Psalm 77, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 

Max Lucado Daily: GO TO HIM - November 11, 2024

Several years ago, I joined thousands who ran through the streets of San Antonio, raising money for breast cancer research. Most of us ran out of kindness, happy to log three miles and donate a few dollars to the cause. A few ran in memory of a loved one, others in honor of a cancer survivor. We ran for different reasons.

But no runner was more passionate than one I spotted. A bandanna covered her bald head, dark circles shadowed her eyes. She had cancer. While we ran out of kindness, she ran out of conviction. She knows how cancer victims feel. She’s been there.

So has Jesus. Whatever you’re facing, he knows how you feel. So go to him! He is able.

Nextdoor Savior: Near Enough to Touch, Strong Enough to Trust

Psalm 77

An Asaph Psalm

1  77 I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might,

I yell at the top of my lungs. He listens.

2–6  I found myself in trouble and went looking for my Lord;

my life was an open wound that wouldn’t heal.

When friends said, “Everything will turn out all right,”

I didn’t believe a word they said.

I remember God—and shake my head.

I bow my head—then wring my hands.

I’m awake all night—not a wink of sleep;

I can’t even say what’s bothering me.

I go over the days one by one,

I ponder the years gone by.

I strum my lute all through the night,

wondering how to get my life together.

7–10  Will the Lord walk off and leave us for good?

Will he never smile again?

Is his love worn threadbare?

Has his salvation promise burned out?

Has God forgotten his manners?

Has he angrily stalked off and left us?

“Just my luck,” I said. “The High God goes out of business

just the moment I need him.”

11–12  Once again I’ll go over what God has done,

lay out on the table the ancient wonders;

I’ll ponder all the things you’ve accomplished,

and give a long, loving look at your acts.

13–15  O God! Your way is holy!

No god is great like God!

You’re the God who makes things happen;

you showed everyone what you can do—

You pulled your people out of the worst kind of trouble,

rescued the children of Jacob and Joseph.

16–19  Ocean saw you in action, God,

saw you and trembled with fear;

Deep Ocean was scared to death.

Clouds belched buckets of rain,

Sky exploded with thunder,

your arrows flashing this way and that.

From Whirlwind came your thundering voice,

Lightning exposed the world,

Earth reeled and rocked.

You strode right through Ocean,

walked straight through roaring Ocean,

but nobody saw you come or go.

20  Hidden in the hands of Moses and Aaron,

You led your people like a flock of sheep.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, November 11, 2024

Today's Scripture

Luke 22:63-65; 23:32-38

The men in charge of Jesus began poking fun at him, slapping him around. They put a blindfold on him and taunted, “Who hit you that time?” They were having a grand time with him.

 Two others, both criminals, were taken along with him for execution.

33  When they got to the place called Skull Hill, they crucified him, along with the criminals, one on his right, the other on his left.

34–35  Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them; they don’t know what they’re doing.”

Dividing up his clothes, they threw dice for them. The people stood there staring at Jesus, and the ringleaders made faces, taunting, “He saved others. Let’s see him save himself! The Messiah of God—ha! The Chosen—ha!”

36–37  The soldiers also came up and poked fun at him, making a game of it. They toasted him with sour wine: “So you’re King of the Jews! Save yourself!”

38  Printed over him was a sign: this is the king of the jews.

Insight

By word and example, Jesus teaches us not to lose sight of what’s ultimately important when we find ourselves in uncomfortable situations. Just as Christ wouldn’t be diverted on the front end of His earthly ministry by the temptations of Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4; Luke 4), He passed the integrity test and was faithful to His mission when He was mocked and mistreated (Luke 22:63). The one who said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you” (Matthew 5:11), didn’t get sidetracked. His prayer “Father, forgive them . . .” (Luke 23:34) was consistent with His teaching: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (6:27-28). By His Spirit, all who claim to believe in Him can be empowered to do what He taught and modeled. By: Arthur Jackson

Loving Our Enemy

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5:44

During World War II, US Navy medical corpsman Lynne Weston went ashore with the marines as they stormed enemy-held islands. Inevitably, there were gruesome casualties. He did his best to patch up wounded combatants for evacuation. On one occasion, his unit encountered an enemy soldier with a bad abdominal wound. Due to the nature of the injury, the man couldn’t be given water. To keep him alive, Petty Officer Weston administered intravenous plasma.

“Save that plasma for our fellas, Swabby!” bellowed one of the marines. Petty Officer Weston ignored him. He knew what Jesus would do: “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44).

Jesus did far more than speak those challenging words; He lived them. When a hostile mob seized Him and took Him to the high priest, “the men who were guarding Jesus began mocking and beating him” (Luke 22:63). The abuse continued all the way through His sham trials and execution. Jesus didn’t merely endure it. When Roman soldiers crucified Him, He prayed for their forgiveness (23:34).

We may not encounter a literal enemy who’s trying to kill us. But everyone knows what it’s like to endure ridicule and scorn. Our natural reaction is to respond in anger. Jesus raised the bar: “pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

Today, let’s walk in that kind of love, showing kindness as Jesus did—even to our enemies. By:  Tim Gustafson

Reflect & Pray

How do you respond to those who despise or misunderstand you? How does God want you to respond?

Heavenly Father, please help me love others the way You love me.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, November 11, 2024

The Supreme Climb

Take your son . . . — Genesis 22:2

When God commanded Abraham to take his son Isaac to the mountain and “sacrifice him there as a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:2), he meant that Abraham should take Isaac now. God’s commands to us are always meant for right now. Climbing to the height God shows us can never be done later.

It’s extraordinary how we debate and procrastinate. We know that what God wants us to do is right, but we find excuses for not doing it. Where we should be resolved, we have a failure of will. The sacrifice must be made in our will before we do it in actuality.

“Early the next morning Abraham got up and . . . set out for the place God had told him about” (v. 3). The wonderful simplicity of Abraham! When God spoke, Abraham didn’t debate or “consult any human being” (Galatians 1:16). Beware if, when God tells you to do something, you find yourself consulting another person—especially if that person is yourself. Your own sympathies and insight will compete with your obedience to God, as will anything that isn’t based in your personal relationship with him.

Always guard against self-chosen service for God. Self-sacrifice may be a disease. If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; if he has made it bitter, drink it in communion with him. When the providential order of God for you is a time of hardship, go through it. But never choose the scene of your martyrdom. Abraham didn’t choose the sacrifice he would make; God chose for him. And Abraham did not protest. He simply went through it.

If you aren’t living in touch with God, it’s easy to pass a rash verdict on him. You must go through the crucible before you have any right to issue a verdict, because in the crucible you learn to know God better. Once you do know God, you recognize that he is working toward his highest ends and will continue to do so until his purpose and humanity’s purpose become one.

Jeremiah 50; Hebrews 8

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

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

Biblical Ethics, 125 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, November 11, 2024

The Audit Of a Lifetime - #9871

Oh, when the auditor leaves from our annual audit, man, our administrative team is high-fivin'. Partly because, well, we've been blessed to get a clean audit year after year, and partly it's just because it's over! They work pretty hard to be ready for all the things the auditor wants to check out.

In the business world, and sometimes even in the Christian world, audits aren't always happy. Auditors can find things that get you in trouble with your boss, with the government, even with the law. Audits uncover hidden secrets.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Audit Of A Lifetime."

Now, I have a meeting scheduled with the auditor in the future. Except, I don't know when it is, because the appointment is with The Auditor, and only He knows when my audit of a lifetime is going to be. Fact is we're all facing the audit of our lives. Our word for today from the word of God in Romans 14:12 says "...each of us will give an account of himself to God."

There will be no exceptions, "...each of us." There will be no excuses, "...will give account of himself to God." No blaming your spouse, your parents, your kids, your friends, your coworkers, your environment. I will answer for me and me alone. Also, there will be no secrets. Romans 2:16 says, "God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ." The Auditor knows every website we've ever visited, every e-mail or conversation we've been involved with, every sin we thought we got away with.

Many times I've seen a road sign with these stark words: "Prepare to meet your God" (Amos 4:12). Since heaven's all-knowing Auditor will expose everything about my life, it actually makes sense to work on what I'll face in His presence. The Auditor has let us know what He'll be auditing. I'd like to know that now.

Now, I know He'll be auditing the words I speak. Jesus said so; "Men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless (or worthless that means) word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37). All our words, including the gossip, the angry stuff, the putdowns, the dirty stuff, will be there to meet us on the day of judgment and there will be no denying my own words.

The Auditor's also going to examine why I do what I do. The Bible says, "Wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts" (1 Corinthians 4:5). I'm not too excited about those new full body scans that they're installing at airports; they reveal what no one else can see. But that's nothing compared to God's full heart scan at the judgment seat. No matter how good what I've done may be, it will burn if my real motive was me, not Him. God cares a lot more about why we do than what we do. If it wasn't for His glory, if it wasn't because of pure love, it will never survive the audit.

