaken hope? Do you wonder if a morning will ever bring this night to an end?

Mary Magdalene did. Before she knew Jesus, she had seven demons. She was a prisoner of seven afflictions. What might this list include? Depression? Loneliness? Shame? Fear? Maybe she was a recluse, maybe she was a prostitute. Maybe she’d been abused or abandoned.

The number seven is sometimes used in the Bible to describe completeness. It could be that Mary Magdalene was completely consumed with troubles. But Jesus spoke and the demons fled. Banished. Evicted. Mary Magdalene could sleep well, eat enough, and smile again. And Jesus restored life to her life.

Psalm 56

 Take my side, God—I’m getting kicked around,
    stomped on every day.
Not a day goes by
    but somebody beats me up;
They make it their duty
    to beat me up.
When I get really afraid
    I come to you in trust.
I’m proud to praise God;
    fearless now, I trust in God.
    What can mere mortals do?

5-6
They don’t let up—
    they smear my reputation
    and huddle to plot my collapse.
They gang up,
    sneak together through the alleys
To take me by surprise,
    wait their chance to get me.

7
Pay them back in evil!
    Get angry, God!
    Down with these people!

8
You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn
    through the sleepless nights,
Each tear entered in your ledger,
    each ache written in your book.

9
If my enemies run away,
    turn tail when I yell at them,
Then I’ll know
    that God is on my side.

10-11
I’m proud to praise God,
    proud to praise God.
Fearless now, I trust in God;
    what can mere mortals do to me?

12-13
God, you did everything you promised,
    and I’m thanking you with all my heart.
You pulled me from the brink of death,
    my feet from the cliff-edge of doom.
Now I stroll at leisure with God
    in the sunlit fields of life.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Monday, July 11, 2022

Today's Scripture
1 Corinthians 10:23–11:1

*“We are allowed to do anything,” so they say. That is true, but not everything is good. “We are allowed to do anything”—but not everything is helpful. 24None of you should be looking to your own interests, but to the interests of others.

25 You are free to eat anything sold in the meat market, without asking any questions because of your conscience. 26*For, as the scripture says, “The earth and everything in it belong to the Lord.”

27 If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you decide to go, eat what is set before you, without asking any questions because of your conscience. 28But if someone says to you, “This food was offered to idols,” then do not eat that food, for the sake of the one who told you and for conscience’ sake- 29that is, not your own conscience, but the other person’s conscience.

“Well, then,” someone asks, “why should my freedom to act be limited by another person’s conscience? 30If I thank God for my food, why should anyone criticize me about food for which I give thanks?”

31 Well, whatever you do, whether you eat or drink, do it all for God’s glory. 32Live in such a way as to cause no trouble either to Jews or Gentiles or to the church of God. 33Just do as I do; I try to please everyone in all that I do, not thinking of my own good, but of the good of all, so that they might be saved.

11 * Imitate me, then, just as I imitate Christ.

Insight

In writing these words to the church at Corinth, Paul was attempting to recalibrate their values and priorities. As a church family, the Corinthians had become marked by sin, division, pride, lawsuits against one another, and personality cults. The apostle was reminding them of what matters most. We can learn from his words as well. First, the glory and honor of God must be paramount in our thinking (1 Corinthians 10:31). Second, our example must not bring harm to anyone, but rather bring the grace of Jesus to all (vv. 32–33). Third, we likewise need examples to pattern the Christ-life for us (11:1). By: Bill Crowder

True Freedom

No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.
1 Corinthians 10:24

While reading on the train, Meiling was busy highlighting sentences and jotting down notes in the margins of her book. But a conversation between a mother and child seated nearby stopped her. The mom was correcting her child for doodling in her library book. Meiling quickly put her pen away, not wanting the toddler to ignore her mother’s words by following Meiling’s example. She knew that the child wouldn’t understand the difference between damaging a loaned book and making notes in one you owned.

Meiling’s actions reminded me of the apostle Paul’s inspired words in 1 Corinthians 10:23–24: “ ‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.”

The believers in Jesus in the young church in Corinth saw their freedom in Christ as an opportunity to pursue personal interests. But Paul wrote that they should view it as an opportunity to benefit and build up others. He taught them that true freedom isn’t the right to do as one pleases, but the liberty to do as they should for God.

We follow in Jesus’ footsteps when we use our freedom to choose building others up instead of serving ourselves. By:  Poh Fang Chia

Reflect & Pray

Why does it honor God when you’re careful in what you say and do around others? How can you be more considerate of others in the exercise of your freedom?

Jesus, thank You for setting me free. Give me wisdom and grace to exercise my freedom in ways that truly honor You and bless others.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Monday, July 11, 2022

The Spiritually Vigorous Saint

…that I may know Him… —Philippians 3:10

A saint is not to take the initiative toward self-realization, but toward knowing Jesus Christ. A spiritually vigorous saint never believes that his circumstances simply happen at random, nor does he ever think of his life as being divided into the secular and the sacred. He sees every situation in which he finds himself as the means of obtaining a greater knowledge of Jesus Christ, and he has an attitude of unrestrained abandon and total surrender about him. The Holy Spirit is determined that we will have the realization of Jesus Christ in every area of our lives, and He will bring us back to the same point over and over again until we do. Self-realization only leads to the glorification of good works, whereas a saint of God glorifies Jesus Christ through his good works. Whatever we may be doing— even eating, drinking, or washing disciples’ feet— we have to take the initiative of realizing and recognizing Jesus Christ in it. Every phase of our life has its counterpart in the life of Jesus. Our Lord realized His relationship to the Father even in the most menial task. “Jesus, knowing…that He had come from God and was going to God,…took a towel…and began to wash the disciples’ feet…” (John 13:3-5).

