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Overview
The realization of our moral debt sends some people into a frenzy of good works. Life becomes an unending quest to do enough, be better, accomplish more. A pursuit of piety. We attend church, tend to the sick, go on pilgrimages, and go on fasts. Yet deep within is the gnawing fear, What if, having done all that, I’ve not done enough?
Other people respond to the list, not with activity, but unbelief. They throw up their hands and walk away exasperated. No God would demand so much. He can’t be pleased. He can’t be satisfied. He must not exist. If he does exist, he is not worth knowing.
Two extremes. The legalist and the atheist. The worker desperate to impress God. The unbeliever convinced there is no God. Can you relate to either of the two? Do you know the weariness that comes from legalism? Do you know the loneliness that comes from atheism?
What do we do? Are despair and disbelief the only options?
Join Max on a soul-renewing guide through Scripture’s ultimate hope: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1).
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781400212101 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Nelson, Thomas, Inc. |
| Publication date: | 08/07/2018 |
| Pages: | 64 |
| Sales rank: | 782,378 |
| Product dimensions: | 4.10(w) x 6.70(h) x 0.40(d) |
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Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Let Go and Let God
The Promise: I can rest in the assurance of salvation.
People are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God. (Romans 4:5 NLT)
Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. (Psalm 32:1)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9)
Everything worthwhile in life takes work. Getting an A instead of a C on that project. Earning that promotion at the company. Making a marriage thrive. We know effort will be involved, yet we still strive for what we want. So we work, and we stretch, and we pull ourselves up by our bootstraps to achieve success.
And we think we have to do the same for God's approval. Perhaps we need to say a certain number of prayers or serve a few more hours at the soup kitchen just to make things right with God.
But we learn from Abraham one of the greatest promises of Scripture: we are made right with God by faith alone. When we align ourselves with God, we are given a perfect score, a seat at the table, and a place in the family. This is the gift of righteousness by faith.
Maybe you read that and think your faith must be perfect. After all, Abraham is called the father of faith. His faith must have been like a rock, sure and unbending. He must have set the standard for perfect faith. No doubts. No questions. No fear. If anyone had a perfect faith, it must have been Abraham.
That might be easy to believe, but it's not what the Bible says. Let's go back to Genesis 12, which records a covenant the Lord made with Abraham, who was called Abram at the time.
The Lord had said to Abram, "Go from your country, your people and your father's household to the land I will show you.
"I will make you into a great nation,
This covenant is noteworthy because of what God offered and what he required. He offered everything and required nothing. All Abraham had to do to receive it was believe.
But that wasn't so easy. Abraham hadn't seen what you and I have seen. He didn't have the benefits of Scripture. He didn't know the stories of Peter's redemption or Paul's conversion. He hadn't heard of the virgin birth or the empty tomb.
Abram was simply told to believe. That should be simple enough for the man called the father of faith.
Not quite.
God told Abram to go into the land of Canaan, which was already occupied by bloodthirsty tyrants. And God told Abram he would have a nation of descendants, even though he had no children, and his wife was barren.
Canaan was occupied, the crib was empty, and Abram had a crisis of faith. He asked the Lord, "What can you give me since I remain childless?" (Genesis 15:2). That doesn't exactly sound like a man of great faith.
God responded with a vision and another word. He showed Abram the sky and told him that his offspring would equal the number of the stars in the heavens. Abram could have walked away. He could have laughed off the very idea of having a child in his eighties. But he didn't. "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness" (Genesis 15:6).
Looking at Abram's faith, God said, "That's enough. That's all I desire." God granted Abraham a spiritual inheritance not because of his piety or his pedigree but because of his faith. It was a hesitant faith. It was a wavering faith. But it was enough.
The Lord isn't looking for perfect faith. His promise to Abraham was salvation by faith. His promise to Paul was salvation by faith. God's promise to me and to you is the same.
Gone is the fear of falling short. Gone is the quest to feel right, do right, or know the right things. Gone is the anxiety of uncertainty. We never have to wonder if we've done enough. We are guaranteed our spot in the family of God.
If, after you have accepted the gift of salvation, the old habits of striving and working for God's approval resurface, remember Abraham with his imperfect faith. It was all God desired, and it's all he desires of you.
A Prayer of Promise
God, you are good and righteous and holy. Yet you offer to make me right with you through my bumbling, stumbling faith. I am forever grateful.
Thank you for being enough so I don't have to be. I could never be perfect on my own. And it's such a relief just to rest in the knowledge that you are.
