Daily Devotions: Not our way, but Yahweh!

Saturday, September 27, 2025

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

Max Lucado Daily: Your Mess Can Be Your Message

I like the conversation Bob Benson recounts in his book, See You at the House, about his friend who'd had a heart attack. For a while it seemed his friend wouldn't make it. But he recovered.

Months later Bob asked him, "How did you like your heart attack?"

"It scared me to death, almost."

"Would you do it again?"

"No!"

"Would you recommend it?" Bob asked.

"Definitely not."

Then Bob asked him, "Does your life mean more to you now than it did before?"

"Well, yes."

"You and your wife always had a beautiful marriage, but are you closer now than ever?" "Yes."

"Do you have a new compassion for people-a deeper understanding and sympathy?"

"Yes, I do."

"Do you know the Lord in a richer fellowship than you'd ever realized?"

"Yes."

Then Bob said, "So, how'd you like your heart attack?"

Deuteronomy 11:2 reminds us to remember what you've learned about the Lord through your experience with Him. Do that, my friend, and your mess will become your message!

From You'll Get Through This

Mark 13:1-20

Doomsday Deceivers

1 13 As he walked away from the Temple, one of his disciples said, “Teacher, look at that stonework! Those buildings!”

2 Jesus said, “You’re impressed by this grandiose architecture? There’s not a stone in the whole works that is not going to end up in a heap of rubble.”

3–4 Later, as he was sitting on Mount Olives in full view of the Temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew got him off by himself and asked, “Tell us, when is this going to happen? What sign will we get that things are coming to a head?”

5–8 Jesus began, “Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities claiming, ‘I’m the One.’ They will deceive a lot of people. When you hear of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history, and no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Earthquakes will occur in various places. There will be famines. But these things are nothing compared to what’s coming.

9–10 “And watch out! They’re going to drag you into court. And then it will go from bad to worse, dog-eat-dog, everyone at your throat because you carry my name. You’re placed there as sentinels to truth. The Message has to be preached all across the world.

11 “When they bring you, betrayed, into court, don’t worry about what you’ll say. When the time comes, say what’s on your heart—the Holy Spirit will make his witness in and through you.

12–13 “It’s going to be brother killing brother, father killing child, children killing parents. There’s no telling who will hate you because of me.

“Stay with it—that’s what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry; you’ll be saved.

Run for the Hills

14–18 “But be ready to run for it when you see the monster of desecration set up where it should never be. You who can read, make sure you understand what I’m talking about. If you’re living in Judea at the time, run for the hills; if you’re working in the yard, don’t go back to the house to get anything; if you’re out in the field, don’t go back to get your coat. Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. Hope and pray this won’t happen in the middle of winter.

19–20 “These are going to be hard days—nothing like it from the time God made the world right up to the present. And there’ll be nothing like it again. If he let the days of trouble run their course, nobody would make it. But because of God’s chosen people, those he personally chose, he has already intervened.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Saturday, September 27, 2025

by Amy Boucher Pye

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Joshua 1:1-3, 5-9

After the death of Moses the servant of God, God spoke to Joshua, Moses’ assistant:

“Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. Cross to the country I’m giving to the People of Israel. I’m giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on—just as I promised Moses.

All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you. In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul. Make sure you carry out The Revelation that Moses commanded you, every bit of it. Don’t get off track, either left or right, so as to make sure you get to where you’re going. And don’t for a minute let this Book of The Revelation be out of mind. Ponder and meditate on it day and night, making sure you practice everything written in it. Then you’ll get where you’re going; then you’ll succeed. Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.”

Today's Insights

Joshua had been preparing to lead Israel his whole life. He’d been Moses’ aide since his youth (Numbers 11:28). He’d led the Israelite army into battle long before entering the promised land (Exodus 17:8-16). He was one of the first to explore the land he was about to enter (see Numbers 13), and he and Caleb were the only ones to express confidence that God would hand it over to them (14:5-38). Finally, he had the commission of God Himself to take over leadership from Moses (27:18-23). Just as God assured Joshua that He’d never leave him (Joshua 1:5), we can be assured that God is with us in whatever we face.

God Never Leaves Us

As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Joshua 1:5

In the Holy Land, we loved walking where Jesus walked. Now I can more easily imagine the sights and sounds from His earthly life. But climbing up and down the uneven stones of the churches and countryside left its mark, and I arrived home with sore knees. Yet my ailments were minor compared with those journeying centuries ago, who not only experienced aching joints but suffered greatly—and even died. But God was with them.

God called His people to follow Him and invited them to live in a flourishing “land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:8). He knew that as they entered the promised land, they would face danger from opposing armies and obstacles such as walled cities. God had been with them for forty years in their desert wanderings and wouldn’t abandon them now. He promised Joshua, the new leader, His presence with them: “I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Joshua 1:5). Joshua would face challenges and hardships, needing to be strong and courageous, but God would help him to do so.

We who believe in Jesus, whether we’re called to stay or to go, will face dangers, challenges, and suffering in this life. But we can hold on to the promises of our God who will never leave us. Because of Him, we too can be strong and courageous.

Reflect & Pray

When you’ve faced hardships, how have you experienced God’s presence? How can you turn to Him today for help, love, and support?

Saving God, when You lead me through a barren land and I fear the terrors of the night, please reassure me that You’re with me.

For further study, read Up for the Task: Joshua, the Conquest, and the All-Powerful YahwehUp for the Task: Joshua, the Conquest, and the All-Powerful Yahweh

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Saturday, September 27, 2025

The “Go” of Renunciation

As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” — Luke 9:57

When the man in this verse proclaimed his intention to follow Jesus, our Lord’s response was one of severe discouragement: “Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head’” (Luke 9:58). We might find it baffling that Jesus would pass up the opportunity to win a follower; we might think it cruel that he would freeze the man’s desires and send him away discouraged. But Jesus knew what lies in the human heart.

Never apologize for your Lord, not even when his words hurt and offend until there’s nothing left to hurt and offend. Jesus Christ has no tenderness toward anything that is ultimately going to ruin someone in his service. His responses aren’t capricious, or thoughtless; they are based on his knowledge of what lies inside men and women. If the Spirit of God brings a word of the Lord to your mind and it hurts you, you can be sure there’s something inside you he wants to hurt to death.

“The Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Jesus’s words put a stop to the idea that I can serve him because it is pleasing to me. If I serve him, I can’t count on having the usual comforts. I must accept that there will be nothing but my Lord and myself and a forlorn hope. “Your lodestar,” Jesus is saying, “must be your relationship to me—and I have nowhere to lay my head.”

“Another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family’” (v. 61). The person who says to the Lord, “Yes, but . . .” is the one who is fiercely ready but never goes. The exacting call of Jesus has no margin for goodbyes. When the call of God comes to you, go at once and never stop going.

Isaiah 3-4; Galatians 6

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

We never enter into the Kingdom of God by having our head questions answered, but only by commitment.

The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption, 565 R

Friday, September 26, 2025

Numbers 6, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: PRESCRIPTION FOR THE ANXIOUS HEART - September 26, 2025

Anxiety in a limited dose is a good thing. Healthy anxiety prompts us to pay bills, eat right, and stay out of snake pits. A dose of anxiety is helpful. A daily deluge of anxiety? Not so much. God designed our bodies to respond to a spike of stress and then return to normal. Unhealthy anxiety resists the reset. It is the alarm system that never shuts down.

Paul’s prescription for the anxious heart: He wrote, “Be full of joy in the Lord always…The Lord is coming soon. Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:4-7 NCV).

Tame Your Thoughts: Three Tools to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life

Numbers 6

Nazirite Vows

1–4 6 God spoke to Moses: “Speak to the People of Israel; tell them, If any of you, man or woman, wants to make a special Nazirite vow, consecrating yourself totally to God, you must not drink any wine or beer, no intoxicating drink of any kind, not even the juice of grapes—in fact, you must not even eat grapes or raisins. For the duration of the consecration, nothing from the grapevine—not even the seeds, not even the skin—may be eaten.