The aim of a spiritually vigorous saint is “that I may know Him…” Do I know Him where I am today? If not, I am failing Him. I am not here for self-realization, but to know Jesus Christ. In Christian work our initiative and motivation are too often simply the result of realizing that there is work to be done and that we must do it. Yet that is never the attitude of a spiritually vigorous saint. His aim is to achieve the realization of Jesus Christ in every set of circumstances.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

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

Bible in a Year: Psalms 1-3; Acts 17:1-15

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Monday, July 11, 2022

Family Baggage, Family Sins - #9261

I had just finished presenting one of our outreach parenting seminars and I had talked near the end about how we tend to copy the ways that our parents raised us. Well, this man came and told me that he had noticed something a little different the first time his wife cooked a roast for him. I wondered where this was going. Well, he said she cut off the ends of the roast! He said, "Well, that's strange," but he let it go. And then, after a few times, he said, "Honey, why do you do that?" And she said, "Well, my mother did it." He said, "Why did she do it?" She said, "I'm going to ask her." So she asked her mother and her mother said, (You guessed it!) "Well, my mother did it." She said, "Well, do you know why my grandmother did it?" The mother said, "Well, actually, while she was still alive I asked her one time." She said, "Yeah, I'll tell you why I cut off the ends of the beef. My pan was too short!" So, here are three generations doing what great-grandmother did long after the reason for doing it was history!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Family Baggage Family Sins."

Now, it's too bad all the ways that we clone our parents aren't that harmless. Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Peter 1:18 which says, "You were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers...with the precious blood of Christ." Okay, all of us got some of those empty ways of life from our family. I mean, suddenly one day this baby arrives and your name is changed forever-suddenly you're daddy, you're mommy. And you comb through that receiving blanket looking for the instruction book that comes with the baby, right? On how to parent! After all, there's an instruction book for cars, and appliances. There's got to be one for life's most important job! Sorry!

There's the tendency to unconsciously, then, revert to the way mom or dad did it. Even if it was something that hurt us, something we really disliked. Suddenly you're hearing the echo of a parent, you're saying things you thought you would never say, you're doing things you said you would never do. Maybe it's that tendency to criticize, to blow up, to be a work-a-holic. Maybe you weren't shown much love outwardly, and now your kids are suffering from that same kind of emotional starvation.

The fact is we've all inherited empty ways of life from our parents who were probably copying one of their parents. And now another generation is about to be marked by this weakness, or this sin that has marked so many before us unless it stops with you; which it can because of Jesus. This is a hopeless cycle of despair and hurt except for those liberating words, "You were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you with the precious blood of Christ." You don't have to be that way anymore. When Jesus Christ shed his blood on the cross He was covering those family sins too. The shedding of His blood broke the power of that sin. If you've trusted Jesus to be your Savior from your sin, then His resurrection power lives in you. You can repent of that and ask Him to unleash His transforming power to change it.

If that family sin has gone far enough, here's the liberation plan:

    First, do what you're doing right now-face it as a sin against God, no excuses!
    Confess it to Him as a sin.
    Confess it to the ones who have been affected by that sin in your family. Ask your family to pray for you, to forgive you, to start working on the new you in the power of Jesus.
    And then turn the other way. Make a conscious effort to do it the right way today.

And you know what? It begins when you begin a relationship with Jesus, and all those sins are forgiven and the power of them in your life is broken. If you've never done that, today tell Him, "Jesus I'm yours." Get to our website where you can be sure you belong to Him. It's ANewStory.com.

Those hand-me-downs are often ignored and excused, because they've become such a part of us. But they're wrong, they're destructive, and they're beatable. Because of the precious blood of Christ you can face the monster of family sin and say, "Enough! It stops here!"

1 Samuel 22 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: I Choose

It's quiet.  It's early.  For the next 12 hours I'll be exposed to the day's demands.  It's now that I must make a choice.  And so I choose-love. I will love God and what God loves.
I choose joy.
I choose peace. I will live forgiven.
I choose patience-Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I'll thank God for a moment to pray.
I choose kindness-for that's how God has treated me.
I choose goodness.
I choose faithfulness.  Today I'll keep my promises. My wife will not question my love.
I choose gentleness.  If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.
I choose self-control.  I will be impassioned only by my faith and influenced only by God.
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. When this day is done, I'll place my head on my pillow and rest.
From When God Whispers Your Name

1 Samuel 22

Saul Murders the Priests of God

 So David got away and escaped to the Cave of Adullam. When his brothers and others associated with his family heard where he was, they came down and joined him. Not only that, but all who were down on their luck came around—losers and vagrants and misfits of all sorts. David became their leader. There were about four hundred in all.

3-4 Then David went to Mizpah in Moab. He petitioned the king of Moab, “Grant asylum to my father and mother until I find out what God has planned for me.” David left his parents in the care of the king of Moab. They stayed there all through the time David was hiding out.

5 The prophet Gad told David, “Don’t go back to the cave. Go to Judah.” David did what he told him. He went to the forest of Hereth.

