UpWords with Max Lucado

[Judy Harder]

Follow God's Impulses

by Max Lucado

What Annie Dillard says about writing in her book, "The Writing Life," is true about all of life:  "Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now."

There is a wonder to life. Pursue it. Hunt for it. Don't listen to the whines of those who've settled for a second-rate life and want you to do the same so they won't feel guilty. Your goal is not to live long...it's to live!

You can't be criticized for what you don't try, right?  You can't lose your balance if you never climb, right?  So, take the safe route.  Or. . . you can follow God's impulses. He says, "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it."  Time slips.  Days pass. Years fade. Life ends. And what we came to do must be done while there is time!

[Judy Harder]

Don't Give Up

by Max Lucado

The famous circus promoter, P.T. Barnum said: "There's a sucker born every minute"—and he spent his life proving it.  Maybe you feel like you've been suckered in life.  You don't want to take another risk.  You don't want to be hurt again.

Corrie ten Boom used to say, "When the train goes through a tunnel and the world gets dark, do you jump out?  Of course not.  You sit still and trust the engineer to get you through."  Maybe that's what you need to do, my friend.   Your wounds are deep.  Your disappointments are heavy.  Remember the story of the Emmaus-bound disciples? The Savior they thought was dead now walked beside them. And something happened in their hearts (Luke 24:12-14).  Maybe you are disappointed like they were.  But, can you sense the presence of Christ beside you?  Don't give up. Don't jump out. Be patient and let God remind you... He's in control!

[Judy Harder]

What Do You Want?

by Max Lucado

I like the story about the fellow who went to the pet store for a singing parakeet.  The store owner had just the bird and the next day the man came home to a house full of music.  When he went to feed the bird he noticed for the first time, the parakeet had only one leg. He called the store and complained. "What do you want," the store owner responded, "a bird who can sing or a bird who can dance?"

Good question for times of disappointment.  What do we want?  It's what Jesus asked the disciples when they complained.  And in Luke 24:27  Jesus began to tell them the story of God's plan for people, "starting with Moses and all the prophets, and everything that had been written about Himself in the Scriptures."  Jesus' cure for the broken heart is the story of God.  So what do you want?  If you're disappointed, turn to the story of God.  He's still in control!

[Judy Harder]

Look at What You Have
by Max Lucado

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

[Judy Harder]

God's Sanctuary
by Max Lucado

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.

[Judy Harder]

God, Your Refuge
by Max Lucado

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

[Judy Harder]

God Keeps His Promises
by Max Lucado

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.

[Judy Harder]

A Mess for Good

by Max Lucado

Twenty years of marriage, three kids, and now he's gone. Traded her in for a younger model. She told me her story, and we prayed. Then I said,  "It won't be painless or quick. But God will use this mess for good. With God's help you'll get through this."

Remember Joseph?  Genesis 37:4 says his brothers "hated him."  Far from home, they cast him into a pit, leaving him for dead. A murderous cover-up from the get go. Pits have no easy exit. Joseph's story got worse before it got better. Yet in his explanation we find his inspiration: "You meant evil against me," he said, "but God meant it for good..." The very acts intended to destroy God's servant, turned out to strengthen him.

The same will be said about you. You will get through this!

From You'll Get Through This

[Judy Harder]

Deliverance
by Max Lucado

You'll get through this! You fear you won't.  We all do. We feel stuck, trapped, locked in.  Will we ever exit this pit?  Yes!  Deliverance is to the Bible what jazz music is to Mardi Gras: bold, brassy, and everywhere. Out of the lion's den for Daniel, the whale's belly for Jonah, and the prison for Paul.

Through the Red Sea onto dry ground. Through the wilderness, through the valley of the shadow of death. Through!  It's a favorite word of God's. Isaiah 43:2 says, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you... when you walk through the fire, you will not be burned."

It won't be painless. Have you wept your final tear, received your last round of chemotherapy?  Not necessarily. Does God guarantee the absence of struggle? Not in this life. We see Satan's tricks and ploys, but God sees Satan tripped and foiled. You'll get through this!

From You'll Get Through This.

[Judy Harder]

Do What Pleases God
by Max Lucado

Dad, would you intentionally break the arm of your child? Of course not. Such an action violates every fiber of your moral being. Yet if you engage in sexual activity outside your marriage, you'll bring more pain into the life of your child than a broken bone.

Mom, would you force your children to sleep outside on a cold night?  By no means. Yet if you involve yourself in an affair, you'll bring more darkness and chill into the lives of your children than a hundred winters.

Actions have consequences. Make this your rule of thumb:  Do what pleases God!  Your classmates showed you a way to cheat, the internet provides pornography to watch—ask yourself the question, "How can I please God?" Psalm 4:5 says, "Do what is right as a sacrifice to the Lord and trust the Lord."  You will never go wrong doing what is right!