2024-09-15
Acts 27:24 NIV
Second, anchored by God’s plan and purpose. The second anchor in a time of crisis is found in Acts 27:24, where Paul quotes God’s angel: “Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.” In other words, “You’re on board this ship because I have a purpose for your being here. And my eternal purpose for your life is greater than this temporary storm.”
Have you discovered your God-given purpose yet? You’re not here on earth simply to take up space; God has a specific plan for you. The storm you’re caught in right now is just a temporary setback. Absolutely nothing can change God’s plan for your life unless you choose to disobey Him. And yes, you can do that. But the Scriptures teach that no outside person or force can change God’s plan for your life or alter His divine purpose as long as you’re willing to say, “Lord, I want to do your will.” As surely as God told Paul, “You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you,” He is saying to you, “I will bring you through this storm.”
When you focus on your God-given purpose, He empowers you to overcome your problems. That’s why Paul wrote: “I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us” (Philippians 3:13-14 NLT).
Soul food: Heb 11:23-28; Exo 3:1-22; Exo 33:7-23; Exo 34:29-35
2024-09-14
Acts 27:23-24 NIV
While everyone else on board Paul’s ship was in a state of panic, he remained at peace. Why? Because of three great truths that serve as anchors for our souls, truths you can build your life on that will steady you in the storm. Let’s look at each. First, anchored by the presence of God. In the midst of the storm, Paul announced, “Last night an angel of… God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul.'”
Life’s storms can never conceal us from God. Even when we don’t see Him, He sees us. We may feel He is a million miles away, but He is with us and is looking after us. God dispatched a personal emissary, an angel, to tell Paul, “I am with you. I see you in the stormy Mediterranean Sea in that little ship.”
The truth is, God is with you in the storm you’re going through today, and if you need assurance of His presence, meditate on these Scriptures and stand on them: “‘Though the mountains be shaken and the hills… removed… my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,’ says the Lord, who has compassion on you” (Isaiah 54:10 NIV). “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go… I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:15 NIV). “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5 NIV). So, anchor your soul to God’s Word today, and let nothing move you.
Soul food: Neh 5-7; Luke 21:25-38; Ps 78:32-39; Prov 23:29-35
2024-09-13
2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV
Close your eyes and try walking without sight, and you will get an idea of what it means to walk by faith. Faith in what? The unchanging character of God, goodness of God, love of God, and truth that He always has your best interests at heart. With God, information is given on a need-to-know basis. And God determines who needs to know what and when. Here is an example of this: The early church needs to decide if God is calling them to include Gentiles. After much prayer, they send out this letter: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…” (Acts 15:28 NIV).
Really? Seemed good? The future of the entire human race is at stake, and the best you can do is “it seemed…?” Yet the church leaders were quite comfortable sending out this letter. Apparently, God’s will for His people was that they should not be told precisely what His will was, or at least not all the details. Presumably, He knew they would grow more if they had to think and discuss and hash it out rather than get a memo. Evidently, they didn’t require certainty. They were happy to settle for heartfelt obedience.
When Paul says we “walk” by faith, he is referring to the slowest form of transportation known to man. He is also referring to a process that happens one step at a time. God has the satellite view; He sees your entire journey from beginning to end and plans each step. And He says, “Do what I have given you to do, and when you have done it, I will show you what I want you to do next.”
Soul food: Neh 1-4; Luke 21:12-24; Ps 78:17-31; Prov 23:26-28
2024-09-12
2 Corinthians 2:12 NKJV
A noted author states: “People who study entrepreneurs say they excel in something called ‘opportunity alertness.’ They look at the same circumstances as everyone else, but they ‘notice, without search, opportunities that have hitherto been overlooked.’ They are ‘alert, waiting, continually receptive to something that may turn up.'”
Paul was such a person. “I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord” (v. 12 NKJV). He practiced “divine opportunity alertness.” And you can too. For Paul, walking through the doors God opened often led to hardship. But they also led to great achievement.
Open doors don’t come with a meticulous set of instructions about precisely what you should do and exactly what will occur as a result. To discover what’s on the other side of the open door, you have to go through it. Will you experience fear? Any time you attempt the untried, unknown, and undone, you will experience fear. That’s when you need to remind yourself that whatever awaits you on the other side of that door, God will be there.
Here are two things you need to keep in mind: First, sometimes an open door doesn’t signify going to someplace new; it means recognizing a new and previously undetected opportunity in an old place. Second, open doors never exist solely for the advantage of the people offered them. They are an opportunity to bless others (See Genesis 12:1-3). An open door never exists for your benefit alone. Has God opened a door for you? If He has, don’t hesitate or vacillate; walk through it.
Soul food: Col 3-4; Philemon; Luke 21:1-11; Ps 78:9-16
2024-09-11
Philippians 4:8-9 KJV
One author writes: “Columbia researcher Sheena Iyengar has found that the average person makes about seventy conscious decisions every day. That’s 25,550 decisions a year. Over seventy years, that’s 1,788,500 decisions. Albert Camus said, ‘Life is a sum of all your choices.’ You put all those 1,788,500 choices together, that’s who you are. Victor Frankl was a brilliant doctor whom the Nazis imprisoned in a concentration camp. They took away his livelihood, confiscated his possessions, mocked his dignity, and killed his family. They locked him in a cell with no way out… But he found a door that his guards did not know about: ‘Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.’
He found that when his circumstances had closed every outer door to him, they revealed to him the doors that matter far more – the doors through which a soul can leave fear and enter into courage, leave hatred and enter into forgiveness, leave ignorance and enter into learning. He discovered that his guards were actually far more imprisoned – by cruelty and ignorance and foolish obedience to barbarism – than he was imprisoned by walls and barbed wire. Some people learn this and become free; some never see it and live their lives as prisoners.”
The difference is in the door you choose or the attitude you choose. That’s why Paul writes: “Whatsoever things are true… honest… just… pure… lovely… of good report… think on these things” (v. 8). Today, choose the right attitude!
Soul food: Col 1-2; Luke 20:41-47; Ps 78:1-8; Prov 23:19-21
2024-09-10
Psalm 1:1 NIV
When Moses commanded Pharaoh to set God’s people free, Pharaoh offered him three compromises. First, he offered to let them go if they didn’t go too far away. Second, he offered to let them go provided they left their children in Egypt. Third, he offered to let them go provided they left their business interests in Egypt. In each case, Moses said no. And Satan will make you those same offers.
Put distance between yourself and the world. Refuse to let it have your children. Refuse to live by the world’s self-centered and often unethical business practices. You are called to love and minister to those around you but not to become like them. One of the great gifts that God has given us is the gift of free will. You can choose! If you want to enjoy God’s blessings, you need to make lifestyle choices that line up with His will and are consistent with the values of His Word, not choices reflecting the constantly eroding values of the world systems around you. The way to succeed in life is to stand on Bible principles.
Here are two Scriptures you need to meditate on and keep in mind: “The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, and He adds no sorrow” (Proverbs 10:22 NKJV). “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33 KJV). Today pray, “Lord, I don’t want to live by the world’s standards. I put you first in my life because I know your ways are always best.”
Soul food: Josh 22-24; Luke 20:27-40; Ps 27; Prov 23:16-18