6-8 Saul got word of the whereabouts of David and his men. He was sitting under the big oak on the hill at Gibeah at the time, spear in hand, holding court surrounded by his officials. He said, “Listen here, you Benjaminites! Don’t think for a minute that you have any future with the son of Jesse! Do you think he’s going to hand over choice land, give you all influential jobs? Think again. Here you are, conspiring against me, whispering behind my back—not one of you is man enough to tell me that my own son is making deals with the son of Jesse, not one of you who cares enough to tell me that my son has taken the side of this, this ...outlaw!”

9-10 Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s officials, spoke up: “I saw the son of Jesse meet with Ahimelech son of Ahitub, in Nob. I saw Ahimelech pray with him for God’s guidance, give him food, and arm him with the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11 Saul sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub, along with the whole family of priests at Nob. They all came to the king.

12 Saul said, “You listen to me, son of Ahitub!”

“Certainly, master,” he said.

13 “Why have you ganged up against me with the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword, even praying with him for God’s guidance, setting him up as an outlaw, out to get me?”

14-15 Ahimelech answered the king, “There’s not an official in your administration as true to you as David, your own son-in-law and captain of your bodyguard. None more honorable either. Do you think that was the first time I prayed with him for God’s guidance? Hardly! But don’t accuse me of any wrongdoing, me or my family. I have no idea what you’re trying to get at with this ‘outlaw’ talk.”

16 The king said, “Death, Ahimelech! You’re going to die—you and everyone in your family!”

17 The king ordered his henchmen, “Surround and kill the priests of God! They’re hand in glove with David. They knew he was running away from me and didn’t tell me.” But the king’s men wouldn’t do it. They refused to lay a hand on the priests of God.

18-19 Then the king told Doeg, “You do it—massacre the priests!” Doeg the Edomite led the attack and slaughtered the priests, the eighty-five men who wore the sacred robes. He then carried the massacre into Nob, the city of priests, killing man and woman, child and baby, ox, donkey, and sheep—the works.

20-21 Only one son of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped: Abiathar. He got away and joined up with David. Abiathar reported to David that Saul had murdered the priests of God.

22-23 David said to Abiathar, “I knew it—that day I saw Doeg the Edomite there, I knew he’d tell Saul. I’m to blame for the death of everyone in your father’s family. Stay here with me. Don’t be afraid. The one out to kill you is out to kill me, too. Stick with me. I’ll protect you.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion   
Sunday, July 10, 2022

Today's Scripture
Zechariah 7:4–10

God-of-the-Angel-Armies gave me this Message for them, for all the people and for the priests: “When you held days of fasting every fifth and seventh month all these seventy years, were you doing it for me? And when you held feasts, was that for me? Hardly. You’re interested in religion, I’m interested in people.

7–10     “There’s nothing new to say on the subject. Don’t you still have the message of the earlier prophets from the time when Jerusalem was still a thriving, bustling city and the outlying countryside, the Negev and Shephelah, was populated? [This is the message that God gave Zechariah.] Well, the message hasn’t changed. God-of-the-Angel-Armies said then and says now:

“ ‘Treat one another justly.

Love your neighbors.

Be compassionate with each other.

Don’t take advantage of widows, orphans, visitors, and the poor.

Don’t plot and scheme against one another—that’s evil.’

Insight

Zechariah, whose name means “God remembers,” was both a prophet and a priest. He was among the first of the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem. In Zechariah 7, a delegation from Bethel in the neighboring tribe of Benjamin had come to seek his advice (vv. 2–3). Zechariah told them that God remembered their hypocrisy of the previous seventy years (vv. 4–7). They’d been going through the motions of worship, including fasting, but their hearts were far from God. So, they were far from meeting the needs of their neighbors, especially the oppressed (vv. 9–10). God also remembered His people and His covenant with them, however. He called them out precisely because they belonged to Him. It would run contrary to His nature to forget them. Thus, the entirety of chapter 8 outlines the ways God will again bless them. By: Tim Gustafson

Watching Out for One Another

how mercy and compassion to one another.
Zechariah 7:9

Jose, a seventy-seven-year-old substitute teacher, had been living out of his car for eight years. Every night, the elderly man bunked down in his 1997 Ford Thunderbird LX, carefully monitoring the car battery as it powered his computer for his evening’s work. Instead of using the money earmarked for rent, Jose sent it to numerous family members in Mexico who needed it more. Early every morning, one of the teacher’s former students saw Jose rummaging through his trunk. “I just felt I needed to do something about it,” the man said. So, he launched a fundraiser and weeks later handed Jose a check to help him pay for a place to live.

Though Scripture repeatedly instructs us to watch out for one another, it’s sometimes difficult to see past our own concerns. The prophet Zechariah rebuked Israel who, rather than worshiping God or serving others, were “feasting for [them]selves” (Zechariah 7:6). Ignoring their shared communal life, they disregarded their neighbors’ need. Zechariah made God’s instructions clear: the people were to “administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another . . . [and] not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor” (vv. 9–10).

While it’s easy to be consumed with our own needs, faithfulness calls us to tend to the needs of others. In the divine economy, there’s plenty for all. And God, in His mercy, chooses to use us to give some of that plenty to others.

Reflect & Pray

Who are some of the people that you’re responsible to care for? Where do you find yourself consumed with your own concerns?

