2024-09-24
Proverbs 3:13 NIV
The wise old adage goes, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” Sometimes what people need more than your money is your wisdom. By taking the time to share with them the insights and wisdom you have learned through your life’s experiences, you’re investing in their future. What a gift!
But that means you must never stop learning. Sometimes we stop learning because we become complacent. We believe we have grown enough, or we want only to make the most of what we already have in terms of skill and knowledge. That’s when we start to plateau and then decline. We lose our innovative spirit. We begin to think about being efficient instead of breaking new ground. We cut costs instead of investing in growth. Our vision becomes very limited. And instead of playing to win, we start playing not to lose.
We all love doing what we’re good at, but being good at something requires us to keep our skills sharp. Less skill leads to less enthusiasm and eventually to discontent. If we reach this stage, we start looking behind us because that’s where our best days are. We think about the good old days, the glory days. At that point, we’re only a few short steps from obsolescence.
Nobody wants to learn from a has-been. If you want to give until you have given all you have, you must keep growing until you can grow no more. “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding.”
Soul food: Zech 9-11; Luke 23:13-25; Ps 34; Prov 24:29-31
2024-09-23
Philemon 1:6 ERV
If you’re struggling with self-worth, the answer is knowing what you have and who you are “in Christ.” Paul writes, “I pray that… you understand every blessing we have in Christ.” Here are some practical steps you can take to increase your sense of confidence and self-worth:
(1) Don’t speak negatively about yourself. Instead of focusing on your weaknesses and flaws, start acknowledging and verbalizing every good thing you “have in Christ.” Peter writes: “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him… he has given us great and precious promises. These… promises… enable you to share his divine nature” (2 Peter 1:3-4 NLT).
(2) Avoid comparing yourself to others. One day Peter pointed to John and asked, “Lord, what about him?” (John 21:21 NIV). Jesus corrected him by saying, “What is that to you? You must follow me” (v. 22 NIV). Instead of comparing yourself with others, work on being conformed to the character qualities of Christ.
(3) Let God determine your worth. As His redeemed child, God sees you clothed in the righteousness of Christ; therefore, you are always loved and accepted by Him (See 2 Corinthians 5:21).
(4) Keep your flaws in perspective. It’s okay to see where you need to improve, but make sure you appreciate your progress.
(5) Discover the true source of confidence. If you place your confidence in God, you can’t help but have a healthy attitude. So, do your best and leave the results to Him.
Soul food: Zech 5-8; Luke 23:1-12; Ps 39; Prov 24:26-28
2024-09-22
Exodus 13:18 NIV
The Bible says, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by the desert road” (vv. 17-18 NIV).
There is a lesson here for you. God knows where you are on your spiritual journey, and He is directing you accordingly, even when it seems like a roundabout way. “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives” (Psalm 37:23 NLT).
The shortest route from Egypt to the promised land was through enemy territory, and God knew His people were not ready for battle. “God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by the desert road.” Getting God’s people out of Egypt proved to be the easy part; getting Egypt out of God’s people proved to be the hard part. After forty generations of depending on Pharaoh, they needed to know God, learn His ways, and trust Him. So, He arranged their journey accordingly.
Are you having a wilderness experience at the moment? Be encouraged. The fulfillment of what God promised you may be taking longer than you thought, but it’s not time wasted. And God is not punishing you; He is training you for your destiny. What should you do? (1) Spend time with Him in prayer and His Word. (2) Lean less on yourself and more on God. (3) Draw on His grace and follow His guidance.
Soul food: 1 Kings 17:1-6; 1 Kings 18:16-39; 1 Kings 19:9-18; 2 Kings 2:1-12
2024-09-21
Genesis 12:1 NKJV
The two parts to God’s “go” are going from and going to. Ur, Abram’s home, was considered the place to be. Setting out for ancient Mesopotamia, all the trading wealth from around the Mediterranean had to travel through Ur. It was a place of immense affluence, trade, education, and technology. One author writes, “The first written legal code that began civilization was there in Ur.” So, it would have been a hard place to leave – especially if you were going to Canaan. Canaan was unsophisticated, unrefined, and underdeveloped. No one who had enough money to live in Ur, the great center of civilization, would move to Canaan.
Here is the point: You must trust God with your future when the path He has called you to take doesn’t look like the obvious one. But if you’re willing to go, you will discover that God has blessings in mind you never dreamed of.
He told Abram, “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (vv. 2-3 NKJV).
The reward God gives you will always be greater than any sacrifice He calls you to make. Has God called you to go, but you want to stay? Is He telling you to stay, but you want to go? Here is the score: If you obey God, you will never regret it. And that’s a guarantee!
Soul food: Zech 1-4; Luke 22:63-71; Ps 3; Prov 24:23-25
2024-09-20
Psalm 91:15 NKJV
If you are battling illness today, God says, “I am the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26 NKJV). If you are facing a problem that seems as big as a mountain, Jesus says: “Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:23-24 NKJV).
If you are in trouble today, God says, “I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him” (Psalm 91:14-15 NKJV). Notice who this promise is made to – those who know “My name.” As a redeemed child of God, that’s you!
Here are four things that God has promised you:
First, to answer your prayer.
Second, to be with you in your troubles.
Third, to deliver you.
Fourth, to honor you.
These are four stages of answered prayer. Whichever stage you are in today, be confident that God loves and cares for you (See 1 Peter 5:7). And His willingness to answer your prayer is not dependent upon your performance but upon Christ’s performance on your behalf. “To the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved [Jesus]” (Ephesians 1:6 NKJV). Because you are “accepted” in Christ, you can be sure that God will answer your prayers.
Soul food: 2 Tim 1-4; Luke 22:54-62; Ps 19; Prov 24:19-22
2024-09-19
Hosea 6:3 KJV
Having a “statement of faith” is a good thing because it lets people know your beliefs and values and where you stand on the issues. But it also carries with it a certain danger; you can end up believing you know all there is to know about the subject or at least all that is important to know. The Bible challenges us to keep learning and growing spiritually: “Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord.” The New King James Version says, “Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord.” In Scripture, the word “reveal” is used thirty-eight times.
Clearly, God wants us to get that there is more to know about Him than what we think we know. That’s why you must always keep your mind open. The day you stop “following” God or “pursuing” God is the day you stop learning more about God and growing spiritually. God has more to reveal to you!
Paul writes: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us” (1 Corinthians 2:9-12 NLT). So, the word for you today is – you have more to learn.
Soul food: Mic 5-7; Luke 22:39-53; Ps 24; Prov 24:15-18