Then Jesus said, "Give an account of your management" (Luke 16:2). The audit is going to be about what I've done with what He's given to me: my money, my influence, my home, my abilities, my opportunities. I'm suspecting that a lot of us are going to be feeling the shame and sadness of what might have been, of how much we could have done and should have done.

And then this warning. "When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not...speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood" (Ezekiel 3:18). Whew! God will confront me with all the people I didn't tell about Jesus, whose eternity depended on hearing about Him.

And here is the hardest-hitting exposure of all, the audit of a lifetime, "...the books were opened. Another book was opened which is the Book of Life...If anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:12, 15). What an unspeakably awful moment.

Jesus checks the Book of Life to see if a person's name is there. If it's not, it's too late. It's entered there when you pin all your hopes on the Christ who died on the cross so you would never have to have that moment. You could have your name put in His book today by giving your life to Him.

The audit is coming, be ready for the audit. Prepare to meet your God.

Revelation 5, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: Not Eloquent Prayers-Honest Ones

For two years, I've asked God to remove the pain in my writing hand. After writing thirty-plus books in longhand, the repeated motion has restricted my movement. I stretch my fingers. I avoid the golf course. But most of all, I pray.

Better said, I argue. Shouldn't God heal my hand? So far he hasn't healed me. Or has he? These days I pray more as I write. Not eloquent prayers, but honest ones. "Lord, I need help. . .Father; my hand is stiff." The discomfort humbles me. I'm not Max, the author. I'm Max, the guy whose hand is wearing out. I want God to heal my hand. Thus far he has used my hand to heal my heart!

Here's my challenge to you! Join me at BeforeAmen.com-then every day for 4 weeks, pray 4 minutes. It'll change your life!

From Before Amen

Revelation 5

The Lion Is a Lamb

1–2  5 I saw a scroll in the right hand of the One Seated on the Throne. It was written on both sides, fastened with seven seals. I also saw a powerful Angel, calling out in a voice like thunder, “Is there anyone who can open the scroll, who can break its seals?”

3  There was no one—no one in Heaven, no one on earth, no one from the underworld—able to break open the scroll and read it.

4–5  I wept and wept and wept that no one was found able to open the scroll, able to read it. One of the Elders said, “Don’t weep. Look—the Lion from Tribe Judah, the Root of David’s Tree, has conquered. He can open the scroll, can rip through the seven seals.”

6–10  So I looked, and there, surrounded by Throne, Animals, and Elders, was a Lamb, slaughtered but standing tall. Seven horns he had, and seven eyes, the Seven Spirits of God sent into all the earth. He came to the One Seated on the Throne and took the scroll from his right hand. The moment he took the scroll, the Four Animals and Twenty-four Elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. Each had a harp and each had a bowl, a gold bowl filled with incense, the prayers of God’s holy people. And they sang a new song:

Worthy! Take the scroll, open its seals.

Slain! Paying in blood, you bought men and women,

Bought them back from all over the earth,

Bought them back for God.

Then you made them a Kingdom, Priests for our God,

Priest-kings to rule over the earth.

11–14  I looked again. I heard a company of Angels around the Throne, the Animals, and the Elders—ten thousand times ten thousand their number, thousand after thousand after thousand in full song:

The slain Lamb is worthy!

Take the power, the wealth, the wisdom, the strength!

Take the honor, the glory, the blessing!

Then I heard every creature in Heaven and earth, in underworld and sea, join in, all voices in all places, singing:

To the One on the Throne! To the Lamb!

The blessing, the honor, the glory, the strength,

For age after age after age.

The Four Animals called out, “Oh, Yes!” The Elders fell to their knees and worshiped.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Today's Scripture

Genesis 16:9-16

 The angel of God said, “Go back to your mistress. Put up with her abuse.” He continued, “I’m going to give you a big family, children past counting.

From this pregnancy, you’ll get a son: Name him Ishmael;

for God heard you, God answered you.

He’ll be a bucking bronco of a man,

a real fighter, fighting and being fought,

Always stirring up trouble,

always at odds with his family.”

13  She answered God by name, praying to the God who spoke to her, “You’re the God who sees me!

“Yes! He saw me; and then I saw him!”

14  That’s how that desert spring got named “God-Alive-Sees-Me Spring.” That spring is still there, between Kadesh and Bered.

15–16  Hagar gave Abram a son. Abram named him Ishmael. Abram was eighty-six years old when Hagar gave him his son, Ishmael.

Insight

God sees and remembers us, which is an encouragement displayed repeatedly in the Scriptures. When tormented and desperate for a child of her own, Hannah prayed that God would remember her (1 Samuel 1:11), and He did (vv. 19-20). He gave her a son, Samuel, the last of the judges and the first of the prophets. Samuel would anoint Israel’s first two kings. As blind Samson stood between the pillars of a pagan temple, he too prayed for God to remember him and restore his strength (Judges 16:28). God restored that strength and Samson’s final victory proved to be his greatest. From a cross, a dying thief prayed, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). Christ assured him that He’d remember him (v. 43). One of God’s most encouraging attributes is that He’s the God who remembers us.  By: Bill Crowder

God Sees You

“You are the God who sees me,” for [Hagar] said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” Genesis 16:13

“Get down!” my friend said firmly to her son after he climbed onto the church pew and waved his hands. “I want the pastor to see me,” he innocently replied. “If I don’t stand up, he won’t see me.”

While standing on the pews is probably not encouraged in most churches, my friend’s son had a good point. Standing and waving his hands was certainly one way to be seen and to capture the pastor’s attention.

When we’re trying to get God’s attention, we don’t have to worry about being seen by Him. God sees each of us all the time. He’s the same one who revealed Himself to Hagar when she was probably at the lowest, loneliest, and most frustrating time in her life. She’d been used as a pawn and given to Abram by his wife, Sarai, to produce a son (Genesis 16:3). And when she did get pregnant, Abram allowed his wife to mistreat Hagar: “Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her” (v. 6).

The runaway slave found herself alone, pregnant, and miserable. Yet in the midst of her desperation in the wilderness, God compassionately sent an angel to speak to her. The angel told her that God had “heard of [her] misery” (v. 11). She responded by saying, “You are the God who sees me” (v. 13).

What a realization—especially in the midst of the wilderness. God saw Hagar and had compassion. And no matter how tough things are, He sees you. By:  Katara Patton

Reflect & Pray

What wilderness situations are you facing? How does knowing that God sees you help you to keep going? 

Dear God, thank You for seeing me. I know You’re with me even during my toughest times.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Co-Worker in God’s Service

We sent Timothy, who is our brother and co-worker in God’s service in spreading the gospel of Christ. — 1 Thessalonians 3:2

After I am sanctified and become a “co-worker in God’s service,” I will probably find it difficult to state what my aim in life is. This is because the Lord has taken me up into a purpose which he alone knows. All my goings are organized by him, which means I can never understand them. What I do know is that he is using me for his purposes throughout the world, just as he used his Son for the purpose of our salvation.

If I seek great things for myself—“God has called me for this and that”—and cling to purposes of my own, I put a barrier between myself and God and make it impossible for him to use me. As long as I have an interest in my own character or in any set ambition, I won’t be able to fully identify myself with God’s interests. I can only get through to total identification by losing forever any idea of myself and by letting God take me out into his purpose for the world.

I have to learn that the aim of life is God’s, not mine. God is using me from his great personal standpoint. All he asks of me is that I have implicit faith in him and in his goodness, such faith that I never say, “Lord, this gives me such heartache.” To talk in that way makes me an impediment to him. When I stop telling God what I want, he can take me up for what he wants without hindrance. He can crumple me or exalt me. He can do anything he chooses.

Self-pity is of the devil. If I go down that road, I cannot be used by God for his purpose, because I live in my own private sphere, a little “world within the world.” God will never be able to get me to come out into his world, because I’m too afraid of what I’ll encounter. I have to set aside my selfishness and fear and become entirely identified with him.

Jeremiah 48-49; Hebrews 7

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

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

Psalm 76,bible reading and devotionals.

MaxLucado.com: A New Birth

God is often more patient with us than we are with ourselves.  We assume if we fall, we aren’t born again.  If we have the old desires, we must not be a new creation.

If you’re anxious please remember what Paul said in Philippians 1:6, “God began doing a good work in you, and I am sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.”

In many ways your new birth is like your first.  In your new birth God provides what you need; someone else feels the pain, and someone else does the work.  And just as parents are patient with their newborn, so God is patient with you. But there’s one difference. The first time you had no choice about being born. This time you do.

The power is God’s. The effort is God’s. The pain is God’s. But the choice is yours.

From A Gentle Thunder

Psalm 76

An Asaph Psalm

1–3  76 God is well-known in Judah;

in Israel, he’s a household name.

He keeps a house in Salem,

his own suite of rooms in Zion.

That’s where, using arrows for kindling,

he made a bonfire of weapons of war.

