News Letter

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread.
by Max Lucado
What a statement of trust! Whatever you want me to have is all I want. Some days the plate runs over. God
keeps brinin out more food and we keep loosenin our belt. ! promotion. ! privilee. ! friendship. ! ift.
! lifetime of race. !n eternity of "oy. #here are times when we literally push ourselves back from the table$
ama%ed at God&s kindness. '(ou serve me a six)course dinner riht in front of my enemies. (ou revive my
droopin head* my cup fills with blessin+ ,-s. ./01 MSG2.
!nd then there are those days when$ well$ when we have to eat our broccoli. 3ur daily bread could be tears or
sorrow or discipline. 3ur portion may include adversity as well as opportunity.
#his verse was on my mind last niht durin family devotions. I called my dauhters to the table and set a
plate in front of each. In the center of the table I placed a collection of food0 some fruit$ some raw veetables
and some 3reo cookies. '4very day$+ I explained$ 'God prepares for us a plate of experiences. What kind of
plate do you most en"oy5+
#he answer was easy. Sara put three cookies on her plate. Some days are like that$ aren&t they5 Some days are
'three cookie days.+ Many are not. Sometimes our plate has nothin but veetables6twenty)four hours of
celery$ carrots$ and s7uash. !pparently God knows we need some strenth$ and thouh the portion may be
hard to swallow$ isn&t it for our own ood5 Most days$ however$ have a bit of it all. 8eetables$ which are
healthy but dull. 9ruit$ which tastes better and we en"oy. !nd even an 3reo$ which does little for our nutrition$
but a lot for our attitude.
!ll are important and all are from God.
#he next time your plate has more broccoli than apple pie$ remember who prepared the meal. !nd the next
time your plate has a portion you find hard to swallow$ talk to God about it. :esus did. In the arden of
Gethsemane his 9ather handed him a cup of sufferin so sour$ so vile$ that :esus handed it back to heaven.
'My 9ather$+ he prayed$ 'if it is possible may this cup be taken from me. (et not as I will$ but as you will+
,Matt. .;0/<2.
4ven :esus was iven a portion he found hard to swallow. =ut with God&s help$ he did. !nd with God&s help$
you can too.
,9rom '#he Great >ouse of God+2.
When You Speak, God Hears
by Max Lucado
#hose who pray keep alive the watch fires of faith. 9or the most part we don&t even know their names. Such is
the case of someone who prayed on a day lon ao. >is name is not important. >e is important not because of
who he was$ but because of what he did.
>e went to :esus on behalf of a friend. >is friend was sick$ and :esus could help$ and someone needed to o to
:esus$ so someone went. 3thers cared for the sick man in other ways. Some brouht food* others provided
treatment* still others comforted the family. 4ach role was crucial. 4ach person was helpful$ but no one was
more vital than the one who went to :esus.
?
:ohn writes0 'So Mary and Martha sent someone to tell :esus$ @Lord$ the one you love is sick&+ ,:ohn ??0/$
emphasis mine2.
Someone carried the re7uest. Someone walked the trail. Someone went to :esus on behalf of La%arus. !nd
because someone went$ :esus responded.
In the economy of heaven$ the prayers of saints are a valued commodity. :ohn the apostle would aree. >e
wrote the story of La%arus and was careful to show the se7uence0 #he healin bean when the re7uest was
made.
#he phrase the friend of La%arus used is worth notin. When he told :esus of the illness$ he said$ '#he one
you love is sick.+ #he power of the prayer$ in other words$ does not depend on the one who makes the prayer
but on the one who hears the prayer.
We can and must repeat the phrase in manifold ways. '#he one you love is tired$ sad$ hunry$ lonely$ fearful$
depressed.+ #he words of the prayer vary$ but the response never chanes. #he Savior hears the prayer. >e
silences heaven so he won&t miss a word. #he Master heard the re7uest. :esus stopped whatever he was doin
and took note of the man&s words. #his anonymous courier was heard by God.
:ohn&s messae is critical. (ou can talk to God because God listens. (our voice matters in heaven. >e takes
you very seriously. When you enter his presence$ the attendants turn to you to hear your voice. Ao need to
fear that you will be inored. 4ven if you stammer or stumble$ even if what you have to say impresses no one$
it impresses God6and he listens.
Intently. Barefully. #he prayers are honored as precious "ewels. -urified and empowered$ the words rise in a
delihtful frarance to our Lord. '#he smoke from the incense went up from the anel&s hand to God+ ,Cev.
D0E2. Incredible. (our words do not stop until they reach the very throne of God.
3ne call and heaven&s fleet appears. (our prayer on earth activates God&s power in heaven.
(ou are the someone of God&s kindom. (our prayers move God to chane the world. (ou may not
understand the mystery of prayer. (ou don&t need to. =ut this much is clear0 !ctions in heaven bein when
someone prays on earth. What an ama%in thouht!
When you speak$ :esus hears.
!nd when :esus hears$ the world is chaned.
!ll because someone prayed.
,9rom '9or #hese #ouh #imes0 Ceachin #oward >eaven for >ope and >ealin+2.
Fro God!s "erspe#$ive
by Max Lucado
'We want you to be 7uite certain$ brothers$ about those who have died$ to make sure that you do not rieve
about them$ like the other people who have no hope+ ,#hessalonians E0?/ :=2.
.
#he #hessalonian church had buried her share of loved ones. !nd the apostle wanted the members who
remained to be at peace reardin the ones who had one ahead. Many of you have buried loved ones as well.
!nd "ust as God spoke to them$ he speaks to you.
If you&ll celebrate a marriae anniversary alone this year$ he speaks to you.
If your child made it to heaven before makin it to kinderarten$ he speaks to you.
If you lost a loved one in violence$ if you learned more than you want to know about disease$ if your dreams
were buried as they lowered the casket$ God speaks to you.
>e speaks to all of us who have stood or will stand in the soft dirt near an open rave. !nd to us he ives this
confident word0 'I want you to know what happens to a Bhristian when he dies so that when it happens$ you
will not be full of sorrow$ as those who have no hope. 9or since we believe that :esus died and then came
back to life aain$ we can also believe that when :esus returns$ God will brin back with him all the Bhristians
who have died+ ,? #hess. E0?/F?E #L=2.
God transforms our hopeless rief into hope)filled rief. >ow5 =y tellin us that we will see our loved ones
aain.
Isn&t that what we want to believe5 We lon to know that our loved ones are safe in death. We lon for the
reassurance that the soul oes immediately to be with God. =ut dare we believe it5 Ban we believe it5
!ccordin to the =ible we can.
Scripture is surprisinly 7uiet about this phase of our lives. When speakin about the period between the
death of the body and the resurrection of the body$ the =ible doesn&t shout* it "ust whispers. =ut at the
confluence of these whispers$ a firm voice is heard. #his authoritative voice assures us that at death the
Bhristian immediately enters into the presence of God and en"oys conscious fellowship with the 9ather and
with those who have one before.
Where do I et such ideas5 Listen to some of the whispers0
9or to me$ to live is Bhrist and to die is ain. If I am to o on livin in the body$ this will mean fruitful labor
for me. (et what shall I choose5 I do not know! I am torn between the two0 I desire to depart and be with
Bhrist$ which is better by far.
,-hil. ?0.?F./ AI82
We don&t like to say ood)bye to those we love. =ut if what the =ible says about heaven is true$ and I believe
it is$ then the ultimate prayer$ the ultimate answered prayer$ is heaven.
It is riht for us to weep$ but there is no need for us to despair. #hey had pain here. #hey have no pain there.
#hey struled here. #hey have no strules there. (ou and I miht wonder why God took them home. =ut
they don&t. #hey understand. #hey are$ at this very moment$ at peace in the presence of God.
%yes on $he Fa$her
by Max Lucado
/
When the restaurant waiter brins you a cold hamburer and a hot soda$ you want to know who is in chare.
When a youn fellow wants to impress his irlfriend$ he takes her down to the convenience store where he
works and boasts$ '4very niht from five to ten o&clock$ I&m in chare.+ We know what it means to be in
chare of a restaurant or a store$ but to be in chare of the universe5 #his is the claim of :esus.
#here are many examples of :esus& authority$ but I&ll "ust mention one of my favorites. :esus and the disciples
are in a boat crossin the Sea of Galilee. ! storm arises suddenly$ and what was placid becomes violent6
monstrous waves rise out of the sea and slap the boat. Mark describes it clearly0 '! furious s7uall came up$
and the waves broke over the boat$ so that it was nearly swamped+ ,Mark E0/G AI82.
It&s very important that you et an accurate picture$ so I&m oin to ask you to imaine yourself in the boat.
It&s a sturdy vessel but no match for these ten)foot waves. It plunes nose first into the wall of water. #he
force of the waves danerously tips the boat until the bow seems to be pointin straiht at the sky$ and "ust
when you fear flippin over backward$ the vessel pitches forward into the valley of another wave. ! do%en
sets of hands "oin yours in clutchin the mast. !ll your shipmates have wet heads and wide eyes. (ou tune
your ear for a calmin voice$ but all you hear are screams and prayers. !ll of a sudden it hits you6someone is
missin. Where is :esus5 >e&s not at the mast. >e&s not rabbin the ede. Where is he5 #hen you hear
somethin6a noise H a displaced sound H as if someone is snorin. (ou turn and look$ and there curled in
the stern of the boat is :esus$ sleepin!
(ou don&t know whether to be ama%ed or anry$ so you&re both. >ow can he sleep at a time like this5 3r as
the disciples asked$ '#eacher$ don&t you care if we drown5+ ,Mark E0/D AI82.
#he very storm that made the disciples panic made him drowsy. What put fear in their eyes put him to sleep.
#he boat was a tomb to the followers and a cradle to Bhrist. >ow could he sleep throuh the storm5 Simple6
he was in chare of it.
>e ot up$ rebuked the wind and said to the waves$ 'Iuiet! =e still!+ #hen the wind died down and it was
completely calm. >e said to his disciples$ 'Why are you so afraid5 Jo you still have no faith5+ ,Mark E0/<FEK
AI82
IncredibleHIs it any wonder the disciples were willin to die for :esus5 Aever had they seen such power*
never had they seen such lory. It was like$ well$ like the whole universe was his kindom.
It&s only riht that they declare his authority. It&s only riht that we do the same. !nd when we do$ we state
without 7uestion0 #he ruler of the universe rules our hearts.
&a's o( $he &i)h$house
by Max Lucado
#he first of the year is known for three thins0 black)eyed peas$ bowl ames$ and lists. Some don&t eat black)
eyed peas. 3thers hate football. =ut everybody likes lists.
#he =ible certainly has its share of lists. Moses brouht one down from the mountain.
E
#here are lists of the ifts of the Spirit. Lists of ood fruit and bad. Lists of salutations and reetins. 4ven the
disciples& boat ot into the action as it listed in the stormy Sea of Galilee. ,If you smiled at that$ then I&ve ot a
list of puns you&d en"oy.2
=ut the reatest day of lists is still Aew (ear&s Jay. !nd the number one list is the list I call the Laws of the
Lihthouse.
#he Laws of the Lihthouse contain more than ood ideas$ personal preferences$ and honest opinions. #hey
are God)iven$ time)tested truths that define the way you should naviate your life. 3bserve them and en"oy
secure passae. Inore them and crash aainst the raed rocks of reality.
Smart move. #he wise captain shifts the direction of his craft accordin to the sinal of the lihthouse. ! wise
person does the same.
>erewith$ then$ are the lihts I look for and the sinals I heed0
F Love God more than you fear hell.
F 3nce a week$ let a child take you on a walk.
F Make ma"or decisions in a cemetery.
F When no one is watchin$ live as if someone is.
F Succeed at home first.
F Jon&t spend tomorrow&s money today.
F -ray twice as much as you fret.
F Listen twice as much as you speak.
F 3nly harbor a rude when God does.
F Aever outrow your love of sunsets.
F #reat people like anels* you will meet some and help make some.
F @#is wiser to err on the side of enerosity than on the side of scrutiny.
F God has foriven you* you&d be wise to do the same.
F When you can&t trace God&s hand$ trust his heart.
F #oot your own horn and the notes will be flat.
F Jon&t feel uilty for God&s oodness.
F #he book of life is lived in chapters$ so know your pae number.
F Aever let the important be the victim of the trivial.
F Live your litury.
#o sum it all up0
!pproach life like a voyae on a schooner. 4n"oy the view. 4xplore the vessel. Make friends with the captain.
9ish a little. !nd then et off when you et home.
,9rom 'In the 4ye of the Storm+2.