5 “Also, for the duration of the consecration you must not have your hair cut. Your long hair will be a continuing sign of holy separation to God.

6–7 “Also, for the duration of the consecration to God, you must not go near a corpse. Even if it’s the body of your father or mother, brother or sister, you must not ritually defile yourself because the sign of consecration to God is on your head.

8 “For the entire duration of your consecration you are holy to God.

9–12 “If someone should die suddenly in your presence, so that your consecrated head is ritually defiled, you must shave your head on the day of your purifying, that is, the seventh day. Then on the eighth day bring two doves or two pigeons to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. The priest will offer one for the Absolution-Offering and one for the Whole-Burnt-Offering, purifying you from the ritual contamination of the corpse. You resanctify your hair on that day and reconsecrate your Nazirite consecration to God by bringing a yearling lamb for a Compensation-Offering. You start over; the previous days don’t count because your consecration was ritually defiled.

13–17 “These are the instructions for the time set when your special consecration to God is up. First, you are to be brought to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then you will present your offerings to God: a healthy yearling lamb for the Whole-Burnt-Offering, a healthy yearling ewe for an Absolution-Offering, a healthy ram for a Peace-Offering, a basket of unraised bread made of fine flour, loaves mixed with oil, and crackers spread with oil, along with your Grain-Offerings and Drink-Offerings. The priest will approach God and offer up your Absolution-Offering and Whole-Burnt-Offering. He will sacrifice the ram as a Peace-Offering to God with the basket of unraised bread, and, last of all, the Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering.

18 “At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, shave off the hair you consecrated and put it in the fire that is burning under the Peace-Offering.

19–20 “After you have shaved the hair of your consecration, the priest will take a shoulder from the ram, boiled, and a piece of unraised bread and a cracker from the basket and place them in your hands. The priest will then wave them before God, a Wave-Offering. They are holy and belong to the priest, along with the breast that was waved and the thigh that was offered.

“Now you are free to drink wine.

21 “These are the instructions for Nazirites as they bring offerings to God in their vow of consecration, beyond their other offerings. They must carry out the vow they have vowed following the instructions for the Nazirite.”

The Aaronic Blessing

22–23 God spoke to Moses: “Tell Aaron and his sons, This is how you are to bless the People of Israel. Say to them,

24 God bless you and keep you,

25 God smile on you and gift you,

26 God look you full in the face

and make you prosper.

27 In so doing, they will place my name on the People of Israel—

I will confirm it by blessing them.”

Thursday, September 25, 2025

Numbers 5, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THOUGHT MANAGEMENT TOOLBOX - September 25, 2025

Three big ideas are critical for taming our thoughts:

Practice Picky Thinking (thought prevention). Just because you have a thought doesn’t mean you need to think it.

Identify UFOs (thought progression). An untruth leads to a false narrative that creates an overreaction.

Uproot and Replant (thought extraction). Rather than let the untruth grow, give the lie a tug and replace it with God’s truth.

These are the tools in your thought management toolbox. Until we put these ideas to work, they are simply that— ideas. I trace issues to one cause: stinking thinking. You will see that the tools in your toolbox will work on anything Satan throws at you.

Tame Your Thoughts: Three Tools to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life

Numbers 5

Some Camp Rules

1–3 5 God spoke to Moses: “Command the People of Israel to ban from the camp anyone who has an infectious skin disease, anyone who has a discharge, and anyone who is ritually unclean from contact with a dead body. Ban male and female alike; send them outside the camp so that they won’t defile their camp, the place I live among them.”

4 The People of Israel did this, banning them from the camp. They did exactly what God had commanded through Moses.

5–10 God spoke to Moses: “Tell the People of Israel, When a man or woman commits any sin, the person has broken trust with God, is guilty, and must confess the sin. Full compensation plus twenty percent must be made to whoever was wronged. If the wronged person has no close relative who can receive the compensation, the compensation belongs to God and must be given to the priest, along with the ram by which atonement is made. All the sacred offerings that the People of Israel bring to a priest belong to the priest. Each person’s sacred offerings are his own, but what one gives to the priest stays with the priest.”

11–15 God spoke to Moses: “Tell the People of Israel, Say a man’s wife goes off and has an affair, is unfaithful to him by sleeping with another man, but her husband knows nothing about it even though she has defiled herself. And then, even though there was no witness and she wasn’t caught in the act, feelings of jealousy come over the husband and he suspects that his wife is impure. Even if she is innocent and his jealousy and suspicions are groundless, he is to take his wife to the priest. He must also take an offering of two quarts of barley flour for her. He is to pour no oil on it or mix incense with it because it is a Grain-Offering for jealousy, a Grain-Offering for bringing the guilt out into the open.

16–22 “The priest then is to take her and have her stand in the presence of God. He is to take some holy water in a pottery jar and put some dust from the floor of The Dwelling in the water. After the priest has her stand in the presence of God he is to uncover her hair and place the exposure-offering in her hands, the Grain-Offering for jealousy, while he holds the bitter water that delivers a curse. Then the priest will put the woman under oath and say, ‘If no man has slept with you and you have not had an adulterous affair and become impure while married to your husband, may this bitter water that delivers a curse not harm you. But if you have had an affair while married to your husband and have defiled yourself by sleeping with a man other than your husband’—here the priest puts the woman under this curse—‘may God cause your people to curse and revile you when he makes your womb shrivel and your belly swell. Let this water that delivers a curse enter your body so that your belly swells and your womb shrivels.’

“Then the woman shall say, ‘Amen. Amen.’

23–28 “The priest is to write these curses on a scroll and then wash the words off into the bitter water. He then is to give the woman the bitter water that delivers a curse. This water will enter her body and cause acute pain. The priest then is to take from her hands a handful of the Grain-Offering for jealousy, wave it before God, and bring it to the Altar. The priest then is to take a handful of the Grain-Offering, using it as an exposure-offering, and burn it on the Altar; after this he is to make her drink the water. If she has defiled herself in being unfaithful to her husband, when she drinks the water that delivers a curse, it will enter her body and cause acute pain; her belly will swell and her womb shrivel. She will be cursed among her people. But if she has not defiled herself and is innocent of impurity, her name will be cleared and she will be able to have children.

29–31 “This is the law of jealousy in a case where a woman goes off and has an affair and defiles herself while married to her husband, or a husband is tormented with feelings of jealousy because he suspects his wife. The priest is to have her stand in the presence of God and go through this entire procedure with her. The husband will be cleared of wrong, but the woman will pay for her wrong.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, September 25, 2025

by Kirsten Holmberg

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Psalm 118:5-14

Pushed to the wall, I called to God;

from the wide open spaces, he answered.

God’s now at my side and I’m not afraid;

who would dare lay a hand on me?

God’s my strong champion;

I flick off my enemies like flies.

Far better to take refuge in God

than trust in people;

Far better to take refuge in God

than trust in celebrities.

Hemmed in by barbarians,

in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;

Hemmed in and with no way out,

in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;

Like swarming bees, like wild prairie fire, they hemmed me in;

in God’s name I rubbed their faces in the dirt.

I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall,

when God grabbed and held me.

God’s my strength, he’s also my song,

and now he’s my salvation.

Today's Insights

Psalm 118 begins and ends by encouraging the entire faith community to “give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (vv. 1, 29). In between those bookends of communal praise, we hear a personal account of how the psalmist has experienced God’s goodness: “When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place” (v. 5); “I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me” (v. 13). The psalmist’s personal testimony and experience that God’s empowering, protecting presence (vv. 6-7) led to overcoming seemingly impossible odds (vv. 10-11), leads to joyful, exuberant celebration (v. 15). The psalmist’s remarkable experience of God’s deliverance even from the brink of death (vv. 17-18) invites all to live in gratitude to a God they can trust in all circumstances.

