Proverbs 12, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THE LORD GIVES A WORD - September 18, 2026

For six long weeks Elijah had walked across the wilderness of Sinai. Finally he reached and began to ascend Mt. Horeb. Elijah was in search of God.

And, according to 1 Kings 19:9 (NKJV), “the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” Elijah answered with a complaint. I did everything you told me to do, but your people have rejected your covenants and killed your prophets. I’m the only one left in the country, and now they want to kill me too.

Well, the Lord gave Elijah a word. According to verse 12, our Creator spoke to the prophet with a still, small voice. He will speak a word to you as well. Let his Word, living and active, speak to you. Open your Bible and listen.Christianity

Unbreakable Courage

Proverbs 12

 If you love learning, you love the discipline that goes with it—

how shortsighted to refuse correction!

2  A good person basks in the delight of God,

and he wants nothing to do with devious schemers.

3  You can’t find firm footing in a swamp,

but life rooted in God stands firm.

4  A hearty wife invigorates her husband,

but a frigid woman is cancer in the bones.

5  The thinking of principled people makes for justice;

the plots of degenerates corrupt.

6  The words of the wicked kill;

the speech of the upright saves.

7  Wicked people fall to pieces—there’s nothing to them;

the homes of good people hold together.

8  A person who talks sense is honored;

airheads are held in contempt.

9  Better to be ordinary and work for a living

than act important and starve in the process.

10  Good people are good to their animals;

the “good-hearted” bad people kick and abuse them.

11  The one who stays on the job has food on the table;

the witless chase whims and fancies.

12  What the wicked construct finally falls into ruin,

while the roots of the righteous give life, and more life.

Wise People Take Advice

13  The gossip of bad people gets them in trouble;

the conversation of good people keeps them out of it.

14  Well-spoken words bring satisfaction;

well-done work has its own reward.

15  Fools are headstrong and do what they like;

wise people take advice.

16  Fools have short fuses and explode all too quickly;

the prudent quietly shrug off insults.

17  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.

21  No evil can overwhelm a good person,

but the wicked have their hands full of it.

22  God can’t stomach liars;

he loves the company of those who keep their word.

23  Prudent people don’t flaunt their knowledge;

talkative fools broadcast their silliness.

24  The diligent find freedom in their work;

the lazy are oppressed by work.

25  Worry weighs us down;

a cheerful word picks us up.

26  A good person survives misfortune,

but a wicked life invites disaster.

27  A lazy life is an empty life,

but “early to rise” gets the job done.

28  Good men and women travel right into life;

sin’s detours take you straight to hell.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Friday, September 18, 2026

by Elisa Morgan

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Matthew 6:25-34

“If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.

27–29  “Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.

30–33  “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

34  “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.

Today's Insights

In Matthew 6:25-33, Jesus used a principle for logic and interpretation sometimes called qal wahomer, Hebrew for “light and heavy.” It argues that if something is true for something less important (“light”), it’s also true for something more important (“heavy”). Christ used this principle to emphasize that if God cares for the birds and clothes the fields, how much more must He care for His beloved children (Matthew 6:26-30). When we trust God, we exchange our preoccupation on what’s less important for a devotion to what’s most important. Today, when we struggle with worry, God can help us focus on Him, knowing that He’ll take care of all our needs (v. 33).

For further study, read: Our HelpOur Help, His Presence

Seeking God’s Kingdom

Seek first [God’s] kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

My young grandson was spending the night in our new home, in a bed unfamiliar to him. He giggled with excitement as we read books under the dinosaur tent I’d pitched atop his cozy comforter, but when it was time to sleep, his eyes widened with worry. “How will I find you if I need you?” he asked. An idea emerged, and I grabbed a roll of ribbon from the gift wrap stash in the closet. Together we unspooled it from his bed, onto the floor, down the hall, and into my bedroom. “Don’t worry,” I said. “If you need me in the night, follow the string and you’ll find me!” He beamed in response.

In Matthew 6, Jesus speaks straight to our struggle with worry about what we’ll eat and drink, about our body and what we’ll wear (v. 25). The Greek root of the word translated “worry” means to be torn in two directions—the direction of faith versus self-reliance. In verse 33, Jesus offers the solution to worry: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” It’s a challenge to us to choose and follow the one direction that leads straight to His heart.

When we struggle with worries, we can follow the “string” that directs us to God’s kingdom, His ways, and His presence, knowing that He will provide all we need.

Reflect & Pray

How does knowing that God has given His presence in your days and nights help you resolve your worries? How might you follow the “string” to find God’s presence today?

Dear God, please help me seek Your kingdom each day, knowing that You long to meet my needs.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Friday, September 18, 2026

His Temptation and Ours

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way . . . yet he did not sin. — Hebrews 4:15

Until we are born again, the only temptation we understand is the kind mentioned in the book of James: “Each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed” (1:14). After we are born again and become Jesus’s brothers and sisters, we are lifted into a different realm, where we begin to face the kinds of temptation our Lord faced during his human lifetime. Before our spiritual rebirth, our Lord’s temptations and ours moved in different spheres. His were the temptations of God-as-man, while ours were merely the temptations of man.

Once the Son of God was formed inside us through the Holy Spirit, the Spirit began to detect certain of Satan’s temptations—temptations which we, on our own, could never recognize. Satan doesn’t tempt believers to sin; he tries to lure us away from what has been put into us by our spiritual rebirth, in the hopes that we’ll no longer be of value to God. He tempts us to change our point of view, so that we’ll no longer see things from Christ’s perspective. Only the Spirit of God can detect this as a temptation of the devil.

What happens in temptation is that an outside power comes to test the things we hold dear within us, the things that define our personality. This explains the way in which our Lord was tempted. Within his person, he held the fact that he was to be the king of humankind and the savior of the world, and these are precisely what Satan came to test him on. Jesus went through the temptation and “did not sin” (Hebrews 4:15), emerging from the battle with his personality intact. If we will commit ourselves to him, his Spirit will take us through every temptation in the same way, and we will emerge from the battle victorious.

Proverbs 30-31; 2 Corinthians 11:1-15

 

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

Friday, September 18, 2026

Only Knowing the Words - #10355

Scripture:  Mark 7:6

My friend, Scott, told me about a man he knows who has been a professional bus driver for years. The driver is actually from Australia, but he has driven bus tours in places across the world. And he says there is this one classic movie that his passengers seem to watch on just about every bus tour. In fact, it’s been shown on his bus so many times he literally knows the script of the movie by heart! But the funny thing is this: because he’s always driving, he’s never seen the movie that he knows all the words for!

I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about “Only Knowing the Words.”