Where is God*
by Max Lucado
It is important to reconi%e that God dwells in a different realm. >e occupies another dimension. 'My
thouhts are not like your thouhts. (our ways are not like my ways. :ust as the heavens are hiher than the
earth$ so are my ways hiher than your ways and my thouhts hiher than your thouhts+ ,Isa. 110DF<2.
1
Make special note of the word like. God&s thouhts are not our thouhts$ nor are they even like ours. We
aren&t even in the same neihborhood. We&re thinkin$ -reserve the body* he&s thinkin$ Save the soul. We
dream of a pay raise. >e dreams of raisin the dead. We avoid pain and seek peace. God uses pain to brin
peace. 'I&m oin to live before I die$+ we resolve. 'Jie so you can live$+ he instructs. We love what rusts. >e
loves what endures. We re"oice at our successes. >e re"oices at our confessions.
3ur thouhts are not like God&s thouhts. 3ur ways are not like his ways. >e has a different aenda. >e
dwells in a different dimension. >e lives on another plane.
What controls you doesn&t control him. What troubles you doesn&t trouble him. What fatiues you doesn&t
fatiue him. Is an eale disturbed by traffic5 Ao$ he rises above it. Is the whale perturbed by a hurricane5 3f
course not* he plunes beneath it. Is the lion flustered by the mouse standin directly in his way5 Ao$ he steps
over it.
>ow much more is God able to soar above$ plune beneath$ and step over the troubles of the earth! 'What is
impossible with man is possible with God+ ,see Matt. ?<0.;2. 3ur 7uestions betray our lack of understandin0
>ow can God be everywhere at one time5 ,Who says God is bound by a body52
>ow can God hear all the prayers that come to him5 ,-erhaps his ears are different from yours.2
>ow can God be the 9ather$ the Son$ and the >oly Spirit5 ,Bould it be that heaven has a different set of
physics than earth52
>ow vital that we pray$ armed with the knowlede that God is in heaven. -ray with any lesser conviction$ and
our prayers are timid$ shallow$ and hollow. Look up and see what God has done$ and watch how your prayers
are eneri%ed.
#his knowlede ives us confidence as we face the uncertain future. We know that he is in control of the
universe$ and so we can rest secure. =ut important also is the knowlede that this God in heaven has chosen to
bend near toward earth to see our sorrow and hear our prayers. >e is not so far above us that he is not touched
by our tears.
#houh we may not be able to see his purpose or his plan$ the Lord of heaven is on his throne and in firm
control of the universe and our lives. So we entrust him with our future. We entrust him with our very lives.
+us$ a ,oen$
by Max Lucado
It all happened in a moment$ a most remarkable moment.
!s moments o$ that one appeared no different than any other. If you could somehow pick it up off the
timeline and examine it$ it would look exactly like the ones that have passed while you have read these words.
It came and it went. It was preceded and succeeded by others "ust like it. It was one of the countless moments
that have marked time since eternity became measurable.
;
=ut in reality$ that particular moment was like none other. 9or throuh that sement of time a spectacular
thin occurred. God became a man. While the creatures of earth walked unaware$ Jivinity arrived. >eaven
opened herself and placed her most precious one in a human womb.
#he omnipotent$ in one instant$ made himself breakable. >e who had been spirit became pierceable. >e who
was larer than the universe became an embryo. !nd he who sustains the world with a word chose to be
dependent upon the nourishment of a youn irl.
God as a fetus. >oliness sleepin in a womb. #he creator of life bein created.
God was iven eyebrows$ elbows$ two kidneys$ and a spleen. >e stretched aainst the walls and floated in the
amniotic fluids of his mother.
God had come near.
>e came$ not as a flash of liht or as an unapproachable con7ueror$ but as one whose first cries were heard by
a peasant irl and a sleepy carpenter. #he hands that first held him were unmanicured$ calloused$ and dirty.
9or thirty)three years he would feel everythin you and I have ever felt. >e felt weak. >e rew weary. >e was
afraid of failure. >e was susceptible to wooin women. >e ot colds$ burped$ and had body odor. >is feelins
ot hurt. >is feet ot tired. !nd his head ached.
#o think of :esus in such a liht is6well$ it seems almost irreverent$ doesn&t it5 It&s not somethin we like to
do* it&s uncomfortable. It is much easier to keep the humanity out of the incarnation. Blean the manure from
around the maner. Wipe the sweat out of his eyes. -retend he never snored or blew his nose or hit his thumb
with a hammer.
>e&s easier to stomach that way. #here is somethin about keepin him divine that keeps him distant$
packaed$ predictable.
=ut don&t do it. 9or heaven&s sake$ don&t. Let him be as human as he intended to be. Let him into the mire and
muck of our world. 9or only if we let him in can he pull us out.
It all happened in a moment. In one moment H a most remarkable moment. #he Word became flesh.
#here will be another. #he world will see another instantaneous transformation. (ou see$ in becomin man$
God made it possible for man to see God. When :esus went home he left the back door open. !s a result$ 'we
will all be chaned6in a moment$ in the twinklin of an eye.+ ,? Borinthians ?101?F1.2
#he first moment of transformation went unnoticed by the world. =ut you can bet your sweet September that
the second one won&t. #he next time you use the phrase '"ust a moment$ H + remember that&s all the time it
will take to chane this world.
,9rom 'God Bame Aear+2.
Trea$ ,e -s . Trea$ ,y /ei)h0or.
by Max Lucado
!re you aware that this is what you are sayin to your 9ather5 Give me what I ive them. Grant me the same
peace I rant others. Let me en"oy the same tolerance I offer. God will treat you the way you treat others.
G
In any iven Bhristian community there are two roups0 those who are contaious in their "oy and those who
are cranky in their faith. #hey&ve accepted Bhrist and are seekin him$ but their balloon has no helium. 3ne is
rateful$ the other is rumpy. =oth are saved. =oth are heaven bound. =ut one sees the rainbow and the other
sees the rain.
Bould this principle explain the difference5 Bould it be that they are experiencin the same "oy they have
iven their offenders5 3ne says$ 'I forive you$+ and feels foriven. #he other says$ 'I&m ticked off$+ and
lives ticked off at the world.
It&s as if God sends you to the market to purchase your neihbor&s roceries sayin$ 'Whatever you et your
neihbor$ et also for yourself. 9or whatever you ive him is what you receive.+
Let&s take this a step further. Suppose your neihbor&s trash blows into your yard. (ou mention the mess to
him$ and he says he&ll et to it sometime next week. (ou inform him that you&ve ot company comin and
couldn&t he et out of that chair and do some work5 >e tells you not to be so picky$ that the arbae fertili%es
your arden. (ou&re "ust about to walk across the lawn to have a talk when God reminds you$ '#ime to o to
the market and buy your neihbor&s roceries.+ So you rumble and mumble your way to the store$ and then it
hits you$ 'I&ll et even with the old bum.+ (ou o straiht to the skim milk. #hen you make a beeline to the
anchovies and sardines. (ou march riht past the double)chocolate ice cream and head toward the okra and
rice. (ou make a final stop in the day)old bread section and pick up a crusty loaf with reen spots on the ede.
Bhucklin$ you drive back to the house and drop the sack in the lap of your la%y$ ood)for)nothin neihbor.
'>ave a ood dinner.+ !nd you walk away.
!ll your brilliant schemin left you hunry$ so you o to your refrierator to fix a sandwich$ but uess what
you find. (our pantry is full of what you ave your enemy. !ll you have to eat is exactly what you "ust
bouht. We et what we ive.
Some of you have been eatin sardines for a lon time. (our diet ain&t onna chane until you chane. (ou
look around at other Bhristians. #hey aren&t as sour as you are. #hey&re en"oyin the delicacies of God$ and
you&re stuck with okra and anchovies on moldy bread. (ou&ve always wondered why they look so happy and
you feel so cranky. Maybe now you know. Bould it be God is ivin you exactly what you&re ivin someone
else5
Deliver Us (ro $he %vil One
by Max Lucado
#he next)to)last phrase in the Lord&s prayer is a petition for protection from Satan0 '!nd lead us not into
temptation$ but deliver us from the evil one.+
Is such a prayer necessary5 Would God ever lead us into temptation5 :ames ?0?/ says$ 'When people are
tempted they should not say$ @God is temptin me.& 4vil cannot tempt God$ and God himself does not tempt
anyone.+ If God does not tempt us$ then why pray$ 'Lead us not into temptation+5 #hese words trouble the
most sophisticated theoloian.
=ut they don&t trouble a child. !nd this is a prayer for the child)like heart. #his is a prayer for those who look
upon God as their !bba. #his is a prayer for those who have already talked to their 9ather about provision for
D
today ,'Give us our daily bread.+2 and pardon for yesterday ,'9orive us our debts.+2. Aow the child needs
assurance about protection for tomorrow.
#he phrase is best understood with a simple illustration. Imaine a father and son walkin down an icy street.
#he father cautions the boy to be careful$ but the boy is too excited to slow down. >e hits the first patch of
ice. Lp o the feet and down plops the bottom. Jad comes alon and helps him to his feet. #he boy
apoloi%es for disreardin the warnin and then$ tihtly holdin his father&s bi hand$ he asks$ 'Meep me
from the slippery spots. Jon&t let me fall aain.+
#he 9ather is so willin to comply. '#he steps of the odly are directed by the Lord. >e delihts in every
detail of their lives. #houh they stumble$ they will not fall$ for the Lord holds them by the hand+ ,-s. /G0./F
.E #L=2. Such is the heart of this petition. It&s a tender re7uest of a child to a father. #he last few slips have
tauht us6the walk is too treacherous to make alone. So we place our small hand in his lare one and say$
'-lease$ !bba$ keep me from evil.+
1Thine is $he 2in)do...1
by Max Lucado
#here are certain mountains only God can climb. !scend them and you&ll end up bruised and embarrassed.
Stay away from them and you&ll sidestep a lot of stress. #hese mountains are described in the final phrase of
the Lord&s prayer$ '#hine is the kindom and the power and the lory forever. !men.+ ! trio of peaks
mantled by the clouds. !dmire them$ applaud them$ but don&t climb them.
It&s not that you aren&t welcome to try$ it&s "ust that you aren&t able. #he pronoun is thine$ not mine* thine is
the kindom$ not mine is the kindom. If the word Savior is in your "ob description$ it&s because you put it
there. (our role is to help the world$ not save it. Mount Messiah is one mountain you weren&t made to climb.
Aor is Mount Self)Sufficient. (ou aren&t able to run the world$ nor are you able to sustain it. Some of you
think you can. (ou are self)made. (ou don&t bow your knees$ you "ust roll up your sleeves and put in another
twelve)hour day H which may be enouh when it comes to makin a livin or buildin a business. =ut when
you face your own rave or your own uilt$ your power will not do the trick.
(ou were not made to run a kindom$ nor are you expected to be all)powerful. !nd you certainly can&t handle
all the lory. Mount !pplause is the most seductive of the three peaks. #he hiher you climb the more people
applaud$ but the thinner the air becomes. More than one person has stood at the top and shouted$ 'Mine is the
lory!+ only to lose their balance and fall.
'#hine is the kindom and the power and the lory forever.+ What protection this final phrase affords. !s you
confess that God is in chare$ you admit that you aren&t. !s you proclaim that God has power$ you admit that
you don&t. !nd as you ive God all the applause$ there is none left to di%%y your brain.
%very Day Deserves a 3han#e
Sand soft to the feet$ bree%e cool on the skin. !n apron of
-acific tur7uoise precedes one of deeper blue. Waves lap and
slap. =irds whistle and coo. Islands loom on the hori%on. -alm
<
trees sway aainst the sky.
I found myself relishin the mornin as I was writin this
book. What easier way to ive a day a chance$ I mused$ than startin
it riht here5 I leaned back into a beach chair$ interlaced my
finers behind my head$ and closed my eyes.
#hat&s when a bird chose my chest for taret practice. Ao
warnin. Ao sirens. Ao '=ombs away!+ :ust plop.
I looked up "ust in time to see a seaull ivin hih feathers
to his bird buddies on the branch. (uck. I poured water on my
shirt three times. I moved to a chair away from the trees. I did
all I could to reain the maic of the mornin$ but I couldn&t
et my mind off the bird flyby.
It should have been easy. Waves still rolled. Blouds still
floated. #he ocean lost no blue* the sand lost no white. Islands
B h a p t e r ?
4very Jay Jeserves a Bhance
still beckoned$ and wind still whispered. =ut I couldn&t 7uit
thinkin about the seaull renade.
Stupid bird.
=irds have a way of messin thins up$ don&t they5 Bount on
it0 into every day a bird will plop.
#raffic will snarl.
!irports will close.
9riends will foret.
Spouses will complain.
