2024-12-10
1 Peter 5:8 NLT
Peter writes, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith” (vv. 8-9 NLT). The word Christ means “the Anointed One.” So as a Christian, you are anointed by the same Spirit that rested upon Christ. Satan tempted Christ, and he will tempt you. Satan targeted Christ because he feared His destiny; likewise, Satan has discerned your destiny, and he’s out to stop you from reaching it. When he reminds you of the failures in your past, it’s to discourage you and keep you from reaching for the future God has in mind for you.
Paul wrote, “He chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan” (Ephesians 1:11 NLT). This means God has chosen you to fulfill a certain purpose, He has a specific plan for your life, and He is making everything work according to that plan. Satan also knows this, and that’s why his attack against you will never let up.
C. S. Lewis said, “There is no neutral ground in the universe; every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God, and counter-claimed by Satan.” There is no middle ground. It is only a matter of time before you must join one side or another. And it is preferable to predetermine your position with a decisive intention than have it selected for you by passive default. So each day, when you awake, dress for battle and prepare for attack knowing that in God’s strength you will win.
Soul food: Gen 42-43; John 18:19-40; Ps 148:1-6; Ecc 5:1-3
2024-12-09
John 2:25 NLT
In Scripture, we are commanded to love everyone, not trust everyone. Jesus is our example in this. “Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did… many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because… he knew human nature… what mankind is really like” (vv. 23-25 NLT). These words were not spoken concerning the crowd that followed Jesus but those who claimed to be His disciples. While Jesus gave Himself to them relationally and lived life with them, He knew that they were not perfect. He understood human nature, and He did not trust Himself to them in an unbalanced way.
When you place in people the trust that should only be placed in God, you set yourself up for disappointment. We can only go so far in any human relationship; beyond that, we will likely be hurt. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that some people will never hurt us, only to be disappointed when they don’t live up to those standards. There are basically two types of people. The first are users. As long as your interests line up with theirs, they are trustworthy. The second are true friends. “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17 NKJV).
But because of human weakness, even true friends will let you down. So here are two good rules to live by: (1) When it comes to people, “trust but verify.” (2) When it comes to God, “trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NKJV).
Soul food: Gen 40-41; John 18:1-18; Ps 147:12-20; Ecc 4:9-12
2024-12-08
2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT
You can have 20/20 vision in the natural world yet be blind in the spiritual world and fall prey to Satan’s schemes. But when you turn to God in prayer, He can open your eyes and give you a strategy for victory.
Notice what happened when Elisha and his servant woke up in the city of Dothan to discover that they were surrounded by hostile armies. “When the servant of the man of God… went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. ‘Oh, sir, what will we do now?’ the young man cried to Elisha. ‘Don’t be afraid!’ Elisha told him. ‘For there are more on our side than on theirs!’ Then Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, open his eyes and let him see!’ The Lord opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. As the Aramean army advanced toward him, Elisha prayed, ‘O Lord, please make them blind.’ So the Lord struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked” (2 Kings 6:15-18 NLT).
Are you fearing defeat? Are you confused and don’t know what to do? Do you feel like the odds are stacked against you, and you won’t succeed? The Bible says, “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world” (1 John 4:4 KJV). Get alone with God and pray, “Lord, open my eyes.” And stay there until He does it. When it happens, you will discover that the forces of heaven are on your side, and the resources of heaven are available to you. How do you access them? By faith!
Soul food: Matt 4:21-22; Matt 17:1-9; John 19:25-27; John 21:20-24
2024-12-07
Ephesians 6:11 NLT
The Bible says: “Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (vv. 10-12 NLT). Note the words “against mighty powers in this dark world.”
When Daniel prayed, he encountered those mighty powers. “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me” (Daniel 10:12-13 NLT). Note the words “blocked my way.”
When you are committed to walking with God and doing His will, Satan will try to block you at every turn. If he cannot keep you from spending time in prayer, he will try to block your prayers. For twenty-one days, Daniel wondered, “Lord, you have answered my prayers before; how come you’re not answering them now?” But Daniel’s answer was on the way. And yours is too. Christians used to speak about “praying through.” It means standing firmly on the Word of God, praying in the all-powerful and all-prevailing name of Jesus, refusing to become impatient, refusing to quit, knowing God hears and answers our prayers.
Soul food: Gen 37-39; John 17:1-26; Ps 147:1-11; Ecc 3:5-8
2024-12-06
2 Corinthians 2:11 NIV
The Bible calls Satan a schemer. Now, when someone schemes against you and you’re unaware of it, you don’t take defensive measures, and you can end up getting hurt. One of Satan’s most effective schemes is to downplay his influence in our lives. And he does that so that he can outwit us.
But the Bible says, “We are not unaware of his schemes.” The Bible speaks of things that take place in the invisible realm whose effects are felt in the visible realm. One day a conversation took place between God and Satan. What about? The hedge of protection and blessing that surrounded Job’s life. Satan told God, “If you remove that hedge, he will not serve you” (See Job 1:10-11).
So, God did, and Satan attacked Job’s finances, his children, and his health. Though Job’s mind was filled with unanswered questions, his trust in the goodness of God remained strong, and he ended up with twice as much. It can be a cop-out to blame everything on Satan, but it’s a grave mistake not to discern when he’s at work in your circumstances. When you feel the effects of his attack but fail to identify the source of it, he can prevail against you. Why? Because you don’t know how to fight back and use the weapons God has given you.
You have God’s Word, “the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). But unless you identify Satan as the source of your problem, it’s like fighting blindfolded, and your sword is flailing in every direction instead of targeting Satan and defeating him.
Soul food: Gen 35-36; John 16:19-33; Ps 2; Ecc 3:1-4
2024-12-05
Exodus 2:3 NKJV
Moses’ mother put him in a basket, placed it in the river Nile, and the tide carried him to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him and made him part of Pharaoh’s family. His next forty years would be spent preparing him for one of the greatest assignments of all time: the exodus. There is a lesson here. The river took him from a place of hopelessness and despair to a place where all things became possible. And God can do that for you too.
(1) The river of His grace can blot out your sins, clothe you in the righteousness of Christ, and bring you into a new relationship with God.
(2) The river of His power can carry you from the place of defeat to the place of victory.
(3) The river of His wisdom can carry you from the place of mistakes and confusion to the place of vision and success.
(4) The river of His provision can take you from the place of lack to the place of abundance.
This may mean God will have to disconnect you from those who tear you down because they don’t understand what He has called you to do and connect you with a new circle of friends. Or place you in a church that can build you up spiritually and help equip you to fulfill God’s plan for your life. As a slave, Moses’ mother couldn’t have introduced him to Pharaoh’s daughter. But God could. And He did. And what God did for Moses, He will do for you if you seek Him in prayer and follow His instructions.
Soul food: Gen 32-34; John 16:1-18; Ps 130; Prov 31:28-31
