2024-12-04
2 Kings 3:11 KJV
Elisha started out serving Elijah and, in some ways, ended up surpassing him. In Bible days, servants washed the hands and feet of their masters. Elisha did that. He began with the humble task of pouring water on Elijah’s hands and ended up receiving Elijah’s mantle and using it to supernaturally part the waters of the river Jordan. For years he cooked meals, washed clothes, and set up Elijah’s tent. And when Elijah went to heaven, Elisha received a double portion of his spirit and ended up working twice as many miracles as Elijah.
There is an important lesson here. If you enter the service of the Lord wanting to start at the top, you will fail. Why? Because the only promotion that matters comes from the Lord (See Psalm 75:6-7). Knowing his time on earth was limited, Paul put in place a succession plan for his ministry. And if you’re wise, you will do the same. Speaking to Timothy, his designated successor, Paul writes, “The servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men” (2 Timothy 2:24 KJV).
When you try to compete with others or exploit circumstances to your advantage in order to get to the top, don’t be surprised if God blocks your way. When Peter started in ministry, he was like a racehorse that hadn’t been broken: highly strung, impulsive, ambitious. Later he wrote: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’ Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you” (1 Peter 5:5-6 ESV).
Soul food: Gen 30:25-31:55; John 15:18-27; Ps 65; Prov 31:25-27
2024-12-03
Genesis 25:5 NKJV
Abraham gave Isaac two things: his material assets and a godly example. What could he not give him? A personal experience with God. Your children must experience God for themselves. Isaac’s God encounter happened when crisis hit his life. “The Lord appeared to him… and said, ‘I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you’… So he built an altar there and called on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 26:24-25 NJKV).
Charlie Shedd told the story of a little boy in school who was asked to write an essay on the topic, “How was I born?” When he asked his mother, she replied, “The stork brought you.” When he asked his mother how she was born, she replied, “The stork brought me too.” Hoping his grandmother would help him, he asked her how she was born. She replied, “It runs in the family; the stork brought me too!” So, he began his essay with these words: “There hasn’t been a normal birth in this family for three generations!”
Seriously, your children must be born again in order to be part of God’s redeemed family. And you should endeavor to lead them to Christ when they are young, and their thinking can be molded. But if your children are older, it’s not too late. “Don’t cry any longer, for I have heard your prayers and you will see them again; they will come back to you from the distant land of the enemy. There is hope for your future, says the Lord, and your children will come again to their own land” (Jeremiah 31:16-17 TLB).
Soul food: Gen 28:1-30:24; John 15:1-17; Ps 14; Prov 31:22-24
2024-12-02
Genesis 12:7 NKJV
After the flood, the first thing Noah did was build an altar to the Lord. Think about it. Noah had an altar before he had a home. Most of us have homes, but the old-fashioned family altar has virtually disappeared. Everywhere Abraham went, he built an altar. Why?
(1) An altar is a place of prayer. The Bible says that Abraham returned “to the place of the altar which he had made… And there Abram called on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 13:4 NKJV).
(2) An altar is a place of sacrifice. “Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar” (Genesis 22:9 NKJV). Did God want Abraham to slay Isaac? No, God just wanted to know, “Is there anything I could ask of you that you would be unwilling to give, or anything on earth you love more than me?” God will not ask you for what you don’t have, but He will often ask you for something you would like to keep. Sacrificial giving conquers the spirit of greed, the fear of lack, and your focus on self-centered living.
(3) An altar is a place of worship. “You shall make an altar to burn incense on” (Exodus 30:1 NKJV). As the incense melted and the smoke rose, it represented the worship of God. Worship is an act of intimacy; it’s the giving of your heart, your love, your praise, and thanksgiving to God. The Bible describes it as “a sweet-smelling aroma” (Ephesians 5:2 NKJV). So today, build an altar.
Soul food: Gen 25:19-27:46; John 14:26-31; Ps 146; Prov 31:18-21
2024-12-01
Luke 17:14 NKJV
Luke records: “There met Him ten… lepers, who… lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’… He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And… as they went, they were cleansed” (vv. 12-14 NKJV).
In those days, when someone was cured of leprosy, a priest had to pronounce them clean before they could re-enter society. The Bible doesn’t tell us how far away the priest was, how long the journey was, or whether their healing took place at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end.
There is an important lesson here for those who struggle with addictions. It’s wonderful when God delivers us instantly. But lots of people have the same experience as these ten lepers: “As they went, they were cleansed.” Sometimes you have to walk out your deliverance step by step, trusting God until it’s complete. And this is when we as followers of Christ have to be compassionate, show patience, and stay with them until they are made whole. For example, those who are addicted to pornography deal with a problem that is mental and moral. The same emotional bonding hormones released after sex are released viewing porn. That makes it a powerful addiction.
One man who was finally set free from it said this: “It was a matter of renewing my mind with the Word, as well as having real discipline and accountability to someone who understood my problem. I had to find people I could trust; people who wouldn’t humiliate me or gossip about me, people who would offer firm and loving friendship.” Bottom line: God doesn’t give up on hurting people, and neither should we.
Soul food: Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-44; John 12:1-3
Luke 17:14 NKJV
Luke records: “There met Him ten… lepers, who… lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’… He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And… as they went, they were cleansed” (vv. 12-14 NKJV).
In those days, when someone was cured of leprosy, a priest had to pronounce them clean before they could re-enter society. The Bible doesn’t tell us how far away the priest was, how long the journey was, or whether their healing took place at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end.
There is an important lesson here for those who struggle with addictions. It’s wonderful when God delivers us instantly. But lots of people have the same experience as these ten lepers: “As they went, they were cleansed.” Sometimes you have to walk out your deliverance step by step, trusting God until it’s complete. And this is when we as followers of Christ have to be compassionate, show patience, and stay with them until they are made whole. For example, those who are addicted to pornography deal with a problem that is mental and moral. The same emotional bonding hormones released after sex are released viewing porn. That makes it a powerful addiction.
One man who was finally set free from it said this: “It was a matter of renewing my mind with the Word, as well as having real discipline and accountability to someone who understood my problem. I had to find people I could trust; people who wouldn’t humiliate me or gossip about me, people who would offer firm and loving friendship.” Bottom line: God doesn’t give up on hurting people, and neither should we.
Soul food: Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-44; John 12:1-3
2024-11-30
Galatians 5:17 NIV
If you’re serious about fulfilling God’s will, you must have determination. One definition of determination is “to settle a dispute by an authoritative decision or a pronouncement.” Let’s apply it to one of our biggest problems – the daily battle between our flesh and our spirit. “The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh” (v. 17 NIV). Remember, the definition of determination carries the idea of settling a dispute. This is important because if you’re going to commit to doing what God wants you to do, you will have to settle the never-ending dispute between your flesh and your spirit. So, how do you do that? By an authoritative decision or a pronouncement. Your flesh will always cause you to “go with the flow” or “settle for the status quo” unless your regenerate spirit says no.
Joshua is a great example of this. Fearing that God’s people were getting caught up in the lifestyle of the surrounding nations, he told them: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15 NKJV). Because Joshua made an authoritative decision and a pronouncement, the Bible says, “The people said to Joshua, ‘The Lord our God we will serve, and His voice we will obey!'” (v. 24 NKJV). Question: In what area of your life today do you need to make an authoritative decision or a pronouncement?
Soul food: Gen 24:1-25:18; John 14:15-25; Ps 118:19-29; Prov 31:14-17