!nd lines. 3h$ the lines. Jeadlines$ lon lines$ recedin
hairlines$ luae)losin airlines$ nauseatin pickup lines$
wrinkle lines$ unemployment lines$ and those ever)elusive
bottom lines.
!nd what of those days of double shadows5 #hose days
when hope is >indenbered by crisis5 (ou never leave the
hospital bed or wheelchair. (ou wake up and bed down in the
same prison cell or war %one. #he cemetery dirt is still fresh$
the pink slip still folded in your pocket$ the other side of the
bed still emptyHwho has a ood day on these days5
Most don&tHbut couldn&t we try5 Such days warrant an opportunity.
! shot. ! tryout. !n audition. ! swin at the plate.
Joesn&t every day deserve a chance to be a ood day5
!fter all$ 'this is the day the Lord has made* we will re"oice
and be lad in it+ ,-salm ??D0.E nk"v2. #he first word in the
verse leaves us scratchin our heads. '#his is the day the Lord
has made+5 -erhaps holidays are the days the Lord has made.
Weddin days are the days the Lord has made. 4aster SundaysH
super)sale SaturdaysHvacation daysHthe first days of
huntin season6these are the days the Lord has made. =ut
'this is the day+5
'#his is the day+ includes every day. Jivorce days$ finalexam
days$ surery days$ tax days. Sendin)your)firstborn)offto)
collee days.
#hat last one sucked the starch out of my shirt. Surprisinly
so. We packed :enna&s stuff$ loaded up her car$ and left life as
?K
we&d known it for eihteen years. ! chapter was closin. 3ne
less plate on the table$ voice in the house$ and child beneath
the roof. #he day was necessary. #he day was planned. =ut the
day undid me.
I was a mess. I drove away from the as station with the no%%le
still in my tank$ yankin the hose riht off the pump. Got
lost in a one)intersection town. We drove* I moped. We unpacked*
I swallowed throat lumps. We filled the dorm room* I
plotted to kidnap my own dauhter and take her home where
she belons. Jid someone store my chest in dry ice5 #hen I
saw the verse. Some anel had tacked it to a dormitory bulletin
board.
#his is the day the Lord has made. We will re"oice and be lad
in it.
I stopped$ stared$ and let the words sink in. God made
this day$ ordained this hard hour$ desined the details of this
wrenchin moment. >e isn&t on holiday. >e still holds the
conductor&s baton$ sits in the cockpit$ and occupies the universe&s
only throne. 4ach day emeres from God&s drawin
room. Includin this one.
So I decided to ive the day a chance$ chane my view$ and
imitate the resolve of the psalmist0 'I will re"oice and be lad
in it.+
3ops$ another word we&d like to edit0 in. -erhaps we could
swap it for after5 We&ll be lad after the day. 3r throuh. We&ll
be lad to et throuh the day. 3ver would suffice. I&ll re"oice
when this day is over.
=ut re"oice in it5 God invites us to. !s -aul re"oiced in prison*
Javid wrote psalms in the wilderness* :onah prayed in the
fish belly* -aul and Silas san in "ail* Shadrach$ Meshach$ and
!bedneo remained resolute in the fiery furnace* :ohn saw
heaven in his exile* and :esus prayed in his arden of painH
Bould we re"oice smack)dab in the midst of this day5
Imaine the difference if we could.
Suppose neck deep in a 'terrible$ horrible$ no ood$ very
bad day$+? you resolve to ive it a chance. (ou choose not to
drink or work or worry it away but ive it a fair shake. (ou
trust more. Stress less. !mplify ratitude. Mute rumblin.
!nd what do you know5 =efore lon the day is done and surprisinly
decent.
So decent$ in fact$ that you resolve to ive the next day the
same fihtin chance. It arrives with its han)ups and banups$
bird drops and shirt stains$ but by and lare$ by olly$
ivin the day a chance works! (ou do the same the next day
and the next. Jays become a week. Weeks become months.
Months become years of ood days.
In such a fashion ood lives are built. 3ne ood day at a
time.
!n hour is too short$ a year too lon. Jays are the bite)si%e
??
portions of life$ the God)desined sements of life manaement.
4ihty)four thousand heartbeats.
3ne thousand four hundred and forty minutes.
! complete rotation of the earth.
! circle of the sundial.
#wo do%en flips of the hourlass.
=oth a sunrise and a sunset.
! brand)spankin)new$ unsoiled$ untouched$ uncharted$ and
unused day!
! ift of twenty)four unlived$ unexplored hours.
!nd if you can stack one ood day on another and another$
you will link toether a ood life.
=ut here&s what you need to keep in mind.
(ou no loner have yesterday. It slipped away as you slept. It
is one. (ou&ll more easily retrieve a puff of smoke. (ou can&t
chane$ alter$ or improve it. Sorry$ no mullians allowed.
>ourlass sand won&t flow upward. #he second hand of the
clock refuses to tick backward. #he monthly calendar reads
left to riht$ not riht to left. (ou no loner have yesterday.
(ou do not yet have tomorrow. Lnless you accelerate the orbit
of the earth or convince the sun to rise twice before it sets
once$ you can&t live tomorrow today. (ou can&t spend tomorrow&s
money$ celebrate tomorrow&s achievements$ or resolve
tomorrow&s riddles. (ou have only today. #his is the day the
Lord has made.
Live in it. (ou must be present to win. Jon&t heavy today
with yesterday&s rerets or acidi%e it with tomorrow&s troubles.
=ut don&t we tend to do so5
We do to our day what I did to a bike ride. My friend and I
went on an extended hill)country trek. ! few minutes into the
trip I bean to tire. Within a half hour my thihs ached and
my luns heaved like a beached whale. I could scarcely pump
the pedals. I&m no #our de 9rance contender$ but neither am I
a newcomer$ yet I felt like one. !fter forty)five minutes I had
to dismount and catch my breath. #hat&s when my partner
spotted the problem. =oth rear brakes were rubbin my back
tire! Cubber rips contested every pedal stroke. #he ride was
destined to be a touh one.
Jon&t we do the same5 Guilt presses on one side. Jread
dras the other. Ao wonder we weary so. We sabotae our
day$ wirin it for disaster$ luin alon yesterday&s troubles$
downloadin tomorrow&s strules. Cemorse over the past$
anxiety over the future. We aren&t ivin the day a chance.
>ow can we5 What can we do5 >ere&s my proposal0 consult
:esus. #he !ncient of Jays has somethin to say about our
days. >e doesn&t use the term day very often in Scripture. =ut
the few times he does use it provide a delihtful formula for
upradin each of ours to blue)ribbon status.
Saturate your day in his race.
?.
'I tell you in solemn truth$+ replied :esus$
'that this very day you shall be with me in
-aradise+ ,Luke ./0E/ wey2.
4ntrust your day to his oversiht.
'Give us day by day our daily bread+
,Luke ??0/ nk"v2.
!ccept his direction.
'If any of you want to be my followers$ you
must foret about yourself. (ou must take up
your cross each day and follow me+
,Luke <0./ cev2.
Grace. 3versiht. Jirection.
G)3)J
9ill your day with God. Give the day a chance. !nd while you
are at it$ keep an eye out for the seaull with the silly rin.
#he next time you are mired in a bad day$ check
your outlook with these three 7uestions0
?. What do I feel uilty about5
.. What am I worried about5
/. What am I about5
Ceflect on your answers with these reminders0
(esterday . . . foriven.
#omorrow . . . surrendered.
#oday . . . clarified.
:esus& desin for a ood day makes such sense. >is
race erases uilt. >is oversiht removes fear. >is
direction removes confusion.
The Su((erin)s o( His Broken Hear$
by Max Lucado
Go with me for a moment to witness what was perhaps the foiest niht in history. #he scene is very simple*
you&ll reconi%e it 7uickly. ! rove of twisted olive trees. Ground cluttered with lare rocks. ! low stone
fence. ! dark$ dark niht.
Aow$ look into the picture. Look closely throuh the shadowy foliae. See that person5 See that solitary
fiure5 What&s he doin5 9lat on the round. 9ace stained with dirt and tears. 9ists poundin the hard earth.
4yes wide with a stupor of fear. >air matted with salty sweat. Is that blood on his forehead5
#hat&s :esus. :esus in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Maybe you&ve seen the classic portrait of Bhrist in the arden. Mneelin beside a bi rock. Snow)white robe.
>ands peacefully folded in prayer. ! look of serenity on his face. >alo over his head. ! spotliht from heaven
illuminatin his olden)brown hair.
Aow$ I&m no artist$ but I can tell you one thin. #he man who painted that picture didn&t use the ospel of
Mark as a pattern. When Mark wrote about that painful niht$ he used phrases like these0 '>orror and dismay
?/
came over him.+ 'My heart is ready to break with rief.+ '>e went a little forward and threw himself on the
round.+
Joes this look like the picture of a saintly :esus restin in the palm of God5 >ardly. Mark used black paint to
describe this scene. We see an aoni%in$ strainin$ and strulin :esus. We see a 'man of sorrows.+ ,Isaiah
1/0/ A!S=2 We see a man strulin with fear$ wrestlin with commitments$ and yearnin for relief.
We see :esus in the fo of a broken heart.
#he writer of >ebrews would later pen$ 'Jurin the days of :esus& life on earth$ he offered up prayers and
petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death.+ ,>ebrews 10G AI82
My$ what a portrait! :esus is in pain. :esus is on the stae of fear. :esus is cloaked$ not in sainthood$ but in
humanity.
#he next time the fo finds you$ you miht do well to remember :esus in the arden. #he next time you think
that no one understands$ reread the fourteenth chapter of Mark. #he next time your self)pity convinces you
that no one cares$ pay a visit to Gethsemane. !nd the next time you wonder if God really perceives the pain
that prevails on this dusty planet$ listen to him pleadin amon the twisted trees.
#he next time you are called to suffer$ pay attention. It may be the closest you&ll ever et to God. Watch
closely. It could very well be that the hand that extends itself to lead you out of the fo is a pierced one.

,9rom '#he Great >ouse of God+2
+esus Be$rayed 0y +udas
by Max Lucado
When betrayal comes$ what do you do5 Get out5 Get anry5 Get even5 (ou have to deal with it some way.
Let&s see how :esus dealt with it.
=ein by noticin how :esus saw :udas. ':esus answered$ @9riend$ do what you came to do.& + ,Matthew
.;01K2
3f all the names I would have chosen for :udas it would not have been 'friend.+ What :udas did to :esus was
rossly unfair. #here is no indication that :esus ever mistreated :udas. #here is no clue that :udas was ever left
out or nelected. When$ durin the Last Supper$ :esus told the disciples that his betrayer sat at the table$ they
didn&t turn to one another and whisper$ 'It&s :udas. :esus told us he would do this.+
#hey didn&t whisper it because :esus never said it. >e had known it. >e had known what :udas would do$ but
he treated the betrayer as if he were faithful.
It&s even more unfair when you consider the betrayal was :udas&s idea. #he reliious leaders didn&t seek him$
:udas souht them. 'What will you pay me for ivin :esus to you5+ he asked. ,Matthew .;0?12 #he betrayal
would have been more palatable had :udas been propositioned by the leaders$ but he wasn&t. >e propositioned
them.
!nd :udas&s method H aain$ why did it have to be a kiss5 ,Matthew .;0 EDFE<2
?E
!nd why did he have to call him '#eacher+5 ,Matthew .;0E<2 #hat&s a title of respect. #he inconruity of his
words$ deeds$ and actions6I wouldn&t have called :udas 'friend.+
=ut that is exactly what :esus called him. Why5 :esus could see somethin we can&t...
:esus knew :udas had been seduced by a powerful foe. >e was aware of the wiles of Satan&s whispers ,he had
"ust heard them himself2. >e knew how hard it was for :udas to do what was riht.
>e didn&t "ustify what :udas did. >e didn&t minimi%e the deed. Aor did he release :udas from his choice. =ut
he did look eye to eye with his betrayer and try to understand.
!s lon as you hate your enemy$ a "ail door is closed and a prisoner is taken. =ut when you try to understand
and release your foe from your hatred$ then the prisoner is released and that prisoner is you.
,9rom '>is Aame is :esus+2.
Sion (ro 3yrene 3arries +esus! 3ross
by Max Lucado
'! man named Simon from Byrene$ the father of !lexander and Cufus$ was comin from the fields to the
city. #he soldiers forced Simon to carry the cross for :esus+ ,Mk. ?10.?2
Simon rumbles beneath his breath. >is patience is as scarce as space on the :erusalem streets. >e&d hoped
for a peaceful -assover. #he city is anythin but 7uiet. Simon prefers his open fields. !nd now$ to top it off$
the Coman uards are clearin the path for some who)knows)which)dinitary who&ll march his soldiers and
strut his stallion past the people.