God, Our Trustworthy Refuge

The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. Psalm 118:6

One of my daughter’s most vivid childhood memories is the day her dad taught her to ride a bike without training wheels. At one point in their outing, my husband balanced his feet on the hubs of her rear wheel (while she kept hers on the pedals and they shared the handlebars) so they could coast down a small, gently sloping section together. She remembers her dad laughing with joy—a sharp contrast to her own fearful experience of the moment. The ride was so short that the entire episode happened too quickly for him to stop and empathize with her. As they reminisce about the incident today, my husband’s gentle response to her recollection is to reassure her that he knew everything would be okay.

Their story is an apt metaphor for the moments when we too experience fear in life. The “hills” might look big and scary from our vantage point, and the risk of being hurt can seem very real. Yet Scripture assures us that because “the Lord is with [us],” we don’t need to “be afraid” (Psalm 118:6). Though human help may fail us, He’s a trustworthy refuge when we feel overwhelmed by our struggles (vv. 8-9).

God is our “helper” (v. 7), which means we can trust Him to care for us during life’s most trying and fearful moments. Despite any falls, scars, and pain we might endure, His saving presence is our “strength” and “defense” (v. 14).

Reflect & Pray

When have you been aware of God’s presence in the midst of difficulty? How has He helped you?

Thank You, Father, for being present in my life. Please help me to recognize Your nearness.

Find out more about God’s Comforting Presence.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, September 25, 2025

The “Go” of Relationship

If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. — Matthew 5:41

The demands our Lord makes in the Sermon on the Mount are impossible for us to meet—unless he has done a supernatural work inside us. Not only does Jesus Christ demand that his disciples go the second mile, he also demands that there be no trace of resentment inside them when they come up against tyranny and injustice because of their commitment to him: “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad” (Matthew 5:11–12). There’s no enthusiasm, no natural human quality, that can withstand the strain that Jesus Christ places upon his workers. The only thing strong enough is a personal relationship with him. This relationship must be put to the test until the disciple has just one purpose remaining: “I am here for God to send me wherever he will.” Everything else in a disciple’s life may get muddied, but this relationship to Jesus Christ must remain perfectly clear.

If I am going to be a disciple of Jesus, I must be made one supernaturally. As long as I’m dead set on being a disciple, I can be sure I am not one. Discipleship isn’t a matter of my determination, but of God’s: “You did not choose me, but I chose you” (John 15:16). This is the way the call to discipleship begins. I can ignore God’s call, but I can neither generate it nor decide how to answer it. When our Lord makes disciples, he doesn’t ask them to do things they’re naturally cut out for. He asks them to do things they’ve been supernaturally cut out for by his grace.

The Sermon on the Mount isn’t some unattainable ideal. It’s a statement of what will actually happen in me when Jesus Christ has changed my disposition and put into me a disposition like his own. Jesus Christ is the only one who can fulfill the Sermon on the Mount.

Song of Solomon 6-8; Galatians 4

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Defenders of the faith are inclined to be bitter until they learn to walk in the light of the Lord. When you have learned to walk in the light of the Lord, bitterness and contention are impossible.

Biblical Psychology, 199 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, September 25, 2025

THE ONLY WAY TO CHOOSE YOUR ROAD - #10099

Our son was falling in love. I mean like the big one - like the girl he ended up marrying. Our beautiful Navajo daughter now. Our son lived on the Hopi Indian Reservation in Arizona, and the girl of his dreams lived in a remote area of the Navajo Reservation. It was about an hour drive to get out to her house to see her, but he managed - frequently. And the road? Oh, boy! It's one of those reservation roads that kills your shock absorbers, covers you with dust, and even opens up a crater or two for you to dodge. It's not that there weren't better roads around in that area; there are some nicely paved highways with some beautiful views. They even had some nice girls living on them probably. But my son didn't take any of those, for one very good reason. There was only one road that led to the destination he wanted.

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I'd like to have A Word With You today about "The Only Way to Choose Your Road."

What is that? It's the same way our son chose the road he took - does it get me to the destination I want? That's especially important when the destination is eternal; the place you'll be forever. God deeply wants you and me to be with Him forever in heaven. So He makes the road very clear.

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Isaiah 43:11. "I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from Me there is no Savior." How many roads? According to the One who decides, there is one. Now notice, God doesn't say "apart from Me there is no religion." There are many religions. God doesn't say, "Apart from Me there is no teacher." Again, there have been many spiritual teachers. And God doesn't tell us, "Apart from Me there is no spirituality." There's a whole buffet of inspiring spiritual experiences. If what will get us to heaven is a religion or a religious leader or spirituality, take your pick. There are many roads.

But God says what we need is a Savior, someone who can rescue us from a dying situation. Later in the same chapter in the Bible, God explains what it takes to have a relationship with Him and to make it to heaven. "I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more." God says, "You've got to have your sins totally erased." No amount of doing good can erase my doing bad. No amount of sincere spirituality can pay the death penalty that sin requires. Only one person even claimed to do that.

In the Bible's words, speaking of Jesus, "He carried our sins in His own body on the tree." So that's why Jesus says, "I am the way. No man comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Apart from Him there is no Savior. And apart from a Savior, you and I don't stand a chance with God.

There are many beautiful roads with many beautiful people on them. But only the Savior road gets you to the eternal destination you want, which is heaven. The only issue that will really matter forever is whether or not you took the road God provided at the cost of His only Son's life.

You've thought about it, maybe even argued about it, but maybe today your heart is saying, "I do need a Savior. It's time." If you want Jesus, the Savior, to finally be your Savior, would you tell Him that right now? "Jesus, you're the One who died for me for what I've done against God, I am yours beginning today. I'm grabbing You like a drowning person would grab a rescuer."

I'd love to help you be sure you belong to Him; to nail down this relationship and get it settled. That's why our website exists, and I want to invite you to go there. It's ANewStory.com. Would you check it out as soon as you can today?

One day, maybe unexpectedly, your earth-journey will come to an abrupt end. And then it's eternity. From then on and forever, all that matters is what road you chose to get to heaven...because the only one that goes there is the one that runs by Jesus' cross.

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Mark 12:28-44, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: BIBLICAL MEDITATION - September 24, 2025

Paul wrote, “Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking” (Colossians 3:15 NCV). How does this happen? The answer appears in the next verse: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another” (Colossians 3:16 NKJV).

Don’t treat Scripture like a guest, an occasional visitor, or temporary roommate. His truth sits at the dinner table, lingers in the living room, and is welcome in the bedroom. And it occupies its place richly. It pays dividends. It brings benefits. Ingested Scripture is vitamin C for the inner person.

Satan is allergic to God’s truth. When you speak Scripture, he skedaddles. He hopes you never hear these words spoken by Jesus: “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32 NIV).

Tame Your Thoughts: Three Tools to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life

Mark 12:28-44

The Most Important Commandment

28 One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: “Which is most important of all the commandments?”

29–31 Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.”

32–33 The religion scholar said, “A wonderful answer, Teacher! So lucid and accurate—that God is one and there is no other. And loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself. Why, that’s better than all offerings and sacrifices put together!”

34 When Jesus realized how insightful he was, he said, “You’re almost there, right on the border of God’s kingdom.”

After that, no one else dared ask a question.

35–37 While he was teaching in the Temple, Jesus asked, “How is it that the religion scholars say that the Messiah is David’s ‘son,’ when we all know that David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said,

God said to my Master,

“Sit here at my right hand

until I put your enemies under your feet.”

“David here designates the Messiah ‘my Master’—so how can the Messiah also be his ‘son’?”

The large crowd was delighted with what they heard.