Forgive me when I pick up old habits and try to earn your love. Remind me that all I need to do is put my faith in you. Let my actions be motivated by what you've already done in my life, a response to your free gift. In Jesus' name, amen.
CHAPTER 2What Would You Ask of God?
The Promise: I can and will know God.
They will all know me. (Hebrews 8:11)
Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
More than three thousand years ago Moses pleaded with God on behalf of the Israelites. "If you don't go with us, no one will know that you are pleased with me and with your people. These people and I will be no different from any other people on earth" (Exodus 33:16 NCV). God agreed: "I will do what you ask, because I know you very well, and I am pleased with you" (Exodus 33:17 NCV). Then Moses asked for one more favor.
The prince-turned-shepherd-turned-liberator could ask God for anything. What do you suppose he thought about requesting? He had more than a million irritable Hebrews on his hands. Enemies surrounded them. And the people had yet to claim the promised land.
Surely Moses thought about turning those grumbling Hebrews into sheep. Maybe then they'd be easier to handle. Perhaps he considered a swift salvation from their enemies. Or maybe Moses thought about asking God to send them all straight into the promised land.
All would have been understandable requests. Who could blame Moses? He knew God could do any of them. Moses had witnessed God's power when a staff became a snake and the Red Sea became a red carpet.
So what did Moses request? "Show me your glory" (Exodus 33:18). He forgot about money, passed on the power, and skipped the fountain of youth. Moses wanted one thing: more of God. He wanted a glimpse of God's glory. He wanted a view of God's greatness because he had great challenges ahead.
You have great challenges too. You're probably not trying to lead a million Hebrews, but you're looking for answers to a million questions. Maybe you have to share a dinner table with grumbling relatives or fight a physical battle just to get out of bed.
Your challenges are great, so you need to understand your great and mighty God. We all need a glimpse of God's glory. We need to see him.
The good news is that he wants to be seen. He even guarantees that a day will come when we will all see the Lord. We'll rest in his radiance and bask in his beauty. In that moment every struggle, every challenge we've ever faced will melt away.
Even now we're invited to gain a glimpse of God and begin to understand who he is. He knows that when we see him, we'll never be the same. Our struggles don't disappear, but we see them in a new light. Our questions may not be immediately answered, but we begin to have new understanding. Our imperfections aren't instantly corrected, but we begin to love with a new heart.
Seeing the face of God changes the face of the worshipper. It did for Moses. When he left the mountain after seeing only a glimpse of God, his face shone so bright that the Hebrews were afraid to come near him. When we witness his majesty and might, we, too, will begin to radiate his love so that those around us can't help but see it.
What is the reward for those who seek God? It is to know God and become more like him.
God will allow himself to be known by all who seek him. Make sure you are one of them.
A Prayer of Promise
Heavenly Father, show me a glimpse of your glory. Your greatness is beyond anything I could ever imagine. Even in the frantic moments of life, open my eyes to your splendor and grace at work around me.
Thank you that you can be known. I cling to the promise that when I seek you, I will find you. Help me pursue you today. Give me a hunger for you alone.
I want to know you more. Forgive me when my mind strays, and help me focus on your glory. In Jesus' name, amen.
CHAPTER 3What to Do with Fear
The Promise: I do not need to fear because God is with me.
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:11)
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. (Psalm 32:7)
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 118:6)
Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the Lord means safety. (Proverbs 29:25 NLT)
God's people are not exempt from violence. Murderers do not give the godly a pass, and thieves do not vet victims according to their spiritual résumés. The bloodthirsty and wicked do not skip over the heaven bound.
We are not insulated from pain and heartache. But neither do we need to be intimidated.
Jesus has something to say about this brutal world in which we live. "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul" (Matthew 10:28 ESV). Of all the promises of Christ, this one may be the most honest and unadorned.
He never promises that Christians will be spared persecution or violence. But he firmly assures us that no one can touch our souls. We may not be safe, but we are all secure.
We are secure in God's protection. Secure under God's sovereignty. Secure in God's great promise. "Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me" (Psalm 23:4).
Most of us struggle to process and make sense of the violence and pain we see in the world. We're not alone. Christ's disciples struggled to make sense of their world too. In Matthew 10 Jesus told them to expect scourging, trials, death, hatred, and persecution. That's not exactly the kind of locker room pep talk that rallies the team, is it?