4–6  Oh, how bright you shine!

Outshining their huge piles of loot!

The warriors were plundered

and left there impotent.

And now there’s nothing to them,

nothing to show for their swagger and threats.

Your sudden roar, God of Jacob,

knocked the wind out of horse and rider.

7–10  Fierce you are, and fearsome!

Who can stand up to your rising anger?

From heaven you thunder judgment;

earth falls to her knees and holds her breath.

God stands tall and makes things right,

he saves all the wretched on earth.

Instead of smoldering rage—God-praise!

All that sputtering rage—now a garland for God!

11–12  Do for God what you said you’d do—

he is, after all, your God.

Let everyone in town bring offerings

to the One Who Watches our every move.

Nobody gets by with anything,

no one plays fast and loose with him.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Saturday, November 09, 2024

Today's Scripture

1 Peter 4:7-11

Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide-awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically anything. Be quick to give a meal to the hungry, a bed to the homeless—cheerfully. Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way, God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything—encores to the end of time. Oh, yes!

Insight

Peter tells his readers (believers in Jesus scattered due to Roman persecution; see 1 Peter 1:1) to use the gifts they’ve received, such as hospitality, serving, and speaking (4:9-11), “to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace” (v. 10). In Romans 12, Paul includes prophesying, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, and showing mercy (vv. 6-8). In 1 Corinthians 12, he notes “there are different kinds of gifts . . . service . . . [and] working, . . . but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work” (vv. 4-6). The Spirit gives spiritual gifts to all believers in Jesus. These include messages of wisdom and knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, distinguishing between spirits, speaking in different kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues (vv. 8-11). All gifts are to be used to benefit and build up others. By: Alyson Kieda

Serving with Love

Use whatever gift you have received to serve others. 1 Peter 4:10

When Krystal first started work at a Virginia coffee shop, she served a customer named Ibby. Because Ibby is hearing impaired, he placed his order using a typed note on his phone. After Krystal learned Ibby was a regular customer, she determined to serve him better by learning enough American Sign Language so he could place his order without writing it down.

In a small way, Krystal showed Ibby the kind of love and service Peter encourages us all to offer one another. In his letter to believers in Jesus who’d been scattered and exiled, the apostle indicates that they ought to “love each other deeply” and use their gifts “to serve others” (1 Peter 4:8, 10). Whatever skills and abilities He’s equipped us with are gifts we can use to benefit others. As we do, our words and actions can bring honor to God.  

Peter’s words were especially important to those he wrote to, for they were experiencing a season of pain and isolation. He encouraged them to serve one another during the time of distress to help them bear up under their trials. Though we may not know the specific pain another person experiences, God can help us to show empathy as well as graciously and cheerfully serve one another with our words, resources, and abilities. May God help us serve others as a reflection of His love. By:  Kirsten Holmberg

Reflect & Pray

When have you experienced the kind of hospitality Peter encourages? Who could you serve with your words, skills, and resources today?

Father, please help me to serve those around me with all that You’ve given me.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Saturday, November 09, 2024

Sacramental Service

I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions. — Colossians 1:24

As Christian workers, we have to be like sacramental go-betweens—so identified with our Lord and the reality of his redemption that he can continually bring his creating life through us. This doesn’t mean that Christ superimposes his personality on ours or overwhelms us with his strength. It means that his real presence comes through every element of our lives and of the work we do for him.

When we preach the historical facts of the life and death of our Lord as they are conveyed in the New Testament, our words become like holy vessels. God uses them on the ground of his redemption to create something in those who listen—something which would not be created otherwise. If we preach the effects of the redemption on human life instead of preaching the revelation about Jesus, the result in those who listen won’t be rebirth but merely refined spiritual culture. The Spirit of God isn’t able to witness through this type of preaching, because such preaching belongs to a different domain, a worldly domain. We have to make sure that we are in such living sympathy with God that through our preaching he can create in other souls the things which he alone can do.

“What a wonderful personality!” “What a fascinating speaker!” “What fantastic insight!” What chance does the gospel of God have in all that noise? It can’t get through because the line of attraction is always the line of appeal. If a preacher tries to attract with his or her personality, the appeal will be his or her personality. But if a preacher is identified with the Lord’s personality, then the appeal will be what Jesus Christ can do. The danger is to lift up human beings. Jesus says we are to elevate him: “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32).

Jeremiah 46-47; Hebrews 6

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

When a man’s heart is right with God the mysterious utterances of the Bible are spirit and life to him. Spiritual truth is discernible only to a pure heart, not to a keen intellect. It is not a question of profundity of intellect, but of purity of heart.

Bringing Sons Unto Glory, 231 L

Psalm 75, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: PART OF THE FAMILY - November 8, 2024

Isaiah 53:2 describes Jesus as having “no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.” Heads didn’t turn when Jesus passed.

Are your looks run-of-the-mill and are your ways simple? So were his. Questionable pedigree, simple home, an ordinary laborer with ordinary looks. Are you poor? Jesus knows how you feel. Ever feel taken advantage of? He understands the meaning of obscurity. Whatever you’re facing, he knows how you feel.

And he’s not ashamed of you. Hebrews 2:11 says, “Jesus, who makes people holy, and those who are made holy are from the same family. So he is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.” So go to him. After all, you’re part of the family!

Nextdoor Savior: Near Enough to Touch, Strong Enough to Trust

Psalm 75

An Asaph Psalm

1  75 We thank you, God, we thank you—

your Name is our favorite word;

your mighty works are all we talk about.

2–4  You say, “I’m calling this meeting to order,

I’m ready to set things right.

When the earth goes topsy-turvy

And nobody knows which end is up,

I nail it all down,

I put everything in place again.

I say to the smart alecks, ‘That’s enough,’

to the bullies, ‘Not so fast.’ ”

5–6  Don’t raise your fist against High God.

Don’t raise your voice against Rock of Ages.

He’s the One from east to west;

from desert to mountains, he’s the One.

7–8  God rules: he brings this one down to his knees,

pulls that one up on her feet.

God has a cup in his hand,

a bowl of wine, full to the brim.

He draws from it and pours;

it’s drained to the dregs.

Earth’s wicked ones drink it all,

drink it down to the last bitter drop!

9–10  And I’m telling the story of God Eternal,

singing the praises of Jacob’s God.

The fists of the wicked

are bloody stumps,

The arms of the righteous

are lofty green branches.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Friday, November 08, 2024

Today's Scripture

Genesis 8:1-5, 13-18

Then God turned his attention to Noah and all the wild animals and farm animals with him on the ship. God caused the wind to blow and the floodwaters began to go down. The underground springs were shut off, the windows of Heaven closed and the rain quit. Inch by inch the water lowered. After 150 days the worst was over.

4–6  On the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the ship landed on the Ararat mountain range. The water kept going down until the tenth month. On the first day of the tenth month the tops of the mountains came into view.

13–14  In the six-hundred-first year of Noah’s life, on the first day of the first month, the flood had dried up. Noah opened the hatch of the ship and saw dry ground. By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the Earth was completely dry.

15–17  God spoke to Noah: “Leave the ship, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives. And take all the animals with you, the whole menagerie of birds and mammals and crawling creatures, all that brimming prodigality of life, so they can reproduce and flourish on the Earth.”

18–19  Noah disembarked with his sons and wife and his sons’ wives.

Insight

Genesis provides some specific details regarding Noah and the timeline of the flood. “After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth” (5:32). When his sons were grown (6:18), God called him to build the ark (vv. 9-22), and he was six hundred years old when he and his family entered it (7:6). It rained for forty days and nights (vv. 12, 17), and the waters “flooded the earth for a hundred and fifty days” (v. 24). During this entire time, Noah had to trust that God would do as He’d promised (6:17-18). By: J.R. Hudberg

God’s Timing

I trust in you, Lord . . . . My times are in your hands. Psalm 31:14-15

Mag had been looking forward to her planned trip to another country. But, as was her usual practice, she prayed about it first. “It’s just a holiday,” a friend remarked. “Why do you need to consult God?” Mag, however, believed in committing everything to Him. This time, she felt Him prompting her to cancel the trip. She did, and later—when she would have been there—an epidemic broke out in the country. “I feel like God was protecting me,” she notes.

Noah too relied on God’s protection as he and his family waited in the ark for nearly two months after the flood subsided. After being cooped up for more than ten months, he must have been eager to get out. After all, “the water had dried up from the earth” and “the ground was dry” (Genesis 8:13). But Noah didn’t just rely on what he saw; instead, he left the ark only when God told him to (vv.15-19). He trusted that God had good reason for the extended wait—perhaps the ground wasn’t completely safe yet.

As we pray about the decisions in our life, using our God-given faculties and waiting for His leading, we can trust in His timing, knowing that our wise Creator knows what’s best for us. As the psalmist declared, “I trust in you, Lord. . . . My times are in your hands” (Psalm 31:14-15). By:  Leslie Koh

Reflect & Pray

What do you believe God is saying to you about a decision you may be facing? How can you trust Him and wait for His guidance?

