2024-09-18
Proverbs 2:6 NKJV
Maybe you’re facing graduation. More frequently than ever before, people are switching to different jobs and companies and changing their whole careers. In 2014, career specialist Andy Chan observed that young adults will face, on average, twenty-nine jobs over their lifetime. In 2013 Oxford researchers predicted that about half the jobs will be replaced with technology by 2033. So, how do you adjust to a constantly changing environment?
Perhaps you’re in a rut. Your life is safe but unrewarding. You want to do more or be more. Perhaps you’re facing an empty nest. You abruptly find independence and time and options that have been unavailable to you for a few decades. What’s the best way to use them? Possibly you’re retiring. What might God have next for you? Maybe you have traveled abroad and seen a great need, or have investigated a problem and want to make a difference. What should you do next? Perhaps you’re considering marriage. How can you tell if this person is the right one? What if you make a mistake? Or maybe you have been agonizing over a lost opportunity in your past. Will God give you another one?
In answering these questions, you must keep two things in mind. First and foremost, God is more interested in what you become than where you go or what you do for a living. His goal for your life is “to be conformed to the image of His Son” (Romans 8:29 KJV). Second, you will save yourself time, trouble, and possible heartache by consulting God before making any decision. “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6 NKJV).
Soul food: Mic 1-4; Luke 22:24-38; Ps 78:65-72; Prov 24:10-14
2024-09-17
Genesis 12:1 NLT
One author pens: “Would you want the kind of kids you have to tell their whole lives, ‘Wear these clothes. Take these classes. Go to that school. Apply for this job. Marry that person. Purchase this house,’ and you always have them do exactly what you tell them as long as they live? No… Why? Because your main goal is… that they become people of great character and judgment. The only way for them to do that is to make lots and lots of decisions. Of course, that means they’ll make a lot of wrong decisions. That becomes a primary way they learn.
Very often God’s will for you will be “I want you to decide,” because decision-making is an indispensable part of character formation. God is primarily in the character-forming business, not the circumstance-shaping business.” Abraham didn’t say, “Lord, exactly where are you taking me? How is the economy there? What are the job market and the housing market like? Do they have good medical facilities and schools?” The Bible says, “By faith… Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8 NLT). Abraham decided to follow God, and trust God with everything else. And he came out on top!
God does not promise to give us details but to give us wisdom. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally” (James 1:5 KJV). Why does God do it this way? Because decision-making is character building.
Soul food: Neh 11-13; Luke 22:14-23; Ps 78:56-64; Prov 24:5-9
2024-09-16
Acts 27:25 NIV
Third, anchored by God’s promises. The third anchor that gives us confidence in a crisis is found in Paul’s words, “I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” If you have ever been betrayed by an unfaithful spouse, you may have lost trust in marriage. If you were a victim of the subprime mortgage crisis, you may have lost your home and your trust in bankers. If you voted for someone you believed had integrity only to discover they were in the pocket of special interest groups, you may have lost your trust in government.
But never ever lose trust in the promises of God! Look in the face of your storm today and sing the words of this famous hymn by Russell Carter: “Standing on the promises that cannot fail, when the howling winds of doubt and fear assail, by the living Word of God, I shall prevail, standing on the promises of God.” You may lose your cargo, you may lose your ship, you may even go overboard – but you’re going to prevail because of God’s promises to you. As the old saying goes, “God said it, I believe it, and that settles it!”
If you’re in crisis today, here are some Bible promises you can stand on: “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” (Deuteronomy 33:27 NIV). “You have given me your shield of victory. Your right hand supports me; your help has made me great” (Psalm 18:35 NLT). “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you” (Isaiah 46:4 NIV).
Soul food: Neh 8-10; Luke 22:1-13; Ps 78:40-55; Prov 24:1-4
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