'#here he is!+
Simon&s head and do%ens of others turn. In an instant they know. #his is no dinitary.
'It&s a crucifixion$+ he hears someone whisper. 9our soldiers. 3ne criminal. 9our spears. 3ne cross. #he
inside corner of the cross saddles the convict&s shoulders. Its base dras in the dirt. Its top teeters in the air.
#he condemned man steadies the cross the best he can$ but stumbles beneath its weiht. >e pushes himself to
his feet and lurches forward before fallin aain. Simon can&t see the man&s face$ only a head wreathed with
thorny branches.
#he sour)faced centurion rows more aitated with each diminishin step. >e curses the criminal and the
crowd.
'>urry up!+
'Little hope of that$+ Simon says to himself.
#he cross)bearer stops in front of Simon and heaves for air. Simon winces at what he sees. #he beam rubbin
aainst an already raw back. Civulets of crimson streakin the man&s face. >is mouth hans open$ both out of
pain and out of breath.
'>is name is :esus$+ someone speaks softly.
?1
'Move on!+ commands the executioner.
=ut :esus can&t. >is body leans and feet try$ but he can&t move. #he beam beins to sway. :esus tries to steady
it$ but can&t. Like a "ust)cut tree$ the cross beins to topple toward the crowd. 4veryone steps back$ except the
farmer. Simon instinctively extends his stron hands and catches the cross.
:esus falls face)first in the dirt and stays there. Simon pushes the cross back on its side. #he centurion looks at
the exhausted Bhrist and the bulky bystander and needs only an instant to make the decision. >e presses the
flat of his spear on Simon&s shoulders.
'(ou! #ake the cross!+
Simon dares to ob"ect$ 'Sir$ I don&t even know the man!+
'I don&t care. #ake up the cross.+
Simon rowls$ balances the timber aainst his shoulder$ and steps out of the crowd onto the street$ out of
anonymity into history$ and becomes the first in a line of millions who will take up the cross and follow
Bhrist.
>e did literally what God calls us to do fiuratively0 take up the cross and follow :esus. 'If any of you want to
be my followers$ you must foret about yourself. (ou must take up your cross each day and follow me+ ,Lk.
<0./ B482.
,9rom '>is Aame is :esus+2
The 3ross
by Max Lucado
#he cross. Ban you turn any direction without seein one5 -erched atop a chapel. Barved into a raveyard
headstone. 4nraved in a rin or suspended on a chain. #he cross is the universal symbol of Bhristianity. !n
odd choice$ don&t you think5 Strane that a tool of torture would come to embody a movement of hope. #he
symbols of other faiths are more upbeat0 the six)pointed star of Javid$ the crescent moon of Islam$ a lotus
blossom for =uddhism. (et a cross for Bhristianity5 !n instrument of execution5
Would you wear a tiny electric chair around your neck5 Suspend a old)plated hanman&s noose on the wall5
Would you print a picture of a firin s7uad on a business card5 (et we do so with the cross. Many even make
the sin of the cross as they pray. Would we make the sin of$ say$ a uillotine5 Instead of the trianular touch
on the forehead and shoulders$ how about a karate chop on the palm5 Joesn&t 7uite have the same feel$ does
it5
Why is the cross the symbol of our faith5 #o find the answer look no farther than the cross itself. Its desin
couldn&t be simpler. 3ne beam hori%ontal6the other vertical. 3ne reaches out6like God&s love. #he other
reaches up6as does God&s holiness. 3ne represents the width of his love* the other reflects the heiht of his
holiness. #he cross is the intersection. #he cross is where God forave his children without lowerin his
standards.
>ow could he do this5 In a sentence0 God put our sin on his Son and punished it there.
?;
'God put on him the wron who never did anythin wron$ so we could be put riht with God+ ,. Bor. 10.?
MSG2.
- 3ry o( 4i#$ory
by Max Lucado
'It is finished.+
Stop and listen. Ban you imaine the cry from the cross5 #he sky is dark. #he other two victims are moanin.
#he "eerin mouths are silent. -erhaps there is thunder. -erhaps there is weepin. -erhaps there is silence.
#hen :esus draws in a deep breath$ pushes his feet down on that Coman nail$ and cries$ 'It is finished!+
What was finished5
#he history)lon plan of redeemin man was finished. #he messae of God to man was finished. #he works
done by :esus as a man on earth were finished. #he task of selectin and trainin ambassadors was finished.
#he "ob was finished. #he son had been sun. #he blood had been poured. #he sacrifice had been made. #he
stin of death had been removed. It was over.
! cry of defeat5 >ardly. >ad his hands not been fastened down I dare say that a triumphant fist would have
punched the dark sky. Ao$ this is no cry of despair. It is a cry of completion. ! cry of victory. ! cry of
fulfillment. (es$ even a cry of relief.
It&s over.
!n anel sihs. ! star wipes away a tear.
'#ake me home.+
(es$ take him home.
#ake this prince to his kin.
#ake this son to his father.
#ake this pilrim to his home.
,>e deserves a rest.2
'#ake me home.+
Bome ten thousand anels!
Bome and take this wounded troubadour to
the cradle of his 9ather&s arms!
9arewell maner&s infant.
=less (ou holy ambassador.
Go >ome death slayer.
Cest well sweet soldier.
#he battle is over.
?G
He Did .$ +us$ For You
by Max Lucado
When God entered time and became a man$ he who was boundless became bound. Imprisoned in flesh.
Cestricted by weary)prone muscles and eyelids. 9or more than three decades$ his once limitless reach would
be limited to the stretch of an arm$ his speed checked to the pace of human feet.
I wonder$ was he ever tempted to reclaim his boundlessness5 In the middle of a lon trip$ did he ever consider
transportin himself to the next city5 When the rain chilled his bones$ was he tempted to chane the weather5
When the heat parched his lips$ did he ive thouht to poppin over to the Baribbean for some refreshment5
If ever he entertained such thouhts$ he never ave in to them. Aot once. Stop and think about this. Aot once
did Bhrist use his supernatural powers for personal comfort. With one word he could&ve transformed the hard
earth into a soft bed$ but he didn&t. With a wave of his hand$ he could&ve boomeraned the spit of his accusers
back into their faces$ but he didn&t. With an arch of his brow$ he could&ve paraly%ed the hand of the soldier as
he braided the crown of thorns. =ut he didn&t.
Want to know the coolest thin about the comin5
Aot that he$ in an instant$ went from needin nothin to needin air$ food$ a tub of hot water and salts for his
tired feet$ and$ more than anythin$ needin somebody6anybody6who was more concerned about where he
would spend eternity than where he would spend 9riday&s paycheck.
Aot that he kept his cool while the do%en best friends he ever had felt the heat and ot out of the kitchen. 3r
that he ave no command to the anels who beed$ ':ust ive the nod$ Lord. 3ne word and these demons
will be deviled es.+
Aot that he refused to defend himself when blamed for every sin since !dam. 3r that he stood silent as a
million uilty verdicts echoed in the tribunal of heaven and the iver of liht was left in the chill of a sinner&s
niht.
Aot even that after three days in a dark hole he stepped into the 4aster sunrise with a smile and a swaer and
a 7uestion for lowly Lucifer6'Is that your best punch5+
#hat was cool$ incredibly cool.
=ut want to know the coolest thin about the 3ne who ave up the crown of heaven for a crown of thorns5
>e did it for you. :ust for you.
+esus Heals a Blind ,an
by Max Lucado
'!s N:esusO passed by$ >e saw a man blind from birth+
,:ohn <0?2.
#his man has never seen a sunrise. Ban&t tell purple from pink. #he disciples fault the family tree. 'Cabbi$
who sinned$ this man or his parents$ that he would be born blind5+ ,v. .2.
?D
Aeither$ the God)man replies. #race this condition back to heaven. #he reason the man was born sihtless5 So
'the works of God miht be displayed in him+ ,v. /2.
#alk about a thankless role. Selected to suffer. Some sin to God&s lory. 3thers teach to God&s lory. Who
wants to be blind for God&s lory5 Which is touher6the condition or discoverin it was God&s idea5
#he cure proves to be as surprisin as the cause. 'N:esusO spat on the round$ and made clay of the spittle$ and
applied the clay to his eyes+ ,v. ;2.
#he world abounds with paintins of the God)man0 in the arms of Mary$ in the Garden of Gethsemane$ in the
Lpper Coom$ in the darkened tomb. :esus touchin. :esus weepin$ lauhin$ teachin H but I&ve never seen
a paintin of :esus spittin.
Bhrist smackin his lips a time or two$ atherin a mouth of saliva$ workin up a blob of drool$ and lettin it
o. Jown in the dirt. ,Mids$ next time your mother tells you not to spit$ show her this passae.2 #hen he
s7uats$ stirs up a puddle of H I don&t know$ what would you call it5
>oly putty5 Spit therapy5 Saliva solution5 Whatever the name$ he places a finerful in his palm$ and then$ as
calmly as a painter spackles a hole in the wall$ :esus streaks mud)miracle on the blind man&s eyes. 'Go$ wash
in the pool of Siloam+ ,v. G2.
#he bear feels his way to the pool$ splashes water on his mud)streaked face$ and rubs away the clay. #he
result is the first chapter of Genesis$ "ust for him. Liht where there was darkness. 8irin eyes focus$ fu%%y
fiures become human beins$ and :ohn receives the Lnderstatement of the =ible !ward when he writes0 '>e
H came back seein+ ,v. G2.
Bome on$ :ohn! Cunnin short of verbs5 >ow about 'he raced back seein+5 '>e danced back seein+5 '>e
roared back whoopin and hollerin.+
+esus Tou#hed $he Un$ou#ha0les
by Max Lucado
When :esus came down from the hill$ reat crowds followed him. #hen a man with a skin disease came to
:esus. #he man bowed down before him and said$ 'Lord$ you can heal me if you will.+
:esus reached out his hand and touched the man and said$ 'I will. =e healed!+ !nd immediately the man was
healed from his disease.
Matthew D0?)/
I wonderH about the man who felt :esus& compassionate touch. >e makes one appearance$ has one re7uest$
and receives one touch. =ut that one touch chaned his life foreverH.
I wonder about this man because in Aew #estament times leprosy was the most dreaded disease. #he
condition rendered the body a mass of ulcers and decay. 9iners would curl and narl. =lotches of skin would
discolor and stink. Bertain types of leprosy would numb nerve endins$ leadin to a loss of finers$ toes$ even
a whole foot or hand. Leprosy was death by inches.
?<
#he social conse7uences were as severe as the physical. Bonsidered contaious$ the leper was 7uarantined$
banished to a leper colony.
In Scripture the leper is symbolic of the ultimate outcast0 infected by a condition he did not seek$ re"ected by
those he knew$ avoided by people he did not know$ condemned to a future he could not bearH
#he touch did not heal the disease$ you know. Matthew is careful to mention that it was the pronouncement
and not the touch of Bhrist that cured the condition. ':esus reached out his hand and touched the man and
said$ @I will. =e healed!& !nd immediately the man was healed from his disease+ ,Matt. D0/2.
#he infection was banished by a word from :esus.
#he loneliness$ however$ was treated by a touch from :esus.
:esus touched the untouchables of the world.
Dire#$ions (or $he 5oad -head
by Max Lucado
#he key 7uestion in life is not '>ow stron am I5+ but rather '>ow stron is God5+
9ocus on his strenth$ not yours. 3ccupy yourself with the nature of God$ not the si%e of your biceps.
#hat&s what God told Moses to do. Cemember the conversation at the burnin bush5 #he tone was set in the
first sentence. '#ake off your sandals because you are standin on holy round+ ,4xodus /012. With these
eleven words Moses is enrolled in a class on God. Immediately the roles are defined. God is holy.
!pproachin him on even a 7uarter)inch of leather is too pompousHAo time is spent convincin Moses what
Moses can do$ but much time is spent explainin to Moses what God can do.
(ou and I tend to do the opposite. We would explain to Moses how he is ideally suited to return to 4yptH
#hen we&d remind Moses how perfect he is for wilderness travelHWe&d spend time reviewin with Moses his
rPsumP and strenths.
Great >ouse of God=ut God doesn&t. #he strenth of Moses is never considered. Ao pep talk is iven$ no pats
on the backs are offered. Aot one word is spoken to recruit Moses. =ut many words are used to reveal God.
#he strenth of Moses is not the issue* the strenth of God is.
,9rom 'Let the :ourney =ein0 God&s Coadmap for Aew =einnins+2
Se$ Your 3opass in $he 5i)h$ Dire#$ion
by Max Lucado
#he problem is not that God hasn&t spoken but that we haven&t listened.