Father, please grant me the wisdom and guidance to move according to Your will and ways, for I trust in Your plans for my life.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Friday, November 08, 2024

The Unrivaled Power of Prayer

We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. —Romans 8:26

Many of us know what it means to pray in the Spirit; we know that the Holy Spirit energizes us for prayer. But how many of us realize that the Holy Spirit prays prayers in us, prayers which we cannot utter? When we are born again of God and are indwelled by his Spirit, he expresses the unutterable for us.

“The Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:27). God searches your heart when you pray, but not to discover your own conscious prayers. Rather, God seeks to discover the prayers of the Holy Spirit dwelling inside you.

“Your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Holy Spirit needs the body of the individual believer in order to offer his intercession, and he needs our bodies to be temples, kept as shrines for him. When Jesus Christ cleaned the temple, he “would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts” (Mark 11:16). Neither will the Spirit of God allow you to use your body for your own convenience. Jesus ruthlessly cast out all who bought and sold in the temple. He said, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:13).

Have we recognized that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? If so, we must be careful to keep them undefiled for him. We have to remember that our conscious life, although it only makes up a tiny bit of our personality, is to be regarded by us as a temple of the Holy Spirit. He will look after the unconscious part that we know nothing about, but we must make sure to guard the conscious part, for which we are responsible.

Jeremiah 43-45; Hebrews 5

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

To live a life alone with God does not mean that we live it apart from everyone else. The connection between godly men and women and those associated with them is continually revealed in the Bible, e.g., 1 Timothy 4:10. 

Not Knowing Whither, 867 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Friday, November 08, 2024

Knowing The Facts, Missing The Relationship - #9870

Over the years our son-in-law's made no secret of his basketball loyalties. Even when he was living in the heart of New York Knicks, he was boldly and passionately a Chicago Bulls fan.

Like many Bulls fans, my son-in-law was wrapped up in Michael Jordan when he was at the top of his career in the 1990s. He read his biography, he taped his championship games, and of course he had to go see him play, and he bought the sports memorabilia associated with a superstar player. At Christmas, we would all fall into his trap and we'd feed his Jordan thing with Jordan presents. He was a walking encyclopedia of facts about Michael Jordan. But if he were to give him a call, I'm afraid Mr. Jordan would just say, "Who is this?" Even though our son-in-law knew almost everything about him, he didn't know him. That's the big difference isn't it?

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Knowing The Facts, Missing The Relationship."

The gap between knowing about someone and knowing someone is huge, especially when it comes to whether or not you know the God who made you. When you read our word for today from the Word of God, it appears that a lot of people are living with a false sense of spiritual security thinking they're okay because they know a lot about Jesus.

Matthew 7:21-23 are some of the most disturbing verses in the Bible. Listen to Jesus: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from Me.'"

What awful words to hear Jesus say on Judgment Day "I never knew you." And He'll say it to people who knew all the right words, who had all the right beliefs, and they did all the right things, they were at all the right meetings. Apparently, it's possible to have a lot of Christianity and miss Christ; to know a lot about Jesus but not to know Him.

Jesus said the one He knows and who knows Him is "he who does the will of My Father." Well, what is that? John 6:40 says "My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life." So the difference between eternal life and eternal judgment is "looking to the Son" and "believing in Him." That "believe" word means to totally trust, to commit yourself to. And it's possible to know all the verses, to have been around Jesus your whole life, to be in a religion that's all about Jesus, and miss the step of actually making Him your own Savior from your own sin. To miss that moment of telling Jesus, "I'm putting all my trust in you, Jesus, and what you did on the cross when you died for the sins I've done."

For some people, the distance between heaven and hell is 18 inches - the distance from their head to their heart. Could it be you've got Jesus in your head, but you've never invited Him into your heart? That you agree with everything about Him, but you've never actually committed yourself to Him? If you have done that, it's settled. But if you don't know you have, you probably haven't.

But that could change in these next few moments if you'd just finally admit that for all you know about Jesus, you don't know Him. And tell Him right where you are that you're moving Him from your head to your heart; that you're trusting Him as your own Savior from your own sin.

Do you know you've done that? Are you sure? Get it done today. Our website is there as an anchor place for you to find the information that will help you be sure you belong to Him. Please go there. It's ANewStory.com.

"I never knew you." Those are words I don't ever want you to hear from Jesus. They're words He doesn't want you to hear. Get to His cross today, where you can finally know the One that you know so much about. And have Him in your heart, not just your head.

Psalm 74, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: HE’S BEEN THERE - November 7, 2024

Most families keep their family secrets a secret. Some stories remain unmentioned at the family reunion and unrecorded in the family Bible. That is, unless you’re Jesus. He displayed the bad apples of his family tree in the first chapter of the New Testament. Rahab was a Jericho harlot. David was one day writing psalms, another day seducing his captain’s wife. But did Jesus erase their names from the list? Not at all!

If your family tree has bruised fruit, Jesus wants you to know, “I’ve been there.” The phrase “I’ve been there” is in the chorus of Christ’s theme song. To the lonely, he whispers “I’ve been there. To the discouraged, Christ nods his head and sighs, “I’ve been there.” When you turn to him for help, he runs to you to help. He’s been there!

Nextdoor Savior: Near Enough to Touch, Strong Enough to Trust

Psalm 74

An Asaph Psalm

1  74 You walked off and left us, and never looked back.

God, how could you do that?

We’re your very own sheep;

how can you stomp off in anger?

2–3  Refresh your memory of us—you bought us a long time ago.

Your most precious tribe—you paid a good price for us!

Your very own Mount Zion—you actually lived here once!

Come and visit the site of disaster,

see how they’ve wrecked the sanctuary.

4–8  While your people were at worship, your enemies barged in,

brawling and scrawling graffiti.

They set fire to the porch;

axes swinging, they chopped up the woodwork,

Beat down the doors with sledgehammers,

then split them into kindling.

They burned your holy place to the ground,

violated the place of worship.

They said to themselves, “We’ll wipe them all out,”

and burned down all the places of worship.

9–17  There’s not a sign or symbol of God in sight,

nor anyone to speak in his name,

no one who knows what’s going on.

How long, God, will barbarians blaspheme,

enemies curse and get by with it?

Why don’t you do something? How long are you going

to sit there with your hands folded in your lap?

God is my King from the very start;

he works salvation in the womb of the earth.

With one blow you split the sea in two,

you made mincemeat of the dragon Tannin.

You lopped off the heads of Leviathan,

then served them up in a stew for the animals.

With your finger you opened up springs and creeks,

and dried up the wild floodwaters.

You own the day, you own the night;

you put stars and sun in place.

You laid out the four corners of earth,

shaped the seasons of summer and winter.

18–21  Mark and remember, God, all the enemy

taunts, each idiot desecration.

Don’t throw your lambs to the wolves;

after all we’ve been through, don’t forget us.

Remember your promises;

the city is in darkness, the countryside violent.

Don’t leave the victims to rot in the street;

make them a choir that sings your praises.

22–23  On your feet, O God—

stand up for yourself!

Do you hear what they’re saying about you,

all the vile obscenities?

Don’t tune out their malicious filth,

the brawling invective that never lets up.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, November 07, 2024

Today's Scripture

Philippians 4:1-9

My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don’t waver. Stay on track, steady in God.

Pray About Everything

2  I urge Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up. God doesn’t want his children holding grudges.

3  And, oh, yes, Syzygus, since you’re right there to help them work things out, do your best with them. These women worked for the Message hand in hand with Clement and me, and with the other veterans—worked as hard as any of us. Remember, their names are also in the Book of Life.

4–5  Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

6–7  Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

8–9  Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Insight

Whether to get involved in other people’s business is a tricky issue. Paul pleaded with “Euodia and . . . Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord,” and he asked his “true companion” to help them (Philippians 4:2-3). In 1 Thessalonians 5, the apostle gives some practical instructions on this topic, which include these important words: “Live in peace with each other. . . . Warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone” (vv. 13-14). The desire to live in peace with others doesn’t necessarily exclude getting involved in their lives. Paul’s verbs are strong—warn, encourage, help, be patient. They imply that we sometimes need to remind others of the truths of the Bible. Implementing this good counsel calls for great wisdom, discernment, and reliance on the Holy Spirit.

By: Bill Crowder

Other People’s Business

I plead with Euodia and . . . Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Philippians 4:2

Four of our grandkids were playing with a miniature train set, and the younger two were arguing over an engine. When our eight-year-old grandson began to intervene, his six-year-old sister stated, “Don’t worry about their business.” Wise words for us all—usually. But when the argument turned to tears, Grandma stepped in, separated, and comforted the squabbling children.