It’s not enough to just know the words; especially when it comes to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The Bible describes people who are a little like that bus driver who knows all about the movie but has never really experienced it. These people know all the words about Jesus, but somehow they have never really seen Jesus, never really experienced Him as their personal Savior, their personal Lord. In fact, there’s probably someone like that listening right now. And Jesus is reaching out to you right now to become more than words to you.

In Mark 7:6, our word for today from the Word of God, the Lord may be describing you or someone you know. “…These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” In other words, they talk a good game, they talk a God-game, they sound like they know Him but they’re far away. And only God knows it because they sound so good.

This business of belonging to Jesus, of having eternal life, is so much more than something in your vocabulary or in your head or the meetings you go to. Romans 10:10 makes it clear that “…it is with your heart that you believe and are justified…” That means made right with God. It’s whether Jesus is in your heart that determines your destiny, not whether He’s in your words, or your head, or your beliefs, or your schedule. It’s possible to have Jesus all around you but not inside you. And if you’re missing Jesus, you’re going to miss heaven.

Could it be that for all your time and experience in the world of Jesus followers you’ve somehow never really committed yourself to the Man who died for you? In Matthew 7, Jesus describes people who will come to Him on Judgment Day saying all the right words, having all the right background, having done all the right things, and then some of the most chilling words in the Bible. He will say to them, “I never knew you.” They had Christianity, but they missed Christ.

Those who are in the deadliest danger zone may not be those who haven’t heard about Jesus, but those who have heard over and over again, and they’ve never responded. Could that be you? You’re risking a hardened heart that passes a spiritual point of no return.

This is the day for you to say words to Jesus, not just all those words about Jesus. Words from your heart to His heart that say, “Jesus, beginning today I want to really belong to You. I am totally trusting You as my Savior from my sin, which You paid for when You died on that cross.” He has been waiting a long time for that invitation to come in and to take over your life. Don’t risk hardening your heart. Don’t risk missing what could be your final opportunity.

If you want to be sure you belong to Him today; if you want to "cross over" as the Bible says from death to life and know Him in your heart, not just in your head, I think our website would be a great place for you to go next. It's ANewStory.com. And it will help you nail down your personal relationship with Jesus once and for all.

You’ve had the right words, you’ve had the right beliefs, but it’s never satisfied your soul, has it? Now, this is the day you can finally know the Savior that you’ve known about for so long.

Proverbs 11, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: GET REFRESHED - September 17, 2026

Elijah was depressed and exhausted. “Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, ‘Get up and eat.’…He ate and drank and then lay down again” (1 Kings 19:5-6 NIV).

What does God say to the sad and weary? Be refreshed. God told Elijah to eat and sleep. The drama on Mt. Carmel. The execution of the false priests. The twenty-seven-mile run in front of Ahab’s chariot. He had reason to be depleted.

God rested on the seventh day. The world didn’t collapse when he took a Sabbath. It won’t fall apart if you do the same. If you are depressed and feel like giving up, his word to you is “get refreshed.”

Unbreakable Courage

Proverbs 11

Without Good Direction, People Lose Their Way

1  11 God hates cheating in the marketplace;

he loves it when business is aboveboard.

2  The stuck-up fall flat on their faces,

but down-to-earth people stand firm.

3  The integrity of the honest keeps them on track;

the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin.

4  A thick bankroll is no help when life falls apart,

but a principled life can stand up to the worst.

5  Moral character makes for smooth traveling;

an evil life is a hard life.

6  Good character is the best insurance;

crooks get trapped in their sinful lust.

7  When the wicked die, that’s it—

the story’s over, end of hope.

8  A good person is saved from much trouble;

a bad person runs straight into it.

9  The loose tongue of the godless spreads destruction;

the common sense of the godly preserves them.

10  When it goes well for good people, the whole town cheers;

when it goes badly for bad people, the town celebrates.

11  When right-living people bless the city, it flourishes;

evil talk turns it into a ghost town in no time.

12  Mean-spirited slander is heartless;

quiet discretion accompanies good sense.

13  A gadabout gossip can’t be trusted with a secret,

but someone of integrity won’t violate a confidence.

14  Without good direction, people lose their way;

the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.

15  Whoever makes deals with strangers is sure to get burned;

if you keep a cool head, you’ll avoid rash bargains.

16  A woman of gentle grace gets respect,

but men of rough violence grab for loot.

A God-Shaped Life

17  When you’re kind to others, you help yourself;

when you’re cruel to others, you hurt yourself.

18  Bad work gets paid with a bad check;

good work gets solid pay.

19  Take your stand with God’s loyal community and live,

or chase after phantoms of evil and die.

20  God can’t stand deceivers,

but oh how he relishes integrity.

21  Count on this: The wicked won’t get off scot-free,

and God’s loyal people will triumph.

22  Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout

is a beautiful face on an empty head.

23  The desires of good people lead straight to the best,

but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.

24  The world of the generous gets larger and larger;

the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

25  The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;

those who help others are helped.

26  Curses on those who drive a hard bargain!

Blessings on all who play fair and square!

27  The one who seeks good finds delight;

the student of evil becomes evil.

28  A life devoted to things is a dead life, a stump;

a God-shaped life is a flourishing tree.

29  Exploit or abuse your family, and end up with a fistful of air;

common sense tells you it’s a stupid way to live.

30  A good life is a fruit-bearing tree;

a violent life destroys souls.

31  If good people barely make it,

what’s in store for the bad!

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Thursday, September 17, 2026

by Leslie Koh

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Nehemiah 4:6-14

We kept at it, repairing and rebuilding the wall. The whole wall was soon joined together and halfway to its intended height because the people had a heart for the work.

7–9  When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairs of the walls of Jerusalem were going so well—that the breaks in the wall were being fixed—they were absolutely furious. They put their heads together and decided to fight against Jerusalem and create as much trouble as they could. We countered with prayer to our God and set a round-the-clock guard against them.

10  But soon word was going around in Judah,

The builders are pooped,

the rubbish piles up;

We’re in over our heads,

we can’t build this wall.

11–12  And all this time our enemies were saying, “They won’t know what hit them. Before they know it we’ll be at their throats, killing them right and left. That will put a stop to the work!” The Jews who were their neighbors kept reporting, “They have us surrounded; they’re going to attack!” If we heard it once, we heard it ten times.

13–14  So I stationed armed guards at the most vulnerable places of the wall and assigned people by families with their swords, lances, and bows. After looking things over I stood up and spoke to the nobles, officials, and everyone else: “Don’t be afraid of them. Put your minds on the Master, great and awesome, and then fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”

Today's Insights

A central theme in the grand narrative of Scripture is that God is a God of rescue. In Nehemiah 4, the wise decisions and prayers of God’s people countered the plots of their enemies, resulting in safety (vv. 8-9). In Exodus 2, the Israelites “cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God” (v. 23). He heard “their groaning” and “remembered his covenant . . . . [He] looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them” (vv. 24-25). Today, when we’re faced with the menacing challenges of life, we can remember how great and awesome God is and trust in Him.