Imaine your reaction if I were to take a telephone book$ open it up$ and proclaim$ I have found a list of
everyone who&s on welfare! 3r what if I said$ >ere is a list of collee raduates! 3r$ #his book will tell us
who has a red car. (ou&d probably say$ 'Aow wait a minute6that&s not the purpose of that book. (ou&re
.K
holdin a telephone book. Its purpose is simply to reveal the name and number of residents of a city durin a
certain time frame.+
3nly by understandin its purpose can I accurately use the telephone book. 3nly by understandin its purpose
can I accurately use the =ibleH
#he purpose of the =ible is simply to proclaim God&s plan to save his children. It asserts that man is lost and
needs to be saved. !nd it communicates the messae that :esus is the God in the flesh sent to save his
children.
#houh the =ible was written over sixteen centuries by at least forty authors$ it has one central theme6
salvation throuh faith in Bhrist. =eun by Moses in the lonely desert of !rabia and finished by :ohn on the
lonely Isle of -atmos$ it is held toether by a stron thread0 God&s passion and God&s plan to save his
children.Great >ouse of God
What a vital truth! Lnderstandin the purpose of the =ible is like settin the compass in the riht direction.
Balibrate it correctly and you&ll "ourney safely. =ut fail to set it$ and who knows where you&ll end up.
,9rom QLet the :ourney =ein0 God&s Coadmap for Aew =einninsQ2
Fo#us on $he Task a$ Hand
by Max Lucado
Life is touh enouh as it is. It&s even touher when we&re headed in the wron direction.
3ne of the incredible abilities of :esus was to stay on taret. >is life never ot off track. Aot once do we find
him walkin down the wron side of the fairway. >e had no money$ no computers$ no "ets$ no administrative
assistants or staff* yet :esus did what many of us fail to do. >e kept his life on course.
!s :esus looked across the hori%on of his future$ he could see many tarets. Many flas were flappin in the
wind$ each of which he could have pursued. >e could have been a political revolutionary. >e could have been
a national leader. >e could have been content to be a teacher and educate minds or to be a physician and heal
bodies. =ut in the end he chose to be a Savior and save souls.
!nyone near Bhrist for any lenth of time heard it from :esus himself. '#he Son of Man came to find lost
people and save them+ ,Luke ?<0?K2. '#he Son of Man did not come to be served. >e came to serve others
and to ive his life as a ransom for many people+ ,Mark ?K0E12.
#he heart of Bhrist was relentlessly focused on one task. #he day he left the carpentry shop of Aa%areth he
had one ultimate aim6the cross of Balvary. >e was so focused that his final words were$ 'It is finished+
,:ohn ?<0/K2.
>ow could :esus say he was finished5 #here were still the hunry to feed$ the sick to heal$ the untauht to
instruct$ and the unloved to love. >ow could he say he was finished5 Simple. >e had completed his
desinated task. >is commission was fulfilled. #he painter could set aside his brush$ the sculptor lay down his
chisel$ the writer put away his pen. #he "ob was done.
Wouldn&t you love to be able to say the same5 Wouldn&t you love to look back on your life and know you had
done what you were called to do5
.?
The 3ure (or Disappoin$en$
by Max Lucado
Jon&t ask God to do what you want. !sk God to do what is riht.
When God doesn&t do what we want$ it&s not easy. Aever has been. Aever will be. =ut faith is the conviction
that God knows more than we do about this life and he will et us throuh it.
Jisappointment is cured by revamped expectations.
I like that story about the fellow who went to the pet store in search of a sinin parakeet. Seems he was a
bachelor and his house was too 7uiet. #he store owner had "ust the bird for him$ so the man bouht it. #he
next day the bachelor came home from work to a house full of music. >e went to the cae to feed the bird and
noticed for the first time that the parakeet had only one le.
>e felt cheated that he&d been sold a one)leed bird$ so he called and complained.
'What do you want$+ the store owner responded$ 'a bird who can sin or a bird who can dance5+
Good 7uestion for times of disappointment.
Hope 5es$ored -lon) $he Way
by Max Lucado
What would it take to restore your hope5
What would you need to reeneri%e your "ourney5
#houh the answers are abundant$ three come 7uickly to mind.
#he first would be a person. Aot "ust any person. (ou don&t need someone e7ually confused. (ou need
someone who knows the way out.
!nd from him you need some vision. (ou need someone to lift your spirits. (ou need someone to look you in
the face and say$ '#his isn&t the end. Jon&t ive up. #here is a better place than this. !nd I&ll lead you there.+
!nd$ perhaps most important$ you need direction. If you have only a person but no renewed vision$ all you
have is company. If he has a vision but no direction$ you have a dreamer for company. =ut if you have a
person with direction6who can take you from this place to the riht place6ah$ then you have one who can
restore your hope.
3r$ to use Javid&s words$ '>e restores my soul.+ 3ur Shepherd ma"ors in restorin hope to the soul. Whether
you are a lamb lost on a cray lede or a city slicker alone in a deep "unle$ everythin chanes when your
rescuer appears.
(our loneliness diminishes$ because you have fellowship.
..
(our despair decreases$ because you have vision.
(our confusion beins to lift$ because you have direction.
-lease note0 (ou haven&t left the "unle. #he trees still eclipse the sky$ and the thorns still cut the skin.
!nimals lurk and rodents scurry. #he "unle is still a "unle. It hasn&t chaned$ but you have. (ou have
chaned because you have hope. !nd you have hope because you have met someone who can lead you out.
(our Shepherd knows that you were not made for this place. >e knows you are not e7uipped for this place.
So he has come to uide you out.
God is for you. Aot 'may be$+ not 'has been$+ not 'was$+ not 'would be$+ but 'God is!+ >e is for you. #oday.
!t this hour. !t this minute. !s you read this sentence. Ao need to wait in line or come back tomorrow. >e is
with you. >e could not be closer than he is at this second. >is loyalty won&t increase if you are better nor
lessen if you are worse. >e is for you.
God is for you. #urn to the sidelines* that&s God cheerin your run. Look past the finish line* that&s God
applaudin your steps. Listen for him in the bleachers$ shoutin your name. #oo tired to continue5 >e&ll carry
you. #oo discouraed to fiht5 >e&s pickin you up. God is for you.
God is for you. >ad he a calendar$ your birthday would be circled. If he drove a car$ your name would be on
his bumper. If there&s a tree in heaven$ he&s carved your name in the bark. We know he has a tattoo$ and we
know what it says. 'I have written your name on my hand$+ he declares ,Isa. E<0?;2.
,9rom 'Let the :ourney =ein0God&s Coadmap for Aew =einnins+2
,y ,essa)e is -0ou$ Hi
by Max Lucado
#he re7uest came when I was twenty. 'Ban you address our church youth roup5+ We aren&t talkin citywide
crusade here. #hink more in terms of a do%en kids around a West #exas campfire. I was new to the faith$
hence new to the power of the faith. I told my story$ and$ lo and behold$ they listened! 3ne even approached
me afterward and said somethin like$ '#hat moved me$ Max.+ My chest lifted$ and my feet shifted "ust a step
in the direction of the spotliht.
God has been nudin me back ever since.
Some of you don&t relate. #he limeliht never woos you. (ou and :ohn the =aptist sin the same tune0 '>e
must become reater and reater$ and I must become less and less+ ,:ohn /0/K AL#2. God bless you. (ou
miht pray for the rest of us. We applause)aholics have done it all0 dropped names$ sun loudly$ dressed up to
look classy$ dressed down to look cool$ 7uoted authors we&ve never read$ spouted Greek we&ve never studied.
9or the life of me$ I believe Satan trains battalions of demons to whisper one 7uestion in our ears0 'What are
people thinkin of you5+
./
! deadly 7uery. What they think of us matters not. What they think of God matters all. God will not share his
lory with another ,Isaiah E.0D2. Aext time you need a nude away from the spotliht$ remember0 (ou are
simply one link in a chain$ an unimportant link at that.
Cemember the other messeners God has used5
! donkey to speak to =alaam ,Aumbers ..0.D2.
! staff)turned)snake to stir -haraoh ,4xodus G0?K2.
>e used stubborn oxen to make a point about reverence and a bi fish to make a point about reluctant
preachers ,I Samuel ;0?)?.* :onah ?0?)?G2
God doesn&t need you and me to do his work. We are expedient messeners$ ambassadors by his kindness$ not
by our cleverness.
It&s not about us$ and it aners him when we think it is.
We who are entrusted with the ospel dare not seek applause but best deflect applause. 9or our messae is
about Someone else.
,9rom 'ItRs Aot !bout Me+2
,y Salva$ion is -0ou$ Hi
by Max Lucado
Who would look at the cross of Bhrist and say$ 'Great work$ :esus. Sorry you couldn&t finish it$ but I&ll take
up the slack.+5
Jare we 7uestion the crownin work of God5 Jare we think heaven needs our help in savin us5 Lealism
discounts God and in the process makes a mess out of us.
#o anyone attemptin to earn heaven$ -aul asks$ '>ow is it that you are turnin back to those weak and
miserable principles5 Jo you wish to be enslaved by them all over aain5 H.What has happened to all your
"oy5+ ,Galatians E0?<$ ?1 AI82.
Lealism is "oyless because lealism is endless. #here is always another class to attend$ person to teach$
mouth to feed. Inmates incarcerated in self)salvation find work but never "oy. >ow could they5 #hey never
know when they are finished. Lealism leaches "oy.
Grace$ however$ dispenses peace. #he Bhristian trusts a finished work.
Grace offers rest. Lealism never does. #hen why do we embrace it5 '#hose who trust in themselves are
foolish+ ,-roverbs .D0.; AB82. Why do we trust in ourselves5 Why do we add to God&s finished work5
=ut the truth is$ we don&t. If we think we do$ we have missed the messae. 'What is left for us to bra about5+
-aul wonders ,Comans /0.G B482. What is there indeed5 What have you contributed5 !side from your
admission of utter decadence$ I can&t think of a thin. '=y his doin you are in Bhrist :esus+ ,? Borinthians
?0/K2. Salvation lorifies the Savior$ not the saved.
.E
(our salvation showcases God&s mercy. It makes nothin of your effort but everythin of his. 'I6yes$ I alone
6am the one who blots out your sins for my own sake and will never think of them aain+ ,Isaiah$ E/0.1$
emphasis mine2.
Ban you add anythin to this salvation5 Ao. #he work is finished.
Ban you earn this salvation5 Ao. Jon&t dishonor God by tryin.
Jare we boast about this salvation5 =y no means. #he iver of bread$ not the bear$ deserves praise. 'Let
him who boasts$ boast in the Lord+ ,? Borinthians ?0/?2.
It&s not about what we do* it&s all about what he does.
,y Body is -0ou$ Hi
by Max Lucado
'Jon&t you know that your body is the temple of the >oly Spirit$ who lives in you5+ ,? Borinthians ;0?<
AL#2. -aul wrote these words to counter the Borinthian sex obsession. 'Cun away from sexual sin!+ reads the
prior sentence. 'Ao other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. 9or sexual immorality is a sin
aainst your own body.+ ,v.?D AL#2.
What a salmon scripture! Ao messae swims more up)stream than this one. (ou know the sexual anthem of
our day0 'I&ll do what I want. It&s my body.+ God&s firm response5 'Ao$ it&s not. It&s mine.+
=e 7uick to understand$ God is not anti)sex. Jismiss any notion that God is anti)affection and anti)
intercourse. !fter all$ he developed the whole packae. Sex was his idea. 9rom his perspective$ sex is nothin
short of holy.
>e views sexual intimacy the way I view our family =ible. -assed down from my father&s side$ the volume is
one hundred years old and twelve inches thick. Ceplete with lithoraphs$ scribblins$ and a family tree$ it is$ in
my estimation$ beyond value. >ence$ I use it carefully.
When I need a stepstool$ I don&t reach for the =ible. If the foot of my bed breaks$ I don&t use the family =ible
as a prop. When we need old paper for wrappin$ we don&t rip a sheet out of this book. We reserve the
heirloom for special times and keep it in a chosen place.
Ceard sex the same way6as a holy ift to be opened in a special place at special times. #he special place is
marriae$ and the time is with your spouse.
Basual sex$ intimacy outside of marriae$ pulls the Borinthian ploy. It pretends we can ive the body and not
affect the soul. We can&t. We humans are so intricately psychosomatic that whatever touches the soma
impacts the phyche as well. #he me)centered phrase 'as lon as no one ets hurt+ sounds noble$ but the truth
is$ we don&t know who ets hurt. God)centered thinkin rescues us from the sex we thouht would make us
happy. (ou may think your dalliances are harmless$ and years may pass before the x)rays reveal the internal
damae$ but don&t be fooled. Basual sex is a diet of chocolate6it tastes ood for a while$ but the imbalance
can ruin you. Sex apart from God&s plan wounds the soul.