It’s good to stay out of others’ business when doing so could make matters worse. But sometimes we need to prayerfully get involved. In his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul provides an example of when to do so. Here he urges two women, Euodia and Syntyche, “to be of the same mind in the Lord” (4:2). Apparently, their disagreement had become so intense that the apostle felt compelled to intervene (v. 3), even though he was imprisoned (1:7).

Paul knew the women’s argument was causing disunity and taking focus away from the gospel. So, he gently spoke the truth while reminding them that their names were written “in the book of life” (4:3). Paul wanted these women and everyone in the church to live as God’s people in thought and actions (vv. 4-9).  

When you’re unsure if you should get involved, pray, trusting that “the God of peace will be with you” (v. 9; see v. 7).

By:  Alyson Kieda

Reflect & Pray

When have you recently stepped into an argument or disagreement, and what was the result? How does seeking God’s leading affect how you handle conflict?  

Dear God, please give me the wisdom to know when to get involved and provide me with the words to say to bring healing and unity.

For further study, read Part of the Problem: When I Realized My Words Matter.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, November 07, 2024

The Sacredness of Circumstances

In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. —Romans 8:28

In the life of a saint, there is no such thing as chance. God, by his providence, brings you into circumstances that you can’t understand at all, and the only thing you know is that the Spirit of God understands. Never take your circumstances into your own hand and say, “I’m going to be my own providence here. I must watch this and guard that.” All your circumstances are in the hand of God; never think this strange concerning the circumstances you are in.

God is bringing you into certain places and among certain people for a reason: so that the Holy Spirit inside you can intercede along a particular line. The Holy Spirit’s part in intercessory prayer isn’t the human part. As a human being, you are not to engage in the agonies of intercession; the Holy Spirit takes those upon himself. “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Romans 8:26). Your part is to take the circumstances you’re in and the people you’re among and bring them before God’s throne. This is how you give the Spirit inside you a chance to intercede, and how God is going to sweep the whole world with his saints.

Ask yourself: Am I making the Holy Spirit’s work difficult by being noncommittal or by trying to do his work for him? You must leave the Spirit side of intercession alone and focus on your side—your specific circumstances and acquaintances.

My intercessions can never be your intercessions, and your intercessions can never be mine. But the Holy Spirit makes intercessions in each of our lives, intercessions without which someone else will be impoverished.

Jeremiah 40-42; Hebrews 4

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

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

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, November 07, 2024

Got the Pain? Get the Point! - #9869

America runs on coffee! Yeah, let's face it! Now, you might object to that, but I don't know on what grounds. You know, there are people who drink coffee, and then there are some who mainline coffee. I have friends who do that, and it keeps people like the makers of those little quickie coffee units very busy. In fact, those little units are a good example of the importance of something called the filter.

Now, when you pour into those filters, the hot water goes straight through and enough coffee gets through to taste good, but the grounds don't get through the filter and you don't want them to. I mean, the reason being that most people I know aren't fans of chewing their coffee, and what makes the difference is the filter. Of course, there's a much larger filter around your life that makes all the difference in your quality of life.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Got the Pain? Get the Point!"

Now, our word for today from the Word of God is found in 1 Corinthians 10. I'm reading from verse 13. "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man, and God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

Did you notice those words "God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear"? "Not let you." In other words, everything has to get past God before it gets to you. It's got to have His permission. So, God is reviewing every test and every trial that comes into your life before it gets to you. Otherwise the Bible wouldn't say that He "let it come to you." Every problem you're facing right now has been, according to the Word of God, Father filtered. Wow! It can't get past your Heavenly Father before it gets to you.

Of course we know that from the book of Job don't we? The devil wanted to bring all kinds of turmoil and anguish into Job's life. But before he could do that, he had to check with God. He couldn't just go do it on his own. And God, knowing that it would build Job's life, and that ultimately he would double the blessing on his life, said, "Yes, that's okay. You can do it."

The pain that we have in our lives, the struggles that we have, some of it God sends and some of it God allows, but all of it has to get past Him. Now, I find the hard times in my life much less terrifying when I know that God, if He hasn't sent it, has at least allowed it. And He will never allow something to come into your life that can break you; only what will build you.

It's like a weight lifter who, even though he has to strain and push and it hurts to lift more than he's ever lifted before, he's stronger as a result of lifting greater weight. God may allow greater weight to come into your life - not to crush you, but enough to make you stronger.

So, look for the Lord and look for the lesson in that tough time you're going through. And if you're going to get the pain, get the point. Your Father loves you very deeply; He's allowed that to come into your life. Don't say, "Is this from the devil or is this from the Lord?" I don't think we'll ever figure that out. But you can say, "How can God use this?" Because He wouldn't have sent it if He couldn't use it.

What are you facing right now? I'll tell you this, It has been Father filtered. And the filter makes all the difference, because the Father loves you very much.

Revelation 4, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: UNTYING KNOTS - November 6, 2024

Most of us had a hard time learning to tie our shoes. Tightening shoes by wrapping strings together? Nothing easy about that. Who came up with the idea of shoes anyway?

My friend Roy used to sit on a park bench watching kids gather and play at the bus stop.  One day a little fellow struggled to board the bus, frantically trying to disentangle a knotted shoestring. He grew more anxious by the moment. All of a sudden it was too late. The bus door closed. With tear-filled eyes he looked at Roy on the bench and asked, “Do you untie knots?”

We never outgrow the urge to look up and say, “Help!” And when we do, who shows up? Jesus, our next-door Savior. Go ahead, ask him: “Do you untie knots?” “Yes,” he will say.

Nextdoor Savior: Near Enough to Touch, Strong Enough to Trust

Revelation 4

A Door into Heaven

1  4 Then I looked, and, oh!—a door open into Heaven. The trumpet-voice, the first voice in my vision, called out, “Ascend and enter. I’ll show you what happens next.”

2–6  I was caught up at once in deep worship and, oh!—a Throne set in Heaven with One Seated on the Throne, suffused in gem hues of amber and flame with a nimbus of emerald. Twenty-four thrones circled the Throne, with Twenty-four Elders seated, white-robed, gold-crowned. Lightning flash and thunder crash pulsed from the Throne. Seven fire-blazing torches fronted the Throne (these are the Sevenfold Spirit of God). Before the Throne it was like a clear crystal sea.

6–8  Prowling around the Throne were Four Animals, all eyes. Eyes to look ahead, eyes to look behind. The first Animal like a lion, the second like an ox, the third with a human face, the fourth like an eagle in flight. The Four Animals were winged, each with six wings. They were all eyes, seeing around and within. And they chanted night and day, never taking a break:

Holy, holy, holy

Is God our Master, Sovereign-Strong,

The Was, The Is, The Coming.

9–11  Every time the Animals gave glory and honor and thanks to the One Seated on the Throne—the age-after-age Living One—the Twenty-four Elders would fall prostrate before the One Seated on the Throne. They worshiped the age-after-age Living One. They threw their crowns at the foot of the Throne, chanting,

Worthy, O Master! Yes, our God!

Take the glory! the honor! the power!

You created it all;

It was created because you wanted it.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, November 06, 2024

Today's Scripture

Proverbs 12:17-20

Truthful witness by a good person clears the air,

but liars lay down a smoke screen of deceit.

18  Rash language cuts and maims,

but there is healing in the words of the wise.

19  Truth lasts;

lies are here today, gone tomorrow.

20  Evil scheming distorts the schemer;

peace-planning brings joy to the planner.

Insight

Solomon, who wrote most of the book of Proverbs, begins by stating his purpose for these wise sayings: “for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence . . . knowledge and discretion” (Proverbs 1:2-4). The proverbs are meant to help the reader walk “in the way of wisdom” (4:11), which is the way of truth. Like the proverbs, the apostle John had much to say about truth. Most importantly, Jesus is “the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). And “if you hold to [His] teaching . . . you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (8:31-32). Christ said, “Whoever lives by the truth comes into the light” (3:21). When we walk in the light of Jesus, who is truth embodied, we’re truly walking in wisdom.

Discover more of Solomon's wisdom in this study on Proverbs. By: Alyson Kieda

Almost True Is Still False

Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. Proverbs 12:19

Cinematography? Well done. Soundtrack? Reflective and calming. Content? Intriguing and relatable. The video presented a study in which Redwood trees were injected with a substance similar to adrenaline to keep them from going dormant. The injected trees died because they weren’t allowed the natural cycle of “wintering.”

The video’s message was that this can happen to us as well if we’re always busy with no seasons of rest. And that can be true. But the video was inaccurate. There never was such a study. Redwoods are evergreens and never go dormant. And the trees in the video were giant Sequoias not coastal Redwoods. As thoughtful as the video seemed to be, it was based on falsehoods.

We find ourselves living in an age where, due to our technologies, lies are magnified and multiplied to the limits of convincing us they’re true. The book of Proverbs, that compendium of godly wisdom, speaks often of the stark difference between truth and lies. “Truthful lips endure forever,” says the proverb, “but a lying tongue lasts only a moment” (12:19). And the very next adage tells us, “Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil, but those who promote peace have joy” (v. 20).

