Tag Archives: Max Lucado

Max Lucado – God Keeps His Promises

August 30, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

God keeps His promises. Shouldn’t God’s promise-keeping inspire yours?

People can exhaust you. And there are times when all we can do is not enough. When a spouse chooses to leave, we can’t force him or her to stay. You’re tired. You’re angry. You’re disappointed. This isn’t the marriage you expected or the life you wanted. But looming in your past is a promise you made.

Whatever that is, may I urge you to do all you can to keep it? To give it one more try? Why should you? So you can understand the depth of God’s love. When you love the unloving, you get a glimpse of what God does everyday for you and me.

When you keep the porch light on for the prodigal child, you do what God does every single moment. Pay attention, take notes on your struggles. God invites you to understand His love by loving others the way he does.

from Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado – Turn a Deaf Ear

August 29, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Two kinds of voices vie for our attention. One says, “God will help you.” The other says, “God has left you!”

And here’s the great news: you select the voices you hear. Why give ear to pea-brains and scoffers when you can, with the same ear, listen to the voice of God? I had a friend who battled alcohol. He tried a fresh tactic. He gave me and a few others permission to slug him in the nose if we ever saw him drinking. If the wall is too tall, try the tunnel! Try something different… God will help you!

Ephesians 1:19-20 says, “God’s power is very great for those who believe. That power is the same as the great strength God used to raise Christ from the dead and put Him at His right side in the heavenly world.”

Turn to God and he will give you what you need. Turn a deaf ear to the old voices. Open a wide eye to the new choices!

from Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado – A Stronghold

August 28, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

What is that one weakness you have, that bad habit, or rotten attitude? Where does Satan have a stronghold within you?

It’s a fitting word—stronghold: a fortress, thick walls, tall gates. It’s as if the devil staked a claim on one weakness and constructed a rampart around it—placing himself squarely between God’s help and your. . .explosive temper; fragile self-image; freezer-size appetite; or distrust for authority.

Stronghold. Seasons come and go, and this Loch Ness monster still lurks in the water-bottom of your soul. He won’t go away! He lives up to both sides of his compound name: strong enough to grip like a vise and stubborn enough to hold on.

Remember Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 10:4, “We use mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the devil’s strongholds.” You and I fight with toothpicks but God comes with battering rams and cannons! So give your strongholds to God and He will break them down!

from Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado – All You Need

August 27, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

There was a point in our life when we were just a signature away from moving from one house to another. The price was fair, it seemed a wise move. But I didn’t feel peaceful about it. To this day I can’t pinpoint the source of the discomfort. Sometimes a choice just doesn’t “feel” right; and sometimes choices do “feel” right.

When Luke justified the writing of his gospel to Theophilus, he said, “Since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you.” (Luke 1:3).

Did you notice, “it seemed good also to me?” Luke pondered his options and selected the path that “seemed good.”

Do you have a heart for God? Heed it. Do you have a family of faith? Consult it. Do you have a Bible? Read it. You have what you need to face the giant-size questions of life. Once you’ve given your heart to God, consulted people of faith, and read the Bible, then trust your heart and do what seems right. Who knows? You may end up writing your own gospel story.

from Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado – You Have a Bible?

August 26, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Do you have a Bible? Read it!

Has any other book ever been described like it? Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

The words of the Bible have life. Life-giving words! Nouns with pulse rates. The Bible is to God what a surgical glove is to the surgeon. He reaches through them to touch deep within you. Haven’t you felt His touch? In a late, lonely hour you read, “I will never leave you. I will never forsake you.” The sentences comfort like a hand on your shoulder.

Don’t make a decision without sitting before God with open Bible, open heart, open ears. Let the words of Christ live in your heart and make you wise.

You have a Bible? Read it.

Max Lucado – God is Our Guide

August 23, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

I can get lost anywhere. Seriously. Anywhere. I once got lost in my hotel. I told the receptionist my key wasn’t working. I’d been on the wrong floor trying to open the wrong door. If geese had my sense of direction, they’d spend winters in Alaska. Can you relate? Of course you can. We’ve all scratched our heads a time or two. Do I take the job, or leave it? One of life’s giant-size questions is “How can I know what God wants me to do?”

In 2 Samuel 2:1 David inquires of the Lord: “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?”

“Go up.”

David said, “Where shall I go up?”

He made a habit of running his options past God. We do the same and the God who guided David guides you. Are you like me? Do you get confused? Psalm 32:8 is the promise you need: God says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.” We all need that promise, don’t we?

from Facing Your Giant

Max Lucado – There is a Time to Mourn

August 22, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Solomon said, “There is a time to mourn!” Give yourself some. Face your grief with tears, time, and one more—face your grief with truth. God has the last word on death. And if you listen, He will tell you the truth about your loved ones. They’ve been dismissed from the hospital called Earth. You and I still roam the halls, smell the medicines. They meanwhile, inhale springtime.

