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
2025-01-26
Daniel 3:17-18 NKJV
When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego refused to bow before Nebuchadnezzar’s ninety-foot golden god, he threatened them with a fiery furnace. Here is what they told him: “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not…we do not serve your gods” (vv. 17-18 NKJV).
When does God show up? When you say, “God is able to deliver me, but if not, I’m going to serve Him anyway.” It’s wonderful when God provides what we need. Yet, the faith that truly pleases God says, “But if not, I’m going to trust God anyway.”
Peter writes: “There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honour on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world” (1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT).
And one more thought: The Bible does not say that the three Hebrew children saw the fourth man who was with them in the fire; it says that Nebuchadnezzar did, and he described Him as “the Son of God” (Daniel 3:25 NKJV). So even when you don’t know it, your faith, your life, and testimony are impacting those around you and bringing glory to God.
Soul food: Eze 47:1-12; Rev 21:22-22:5
2025-01-25
Genesis 41:35 NKJV
Notice what Joseph told Pharaoh: “Collect one-fifth of the produce of the land of Egypt in the seven plentiful years… gather all the food of those good years that are coming, and store up… Then that food shall be as a reserve for the land for the seven years of famine… that the land may not perish” (vv. 34-36 NKJV). There are two important lessons for us in this story.
(1) Don’t let your bad times eat up your good ones. And what is the best way to do that? By standing on the Word of God during times of discouragement and difficulty. “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6 NKJV).
(2) Don’t just enjoy your good times; glean from them the wisdom, strength, strategies, relationships, and resources that will sustain you in the bad times. Paul writes, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character” (Romans 5:3-4 NLT).
But when God blesses you, don’t just store it up – share it with others. Practice the law of reciprocity that Jesus taught: “Give, and it will be given to you… For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38 NKJV). What you cling to for selfish purposes, you will eventually lose. But when you give to bless others, God has promised to reward you both now and in eternity.
Soul food: Rom 15-16; Luke 6:17-26; Ps 104:24-35; Prov 3:11-12
2025-01-24
Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV
Solomon says there is “a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to gain, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace” (vv. 2-8 NKJV).
That’s a total of twenty-eight different “times.” But notice what Solomon does not give us – a time to quit! As long as you stay on the battlefield, God can turn your situation around and give you victory. If you’re worried today about your marriage, your children, your health, your finances, your job, and your future, here is a promise you can stand on: “‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me’ says the Lord” (Isaiah 54:17 NKJV). God didn’t say that the weapon wouldn’t be formed against you, but He said it wouldn’t prosper. So don’t quit!
Soul food: Rom 12-14; Luke 6:1-16; Ps 104:1-23; Prov 3:9-10
2025-01-23
Psalm 105:19 NKJV
When Joseph’s brothers stripped him of his coat of many colors which represented his father’s favour, what held him steady? The promise God gave him. When he was thrown into a pit and then sold into slavery, what held him steady? The promise God gave him. When the butler he befriended in prison failed to speak on his behalf to Pharaoh, what held him steady? The promise God gave him.
“Joseph… was sold as a slave… He was laid in irons. Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him, the ruler of the people let him go free. He made him lord of his house” (vv. 17-21 NKJV).
God’s Word will stand the test of time, but in order for it to come to pass, you must stand strong in faith during your times of testing. You will be tested by the attitudes and actions of your family. You will be tested by the unfaithfulness and betrayal of friends you trusted. You will be tested by living in circumstances of adversity and hardship that seem opposite to what God promised you.
You see, God is more interested in your character than He is in your comfort. The New Living Translation says, “Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character” (v. 19). Why test anything? To find out if it’s trustworthy. And when you prove trustworthy, you can stand on the promise, “It will certainly come to pass” (Habakkuk 2:3 NET). So, stand on the promise God gave you.
Soul food: Rom 9:17-11:36; Luke 5:27-39; Ps 100; Prov 3:7-8
2025-01-22
Acts 9:6 NKJV
Paul’s life changed forever when he asked the question, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Note how God answered his question: “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (v. 6 NKJV). Discovering God’s will takes place in steps.
Step one is awareness. You cannot change direction if you’re unaware you’re headed in the wrong direction, so spend some time thinking about where you’re presently headed. If it’s not where you need to go, then write down the steps you must take to go where you want to go, to accomplish what you want to accomplish. Make them as concrete as you possibly can. Will they absolutely be the right steps? Maybe they will, maybe they won’t. But you won’t know for sure until you start moving forward.
Step two is action. You can’t win if you don’t begin! Take initiative. Do something specific each day that will move you one step closer to your goal. Then, continue to do it every day.
Step three is accountability. Few things will inspire you to see your goals through like accountability. One way you can do that is to share your goals. When you tell people what you plan to do, you feel pressure to keep working at it. Give those people permission to ask you about your progress. It’s like giving yourself a deadline so that you keep moving toward it. Writing things down gives you another form of accountability.
Do you want to do God’s will? Then start with these steps.
Soul food: Rom 7:1-9:16; Luke 5:12-26; Ps 96; Prov 3:5-6