Honesty applies to everything from God’s commands to videos about wintering. The truth “endures forever.”

By:  John Blase

Reflect & Pray

How might you wisely question the narrative of what you see, hear, and experience? How will you live out your commitment to the truth?

Dear God, please give me discernment as I daily pursue what’s true.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, November 06, 2024

Program of Belief

Whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this? —John 11:26

Martha believed in the power at the disposal of Jesus Christ. She believed that Jesus could have healed her brother, Lazarus, if only Jesus had been present when Lazarus was dying (John 11:21). She also believed that Jesus had a unique relationship with God and that whatever Jesus asked of God, God would do. But Martha needed a closer personal intimacy with Jesus; her program of belief was entirely focused on future fulfillment. When Jesus told her that Lazarus would rise again, she replied, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (v. 24). Jesus wanted her belief to be rooted in the present moment; he wanted her faith to be a personal possession, and he asked a question that led her to a new understanding: “Do you believe?”

Is there something similar in the Lord’s current dealings with you? Is Jesus educating you into personal intimacy with him? Let him drive his questions home: “Do you believe? What is your ordeal of doubt?” Have you, like Martha, come to some overwhelming moment in your circumstances, a moment when your program of belief is about to become personal belief? This can never take place until a personal need arises out of a personal problem.

To believe is to commit. If I have a program of belief, I commit myself to a certain set of ideas or principles and abandon all that is not related to them. In personal belief, I commit myself morally to confidence in the person of Jesus Christ and refuse to compromise. I commit myself spiritually to the Lord, and determine that, in this particular thing, I will be dominated by him.

When I stand face-to-face with Jesus Christ and he says to me, “Do you believe?” I find that faith is as natural as breathing, and I am amazed that I didn’t trust him before.

Jeremiah 37-39; Hebrews 3

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

I have no right to say I believe in God unless I order my life as under His all-seeing Eye.

Disciples Indeed, 385 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, November 06, 2024

The Tale of Three Ships - #9868

As I sit at my desk, I'm looking at this framed, century-old newspaper on the wall. It's there because I never want to forget the story it tells or the choice it represents. I guess, in short, I'd call it the tale of the three ships.

Everybody knows one of them - the Titanic. The one that 2,200 passengers thought was unsinkable. But that fateful night in the ice fields of the North Atlantic, the Titanic went down and over 1,500 passengers died. Only about 700 survived. Their only hope was a rescue.

Only about ten miles away, the SS Californian saw the flares from the endangered Titanic. Captain Lord decided it was too risky to try to reach her in the dark, so the Californian stayed where she was.

The Carpathia was a daunting 58 miles away when they spotted the flares and they heard the distress calls. There were some 700 passengers on board that night as Captain Rostron gave his fateful order, "Mr. Dean, turn this ship around." See, Captain Rostron ordered that all heat be turned off so that all the power could be directed to the ship's engines. As she steamed toward Titanic's last known location on the captain's orders, rooms were converted to infirmaries, hot food and drink were prepared and lifeboats were readied. Somehow, the Carpathia navigated around a deadly field of icebergs in the dark. Later, actually, Captain Rostron would say that it was like an unseen hand was guiding them.

But his heart sank when he arrived at the site, because there was no trace of the mighty Titanic. What he did find was 20 lifeboats, carrying those 700 survivors, whose lives were in jeopardy from hours of exposure to 28-degree temperatures. Had it not been for the Carpathia's courageous intervention, there probably would have been no Titanic survivors.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Tale of Three Ships."

Three ships. The Titanic. The ship where people thought they were safe, that in reality, was a ship of death where their only hope was a rescue. The Californian. The ship that was within reach of the dying people but did nothing to save them. The Carpathia. The ship that did whatever it took to rescue the dying, no matter the risks.

We all either are - or were - on the Titanic. Because God says, "Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard," and "the wages of sin is death." But in our word for today from the Word of God in Galatians 1:4, the Bible says, "Jesus gave His life for our sins...in order to rescue us." Our eternal destiny depends on our reaching for the Rescuer - Jesus.

Some of us who have been rescued by Jesus are like the Californian. We have spiritually dying people within our reach. And the command of God from Scripture is to "rescue those being led away to death" (Proverbs 24:11).

But we're doing nothing. It's too risky. We've got all these fears of what might happen if we tried to tell them about Jesus and if we tried to rescue them.

But some of us are like the Carpathia; more concerned about the dying people than we are about ourselves. Doing whatever it takes to save them. Well, that would be like our Jesus. We'd be recognizing that we are under orders. And here's how the Bible puts it: to "snatch others from the fire and save them" (Jude 23).

Three ships. This tale of three ships confronts me, and all of us, with a soul-searching question. It might even be a life-or-death question for you, "Which ship am I on?"

If you don't have Jesus in your heart; if you've never been to Him to have your sins forgiven, your ship's going down even if you feel like it's unsinkable. No religion, no achievement, no relationship can save you except a relationship with Jesus Christ who died to pay for your sins.

This is your day to turn in death for life and feeling dirty for feeling clean, and lonely for love, and hell for heaven. If you've never reached out to the Rescuer, would you do it today? Say, "Jesus, I'm yours." Go to our website where you can be sure you belong to Him. We'll show you how! It's ANewStory.com.

This is the day of rescue!

Revelation 3, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: AS WE BEHOLD HIM - November 5, 2024

2 Corinthians 3:18 says, “We all with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness…” As we behold him, we become like him.

It’s a principle I experienced first-hand when an opera singer visited our church. He sat right behind me. He tried to contain himself, but how can a tuba hide in a room of piccolos? I was startled. Inspired. Emboldened by his volume. I lifted mine. Did I sing better? No. But did I try harder? No doubt. His power brought the best of me.

Could your world use a little music? If so, invite heaven’s baritone—Jesus Christ—to cut loose. Who knows? A few songs with him might change the way you sing!

Nextdoor Savior: Near Enough to Touch, Strong Enough to Trust

Revelation 3

To Sardis

1  3 Write this to Sardis, to the Angel of the church. The One holding the Seven Spirits of God in one hand, a firm grip on the Seven Stars with the other, speaks:

“I see right through your work. You have a reputation for vigor and zest, but you’re dead, stone-dead.

2–3  “Up on your feet! Take a deep breath! Maybe there’s life in you yet. But I wouldn’t know it by looking at your busywork; nothing of God’s work has been completed. Your condition is desperate. Think of the gift you once had in your hands, the Message you heard with your ears—grasp it again and turn back to God.

“If you pull the covers back over your head and sleep on, oblivious to God, I’ll return when you least expect it, break into your life like a thief in the night.

4  “You still have a few followers of Jesus in Sardis who haven’t ruined themselves wallowing in the muck of the world’s ways. They’ll walk with me on parade! They’ve proved their worth!

5  “Conquerors will march in the victory parade, their names indelible in the Book of Life. I’ll lead them up and present them by name to my Father and his Angels.

6  “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.”

To Philadelphia

7  Write this to Philadelphia, to the Angel of the church. The Holy, the True—David’s key in his hand, opening doors no one can lock, locking doors no one can open—speaks:

8  “I see what you’ve done. Now see what I’ve done. I’ve opened a door before you that no one can slam shut. You don’t have much strength, I know that; you used what you had to keep my Word. You didn’t deny me when times were rough.

9  “And watch as I take those who call themselves true believers but are nothing of the kind, pretenders whose true membership is in the club of Satan—watch as I strip off their pretensions and they’re forced to acknowledge it’s you that I’ve loved.

10  “Because you kept my Word in passionate patience, I’ll keep you safe in the time of testing that will be here soon, and all over the earth, every man, woman, and child put to the test.

11  “I’m on my way; I’ll be there soon. Keep a tight grip on what you have so no one distracts you and steals your crown.

12  “I’ll make each conqueror a pillar in the sanctuary of my God, a permanent position of honor. Then I’ll write names on you, the pillars: the Name of my God, the Name of God’s City—the new Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven—and my new Name.

13  “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.”

To Laodicea

14  Write to Laodicea, to the Angel of the church. God’s Yes, the Faithful and Accurate Witness, the First of God’s creation, says:

15–17  “I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You’re not cold, you’re not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You’re stale. You’re stagnant. You make me want to vomit. You brag, ‘I’m rich, I’ve got it made, I need nothing from anyone,’ oblivious that in fact you’re a pitiful, blind beggar, threadbare and homeless.

18  “Here’s what I want you to do: Buy your gold from me, gold that’s been through the refiner’s fire. Then you’ll be rich. Buy your clothes from me, clothes designed in Heaven. You’ve gone around half-naked long enough. And buy medicine for your eyes from me so you can see, really see.

19  “The people I love, I call to account—prod and correct and guide so that they’ll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!

