Page 14 - The MacArthur Daily Bible

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FIFTY-TWO KEY PASSAGES OF THE BIBLE
is far, far short of what heaven is going to be. Never in it. God spoke to Paul’s heart and said, “My grace is
become so involved in this world that heaven doesn’t sufficient for you.” God was saying that every difficult
interest you anymore, because what God has prepared time, every weakness, reproach, need, persecution,
for us is infinitely beyond the best this life can offer. and distress is an opportunity for Him to manifest suf-
ficient grace. But you won’t get the grace until you get
But let’s go beyond you. How long is Jesus Christ
to endure the hostilities and hatred of this world, the there. And when you do, His strength is perfected in
your weakness. When you go through these kinds of
demeaning, the denial of glory, the blasphemy of His trials, you become dependent on Him.
name. How long must God the Father be blasphemed
and maligned? How long does Satan run rampant What do you believe in God for that only He can
over this planet doing everything he can to hinder do, so that when He does it, He gets all the credit?
God’s work? How long should the Holy Spirit be There are issues in life, such as the suffering Paul was
grieved and quenched? enduring, that only God can alter, and when He does,
you know He did it. Suffering, then, is a way for God
When you think about the Second Coming, the
lofty thoughts are not just about you and me and heav- to display His grace and power. Embrace weakness.
en. It is longing for the final honoring of Jesus Christ No one is too weak to be powerful. Embrace the suf-
and for the glorious appearing of our great God and fering and see the grace and strength of God perfected
Savior. Not just for my sake and what I’ll receive, but in it.
for His. Week 33
Week 31 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes
me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the
O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my
soul thirsts for You; my flesh longs for you in a dry and still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the
paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Yea, though
thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will
You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips
shall praise You.—PSALM 63:1–3, page 483 staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in
the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with
This is the heart of a true believer. This is the pant- oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall
ing heart, the thirsty heart that can only be satisfied follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the
by the presence and the power of God. This is all house of the LORD forever.—PSALM 23, page 158
about a pure desire for God. The psalmist rises in the
morning, and the first thing he wants is God. His soul “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shad-
is thirsty. He’s like a wanderer in the desert who longs ow of death, I will fear no evil.” Sheep need to be fed.
They need still water because they can’t drink rush-
for water. In fact, David wrote this psalm while hiding ing water. They need to be led in safe places. And they
in the wilderness, but longing to be back worshiping need to be protected when they’re in the shadow of
in Jerusalem. What did he want to see? God’s power death, which brings up a wonderful spiritual reality.
manifest in his life. He wanted to experience God’s
lovingkindness and mercy. We don’t ever walk through the valley of death; we
walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Think
God had a relationship with David, but here we of it this way. As the sun is setting and a huge semi-
find that David had a relationship with God, and God truck sweeps past your car and casts its shadow over
was the priority of his life. That’s the way it should be you, it is only the shadow running over you, not the
for every believer. Right now, is God your deepest truck itself. And so we fear no evil in the shadow of
desire? “Oh, God, it’s You I want in my life. I feel dry death. Death is but a harmless shadow for the sheep
and thirsty. I need Your power, Your glory, Your lov- of the Good Shepherd. He takes care of us. He feeds
ingkindness. It’s better to me than to live, and I want us. He puts oil on our wounds. His goodness and
to praise You.” Cultivate that by being in the Word of mercy are available all the days of our life, and He will
God. Read through the Psalms and find out the great- bring us into His eternal house forever.
ness of your God.
Week 34
Week 32
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from
for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one
most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confes-
power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take sion is made unto salvation.—ROMANS 10:9,10, page 806
pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in per- It is not enough to simply acknowledge that Jesus
secutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am is God. The demons acknowledge that and tremble
weak, then I am strong.—2 CORINTHIANS 12:9,10, page 948
(James 2:19), but that doesn’t save them. To confess
Some people read the apostle Paul’s testimony with your mouth the Lord Jesus means that you hold
here and think it sounds like a death wish. Why in the the deep personal conviction that Jesus is your master,
world does he say this? He says it because, despite all without reservation. It’s not about letting Jesus in your
these painful experiences in his life, God has a purpose life to make you more successful or your marriage

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