(our body$ God&s temple. Cespect it.
.1
,y S$ru))les are -0ou$ Hi
by Max Lucado
What about your strules5 Is there any chance$ any possibility$ that you have been selected to strule for
God&s lory5 >ave you 'been ranted for Bhrist&s sake$ not only to believe in >im$ but also to suffer for >is
sake+ ,-hilippians ?0.<25
>ere is a clue. Jo your prayers seem to be unanswered5 What you re7uest and what you receive aren&t
matchin up5 Jon&t think God is not listenin. Indeed he is. >e may have hiher plans.
>ere is another. !re people strenthened by your strules5 ! friend of mine can answer yes. >is cancer was
consumin more than his body* it was eatin away at his faith. Lnanswered petitions perplexed him. Well)
meanin Bhristians confused him. 'If you have faith$+ they said$ 'you will be healed.+
Ao healin came. :ust more chemo$ nausea$ and 7uestions. >e assumed the fault was a small faith. I suested
another answer. 'It&s not about you$+ I told him. '(our hospital room is a showcase for your Maker. (our
faith in the face of sufferin cranks up the volume of God&s son.+
3h$ that you could have seen the relief on his face. #o know that he hadn&t failed God and God hadn&t failed
him6this made all the difference. Seein his sickness in the scope of God&s soverein plan ave his condition
a sense of dinity. >e accepted his cancer as an assinment from heaven0 a missionary to the cancer ward.
! week later I saw him aain. 'I reflected God$+ he said$ smilin throuh a thin face$ 'to the nurse$ the
doctors$ my friends. Who knows who needed to see God$ but I did my best to make him seen.+
=ino. >is cancer paraded the power of :esus down the Main Street of his world.
God will use whatever he wants to display his lory. >eavens and stars. >istory and nations. -eople and
problems.
Cather than berude your problem$ explore it. -onder it. !nd most of all$ use it. Lse it to the lory of God.
#hrouh your problems and mine$ may God be seen.
,9rom QItRs Aot !bout MeQ2
,y Su##ess is -0ou$ Hi
by Max Lucado
With success comes a problem. :ust ask Aadab$ 4lah$ and 3mri. 3r interview !hab$ !ha%iah$ or :ehoram.
!sk these men to describe the problem of success. I would$ you miht be thinkin$ if I knew who they were.
My point$ exactly. #hese are men we should know. #hey were kins of Israel. #hey ascended to the throneH
but somethin about the throne brouht them down. #heir leacies are stained with blood spillin and idol
worship. #hey failed at success. #hey forot both the source and purpose of their success.
.;
(ou won&t be offered a throne$ but you miht be offered a corner office$ a scholarship$ an award$ a new
contract$ a pay raise. (ou won&t be iven a kindom to oversee$ but you miht be iven a home or employees
or students or money or resources. (ou will$ to one deree or another$ succeed.
!nd when you do$ you miht be tempted to foret who helped you do so. Success sabotaes the memories of
the successful. Mins of the mountain foret who carried them up the trail.
#he man who beed for help in medical school ten years ao is too busy to worship today. =ack when the
family struled to make ends meet$ they leaned on God for daily bread. Aow that there is an extra car in the
arae and a "inle in the pocket$ they haven&t spoken to him in a while. In the early days of the church$ the
foundin members spent hours in prayer. #oday the church is lare$ well attended$ well funded. Who needs to
pray5
Success beets amnesia. Joesn&t have to$ however. God offers spiritual insen to help your memory. >is
prescription is simply$ 'Mnow the purpose of success.+ Why did God help you succeed5 So you can make him
known.
Why are you ood at what you do5 9or your comfort5 9or your retirement5 9or your self)esteem5 Ao. Jeem
these as bonuses$ not as the reason. Why are you ood at what you do5 9or God&s sake. (our success is not
about what you do. It&s all about him6his present and future lory.
,9rom QItRs Aot !bout MeQ2
3oun$ $o %i)h$ 6Woe, Be Gone7
by Max Lucado
'We have here only five loaves and two fish.+ ,Matt. ?E0?G2
>ow do you suppose :esus felt about the basket inventory5 !ny chance he miht have wanted them to include
the rest of the possibilities5 Involve all the options5 Jo you think he was hopin someone miht count to
eiht5
'Well$ let&s see. We have five loaves$ two fishHand :esus!+ :esus Bhrist. #he same :esus who told us0
!sk and it will be iven to you* seek and you will find* knock and the door will be opened to you. ,Luke
??0?< AI82
If you remain in me and my words remain in you$ ask whatever you wish$ and it will be iven you. ,:ohn ?10G
AI82
What ever you ask for in prayer$ believe that you have received it$ and it will be yours. ,Mark ??0.E AI82
Standin next to the disciples was the solution to their problemsHbut they didn&t o to him. #hey stopped
their count at seven and worried.
What about you5 !re you countin to seven$ or to eiht5
>ere are eiht worry stoppers to expand your tally0
.G
Pray, first. 'Bastin the whole of your care Nall your anxieties$ all your worries$ all your concerns$ once and
for allO on >imH,I -eter 10G !M-2
Easy now. Slow down. 'Cest in the Lord$ and wait patiently for >im ,-s. /G0G2.
Act on it. #he moment a concern surfaces$ deal with it. Jon&t dwell on it. >ead off worries before they et the
best of you. =e a doer$ not a stewer.
Compile a worry list. 3ver a period of days record your anxious thouhts. #hen review them. >ow many of
them turned into a reality5
Evaluate your worry categories. Jetect recurrin areas of preoccupation that may become obsessions. -ray
specifically about them.
Focus on today. God meets daily needs daily. >e will ive you what you need when it is needed.
Unleash a worry army. Share your feelins with a few loved ones. !sk them to pray with and for you.
Let God be enough. '(our heavenly 9ather already knows all your needs. Seek the Mindom of God above all
else$ and live rihteously$ and he will ive you everythin you need.+ ,Matt. ;0/.)// AL#2.
4iht steps. -ray$ first. 4asy$ now. !ct on it. Bompile a worry list. 4valuate your worry cateories. 9ocus on
today. Lnleash a worry army. Let God be enouh.
-)4)!)B)4)9)L)L
,9rom Q9earlessQ2
God /ever Sends You Ou$ -lone
by Max Lucado
When you place your faith in Bhrist$ Bhrist places his Spirit before$ behind$ and within you. Aot a strane
spirit$ but the same Spirit0 the parakletos. 4verythin :esus did for his followers$ his Spirit does for you. :esus
tauht* the Spirit teaches. :esus healed* the Spirit heals. :esus comforted* his Spirit comforts. !s :esus sends
you into new seasons$ he sends his counselor to o with you.
God treats you the way one mother treated her youn son$ #immy. She didn&t like the thouht of #immy
walkin to his first)rade class unaccompanied. =ut he was too rown)up to be seen with his mother.
'=esides$+ he explained$ 'I can walk with a friend.+ So she did her best to stay calm$ 7uotin the #wenty)third
-salm to him every mornin0 'Surely oodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my lifeH+
3ne school day she came up with an idea. She asked a neihbor to follow #immy to school in the mornins$
stayin at a distance$ lest he notice her. #he neihbor was happy to oblie. She took her toddler on mornin
walks anyway.
!fter several days #immy&s friend noticed the lady and the child.
'Jo you know who that woman is who follows us to school5+
'Sure$+ #immy answered. '#hat&s Shirley Goodnest and her dauhter Marcy.+
.D
'Who5+
'My mom reads about them every day in the #wenty)third -salm. She says$ @Shirley Goodnest and Marcy
shall follow me all the days of my life.& Guess I&ll have to et used to them.+
(ou will too. God never sends you out alone. !re you on the eve of chane5 Jo you find yourself lookin
into a new chapter5 Is the foliae of your world showin sins of a new season5 >eaven&s messae for you is
clear0 when everythin else chanes$ God presence never does. (ou "ourney in the company of the >oly
Spirit$ who 'will teach you and will remind you of everythin I have told you+ ,:ohn ?E0.; AL#2.
,9rom Q9earlessQ2
,ake Friends Wi$h Wha$ever!s /e8$
by Max Lucado
4mbrace it. !ccept it. Jon&t resist it. Bhane is not only a part of life* chane is a necessary part of God&s
stratey. #o use us to chane the world$ he alters our assinments. Gideon0 from farmer to eneral* Mary0
from peasant irl to the mother of Bhrist* -aul0 from local rabbi to world evanelist. God transitioned :oseph
from a baby brother to an 4yptian prince. >e chaned Javid from a a shepherd to a kin. -eter wanted to
fish the Sea of Galilee. God called him to lead the first church. God makes reassinments.
=ut$ someone miht ask$ what about the traic chanes God permits5 Some seasons make no senseHdo such
moments serve a purpose5
#hey do if we see them from an eternal perspective. What makes no sense in this lie will make perfect sense
in the next. I have proof0 you in the womb.
I know you don&t remember this prenatal season$ so let me remind you what happened durin it. 4very
estation day e7uipped you for your earthly life. (our bones solidified$ your eyes developed$ the umbilical
cord transported nutrients into your rowin frameHfor what reason5 So you miht remain enwombed5 Iuite
the contrary. Womb time e7uipped you for earth time$ suited you up for your postpartum existence.
Some prenatal features went unused before birth. (ou rew a nose but didn&t breathe. 4yes developed$ but
could you see5 (our tonue$ toenails$ and crop of hair served no function in your mother&s belly. =ut aren&t
you lad you have them now5
Bertain chapters in this life seem so unnecessary$ like nostrils on the preborn. Sufferin. Loneliness. Jisease.
>olocausts. Martyrdom. Monsoons. If we assume this world exists "ust for prerave happiness$ these
atrocities dis7ualify it from doin so. =ut what if this earth is the womb5 Miht these challenes$ severe as
they may be$ serve to prepare us$ e7uip us for the world to come5 !s -aul wrote$ '#hese little troubles are
ettin us ready for an eternal lory that will make all our troubles seem like nothin+ ,. Bor. E0?G B482.
,9rom Q9earlessQ2
Wha$ i( Thin)s Only Ge$ Worse*
by Max Lucado
Bhrist tells us that they will. >e predicts spiritual bailouts$ ecoloical turmoil$ and worldwide persecution. (et
in the midst of it all$ he contends bravery is still an option. ,Matt. .E0E)?E2
.<
#hins are oin to et bad$ really bad$ before they et better. !nd when conditions worsen$ 'See to it that
you are not alarmed+ ,Matt. .E0; AI82. :esus chose a stout term for alarmed that he used on no other
occasion. It means 'to wail$ to cry aloud$+ as if :esus counseled the disciples$ 'Jon&t freak out when bad stuff
happens.+
'See to itH+ =osses and teachers are known to use that phrase. 'See to it that you fill out the reports.+ 3r
'(our essay is due tomorrow. See to it that you finish your work.+ #he words call for additional attention$
special focus$ extra resolve. Isn&t this what Bhrist is askin of us5 In this danerous day$ on this 9abere&)
fraile lobe$ with financial collapse on the news and terrorists on the loose$ we have every reason to retreat
into bunkers of dread and woe.
=ut Bhrist says to us$ 'See to it that you are not alarmed.+ ,AI82
'Meep your head and don&t panic+ ,MSG2.
'See that you are not troubled+ ,AM:82.
!nd remember0 '!ll these Nchallenin timesO are the beinnin of birth pains+ ,Matt. .E0D AI82$ and birth
pans aren&t all bad. ,4asy for me to say.2 =irth pains sinal the onset of the final push. #he pediatrician
assures the mom)to)be$ 'It&s oin to hurt for a time$ but it&s oin to et better.+ :esus assures us of the same.
Global conflicts indicate our date on the maternity calendar. We are in the final hours$ "ust a few pushes from
delivery$ a few brief ticks of eternity&s clock from the reat crownin of creation. ! whole new world is
comin!
,9rom Q9earlessQ2
Believe
by Max Lucado
:airus fell at :esus& feet$ 'sayin aain and aain$ @My dauhter is dyin. -lease come and put your hands on
her so she will be healed and will live&+ ,Mark 10./2.
#here are no ames. Ao halin. Ao mas7uerades. #he situation is starkly simple0 :airus is blind to the future
and :esus knows the future. So :airus asks for his help.