38–40 He continued teaching. “Watch out for the religion scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preening in the radiance of public flattery, basking in prominent positions, sitting at the head table at every church function. And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they get. But they’ll pay for it in the end.”

41–44 Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, “The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

by Karen Huang

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

2 Kings 8:1-6

8 Years before, Elisha had told the woman whose son he had brought to life, “Leave here and go, you and your family, and live someplace else. God has ordered a famine in the land; it will last for seven years.” The woman did what the Holy Man told her and left. She and her family lived as aliens in the country of Philistia for seven years. Then, when the seven years were up, the woman and her family came back. She went directly to the king and asked for her home and farm.

4–5 The king was talking with Gehazi, servant to the Holy Man, saying, “Tell me some stories of the great things Elisha did.” It so happened that as he was telling the king the story of the dead person brought back to life, the woman whose son was brought to life showed up asking for her home and farm.

Gehazi said, “My master the king, this is the woman! And this is her son whom Elisha brought back to life!”

6 The king wanted to know all about it, and so she told him the story. The king assigned an officer to take care of her, saying, “Make sure she gets everything back that’s hers, plus all profits from the farm from the time she left until now.”

Today's Insights

God’s care for us isn’t limited to times of difficulty but is often felt most keenly in those times. For the Shunammite woman and her family, that care came in two layers. The first was Elisha’s warning of the coming famine that caused her to escape with her family to a place where food could be found (2 Kings 8:1-2). The second came upon their return to Israel and the restoration of their former property, possessions, and lost income (v. 6). The providential timing of the Shunammite and her son approaching the king at the moment Gehazi was telling their story is part of God’s provision for them as well (vv. 3-6). Whether in times of want or times of fullness, God cares for us.

Coincidences and God's Care

Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the Lord has decreed a famine. 2 Kings 8:1

Dante’s neighborhood in Manila was prone to flooding. On rainy days, the little boy reached school by crossing a makeshift wooden bridge put up by a neighbor. “Mr. Tomas helped the community get around,” Dante said. “He’d guide me on the bridge, shielding me from the rain.”

Years later, Dante joined a church north of Manila. Leo, his Bible study leader, mentored him. In a conversation about their childhoods, Dante discovered Leo was Mr. Tomas’ son! “There’s no such thing as coincidence,” Dante said. “God used the son of a man who’d blessed me to help me in my faith.”

A woman from the town of Shunem also experienced God’s providence. In faith, she’d followed the prophet Elisha’s advice, leaving home to avoid a famine (2 Kings 8:1-2). In doing so, she’d forfeited her claim to her house and land. Now, at the exact moment she was seeking help from the king about this matter, the king just happened to be talking with Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, about her.

Years earlier, Gehazi had seen the woman’s dead son raised to life. Now, Gehazi said, "This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life" (v. 5). The king then “assigned an official to her case” (v. 6) and returned her property.

We can trust in God and His care even when things may not go as we planned. Our sovereign God will help us.

Reflect & Pray

How does the Shunammite woman’s story encourage you? What does it say about God’s care?

Loving Father, thank You for caring for me.

Discover more about Keeping Faith When Life Doesn’t Go Our Way.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

The “Go” of Preparation

If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. — Matthew 5:23–24

It’s easy to imagine that someday we’ll get to a place where we are complete and ready. But preparation isn’t accomplished suddenly; it’s a process that must be steadily maintained. Our lives must be preparation and preparation. To be in a settled state of experience is a dangerous thing.

A sense of heroic sacrifice appeals readily to young Christians; humanly speaking, what attracts us to Jesus Christ is our sense that he was a heroic figure. But the words our Lord speaks in Matthew 5:23–24 soon put our enthusiasm to the test. Don’t come to the altar in a moment of enthusiasm, Jesus says. “First go” and reconcile yourself to your brother or sister; first prepare yourself to make your offering. The “go” of preparation involves submitting yourself in advance to the scrutiny of Jesus’s words. Simply having a sense of heroic sacrifice isn’t enough.

Do you have anything to hide from God? Let him search you with his light. If you are harboring within you the disposition that can never work in his service, his Spirit will detect it and reveal it. When he reveals sin, don’t admit it; confess it. Never ignore the Spirit’s conviction. If it’s important enough for the Spirit of God to have brought it to your mind, it’s something God wishes you to confess. Perhaps you were looking for something big to give up, but God has pointed out something tiny. No matter what it is, God is telling you about it because beneath it lies the great stronghold of obstinacy: “I won’t give up my right to myself.” This is the very thing God intends you to give up if you are going to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Are you willing to obey your Lord, whatever the humiliation to your right to yourself may be?

Song of Solomon 4-5; Galatians 3

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

We never enter into the Kingdom of God by having our head questions answered, but only by commitment.

The Highest Good—Thy Great Redemption

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

YOUR "WELCOME HOME" - #10098

Some longtime friends dropped by for a visit and they told us a moving story of what had happened to their son. Tom had been a missionary pilot in Mexico - one of those spiritual heroes, I think, who take the Gospel and God's help to places where it could otherwise never go, including a mountain village in Mexico where the pilots have been God's instruments to launch a mighty work for Christ. And then came the crash. With three missionary pilots and several passengers aboard, a defect in their plane's almost new engine caused a terrible crash. Tom was one of those who survived that crash that could very well have killed everyone. The villagers who loved them actually traveled hours to reach them and rescue them. Tom's body was really badly shattered, and his recovery was long, grueling. But then he was flown back to the area where he ministered. His parents really choked up, and so did we, when they told us what happened as he got off the plane. There to greet him was a crowd of cheering Mexican friends. And they were holding a banner that simply said "Welcome home, Captain Tom!"

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Your 'Welcome Home.'"

I'm hoping you and I can get a "welcome home" like that in heaven someday. It all depends on what we live for in the years until we get home.

In our word for today from the Word of God, Paul clearly lays out what matters most to him about the legacy of his life. In 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20, he writes these words to the people that he's invested his life in spiritually: "What is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy." Paul is looking forward to getting to heaven and seeing a lot of people that he touched for eternity. That's the welcoming party he's looking for.

Basically, Paul says there are two things that matter in life: the Savior you serve and the lives you touch. That's your reward for the years you spend on this planet, that's your legacy, that's your joy. Well, at least it's supposed to be.

It's possible that your life's priorities have gotten a little inverted by the pressures and the people and the problems that tend to fill up your life. You've been taken over by a truckload of earth-stuff. One friend of mine summed it up pretty well the other day. When someone asked him if he's ever played Trivial Pursuit, he said, "Every day." He wasn't talking about the game. He's talking about his life.

Just hearing about Pilot Tom's "welcome home" was an important values-clarification reminder. If you've become consumed and sidetracked with a lot of stuff that's non-eternal, maybe it's time to get with Jesus and replace your agenda with His agenda to "seek first His kingdom" (Matthew 6:33).

And if you're a little weary or discouraged in your faithful service for Jesus, I hope you'll be encouraged by the thought of the reward you're building, the legacy you're developing and the lives that have been touched by your sacrifices who will be thanking you forever. The people you've risked to take to heaven with you will be there, humanly speaking, because you cared. The lives that have been touched by the ministries you've given to will, in the Bible's words, be "credited to your account" (Philippians 4:17).

All that really matters is what's going to meet you when you get to heaven. First, your Savior who will welcome you with the words you have lived for, "Well done, good and faithful servant." And the people your life in Christ has touched for eternity. Who knows, maybe they'll be holding a banner with your name on it that says, "Welcome home!"

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Numbers 4 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THE IMPLANTED WORD - September 23, 2025

James, the half-brother of Jesus, gave this admonition: “Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21 ESV). What a grand invitation! It’s not enough to uproot, we must also replant.