For further study, watch the following video devotional: God Will See You Through

Look to God

By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild ?the wall. . . . Remember the Lord, who is great ?and awesome. Nehemiah 4:10, 14 esv

Elise felt the panic rising. The book layout was due the next day, but the printer had rejected the photos. It could take days to sort it out.

“Don’t worry,” said her husband, Sam. “Let’s ask God for help. Then we’ll work through the night. This software might help us fix the photos quickly.”

As they prayed, Elise started to feel more assured. Just keep looking to God, she told herself. With this God-given peace of mind and Sam’s practical tip, she went to work—and completed the task in time.

As she did so, Elise recalled the Israelites’ mammoth task of rebuilding their city wall (Nehemiah 4). As if it wasn’t difficult enough, enemies mocked them and conspired to sabotage their work. But Nehemiah encouraged them to keep looking to God. “By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall,” Judah said, but Nehemiah replied, “Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.” (vv. 10, 14 esv). Then he deployed the men to work on the wall and guard against attackers, with leaders behind them (v. 16). He also encouraged them, saying, “Our God will fight for us” (v. 20).

Whenever we face overwhelming challenges, let’s keep looking to God for help and strength. We can pray for wisdom to find practical solutions, take the necessary steps, and trust in God for the outcome—whatever it might be.

Reflect & Pray

What challenges are you facing? What will help you keep your eyes on God, and what will you pray for?

All-powerful, all-loving God, no matter how big my task, I can rely on Your help and strength. Please teach me to keep trusting in You.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Thursday, September 17, 2026

What’s the Good of Temptation?

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. — 1 Corinthians 10:13

The word temptation is hardly ever used correctly. We speak of temptation as a sin, but it isn’t. It’s an inherent part of human nature, something every one of us inevitably faces. Temptation isn’t something we can escape; it’s essential to a full-orbed human life. Many of us, however, suffer temptations we have no business suffering—lowly temptations that afflict us because we have refused to let God lift us to a higher plane. On a higher plane, we would still face temptations, but they would be of a completely different order. If God hasn’t lifted me higher, I can be sure it’s because I continue to yield to a lower temptation.

My disposition on the inside—that is, the makeup of my personality—determines what I am tempted by on the outside. The temptation fits the nature of the one tempted and reveals the possibilities of that nature. Each of us has our personal inclinations, but temptation itself is the common inheritance of humanity. I have to watch out if I find myself thinking that no one else has ever been tempted as I am tempted, that no one has ever gone through what I’m going through.

Am I baffled by temptation? Do I have trouble understanding whether the thing tempting me is right or wrong? This is normal, for a time. When I first begin my walk in faith, I may be tempted by things which are generally considered good, but which fall short of highest and best. Temptation promises a shortcut to what I seek, but it will never get me there. The key is to keep my sights firmly set on the highest—on God himself—and let what is merely good pass me by, however tempting it may be to follow it. Though God will not save me from temptation, he has promised to help me in its midst: “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Hebrews 2:18).

Proverbs 27-29; 2 Corinthians 10

 

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, 903 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Thursday, September 17, 2026

Sunday Grins or Sunday Grouches - #10354

Scripture:  Hebrews 10:25

You know, people in certain jobs end up being treated kind of like vending machines. Now, the state that I lived in for many years, we still had full service gas and we had gas station attendants. People just sort of drive up and grunt a couple of words to him, and then he would dispense his service, and people would drive off. Oh, of course, we did give him a little money. Waitresses—there’s another one. And the checkout people at a grocery store. Well, you know what? I’ve got a little personal crusade to help these service people feel human again; to get them to talk. Now brace yourself…even to get them to smile sometimes. I feel like I’ve succeeded if they’ll smile.

I was at the grocery store late one week night, and I said to the woman who was checking out our groceries, “Well, I’ll bet you’ve had a long day today, huh? You almost done?” She said, “Oh yeah, I’m almost out of here, but it’s been a long day. I’ve had a lot of crabby people! I thought it was Sunday today.” That raised a question. I said, “Wait a minute. What did you mean you thought it was Sunday today?” She said, “Oh, we all hate to work Sundays. There are more grouches on Sunday here than any other day.” And then came the observation that cut the most deeply. She said, “Yeah, most of them just came from church; they’re the grouchiest of all.” Ouch!

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Sunday Grins or Sunday Grouches.”

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Hebrews 10, beginning at verse 25. “Let us not give up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing. But let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” Well, that verse is often applied to us getting together in our Christian meetings or Bible studies in church, and that’s good.

The verse before it says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Okay. These verses seem to be saying there’s a certain kind of result you can expect from Christians having been together. They’re going to come out more loving, more encouraged, more encouraging, and doing more good deeds.

Unfortunately, there are too many arguments on the way home from church. There’s too much selfishness on Sunday afternoon about “Hey, it’s my day off! I want to do what I want to do.” There are just too many grouches on Sunday.

I said to that checkout girl who had pointed that out to me, “You know, if you’ve just spent time with the Creator of the universe, you should feel pretty good don’t you think?” She said, “Well, I guess a lot of them just don’t look at it that way.” I wonder if we don’t get in a religious rut on Sunday and miss the purpose of the exercise? Maybe we even begin to resent the routine.

Some questions for coming out with grins instead of grouches on Sunday. Number one, “Did I touch the Lord while I was there?” Ask yourself that every time you’re together in a Christian meeting. Did I touch the Lord? And that should not be dependent on how good the sermon was, or who preached, or whether the music was on key, or whether you liked the environment that morning. It’s dependent on the attitude of your heart if you went in looking for the Lord.

Second question: “Did I leave with a mission or did I even go looking for one?” I mean, did you ask the Lord for something to do obediently as a result of something you’re going to hear or feel during that service - a mission. Thirdly, “Did I encourage someone today?” Church can become very mechanical and almost useless unless we go looking for three things: go in looking for the Lord, determined to get more of Him. Go in looking for a mission - I’m going to leave here with something I need to do. And looking for someone to encourage; Lord, help me be a ministry to someone here today. Then everything afterwards: the trip home, the afternoon’s activities, our treatment of the checkout girl. They all grow out of these discoveries.

After all, time in the Lord’s house on the Lord’s Day should at least produce the Lord’s attitude.

Proverbs 10, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: HEED THE PROMISES - September 16, 2026

Reading from 1 Kings 18:45-46, “Meanwhile the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel.  The power of the Lord came on Elijah and…he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel” (NIV).