20–21  “Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That’s my gift to the conquerors!

22  “Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, November 05, 2024

Today's Scripture

Psalm 23

Psalm 23

A David Psalm

God, my shepherd!

I don’t need a thing.

You have bedded me down in lush meadows,

you find me quiet pools to drink from.

True to your word,

you let me catch my breath

and send me in the right direction.

4  Even when the way goes through

Death Valley,

I’m not afraid

when you walk at my side.

Your trusty shepherd’s crook

makes me feel secure.

5  You serve me a six-course dinner

right in front of my enemies.

You revive my drooping head;

my cup brims with blessing.

6  Your beauty and love chase after me

every day of my life.

I’m back home in the house of God

for the rest of my life.

Insight

Psalm 23:4 reminds us of the comfort God provides: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” In the New Testament, the word translated “comfort” can also be translated “encouragement”—the giving of hope or courage. This idea is perhaps most clearly described in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” God’s comfort isn’t to be hoarded; as He comforts us, we, in turn, are to comfort others (v. 4). By: Bill Crowder

Courage from the Shepherd

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. Psalm 23:1

The nearly 107,000 people in the stadium stood in anticipation as Texas A&M college football kicker Seth Small took the field with only two seconds left in the game. With A&M tied 38-38 against the best team in the country—a perennial football powerhouse—a successful field goal would seal an epic upset victory. Looking calm, Small lined up to take the kick. The stadium erupted in pandemonium after the ball sailed through the uprights for the winning score.

When questioned by reporters how he prepared for such an intense moment, Small said he kept repeating to himself the first verse of Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.” When Small needed strength and reassurance, he drew on the deeply personal metaphor of God as a shepherd.

Psalm 23 is a beloved psalm because it assures us that we can be at peace, or comforted, because we have a loving and trustworthy shepherd who actively cares for us. David testified both to the reality of fear in intense or difficult situations as well as the comfort God provides (v. 4). The word translated “comfort” conveys assurance, or the confidence and courage to keep going because of His guiding presence.

When walking into challenging circumstances—not knowing what the outcome will be—we can take courage as we repeat the gentle reminder that the Good Shepherd walks with us. By:  Lisa M. Samra

Reflect & Pray

How have you experienced God as a loving shepherd? How did His trustworthy care give you courage?

Heavenly Father, please help me to take courage knowing that You’re my loving Shepherd.

Gain wisdom and leadership skills from our loving Shepherd.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, November 05, 2024

Participants in His Sufferings

Rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ. —1 Peter 4:13

If you are going to be used by God, he will take you through a multitude of difficult experiences, asking you to participate in the sufferings of Christ. These experiences aren’t meant to enrich you or benefit you personally. They’re meant to make you useful in God’s hands and to enable you to understand what occurs in other people’s souls, so that you will never be surprised by what you encounter. If you don’t go willingly through these experiences, you might often find yourself saying, “I can’t deal with that person.” You should never feel this way about another soul. God has given you ample opportunity to come before him and soak up his wisdom about others.

It might seem pointless to spend time soaking before God in this way; you have to get to the place where you are able to understand how he deals with us, and this is only done by being rightly related to Jesus Christ and participating in his sufferings. The sufferings of Christ aren’t those of ordinary life. He suffered “according to God’s will” (1 Peter 4:19), not because his individual desires or pride were thwarted. It is part of Christian culture to know what God’s will is, yet in the history of the church, the tendency has been to avoid being identified with Christ’s sufferings. People have tried to carry out God’s will using shortcuts. God’s way is always the “long, long trail,” the way of suffering.

Are you participating in Christ’s sufferings? Are you prepared for God to entirely stamp out your personal ambitions and destroy your individual determination? It doesn’t mean you’ll know exactly why God is taking you a certain way. In the moment, it’s never clear; you go through more or less blindly. Then, suddenly, you come to a luminous place and say, “Why, God was there all along, and I didn’t know it!”

Jeremiah 34-36; Hebrews 2

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

We are all based on a conception of importance, either our own importance, or the importance of someone else; Jesus tells us to go and teach based on the revelation of His importance. “All power is given unto Me.… Go ye therefore ….” 

So Send I You, 1325 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, November 05, 2024

The Bible Wears a Blindfold - #9867

Blindfolds have usually been a hindrance in my life. I mean, I think the first blindfold I ever remember having on was when I was little. I was at a birthday party and we were playing, you know, like Pin the Tail on the Donkey. Now, I've never been real coordinated, so you put a blindfold on me and spin me around a few times, I usually end up pinning it on the hostess. Anyway, it's great to be the laughing stock at the birthday party.

Now, as a teenager, they put me in this trust walk where my un-blindfolded friend was leading me around blindfolded through water, into walls, and into trees. And then even as a grownup at parties, all I know is that when they blindfold me I know I'm going to end up looking like the village idiot.

But blindfolds? They aren't always bad. I mean, think about that famous statue you can see at the Supreme Court. You remember Blind Justice? She's holding the scales of justice, upholding the law without being able to see faces, or expressions, or wardrobes, or appearances. Well you get a better verdict that way.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Bible Wears a Blindfold."

Now, our word for today from the Word of God. It comes from 2 Samuel 12:1. It follows after David, the king, has committed his sin of adultery with Bathsheba, and then his conspiracy to have her husband murdered and the conspiracy to cover that up. It says, "The Lord sent Nathan to David." Well, this is not going to be a very exciting mission, because it is the Prophet Nathan's job to confront the king, David.

He tells this parabolic story about a man who took a poor man's flock away from him, symbolizing what David had done. And then Nathan said to David in verse 7, "You are the man who did that. This is what the Lord God of Israel says, 'I anointed you king over Israel, I delivered you from the hand of Saul. The sword will never depart from your house because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own."

Now, Nathan's got a tough assignment here. He has to impartially apply the laws of God to his friend, his king. The one called "the man after God's own heart" David. But like Blind Justice, the Bible makes no distinctions when it comes to God's standards. The Bible wears a blindfold.

I was discussing divorce and how the church should handle that with a pastor friend of mine, and we've discussed many issues like that, that Christians disagree on. I'm not trying to solve that issue here, but I did say to him, "You know, I had a feeling that if we just read the Bible and didn't know anybody, we'd have a pretty clear view of what God wants. Then someone we care about comes along and it kind of gets us confused about what the Bible says." And I told him, "I think the problems start when a verse gets a face."

That's true when we discuss many issues today. Today in Christian circles, we're accepting of so much more stuff - stuff that we wouldn't have touched like say ten years ago. Our sociology often decides more than our theology. Our culture decides more than our Christianity. We can only enjoy the full blessing of God if we insist on the high standards of God.

And I've got to tell you, it's tempting not to when there's a face - especially somebody you care about - in front of the verse. But it isn't really love to lower the standards of God to make some temporary situation more comfortable. Those standards are not there to destroy people; they are the path to personal happiness. No matter how it looks, we must apply the Biblical guidelines with gentleness, not judgment; with love, not legalism. But we cannot dilute the Word of God for any person, for any situation. Not even King David could get such a compromise.

To rightly represent a holy God in this anything-goes world, we have to always be sure of the Bible's way of life and take our stand there.

Zechariah 14, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: CHRIST IS THE REWARD - November 4, 2024

Do you visit the Grand Canyon for the T-shirt or the snow globe? No. The reward of the Grand Canyon is the Grand Canyon. The wide-eyed realization you’re part of something ancient, splendid, powerful and greater than you.

The cache of Christianity is Christ. Not money in the bank or a car in the garage or a better self-image. The Fort Knox of faith is Christ. Fellowship with him. Walking with him. Pondering him. The heart-stopping realization that in him you’re part of something endless, unstoppable, unfathomable! And that he, who can dig the Grand Canyon with his pinkie, thinks you’re worth his death on Roman timber. Christ is the reward of Christianity.

Nextdoor Savior: Near Enough to Touch, Strong Enough to Trust

Zechariah 14

The Day Is Coming

1–2  14 Note well: God’s Judgment Day is on the way:

“Plunder will be piled high and handed out.

I’m bringing all the godless nations

to war against Jerusalem—

Houses plundered,

women raped,

Half the city taken into exile,

the other half left behind.”

3–5  But then God will march out against the godless nations and fight—a great war! That’s the Day he’ll take his stand on the Mount of Olives, facing Jerusalem from the east. The Mount of Olives will be split right down the middle, from east to west, leaving a wide valley. Half the mountain will shift north, the other half south. Then you will run for your lives down the valley, your escape route that will take you all the way to Azal. You’ll run for your lives, just as you ran on the day of the great earthquake in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah. Then my God will arrive and all the holy angels with him.

6–7  What a Day that will be! No more cold nights—in fact, no more nights! The Day is coming—the timing is God’s—when it will be continuous day. Every evening will be a fresh morning.

8  What a Day that will be! Fresh flowing rivers out of Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea, half to the western sea, flowing year-round, summer and winter!