Jesus described a demon who had been cast out of a person. It roams about, looking for a new home. Not finding one, it returns to its former place of residence and finds it “spotlessly clean, but vacant” (Matthew 12:43 MSG). The demon sees no barrier, alerts its buddies, and they show up with a keg of chaos.

To clean out the old is wonderful, but to usher in the new—that’s essential. Uprooting weeds of lies is necessary. Replacing them with truth is vital.

Tame Your Thoughts: Three Tools to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life

Numbers 4

Duties of the Kohathites

1–3 4 God spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, “Number the Kohathite line of Levites by clan and family. Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age, all who enter the ministry to work in the Tent of Meeting.

4 “This is the assigned work of the Kohathites in the Tent of Meeting: care of the most holy things.

5–6 “When the camp is ready to set out, Aaron and his sons are to go in and take down the covering curtain and cover the Chest of The Testimony with it. Then they are to cover this with a dolphin skin, spread a solid blue cloth on top, and insert the poles.

7–8 “Then they are to spread a blue cloth on the Table of the Presence and set the Table with plates, incense dishes, bowls, and jugs for drink offerings. The bread that is always there stays on the Table. They are to cover these with a scarlet cloth, and on top of that spread the dolphin skin, and insert the poles.

9–10 “They are to use a blue cloth to cover the light-giving Lampstand and the lamps, snuffers, trays, and the oil jars that go with it. Then they are to wrap it all in a covering of dolphin skin and place it on a carrying frame.

11 “They are to spread a blue cloth over the Gold Altar and cover it with dolphin skins and place it on a carrying frame.

12 “They are to take all the articles used in ministering in the Sanctuary, wrap them in a blue cloth, cover them with dolphin skins, and place them on a carrying frame.

13–14 “They are to remove the ashes from the Altar and spread a purple cloth over it. They are to place on it all the articles used in ministering at the Altar—firepans, forks, shovels, bowls; everything used at the Altar—place them on the Altar, cover it with the dolphin skins, and insert the poles.

15 “When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy furnishings and all the holy articles, and the camp is ready to set out, the Kohathites are to come and do the carrying. But they must not touch the holy things or they will die. The Kohathites are in charge of carrying all the things that are in the Tent of Meeting.

16 “Eleazar son of Aaron the priest, is to be in charge of the oil for the light, the fragrant incense, the regular Grain-Offering, and the anointing oil. He is to be in charge of the entire Dwelling and everything in it, including its holy furnishings and articles.”

17–20 God spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Don’t let the tribal families of the Kohathites be destroyed from among the Levites. Protect them so they will live and not die when they come near the most holy things. To protect them, Aaron and his sons are to precede them into the Sanctuary and assign each man his task and what he is to carry. But the Kohathites themselves must not go in to look at the holy things, not even a glance at them, or they will die.”

Duties of the Gershonites

21–23 God spoke to Moses: “Number the Gershonites by tribes according to their ancestral families. Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who enter the ministry of work in the Tent of Meeting.

24–28 “The Gershonites by family and clan will serve by carrying heavy loads: the curtains of the Sanctuary and the Tent of Meeting; the covering of the Tent and the outer covering of dolphin skins; the screens for the entrance to the Tent; the cords; and all the equipment used in its ministries. The Gershonites have the job of doing the work connected with these things. All their work of lifting and carrying and moving is to be done under the supervision of Aaron and his sons. Assign them specifically what they are to carry. This is the work of the Gershonite clans at the Tent of Meeting. Ithamar son of Aaron the priest is to supervise their work.

Duties of the Merarites

29–30 “Number the Merarites by their ancestral families. Count all the men from thirty to fifty years of age who enter the ministry of work at the Tent of Meeting.

31–33 “This is their assigned duty as they go to work at the Tent of Meeting: to carry the frames of The Dwelling, its crossbars, posts, and bases, as well as the posts of the surrounding Courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, cords, and all the equipment related to their use. Assign to each man exactly what he is to carry. This is the ministry of the Merarite clans as they work at the Tent of Meeting under the supervision of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest.”

34–37 Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of the congregation counted the Kohathites by clan and family. All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting, counted by clans, were 2,750. This was the total from the Kohathite clans who served in the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them just as God had commanded through Moses.

38–41 The Gershonites were counted by clan and family. All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting, counted by clan and family, were 2,630. This was the total from the Gershonite clans who served in the Tent of Meeting. Moses and Aaron counted them just as God had commanded.

42–45 The Merarites were counted by clan and family. All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to serve in the work in the Tent of Meeting, counted by clan, were 3,200. This was the total from the Merarite clans. Moses and Aaron counted them just as God had commanded through Moses.

46–49 So Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted all the Levites by clan and family. All the men from thirty to fifty years of age who came to do the work of serving and carrying the Tent of Meeting numbered 8,580. At God’s command through Moses, each man was assigned his work and told what to carry.

And that’s the story of their numbering, as God commanded Moses.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

by Mike Wittmer

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Acts 20:17-24

On to Jerusalem

17–21 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the leaders of the congregation. When they arrived, he said, “You know that from day one of my arrival in Asia I was with you totally—laying my life on the line, serving the Master no matter what, putting up with no end of scheming by Jews who wanted to do me in. I didn’t skimp or trim in any way. Every truth and encouragement that could have made a difference to you, you got. I taught you out in public and I taught you in your homes, urging Jews and Greeks alike to a radical life-change before God and an equally radical trust in our Master Jesus.

22–24 “But there is another urgency before me now. I feel compelled to go to Jerusalem. I’m completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there. I do know that it won’t be any picnic, for the Holy Spirit has let me know repeatedly and clearly that there are hard times and imprisonment ahead. But that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God.

Today's Insights

In Acts 20:22-24, Paul was compelled by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. No matter what happened to him there, his aim was to complete “the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (v. 24). This urgency likewise motivated him to urge Timothy to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2). Peter too felt the same urgency. Immediately after being filled by the Spirit (Acts 2:4), he began preaching the good news to the gathered crowd (vv. 14-40). The Spirit is the one who empowers and motivates believers in Jesus to spread the good news (1:8; 4:31; 8:29). And He’s the one who gives us the words to speak (Matthew 10:19-20). The Spirit continues to motivate and compel believers today to tell others about Christ. We can trust Him to provide the words to tell of the Savior who died and rose again so that all who receive Him can spend eternity with Him.

Saving Lives

I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing. Acts 20:19

Adolfo Kaminsky knew how to remove indelible ink from paper. As a member of the anti-Nazi resistance in France, he altered identification cards to save hundreds from concentration camps. Once he was given three days to forge nine hundred birth and baptismal certificates and ration cards for three hundred Jewish children. He labored two straight days without sleep, telling himself, “In one hour I can make thirty blank documents. If I sleep for an hour thirty people will die.”

The apostle Paul felt a similar urgency. He reminded the church in Ephesus how he’d “served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing” (Acts 20:19). Paul said, “I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you” (v. 20). This urgency compelled him to share with everyone the necessity of repentance and faith in Jesus (v. 21). Now he was sailing back to Jerusalem, eager to “finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus [had] given [him]—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace” (v. 24).

Paul couldn’t save people. Only God does that. But he could tell them God’s good news about Jesus, the only “name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

Who is the Holy Spirit bringing to your mind today? You can share God’s good news with them.

Reflect & Pray

Who do you know who needs to hear “the good news of God’s grace”? How might you share it with them?

Dear Jesus, please open my heart to those who need You and give me opportunities to tell them of Your love.

For further study, read The Power of Prayer in Sharing the Gospel.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

The Disciple’s Goal

Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem.” — Luke 18:31

In our natural life, our ambitions change as we grow and mature. In our Christian life, the goal is given to us at the beginning: we start with Christ and we end with him; the beginning and the end are the same. Disciples live this out in their willingness to follow Jesus wherever he leads. We think the aim of the Christian life is to be useful or to win converts. The disciple is useful and does win converts, but this isn’t the aim. The aim is to do the will of God by following Jesus when he says, “We are going up to Jerusalem.”