Elijah, the prophet who brought down fire, is now the prophet who brings down rain.  Elijah, the prophet who knelt on Mount Carmel in prayer, becomes the prophet who descends in a flurry.

His action inspires us to do likewise.  Lift up your eyes!  Trust the promises of God.  Apart from them life will beat you up.  But armed with them, you will weather any storm.  How different our lives would be if we heeded the promises and not the problems!

Unbreakable Courage

Proverbs 10

THE WISE SAYINGS OF SOLOMON

An Honest Life Is Immortal

1  10 Wise son, glad father;

stupid son, sad mother.

2  Ill-gotten gain gets you nowhere;

an honest life is immortal.

3  God won’t starve an honest soul,

but he frustrates the appetites of the wicked.

4  Sloth makes you poor;

diligence brings wealth.

5  Make hay while the sun shines—that’s smart;

go fishing during harvest—that’s stupid.

6  Blessings accrue on a good and honest life,

but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.

7  A good and honest life is a blessed memorial;

a wicked life leaves a rotten stench.

8  A wise heart takes orders;

an empty head will come unglued.

9  Honesty lives confident and carefree,

but Shifty is sure to be exposed.

10  An evasive eye is a sign of trouble ahead,

but an open, face-to-face meeting results in peace.

11  The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well,

but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.

12  Hatred starts fights,

but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.

13  You’ll find wisdom on the lips of a person of insight,

but the shortsighted needs a slap in the face.

14  The wise accumulate knowledge—a true treasure;

know-it-alls talk too much—a sheer waste.

The Road to Life Is a Disciplined Life

15  The wealth of the rich is their bastion;

the poverty of the indigent is their ruin.

16  The wage of a good person is exuberant life;

an evil person ends up with nothing but sin.

17  The road to life is a disciplined life;

ignore correction and you’re lost for good.

18  Liars secretly hoard hatred;

fools openly spread slander.

19  The more talk, the less truth;

the wise measure their words.

20  The speech of a good person is worth waiting for;

the blabber of the wicked is worthless.

21  The talk of a good person is rich fare for many,

but chatterboxes die of an empty heart.

Fear-of-God Expands Your Life

22  God’s blessing makes life rich;

nothing we do can improve on God.

23  An empty-head thinks mischief is fun,

but a mindful person relishes wisdom.

24  The nightmares of the wicked come true;

what the good people desire, they get.

25  When the storm is over, there’s nothing left of the wicked;

good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren’t even fazed.

26  A lazy employee will give you nothing but trouble;

it’s vinegar in the mouth, smoke in the eyes.

27  The Fear-of-God expands your life;

a wicked life is a puny life.

28  The aspirations of good people end in celebration;

the ambitions of bad people crash.

29  God is solid backing to a well-lived life,

but he calls into question a shabby performance.

30  Good people last—they can’t be moved;

the wicked are here today, gone tomorrow.

31  A good person’s mouth is a clear fountain of wisdom;

a foul mouth is a stagnant swamp.

32  The speech of a good person clears the air;

the words of the wicked pollute it.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

by Amy Boucher Pye

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

John 11:17-27

When Jesus finally got there, he found Lazarus already four days dead. Bethany was near Jerusalem, only a couple of miles away, and many of the Jews were visiting Martha and Mary, sympathizing with them over their brother. Martha heard Jesus was coming and went out to meet him. Mary remained in the house.

21–22  Martha said, “Master, if you’d been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Even now, I know that whatever you ask God he will give you.”

23  Jesus said, “Your brother will be raised up.”

24  Martha replied, “I know that he will be raised up in the resurrection at the end of time.”

25–26  “You don’t have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?”

27  “Yes, Master. All along I have believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who comes into the world.”

Today's Insights

During Jesus’ earthly ministry, He demonstrated His power over death by raising several individuals from death to life. These included Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:21-24, 35-43), the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 7:11-17), and Lazarus (John 11:1-44). Christ not only had power over death, but He had within Himself the power of life: “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (1:4). The cross of Christ was the necessary payment to rescue us from our sins, and His resurrection offers to us the way of eternal life (see 1 Corinthians 15:54-58). When we place our trust in Jesus, His resurrected life becomes ours—forever. Because of His resurrection, we can confidently say, “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (v. 54).

For further study, read: 3 Ways Celebration Connects Us to God

Eternity with God

Whoever lives by believing in me will never die. John 11:26

On England’s south coast, two women who are both named Kate run the Coffin Club. They created this place for people to prepare for their eventual death through selecting and decorating their coffins. Kate’s dad died when she was thirteen, and she said, “It was horrendous. No one wanted to talk about death.” Their club is a way to normalize an experience we will all go through one day.

Death may be “normal” because it will happen to everyone. But those who love and serve Jesus can prepare for their death without fear, as we see in Jesus’ conversation with His beloved friend Martha after her brother had died. Jesus promised her that Lazarus would “rise again” (John 11:23). He told her that He is “the resurrection and the life” and that “the one who believes in [Him] will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in [Him] will never die” (vv. 25-26). Martha responded by making one of the few professions in the New Testament that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God (v. 27). She believed.

We may or may not be keen to decorate our own coffins, but we all can prepare for death by placing our hope in God, trusting in the salvation Jesus offers. Knowing that we will continue to live after we die gives us true comfort, hope, and peace. We can join Martha in believing that Jesus is the Messiah, the one who saves.

Reflect & Pray

How do you react to the idea of a “Coffin Club”? What could you do today to celebrate life and eternity with God?

Dear Jesus, You’re the Messiah. Please help me to trust in You now and always.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

The Divine Region Of Religion

When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. — Matthew 6:6

It’s impossible to conduct your life as a disciple without setting aside definite times for secret prayer. The main idea of the life of faith is “My eyes on God, not on people.” When you pray, your motive shouldn’t be to be known as one who prays. Go into an inner chamber—a place where no one will know you are praying—then shut the door and talk to God in secret. Have no motive other than to know your Father in heaven.

“Do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words” (Matthew 6:7). God is never impressed by earnestness. It isn’t because we go to him with an earnest desire to be heard that he hears us. He hears us on the basis of the redemption; only because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross are we able to approach God in prayer. If Jesus Christ has been formed inside us by spiritual rebirth, he will press forward in our minds and change our attitude about prayer. No longer will we be driven by commonsense concerns for our lives. No longer will we go to God to get our earthly desires met. We’ll go in order to get into perfect communion with him.

