2024-12-31
Psalm 3:4 NKJV
Sometimes Jesus rose early in the morning to pray; other times, He prayed all night long. So, your quiet time can be morning, evening, or whatever time works best for you. You’re not punching a time clock where God pays you; accordingly, He is inviting you to spend time with Him. David said, “I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. Selah.” Throughout the Psalms, this little word “Selah” occurs seventy-one different times. It means to pause and think. There is no specific length of time attached to the pause. Instead, it seems left up to the individual.
Selah. It’s a call to rest and reflect, to be still and breathe deeply, to settle into the moment and remain for a while. The Selah thought appears to be at the center of quiet time with the Lord. When the Lord says, “Selah,” He is saying, “Stop doing, and sit at My feet. Just belong to Me.” What an invitation! It’s everything you have longed for and everything you need.
And believe it or not, people who often have the hardest time doing it are involved in ministry. Like Martha, they excel when it comes to serving. And the danger is that by doing lots of things for the Lord, we feel like that excuses us from sitting at His feet and spending time with Him as Mary did. If you have been remiss, negligent, or inconsistent in this, reestablish your quiet time with the Lord and refuse to let anything keep you from it.
Soul food: Job 39-42; Luke 2:51-52; Ps 139:13-24; Ecc 11:7-10
2024-12-30
Psalm 119:107 MSG
When everything in the psalmist’s life began falling apart, he prayed, “Put me together again with your Word.” That’s what your quiet time with God does. So, why don’t we have a consistent quiet time with God? Two reasons:
(1) We think our quiet time must be a long time. Start small. Reserve five minutes to open your Bible and meditate on a brief portion of Scripture. Chat with God about it. Tell your needs to Him and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you through the whole day. Good news! You have just experienced a quiet time! So, tomorrow, repeat it. As your spiritual appetite grows, you will find yourself putting aside more time – ten minutes, then twenty, and that time will keep on growing.
(2) We think our quiet time must be free of all noise! Instead of avoiding hustle and bustle, Jesus wants to connect with you there. Begin to find creative ways to connect with the Lord all day long. Listen to worship music while you clean, and sing along. Pray in the Spirit. Learn memory verses. “Whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord” (Colossians 3:23 NKJV).
Listen to the Bible while you drive – excellent apps are available. Pray while exercising – develop your faith muscle! Go with God for coffee – do your Bible study at a café. Go for a walk with Jesus – pray for others, and praise God for the outdoor beauty He created. Welcome Him into your routines, and the mundane will turn into holy moments. Give the Holy Spirit your consent to interrupt, then do what He says. To put it another way – do life with Jesus.
Soul food: Job 36-38; Luke 2:41-50; Ps 139:1-12; Ecc 11:4-6
2024-12-29
Hebrews 4:15 NLT
One of Satan’s most successful strategies for keeping us away from our quiet time with God is reminding us of our sins and shortcomings. That’s a lie; don’t believe it. In the Old Testament, the High Priest went into the Holiest of Holies to atone for the sins of the people. When he came back out, the people rejoiced, knowing that they were fully accepted by God.
With that in mind, read this Scripture: “[Jesus] understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most” (vv. 14-16 NLT).
Another lie that Satan will tell you to keep you away from your quiet time is that the greatest saints in history spent hours each day praying and studying the Scriptures. That’s true, and one day you may become like them. Meanwhile, what should you do? Start small but begin! Pastor Greg Laurie sees spiritual hunger as the opposite of natural hunger: “When you’re hungry in the natural, you eat and are satisfied. But with spiritual hunger, it isn’t until you begin eating that you discover how hungry you really are!”
So when you fail to keep your quiet time with God, you shouldn’t feel guilty; you should feel hungry. When you “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8 KJV), you will want more and more time with Jesus – which is wonderful because He longs for time with you.
Soul food: Matt 6:5-15; Dan 6:10-23; Jam 5:13-18; 1 Thes 5:16-18
2024-12-28
Psalm 119:114 MSG
What’s stopping you from having a regular quiet time with God? Maybe the very thought feels filled with “shoulds” and “ought tos”; like another item to add to the unending checklist of your life. So, you think, “Maybe later, when life slows down.” We need to shed the myths and impractical expectations the Enemy uses to prevent us from experiencing the joy of knowing Jesus and being known by Him.
David wrote: “The one thing I ask of the Lord – the thing I seek most – is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord’s perfections and meditating in his Temple. For he will conceal me there when troubles come; he will hide me in his sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me… My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming'” (Psalm 27:4-6, 8 NLT).
When David wrote those words, there was no temple or “house of the Lord.” So, what did he mean? That God is as close to you as a prayer; that you can seek the Lord, delight in the Lord, meditate on the Lord, and talk with the Lord anywhere and anytime. The words “you’re my place of quiet retreat” mean you can withdraw from people, pressures, and problems and draw fresh strength from the Lord by communing with Him in your heart and mind. It can happen anywhere and anytime.
Soul food: Job 32-35; Luke 2:34-40; Ps 97; Ecc 11:1-3
2024-12-27
Jeremiah 29:11 NLT
Paul was totally invested in what God had called him to do. Are you? When it comes to barriers to success, we are usually our own worst enemies. Taking the steps necessary to fulfill a God-given dream will cost you. You will have to work hard. You will have to make sacrifices. You will have to keep learning, growing, and changing. Are you willing to do that? Most people aren’t.
Ask people when they will do what they want to do, and most will answer that they hope to do it “someday.” Why not now? Because you’re not ready? Perhaps you’re not. But if you wait until you are, maybe you will never do it. You only get ready by starting.
And if you’re willing to start, here are some things you can count on: First, it will be different from what you imagined. Second, it will be more difficult than you imagined. Third, it will be better than you imagined.
Mark Twain said that the two greatest days in a person’s life are the day they were born and the day they discover why they were born. If you want to discover why you were born, spend time with God. His Word says, “‘I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me'” (vv. 11-13 NLT).
Soul food: Job 29-31; Luke 2:21-33; Ps 117; Ecc 10:15-19
2024-12-26
Matthew 1:24 NKJV
There are divine purposes that must be faithfully watched over and protected, in order to be fulfilled. Joseph gives us three keys to seeing God’s promises fulfilled. The first is mercy, and the second is faith. Let’s look at the third: obedience.
“Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus” (vv. 24-25 NKJV). Joseph obeyed God when humanly speaking the circumstances didn’t make sense. He obeyed God when his mind was challenged with doubts. He obeyed God when his emotions were in an uproar. He obeyed God when it meant leaving home to live in Egypt until Herod died.
For Joseph it meant leaving behind an established trade and business, and their family and friends. It meant living in a land where he did not understand or speak the language. And he didn’t know how long they would be there: weeks? months? years? Though Egypt was a hard place to be, it was a place of obedience. And God’s promises are protected – in places of obedience.
God’s promises to us are fulfilled – in places of obedience. God reveals His will to us – in places of obedience. Miracles happen – in places of obedience. Provision comes – in places of obedience. We are safe – in places of obedience.
Are you waiting for a promise to be fulfilled? Are you looking for an answer to prayer? Use the keys of mercy, faith, and obedience.
Soul food: Job 24-28; Luke 2:8-20; Ps 113; Ecc 10:10-14