God, please give me a greater vision to care for my neighbors.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, July 10, 2022

The Spiritually Lazy Saint

Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together… —Hebrews 10:24-25

We are all capable of being spiritually lazy saints. We want to stay off the rough roads of life, and our primary objective is to secure a peaceful retreat from the world. The ideas put forth in these verses from Hebrews 10 are those of stirring up one another and of keeping ourselves together. Both of these require initiative— our willingness to take the first step toward Christ-realization, not the initiative toward self-realization. To live a distant, withdrawn, and secluded life is diametrically opposed to spirituality as Jesus Christ taught it.

The true test of our spirituality occurs when we come up against injustice, degradation, ingratitude, and turmoil, all of which have the tendency to make us spiritually lazy. While being tested, we want to use prayer and Bible reading for the purpose of finding a quiet retreat. We use God only for the sake of getting peace and joy. We seek only our enjoyment of Jesus Christ, not a true realization of Him. This is the first step in the wrong direction. All these things we are seeking are simply effects, and yet we try to make them causes.

“Yes, I think it is right,” Peter said, “…to stir you up by reminding you…” (2 Peter 1:13). It is a most disturbing thing to be hit squarely in the stomach by someone being used of God to stir us up— someone who is full of spiritual activity. Simple active work and spiritual activity are not the same thing. Active work can actually be the counterfeit of spiritual activity. The real danger in spiritual laziness is that we do not want to be stirred up— all we want to hear about is a spiritual retirement from the world. Yet Jesus Christ never encourages the idea of retirement— He says, “Go and tell My brethren…” (Matthew 28:10).

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

The main characteristic which is the proof of the indwelling Spirit is an amazing tenderness in personal dealing, and a blazing truthfulness with regard to God’s Word. Disciples Indeed, 386 R

Bible in a Year: Job 41-42; Acts 16:22-40

Luke 21:20-38, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: The Definition of Greed

Jesus had a definition for greed. He called it the practice of measuring life by possessions! Greed equates a person's worth with a person's purse. You got a lot equals you are a lot. You got a little equals you are little. The consequence of such a philosophy is predictable. If you are the sum of what you own, then by all means own it all. No price is too high. No payment is too much. But God's foremost rule of finance is that we own nothing. We are managers, not owners. Stewards, not landlords. Maintenance people, not proprietors.
Our money is not ours, it is His. It's not as if God kept the future a secret. One glance at a cemetery should remind us that everyone dies. The Bible says, "The Lord owns the world and everything in it-the heavens, even the highest heavens, are his!" (Psalm 24:1). This includes our money.
From When God Whispers Your Name

Luke 21:20-38

The Day of Reckoning

20-24 “When you see soldiers camped all around Jerusalem, then you’ll know that she is about to be devastated. If you’re living in Judea at the time, run for the hills. If you’re in the city, get out quickly. If you’re out in the fields, don’t go home to get your coat. This is the Day of Reckoning—everything written about it will come to a head. Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. Incredible misery! Torrential rage! People dropping like flies; people dragged off to prisons; Jerusalem under the boot of barbarians until the nations finish what was given them to do.

25-26 “It will seem like all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking.

27-28 “And then—then!—they’ll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style—a glorious welcome! When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!”

29-33 He told them a story. “Look at a fig tree. Any tree for that matter. When the leaves begin to show, one look tells you that summer is right around the corner. The same here—when you see these things happen, you know God’s kingdom is about here. Don’t brush this off: I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too—these things will happen. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out.

34-36 “But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t fall asleep at the wheel. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man.”

37-38 He spent his days in the Temple teaching, but his nights out on the mountain called Olives. All the people were up at the crack of dawn to come to the Temple and listen to him.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Saturday, July 09, 2022

Today's Scripture
Romans 12:3–8

I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.

4–6     In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t.

6–8     If you preach, just preach God’s Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don’t take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don’t get bossy; if you’re put in charge, don’t manipulate; if you’re called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don’t let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.

Insight

Romans 12:3–8 is well known as one of the New Testament passages that describe spiritual gifts to equip us for spiritual service. These giftings, however, are only half the story. The other half is found in the attitudes with which some of those gifts are to be exercised. What are those “gift attitudes”? Prophesying (preaching) is to be done in “faith.” Giving is to be done “generously,” while leadership is to be exercised “diligently.” Finally, showing mercy is to be done “cheerfully” (vv. 6–8). These attitude descriptors remind us that the mere activity of service isn’t enough—our service must come from a heart that reflects the heart of Jesus. As Philippians 2:5 says, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus,” who perfectly modeled for us the heart of a servant.By: Bill Crowder

The Dream Team

So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Romans 12:5

Together, friends Melanie and Trevor have hiked miles of mountain trails. Yet neither would be able to do so without the other. Melanie, born with spina bifida, uses a wheelchair. Trevor lost his sight to glaucoma. The duo realized they were one another’s perfect complement for enjoying the Colorado wilderness: As he walks the trails, Trevor carries Melanie on his back; meanwhile, she gives him verbal directions. They describe themselves as a “dream team.”

Paul describes believers in Jesus—the body of Christ—as a similar kind of “dream team.” He urged the Romans to recognize how their individual giftings benefited the larger group. Just as our physical bodies are made up of many parts, each with different functions, together we “form one [spiritual] body” and our gifts are meant to be given in service for the collective benefit of the church (Romans 12:5). Whether in the form of giving, encouraging, or teaching, or any of the other spiritual gifts, Paul instructs us to view ourselves and our gifts as belonging to all the others (vv. 5–8).