“Everyone who asks receives” (7:8). We pray pious nonsense, without putting our will into it. Then we say that God doesn’t answer our prayers. But we haven’t asked for anything! “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). Asking means willing ourselves to ask for those things which are in keeping with the God whom Jesus Christ revealed; if we are remaining in him, this is exactly what we’ll do. Whenever Jesus talked about prayer, he talked about it with the simplicity of a child. We complicate things and argue with God. We say, “Yes, Lord, but . . .” Jesus said, simply, “Ask.”

Proverbs 25-26; 2 Corinthians 9

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. 

My Utmost for His Highest, March 19, 761 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Things That Really Last Really Matter - #10353

Scripture:  Daniel 12:2-3

Our son had the privilege of playing on a state championship football team in high school. And that’s a really big deal! They were the toast of the school, heroes of the town, for a while, until next year. Some of those heroes came back from college to visit the old alma mater, and you know what? They just weren’t a big deal anymore. Some new guys were the ones wearing the jerseys now and getting all the attention. Sorry, guys! Last year’s glory - yesterday’s news. What do you bet those guys will still be looking for someone to tell about the big game when they’re 70 years old?

I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “Things That Really Last Really Matter.”

Forgotten victory, tarnished trophies—that’s the story of most of life’s great achievements, isn’t it? A big deal for a while but quickly faded. The title we fought for and got will be someone else’s before long, and it won’t even take a day to change the name on the door. All those achievements that mean so much at the time, all the rewards we wanted so long—gone so soon…except for one.

And it’s revealed in our word for today from the Word of God in Daniel 12:2-3. “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.” Two eternal addresses—every person you’ve ever met, every person in your life will spend forever at one of these two eternal destinations—heaven or hell. The only thing they have in common is that they’re both “everlasting.”

That ultimate values-clarifier provides the backdrop now for Daniel 12:3, the path to a greatness that will never die. “Those who are wise shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness like the stars for ever and ever.” Tell me, what have you done in your life, or what can you do with the rest of your life that will give you a greatness that will make you “shine like the stars for ever and ever?” Only one thing. Lead people to God’s way, and in so doing, help them change their eternal address from hell to heaven. That’s ultimate greatness. It’s the kind of spiritual greatness your heart is hungry for.

What’s exciting about this greatness is it’s within everyone’s reach. You don’t have to be especially intelligent, or educated, or talented, or good-looking, or rich, or well-connected. This has nothing to do with your ability, only your availability for God to speak through you to explain what His Son did on the cross for the people you know. And, in fact, this helping people to go to heaven is the real reason why you are where you are. Jesus placed you there so people there could find Him. So, how are you doing with that? Your eternity-changing assignment is why you are who you are, why you’ve been through what you’ve been through, so you could talk to people like you and they’d listen to you when you tell them about what Jesus did for them.

I don’t know what you’re focusing your best energies on right now, your influence, your prayers, your time, your ambitions. But if it doesn’t impact eternity, it is too small to matter. That’s why the Bible says, “He who wins souls is wise” (Proverbs 11:30). I know you want to make a greater difference with the rest of your life than you’ve made until now, don’t you? There is no greater difference you could possibly make in the life of someone you care about than to help them be in heaven with you forever.

Every person you know who doesn’t know Jesus - in your family, every person you work with, every person you go to school with, that’s a future in hell or heaven. Be the one who tells them how they can be a future resident of Heaven. Introduce them to Jesus and your Bible says you’re going to shine like the stars, forever and ever!

Luke 24:36-53, Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

Max Lucado Daily: THE DISTANT CLOUD - September 15, 2026

The promises of God glitter like diamonds on the pages of Scripture. Will we gather them? claim them? delight in them? pursue them?  Elijah did. He prayed, not just once, but seven times!

Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant.  And he went up and looked. “There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.” The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea” (1 Kings 18:43-44). God’s answer came as a cloud the size of a hand.  That was enough to excite Elijah.

Faith sees the distant cloud.  Faith sees promises as though they were fulfilled.  Can you see the hint of an answer to your prayer?

Unbreakable Courage

Luke 24:36-53

While they were saying all this, Jesus appeared to them and said, “Peace be with you.” They thought they were seeing a ghost and were scared half to death. He continued with them, “Don’t be upset, and don’t let all these doubting questions take over. Look at my hands; look at my feet—it’s really me. Touch me. Look me over from head to toe. A ghost doesn’t have muscle and bone like this.” As he said this, he showed them his hands and feet. They still couldn’t believe what they were seeing. It was too much; it seemed too good to be true.

41–43  He asked, “Do you have any food here?” They gave him a piece of leftover fish they had cooked. He took it and ate it right before their eyes.

You’re the Witnesses

44  Then he said, “Everything I told you while I was with you comes to this: All the things written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms have to be fulfilled.”

45–49  He went on to open their understanding of the Word of God, showing them how to read their Bibles this way. He said, “You can see now how it is written that the Messiah suffers, rises from the dead on the third day, and then a total life-change through the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed in his name to all nations—starting from here, from Jerusalem! You’re the first to hear and see it. You’re the witnesses. What comes next is very important: I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until he arrives, until you’re equipped with power from on high.”

50–51  He then led them out of the city over to Bethany. Raising his hands he blessed them, and while blessing them, took his leave, being carried up to heaven.

52–53  And they were on their knees, worshiping him. They returned to Jerusalem bursting with joy. They spent all their time in the Temple praising God. Yes.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

by John Blase

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE

Ephesians 4:1-6

To Be Mature

1–3  4 In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.

4–6  You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.

Today's Insights

At the start of his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul reminds us how much God loves us: “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ . . . to adopt us into his own family” (1:4-5 nlt). To this undeserved love, the apostle urges us “to live a life worthy of the calling [we] have received” (4:1) and to manifest the Christlike virtues of humility, gentleness, patience, and love (v. 2). In humility, we “value others above [ourselves], not looking to [our] own interests but . . . to the interests of the others” (Philippians 2:3-4). In gentleness and patience, “we bear with each other and forgive one another . . . as the Lord forgave [us]” (Colossians 3:12-13). Because “God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us” (1 John 4:12 nlt), He’ll help us demonstrate His love to others by being patient with them.

For further study, read: Speaking in the Love of the Spirit

Be Patient

Be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2

Shiro Oguni once visited a group home for adults with dementia. Heartbroken at their isolation from the hum of society, he felt there ought to be a better way. Oguni’s creative genius led to what is known as the Restaurant of Mistaken Orders, an actual restaurant with this added twist—all the wait staff struggle with memory loss. Yes, you read that correctly. Every person in that pivotal role, which requires a strong memory, suffers in that exact area. Now, from the usual business perspective, the results were poor—thirty-seven percent of the time, the guests did not receive what they ordered. But those guests also expect such problems, so they understand. After these “surprises,” apologies and hearty laughter ensue, and customers leave happy.