!nd :esus$ who loves the honest heart$ oes to ive itHN>eO turns immediately to :airus and pleads0 'Jon&t
be afraid* "ust believe+ ,v. /;2.
9ear Aot -romise book:esus compels :airus to see the unseen. When :esus says$ ':ust believe H $+ he is
implorin$ 'Jon&t limit your possibilities to the visible. Jon&t listen only for the audible. Jon&t be controlled
by the loical. =elieve there is more to life than meets the eye!+
'#rust me$+ :esus is pleadin. 'Jon&t be afraid* "ust trust.+
,9rom Q9ear Aot -romise =ookQ2
3oura)e
by Max Lucado
#he disciples were alone in the storm for nine tempestuous hours. Lon enouh for more than one disciple to
ask$ 'Where is :esus5 >e knows we are in the boat. 9or heaven&s sake$ it was his idea. Is God anywhere
near5+
/K
!nd from within the storm comes an unmistakable voice0 'Bourae! I am! Jon&t be afraid!+ ,Matthew ?E0.G$
literal translation2.
9ear Aot -romise book9rom the center of the storm$ the unwaverin :esus shouts$ 'I am.+ #all in the #rade
#ower wreckae. =old aainst the Galilean waves. IBL$ battlefield$ boardroom$ prison cell$ or maternity ward
6whatever your storm$ 'I am.+
Bhrist comes astride the waves and declares the words enraved on every wise heart0 'Bourae! I am! Jon&t
be afraid!+
5ee0er
by Max Lucado
:esus performed two bread)multiplyin miracles0 in one he fed 1$KKK people$ in the other E.KKK. Still his
disciples$ who witnessed both feast$ worried about empty pantries. ! frustrated :esus rebuked them0 '!re
your hearts too hard to take it in5...Jon&t you remember anythin at all5+ ,Mark D0?G)?D AL#2.
9ear Aot -romise bookShort memories harden he heart. Make careful note of God&s blessins. Jeclare with
Javid0 'NI willO daily add praise to praise. I&ll write the book on your rihteousness$ talk up your salvation the
livelon day$ never run out of ood thins to write or say+ ,-salm G?0?E)?1 MSG2.
Batalo God&s oodness. Meditate on them. >e has fed you$ led you$ and earned your trust. Cemember what
God has done for you.
%ndure
by Max Lucado
If you live in a world darkened by sin$ you may be its victim.
:esus is honest about the life we are called to lead. #here is no uarantee that "ust because we belon to him
we will o unscathed. Ao promise is found in Scripture that says when you follow the kin you are exempt
from battle. Ao$ often "ust the opposite is the case.9ear Aot -romise book
>ow do we survive the battle5 >ow do we endure the fray5
:esus says0 '#hose people who keep their faith until the end will be saved+ ,Matthew .E0?/ AB82.
>e doesn&t say if you succeed you will be saved. 3r if you come out on top you will be saved. >e says if you
endure.
The &ove Tes$
by Max Lucado
/?
>ave you ever made decisions about your relationships based on your feelins instead of the facts5 When it
comes to love$ feelins rule the day. 4motions uide the ship. Goose bumps call the shots. =ut should they5
Ban feelins be trusted5 Ban a relationship feel riht but be wron5
9eelins can fool you. (esterday I spoke with a teenae irl who is pu%%led by the lack of feelins she has for
a uy. =efore they started datin$ she was wild about him. #he minute he showed interest in her$ however$ she
lost interest.
I&m thinkin also of a youn mom. =ein a parent isn&t as romantic as she anticipated. Jiapers and midniht
feedins aren&t any fun$ and she&s feelin uilty because they aren&t. !m I low on love5 she wonders.
>ow do you answer such 7uestions5 4ver wish you had a way to assess the 7uality of your affection5 ! JA!
test for love5 -aul offers us one0 'Love does not deliht in evil but re"oices with the truth+ ,? Bor. ?/0; AI82.
In this verse lies a test for love.
Want to separate the fake from the factual$ the counterfeit from the real thin5 Want to know if what you feel
is enuine love5 !sk yourself this0
Jo I encourae this person to do what is riht5 9or true love 'takes no pleasure in other people&s sins but
delihts in the truth+ ,? Bor. ?/0; :=2.
If you find yourself promptin evil in others$ heed the alarm. #his is not love. !nd if others prompt evil in
you$ be alert.
>ere&s an example. ! classic one. ! youn couple are on a date. >is affection oes beyond her comfort %one.
She resists. =ut he tries to persuade her with the oldest line in the book0 '=ut I love you. I "ust want to be near
you. If you loved me H+
#hat siren you hear5 It&s the phony)love detector. #his uy doesn&t love her. >e may love havin sex with her.
>e may love her body. >e may love boastin to his buddies about his con7uest. =ut he doesn&t love her. #rue
love will never ask the 'beloved+ to do what he or she thinks is wron.
Love doesn&t tear down the convictions of others. Iuite the contrary.
'Love builds up+ ,? Bor. D0?2.
'Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the liht and will not cause anyone to stumble+ ,? :ohn .0?K2.
'(ou are sinnin aainst Bhrist when you sin aainst other Bhristians by encourain them to do somethin
they believe is wron+ ,? Bor. D0?. AL#2.
Jo you want to know if your love for someone is true5 If your friendship is enuine5 !sk yourself0 Jo I
influence this person to do what is riht5
,9rom Q! Love Worth GivinQ2
Your 2indness 9uo$ien$
by Max Lucado
>ow kind are you5 What is your kindness 7uotient5 When was the last time you did somethin kind for
someone in your family6e..$ ot a blanket$ cleaned off the table$ prepared the coffee6without bein asked5
/.
#hink about your school or workplace. Which person is the most overlooked or avoided5 ! shy student5 !
rumpy employee5 Maybe he doesn&t speak the lanuae. Maybe she doesn&t fit in. !re you kind to this
person5
Mind hearts are 7uietly kind. #hey let the car cut into traffic and the youn mom with three kids move up in
the checkout line. #hey pick up the neihbor&s trash can that rolled into the street. !nd they are especially
kind at church. #hey understand that perhaps the neediest person they&ll meet all week is the one standin in
the foyer or sittin on the row behind them in worship. -aul writes0 'When we have the opportunity to help
anyone$ we should do it. =ut we should ive special attention to those who are in the family of believers+
,Gal. ;0?K2.
!nd$ here is a challene6what about your enemies5 With the boss who fired you or the wife who left you.
Suppose you surprised them with kindness5 Aot easy5 Ao$ it&s not. =ut mercy is the deepest esture of
kindness. -aul e7uates the two. '=e kind to one another$ tenderhearted$ forivin one another$ even as God in
Bhrist forave you+ ,4ph. E0/. AM:82. :esus said0
Love your enemies. Jo ood to those who hate you$ bless those who curse you.H If you love only the people
who love you$ what praise should you et5 H NLOove your enemies$ do ood to them$ and lend to them
without hopin to et anythin back. #hen you will have a reat reward$ and you will be children of the Most
>ih God$ because he is kind even to people who are unrateful and full of sin. Show mercy$ "ust as your
9ather shows mercy. ,Luke ;0.GF.D$ /.$ /1F/;2
Mindness at home. Mindness in public. Mindness at church and kindness with your enemies. -retty well covers
the amut$ don&t you think5 !lmost. Someone else needs your kindness. Who could that be5 (ou.
Since he is so kind to us$ can&t we be a little kinder to ourselves5 3h$ but you don&t know me$ Max. (ou don&t
know my faults and my thouhts. (ou don&t know the ripes I rumble and the complaints I mumble. Ao$ I
don&t$ but he does. >e knows everythin about you$ yet he doesn&t hold back his kindness toward you. >as he$
knowin all your secrets$ retracted one promise or reclaimed one ift5
! Love Worth GivinAo$ he is kind to you. Why don&t you be kind to yourself5 >e forives your faults. Why
don&t you do the same5 >e thinks tomorrow is worth livin. Why don&t you aree5 >e believes in you enouh
to call you his ambassador$ his follower$ even his child. Why not take his cue and believe in yourself5
=e kind to yourself. God thinks you&re worth his kindness. !nd he&s a ood "ude of character.
- 3all $o 3oon 3our$esy
by Max Lucado
-erhaps you&ve never placed the word courteous next to Bhrist. I hadn&t until I wrote this chapter.
=ut you know how you never notice double)cab red trucks until your friend says he wants one6then you see
a do%en of them5 I had never thouht much about the courtesy of Bhrist before$ but as I bean lookin$ I
reali%ed that :esus makes 4mily -ost look like !rchie =unker.
>e always knocks before enterin. >e doesn&t have to. >e owns your heart. If anyone has the riht to bare
in$ Bhrist does. =ut he doesn&t. #hat entle tap you hear5 It&s Bhrist. '=ehold$ I stand at the door and knock+
,Cev. /0.K A!S=2. !nd when you answer$ he awaits your invitation to cross the threshold.
//
!nd when he enters$ he always brins a ift. Some brin Bhianti and daisies. Bhrist brins 'the ift of the
>oly Spirit+ ,!cts .0/D2. !nd$ as he stays$ he serves. '9or even the Son of Man did not come to be served$ but
to serve+ ,Mark ?K0E1 AI82. If you&re missin your apron$ you&ll find it on him. >e&s servin the uests as
they sit ,:ohn ?/0EF12. >e won&t eat until he&s offered thanks$ and he won&t leave until the leftovers are put
away ,Matt. ?E0?<F.K2.
>e is courteous enouh to tell you his name ,4xod. /0?12 and to call you by yours ,:ohn ?K0/2. !nd when you
talk$ he never interrupts. >e listens.
>e is even on time. Aever late. Aever early. If you&re checkin your watch$ it&s because you&re on a different
itinerary. '#here is a time for everythin+ ,4ccles. /0?2. !nd Bhrist stays on schedule.
>e even opens doors for you. -aul could preach at #roas because 'the Lord had opened a door+ ,. Bor. .0?.
AI82. When I asked my dad why men should open doors for women$ his answer was one word0 'respect.+
Bhrist must have abundant respect for you.
>e knocks before he enters. >e always brins a ift. 9ood is served. #he table is cleared. #hanks are offered.
>e knows your name and tells you his$ and here is one more.
>e pulls out the chair for you. '>e raised us up with Bhrist and ave us a seat with him in the heavens+ ,4ph.
.0;2.
My wife has a heart for sinle moms. She loves to include a widow or divorcPe at the table when we o to a
restaurant. #hrouh the years I&ve noticed a common appreciation from them. #hey love it when I pull out
their chair. More than once they have specifically thanked me. 3ne mom in particular comes to mind. 'My$+
she blushed$ brushin the sudden moisture from her eye$ 'it&s been a while since anyone did that.+
>as it been a while for you as well5 -eople can be so rude. We snatch parkin places. We foret names. We
interrupt. We fail to show up. Bould you use some courtesy5 >as it been a while since someone pulled out
your chair5
! Love Worth Givin#hen let :esus. Jon&t hurry throuh this thouht. Ceceive the courtesy of Bhrist. >e&s
your room. Joes not the room cherish the bride5 Cespect the bride5 >onor the bride5 Let Bhrist do what he
lons to do.
9or as you receive his love$ you&ll find it easier to ive yours. !s you reflect on his courtesy to you$ you&ll be
likely to offer the same.
Wha$ God Does For You
by Max Lucado
(ou and I have the privilee to do for others what God does for us. >ow do we show people that we believe
in them5
Show up. Aothin takes the place of your presence. Letters are nice. -hone calls are special$ but bein there in
the flesh sends a messae.
/E
Jo you believe in your kids5 #hen show up. Show up at their ames. Show up at their plays. Show up at their
recitals. It may not be possible to make each one$ but it&s sure worth the effort. Jo you believe in your
friends5 #hen show up. Show up at their raduations and weddins. Spend time with them. (ou want to brin
out the best in someone5 #hen show up.
Listen up. (ou don&t have to speak to encourae. #he =ible says$ 'It is best to listen much$ speak little+
,:ames ?0?< #L=2. We tend to speak much and listen little. #here is a time to speak. =ut there is also a time to
be 7uiet. #hat&s what my father did. Jroppin a fly ball may not be a bi deal to most people$ but if you are
thirteen years old and have aspirations of the bi leaues$ it is a bi deal. Aot only was it my second error of
the ame$ it allowed the winnin run to score.