In our Lord’s life, Jerusalem was the place where he reached the climax of his Father’s will upon the cross. Unless we go with Jesus to Jerusalem, we will have no companionship with him. Nothing ever discouraged our Lord on his way to Jerusalem. He didn’t hurry through the villages where he was persecuted or linger in the villages where he was blessed. Neither gratitude nor ingratitude turned him away from his purpose: to go up to Jerusalem.

“The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master” (Luke 6:40 kjv). If Jesus Christ is our master, then the same things that happened to him as he went to his Jerusalem will happen to us as we go to ours. Works of God will be manifested through us; people will be blessed. One or two of these people will show gratitude; the rest will show ingratitude. No matter what, we must let nothing deflect us from going up to our Jerusalem.

“They crucified him there” (23:33). The cross is what happened when our Lord reached Jerusalem, and that happening is the gateway to our salvation. Those who follow Jesus Christ do not end in crucifixion; by the Lord’s grace, they end in glory. In the meantime, our watchword is “I, too, go up to Jerusalem.”

Song of Solomon 1-3; Galatians 2

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

The great point of Abraham’s faith in God was that he was prepared to do anything for God.

Not Knowing Whither

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

HOW TO BUILD A LIFE THAT WORKS - #10097

I guess you could call it creative architecture. Or you could just call it a big stone in the middle of a high brick wall. I saw this phenomenon when I visited the new station of one of our radio partners. The front wall of the station has this big old 230-pound stone about halfway up the wall in the middle of the bricks. There's no way that could be a mistake or an accident. It is, in fact, a message.

A masonry contractor offered to do some of the work on the station, and somewhere along the way he thought about a stone like this. He thought about what the Bible says about Jesus being the "chief cornerstone." So he went to the local quarry and he found this impressive piece of rock, which he installed in a central spot in the front of the building, with the "chief cornerstone" scripture reference under it. I love the reason he gave for this unusual feature. He said, "You build everything around the cornerstone." Wow!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "How to Build a Life That Works."

That's a builder who knows how to build a life, not just a building. And he's following the life blueprint laid out for us in the Bible, the only book God ever wrote. God is the Master Architect, not only of the universe, but of your life and mine. He tells us how to build it in our word for today in the Word of God in 1 Peter 2, beginning with verse 4. "As you come to Him, the living Stone (that's speaking of Jesus symbolically), rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house. See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame. Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. To those who do not believe, 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,' and, 'a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.'"

These verses are all about Jesus. Your life is supposed to be all about Jesus, with Him as the cornerstone, with everything else in your life built on Him - your relationships, your marriage, your money. But maybe you're building on another cornerstone right now. Slowly but surely, you've pushed Jesus from the center of things to the edge.

He's the King of kings. He's the Lord of lords, but you've pushed Him to the margins. You can tell by how little time you spend with Him, by how little you make Him the bottom line in your decisions, or by the things you do that break His heart. But count on this: unless your life is being built on Jesus as the center, what you're building is not going to last, it isn't going to satisfy, and it isn't going to work.

The contractor who put that cornerstone in the middle of the wall found it at a quarry on the reject pile. A stone the builders had rejected. It now stands representing the Chief Cornerstone. Jesus is the Cornerstone rejected by man, but loved by those who are building their life around Him. Maybe you've made the mistake of rejecting Jesus as the center of your life. He's the reason you're here. In fact, the Bible says you were "created by Him and for Him" (Colossians 1:16). He gave His life for your sin so you could belong to Him...so you could live the life you were made for.

Would you let today be the day that you open your heart to the One who loved you so much He died for you? That would be God's only Son, Jesus, who knocks at the door of your heart this very day. But the handle is on the inside. You've got to let Him in.

Today, would you say, "Jesus, I've built my life around me. I'm building it around You from now on. You died for my sin, You walked out of your grave under your own power. Walk into my life this day. I invite You. I turn my life over to You."

Listen, I wish you would go to our website today. Everything you need to know about making sure you belong to Him is there. It's ANewStory.com.

Jesus is the only Cornerstone that can support everything you face in your life. Make sure that you're building that life all around Him.

Monday, September 22, 2025

Numbers 3, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: UPROOT TOXIC THOUGHTS - September 22, 2025

Ephesians 4:23-24 (CEV) reads, “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person.” How? I have a three-word answer to that question: Uproot and Replant.

Your mind is like a lawn. Your toxic thoughts are like grass burrs. They prompt a predictable chain reaction. These are untruths that lead to false narratives that result in overreactions. They stick and they hurt. They sour your mood and embitter your heart. You might mow them down. Give yourself pep talks. Read a book on positive mental attitude. And, for a day or two or ten, the weeds will disappear. But eventually they return.

God has a better plan: Yank ‘em out by the roots. Your Father gives you his Word, and he invites you to treat the lies of hell with the words of heaven.

Tame Your Thoughts: Three Tools to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life

Numbers 3

The Levites

1 3 This is the family tree of Aaron and Moses at the time God spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

2–4 The names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar—anointed priests ordained to serve as priests. But Nadab and Abihu fell dead in the presence of God when they offered unauthorized sacrifice to him in the Wilderness of Sinai. They left no sons, and so only Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests during the lifetime of their father, Aaron.

5–10 God spoke to Moses. He said, “Bring forward the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron so they can help him. They shall work for him and the whole congregation at the Tent of Meeting by doing the work of The Dwelling. Their job is to be responsible for all the furnishings of The Dwelling, ministering to the affairs of The Dwelling as the People of Israel come to perform their duties. Turn the Levites over to Aaron and his sons; they are the ones assigned to work full time for him. Appoint Aaron and his sons to minister as priests; anyone else who tries to elbow his way in will be put to death.”

11–13 God spoke to Moses: “I have taken the Levites from among the People of Israel as a stand-in for every Israelite mother’s firstborn son. The Levites belong to me. All the firstborn are mine—when I killed all the firstborn in Egypt, I consecrated for my own use every firstborn in Israel, whether human or animal. They belong to me. I am God.”

14–16 God spoke to Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai: “Count the Levites by their ancestral families and clans. Count every male a month old and older.” Moses counted them just as he was instructed by the mouth of God.

17 These are the names of the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

18 These are the names of the Gershonite clans: Libni and Shimei.

19 The sons of Kohath by clan: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

20 The sons of Merari by clan: Mahli and Mushi.

These are the clans of Levi, family by family.

21–26 Gershon was ancestor to the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites, known as the Gershonite clans. All the males who were one month and older numbered 7,500. The Gershonite clans camped on the west, behind The Dwelling, led by Eliasaph son of Lael. At the Tent of Meeting the Gershonites were in charge of maintaining The Dwelling and its tent, its coverings, the screen at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the hangings of the Courtyard, the screen at the entrance to the Courtyard that surrounded The Dwelling and Altar, and the cords—in short, everything having to do with these things.

27–32 Kohath was ancestor to the clans of the Amramites, Izharites, Hebronites, and Uzzielites. These were known as the Kohathite clans. All the males who were one month and older numbered 8,600. The Kohathites were in charge of the Sanctuary. The Kohathite clans camped on the south side of The Dwelling, led by Elizaphan son of Uzziel. They were in charge of caring for the Chest, the Table, the Lampstand, the Altars, the articles of the Sanctuary used in worship, and the screen—everything having to do with these things. Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, supervised the leaders of the Levites and those in charge of the Sanctuary.

33–37 Merari was ancestor to the clans of the Mahlites and the Mushites, known as the Merarite clans. The males who were one month and older numbered 6,200. They were led by Zuriel son of Abihail and camped on the north side of The Dwelling. The Merarites were in charge of the frames of The Dwelling, its crossbars, posts, bases, and all its equipment—everything having to do with these things, as well as the posts of the surrounding Courtyard with their bases, tent pegs, and cords.