Paul writes, “Be patient” (Ephesians 4:2)—and we all know that’s so much easier said than done because it involves bearing with each other, a word that can mean everything from “carrying” to “enduring” to “supporting.” In other words, effort is involved. Yet if the effort has its source in God’s love as opposed to our own strength, the burden is lightened and leads to a lighthearted way of living, full of surprises and apologies and even laughter. It’s a way of living where you may not get what you asked for, but you end up getting what we all really want—“a life worthy of the calling you have received” (v. 1).

Reflect & Pray

Who are two people you have little to no patience for? How will you show them patience this week??Dear God, I want to be patient. Please help my impatience.?For further study, read Speaking in the Love of the Spirit at odbm.org.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

What to Renounce

We have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. — 2 Corinthians 4:2

Have you renounced all secret and shameful ways, all thoughts and behaviors that your sense of honor won’t allow to come to light? You know you can easily keep them hidden. Is there a thought in your heart about another person that you wouldn’t want revealed? Renounce it as soon as it springs up. Renounce all such thoughts, until there is nothing hidden or dishonest or cunning about you. Envy, jealousy, strife—these things don’t necessarily arise from your sinful disposition, but rather from the makeup of your body, which was used for this kind of thing in days gone by. “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin” (1 Peter 4:1). Maintain a continual watchfulness over your flesh, so that nothing shameful arises in your life.

“Not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully . . .” (2 Corinthians 4:2 kjv). To renounce craftiness is to give up the kind of sly, cunning arguments that will allow you to make your point. Craftiness is a great trap. You know that God will let you work in one way only—complete honesty and adherence to the gospel. Never try to catch people in any other way; God’s judgment will be upon you if you do.

Never blunt your sense of doing your utmost for God’s highest, and never compare yourself to others. Others may be operating in ways that are perfectly all right for them, but which for you would be sly and cunning. If you were to engage in these methods, it would mean using craftiness to achieve an end other than his highest, blunting the motive God gave you. Remember that God has given you a different point of view—his. Many have backed down because they are afraid of looking at things from God’s viewpoint.

Proverbs 22-24; 2 Corinthians 8

 

WISDOM FROM OSWALD

Seeing is never believing: we interpret what we see in the light of what we believe. Faith is confidence in God before you see God emerging; therefore the nature of faith is that it must be tried.

He Shall Glorify Me, 494 R

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

You Can't See, But He Can - #10352

Scripture:  Galatians 5:16

The other night I saw one of the most adorable scenes I’ve seen in ages. I was coming out of a restaurant, and right ahead of me was a mother and a father. In between them was their little girl who was obviously a rookie at walking. She was just learning, and she had both hands extended upward. Mom had one hand and Dad had the other. She was dressed in this pretty little pink dress. She also had this cute, frilly little pink cap on. You can kind of picture it.

I came up behind them and I said, “Hey, she’s thinking this is really a big deal isn’t she folks? She’s kind of going, ‘I can walk! I can walk! Look at me!’” I walked past them and Dad at that point said to me, “Yeah, but she’s got a problem.” So, I looked back to see what he meant, and her little cap had fallen down over her forehead and was completely covering her eyes. So she’s still walking, sort of staggering around, and her Dad spoke for her when he said, “I can walk, but I can’t see!”

I’m Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about “You Can't See, But He Can.”

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from Galatians 5. Verse 16 says, “Live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” Verse 25: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Now, here’s the description of an exciting lifestyle. The Apostle Paul calls it “keeping in step with the Spirit.” The old King James Version says “walking in the Spirit.”

Now, you can walk without the Spirit’s leading. Sure you can go through your day, make your choices, make your schedule, but there’s a problem. Like that little girl, you can walk but you can’t see. We make our plans. We make our schedule. We make our choices based on what looks best or what feels best, based on what we can see. We’ve got our cap over our eyes most of the time. We can’t see the long-range consequences of the choice we’re making today, but the Holy Spirit can.

We can’t see what choice would fit best into God’s plans for us, but the Spirit can. We can’t see where the resources will come from or the people, but the Holy Spirit can. The Holy Spirit has been placed by God inside your personality to nudge you to the right place at the right time in today’s schedule. So our job is to learn to recognize and respond to those inner Holy Spirit pushes and pulls and nudges.

How do you do it? Well, first you pray that God will sensitize you, “Lord, I want to be able to recognize those Holy Spirit nudges so I don’t disregard them. I want to know when you’re pushing me to do something.” Then frequently ask the Lord through the day, “Spirit, what’s the next step in this situation?” And then practice obeying those Spirit impulses: to make that phone call when He says to do it, to write that note, to go and just suddenly hug that family member, to drop everything for a person that He drops into your schedule, to open up to a certain passage of scripture.

The disciples had Jesus there and He said, “Follow me.” And it was easy, because He was right there physically. Well, we can do it today because we have His Spirit inside saying, “Come this way.” Don’t just pray in the morning and then go run off for the day with your pre-set course and then check back at bedtime.

You need the security, the adventure of following the Spirit’s leading all day long. After all, you can walk but you can’t see.

Proverbs 9 and daily devotionals

 Max Lucado Daily: An Invitation

In Joshua Chapter 1 God said, "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth; but you shall meditate on it day and night that you may observe to do all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous, and you will have good success."

Gods word to Joshua is Gods word to us! I invite you to join me at GloryDaysToday.com for a 4-week journey in a Glory Days Scripture Memorization Challenge to memorize a verse a week.

Start with Joshua 1:9- the reminder that God has given you power. Then 2 Timothy 3:16-17- Scripture is a weapon useful in all situations. John 1:12- a reminder to inherit your inheritance. And then Joshua 21:43-45- the reminder that God fights for you, in the power of Gods Word, to face down every stronghold that stands against us!

From Glory Days

Proverbs 9

Lady Wisdom Gives a Dinner Party

9 1-6 Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home;

    it’s supported by seven hewn timbers.

The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted,

    wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers.

Having dismissed her serving maids,

    Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place,

    and invites everyone within sound of her voice:

“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?

    Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me!

I’ve prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread,

    roast lamb, carefully selected wines.

Leave your impoverished confusion and live!

    Walk up the street to a life with meaning.”

* * *

7-12 If you reason with an arrogant cynic, you’ll get slapped in the face;

    confront bad behavior and get a kick in the shins.

So don’t waste your time on a scoffer;

    all you’ll get for your pains is abuse.

But if you correct those who care about life,

    that’s different—they’ll love you for it!

Save your breath for the wise—they’ll be wiser for it;

    tell good people what you know—they’ll profit from it.

Skilled living gets its start in the Fear-of-God,

    insight into life from knowing a Holy God.

It’s through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens,

    and the years of your life ripen.

Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life;

    mock life and life will mock you.

Madame Prostitute Calls Out, Too

13-18 Then there’s this other woman, Madame Prostitute—

    brazen, empty-headed, frivolous.

She sits on the front porch

    of her house on Main Street,

And as people walk by minding

    their own business, calls out,

“Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on?

    Steal off with me, I’ll show you a good time!

    No one will ever know—I’ll give you the time of your life.”

But they don’t know about all the skeletons in her closet,

    that all her guests end up in hell.

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion 

Monday, September 14, 2015

Read: Matthew 21:28-32

Parable of the Two Sons

28 “But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 30 Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.

31 “Which of the two obeyed his father?”

They replied, “The first.”[a]

Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. 32 For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.

Footnotes:

21:29-31 Other manuscripts read “The second.” In still other manuscripts the first son says “Yes” but does nothing, the second son says “No” but then repents and goes, and the answer to Jesus’ question is that the second son obeyed his father.

INSIGHT:

Matthew 21 describes several events in the life of Christ. This chapter opens with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (vv. 1-11) followed by the cleansing of the temple (vv. 12-17) and the cursing of the fig tree (vv. 18-22). Then the parable of the two sons follows a debate with the religious leaders about Jesus’ authority (vv. 23-32). It is this issue that forms the context of the parable, for it deals with how the sons responded to authority. The son who did his father’s wishes was the one who honored his father. Bill Crowder

Words and Actions

By Dave Branon

Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18

The email from the student in my college writing class expressed urgency. It was the end of the semester, and he realized he needed a better grade to participate in sports. What could he do? He had missed some assignments, so I gave him two days to complete those papers and improve his grade. His response: “Thank you. I’ll do it.”

Two days—and the deadline—passed, and no papers appeared. He didn’t back up his words with action.

Jesus told about a young man who did something similar. The boy’s dad asked him to do some work in the vineyard. The son said, “I will, sir” (Matt. 21:30). But he was all talk and no action.

In commenting on this parable, Matthew Henry concluded: “Buds and blossoms are not fruit.” The buds and blossoms of our words, which breed anticipation of what we might do, are empty without the fruit of our follow-through. Jesus’ main application was to religious leaders who spoke of obedience yet refused to follow through with repentance. But the words apply to us as well. It is in following God “with actions and in truth” (1 John 3:18)—not in making empty promises—that we honor our Lord and Savior.

Our actions in obeying God show Him more love, honor, and praise than any empty words we might say to try to appear good.

Dear Father, help me to follow through on my promises to You and to all who depend on me. Especially help me to do Your will and not just talk about it.

Words are the blossoms, action the fruit.

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers

Monday, September 14, 2015

Arguments or Obedience

…the simplicity that is in Christ.  —2 Corinthians 11:3

Simplicity is the secret to seeing things clearly. A saint does not think clearly until a long time passes, but a saint ought to see clearly without any difficulty. You cannot think through spiritual confusion to make things clear; to make things clear, you must obey. In intellectual matters you can think things out, but in spiritual matters you will only think yourself into further wandering thoughts and more confusion. If there is something in your life upon which God has put His pressure, then obey Him in that matter. Bring all your “arguments and…every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” regarding the matter, and everything will become as clear as daylight to you (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your reasoning capacity will come later, but reasoning is not how we see. We see like children, and when we try to be wise we see nothing (see Matthew 11:25).

Even the very smallest thing that we allow in our lives that is not under the control of the Holy Spirit is completely sufficient to account for spiritual confusion, and spending all of our time thinking about it will still never make it clear. Spiritual confusion can only be conquered through obedience. As soon as we obey, we have discernment. This is humiliating, because when we are confused we know that the reason lies in the state of our mind. But when our natural power of sight is devoted and submitted in obedience to the Holy Spirit, it becomes the very power by which we perceive God’s will, and our entire life is kept in simplicity.

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

Am I learning how to use my Bible? The way to become complete for the Master’s service is to be well soaked in the Bible; some of us only exploit certain passages. Our Lord wants to give us continuous instruction out of His word; continuous instruction turns hearers into disciples.  Approved Unto God, 11 L

A Word with You, by Ron Hutchcraft

Monday, September 14, 2015

When Idols Crash - #7481

Ive lived long enough to see a lot of crashes. Not cars or planes - people. Actually, we see it in the news all too often dont we? Sometimes it happens to our teams that we root for. My football team, for example in the NFL went one year from the Super Bowl to a very embarrassing losing season. They had been at the top of the heap and they ended up at the bottom the next year. But weve watched heroes crash havent we; pastors, Christian leaders, politicians, judges, athletes? We see it all the time. In fact, maybe youve heard some crashes in your own life.

Im Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "When Idols Crash."

Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 1 Samuel 5. Now, the Ark of God is where the presence of God was located in the Old Testament. So, remember that as we read this word, "After the Philistines had captured the Ark of God, they took it to Ashdod. Then they carried the ark into Dagons temple and set it beside Dagon. (Thats their god.) When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the Ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the Ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained."

Well, heres the idol, Dagon, the center of the Philistines worship. Theyd pinned their hopes on him, or it, and it kept falling over. I mean, what do you expect though, when you put that idol next to the Lord himself? The idol just couldnt stand up. Idols never can. They all eventually crash, leaving only God for us to worship.

Its interesting that the Apostle John concludes his book of 1 John written to Christians with this word, "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." See, theres a tendency for us, even as Christians, to unintentionally make gods out of earthly things and earthly people. No, its not a statue in the closet. You dont burn incense. It just becomes the main focus of your time, your energy, your planning, your money. And every idol either has let you down or is about to. Thats why we keep hearing the crashes of idols.

I remember several years ago in the middle of an economic earthquake, how my friends on Wall Street would say, "Ron, we always thought we were depending on the Lord until this happened. And then we find out what we were really depending on. And when it let us down, we were a mess."

There is a man who has given so much to his career and his institution, only to be suddenly attacked by the people hes given so much for. Again, something was crashing. The dad whos worked and planned so hard for his son to receive a top honor, only to watch him lose it in the final round. He said, "Ron, it was the death of a dream."

See, our idols are subtle. Your career can become your focus, your children can, a position you really want, maybe someone youre in love with, a financial goal, a home, a dream - just an idolatrous dream you have. And instead of it revolving around God, youve drifted into having God revolve around it. It is an idol.

The First Commandment said, "You shall have no other gods before Me." Either it has crashed, it is crashing, or it will crash. It has to, so youll come back to where you started; depending on, living for the Lord Christ alone. The hymn writer said it so well, "The dearest idol I have known; help me tear it from the throne."

It hurts to have an idol crash, but its a loss that will bring you back to Gods best. Your idol will crash; it has to. But thats okay. When it does, the only God worth worshiping is there for you, beckoning for you to come back home.

