2025-02-01
Ecclesiastes 1:14 NIV
Are you thinking that if you had more money or greater success, you would be happy? Tennis star Boris Becker said: “I had won Wimbledon twice before, once as the youngest player. I was rich. I had all the material possessions I needed… It’s the old song of movie stars and pop stars who commit suicide. They have everything, and yet they are so unhappy. I had no inner peace.”
Solomon made the same discovery. “I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Solomon tried religion, education, money, public works projects, fame, creative writing, and sensual pleasure: “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labour… Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless” (Ecclesiastes 2:10-11 NIV).
Finally, in the last chapter of the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon finds what he is looking for: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind” (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NIV). Solomon discovered that life is not built on things but on relationships. And the first and foremost relationship you must have is a relationship with God.
You say, “How do I find God?” Through Christ! Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6 NKJV). Today, you can have a life-changing relationship with God by putting your trust in Jesus Christ.
Soul food: Gen 7-9; Luke 7:36-50; Ps 111; Prov 3:29-30
2025-01-31
Proverbs 17:17 NLT
Jonathan was the rightful heir to the throne of his father, Saul, but David had been called by God to succeed Saul as Israel’s next king. From day one, they were on a collision course. They had everything to lose by becoming friends, because ultimately only one of them could reign. So how did they handle it? Were they competitive, or suspicious, or jealous of one another? No, because neither was interested in promoting himself. The Bible says, “Jonathan made a solemn pact with David… by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt” (1 Samuel 18:3-4 NLT).
These were his most treasured personal possessions. He was willing to risk his life for David despite his father Saul’s warnings that Jonathan’s throne would never be established as long as David was alive (See 1 Samuel 20:31). Likewise, David jeopardized his life fighting the Philistines to help Saul and Jonathan establish their kingdom. The point of the story is this: A true friend is “there for you,” even when they would rather be somewhere else.
As one celebrity said, “Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down.” Solomon said, “A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.” When was the last time you thanked God for the true friends in your life? What is it that makes them so special? Don’t assume they know how much you appreciate them. Tell them! And one more thought: If you want to have true friends – become one!
Soul food: Gen 4-6; Luke 7:24-35; Ps 107:33-43; Prov 3:27-28
2025-01-30
Proverbs 22:6 NLT
The Prodigal Son eventually came back home and was restored to his place in the family. When he lost everything and ended up feeding pigs, the Bible says, “He came to himself” (Luke 15:17 NKJV). It’s hard to watch someone you love suffer, but sometimes they need to hit the bottom in order to turn around. The Prodigal’s breaking point became his turning point. “I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned'” (v. 18 NKJV). Notice his father was a good parent with a rebellious child. If that describes you, here are three pieces of sound advice:
(1) Don’t blame yourself and beat yourself up.
(2) Don’t judge your children’s weaknesses from your position of strength. The reason they cannot see is because they are spiritually blind. But God can open their eyes. Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father… draw him” (John 6:44 KJV). You do the praying, and let God do the drawing.
(3) Keep your heart and your door open. When the Prodigal Son finally came to his senses, he knew where to go; back home to the father who loved him. You cannot save your children from the consequences of their actions, and you may not be able to lessen the pain they’re going through. But if you pray, keep your heart and your door open, God can bring them back. “Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” That’s a promise you can stand on today.
Soul food: Gen 1-3; Luke 7:11-23; Ps 107:23-32; Prov 3:25-26
2025-01-29
Genesis 41:51-52 NKJV
When you experience tragedy or loss, unless you get help, you can shut down emotionally and remain stuck. And when you focus on the pain of the past, you risk forfeiting the blessing God has for you in the future. If anyone had reason to give in to despair and quit, it was Joseph. Those who should have loved him resented and betrayed him. He was slandered, lied about, and falsely imprisoned. How did he survive it? Four times in Genesis 39, the Bible says, “The Lord was with Joseph.”
Having a sense of God’s presence will sustain you through things that would otherwise destroy you. Joseph knew it was in forgiving and forgetting rather than holding on to resentment that he was setting himself free and positioning himself to fulfill his divine destiny. How do we know this? Because of what he named his two sons. “Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: ‘For God has made me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.’ And the name of the second he called Ephraim: ‘For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.'”
Who enabled Joseph to forget the pain inflicted on him by his family? God! What enabled him to overcome the injustices inflicted upon him by others? A daily sense of God’s presence. And today, God’s presence will do that for you too. His promise to you is, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you… When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned… For I am the Lord your God” (Isaiah 43:2-3 NKJV).
Soul food: Ecc 9-12; Luke 7:1-10; Ps 107:17-22; Prov 3:21-24
2025-01-28
John 4:14 NKJV
The woman Jesus met at the well had been married five times. She had tried multiple relationships in an attempt to fill the void within her. But it didn’t work for her, and it won’t work for you. Neither will climbing the corporate ladder, or acquiring more and more stuff, or achieving fame.
Note what Jesus told this woman: “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again” (v. 13 NKJV). When you’re in the desert without water, there comes a point at which you start seeing mirages and believing things that are not real. And when your soul continues to be parched and dry, you start reaching for things that are not real and cannot satisfy it.
Jesus didn’t bring up this woman’s past to embarrass her. He referenced it for one reason only; to let her know that He could heal the wounds of her past and give her hope for a better future. And He did. Not only did He transform her, but she also became the first person to introduce the gospel to Samaria.
Perhaps you think you’re beyond hope and redemption. David wasn’t, and he committed adultery and covered it up with murder. Peter wasn’t, and he denied Jesus. Thomas wasn’t, even though he is still remembered as a doubter. Paul wasn’t, and he killed Christians before he became one. Your unfulfilled desires and your unquenched thirst are a plus, not a minus, if you let them drive you to the feet of Jesus. Here is His promise: “The water that I shall give… will become… a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life” (v. 14 NKJV).
Soul food: Ecc 5-8; Luke 6:37-49; Ps 107:10-16; Prov 3:19-20
2025-01-27
Romans 3:21 NKJV
You will go to heaven because you trusted in Christ’s righteousness, not your own. You say, “But isn’t doing the right things important?” Absolutely. Your reward in heaven will be predicated upon what you do for God here on earth. But your salvation depends on trusting in Christ’s performance, not your own. Satan knows this, and he will try to drive you back to performance-based Christian living. And when you fail, as you assuredly will, he will condemn you and tell you that you don’t measure up and, therefore, you are unworthy of God’s love and acceptance. Notice what condemnation does:
(1) It robs you of confidence before God. You are unable to claim His promises because you feel unworthy. Thirty-one times in Scripture, it says that we are “in Christ.” That’s one for every day of the month. So, each day, remind yourself that you are “in Christ,” and because He is worthy, you are accepted.
(2) It makes you irritable and unpleasant to be around. Addiction counselors describe this as being “squirrelly” or uneasy in your own skin. As a result, you begin to put out what you feel on the inside. What’s the answer?
Paul gives it to us: “Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight… But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed… even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe” (vv. 20-22 NKJV).
Bottom line: Righteousness is credited to your account through faith, not works. Today you are loved and accepted “in Christ.”
Soul food: Ecc 1-4; Luke 6:27-36; Ps 107:1-9; Prov 3:13-18