38 Moses and Aaron and his sons camped to the east of The Dwelling, toward the rising sun, in front of the Tent of Meeting. They were in charge of maintaining the Sanctuary for the People of Israel and the rituals of worship. Anyone else who tried to perform these duties was to be put to death.

39 The sum total of Levites counted at God’s command by Moses and Aaron, clan by clan, all the males one month and older, numbered 22,000.

40–41 God spoke to Moses: “Count all the firstborn males of the People of Israel who are one month and older. List their names. Then set apart for me the Levites—remember, I am God—in place of all the firstborn among the People of Israel, also the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. I am God.”

42–43 So, just as God commanded him, Moses counted all the firstborn of the People of Israel. The total of firstborn males one month and older, listed by name, numbered 22,273.

44–48 Again God spoke to Moses. He said, “Take the Levites in place of all the firstborn of Israel and the livestock of the Levites in place of their livestock. The Levites are mine, I am God. Redeem the 273 firstborn Israelites who exceed the number of Levites by collecting five shekels for each one, using the Sanctuary shekel (the shekel weighing twenty gerahs). Give that money to Aaron and his sons for the redemption of the excess number of Israelites.”

49–51 So Moses collected the redemption money from those who exceeded the number redeemed by the Levites. From the 273 firstborn Israelites he collected silver weighing 1,365 shekels according to the Sanctuary shekel. Moses turned over the redemption money to Aaron and his sons, as he was commanded by the word of God.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Monday, September 22, 2025

by Sheridan Voysey

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

John 14:8-14

Philip said, “Master, show us the Father; then we’ll be content.”

9–10 “You’ve been with me all this time, Philip, and you still don’t understand? To see me is to see the Father. So how can you ask, ‘Where is the Father?’ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you aren’t mere words. I don’t just make them up on my own. The Father who resides in me crafts each word into a divine act.

11–14 “Believe me: I am in my Father and my Father is in me. If you can’t believe that, believe what you see—these works. The person who trusts me will not only do what I’m doing but even greater things, because I, on my way to the Father, am giving you the same work to do that I’ve been doing. You can count on it. From now on, whatever you request along the lines of who I am and what I am doing, I’ll do it. That’s how the Father will be seen for who he is in the Son. I mean it. Whatever you request in this way, I’ll do.

Today's Insights

Lack of spiritual sight wasn’t limited to those closest to Jesus. The beginning of John’s gospel says this about people not being able to see Christ for who He is: “He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (1:10-11).

Yet Jesus had expectations for those who were closest to Him—those who’d heard His words, who’d seen and experienced His works. He rebuked His disciple for not recognizing Him: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?” (14:9). When we honestly and prayerfully evaluate the words and works of Christ as seen in the Gospels, the Spirit can open our eyes and hearts regarding His identity as God’s Son and the King of Kings, and we’ll be welcomed into the family of God (1:12-13).

Recognizing Jesus

Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? John 14:9

Richard Griffin was Queen Elizabeth II’s personal police officer for fourteen years. Accompanying her on a picnic in the hills near Balmoral Castle one day, they met two American hikers. “Have you ever met the Queen?” they asked, not recognizing the monarch in plain dress. “I haven’t,” the Queen quipped, “but Richard here meets her regularly!” Thrilled to meet someone close to royalty, the hikers then handed the Queen their camera, posed with Richard, and asked her to take a photo!

It isn’t the first time someone has been in the presence of an important person unawares. “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it,” Jacob said after encountering God in a dream at Bethel (Genesis 28:16). And when Philip asked Jesus to show the disciples the Father, Jesus replied, “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Like the hikers, the disciples had been ready to hand Jesus the camera, not recognizing He was the one to zoom in on (vv. 10-11).

Like the Queen that day, Jesus hasn’t always been recognized for who He really is. Beyond a “wise teacher” or “great moral leader,” He’s God in the flesh and King of the world (1:14; 18:36). What a revelation it is when we discover it!

Reflect & Pray

What would you say to Jesus if you met Him on a picnic trip? Who do you understand Him to be?

Dear Jesus, I praise You today for being the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and far more than I can ever grasp.

Learn more about the divinity and humanity of Jesus.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, September 22, 2025

The Disciple’s Master

Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. — John 13:13 kjv

To have a master and to be mastered aren’t the same thing. To have Jesus as a master means that there is someone who knows me better than I know myself, someone who is closer than a friend, who is able to satisfy the deepest longing of my heart. It’s to belong to someone who gives me the secure sense that he has met and solved every perplexity and problem of my mind. To have Jesus as my master is all this and nothing less.

To be mastered is different; it implies coercion or force. Jesus Christ never enforces obedience. At certain times, I wish he would, but he doesn’t. At other times, I wish he’d leave me alone, but he won’t.

“Ye call me Master and Lord.” We call Jesus our Lord and Master, but is he? “Master” and “Lord” have little place in today’s vocabulary. We prefer “Savior,” “Teacher,” and “Healer.” The only word to describe the experience of having Jesus as master is love, and many of us know very little about love as God reveals it. This is proved by the way we use the word obey. We use it to mean the submission of a weaker person to a more powerful person. In the Bible, obedience is based on a relationship of equals: the relationship of the Father and the Son. Our Lord wasn’t God’s servant; he was God’s Son. Jesus obeyed his Father because he loved him.

Our relationship to Jesus is to be the same as his relationship to the Father. If instead we think we are being mastered, it is proof that we have no master. To take this attitude toward Jesus is to be far from the relationship he wants. He wants us in a relationship in which he is easily and effortlessly Master, so much so that we aren’t even conscious of it. All we know is that we love him, and that we are his to rule.

Ecclesiastes 10-12; Galatians 1

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

We are not to preach the doing of good things; good deeds are not to be preached, they are to be performed.

So Send I You

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, September 22, 2025

THE MATING GAME - #10096

I never heard the words till I got to college. You start talking about Senior Panic. Yeah, well, if you didn't have a prospective mate by your senior year, it became pretty obvious that the odds were working against you and time was not on your side. Sadly, there were some people who got somebody in their desperation, but time began to show they got the wrong somebody. I guess you don't have to be a senior to begin to panic over your singleness. In fact, you may very well fear deep down inside never being married or never having anyone again; that you're going to be stuck eating frozen dinners alone a lot of nights for the rest of your life. In your anxiety, you can make a terrible mistake. I think we've got some good news today!

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

Our word for today from the Word of God? It goes back to the very first couple there ever was. You remember Adam and Eve, or as my daughter said when she was a little girl when we asked her who were the first man and woman, she said, "I know! I know! Eve and Steve." Well, no, that's not quite right. It's Adam and Eve. And it says in Genesis 2, beginning with verse 20, "So the man gave names to all the livestock; the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib that he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man."

Oh, I love that story and I love some of the priorities that it teaches. God saw that Adam needed someone. He said to him, "It's not good for you to be alone." Now, in spite of the fact that he had God over him and the animals under him, he had no one to be next to him. And so, Adam slept while God worked on that need. And God prepared Adam for a partner, and then He rested. And at just the right time, God brought them together, "He brought her to the man" it says.

Now, how different that is from the frantic American dating game. We don't wait, we chase! We catch a husband; we catch a wife. I'll tell you, there is no one who knows what you need emotionally better than the God who made you. I wonder, do you think you could trust Him to meet your very deepest need as a man, as a woman? Now, that might be through a fulfilling singleness, or it might be through the marriage that perhaps you hope He'll bring about. Or are you going to have Senior Panic? Are you going to take matters into your own hands and chase, and pursue, and manipulate, and grab what you can and try to push and press?