You miss them like crazy, but can you deny the truth? They have no pain, doubt, or struggle. They really are happier in heaven. Reunion is a splinter of an eternal moment away. I Thessalonians 4:13 says that there is no need for you “to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.”

God understands. He knows the sorrow of a grave. He buried His Son. But He also knows the joy of resurrection. And by His power, you will too.

from Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado – The Giant of Grief

August 21, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

After the wife of C.S. Lewis died he wrote: “Her absence is like the sky, spread over everything.”

Just when you think the beast of grief is gone, you pass a restaurant where the two of you used to eat, or you hear a song she loved. And the giant of grief keeps stirring up. You see couples and long for your mate. You see parents with kids and yearn for your child. The giant stirs up insomnia, loss of appetite, even thoughts of suicide.

Grief is not a mental illness, but it sure feels like one sometimes. Jesus understands. Next to the tomb of his dear friend, “Jesus wept.” And in His tears we find permission to shed our own. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes 7:3, “Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.”

Go ahead. Face your grief. Permit yourself tears. God understands, and He will get your through this.

from Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado – Just One More

August 20, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Your spouse calls to apologize, “Sorry, I’ll be out late one more night this week!”

The boss says, “I have one more thing for you to do before you leave!”

Your friend insists, “I need just one more favor!”

The problem? You’ve handled, tolerated, done, forgiven, and taken until you don’t have one more “one more” in you.

Be encouraged. I Samuel 30:6 describes six-hundred men stoking their anger against David. It says, “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.” How essential that we learn to do the same. Support systems don’t always support. Friends aren’t always friendly. Pastors can wander off base and churches get out of touch. When no one can help, we have to do what David does. We have to strengthen ourselves in the Lord.

Are you weary? Catch your breath. It’s okay to rest. Jesus fights when you cannot! You turn to Him and find strength in your Lord.

from Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado – Stay in the Race

August 19, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Don’t give up! In 1952 Florence Chadwick attempted to swim the ocean waters between Catalina Island and the California shore—through foggy weather and choppy seas. After 15 hours her muscles began to cramp and her resolve weakened. She begged to be taken out of the water, but her mother riding in a boat alongside, urged her not to give up. She kept trying but grew exhausted. Aids lifted her out of the water. As they paddled a few more minutes, the mist broke. She discovered shore was less than a half mile away. She said, “All I could see was the fog. I think if I could’ve seen the shore, I would’ve made it!”

Friend, don’ t give up! The finish may be only strokes away. God may at this moment be lifting His hand to signal Gabriel to grab the trumpet. The shore may be closer than you think. Stay at it. Stay in the race. And don’t give up!

from Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado – Don’t Give Up

August 17, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The next time you lack the will to go on, seek healthy counsel! You won’t want to. Slumping people love slumping people. We love those who commiserate and avoid those who correct. Yet correction and direction are what we need when we’re tired.

I discovered the importance of healthy counsel in a half-Ironman triathlon. After the 1.2 mile swim and the 56-mile bike ride, I didn’t have much energy left for the 13.1 mile run. Neither did the fellow jogging next to me. He said, “This stinks. This is the dumbest decision I’ve ever made.”

I said, “Good-bye!” I knew if I listened too long, I’d start agreeing with him. I caught up with a sixty-six-year-old grandmother who said, “You’ll finish this—stay in there!”

Which of the two describes the counsel you seek? Proverbs 15:22 says: “Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed!”

Don’t give up. And get some good advice!

From Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado – Such a Friend

August 16, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The next time you lack the will to go on, seek healthy counsel! You won’t want to. Slumping people love slumping people. We love those who commiserate and avoid those who correct. Yet correction and direction are what we need when we’re tired.

I discovered the importance of healthy counsel in a half-Ironman triathlon. After the 1.2 mile swim and the 56-mile bike ride, I didn’t have much energy left for the 13.1 mile run. Neither did the fellow jogging next to me. He said, “This stinks. This is the dumbest decision I’ve ever made.”

I said, “Good-bye!” I knew if I listened too long, I’d start agreeing with him. I caught up with a sixty-six-year-old grandmother who said, “You’ll finish this—stay in there!”

Which of the two describes the counsel you seek? Proverbs 15:22 says: “Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed!”

Don’t give up. And get some good advice!

from Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado – Managing Tough Times

August 15, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

How we handle our tough times stays with us for a long time! When you’re tired of trying, tired of forgiving, tired of hard-headed people, how do you manage your dark days? With a bottle of pills? An hour at the bar, a day at the spa? Many opt for such treatments. So many, in fact, we assume they reenergize the sad life. But do they? They numb the pain, postpone the pain, but do they remove it?

Is there a solution? There is. Be quick to pray. Stop talking to yourself. Talk to Christ, who says, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. (Matthew 11:28).”