Melanie and Trevor aren’t focused on what they lack, nor are they prideful of what they do have in comparison to the other. Rather, they cheerfully give of their “gifts” in service to the other, recognizing how much they’re both bettered by their collaboration. May we too freely combine the gifts God has given us with those of our fellow members—for the sake of Christ. By:  Kirsten Holmberg

Reflect & Pray

What gifts and abilities has God given you? How can you share them with those around you?

Father, please show me how I can use my resources and abilities to benefit the body of Christ.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Saturday, July 09, 2022
Will You Examine Yourself?

Joshua said to the people, "You cannot serve the Lord…" —Joshua 24:19

Do you have even the slightest reliance on anything or anyone other than God? Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural quality within you, or on any particular set of circumstances? Are you relying on yourself in any manner whatsoever regarding this new proposal or plan which God has placed before you? Will you examine yourself by asking these probing questions? It really is true to say, “I cannot live a holy life,” but you can decide to let Jesus Christ make you holy. “You cannot serve the Lord…”— but you can place yourself in the proper position where God’s almighty power will flow through you. Is your relationship with God sufficient for you to expect Him to exhibit His wonderful life in you?

“The people said to Joshua, ‘No, but we will serve the Lord!’ ” (Joshua 24:21). This is not an impulsive action, but a deliberate commitment. We tend to say, “But God could never have called me to this. I’m too unworthy. It can’t mean me.” It does mean you, and the more weak and feeble you are, the better. The person who is still relying and trusting in anything within himself is the last person to even come close to saying, “I will serve the Lord.”

We say, “Oh, if only I really could believe!” The question is, “Will I believe?” No wonder Jesus Christ placed such emphasis on the sin of unbelief. “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). If we really believed that God meant what He said, just imagine what we would be like! Do I really dare to let God be to me all that He says He will be?

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

The fiery furnaces are there by God’s direct permission. It is misleading to imagine that we are developed in spite of our circumstances; we are developed because of them. It is mastery in circumstances that is needed, not mastery over them. The Love of God—The Message of Invincible Consolation, 674 R

Bible in a Year: Job 38-40; Acts 16:1-21

Psalm 34 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Lazarus and Judas - July 8, 2022

“Because of Lazarus many Jews were…believing in Jesus” (John 12:11 NCV).

If God has called you to be a Lazarus, then testify. Remind the rest of us that we, too, have neighbors who are lost. We, too, have died and been resurrected. Each of us has our place at the table – except one. There was one at Martha’s house who didn’t find his place. Though he had been near Jesus longer than any of the others, he was furthest away in his faith. His name was Judas. He was a thief.

In every church there are those like Judas who take and never give in return. There are Marthas who serve, there are Marys who worship, there are those like Lazarus who take time to testify. We need fewer like Judas and more like Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.

Psalm 34

I bless God every chance I get;
my lungs expand with his praise.

2
I live and breathe God;
if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy:

3
Join me in spreading the news;
together let’s get the word out.

4
God met me more than halfway,
he freed me from my anxious fears.

5
Look at him; give him your warmest smile.
Never hide your feelings from him.

6
When I was desperate, I called out,
and God got me out of a tight spot.

7
God’s angel sets up a circle
of protection around us while we pray.

8
Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see—
    how good God is.
Blessed are you who run to him.

9
Worship God if you want the best;
worship opens doors to all his goodness.

10
Young lions on the prowl get hungry,
but God-seekers are full of God.

11
Come, children, listen closely;
I’ll give you a lesson in God worship.

12
Who out there has a lust for life?
Can’t wait each day to come upon beauty?

13
Guard your tongue from profanity,
and no more lying through your teeth.

14
Turn your back on sin; do something good.
Embrace peace—don’t let it get away!

15
God keeps an eye on his friends,
his ears pick up every moan and groan.

16
God won’t put up with rebels;
he’ll cull them from the pack.

17
Is anyone crying for help? God is listening,
ready to rescue you.

18
If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there;
if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.

19
Disciples so often get into trouble;
still, God is there every time.

20
He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone;
not even a finger gets broken.

21
The wicked commit slow suicide;
they waste their lives hating the good.

22
God pays for each slave’s freedom;
no one who runs to him loses out.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Friday, July 08, 2022

Today's Scripture
Luke 22:14–20

When it was time, he sat down, all the apostles with him, and said, “You’ve no idea how much I have looked forward to eating this Passover meal with you before I enter my time of suffering. It’s the last one I’ll eat until we all eat it together in the kingdom of God.”

17–18     Taking the cup, he blessed it, then said, “Take this and pass it among you. As for me, I’ll not drink wine again until the kingdom of God arrives.”

19     Taking bread, he blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, given for you. Eat it in my memory.”

20     He did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant written in my blood, blood poured out for you.

Insight

In Luke 22, which records the Last Supper, Jesus introduced the Passover meal by declaring how much He anticipated sharing it with His disciples (v. 15). The phrase “I have eagerly desired” is variously translated as “with desire I have desired” or “I have earnestly desired.” The Greek words express a deep and passionate desire that’s expressed in a singular focus and drives a person to action. The base word epithymeo can be, and often is, translated in a negative sense as “lust” or “covet.” The point is the strength of the desire. Christ’s passion for this meal was predicated on the fact that once He’d eaten it, He wouldn’t eat it again until God’s kingdom comes in its fullness (v. 16). By: J.R. Hudberg

Food That Says I Love You

He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them.
Luke 22:19

I attended a family birthday gathering where the hostess wove the theme of “favorite things” into the decor, the gifts, and—best of all—the food. Because the birthday girl loved steak and salad—and white chocolate raspberry Bundt cake—the hostess grilled steak, spun spinach, and ordered that favorite cake. Favorite foods say, “I love you.”