God has unique plans. God has unique people. God has unique timing that is just for your unique life. Don't compare how He's working in someone else's life to yours. He's got a plan that's never been there before. There's never been a you. He's got a plan just for you. Right now the thing to work on is building God-glorifying friendships with both sexes without that pressure of having to think marriage with them or to push for marriage, or to put the very pressure on them that might ruin the whole thing. Don't panic!

Psalm 23:1 says, "The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want." God can meet your need in the very same way He did with Adam. Adam didn't go and find his own wife and create his own situation. Let God meet your needs. And He'll do it like with Adam, when you're resting, not running.

There's a wonderful statement in Colossians 2:10 for all of us who belong to Jesus. It says, "You are complete in Him." Wow! Married or single, alone or with lots of people, you are complete in Him, and Jesus is enough.

Sunday, September 21, 2025

Mark 12:1-27, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

MaxLucado.com: So Many Hurts

If hurts were hairs—we’d all look like grizzlies!

So many hurts. When teachers ignore your work, their neglect hurts. When your girlfriend drops you, when your husband abandons you, when the company fires you, it hurts. Rejection always does. People bring pain.

Sometimes deliberately. Sometimes randomly.

So where do you turn? Hitman.com? Jim Beam and friends? Pity Party Catering Service? Retaliation has its appeal. But Jesus has a better idea!

Grace is not blind. It sees the hurt full well. But Grace chooses to see God’s forgiveness even more. Hebrews 12:15 asks us to, “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”

Where grace is lacking, bitterness abounds. Where grace abounds, forgiveness grows. Forgiveness may not happen all at once. But it can happen with you.

From GRACE

Mark 12:1-27

The Story About a Vineyard

1–2 12 Then Jesus started telling them stories. “A man planted a vineyard. He fenced it, dug a winepress, erected a watchtower, turned it over to the farmhands, and went off on a trip. At the time for harvest, he sent a servant back to the farmhands to collect his profits.

3–5 “They grabbed him, beat him up, and sent him off empty-handed. So he sent another servant. That one they tarred and feathered. He sent another and that one they killed. And on and on, many others. Some they beat up, some they killed.

6 “Finally there was only one left: a beloved son. In a last-ditch effort, he sent him, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’

7–8 “But those farmhands saw their chance. They rubbed their hands together in greed and said, ‘This is the heir! Let’s kill him and have it all for ourselves.’ They grabbed him, killed him, and threw him over the fence.

9–11 “What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? Right. He’ll come and clean house. Then he’ll assign the care of the vineyard to others. Read it for yourselves in Scripture:

That stone the masons threw out

is now the cornerstone!

This is God’s work;

we rub our eyes—we can hardly believe it!”

12 They wanted to lynch him then and there but, intimidated by public opinion, held back. They knew the story was about them. They got away from there as fast as they could.

Paying Taxes to Caesar

13–14 They sent some Pharisees and followers of Herod to bait him, hoping to catch him saying something incriminating. They came up and said, “Teacher, we know you have integrity, that you are indifferent to public opinion, don’t pander to your students, and teach the way of God accurately. Tell us: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

15–16 He knew it was a trick question, and said, “Why are you playing these games with me? Bring me a coin and let me look at it.” They handed him one.

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

“Caesar,” they said.

17 Jesus said, “Give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his.”

Their mouths hung open, speechless.

Our Intimacies Will Be with God

18–23 Some Sadducees, the party that denies any possibility of resurrection, came up and asked, “Teacher, Moses wrote that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother is obligated to marry the widow and have children. Well, there once were seven brothers. The first took a wife. He died childless. The second married her. He died, and still no child. The same with the third. All seven took their turn, but no child. Finally the wife died. When they are raised at the resurrection, whose wife is she? All seven were her husband.”

24–27 Jesus said, “You’re way off base, and here’s why: One, you don’t know your Bibles; two, you don’t know how God works. After the dead are raised up, we’re past the marriage business. As it is with angels now, all our ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. And regarding the dead, whether or not they are raised, don’t you ever read the Bible? How God at the bush said to Moses, ‘I am—not was—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? The living God is God of the living, not the dead. You’re way, way off base.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Sunday, September 21, 2025

by Karen Pimpo

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Romans 5:1-11

Developing Patience

1–2 5 By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

3–5 There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

6–8 Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

9–11 Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we’re at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!

Today's Insights

Paul begins Romans 5 with the word therefore. He highlights what he’s already said—“we have been justified through faith” (v. 1)—and then points to its practical implications. Those who’ve been justified by their faith in the promises of God through Jesus (see 4:13-25) can enjoy peace with God (5:1), endurance through suffering, growth in character, and the overwhelming love of God (vv. 3-5).

Peace with God is a gift we receive through faith in Christ and is just the beginning of our new life. It forms the foundation from which we can grow through suffering as we cling to the hope of future glory. It teaches us to live like Jesus lived, who offered His life out of love for others and provides the peace we need.

Peace with God

Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

When I accompanied my friend to the salon on her birthday, we were delighted by the pampering we received. Soothing music and a personal attendant welcomed us to the tranquil, dimly lit spa. The whole experience was calm, quiet, and restful. I had to suppress a giggle, however, at a sign displayed on a table proclaiming, “This organic hair-care line gives you more than beautiful hair—it gives you peace of mind.”

We know hair products don’t bring lasting peace, yet we often settle for temporary relief when our world is stressful. In reality, true peace comes not from something but someone.

While encouraging the believers in Jesus in Rome, Paul reminded them, “Since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Sin separates us from God, but Christ’s atoning sacrifice makes a way for us to have a relationship with Him (5:9-10). Jesus offers peace for today and peace for eternity (v. 1)—providing “access by faith into this grace,” “the hope of the glory of God” (v. 2), and hope despite earthly suffering (vv. 3-4). Peace with God is more than simply a feeling; it’s a gift we receive through faith in Jesus. Whether we feel close to God or not, His peace is available to us—at a salon or a hospital, in times of serenity and times of chaos.

Reflect & Pray

When are you tempted to seek a peaceful circumstance more than peace with God? How does the reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice allow you to rest in Him today?

Dear Jesus, thank You for providing peace through Your own sacrifice.

Learn more about Jesus's Victory over Adam's Curse.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Sunday, September 21, 2025

The Disciple’s Purpose

And now the Lord says—he who formed me in the womb to be his servant . . . “I will also make you a light.” — Isaiah 49:5–6

After we’ve recognized our calling to God in Jesus Christ, the first thing that happens is the destruction of our prejudices and patriotisms. No longer are we servants of our own creeds and convictions; we have become servants of God’s purpose.

The whole of humanity was created to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. Sin switched humanity onto another track, but it hasn’t altered God’s original purpose. When I am born again, I’m brought into the reality of God’s great purpose for humankind; I realize that I have been created for the God who made me. This is the most joyful realization on earth.

We have to learn to rely on the tremendous creative purposes of God. Once I’ve recognized my calling, the first thing God does is “force thro’ the channels of a single heart” the interests of the entire world. The very nature of God is introduced into me, and his nature is this: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son” (John 3:16).

We have to keep our souls open to God’s creative purposes and be careful not to muddle them with our own. If we do bring in our agendas, God will have to crush them, however much pain it may cause. The purpose for which the Christian disciple is created is to be God’s servant, one in whom God is glorified. Through the salvation won for us by Jesus Christ, we are made perfectly fit for God. Once we realize this, we will understand why Jesus Christ is so ruthless in his demands. He demands absolute virtue and honor from his disciples because he has put into them the very nature of God. Be careful not to forget God’s purpose for your life.

Ecclesiastes 7-9; 2 Corinthians 13

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

Confirming One’s Calling and Election

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Friday, September 26, 2025

Thursday, September 25, 2025

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Tuesday, September 23, 2025

Monday, September 22, 2025

Sunday, September 21, 2025