9  God will be king over all the earth, one God and only one. What a Day that will be!

10–11  The land will stretch out spaciously around Jerusalem—to Geba in the north and Rimmon in the south, with Jerusalem towering at the center, and the commanding city gates—Gate of Ben-jamin to First Gate to Corner Gate to Hananel Tower to the Royal Winery—ringing the city full of people. Never again will Jerusalem be totally destroyed. From now on it will be a safe city.

12–14  But this is what will happen to all who fought against Jerusalem: God will visit them with a terrible plague. People’s flesh will rot off their bones while they are walking around; their eyes will rot in their sockets and their tongues in their mouths; people will be dying on their feet! Mass hysteria when that happens—total panic! Fellow soldiers fighting and killing each other—holy terror! And then Judah will jump into the fray!

14–15  Treasures from all the nations will be piled high—gold, silver, the latest fashions. The plague will also hit the animals—horses, mules, camels, donkeys. Everything alive in the military camps will be hit by the plague.

16–19  All the survivors from the godless nations that fought against Jerusalem will travel to Jerusalem every year to worship the King, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, and celebrate the Feast of Booths. If any of these survivors fail to make the annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem to worship the King, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, there will be no rain. If the Egyptians don’t make the pilgrimage and worship, there will be no rain for them. Every nation that does not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths will be hit with the plague. Egypt and any other nation that does not make pilgrimage to celebrate the Feast of Booths gets punished.

20–21  On that Day, the Big Day, all the horses’ harness bells will be inscribed “Holy to God.” The cooking pots in the Temple of God will be as sacred as chalices and plates on the altar. In fact, all the pots and pans in all the kitchens of Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to God-of-the-Angel-Armies. People who come to worship, preparing meals and sacrifices, will use them. On that Big Day there will be no buying or selling in the Temple of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, November 04, 2024

Today's Scripture

Revelation 7:9-12

  I looked again. I saw a huge crowd, too huge to count. Everyone was there—all nations and tribes, all races and languages. And they were standing, dressed in white robes and waving palm branches, standing before the Throne and the Lamb and heartily singing:

Salvation to our God on his Throne!

Salvation to the Lamb!

All who were standing around the Throne—Angels, Elders, Animals—fell on their faces before the Throne and worshiped God, singing:

Oh, Yes!

The blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving,

The honor and power and strength,

To our God forever and ever and ever!

Oh, Yes!

Insight

In Revelation 7:9-12, in the final book of the Bible and at the end of the story of God’s work in redeeming the world, we get a kind of reversal of one of humanity’s greatest acts of rebellion. In Genesis 11, a unified humanity gathered together to build a “tower that reaches to the heavens,” so they could “make a name for [themselves]” (v. 4). The consequence of that unified rebellion was division—separation into the various languages and peoples and tribes and nations.

But through Jesus and the unity He brings through His own sacrifice, God has begun rebuilding humanity. The gospel spreads to fill the ends of the earth. And ultimately, a new kind of people will cry out with one single voice: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Revelation 7:10). People will be unified in praise to God rather than rebellion.

Discover more about the end times with this entry-level course on Revelation.  By: Jed Ostoich

Loving the Nations

Before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language.

Revelation 7:9

As the daughter of two loving and hard-working parents from Central and South America, I’m grateful they had the courage to be the first in their families to immigrate to the United States for better opportunities. They met as young adults in New York City, married, had my sister and me, and went on to run their respective businesses.

As a native New Yorker, I’ve grown up embracing my Hispanic heritage and have been fascinated with people of diverse backgrounds. For instance, I once shared my story of faith at an evening service at a multicultural church that meets in a former Broadway theater. Speaking to a multicultural group about God’s love is only a glimpse of what heaven will be like when we see people from different nations come together as the body of Christ.

In Revelation, the apostle John gives us this amazing picture of heaven: “Before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9). God our Savior will receive the “praise and glory” and so much more He’s worthy of “for ever and ever” (v. 12).

Now we have just a glimpse of what heaven will be like. But one day, we who believe in Jesus will be united with Him and with people from different countries, cultures, and languages. Since God loves the nations, let’s also love our global family in Christ. By:  Nancy Gavilanes

Reflect & Pray

How can you love the nations? How can you celebrate others and their cultures?

Dear God, please help me to love others well.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, November 04, 2024

Acting on His Truth

Come near to God and he will come near to you. —James 4:8

It’s essential for us, as ministers of the gospel, to give people a chance to act on the truth of God. We might wish we could act for them, but no individual can act for another. Our role is to share the evangelical message, a message which can and should lead to action. But the ultimate responsibility must be left with the individual. The paralysis of refusing to act leaves people exactly where they were before. Once they act, they are never the same again.

Acting on the truth of God can look like foolishness in the eyes of the world. Because of this, many who have been convicted by the Holy Spirit refuse to act. And yet the very second I act, I live; all the rest is mere existence. The moments when I truly live are the moments when I act with my whole will.

Never allow a truth of God that is brought home to your soul to pass without acting on it—not necessarily physically, but in your will. Record it with ink or with blood. The weakest saint is emancipated the instant she acts. In that instant, all the power of God Almighty is on her side.

We back down from acting on God’s truth all the time. We come up to the truth, confess we are wrong, then turn back. We do this over and over again, until we learn that we have no business going back. We have to transact business with our Lord on the truth he is showing us, whatever it may be. When he tells us, “Come,” he really means “transact with me.”

“Come near to God.” The last thing we’ll do is come to God, but all who do come know that the instant they come, the supernatural life of God invades them. The dominating power of the world and the flesh and the devil is paralyzed, not by their act of coming but because that act has linked them to God and his redemptive power.

Jeremiah 32-33; Hebrews 1

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

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, 1465 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, November 04, 2024

Love Even When You Lose - #9866

When it comes to the Olympics, it seems as if there are always certain athletes that give the Games this personal touch for us. Let's go back to the 1994 Winter Olympics. I remember we all wanted to see the women's skating showdown between Nancy Kerrigan and Tanya Harding. In 1998, it was two teenagers named Michelle and Tara. Michelle Kwan was heavily favored to leave Japan and the Olympics with that gold medal; 15-year old Tara Lipinski was expected to bring home the silver maybe.

But in a stunning performance, and an Olympic upset, young Tara Lipinski captured the gold. Michelle Kwan, who had skated an almost flawless program, was disappointed but she was gracious. She won a silver medal that so many would love to win, but you know it still had to hurt. Some of that hurt slipped out as she sent a message to her family, and TV carried it around the world. She said, "I love you, Mom and Dad, and Karen and Jimmy. I hope you still love me." Ouch!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Love Even When You Lose."

"I hope you still love me." That's not just a feeling a disappointed Olympian has felt. Many of us have had those moments when we have wondered, "Can you love me like this? I mean, the way I've failed you or hurt you? I'm not very lovable right now."

It's just a fact that a lot of love in our lives is "performance love." People will love us if we perform. Sales people know a company and co-workers base your worth on this month's sales. Did you get the grades? Did you get the win? But who loves you when you lose? When you're not as young and attractive anymore? Who loves you when you've blown it? When you can't do the things that have always brought you approval? You may know all too well the sting of love that used to be there for you. The love that was supposed to always be there, but it's gone.

Conditional love. There are lots of people who are willing to say, "I love you if..." What your heart cries for, though, and mine too, is someone who will just say, "I love you. There is nothing you can do to make me love you more. There is nothing you can do to make me love you less. I have made my choice. I love you. That will never change."

Maybe you think that kind of "never-leave-you" love is impossible. Well, there really is a love you cannot lose, because it's a love you cannot earn. The undeniable proof of that love is described in our word for today from the Word of God in Romans 5:8. "God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." In other words, God loved us enough to sacrifice His only Son for us even though we were doing the things God hates.

Maybe you've tried to earn God's love by being a good person, a religious person, a Christian person. But God says clearly that the way to begin a relationship with Him is "not by works" (Ephesians 2:9). It's by His "grace," the Bible says, which means undeserved love. All your goodness cannot erase a lifetime of sinning. Sin puts us on eternity's Death Row. But even with all our "sin-garbage" - totally unlovable spiritually - God sent His Son to die for us; to die for you. If He didn't turn His back on you when His Son was hanging on that cross for you, He will never turn His back on you.

Once you put your total trust in Jesus to be your Rescuer from your sin, you have His unloseable love. And on your very worst days, you can ask God, "Do You love me like this?" and He will always answer, "Yes." This is the love your heart has been aching for all these years. He's within your reach right now. Just tell Jesus you're giving your life to Him, beginning today.

I'd love to help you know how for sure you belong to Him if you would just go to our website. That's why it's there. It's ANewStory.com. Please check it out today.

Imagine, never unloved again, never another day alone. Not because you deserve it but because Jesus died to remove what could ever take you out of God's love. He made His move on the cross, and now, my friend, it's your move.