The Bible contains many references to banquets, feasts, and festivals, pairing the physical act of eating with celebrations of God’s faithfulness. Feasting was a part of the sacrificial system of worship practiced by the Israelites (see Numbers 28:11–31), with Passover, the festival of weeks, and new moon feasts held every month. And in Psalm 23:5, God prepares a table with an abundant meal and cups overflow with mercy and love. Perhaps the most lavish pairing of food and wine ever expressed was when Jesus broke a piece of bread and took a cup of wine, illustrating the gift of His death on a cross for our salvation. He then challenged us to “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

As you partake of food today, take a moment to consider the God who made both mouth and stomach and offers food to you as a language of His love in celebration of His faithfulness. Ours is a God who feasts with the faithful, pairing His perfect provision with our great need, saying, “I love you.” By:  Elisa Morgan

Reflect & Pray

What is a favorite food that you use in celebration? How can you thank God as you enjoy food today?

Thank You, God, for all You faithfully provide, including my daily bread and my very salvation.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Friday, July 08, 2022
    
Will To Be Faithful

…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… —Joshua 24:15

A person’s will is embodied in the actions of the whole person. I cannot give up my will— I must exercise it, putting it into action. I must will to obey, and I must will to receive God’s Spirit. When God gives me a vision of truth, there is never a question of what He will do, but only of what I will do. The Lord has been placing in front of each of us some big proposals and plans. The best thing to do is to remember what you did before when you were touched by God. Recall the moment when you were saved, or first recognized Jesus, or realized some truth. It was easy then to yield your allegiance to God. Immediately recall those moments each time the Spirit of God brings some new proposal before you.

“…choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….” Your choice must be a deliberate determination— it is not something into which you will automatically drift. And everything else in your life will be held in temporary suspension until you make a decision. The proposal is between you and God— do not “confer with flesh and blood” about it (Galatians 1:16). With every new proposal, the people around us seem to become more and more isolated, and that is where the tension develops. God allows the opinion of His other saints to matter to you, and yet you become less and less certain that others really understand the step you are taking. You have no business trying to find out where God is leading— the only thing God will explain to you is Himself.

Openly declare to Him, “I will be faithful.” But remember that as soon as you choose to be faithful to Jesus Christ, “You are witnesses against yourselves…” (Joshua 24:22). Don’t consult with other Christians, but simply and freely declare before Him, “I will serve You.” Will to be faithful— and give other people credit for being faithful too.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

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

Bible in a Year: Job 36-37; Acts 15:22-41

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Friday, July 08, 2022

Whatever it Takes Love - #9260

Frankly, I just don't know how mothers of young children do it all. I've realized it again and again. While I was watching our daughter and our daughters-in-law and all they have to juggle taking care of our grandchildren. I mean, one day our daughter was trying to do one of those juggling acts trying to get her 18-month-old son ready to leave on a winter day. She also had a lot to load in the car. So, while she was shuttling back and forth, she accidentally let the door to the house close behind her and it locked. Her son was inside. Her keys were in the house - safe. Every door and window turned out to be locked, of course. Her son was oblivious to the problem. There were no neighbors close by.

Well, just as she started to drive to a neighbor's house and call for some help, she noticed a second story bathroom window that was open just a little crack. Well, it wasn't easy, but Mom got a ladder, she climbed to the second story, opened a window and literally tore open the screen that stood between her and her son. (You should see the screen!) Somehow, she managed to squeeze through that little window and propel herself onto the bathroom floor. (You're imagining this, right?) Believe me, nothing was going to stop her from getting to the child she loves!

Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Whatever it Takes Love."

Well, here's some great news! There's someone who loves you like that; the person your heart can finally put your total trust in, the person who wants to love you as you have wanted and needed to be loved your whole life.

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from John 10:11 and it describes how far Jesus Christ has gone to break through to you. He describes Himself here as a shepherd, and you and me as sheep that He will do anything for. Anything? Yeah. Jesus says here, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep."

Now, our daughter is a mother like most mothers, who will do whatever it takes to be reunited with the child she loves. Well, Jesus is the Savior who will do whatever it takes, including a brutal death on a cross; being totally cut off from God the Father whatever it took to be reunited with you because He loves you so much.

Jesus gives this amazing perspective on what is about to happen as He is nailed to that cross. He says, "I lay down My life... No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again..." (John 10:17-18). Which, by the way, He did when He walked out of His grave on Easter morning. Oh, it may have looked like Roman soldiers were taking Jesus' life, but He said He was giving His life to pay for all the sinning you and I have ever done. He is the Son of God. No one can take His life. He gave it for you.

So the Son of God left heaven, climbed down the ladder to this selfish old planet, and died on a cross, separated from God, to tear open the wall between you and God; which makes what you do with Jesus really serious business. The only response that will bring this incredible love into your life is for you to say, "Jesus, I'm done driving my life. I was never supposed to. I'm turning to You with all my heart because You loved me enough to die for my sin."