Expecting that kind of treatment, why would they stick around? Perhaps it was because of what they'd witnessed a few weeks earlier. Jesus had faced down the demons inside two exceedingly violent men (Matthew 8). And with a single word, the demons were banished into a herd of pigs.
One word. That's all it took to free those men from bondage and violence. He who sustains the universe with a word is still sovereign over darkness.
Sovereignty may sound like a ten-dollar word, but its definition is pretty simple. Supremacy, dominion, power. It means that God is in control. Nothing happens that is not under his authority. Simply put, you and I will never face anything that God can't handle.
Even — maybe especially — the evil in this world. God can handle it. And because we walk with God, we can face it with courage. Because Jesus wins the battle of good versus evil, you can win the battle of faith versus fear.
God, by his grace, will deposit in you a wellspring of faith and courage. God does not want you or me to live a life marked by trepidation and fear. It simply isn't his will.
We are courageous not because of our muscles but because of our Savior. And courage emerges not because of increased police security but from enhanced spiritual maturity. As we trust in the sovereignty of God and deposit our lives squarely under his protection, we will overcome fear.
We are people of promise, not people of panic. We should not live on edge, always anxious, troubled, looking over our shoulders, unable to rest. This is a time for faith, not fear. It's a time for peace, not panic.
We avoid Pollyanna optimism. After all, no one gains by glossing over the pain of the human existence. But neither do we join the Chicken Little choir parading around saying that the sky is falling.
You belong to neither camp. You are a faithful follower of Christ. You are wide eyed yet unafraid, unterrified by the terrifying. You are the calmest kid on the block, not for lack of bullies, but for faith in your big brother.
You're not foolish or naive. You're careful and mindful. You do not cave in to fear. You walk by faith and remain vigilant in prayer, trusting in God. He has promised to be your shelter and your strength, your guard and your protector.
What more could any of us need in order to face with courage whatever lies ahead?
A Prayer of Promise
You have said, Father, that he who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. You are my refuge. You are my fortress and my God. In you I choose to trust.
You will deliver me from my enemies, and I will take refuge under your wings. Your truth will be my shelter, and I will not be afraid.
You have set your love upon me, Father, and I will trust you. You are good and faithful, and evil runs at the sound of your name. I have nothing to fear, for you are with me. Thank you for your promise of protection and deliverance. In Jesus' name, amen.
CHAPTER 4When Nothing Goes Right
The Promise: God can be trusted with every outcome.
In all things God works for the good of those who love him. (Romans 8:28)
You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. (Genesis 50:20)
I'll see to it that everything works out for the best. (Isaiah 54:17 THE MESSAGE)
We have a lot of questions, don't we? Will the money come in? Will the tests turn out right? Will I survive this round of layoffs? Is there any way to stop this divorce? Is there any reason at all for hope?
It's easy to feel like a cork bobbing in a sea of uncertainty. We don't know where life is going to take us, so we wonder if anyone is in charge of history. In moments like that we have to turn to promises like this: In all things God works. And not only does he work, but he works for the good of those who love him.
The whole Bible is a demonstration of this promise, especially the Old Testament story of Esther. Maybe you've heard it before. It's the story of a man named Haman, who hated the Jewish people so much that he plotted to have them all killed and got King Xerxes of Persia to pass an irrevocable edict to make it happen.
But that was only one story line. God was writing another. He loves the Hebrew people, so he placed Esther, a Hebrew woman, as queen in the court of Xerxes.
Her cousin Mordecai urged her to speak to the king, to ask him to spare the lives of the Jews. Esther — afraid for her own life — reminded him that even though she was queen, she didn't have the privilege to saunter into the throne room of the king. In fact, if she approached without being summoned, she could be killed.
And her cousin said, "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:13–14).
You see, Mordecai knew that God would deliver his people. The question was not, Will God win? The question he posed to Esther was, Will you be a part of the victory?
This same promise applies to us. God's victory is certain. Perhaps you look around and feel as if there are evil plots intent on your destruction. Maybe you see irresponsible leaders like King Xerxes in your life. You wonder where this world is headed.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Our Ultimate Hope"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Max Lucado.
Excerpted by permission of Thomas Nelson.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Eternal Promise v
Day 1 Let Go and Let God 1
Day 2 What Would You Ask of God? 7
Day 3 What to Do with Fear 12
Day 4 When Nothing Goes Right 17
Day 5 Cleaned Up from the Inside Out 22
Day 6 Bitter to Blessed 28
Day 7 God Gets You 34
Notes 38