Proverbs 8 , Bible Reading and Daily Devotionals

 

Max Lucado Daily: God Surrounds Us

God surrounds us like the Pacific surrounds an ocean floor pebble. He is everywhere:  above, below, on all sides. We choose our response—rock or sponge? Resist or receive? Everything within you says, harden your heart. Run from God, resist God, blame God.

But be careful.  Hard hearts never heal.  Spongy ones do! Open every pore of your soul to God’s presence.  Here’s how. Lay claim to the nearness of God. He says in Hebrews 13:5, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Grip this promise like the parachute it is. Repeat it over and over until it trumps the voices of fear. The Lord God is with you, and He is mighty to save. Cling to His character.  Quarry from your Bible a list of the deep qualities of God and press them into your heart. He is sovereign. You will get through this!

From You’ll Get Through This

Proverbs 8

The Message

Lady Wisdom Calls Out

8 1-11 Do you hear Lady Wisdom calling?

    Can you hear Madame Insight raising her voice?

She’s taken her stand at First and Main,

    at the busiest intersection.

Right in the city square

    where the traffic is thickest, she shouts,

“You—I’m talking to all of you,

    everyone out here on the streets!

Listen, you idiots—learn good sense!

    You blockheads—shape up!

Don’t miss a word of this—I’m telling you how to live well,

    I’m telling you how to live at your best.

My mouth chews and savors and relishes truth—

    I can’t stand the taste of evil!

You’ll only hear true and right words from my mouth;

    not one syllable will be twisted or skewed.

You’ll recognize this as true—you with open minds;

    truth-ready minds will see it at once.

Prefer my life-disciplines over chasing after money,

    and God-knowledge over a lucrative career.

For Wisdom is better than all the trappings of wealth;

    nothing you could wish for holds a candle to her.

12-21 “I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity;

    Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street.

The Fear-of-God means hating Evil,

    whose ways I hate with a passion—

    pride and arrogance and crooked talk.

Good counsel and common sense are my characteristics;

    I am both Insight and the Virtue to live it out.

With my help, leaders rule,

    and lawmakers legislate fairly;

With my help, governors govern,

    along with all in legitimate authority.

I love those who love me;

    those who look for me find me.

Wealth and Glory accompany me—

    also substantial Honor and a Good Name.

My benefits are worth more than a big salary, even a very big salary;

    the returns on me exceed any imaginable bonus.

You can find me on Righteous Road—that’s where I walk—

    at the intersection of Justice Avenue,

Handing out life to those who love me,

    filling their arms with life—armloads of life!

22-31 “God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic—

    before he did anything else.

I was brought into being a long time ago,

    well before Earth got its start.

I arrived on the scene before Ocean,

    yes, even before Springs and Rivers and Lakes.

Before Mountains were sculpted and Hills took shape,

    I was already there, newborn;

Long before God stretched out Earth’s Horizons,

    and tended to the minute details of Soil and Weather,

And set Sky firmly in place,

    I was there.

When he mapped and gave borders to wild Ocean,

    built the vast vault of Heaven,

    and installed the fountains that fed Ocean,

When he drew a boundary for Sea,

    posted a sign that said no trespassing,

And then staked out Earth’s Foundations,

    I was right there with him, making sure everything fit.

Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause,

    always enjoying his company,

Delighted with the world of things and creatures,

    happily celebrating the human family.

32-36 “So, my dear friends, listen carefully;

    those who embrace these my ways are most blessed.

Mark a life of discipline and live wisely;

    don’t squander your precious life.

Blessed the man, blessed the woman, who listens to me,

    awake and ready for me each morning,

    alert and responsive as I start my day’s work.

When you find me, you find life, real life,

    to say nothing of God’s good pleasure.

But if you wrong me, you damage your very soul;

    when you reject me, you’re flirting with death.”

Our Daily Bread reading and devotion
Sunday, September 13, 2015

Read: John 3:13-19

3 No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man[a] has come down from heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.[b]

16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave[c] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

18 “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. 19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.

Footnotes:

3:13 Some manuscripts add who lives in heaven. “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
3:15 Or everyone who believes will have eternal life in him.
3:16 Or For God loved the world so much that he gave.

INSIGHT:
Jesus spoke of Himself as “the Son of Man” (John 3:13), a title used exclusively to refer to Himself in the Gospels. In today’s passage, Jesus used it synonymously with “God’s one and only Son” (v. 18; see Matt. 26:63-64). Jews who were familiar with the book of Daniel would have recognized Jesus as the Messiah (see Dan. 7:13-14). Although “Son of Man” is a Messianic title, Jesus often used it in connection with His humiliation and suffering and His dying on the cross (Matt. 12:40; 17:9,12,22; Luke 9:22,44; 18:31-33; John 3:14-16). Making a typological reference to the bronze snake in Number 21:4-9, Jesus said that He too would be lifted up and anyone who looks to Him will not die but have eternal life (John 3:14-15). Sim Kay Tee

God So Loved . . .

By Marion Stroud

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34

July 28, 2014, marked the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I. In the British media many discussions and documentaries recalled the start of that 4-year conflict. Even the TV program Mr. Selfridge, which is based on an actual department store in London, included an episode set in 1914 that showed young male employees lining up to volunteer for the army. As I observed these portrayals of self-sacrifice, I felt a lump in my throat. The soldiers they depicted had been so young, so eager, and so unlikely to return from the horror of the trenches.

Although Jesus didn’t go off to war to defeat an earthly foe, He did go to the cross to defeat the ultimate enemy—sin and death. Jesus came to earth to demonstrate God’s love in action and to die a horrendous death so that we could be forgiven of our sins. And He was even prepared to forgive the men who flogged and crucified Him (Luke 23:34). He conquered death by His resurrection and now we can become part of God’s forever family (John 3:13-16).

Jesus came to earth to demonstrate God’s love in action.
Anniversaries and memorials remind us of important historical events and heroic deeds. The cross reminds us of the pain of Jesus’ death and the beauty of His sacrifice for our salvation.

Dear Lord, thank You for loving me so much that You left Your home in heaven, came to earth, and willingly went to the cross for me. Thank You for paying the penalty for my sins and forgiving me.

The cross of Jesus is the supreme evidence of the love of God. Oswald Chambers

My Utmost for His Highest, by Oswald Chambers
Sunday, September 13, 2015


After Surrender— Then What?

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

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

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

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

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

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

WISDOM FROM OSWALD CHAMBERS

The vital relationship which the Christian has to the Bible is not that he worships the letter, but that the Holy Spirit makes the words of the Bible spirit and life to him.  The Psychology of Redemption, 1066 L