You may have heard about His love a thousand times, or maybe never before, but there's never been a time you've responded to the love of Jesus. Well, until now. Wouldn't you want to begin your personal love relationship with Him? Well, if this is the time to do that, and it is, if you want to experience this love for yourself, I urge you to tell Him that now. Tell Him, "Jesus, I'm yours."

And I'm inviting you to come to our website as soon as you can today. Because I think you'll find the help there and some support for beginning this awesome relationship with Jesus. The website's ANewStory.com.

This is so very important because God will never forget what you do with His Son. Not after all His Son did for you.

1 Samuel 21, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Mary - July 7, 2022

“Mary took…an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair” (John 12:3 NIV).

Marys are gifted with praise. They don’t just sing; they worship. They don’t simply attend church; they go to offer praise. And they don’t talk about Christ; they radiate Christ. Marys seem to have one foot in heaven and the other on a cloud.

Now, sometimes they need to be reminded that there are bills to be paid and classes to be taught. But don’t remind them too harshly. Marys are precious souls with tender hearts. And if they have found a place at the foot of Jesus, don’t ask them to leave. Much better to ask them to pray for you. That’s what I do. When I find a Mary, I’m quick to ask, “How do I get on your prayer list?”

1 Samuel 21

David Pretends to Go Crazy

David went on his way and Jonathan returned to town.

David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the Priest. Ahimelech was alarmed as he went out to greet David: “What are you doing here all by yourself—and not a soul with you?”

2-3 David answered Ahimelech the Priest, “The king sent me on a mission and gave strict orders: ‘This is top secret—not a word of this to a soul.’ I’ve arranged to meet up with my men in a certain place. Now, what’s there here to eat? Do you have five loaves of bread? Give me whatever you can scrounge up!”

4 “I don’t have any regular bread on hand,” said the priest. “I only have holy bread. If your men have not slept with women recently, it’s yours.”

5 David said, “None of us has touched a woman. I always do it this way when I’m on a mission: My men abstain from sex. Even when it is an ordinary mission we do that—how much more on this holy mission.”

6 So the priest gave them the holy bread. It was the only bread he had, Bread of the Presence that had been removed from God’s presence and replaced by fresh bread at the same time.

7 One of Saul’s officials was present that day keeping a religious vow. His name was Doeg the Edomite. He was chief of Saul’s shepherds.

8 David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword of any kind around here? I didn’t have a chance to grab my weapons. The king’s mission was urgent and I left in a hurry.”

9 The priest said, “The sword of Goliath, the Philistine you killed at Oak Valley—that’s here! It’s behind the Ephod wrapped in a cloth. If you want it, take it. There’s nothing else here.”

10-11 “Oh,” said David, “there’s no sword like that! Give it to me!”

And at that, David shot out of there, running for his life from Saul. He went to Achish, king of Gath. When the servants of Achish saw him, they said, “Can this be David, the famous David? Is this the one they sing of at their dances?

Saul kills by the thousand,
David by the ten thousand!”

12-15 When David realized that he had been recognized, he panicked, fearing the worst from Achish, king of Gath. So right there, while they were looking at him, he pretended to go crazy, pounding his head on the city gate and foaming at the mouth, spit dripping from his beard. Achish took one look at him and said to his servants, “Can’t you see he’s crazy? Why did you let him in here? Don’t you think I have enough crazy people to put up with as it is without adding another? Get him out of here!”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion    
Thursday, July 07, 2022

Today's Scripture
1 Samuel 22:1–5

Saul Murders the Priests of God

1–2     22 So David got away and escaped to the Cave of Adullam. When his brothers and others associated with his family heard where he was, they came down and joined him. Not only that, but all who were down on their luck came around—losers and vagrants and misfits of all sorts. David became their leader. There were about four hundred in all.

3–4     Then David went to Mizpah in Moab. He petitioned the king of Moab, “Grant asylum to my father and mother until I find out what God has planned for me.” David left his parents in the care of the king of Moab. They stayed there all through the time David was hiding out.

5     The prophet Gad told David, “Don’t go back to the cave. Go to Judah.” David did what he told him. He went to the forest of Hereth.

Insight

In 1 Samuel 22, David had fled from King Saul to a cave after unsuccessfully hiding out in Gath. In his commentary, David Guzik notes: “He couldn’t go to his house, he couldn’t go to the palace, he couldn’t go to Samuel, he couldn’t go to Jonathan, he couldn’t go to the house of the Lord, and he couldn’t go to the ungodly. But he could go to a humble cave and find refuge. . . . The name Adullam means refuge, but the cave wasn’t to be David’s refuge.” As the opening to Psalm 57 tells us, this psalm was written while David hid in that cave. There he sought and found refuge in “the shadow of [God’s] wings” (v. 1) so that he could declare, “I will praise you, Lord, among the nations; . . . for great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies” (vv. 9–10). By: Alyson Kieda

Hurry Up and Wait

Be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Psalm 27:14

“What will we do with all our spare time?” That thought was at the heart of an essay published in 1930 by the economist John Maynard Keynes. In it, Keynes proposed that within a hundred years, technological and economic advances would bring humans to a point where we would work only three hours a day and fifteen hours a week.

It’s been more than ninety years since Keynes published his famous essay. But technology, instead of creating more leisure, has made us busier than ever. Our days are full, and while everyday tasks like travel and meal preparation take less time, we’re still in a hurry.