God, who is never downcast, never tires of your down days.“Come to Me,” Jesus says. “I’ll give you real rest!”

from Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado – A Hope We Cannot Resist

August 14, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

In a concentration camp, a guard announced a shovel was missing. Screaming at the men, he kept insisting someone had stolen it. He shouldered his rifle, ready to kill one prisoner at a time until a confession was made. As the story continues, a Scottish soldier broke ranks, stood stiffly at attention, and said, “I did it.” The guard killed the man. As they returned to camp, the shovels were counted. The guard had made a mistake. No shovel was missing after all.

Who does that? What kind of person would take the blame for something he didn’t do? When you find the adjective, attach it to Jesus. Isaiah 53:6 says, “God has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on Him.”

Christ lived the life we could not live and took the punishment we could not take, to offer the hope we cannot resist!

from Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado – Forgiving is Not Excusing

August 13, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Forgiveness is not excusing! Nor is it pretending. To forgive is to move on, not to think about the offense anymore. You don’t excuse him, endorse her, or embrace them. You just route thoughts about them through heaven. Revenge is God’s job.

By the way, how can we grace-recipients do anything less? Dare we ask God for grace when we refuse to give it? It’s a huge issue in the Bible. Jesus was tough on sinners who refused to forgive other sinners. In the final sum, we give grace because we’ve been given grace.

In the story Jesus tells in Matthew 18:32, the master calls the servant in. “You wicked servant, he said, “I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you? It’s a good question. We’ve been given grace….shouldn’t we freely give it?

from Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado – God’s Projects

August 12, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

See your enemies, not as failures, but as God’s projects! God occupies the only seat on the supreme court of heaven. He wears the robe and refuses to share the gavel.

Paul wrote in Romans 12:19: “Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. ‘I’ll do the judging,’ says God. ‘I’ll take care of it.’”

Vigilantes displace and replace God. They say, “I’m not sure you can handle this one, Lord. You may punish too little or too slowly. I’ll take this matter into my hands, thank you.” No one had a clearer sense of right and wrong that the perfect Son of God.

Only God assesses accurate judgments. Vengeance is His job. Give grace, but if need be, keep your distance. You can forgive the abusive husband without living with him. Forgiveness is not foolishness. Forgiveness is simply choosing to see your offender with different eyes.

Max Lucado – God, Your Refuge

August 9, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

He has a price on his head. No place to lay his head. But somehow he keeps his head. He turns his focus to God and finds refuge! Refuge is a favorite word of David’s in the Psalms. But never did David use the word more poignantly than in Psalm 57—a song of David when he fled from Saul into the cave. On his face, lost in shadows and thought, nowhere to turn. But then he remembers he is not alone. And from the recesses of the cave his voice floats:

“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me.

For my soul rests in You;

And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge.”

Make God your refuge. Not your job, your spouse, your reputation, or your retirement account. Make God your refuge! Let Him encircle you. Let Him be the foundation upon which you stand! And that foundation will support you right into eternity.

from Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado – God’s Sanctuary

August 8, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

The purpose of the church is to provide bread and swords! To the spiritually hungry, the church offers bread–spiritual nourishment. To the fugitive, the church offers swords–weapons of truth:

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Food and equipment. The church exists to provide both. Does it always succeed? No, not always. People-helping is never a tidy trade, because people who need help don’t lead tidy lives. Jesus calls the church to lean in the direction of compassion.

At the end of the day, the question is not how many laws were broken but rather, how many desperate were nourished and equipped? God’s sanctuary—where He gives food to the hungry and tools to the soldiers. May your church provide both for you. And may you be a part of a church that does the same for others.

Max Lucado – Look at What You Have

August 7, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

Linger too long in the stench of your hurt, and you’ll smell like the toxin you despise. I spent too much of a summer sludging through sludge. Oil field work is dirty at best. But the dirtiest job of all? Shoveling silt out of empty oil tanks. The foreman saved such jobs for the summer help. Thanks boss! My mom burned my work clothes. The stink stuck!

Your hurts can do the same. The better option? Look at what you have. Your hurts and pain took much, but Christ gave you more! Catalog His kindnesses. Everything from sunsets to salvation—look at what you have.

Let Jesus be the friend you need. Talk to Him. Spare no detail. Disclose your fear and describe your dread. Will your hurt disappear? Who knows? And in a sense, does it matter? You have a friend for life. What could be better than that?

from Facing Your Giants

Max Lucado – Such a Friend

August 6, 2013 broboinhawaii Leave a comment

In Proverbs 18:24 we read, “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” David found such a friend in the son of Saul.

Oh to have a friend like Jonathan. A soul mate who protects you, who seeks nothing but your interests, wants nothing but your happiness. An ally who lets you be you. No need to weigh thoughts or measure words. God gave David such a friend.

And God gave you one as well. David found a companion in a prince of Israel; you can find a friend in the King of Israel, Jesus Christ. He has made a covenant with you. Among His final words were these, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Jesus also said, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them away from Me!”

Do you long for one true friend? You have One!

from Facing Your Giants

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