I didn&t even o back to the duout. I turned around in the middle of left field and climbed over the fence. I
was halfway home when my dad found me. >e didn&t say a word. :ust pulled over to the side of the road$
leaned across the seat$ and opened the passener door. We didn&t speak. We didn&t need to. We both knew the
world had come to an end. When we ot home$ I went straiht to my room$ and he went straiht to the
kitchen. -resently he appeared in front of me with cookies and milk. >e took a seat on the bed$ and we broke
bread toether. Somewhere in the dunkin of the cookies I bean to reali%e that life and my father&s love
would o on. In the economy of male adolescence$ if you love the uy who drops the ball$ then you really
love him. My skill as a baseball player didn&t improve$ but my confidence in Jad&s love did. Jad never said a
word. =ut he did show up. >e did listen up. #o brin out the best in others$ do the same$ and then$ when
appropriate0
Speak up. (ou have the power to chane someone&s life simply by the words that you speak. 'Jeath and life
are in the power of the tonue+ ,-rov. ?D0.? AM:82. #hat&s why -aul ures you and me to be careful. 'When
you talk$ do not say harmful thins$ but say what people need6words that will help others become stroner+
,4ph. E0.<2.
! Love Worth Givin4arlier I ave you a test for love. #here&s also a test for the tonue. =efore you speak$
ask0 Will what I&m about to say help others become stroner5 (ou have the ability$ with your words$ to make
a person stroner. (our words are to their soul what a vitamin is to their body. If you had food and saw
someone starvin$ would you not share it5 If you had water and saw someone dyin of thirst$ would you not
ive it5 3f course you would. #hen won&t you do the same for their hearts5 (our words are food and water!
Jo not withhold encouraement from the discouraed. Jo not keep affirmation from the beaten down! Speak
words that make people stroner. =elieve in them as God has believed in you.
When You -re &o' on Hope
by Max Lucado
Water. !ll Aoah can see is water. #he evenin sun sinks into it. #he clouds are reflected in it. >is boat is
surrounded by it. Water. Water to the north. Water to the south. Water to the east. Water to the west. Water.
>e sent a raven on a scoutin mission* it never returned. >e sent a dove. It came back shiverin and spent$
havin found no place to roost. #hen$ "ust this mornin$ he tried aain. With a prayer he let it o and watched
until the bird was no bier than a speck on a window.
!ll day he looked for the dove&s return.
/1
Aow the sun is settin$ and the sky is darkenin$ and he has come to look one final time$ but all he sees is
water. Water to the north. Water to the south. Water to the east. Water to the H
(ou know the feelin. (ou have stood where Aoah stood. (ou&ve known your share of floods. 9looded by
sorrow at the cemetery$ stress at the office$ aner at the disability in your body or the inability of your spouse.
(ou&ve seen the floodwater rise$ and you&ve likely seen the sun set on your hopes as well. (ou&ve been on
Aoah&s boat.
!nd you&ve needed what Aoah needed* you&ve needed some hope. (ou&re not askin for a helicopter rescue$
but the sound of one would be nice. >ope doesn&t promise an instant solution but rather the possibility of an
eventual one. Sometimes all we need is a little hope.
#hat&s all Aoah needed. !nd that&s all Aoah received.
>ere is how the =ible describes the moment0 'When the dove returned to him in the evenin$ there in its beak
was a freshly plucked olive leaf!+ ,Gen. D0?? AI82.
!n olive leaf. Aoah would have been happy to have the bird but to have the leaf! #his leaf was more than
foliae* this was promise. #he bird brouht more than a piece of a tree* it brouht hope. 9or isn&t that what
hope is5 >ope is an olive leaf6evidence of dry land after a flood. -roof to the dreamer that dreamin is worth
the risk.
Jon&t we love the olive leaves of life5
'It appears the cancer may be in remission.+
'I can help you with those finances.+
'We&ll et throuh this toether.+
What&s more$ don&t we love the doves that brin them5
-erhaps that&s the reason so many loved :esus.
#o all the Aoahs of the world$ to all who search the hori%on for a fleck of hope$ he proclaims$ '(es!+ !nd he
comes. >e comes as a dove. >e comes bearin fruit from a distant land$ from our future home. >e comes with
a leaf of hope.
! Love Worth Givin>ave you received yours5 Jon&t think your ark is too isolated. Jon&t think your flood is
too wide. Ceceive his hope$ won&t you5 Ceceive it because you need it. Ceceive it so you can share it.
Love always hopes. 'Love H bears all thins$ believes all thins$ hopes all thins$ endures all thins+ ,? Bor.
?/0EFG AM:8$ emphasis mine2.
Un(ailin) &ove
by Max Lucado
'Love$+ -aul says$ 'never fails+ ,? Bor. ?/0D AI82.
#he verb -aul uses for the word fail is used elsewhere to describe the demise of a flower as it falls to the
round$ withers$ and decays. It carries the meanin of death and abolishment. God&s love$ says the apostle$
will never fall to the round$ wither$ and decay. =y its nature$ it is permanent. It is never abolished.
Love 'will last forever+ ,AL#2.
/;
It 'never dies+ ,MSG2.
It 'never ends+ ,CS82.
Love 'is eternal+ ,#482.
God&s love 'will never come to an end+ ,A4=2.
Love never fails.
Governments will fail$ but God&s love will last. Browns are temporary$ but love is eternal. (our money will
run out$ but his love never will.
>ow could God have a love like this5 Ao one has unfailin love. Ao person can love with perfection. (ou&re
riht. Ao person can. =ut God is not a person. Lnlike our love$ his never fails. >is love is immensely different
from ours.
3ur love depends on the receiver of the love. Let a thousand people pass before us$ and we will not feel the
same about each. 3ur love will be reulated by their appearance$ by their personalities. 4ven when we find a
few people we like$ our feelins will fluctuate. >ow they treat us will affect how we love them. #he receiver
reulates our love.
Aot so with the love of God. We have no thermostatic impact on his love for us. #he love of God is born from
within him$ not from what he finds in us. >is love is uncaused and spontaneous.
Joes he love us because of our oodness5 =ecause of our kindness5 =ecause of our reat faith5 Ao$ he loves
us because of his oodness$ kindness$ and reat faith. :ohn says it like this0 '#his is love0 not that we loved
God$ but that he loved us+ ,? :ohn E0?K AI82.
Joesn&t this thouht comfort you5 God&s love does not hine on yours. #he abundance of your love does not
increase his. #he lack of your love does not diminish his. (our oodness does not enhance his love$ nor does
your weakness dilute it. What Moses said to Israel is what God says to us0
#he L3CJ did not choose you and lavish his love on you because you were larer or reater than other
nations$ for you were the smallest of all nations! It was simply because the L3CJ loves you. ,Jeut. G0GFD
AL#2
God loves you simply because he has chosen to do so.
! Love Worth Givin>e loves you when you don&t feel lovely.
>e loves you when no one else loves you. 3thers may abandon you$ divorce you$ and inore you$ but God
will love you. !lways. Ao matter what.
#his is his sentiment0 'I&ll call nobodies and make them somebodies* I&ll call the unloved and make them
beloved+ ,Com. <0.1 MSG2.
#his is his promise. 'I have loved you$ my people$ with an everlastin love. With unfailin love I have drawn
you to myself+ ,:er. /?0/ AL#2
/G
5ead Your &i(e Ba#k'ard
by Max Lucado
God is workin in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases him.
-hilippians .0?/ AB8
What God said about :eremiah$ he said about you0 '=efore I made you in your mother&s womb$ I chose you.
=efore you were born$ I set you apart for a special work+ ,:er. ?01 AB82.
Set apart for a special work.
God shaped you accordin to yours. >ow else can you explain yourself5 (our ability to dianose an enine
problem by the noise it makes$ to bake a cake without a recipe. (ou knew the Bivil War better than your
!merican history teacher. (ou know the name of every child in the orphanae. >ow do you explain such
7uirks of skill5
God. >e knew youn Israel would need a code$ so he ave Moses a love for the law. >e knew the doctrine of
race would need a fiery advocate$ so he set -aul abla%e. !nd in your case$ he knew what your eneration
would need and ave it. >e desined you. !nd his desin defines your destiny. Cemember -eter&s
admonition5 'If anyone ministers$ let him do it as with the ability which God supplies+ ,? -et. E0??2.
I encountered walkin proof of this truth on a trip to Bentral !merica. Jave$ a fellow !merican$ was
celebratin his sixty)first birthday with friends at the lanuae school where my dauhter was studyin
Spanish. My 7uestion6'What brins you here5+6opened a bioraphical floodate. Jrus$ sex$ divorce$ "ail
6Jave&s first four decades read like a anster&s diary. =ut then God called him. :ust as God called Moses$
-aul$ and millions$ God called Jave.
>is explanation went somethin like this. 'I&ve always been able to fix thins. !ll my life when stuff broke$
people called me. ! friend told me about poor children in Bentral !merica$ so I came up with an idea. I find
homes with no fathers and no plumbin. I install sinks and toilets and love kids. #hat&s what I do. #hat&s what
I was made to do.+
Sounds like Jave has found the cure for the common life. >e&s livin in his sweet spot. What about you5
What have you always done well5 !nd what have you always loved to do5
#hat last 7uestion trips up a lot of well)meanin folks. God wouldn&t let me do what I like to do6would he5
!ccordin to -aul$ he would. 'God is workin in you to help you want to do and be able to do what pleases
him+ ,-hil. .0?/ AB82. (our Jesiner couples the 'want to+ with the 'be able to.+ Jesire shares the driver&s
seat with ability. 'Jeliht yourself in the L3CJ and he will ive you the desires of your heart+ ,-s. /G0E
AI82. (our 9ather is too racious to assin you to a life of misery. !s #homas !7uinas wrote$ '>uman life
would seem to consist in that in which each man most delihts$ that for which he especially strives$ and that
which he particularly wishes to share with his friends.+
So o ahead* reflect on your life. What have you always done well and loved to do5
Some find such a 7uestion too simple. Jon&t we need to measure somethin5 !ptitude or temperament5 We
consult teachers and tea leaves$ read manuals and horoscopes. ! Love Worth GivinWe inventory spiritual
ifts and ancestors. While some of these strateies miht aid us$ a simpler answer lies before us. 3r$ better
stated$ lies within us.
/D
#he oak indwells the acorn. Cead your life backward and check your supplies. Cerelish your moments of
success and satisfaction. 9or in the merer of the two$ you find your uni7ueness.
,9rom QBure for the Bommon LifeQ2
God Does Bi) Thin)s 'i$h Sall Deeds
by Max Lucado
'Jo not despise these small beinnins$ for the L3CJ re"oices to see the work bein+ ,Sech. E0?K AL#2.
=ein. :ust bein! What seems small to you miht be hue to someone else. :ust ask =ohn 9awkes. Jurin
World War II$ he piloted a =)?G. 3n one mission he sustained flak from Aa%i antiaircraft uns. 4ven thouh
his as tanks were hit$ the plane did not explode$ and 9awkes was able to land the plane.
3n the mornin followin the raid$ 9awkes asked his crew chief for the German shell. >e wanted to keep a
souvenir of his incredible ood fortune. #he crew chief explained that not "ust one but eleven shells had been
found in the as tanks$ none of which had exploded.
#echnicians opened the missiles and found them void of explosive chare. #hey were clean and harmless and
with one exception$ empty. #he exception contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. 3n it a messae had
been scrawled in the B%ech lanuae. #ranslated$ the note read0 '#his is all we can do for you now.+
! couraeous assembly)line worker was disarmin bombs and scribbled the note. >e couldn&t end the war$
but he could save one plane. >e couldn&t do everythin$ but he could do somethin. So he did it.
God does bi thins with small deeds.
!ainst a towerin iant$ a brook pebble seems futile. =ut God used it to topple Goliath. Bompared to the
tithes of the wealthy$ a widow&s coins seem puny. =ut :esus used them to inspire us. !nd in contrast with
sophisticated priests and powerful Coman rulers$ a cross)suspended carpenter seemed nothin but a waste of
life. 9ew :ewish leaders mourned his death. 3nly a handful of friends buried his body. #he people turned their
attention back to the temple. Why not5
What power does a buried rabbi have5 We know the answer. Mustard)seed and leaven)lump power. -ower to
tear away death ras and push away death rocks. -ower to chane history. In the hands of God$ small seeds
row into shelterin trees. #iny leaven expands into nourishin loaves.
Small deeds can chane the world. Sow the mustard seed. =ury the leaven lump. Make the call. Write the
check. 3rani%e the committee.
! Love Worth GivinMoses had a staff.
Javid had a slin.
Samson had a "awbone.
Cahab had a strin.
Mary had some ointment.
!aron had a rod.
Jorcas had a needle.
!ll were used by God.
What do you have5
/<
God inhabits the tiny seed$ empowers the tiny deed. >e cures the common life by ivin no common life$ by
offerin no common ifts. Jon&t discount the smallness of your deeds.
,9rom QBure for the Bommon LifeQ2
EK

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