One striking incident from David’s life shows us how to stay steady in life’s rush. When he was fleeing King Saul (who was trying to kill him), he asked the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” (1 Samuel 22:3, italics added). David had his hands full. He was trying to escape Saul’s murderous pursuits and also provide for his family. But even in his hurry, he took the time to wait on God.  

When life’s frenetic pace sweeps us along, we can trust the One who can keep us in His peace (Isaiah 26:3). David’s words sum up the matter well: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14). By:  James Banks

Reflect & Pray

In what ways can you wait on God even when life’s busy? Where do you need His help to trust Him today?

You are my calm in every rush, Father. Thank You for giving me Your peace as I continue to trust You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Thursday, July 07, 2022

All Efforts of Worth and Excellence Are Difficult

Enter by the narrow gate….Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life…. —Matthew 7:13-14

If we are going to live as disciples of Jesus, we have to remember that all efforts of worth and excellence are difficult.  The Christian life is gloriously difficult, but its difficulty does not make us faint and cave in— it stirs us up to overcome.  Do we appreciate the miraculous salvation of Jesus Christ enough to be our utmost for His highest— our best for His glory?

God saves people by His sovereign grace through the atonement of Jesus, and “it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). But we have to “work out” that salvation in our everyday, practical living (Philippians 2:12). If we will only start on the basis of His redemption to do what He commands, then we will find that we can do it. If we fail, it is because we have not yet put into practice what God has placed within us. But a crisis will reveal whether or not we have been putting it into practice. If we will obey the Spirit of God and practice in our physical life what God has placed within us by His Spirit, then when a crisis does come we will find that our own nature, as well as the grace of God, will stand by us.

Thank God that He does give us difficult things to do! His salvation is a joyous thing, but it is also something that requires bravery, courage, and holiness. It tests us for all we are worth. Jesus is “bringing many sons to glory” (Hebrews 2:10), and God will not shield us from the requirements of sonship. God’s grace produces men and women with a strong family likeness to Jesus Christ, not pampered, spoiled weaklings. It takes a tremendous amount of discipline to live the worthy and excellent life of a disciple of Jesus in the realities of life. And it is always necessary for us to make an effort to live a life of worth and excellence.

Wisdom From Oswald Chambers

God engineers circumstances to see what we will do. Will we be the children of our Father in heaven, or will we go back again to the meaner, common-sense attitude? Will we stake all and stand true to Him? “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” The crown of life means I shall see that my Lord has got the victory after all, even in me.  The Highest Good—The Pilgrim’s Song Book, 530 L

Bible in a Year: Job 34-35; Acts 15:1-21

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft
Thursday, July 07, 2022
Never a Day Without a Sunrise - #9259

Yes, I'm one of those morning people. You know, the kind the Bible is talking about when it says, "If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse" (Proverbs 27:14). There's so much for the morning people! Actually, I love that verse. I mean, even if you can't stand us morning people, you have to admit there are some advantages to those early hours of the day, getting started on things before there are interruptions, beating the world to the punch, and best of all, the sunrises. Yeah, I love them! I've got a nice view out the east window of my study, and I never tire of watching that sun start to climb above the trees. Sure, once in a while I can't see the sun rising. Maybe I'm feeling sick or well, or I might be feeling excited or "blah," up or down. But take it from a long-time early morning eyewitness, that sun always rises.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Never a Day Without a Sunrise."

For me, those sunrises are a visible symbol of a spiritual fact that is really "make it or break it" truth for your life and mine, that God Himself lights every new day, no matter what that day holds. And days are God's fundamental building blocks in our life.

Our word for today from the Word of God is only seven words. It was at the beginning of the year that I asked our whole team to build the year on this promise. Zephaniah 3:5. You know what it says? "Every new day, He will not fail." Wow! Maybe I could just read that over and over for the rest of our time together. I mean it's what makes every day - every day - doable. Your coworkers will fail you some days, your boss will, your family will, even your mate will, your church, fellow believers, even spiritual leaders. But "every new day, He will not fail."

I'm so glad God has based some of His central promises on daily delivery, because we don't experience our life as weeks, or months, or years. What do we do? We do a day, and so does God. He meets our needs in the form of "daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). "His mercies are new every morning" (Lamentations 3:22-23). All you have to do each morning is grab your mercy basket and go pick up what you need, just like that Old Testament manna. In Psalm 68:19, we're told that God is our "Savior, who daily bears our burdens." That's a good thing, because isn't that how we experience our burdens-the weight of this particular day.

Deuteronomy 33:25 promises "your strength will equal your days." You will never have a day for which you do not have matching strength, even if some days give you more to carry than you have ever carried before. The Apostle Paul tells us one big reason why we never need to "lose heart" He says In his words, "Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed (here it comes) day by day." So, no matter how battered you got yesterday, God has promised that He will give you a renewing, rejuvenating, re-energizing touch each new day.

Look, some days you're going to wake up anxious. Some days you're going to wake up dreading the day. Some days you're going to be excited about what's ahead. Other days you're going to be overwhelmed by what's ahead, or some days you may be discouraged, or eager, or exhausted. But however you are, no matter what the day holds, the sun is going to come up again. It always does. And God is going to light this day, no matter what. So why don't you claim God's seven-word guarantee for yourself. In fact, say it with me now because you need to hear yourself say it. You ready? "Every new day, He will not fail!"