2025-01-03
John 15:5 NKJV
If serving the Lord stresses you out, read what Jesus said: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (vv. 4-5 NKJV). When you see grapes on a vine, it’s a picture of effortless growth.
One day when the great missionary J. Hudson Taylor felt overworked and worried, he read a letter from a friend who had found the secret of abiding in Christ. The letter profoundly moved Taylor, and he realized that his unity with Christ should create joy and fulfillment, not worry and stress.
Soon afterward, Taylor wrote his sister, saying, “As to work, mine was never so plentiful or so difficult: but the weight and strain are now gone. The last month has been perhaps the happiest in my life; and I long to tell you a little of what the Lord has done for my soul… I looked to Jesus and saw that He had said, I will never leave you. Ah, there is rest. For has He not promised to abide with me? As I thought of the Vine and the branches, what light the blessed Spirit poured into my soul!”
So pray: “Lord, instead of me striving to see how much I can do for You, I’m going to abide in You and see how much You can do through me.” That’s a prayer God will answer.
Soul food: Isa 8-11; Luke 1:26-38; Ps 10:1-11; Prov 1:10-16
2025-01-02
Matthew 14:23 NKJV
Jesus was both human and divine. Because we tend to think of Him as the Son of God more than the Son of Man, we overlook what we can learn from His human experience. When Jesus miraculously fed five thousand people, His divine power and prerogatives were on display (See Matthew 14:13-21). Yet after the event, we see His humanity in ways we should be able to identify with.
After dismissing the crowd and sending the disciples away, Jesus withdrew to a solitary spot on the mountainside to be alone with God. After such a miracle, most of us would be celebrating. And those around us would have a hard time understanding why He sent them away. But Jesus understood that His power did not come from the crowd but from His Father, so He created time and solitude to be alone with Him.
The relationship Jesus had with His Father is a picture of the relationship you, too, can have with God. Three things describe it:
(1) Intimacy. “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does (John 5:20 NKJV).
(2) Dependency. “The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner” (v. 19 NKJV).
(3) Obedience. “I can of Myself do nothing…I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (v. 30 NKJV). What do you need to send away in order to have such a relationship with the Lord?
Soul food: Isa 4-7; Luke 1:11-25; Ps 90:7-17; Prov 1:5-9
2025-01-01
Ephesians 4:32 NIV
If you would like to start the New Year with a clean slate and traveling lighter, let go of the old grudges that are weighing you down. Philip Yancey describes forgiveness as “an unnatural act.” He says, “You don’t find dolphins forgiving sharks for eating their playmates. It’s a dog-eat-dog world… not dog-forgive-dog.” Bitterness and hatred come naturally when you have been hurt. Forgiving is supernatural and requires the grace of God, but remember, Jesus said, “If you do not forgive…your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:15 NIV).
Think about it – there is not one single, solitary reason God should ever forgive our sins, yet the offenses He pardons us for every day far outweigh anything we will ever be asked to forgive our parents, spouses, and friends for. The Bible says forgive “each other… as… God forgave you.”
Forgiveness opens the doors of a prison, where you are both the prisoner and the jailor. Grudges not only isolate you from people who were once friends, they shorten your life by producing deadly enzymes that contribute to a host of physical ailments.
One man told his counselor, “I wish my brother could come to my wedding, but we haven’t spoken in years.” The counselor asked, “How come?” Pausing, the man replied, “It sounds ridiculous now, but I don’t even remember!” Drifting apart is the natural result of an unforgiving spirit; forgiveness reverses the trend by healing broken relationships.
It’s a scientific fact that forgiveness adds years to your life. As a rule, when you talk to individuals who have passed the eighty-year mark, you find they’re at peace with themselves because they have learned to forgive and let go.
Soul food: Isa 1-3; Luke 1:1-10; Ps 90:1-6; Prov 1:1-4
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
